Human peripheral blood monocytes attached to Candida albicans hyphae in the absence of serum and damaged the hyphae without completely ingesting them. Attachment and damage was not augmented by the addition of serum. Damage to hyphae was quantitated by a previously developed metabolic assay that measured leukocyte-induced reduction in uptake of [(14)C]cytosine by the hyphae. Use of cells from p...

Estradiol binds covalently to normal leukocytes during phagocytosis. The binding involves three cell types, neutrophils, eosinophils, and monocytes and at least two reaction mechanisms, one involving the peroxidase of neutrophils and monocytes (myeloperoxidase [MPO]) and possibly the eosinophil peroxidase, and the second involving catalase. Binding is markedly reduced when leukocytes from patie...

Myeloperoxidase (MPO; EC 1.11.1.7) is a lysosomal hemeprotein that plays an important role in the host defense mechanism against microbial diseases. This neutrophil disorder, characterized by the lack of MPO, may result in a weakened defense activity. Complete MPO deficiency has been postulated to be to originate from genomic mutation. Recently, two Japanese patients were reported with MPO defi...

Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is a key factor for the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), whose function is known to be mediated by TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1) or 2. However, the precise role of the two receptors in IBD remains poorly understood. Herein, acute colitis was induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) instillation in TNFR1 or 2-/- mice. TNFR1 ablation led to exacerbation o...

Our previous studies established that human neutrophils could damage and probably kill hyphae of Aspergillus fumigatus and Rhizopus oryzae in vitro, primarily by oxygen-dependent mechanisms active at the cell surface. These studies were extended, again quantitating hyphal damage by reduction in uptake of (14)C-labeled uracil or glutamine. Neither A. fumigatus nor R. oryzae hyphae were damaged b...

PURPOSE At the macula, the carotenoids meso-zeaxanthin (MZ), lutein (L), and zeaxanthin (Z) are collectively referred to as macular pigment (MP). This study was designed to measure serum and macular responses to a macular carotenoid formulation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ten subjects were recruited into this study (five normal and five with early age-related macular degeneration [AMD]). Subjects ...

The relative importance of several oxygen intermediates in fungicidal action against opsonized Aspergillus fumigatus conidia was investigated with monocytes from normal volunteers and patients with either chronic granulomatous disease or myeloperoxidase (MPO) deficiency. Results from experiments in which catalase, taurine, mannitol, or glucose-glucose oxidase were added to these phagocytes indi...

A cytotoxic effect of human neutrophils on mammalian tumor cells is demonstrated. Cytotoxicity depends on the presence of intact neutrophils, phagocytosable particles, and a halide cofactor and is inhibited by azide, cyanide, and catalase. Neutrophils from patients with myeloperoxidase (MPO) deficiency or defective H1O2 production are not cytotoxic, but activity is resotred by addition of purif...

The objective of this project was to investigate the relationships between total and regional distribution of body fat and tissue lutein (L) and zeaxanthin (Z) status. Healthy men and women (N = 100; average age: 22.5 year, average BMI: 23.4 kg/m2) were evaluated. Total body and regional fat mass were assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (Hologic Delphi A). Serum LZ was measured using r...