The interleukin 2-diphtheria toxin-related fusion protein (IL-2-toxin) rapidly inhibits protein synthesis in IL-2 receptor (IL-2R)-bearing phytohemagglutinin-activated T cells but transiently stimulates DNA synthesis. At 7 hr after interaction with IL-2R+ phytohemagglutinin-activated T cells, IL-2-toxin-treated cells bear augmented steady-state levels of c-myc, interferon gamma, and IL-2R mRNA;...

CD8(+) T cells respond to IL-2 produced both endogenously and by CD4(+) Th during an antiviral response. However, IL-2R signals can potentially promote CD8(+) T cell death as well as proliferation, making it unclear whether IL-2R signals provide a predominantly positive or negative effect upon CD8(+) T cell responses to viral infection. To more precisely define the direct role of IL-2R signalin...

To clarify the interrelation between interleukin-2 (IL-2) and soluble IL-2R receptor (sIL-2R), as products of T-cell activation in the bronchial tree of patients with bronchial asthma, we measured the concentration of IL-2, sIL-2R, and the cellular composition in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. We also measured physiologic parameters, including provocation concentration of histamine require...

The goal of the present study was to determine whether the kappa-opioid receptor agonist (ORA) U50,488 attenuates behavioral and primary afferent nerve responses to noxious colorectal distension (CRD) by sodium channel blockade. We tested the analgesic kappa-ORA (+/-)-trans U50,488, its enantiomers (-)-trans (1S,2S)-U50,488 and non kappa-ORA (+)-trans (1R,2R)-U50,488, and/or its diastereomer (-...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES In spite of potent immunosuppression, acute rejection continues to be the single largest cause of graft dysfunction after renal transplantation. Renal allograft biopsy, though invasive, continues to be the reference standard, though certain clinical and biochemical parameters are helpful in assessment of these patients. Acute renal allograft rejection is mediated by T ly...

Receptor-mediated endocytosis is an essential process used by eukaryotic cells to internalise many molecules. Several clathrin-independent endocytic routes exist, but the molecular mechanism of each pathway remains to be uncovered. The present study focuses on a clathrin-independent dynamin-dependent pathway used by interleukin 2 receptors (IL-2R), essential players of the immune response. Ras-...

Sera and urine samples from 115 Sicilian patients with boutonneuse fever (BF), obtained at the time of diagnosis and after clinical recovery, were analyzed for concentrations of interleukin (IL)-2 and soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R). There were significantly high levels of sIL-2R in the urine and sera of patients with acute BF compared with healthy controls, and the values returned to normal fol...

A soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R) is a circulating form of a membrane receptor localized on lymphoid and some cancer cells. The biological function of sIL-2R has not been completely understood. Substantially, it seems to reflect T-lymphocyte activation in diseases of different pathology. Moreover, the soluble receptor has been considered, at least in part, responsible for unsuccessful immunother...

In the 2R/R converters imprecision of resistors introduces two types of error. Positive errors introduce a gap in the analog domain, while negative errors cause non-monotonicity in the input/output characteristics. Changing the resistor ratio from 2R/R to 2R/R, with R>R, we intentionally introduce an additional negative error in order to avoid resulting positive error gap. In this paper we prop...

A newly isolated Galactomyces geotrichum ZJUTZQ200 strain containing an epoxide hydrolase was used to resolve racemic ethyl 3-phenylglycidate (rac-EPG) for producing (2R,3S)-ethyl-3-phenylglycidate ((2R,3S)-EPG). G. geotrichum ZJUTZQ200 was verified to be able to afford high enantioselectivity in whole cell catalyzed synthesis of this chiral phenylglycidate synthon. After the optimization of th...