The coagulopathy of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is mainly related to procoagulant substances and fibrinolytic activators of APL blasts, but the fate of these leukemic cells is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the removal of APL blasts by macrophages and endothelial cells in vitro and consequent procoagulant and fibrinolytic activity of APL cells. We found that human umbi...

Oosting et al's' recent report on various phospholipid/protein antigen complexes (involving prothrombin, protein S, or protein C) recognized by antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) has set the stage for other aPL investigators to redefine and evaluate the binding specificity of aPL. The nature of the neoepitopes induced by protein/phospholipid interactions is still unresolved. Firstly, the antigen...

Altered peptide ligands (APL) have the potential to modulate pathogenic T cell reactivity. High concentrations of APL, however, are required to achieve efficient blocking of the T cell response. We have therefore investigated whether improved delivery of APL to professional antigen-presenting cells (APC) can lead to more efficient application of such peptides. For this purpose APL were bis-mann...

It is generally accepted that the major autoantigen for antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) in the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is beta(2)-glycoprotein I (beta(2)GPI). However, a recent study has revealed that some aPL bind to certain conformational epitope(s) on beta(2)GPI shared by the homologous enzymatic domains of several serine proteases involved in hemostasis and fibrinolysis. Important...

BACKGROUND There are very limited prospective data on the significance of persistent antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) and recurrent thrombo-occlusive events (TOEs). We investigated the prognostic value of (1) 2 newer aPL assays, (2) an aPL portfolio and (3) persistent aPL positivity following stroke. METHODS A total of 1,770 subjects from the APASS-WARSS study underwent further aPL testing f...

In the nervous system of the marine mollusk Aplysia there are two protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms, the Ca2+-activated PKC Apl I and the Ca2+-independent PKC Apl II. PKC Apl I, but not PKC Apl II is activated by a short-term application of the neurotransmitter serotonin. This may be explained by the fact that purified PKC Apl II requires a higher mole percentage of phosphatidylserine to stimulat...

Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) are a hallmark of the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), which is the most commonly acquired thrombophilia. To date there is consensus that aPL cause the clinical manifestations of this potentially devastating disorder. However, there is good evidence that not all aPL are pathogenic. For instance, aPL associated with syphilis show no association with the manifest...

Lidar is a powerful tool for monitoring vertical profile of aerosol pollutant layer (APL) and its variation. The extinction-to-backscatter ratio, S1, is a crucial parameter for quantitative interpretation of lidar data. Because of the large and quick variation of S1 in APL, it is necessary to measure real-timely S1. A multi-instrument method is introduced for monitoring APL by lidar combined wi...

Protein kinase Cs (PKCs) are important effectors of synaptic plasticity. In Aplysia, there are two major phorbol ester-activated PKCs, Ca2+-activated PKC Apl I and Ca2+-independent PKC Apl II. Functional Apl II, but not Apl I, in sensory neurons is required for a form of short-term facilitation induced at sensorimotor synapses by the facilitatory transmitter serotonin (5-HT). Because PKCs are a...

We analyzed the clinicobiological features and treatment outcome of a series of acute promyelocytic leukemias (APLs) occurring as a second tumor (APL-st's, n = 51) and compared these with a large group of de novo APL cases (n = 641), both observed by the Italian cooperative group GIMEMA. In the APL-st group, 37 patients had received radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy for their primary malignancy ...