No abstract

In this study, the expression of the novel intermediate filament protein Restin in human tissues was analyzed. Restin expression was studied by immunohistochemistry using polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. Restin was not detected in normal tissues, a range of B- and T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, and nonlymphoid tumors. However, Restin was present in Reed-Sternberg cells and variants thereof in Hodgkin's disease, with the exception of the lymphocyte-predominant, paragranuloma subtype. Restin was also highly expressed in anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (so-called Ki-1 lymphoma). As expected, Restin was also expressed in Hodgkin cell lines L428, L428KSA, Co, and KM-H2 and the anaplastic large-cell lymphoma cell line Karpas 299, which was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting, as well as Northern blotting. The presence of Restin in both Hodgkin's disease and anaplastic large-cell lymphoma is intriguing and might indicate a role of this structural protein in the pathogenesis of both conditions.

In vitro exposure of human blood monocyte-derived macrophages to T-cell tropic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) isolates fails to establish a productive viral infection. Several studies have shown that such preferential HIV-1 replication in T cells or in mononuclear phagocytes (HIV tropism) may be determined by distinct viral characteristics. In the present study it was demonstrated that transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), a factor known to be produced by platelets, macrophages, and other cells present at a wound site, can act as a mediator in overcoming the lymphocytotropic restriction of several well-characterized viral isolates of HIV-1 (i.e., LAV, Z84, pLAI, NY5). Macrophages infected with these isolates show cytopathic changes comparable to those seen upon infection with the monocytotropic isolate ADA. To achieve this effect with TGF-beta, the factor must be present after the infection period. The emerging virus retains its original cellular tropism. Based on these observations the authors propose a role for TGF-beta in the establishment and progression of HIV infection and disease.

In this study, the expression of the novel intermediate filament protein Restin in human tissues was analyzed. Restin expression was studied by immunohistochemistry using polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. Restin was not detected in normal tissues, a range of B- and T-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, and nonlymphoid tumors. However, Restin was present in Reed-Sternberg cells and variants thereof in Hodgkin's disease, with the exception of the lymphocyte-predominant, paragranuloma subtype. Restin was also highly expressed in anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (so-called Ki-1 lymphoma). As expected, Restin was also expressed in Hodgkin cell lines L428, L428KSA, Co, and KM-H2 and the anaplastic large-cell lymphoma cell line Karpas 299, which was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting, as well as Northern blotting. The presence of Restin in both Hodgkin's disease and anaplastic large-cell lymphoma is intriguing and might indicate a role of this structural protein in the pathogenesis of both conditions.

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