Expression of transcripts for the homotypic adhesion protein epithelial V-like antigen 1 (EVA1), also known as myelin protein zero like-2 (Mpzl2), is known to be present in thymic stromal cells. However, protein expression within different thymic subsets, stromal and/or lymphoid, has not been characterized due a lack of specific reagents. To address this, we generated a hybridoma (G9P3-1) secreting a monoclonal antibody (G9P3-1Mab), reactive against both human and mouse EVA1. The G9P3-1Mab was generated by immunizing Mpzl2-deficient gene-targeted mice with the extracellular domain of EVA1, followed by a conventional hybridoma fusion protocol, illustrating the feasibility of using gene-targeted mice to generate monoclonal antibodies with multiple species cross-reactivity. We confirmed expression of EVA1 on cortical and medullary epithelial cell subsets and revealed a restricted pattern of expression on CD4- CD8- double negative (DN) cell subsets, with the highest level of expression on DN3 (CD44lowCD25+) thymocytes. G9P3-1MAb is a valuable reagent to study thymic T cell development and is likely useful for the analysis of pathological conditions affecting thymopoiesis, such as thymic involution caused by stress or aging.
Summary OBJECTIVE Adrenal insufficiency (Al) is a well known complication of AIDS. However, the clinical and biochemical features of Al in HIV infected patients have not been extensively studied. DESIGN A restrospective clinical study. PATIENTS We reviewed clinical records of 74 AIDS patients with clinical and/or biochemical indications of Al who underwent Synacthen testing in order to determine adrenocortical function during a 5‐year period. MEASUREMENTS AI was diagnosed when Cortisol levels failed to rise above 496 nmol/l at any time during the test. Cortisol was measured by RIA. RESULTS Sixteen patients (22%) were diagnosed with Al. Most were young males and all of them had a known risk factor, principally I.v. drug users. The main complaint was fatigue. Hyponatraemia or hyperkalaemia were uncommon. All of them were severely immuno‐suppressed, with AIDS‐defining conditions from at least 6 months before the diagnosis of Al, and had been diagnosed with at least one disease that has been reported to produce Al in AIDS patients. Survival was poor. Thirteen of these patients (81%) died within 6 months. Basal cortisol levels were lower than 275 nmol/l in 75% of patients with Al but in only 2% of the group of 58 patients who had normal adrenal responses to Synacthen. CONCLUSIONS Adrenal insufficiency features in AIDS patients with advanced disease, without specific findings and with a history of previous opportunistic diseases. Basal cortisol values at 0830 h lower than 275 nmol/l are highly suggestive of adrenal insufficiency in patients with AIDS.
This document describes the framework for Interface to Network
Security Functions (I2NSF) and defines a reference model (including
major functional components) for I2NSF. Network Security Functions
(NSFs) are packet-processing engines that inspect and optionally
modify packets traversing networks, either directly or in the context
of sessions to which the packet is associated.