The success of cellular therapies will depend in part on accurate delivery of cells to target organs. In dendritic cell therapy, in particular, delivery and subsequent migration of cells to regional lymph nodes is essential for effective stimulation of the immune system. We show here that in vivo magnetic resonance tracking of magnetically labeled cells is feasible in humans for detecting very low numbers of dendritic cells in conjunction with detailed anatomical information. Autologous dendritic cells were labeled with a clinical superparamagnetic iron oxide formulation or (111)In-oxine and were co-injected intranodally in melanoma patients under ultrasound guidance. In contrast to scintigraphic imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allowed assessment of the accuracy of dendritic cell delivery and of inter- and intra-nodal cell migration patterns. MRI cell tracking using iron oxides appears clinically safe and well suited to monitor cellular therapy in humans.

Summarymedium may produce false positive results (11). In this report, we describe two modifications of the original Bethesda assay which result Antibodies against factor VIII coagulant activity can appear in in markedly increased specificity and allowed us to diagnose and monihaemophiliacs who are treated with factor VIII preparations but also tor the presence of factor VIII :C inhibitors, spontaneously in non-haemophiliacs. The Bethesda assay is the most commonly used method to detect these antibodies, but it lacks specificity especially in the lower range resulting in unreliable data.Two modifications are proposed and tested to resolve the imper fections: 1. Buffering the normal plasma used in the assay-and control mixture with 0.1 M imidazole to pH 7.4. p 2. Replacing the imidazole buffer in the control mixture by immunodepleted factor VIII deficient plasma. These modifications allow better discrimination between positive and negative samples and improve reliability.

Background and Objective: Occurrence rates of clinical features of nail psoriasis vary considerably in the literature. Little information is available on subjective complaints of patients affected by psoriasis of the nails. Method: Interviews with 1,728 psoriatic patients concerning their nail changes and complaints are reviewed. Results: The results indicate that pitting and deformation are the most common clinical aberrations in psoriatic nails, with a positive association between the duration of skin lesions and nail psoriasis. No relation was found between age and nail psoriasis in this group. Remarkably, 51.8% of patients suffered from pain caused by the nail changes, and a large group of patients was restricted in their daily activities, housekeeping and/or profession (58.9, 56.1, 47.9%). Treatment was disappointing: only 19.3% showed marked improvement during treatment. Conclusion: This indicates that psoriasis of the nails is a more important individual and social-economic problem than previously assumed and that development of new treatments is needed.

Electropherogram demonstrating heterozygosity for a GrA missense mutation at nucleotide position 188 in exon 9 of TNNT3 in a family with DA2B. To confirm the presence of this mutation, we incorporated a MluI restriction site into the amplicon by mismatch PCR. The presence of the mutation eliminates this site, producing fragments of 144 bp and 110 bp in the affected mother and her two affected children (blackened symbols), whereas the unaffected father is homozygous for the 110-bp fragment.

Key Points 5hmC levels vary considerably in patients with AML. High levels of 5hmC independently correlate with inferior overall survival in AML.