Ten patients with nondialyzed chronic renal failure (CRF), 14 receiving continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), 16 receiving hemodialysis (HD), and 10 normal controls (NC), were evaluated. Levels of Fas antigen (CD95), scavenger receptors (CD36 and CD68), and tumor necrosis factor-receptor 2 (CD120b) on monocytes were measured using flow cytometry. All patients showed lymphocytopenia, and monocyte counts were decreased in those with CRF. Fas levels were higher in patients receiving HD than the others, and were higher in the CRF and CAPD groups than in controls. CD120b levels were similar to those of Fas. Monocyte CD36 levels in the dialysis groups were significantly higher than in the CRF and NC groups. CD68 was also significantly elevated in HD patients. Fas levels were positively correlated with those of CD120b and CD68. The patient groups showed higher levels of apoptotic markers and scavenger receptors, combined with activation of the TNF-alpha system, especially in patients receiving HD.

The role of nitric oxide (NO) in granuloma pathology is largely unclear to date. We investigated the role of NO in fibrotic granuloma development in the musculature of mice infected with Toxocara canis from 1 day (dpi) to 8 weeks post-infection (wpi) using the NO synthase (NOS) inhibitors, L-NIL (l-N6-1-iminoethyl lysine). In infected mice, elevated serum NO concentrations were seen at 1 dpi (204.1 +/- 0.2 microM) and 1 wpi (145.1 +/- 0.2 microM); it declined drastically from 4 wpi onwards (57.0 +/- 0.1 microM). In L-NIL-treated mice, the NO concentration was drastically reduced from 15% during 1 wpi; thereafter, it was restored to almost half that in infected mice. Inducible NOS expression was enhanced in infected and L-NIL-treated mice at 4 wpi but declined at 8 wpi as assessed by immunohistochemistry. L-NIL treatment resulted in large, irregularly shaped granulomas with suppressed collagen contents at 4 wpi but not at 8 wpi. The suppressed collagen contents might have been related to decreased serum NO and Th2-type cytokine of interleukin-4 but not Th1-type cytokine of interferon-gamma expression.