3+ 4/2002 - Společnost pro pojivové tkáně

suggestion that CH are absorbed from GIT
as peptides.
Methods: For this study CH was prepared
from rat skin by enzymatic digestion.
Molecular mass of obtained peptides was
500 – 3500.
CH (1.0 µg) was then mixed with 50
mg incomplete Freud's adjuvant and a
sheep was immunized. Serum (20 ml
blood) was firstly collected 20 days after
the last booster. Antibodies titer was determined
by ELISA. Specific antibodies were
isolated by CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B
chromatography. From various tissue samples
(liver, oesophagus, kidney, sternum,
legjoints) of mice fed with CH for 11 days
(10 mg/10 g body weight daily) frozen sections
were stained with primary antibodies
in the first step and in the second diluted
FITC-conjugated rabbit anti-sheep IgG was
applied. Samples from the same organs
were used for EM evaluation.
Results: mouse liver after feeding with
CH exhibited a massive fluorescence also in
the cytoplasm of hepatocytes at the level of
central vein lobules. Positive findings were
ascertained further in joints. Articular cartilage
possessed ring shaped fluorescent signals
at the region of chondrocyte extracellular
matrix boundary. Analogous findings
were observed in sternum. EM evaluation
using immuno-gold method for CH demonstration
confirmed findings at the light microscopy
level.
Discussion: Presented findings clearly
show that peptides containing the respective
antigenic determinants cross the GIT
wall. Elements which are able to transfer
peptides and proteins across the gastrointestinal
wall and bring them to the lymphatic
and blood capillaries are EAF
(epithelium associated with follicules). Massive
fluorescence in cytoplasma in mouse
liver indicates that CH is collected at first in
liver. Further the authors suggest that the
presence of gold-labeled antibodies to CH
as well as finding of immunof1uorescence
in cytoplasma is very important for the elucidation
of mode of action of CH in diseased
human beings.
SERUM LEVELS OF SVCAM-1,
SICAM-1 AND GELATINASES A AND B
AS POSSIBLE PREDICTORS OF THE
OUTCOME OF RHEUMATIC ARTHRITIS
J. Šovíčková, S. Macháček, J. Gatherová
Institute of Rheumatology, Na Slupi 4, 128 50 Prague 2,
Czech republic
Introduction: There is a need to find
predictive markers to judge progress of
rheumatic diseases as e.g. rheumatoid
arthritis. Recently it was found that interaction
of adhesive molecules ICAM-1 or
VCAM-1on the cell surface can initiate
gelatinases expression. They are capable to
degrade extracellular matrix.
Methods: We follow the levels of
sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, and gelatinases A and B
in the sera of 60 patients with early
rheumatoid arthritis and compared them
with the levels of C-reactive protein and
disease score DAS and radiografic score
according to Larsen. The levels of sICAM-1;
sVCAM-1, both gelatinases, and CRP were
assesed in 6 month intervals, the DAS and
radiografic score in 12 month intervals
within two years.
Results: We found that in all intervals
sICAM-1 correlated with sVCAM-1 (0.3147<
r s