Sputum epithelial cell-derived neutrophil-activating peptide-78 (ENA-78/CXCL5) in asthmatic children: relation to eosinophil activation

Background: Epithelial cell-derived neutrophil-activating peptide-78 (ENA-78) is a chemokine that recruits and activates neutrophils, possesses angiogenic properties and promotes connective tissue remodeling. Thus, it could play a pathogenic role in allergic airway inflammation. Eosinophils are the major source for this chemokine in inflamed airways. Objective: To evaluate sputum ENA-78 expression and its relation to acute asthma exacerbations of varying severity, and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) as a marker of eosinophil activation, as well as eosinophil counts in blood and sputum. Methods: Sputum ENA-78 and serum ECP were measured by ELISA in 21 children during and after acute asthma exacerbation and 21 healthy matched controls. Patients were subdivided according to exacerbation severity into three equal subgroups; mild, moderate and severe. Results: Sputum ENA-78 was significantly higher in asthmatic children during acute exacerbation than controls (310.1±156.9 pg/ml vs 65.9±11.6 pg/ml, p < 0.0001). It was significantly higher in severe than moderate and in moderate than mild exacerbations, and was negatively correlated to the peak expiratory flow rate. Sputum ENA-78 showed significant positive correlations with serum ECP and eosinophil counts in blood and sputum. By follow up of patients with acute asthma exacerbation till remission of symptoms and signs, sputum ENA-78, serum ECP and eosinophil counts in blood and sputum decreased significantly, but their levels remained significantly higher than the control values. Conclusion: Sputum ENA-78 is increased during acute asthma exacerbation and it positively correlates with exacerbation severity and eosinophil activation. Thus, it may play a role in the evolution of acute asthma exacerbation and may be a future target for new asthma therapeutic modalities.Keywords: Bronchial asthma; chemokines; children; epithelial cell-derived neutrophil-activating peptide-78; eosinophils; eosinophil cationic protein; sputum markersEgypt J Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2007; 5(2): 55-6

Preparation and Biological Evaluation of 99mtc-Sarafloxacin and 99mtc- Danofloxacin Complexes as a Model for Infection Imaging

Infection and inflammation remain a major cause of mortality and morbidity globally. This promotes research into better and more accurate diagnostic and therapeutic methods. This investigation focused on the labeling of sarafloxacin and danofloxacin for infection imaging. The radiolabeled antibiotic 99mTc-sarafloxacin and 99mTc-danofloxacin were assessed as an infection imaging agent in a mouse model. 99mTc-sarafloxacin and 99mTc-danofloxacin were obtained at pH 11 with a radiochemical yield of 96, 90%, respectively by adding 99mTc to 1 mg sarafloxacin or danofloxacin in the presence of 50 μg SnCl2.2H2O. Biodistribution studies in mice were carried out in experimentally induced infection in the left thigh using Staphylococcus aureus. Both thighs of the mice were dissected and counted, and the ratio of bacterial infected thigh/contralateral thigh was then evaluated. 99mTc-sarafloxacin and 99mTc-danofloxacin showed high uptake (T/NT=3.8±0.1 and 4.9±0.1, respectively) in the infectious lesion and abscess to normal muscle ratio indicating that 99mTcsarafloxacin and 99mTc-danofloxacin could be used for infection imaging

Preparation and Biological Evaluation of 99mtc-Sarafloxacin and 99mtc- Danofloxacin Complexes as a Model for Infection Imaging

Infection and inflammation remain a major cause of mortality and morbidity globally. This promotes research into better and more accurate diagnostic and therapeutic methods. This investigation focused on the labeling of sarafloxacin and danofloxacin for infection imaging. The radiolabeled antibiotic 99mTc-sarafloxacin and 99mTc-danofloxacinwere assessed as an infection imaging agent in a mouse model. 99mTc-sarafloxacin and 99mTc-danofloxacin were obtained at pH 11 with a radiochemical yield of 96, 90%, respectively by adding 99mTc to 1 mg sarafloxacin or danofloxacin in the presence of 50 μg SnCl2.2H2O. Biodistribution studies in mice were carried out in experimentally induced infection in the left thigh using Staphylococcus aureus. Both thighs of the mice were dissected and counted and the ratio of bacterial infected thigh/contralateral thigh was then evaluated. 99mTc-sarafloxacin and 99mTc-danofloxacin showed high uptake (T/NT=3.8±0.1 and 4.9±0.1, respectively) in the infectious lesion and abscess to normal muscle ratio indicating that 99mTcsarafloxacin and 99mTc-danofloxacin could be used for infection imaging.Key words: sarafloxacin/ danofloxacin/ Technetium-99m/ Infection/ inflammation/ Diagnosi

On the SigmaN cusp in the pp -> pK+Lambda reaction

Measurements of the $pp \to pK^+\Lambda$ reaction at $T_p$ = 2.28 GeV have been carried out at COSY-TOF. In addition to the $\Lambda p$ FSI and $N^*$ resonance excitation effects a pronounced narrow structure is observed in the Dalitz plot and in its projection on the $p\Lambda$-invariant mass. The structure appears at the $pp \to$N$K^+\Sigma$ threshold and is interpreted as $\Sigma$N cusp effect. The observed width of 20 MeV/$c^2$ is substantially broader than anticipated from previous inclusive measurements. Angular distributions of this cusp structure are shown to be dissimilar to those in the residual $pK^+\Lambda$ channel, but similar to those observed in the $pK^+\Sigma^0$ channel

On the Production of π+π+\pi^+\pi^+ Pairs in pp Collisions at 0.8 GeV

Data accumulated recently for the exclusive measurement of the $pp\to pp\pi^+\pi^-$ reaction at a beam energy of 0.793 GeV using the COSY-TOF spectrometer have been analyzed with respect to possible events from the $pp \to nn\pi^+\pi^+$ reaction channel. The latter is expected to be the only $\pi\pi$ production channel, which contains no major contributions from resonance excitation close to threshold and hence should be a good testing ground for chiral dynamics in the $\pi\pi$ production process. No single event has been found, which meets all conditions for being a candidate for the $pp \to nn \pi^+\pi^+$ reaction. This gives an upper limit for the cross section of 0.16 $\mu$b (90% C.L.), which is more than an order of magnitude smaller than the cross sections of the other two-pion production channels at the same incident energy

Production of Lambda and Sigma^0 hyperons in proton-proton collisions

This paper reports results on simultaneous measurements of the reaction channels pp -> pK+\Lambda and pp -> pK+\Sigma^0 at excess energies of 204, 239, and 284 MeV (\Lambda) and 127, 162, and 207 MeV (\Sigma^0). Total and differential cross sections are given for both reactions. It is concluded from the measured total cross sections that the high energy limit of the cross section ratio is almost reached at an excess energy of only about 200 MeV. From the differential distributions observed in the overall CMS as well as in the Jackson and helicity frames, a significant contribution of interfering nucleon resonances to the \Lambda production mechanism is concluded while resonant \Sigma^0-production seems to be of lesser importance and takes place only through specific partial waves of the entrance channel. The data also indicate that kaon exchange plays a minor role in the case of \Lambda- but an important role for \Sigma^0-production. Thus the peculiar energy dependence of the \Lambda-to-\Sigma^0 cross section ratio appears in a new light as its explanation requires more than mere differences between the p\Lambda and the p\Sigma^0 final state interaction. The data provide a benchmark for theoretical models already available or yet to come.Comment: 18 pages, 10 figures; accepted by The European Physical Journal A (EPJ A

Systematic study of the pp -> pp omega reaction

A systematic study of the production of omega-mesons in proton-proton-collisions was carried out in a kinematically complete experiment at three excess energies(epsilon= 92, 128, 173MeV). Both protons were detected using the large-acceptance COSY-TOF spectrometer at an external beam line at the Cooler Synchrotron COSY at Forschungszentrum J\"ulich. The total cross section, angular distributions of both omega-mesons and protons were measured and presented in various reference frames such as the overall CMS, helicity and Jackson frame. In addition, the orientation of the omega-spin and invariant mass spectra were determined. We observe omega-production to take place dominantly in Ss and Sp final states at epsilon = 92, 128 MeV and, additionally, in Sd at epsilon= 173 MeV. No obvious indication of resonant omega-production via N^*-resonances was found, as proton angular distributions are almost isotropic and invariant mass spectra are compatible with phase space distributions. A dominant role of ^3P_1 and ^1S_0 initial partial waves for omega-production was concluded from the orientation of the decay plane of the omega-meson. Although the Jackson angle distributions in the omega-p-Jackson frame are anisotropic we argue that this is not an indication of a resonance but rather a kinematical effect reflecting the anisotropy of the omega angular distribution. The helicity angle distribution in the omega-p-helicity frame shows an anisotropy which probably reflects effects of the omega angular momenta in the final state; this observable may be, in addition to the orientation of the omega decay plane, the most sensitive one to judge the validity of theoretical descriptions of the production process.Comment: 17 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication in EPJ

Low-energy pion-pion scattering in the pp→ppπ+π−pp \to pp\pi^{+}\pi^{-} and ppˉ→ppˉπ+π−p\bar p \to p\bar p\pi^{+}\pi^{-} reactions

We evaluate the contribution of pion-pion rescattering to the $p p \to p p \pi^+ \pi^-$ and $p \bar p \to p \bar p \pi^+ \pi^-$ reactions. We compare our results with the close-to-threshold experimental data. The pion-pion rescattering contribution is found there to be negligible. The predictions for future experiments with PANDA detector at High Energy Storage Ring (HESR) in GSI Darmstadt are presented. It is discussed how to cut off the dominant Roper resonance and double-$\Delta$ excitation mechanisms leading to the $p p \pi^+ \pi^-$ channel in final state. Differential distributions in momentum transfers, transverse momentum, effective two-pions mass, relative azimuthal angle between pions, and pion rapidities are presented.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figure

Production of ω\omega mesons in proton-proton collisions

The cross section for the production of $\omega$ mesons in proton-proton collisions has been measured in a previously unexplored region of incident energies. Cross sections were extracted at 92 MeV and 173 MeV excess energy, respectively. The angular distribution of the $\omega$ at $\epsilon$=173 MeV is strongly anisotropic, demonstrating the importance of partial waves beyond pure s-wave production at this energy.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures submitted to Physics Letters B v2: figure 1 added, discussion detailing the data analysis, figure 3 (fig. 2 in v1) modified in line styles and systematic errors displayed on dat