Role of transferrin, transferrin receptors, and iron in macrophage listericidal activity.

It is not yet known what properties distinguish macrophages which can kill facultative intracellular bacteria, such as Listeria monocytogenes, from those which cannot. Listeria is an organism which requires iron for growth, yet macrophage listericidal mechanisms are also likely to be iron dependent. We show here that resident peritoneal macrophages and thioglycollate-elicited macrophages cannot kill listeria, but proteose peptone-elicited and FCS-elicited macrophages can. All these cell populations phagocytose listeria. Transferrin receptor expression is low on resident cells, intermediate on peptone- and FCS-elicited cells, and high on thioglycollate-elicited cells. Transferrin transports iron into cells via the transferrin receptor: thus, iron content of resident cells is low, of peptone- and FCS-elicited cells is intermediate, and of thioglycollate-elicited cells is high. Moreover, antibody to transferrin, which prevents it binding its receptor, inhibits listericidal macrophages from killing this bacterium. Finally, nonlistericidal cells with high transferrin receptor expression and high intracellular iron become listericidal if they are incubated with apotransferrin, an iron-free ligand which prevents iron uptake by cells. These data suggest that macrophages must have enough available intracellular iron to support listericidal mechanisms, but too much iron favors growth of the bacterium, which no longer can be killed by the macrophage

'From Island to Island': Extracts from an Unpublished Autobiography

Alistair Te Ariki Campbell was a leading figure in the post-war Literary Society of Victoria University College which after several 'Broadsheets', published a new literary journal Hilltop in 1949. In these extracts from his unpublished autobiography we approach some of the sources of his poems, especially that of'The Return ', his most celebrated single work, first published in Hilltop 2 under the title 'Landscape with Figures'. He also gives us a student's view of life at Victoria, but before coming to Wellington he had 'reluctantly and resentfully' enrolled as a student at Otago University for the 1944 academic year..

The Challenge of the Drums

An address given on conferment of the degree of Honorary Doctor of Literature by Victoria University of Wellington, 16 April 199

Portfolio pointers: Preparing and presenting high quality teaching portfolios

This goal of this project was to develop a set of guidelines for creating teaching portfolios for the Tertiary Teaching Excellence Awards or for other purposes. It includes key pointers to “getting started”, collecting evidence, interrogating practice, editing, and protecting the unique “voice” of the nominee and their student body. The guidelines consist of general principles and practical examples from both successful academic developers and award recipients and some examples from award-winning portfolios to illustrate good practice

Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography and biliary drainage after liver transplantation: A five-year experience

Evaluation of the biliary tract by percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC) is often required in liver transplant patients with an abnormal postoperative course. Indications for PTC include failure of liver enzyme levels to return to normal postoperatively, an elevation of serum bilirubin or liver enzyme levels, suspected bile leak, biliary obstructive symptoms, cholangitis, and sepsis. Over a 5-year period 625 liver transplants in 477 patients were performed at the University Health Center of Pittsburgh. Fifty-three patients (56 transplants) underwent 70 PTCs. Complications diagnosed by PTC included biliary strictures, bile leaks, bilomas, liver abscesses, stones, and problems associated with internal biliary stents. Thirty-two percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage procedures were performed. Ten transplantation patients underwent balloon dilatation of postoperative biliary strictures. Interventional radiologic techniques were important in treating other complications and avoiding additional surgery in many of these patients. © 1987 Springer-Verlag New York Inc

Measurement of free light chains with assays based on monoclonal antibodies

Recently, serum free light chain (FLC) assays incorporating anti-kappa (κ) and anti-lambda (λ) FLC monoclonal antibodies have become available: N Latex FLC assay (Siemens) and Seralite® (Abingdon Health). The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of these two new monoclonal antibody-based methods. In doing so, the review will outline the performance characteristics of each method, including a summary of: assay principles, antibody specificity, analytical performance and assay performance in disease. Additionally, the review will describe the potential user benefits of adopting these new generation FLC assays, which are designed to overcome the established limitations of existing polyclonal antibody based FLC assay

'From Island to Island': Extracts from an Unpublished Autobiography

Alistair Te Ariki Campbell was a leading figure in the post-war Literary Society of Victoria University College which after several 'Broadsheets', published a new literary journal Hilltop in 1949. In these extracts from his unpublished autobiography we approach some of the sources of his poems, especially that of'The Return ', his most celebrated single work, first published in Hilltop 2 under the title 'Landscape with Figures'. He also gives us a student's view of life at Victoria, but before coming to Wellington he had 'reluctantly and resentfully' enrolled as a student at Otago University for the 1944 academic year..