Search

A balanced diet is critical for human health, and edible plants play an important role in providing essential micronutrients as well as specific microRNAs (miRNAs) that can regulate human gene expression. Here we present the effects of Moringa oleifera (MO) miRNAs (mol-miRs) on lipid metabolism. Through in silico studies we identified the potential genes involved in lipid metabolism targeted by mol-miRs. To this end, we tested the efficacy of an aqueous extract of MO seeds (MOES), as suggested in traditional African ethnomedicine, or its purified miRNAs. The biological properties of MO preparations were investigated using a human derived hepatoma cell line (HepG2) as a model. MOES treatment decreased intracellular lipid accumulation and induced apoptosis in HepG2. In the same cell line, transfection with mol-miRs showed similar effects to MOES. Moreover, the effect of the mol-miR pool was investigated in a pre-obese mouse model, in which treatment with mol-miRs was able to prevent dysregulation of lipid metabolism.

An important component of the response to the AIDS epidemic is the prevention of HIV infection and other sexually transmitted diseases through the use of condoms. In order to enhance HIV prevention programs and minimize the occurrence of unwanted pregnancies, female condoms have been introduced within the community, with the ultimate goal of reducing vulnerability of women. The success of such a program depends on its acceptance by the target population.A survey was conducted among 426 respondents from different regions of Cameroon, to evaluate their perception of HIV/AIDS and their level of acceptance of condom usage in general, and female condom use in particular.Respondents were young adults residing in seven regions of Cameroon (86.4% west, 6.5% Littoral, 3% Centre and 4.1% Adamawa, East, Far-North and North-West). Mean age was 22.6 years; 57% were male, 95% were single, and 77% were university educated. Overall, 76% of participants reported using condoms, though 48% complained of decreased sexual satisfaction. Interestingly, awareness regarding female condoms was 74.5% and 88.5% in men and women respectively, however only 8% and 9.9% respectively reported having ever used them. Respondents generally learnt about sexual education through broadcasting media (~90%).In this sexually active Cameroonian population, the rate of acceptance or use of female condom remains very low, even among women. Strategies to increase awareness of female condoms among young women, their benefits and correct use, are needed.

With the decreasing HIV epidemiology in Cameroon (5.5% in 2004 to 4.3% in 2011), HIV/AIDS remains a major public health concern, affecting mostly the sexually active population, among which the young University students represent an important target. Since sexual intercourses represent about 90% of HIV transmission, understanding the sexual behaviors of youth could relevantly optimize the design of HIV prevention strategies, through updated and adapted communication strategies for healthy sexual behavioral changes.A qualitative, descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted in November 2010, among 518 newly registered students in the various faculties of the University of Dschang, Cameroon. In order to evaluate Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) toward HIV/AIDS prevention among the study participants, a structured questionnaire was administered to each participant, on the basic knowledge about HIV/AIDS and condoms. Data analysis was performed using Epi Info version 3.5.0 software.The mean age of participants was 20 years, with a slight female predominance (52%). 98.6% of students voted familiar with the theme "condom", with 88.9% giving a satisfactory definition. However, 41.1% do not know the appropriate transmission route of HIV, while 5.4% do not master the correct use of condom; with up to 75.7% being aware of the female condom existence. Although 97.8% of students consider the proper use of condoms as an effective HIV preventive tool, up to 34.5% of them fail to use condoms during sexual intercourses and 69% were not in favor of the use of female condom, mainly due to a decreasing sexual pleasure.Despite the existing sensitization campaigns, the perception of condoms is still very poor among young Cameroonian academics; with the non-systematic use of condoms being the major setback. The lack of familiarity to female condom, both among female and male, would also be a contributing drawback. These major sexual behavioral risk factors to HIV infection appear as key points to address during the campaigns to ensure owning of healthy sexual habits, a leading component to reduce HIV incidence among young Cameroonian/Africans.

The testing of dried blood spots (DBSs) for human immunodeficiency type 1 (HIV-1) proviral DNA by PCR is a technology that has proven to be particularly valuable in diagnosing exposed infants. We implemented this technology for HIV-1 early infant diagnosis (EID) and HIV-1 RNA viral load determination in infants born of HIV-1-seropositive mothers from remote areas in Cameroon. The samples were collected between December 2007 and September 2010. Fourteen thousand seven hundred and sixty-three (14,763) DBS samples from infants born of HIV-positive mothers in 108 sites nationwide were tested for HIV. Of these, 1452 were positive on first PCR analyses (PCR1), giving an overall infection rate of 12.30%. We received only 475 DBS specimen for a second PCR testing (PCR2); out of these, 145 were positive. The median HIV-1 RNA viral load for 169 infant DBS samples tested was 6.85 log copies/ml, with values ranging from 3.37 to 8 log copies/ml. The determination of the viral load on the same DBS as that used for PCR1 allowed us to bypass the PCR2. The viral load values were high and tend to decrease with age but with a weak slope. The high values of viral load among these infants call for early and effective administration of antiretroviral therapy (ART). The findings from this study indicate that the use of DBS provides a powerful tool for perinatal screening programs, improvement on the testing algorithm, and follow-up during treatment, and thus should be scaled up to the entire nation.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a polypotent regulatory molecule involved in a variety of activities, such as the modulation of the catalytic activity of cysteine-containing enzymes. The present study reports the modulation of the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase activity by NO, released by the NO donors 3,3-bis(aminoethyl)-1-hydroxy-2-oxo-1-triazene (NOC-18), (+/-)-(E)-4-ethyl-2-[(E)-hydroxyimino]5-nitro-3-hexenamide (NOR-3), 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1), 4-(phenylsulfonyl)-3-((2-(dimethylamino) ethyl)thio)furoxan oxalate (SNO-102), and sodium nitroprusside (SNP). NO inhibits dose-dependently the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase activity, Likely due to oxidation of Cys residue(s). Present results, representing a new insight into the modulation mechanism of the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase activity, may be relevant to develop new strategies for inhibition of HIV-1 replication. (C) 1999 Academic Press.

In vitro diagnosis of MTB-infection uses MTB-proteins coded for by genes of the region of differentiation 1 (RD1) of the MTB genome. This study wants to test if proteins preferentially expressed during MTB-intracellular growth might provide new targets for the diagnosis of MTB-infection. To this end seventy-five multiepitopic HLA-promiscuous MTB-peptides were designed by quantitative implemented peptide-binding motif analysis from 3 MTB-protein genes expressed in activated human macrophages (MA), 4 genes expressed during growth in non-activated human macrophages (MN-A), 12 housekeeping genes (HKG) and 6 genes of the RD1 region (RD1) as control. ELISpot for IFN-was performed to measure the responses of PBMCs deriving from 45 patients affected by active tuberculosis and 34 controls. In active-TB patients, the mean response to RD1-derived peptides was higher than that to either MA (p < 0.01), MN-A (p < 0.008) or HKG (p < 0.01) derived peptides. In TST-positive subjects all selected peptides elicited significant IFN-T-cell responses (p < 0.02 compared to TST-negatives), but without differences between the subgroups. Further, T-cell responses to RD1 peptides were lower in the 23 active-TB treated patients than in the untreated ones (p < 0.01). The response to MA peptides in treated active-TB was higher than when untreated (p < 0.01). These results demonstrate that the use of in vitro models of MTB-intracellular infection to select MTB gene products for further in silico and in vitro assessment of their immunogenicity have the potential to identify novel antigens amenable to the design of new tools for diagnosis and monitoring of tuberculosis.

Cord blood T lymphocytes are immature and their functional defect partially reflects a suboptimal level of costimulatory signals provided by neonatal antigen-presenting cells. Neonatal Vdelta2 T lymphocytes, a small component of cellular immunity involved in the response against bacteria, protozoa, virus-infected cells and tumours, are also considered to be immature. Cord blood Vdelta2 T lymphocytes are mostly naive, proliferate poorly and do not produce cytokines in response to the model phosphoantigen isopentenyl pyrophosphate. We cultured cord blood mononuclear cells with the aminobisphosphonate Pamidronate or with live bacille Calmette-Guerin, and showed that both elicit a strong cord blood Vdelta2 T-cell proliferative response, inducing the expression of activation markers and promoting the differentiation from naive to memory cells. Our results suggest that cord blood Vdelta2 T cells are not inherently unresponsive and can mount strong responses to aminobisphosphonates and mycobacteria. Neonatal Vdelta2 T lymphocytes may be important participants in responses to microbial infections early in life.

In 1998, outbreaks of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection were reported in children attending Al-Fateh Hospital in Benghazi, Libya. Here we use molecular phylogenetic techniques to analyse new virus sequences from these outbreaks. We find that the HIV-1 and HCV strains were already circulating and prevalent in this hospital and its environs before the arrival in March 1998 of the foreign medical staff (five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor) who stand accused of transmitting the HIV strain to the children.

The polymorphism at position beta69 of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DP molecule has been associated with susceptibility to several immune disorders and alloreactivity. Using molecular modeling, we have predicted a detailed structure of the HLA-DP2 molecule (carrying Glubeta69) complexed with class II associated invariant chain derived peptide (CLIP) and compared it with the form carrying Lys at beta69 (HLA-DP2K69). Major changes between the two models were observed in the shape and charge distribution of pocket 4 and of the nearby pocket 6. Consequently, we analyzed in detail the peptide-binding specificities of both HLA-DP molecules expressed as recombinant proteins. We first determined that the minimum peptide-binding core of CLIP for both HLA-DP2 and DP2K69 is represented by nine aminoacids corresponding to the sequence 91-99 of invariant chain (Ii). We then assessed the peptide-binding specificities of the two pockets and determined the role of position beta69, using competition tests with the Ii-derived peptide CLIP and its mutated forms carrying all the aminoacidic substitutions in P4 and P6. Pocket 4 of HLA-DP2 showed high affinity for positively charged, aromatic, and polar residues, whereas aliphatic residues were disfavored. Pocket 4 of the DP2K69 variant showed a reduced aminoacid selectivity with aromatic residues most preferred. Pocket 6 of HLA-DP2 showed high affinity for aromatic residues, which was increased in DP2K69 and extended to arginine. Finally, we used the experimental data to determine the best molecular-modeling approach for assessing aminoacid selectivity of the two pockets. The results with best predictive value were obtained when single aminoacids were evaluated inside each single pocket, thus, reducing the influence of the overall peptide/ major histocompatibility complex interaction. In conclusion, the HLA-DPbeta69 polymorphism plays a fundamental role in the peptide-binding selectivity of HLA-DP. Furthermore, as this polymorphism is the main change in the pocket 4 area of HLA-DP, it could represent a supertype among HLA-DP molecules significantly contributing to the selection of epitopes presented in the context of this HLA isotype.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C infection induces an acute and chronic liver inflammation that may lead to cirrhosis, liver failure, or hepatocarcinoma. Since the role of alphabeta T lymphocytes in hepatitis C virus (HCV) immunopathology has been analyzed extensively, we investigated the distribution and functional activation of gammadelta T cell subsets in chronically HCV-infected patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood samples and liver biopsies from 35 patients with compensated chronic HCV infection were compared in terms of T cell subset distribution, expression of activation markers, gammadelta T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire, and pattern of cytokine production. Moreover, we analyzed whether these immunological parameters were associated with other clinical observations (plasma viremia, ALT levels, Ishak index). RESULTS: Differing from peripheral blood distribution, a specific compartmentalization of Vdelta1 T cells (p < 0.001) was observed in the liver of HCV patients. These cells represented a relevant fraction of intrahepatic T lymphocytes (1.8-8.7%) and expressed the memory/effector phenotype (CD62-L- CD45-RO+CD95+). This phenotype was consistent with selective homing upon antigen recognition. Mitogenic stimulation of Vdelta1 + T lymphocytes recruited in the liver revealed the T helper cell type 1 (Th1) pattern of cytokine secretion. Interestingly, the frequency of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)-producing Vdelta1 T cells was associated with an higher degree of liver necroinflammation, measured by the Ishak index. Finally, the T-cell repertoire analysis revealed the absence of Vgamma selection in the TCR repertoire of intrahepatic Vdelta1 T cells. CONCLUSIONS: gammadelta T cell distribution in the peripheral blood differs from the Vdelta1 T cell subset because it is policlonally activated and recruited in the liver of chronic HCV-infected patients. During HCV-infection, this T cell subset may release Th1 cytokines and contribute to the necroinflammatory liver disease.

Viral, bacterial, protozoal, and cancer-associated Ags elicit strong responses in human gammadelta T lymphocytes. The majority of these cells in the peripheral blood express the Vgamma9Vdelta2-encoded TCR and recognize nonpeptidic phosphoantigens without an apparent MHC restriction. We have shown that Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cells express the inhibitory CD94/NKG2 receptor for HLA class I molecules. The anti-CD94 mAb inhibits 1) the Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cell proliferation in response mycobacterial phosphoantigens and 2) the HIV-induced Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cell expansion. Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cells stimulated with nonpeptidic mycobacterial antigens produce IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha. Signaling through the CD94/NKG2 receptor interferes with the synthesis of these cytokines. The CD94/HLA class I interaction is also involved in the cytotoxic activity of Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cells. The Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cell regulation through the CD94 receptor may be important for the potentially dual function in innate immunity, i.e., 1) NK-like and 2) TCR ligand-induced cytolytic activities.

T cells mediating hen egg lysozyme (HEL)-specific delayed hypersensitivity can be activated by synthetic peptides of the 1-18 amino acid residues of hen egg lysozyme. The N-terminal 1-18 peptides of hen egg (PHEL) and ring-necked pheasant lysozyme (PREL) are highly cross-reactive in the induction of T cells mediating delayed hypersensitivity. The N-terminal 1-18 peptides of hen egg and ring-necked pheasant lysozyme (PHEL and PREL) are not cross-reactive in the induction of suppressor T cells, demonstrating that phenylalanine at amino acid residue 3 is critical for the formation of an epitope recognized by T suppressor cells.

The interaction between the virus of Newcastle disease (NDV) and the different cellular elements involved in the T suppressor cell circuit which regulates the expression phase of contact sensitivity has been investigated. NDV does not interfere with the production of the antigen-specific T suppressor factor (TsF) but inhibits its binding to T acceptor cells (Tacc). This cell when armed with TsF and exposed to the antigen corresponding to TsF releases a non-specific inhibitor of the transfer of contact sensitivity. More detailed analysis of the effect of NDV on the Tacc system showed that not only Tacc activity is impaired by NDV, but also the ability of antigen presenting cells (APC) to trigger Tacc armed with TsF is inhibited. The impairment of APC activity by NDV has been also investigated using another system, such as the induction of contact sensitivity by footpad cell transfer. The possibility that a virus-induced membrane modification might be responsible for the effect of NDV on the regulation of contact sensitivity is discussed.

Amongst the different at-risk periods for mother-to-child HIV transmission that is, during pregnancy, labor and delivery and breastfeeding, much care and attention needs to be given, not only to the child as concerns its feeding options, but also to the mother. The aim of this study was to determine the nutritional habits and health outcomes of HIV-positive breastfeeding mothers in the Dschang Health District, in the context of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) activities.A cross-sectional study was carried out from September 2014 to February 2015, at the Dschang District Day Care Hospital. A standard questionnaire was administered by face-to-face interview to 56 breastfeeding HIV-positive mothers. Anthropometric parameters of the mothers were measured (weight and height), and a physical check-up performed, with examination of the mothers' conjunctiva and palms. Clinical status was determined by anemia test using the Tallquist hemoglobin test. Data collected were analyzed using Epi Info version 7.1.3.3 and Excel 2013.The mean age of participants was 33 years. Most women ate three meals per day (53.6%, n=30/56), while 26,8% (15/56) ate two. Staples (27.27%) and fruits (33.68%) were found to be the most consumed foods per week and green leafy and yellow vegetables the least consumed (13.74%). Body mass index was used to evaluate the nutritional status of participating women: 26.9% (n=14/52) were in the normal range of weight, slightly more than half were overweight (51.9%, n=27/52) and 21.2% (n=11/52) were obese. All mothers were on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Recent CD4 count results were available for about half of the women and the mean was 293 cells/mmc (range 97-798). Physical checkup showed that 64.3% (n=36/56) and 67.9% (n=38/56) of women respectively had moderately colored conjunctiva and palms, while 10.7% (n=6/56) and 12.5% (n=7/56) respectively had pale conjunctiva and palms, considered to be clinical signs of anemia. About 74.1% (n=40/54) of the women were borderline anemic, 24.1% (n=13/54) had frank anemia and only 1.9% (n=1/54) had normal blood counts.Nutrition habits amongst HIV-positive breastfeeding women of the Dschang Health District were not optimal and contributed a great deal to the poor health outcomes observed in the PMTCT study. Nutritional education should be offered in addition to ART, to help women make better nutrition choices to meet body needs and improve health.

TS/A cells (a Balb/c-derived tumor cell line), when injected into syngenic mice, give rise to rapidly growing tumors. In this study, a vaccination protocol was established which was able to elicit an immune response effective in controlling tumor growth.T19.2.1, a TS/A clone enginereed to stably express the mycobacterial cell wall-associated 19-kDa lipoprotein, was used as cell vaccine to immunize Mycobacterium Bovis-BCG pre-immunized Balb/c mice.Mice receiving the two-step vaccination protocol were able to develop a strong anti-TS/A DTH reaction. Moreover, following a challenge with wild-type TS/A cells, some vaccinated animals rejected the tumor and the remaining animals showed a significantly increased survival in respect to controls.The expression on TS/A cells of the mycobacterial 19-kDa antigen, recognised in the context of a pre-existing memory immune response, promotes the immunological recognition of the otherwise non-immunogenic wild-type TS/A cells.

The intravenous injection of hapten-modified (picrylated) cells causes unresponsiveness. When conventional or recombinant interleukin-2 (IL-2) is also injected, strong contact sensitivity occurs. This IL-2 is effective when given 7 hr after the injection of the picrylated cells or 2 days later, but has no effect when given beforehand. It is suggested that picrylated cells given intravenously fail to induce contact sensitivity secondary to a failure of IL-2 production, and that IL-2 may be one of the second signals which converts a 'tolerogenic' stimulus into an immunogenic stimulus.

The pandemic situation the world is facing caused by the new SARS-Cov-2 continues to evolve and still represent a real problem. With more than eight thousand reported cases infection, Cameroon stands as the seventh most affected country in Africa. Prevention remains the best way to fight against this zoonosis. However, the limited information available about this infection is a great barrier to stopping the propagation of the virus within the population, especially in rural and semi-rural areas, where the lack of financial and material resources is a reality. This study aimed to assessing Awareness and attitudes of the population of the Menoua Division on COVID-19 infection.A cross-sectional study was conducted from March 9 to April 15 2020 amongst the populations of rural and semi-rural areas of the Menoua Division. Data were collected using a questionnaire administered face to face to each participant. The analysis was carried out using the Statistical Analysis System software (SAS version 9.4). The significance threshold was set at a P value of less than 0.05.A total of 434 participants of which male majority (sex ratio 1.07) were included in this study. The most represented age group was [21 - 40] years old representing 40.29% of the participants. Approximately all participants (98.57%) were aware of the world emergency state due to Coronavirus. 75.56%, 91% and 90.93% of the participants knew respectively that having close contacts, kissing and touching the face with the hands could favor the transmission of the virus. However, nearly 91.14% were not aware of the clinical symptoms of the disease. Moreover, 85.02% responded that they would not be able to comply with the confinement measures if they were applied at national level. The level of awareness varied significantly according to the occupation (p=0.038) and the educational level (plt;0.001)of the participants.The average level of awareness of the population of the Menoua Division on COVID-19 infection was relatively low. Overcoming this pandemic disease means ensuring the flow of the correct information towards the population. Community outreach activities focus on clinical manifestations and what to do in case of COVID-19 infection as well as material and financial support should be help the population to protect themselves effectively against pandemic, particularly in rural areas and surrounding.

Mice injected intravenously with a high dose (5 X 10(7) ) of BCG fail to develop delayed hypersensitivity to BCG and are described as anergic or unresponsive. Spleen cells from these mice release factors on culture which suppress DNA synthesis induced by concanavalin A in vitro. Cell separation experiments showed that both macrophages and T cells produce inhibitory factors. However, the macrophage factor has a molecular weight 10,000-30,000, while the T cell factor has a molecular weight of 50,000-70,000. Further evidence that these two factors are different is provided by the kinetics of their action. The T cell factor only acts when given within 12 hr of stimulation with concanavalin A, while the macrophage factor acts even when given at 48 hr. In the case of the T cell factor, the inhibition of DNA synthesis may be attributed to its ability to block the interleukin-2 production induced by Con A. As similar T cell and macrophage factors are produced in mice responding to simple chemically reactive haptenes (contact sensitizers), it is possible that a similar suppressor circuit is involved in the control of the response to contact sensitizers and in the production of unresponsiveness (anergy) in mice given large doses of BCG.

Spleen cells from mice infected with Newcastle disease virus (NDV) fail to proliferate when cultured with allogeneic cells or with concanavalin A (Con A). This failure is not due to impairment of interleukin-1 (IL-1) production or to a lack of accessory cell function as stimulator cells from NDV-infected mice induce DNA synthesis in the mixed lymphocyte reaction. However, spleen cells from NDV-infected mice fail to produce detectable amounts of interleukin-2 (IL-2) when stimulated with mitogenic doses of Con A and do not respond to exogenous IL-2-containing preparations. Furthermore, absorption experiments suggest that cells from NDV-infected mice fail to bind appreciable amounts of exogenous IL-2. All these events seem to be infection-dependent, as cells from mice injected with ultraviolet-inactivated NDV (UV-NDV) behave normally.

Sida acuta is a shrub indigenous to pantropical regions. The plant is widely used for its various pharmacological properties. Among compounds of pharmacological interest occurring in the plant, are indoloquinoline alkaloids. The aim of the present study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity of alkaloids of S. acuta from Burkina Faso. The alkaloids had a good antimicrobial activity against the test microorganisms. In the agar-well diffusion assay, highest inhibition zone diameters were recorded with Gram-positive bacteria. The broth microdilution assay gave minimal inhibitory concentration values ranging from 16 to 400 μg/ml and minimal bactericidal concentration values ranging from 80 to up to 400 μg/ml. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the same alkaloids led to the identification of cryptolepine and quindoline as the major components.Keywords: Cryptolepine, quindoline, indoloquinolines, antibacterial, Sida acuta

Surface adhesion molecules play an important, but still not completely clarified, role in tumor metastasization. In this research, FACS analysis was employed to analyze surface expression of CD44H, CD44v5, CD44v6, ICAM-1 and HSP60 in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells growing in vitro or collected ex vivo from primary tumors and lung metastases of tumor-engrafted SCID mice. It was found that, in metastatic cells, the standard form of CD44 (CD44H) is down,-regulated, while a large fraction of cells express on membrane the splice variants v5/v6 and, in addition, ICAM-1 and HSP60. It was also apparent that two cell populations are present in lung metastases: a CD44neg population, including cells expressing CD44v5/v6, ICAM-1 and HSP60 and a population of CD44pos, CD44v5/v6neg, ICAM-1neg and HSP60neg cells. These results demonstrate that, in pancreatic adenocarcinomas, metastasization is correlated with expression of the CD44 variants v5 and v6. Moreover, this is the first report demonstrating HSP60 surface expression on metastatic cells.

The presence of heat shock proteins (HSPs) on the surface of tumor cells suggested the possibility of using stress proteins as immunological target for specific immunotoxins (ITs). Flow cytometry analysis showed that U937 cells constitutively express both 28 and 60 kDa HSP in vitro, while the HPC-4 cells only express surface HSPs when grown in vivo, i.e. explanted from SCID mice. Incubation of U937 cells with monoclonal antibodies against 28 or 60 kDa HSP, and then with an immunotoxin consisting of a goat anti-mouse antibody linked to the ribosome inactivating protein Saporin-6 specifically inhibits cell proliferation in vitro. Moreover, an anti-HSP60 immunotoxin prepared by direct linking of the specific monoclonal antibody (MoAb) ML30 to saporin was able to inhibit the proliferation of the U937 line in vitro, and tumor growth in SCID mice bearing the human pancreatic carcinoma line HPC-4 in vivo. Finally, low expression of HSPs on the membrane of peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and their resistance to the toxic effect exerted by anti-HSP immunotoxins, suggest further evaluation of the possible applications of anti-HSP immunotoxins for HSP+tumors.