Heterophile infectious mononucleosis antigen used in the latex diagnostic test. I. A method of antigen isolation and its serologic activity

The aim of this study was to elaborate a method of heterophile mononucleosis antigen preparation useful for latex coating. This antigen was isolated from bovine red blood cells stroma by the technique of Schwarzweiss and Tomcsik with author's own modification, in which introductory extraction of erythrocytes stroma ++ was performed by means of trichloracetic acid, aqueous extraction and elution of active substance with 80% ethanol. Besides of heterophile antigen preparation obtained by the method of Schwerzweiss and Tomcsik (preparation S-T) two serologically++ active preparations were obtained (fraction I and IV), which ability to inhibit PBD agglutinating reaction and bovine red blood cells haemolysis was 16 and 8 times lower, respectively, than S-T preparation. The preparation of heterophile mononucleosis antigen obtained differed in latex coating efficacy. In order to prepare latex reagent MZ-I (from fraction I) a solution of preparation of 125 micrograms/ml concentration was used, for MZ-II (from fraction IV)--50 micrograms and for MZ-III (from preparation S-T)--15 micrograms/ml. The reagent MZ-I showed, the highest activity in agglutinating test with human serum containing heterophile mononucleosis antibodies while two others reacted with 2-4 times lover serum dilutions. Similar differentiated reactivity with these reagents was found in latex test with 15 sera from patients suspected of having infectious mononucleosis.     

Anaerobic bacteria detected in inflammatory conditions of the respiratory tract

In this study a participation of anaerobic bacteria in respiratory tract diseases is presented. Bronchial washings collected by ++fibrobronchoscope constituted material for the study. Immediately after collection the material was plated onto two media for aerobic bacteria (hemomedium) and anaerobic bacteria (anaeromedium). Then, the samples were centrifuged and a sediment was plated on solid media suitable for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Bacterial anaerobic isolates were identified by using API 20E and their sensitivity to antibiotics was tested. From the material described above the most frequently isolated anaerobic bacteria were such as: Streptococcus intermedius, Bacteroides melaninogenicus, Veilonella sp. Among aerobic bacteria the most frequently isolated were Gram-negative rods, Streptococcus faecalis, Branhamella catarrhalis. It is worth to underline that in about 25% of cases anaerobic bacteria were the only isolates.     

Expression of ceruloplasmin gene in mammalian organs from the data of hybridization analysis with complementary DNA probes

Expression of ceruloplasmin (Cp)-coding gene in rat and human liver and brain tissues was studied by Northern blot hybridization and by in situ hybridization with cloned species-specific cDNA probes. In rat brain structures, different levels of Cp mRNA were detected, the maximal one was found in cerebellum. The steady-state level of Cp mRNA in rat and human brain was several times lower than in parenchymatous liver cells. The size heterogeneity of Cp mRNA was found. Polyadenylated RNA prepared from human liver contains two equally abundant Cp mRNAs differing in their chain length (3.6 and 4.5 kb) while brain polyadenylated RNA contains a single Cp mRNA (4.5 kb).     

Mutagenicity of vinyl chloride in man: comparison of chromosome aberrations with micronucleus and sister-chromatid exchange frequencies

The mutagenic effects of vinyl chloride monomer in man were studied in the lymphocyte culture with 3 methods: the chromosome aberration assay, the micronucleus assay and the sister-chromatid exchange method. Compared with control, values obtained by these tests are increased in workers occupationally exposed to vinyl chloride. In relation to non-smokers, smokers exposed to vinyl chloride show significant increases in sister-chromatid exchange frequencies. The problem of correlating the results of the chromosome aberration assay with micronucleus and sister-chromatid exchange frequencies is discussed.     

Prognostic usefulness of certain defined indicators for achieving complete remission and survival of ANLL in adults: proposal of a prognostic scale

Retrospective analysis has included 323 patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukaemia. The comparable patient groups were treated since 1981, according to protocols used by the Polish Acute Leukaemia Group. The prognostic value for achieving complete remission and survival of 67 pre-treatment factors (42 quantitative and 25 qualitative) was evaluated. The most important 9 parameters were scored according to their prognostic value as follows: age, percent of blasts in bone marrow, peripheral blood blast count, morphological subtype, percent of granulocytes in bone marrow, percent of blasts with CD-15 antigen, thrombocyte count, spleen/liver enlargement, CSF protein levels. Proposed scoring system enables classification of ANLL patients to a standard and high risk groups.     

Dose response in neutral filter elution

In neutral filter elution a nonlinear relationship between fraction of eluted DNA and dose is usually observed, which is often interpreted as a nonlinear induction of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) with dose. The conclusiveness of this hypothesis is questioned here on the basis of theoretical considerations regarding the size distribution of DNA fragments. A simple hydrodynamic model is proposed which generates the typical features of the dose response of neutral filter elution: (1) the shoulder at low doses, (2) a quasilinear correlation in an intermediate dose range, (3) a saturation at high doses, and (4) a linearization of the curve in the intermediate and higher dose range in a semilogarithmic plot. These features were derived even with the assumption of a linear induction of DSBs with dose. Thus it is demonstrated that the fraction of eluted DNA could conceivably be a nonlinear function of dose even if the induction of DSBs is directly proportional to the radiation dose.     

Certain aspects of so-called post cholecystectomy syndrome

The study involved 126 patients with cholelithiasis. Set of biochemical, radiological, endoscopic, and ultrasound examinations was carried out in these patients. Potential coincidence of clinical symptoms and causes of so-called postcholecystectomy syndrome was the purpose of a 1-year follow-up studies. The significance of the results are discussed.     

Monotherapy with acebutolol in hypertensive diabetic patients

Monotherapy of hypertension with acebutolol in diabetics in daily dose of 200-400 mg for 6 weeks induced only non-significant and practically not acceptable hypotensive effect in groups of patients with hypertension and diabetes type I or type II without nephropathy. No therapeutical effect was observed in hypertension in diabetics type I with nephropathy. Administration of acebutolol to hypertensive diabetic patients with nephropathy resulted in tendency to increase in albuminuria. Values of creatinine clearance did not change at the same time. Also no effect of acebutolol on glycemic or lipid indices was observed. The lack of clear hypotensive effect under studied conditions of acebutolol in diabetic patients contrasted with its significant action in comparative group of hypertensive non-diabetic subjects.     

Efficacy of lomustine, teniposide, doxorubicin, bleomycin and prednisone (LTABP) or adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine (ABVD) in the treatment of malignant lymphogranulomatosis resistant to MOPP]

LTABP regimen was applied to 18 patients in IIB and IV stage of malignant lymphogranulomatosis resistant to MOPP. The obtained results were compared with historical control group of 18 patients with similar stage of the disease treated according to ABVD regimen. In both regimens courses were repeated every 28 days or more rarely, when leucopenia and thrombocytopenia prolonged. Only patients who had received at least 3 courses were analysed. In the LTABP group the complete remission was obtained in 10 cases (55%) while partial remission in 6 (33%). In the group treated with ABVD complete remission was obtained in 4 cases (22%) and partial in 9 cases (50%). In the LTABP group 11 patients are still alive and remain in complete remission, while in ABVD group--4 patients. The most frequent side effects in both groups included leucopenia, thrombocytopenia and symptoms of gastrointestinal intolerance. The LTABP regiment allows to obtain higher percentage of the complete remission than ABVD.     

Leiomyosarcoma of the stomach and small intestine

Three cases of leiomyosarcoma are presented. The primary lesion to the stomach was seen in 2 patients while the small intestine in the remaining patient. Two patients underwent radical surgery. All patients were treated with multiple drug regimens. Radiotherapy was additionally carried out in one patient. One patient who underwent radical surgery and given maintaining chemotherapy is alive in the complete remission since 6 years while two remaining patients died within 3 and 6 years because of recurrence and haematopoietic proliferation.