Studies in Bisalbuminemia: Binding Properties of the Two Albumins

1. An abnormal serum protein pattern in a patient with Wegener’s granulomatosis and five of his relatives was identified as bisalbuminemia by electrophoretic and immunochemical methods.

2. With the exception of the patient with Wegener’s syndrome, the presenceof bisalbuminemia was not associated with a significant change in total serumproteins, total albumin, serum components other than albumin, or any disease.

3. Addition of I¹³¹-thyroxine to bisalbumin sera resulted in thyroxine binding by albumin B but not by albumin A. The failure of albumin A to bindadded I¹³¹-thyroxine leads to speculation that, in this family, neither albuminA nor B are identical to normal human serum albumin.

Submitted on December 4, 1961 Accepted on April 17, 1962     

Relationships Between Histological and Functional Indices of Acute Chemically Induced Nephrotoxicity

Relationships Between Histological and Functional Indices ofAcute Chemically Induced Nephrotoxicity. Miyajima, H., Hewitt,W.R., Côté, M.G., and Plaa, G.L. (1983). Fundam.Appl. Toxicol. 3: 543–551. Acute renal injury was producedin rats with K₂Cr₂O₇ (5–40 mg/kg, sc) HgCl₂ (0.5–5.0mg/kg, sc) or cephaloridine (0.5–3.0 g/kg, sc). Histological(percentage of normal, degenerated or necrotic cells) and functionalindices (relative kidney weight, renal cortical slice accumulationof organic ions, and blood urea nitrogen content) were evaluated48 hours later. The relative sensitivity of each of these indiceswas determined for each nephrotoxicant. Renal cortical accumulationof organic ions appeared to be the most sensitive of the functionalparameters. A quantitative histological evaluation was foundto be as sensitive an indicator of nephrotoxicity as organicion accumulation. Alterations in each of the functional indiceswere significantly correlated with changes in renal histology.     

The Normal Development of the Lymphoid Mass in the Golden Hamster and its Relationship to the Effects of Thymectomy

A study of lymphoid organ sections and imprints of normal hamsters fromfetal to adult state revealed a sequential pattern of organ structure and growth.The thymus developed an adult structure by 1 week, maximum size at 6 weeks.The mesenteric lymph node had an adult structure by 4 weeks, the spleen by 6weeks, with an accelerated growth of both organs between 6 to 8 weeks. Thegrowth and development of the peripheral lymphoid organs appears to beunder thymic control until the attainment of a "critical peripheral lymphoidmass." This appears capable of functioning independently of thymic control.Thymectomy is effective in producing lymphoid atrophy with resultant immunosuppression and wasting disease only if performed prior to the attainmentof the "critical peripheral lymphoid mass."

Submitted on February 6, 1964 Accepted on July 26, 1964     

Chromosomal Aberrations in Pernicious Anemia: Study of Three Cases before and after Therapy

Numerical and morphologic chromosomal aberrations were demonstratedin three cases of pernicious anemia in relapse. The morphological abnormalitiesincluding chromatid breaks, gaps and "giant" chromosomes were reduced inremission following vitamin B₁₂ therapy. The numerical changes consisted ofaneuploidy (45 and 44 chromosomes) with the most common finding encountered (6 to 100 per cent of the cells) being monosomy involving the G 21chromosome. This was present, not only in the marrow cells, but also in othertissues, e.g., peripheral blood and possibly skin fibroblasts, thus suggestinga more generalized disorder. The numerical anomalies persisted in remission.It is postulated that the structural anomalies, namely chromatid breaks, gaps,acentric fragments and "giant" chromosomes are related to vitamin B₁₂ deficiency and are correctable. The cause of the aneuploidy, since it was notcorrectable by treatment, is not clear. Since the patients were not studiedbefore the disease had ensued, a congenital or acquired predisposition tomegaloblastosis on the basis of G 21 monosomy cannot be excluded. Theorigin and significance of the extra chromatin material translocated onto theshort arms of G 21 chromosomes in cases 1 and 3 remains unexplained.

Submitted on June 17, 1964 Accepted on July 7, 1964     

Origin of Pulmonary Megakaryocytes

1. Evidence is presented which indicates that pulmonary megakaryocytesdo not originate in the lungs but elsewhere in the body and are carried tothe lungs in the venous blood.

2. Some megakaryocytes in the lungs evidently deliver platelets to theblood.

3. Surgery is a potent stimulus to megakaryocyte production; the numbersof megakaryocytes found in the lung postoperatively is significantly increased.

Submitted on July 3, 1964 Accepted on September 19, 1964     

Studies on the A, B, O(H) Blood Groups on Human Cells in Culture

HeLa cells were used in the mixed agglutination reaction to determineoptimal conditions for demonstrating blood group H activity by this method.The following parameters were studied in the mixed agglutination reaction:(1) derivation of cell line, (2) cell viability, (3) effects of antibody titer, (4)source and type of antibody.

Studies with primary human amnion cells indicated that over a 30-day period of cultivation in vitro there were losses in specific ABO blood groupactivity.

Addition of blood group precursors to establish human amnion celllines FL-J and F-D indicated that blood group B antigen could be synthesizedand maintained in vitro.

Submitted on September 8, 1964 Accepted on October 26, 1964