Excretory/secretory antigen of Toxocara canis: recognition profiles of polyclonal and larvicidal monoclonal antibodies

Summary Five monoclonal antibodies against the excretory/secretory (E/S) antigen of Toxocara canis were obtained and characterized. Immunoprecipitating activity was demonstrated in an in-vitro micropre-cipitating assay using live T. canis larvae. Their capacity to kill larvae was also shown in an in-vitro assay. Two zones of reactivity were observed in 7.5 and 12.5% SDS-PAGE (177-77 kD, 43-15 kD) of immunoprecipitates of human and mouse positive polyclonal anlisera. The murine monoclonal antibodies showed a common pattern of reactivity with the proteins in the 177-77 kD range.     

Encouraging Underscreened Women to Have Cervical Cancer Screening: The Effectiveness of a Computer Strategy

Background.Computers that collect data from patients and provide both patients and practitioners with printed feedback on a range of health risks are a tool for assisting general practitioners with preventive care. This study assessed the impact of computer-generated printed feedback on cervical screening among women who were underscreened for cervical cancer.Method.Female attenders at two Australian general practices were randomly allocated to Experimental or Control groups. Women in both groups completed a health risk survey on a touch screen computer prior to their consultation. Those in the Experimental group received printed pages summarizing their results, including their eligibility for cervical screening and last Pap test, for themselves and their doctor. The number and proportion of underscreened women who had a Pap test in the 6 months after completing the computer survey, as determined by pathology records, were examined.Results.Of the 679 participants, 139 were classified as underscreened on the basis of self-report (74 Experimental, 65 Control) and 272 on the basis of their pathology records (148 Experimental, 124 Control). Overall about one-third of women had a test in the 6-month period, and the differences between the groups were not significant for women overall (18–70 years) or for women 18–49 years. Among women 50–70 who were underscreened based on self-report, those receiving the printout were more likely to have a Pap test in the next 6 months (P< 0.05). This pattern was also evident, but did not reach statistical significance, for older women who were underscreened based on pathology records.Conclusions.We are unable to draw conclusions regarding the effectiveness of the computer system due to the modest proportions of women screened, the small numbers, and the fact that the computer survey may have created an intervention effect in the Control group. As the study suggests the computer system is acceptable to women and may be effective for encouraging screening among older women, further exploration of the system is desirable.     

Issues regarding data on race and ethnicity: the Census Bureau experience.

In this paper, the authors describe some of the complexities of collecting and presenting data on race and ethnicity based on the experiences of the Bureau of the Census. Different methods of data collection, different content and format of questions, and different definitions make it difficult to collect consistent race and ethnic data across data systems. The Bureau of the Census experiences have shown that changing ethnic self-identity and concepts, intent of the question, consistency of reporting, and the classification of persons of mixed racial parentage affect the quality of the data. These are some of the issues that must be addressed as statistical agencies and researchers seek to provide comparable race and ethnic data.     

Antitumor effect of KT6124, a novel derivative of protein kinase inhibitor K-252a and its mechanism of action

Summary Novel derivatives of K-252a, (8R*,9S*,11S*)-(–)-9-hydroxy-9-methoxycarbonyl-8-methyl-2,3,9,10-tetrahydro-8, 11-epoxy-1H,8H,11H-2,7b,11a-triazadibenzo [a,g]-cycloocta[cde]trinden-1-one, an inhibitor of protein kinases and calmodulin-dependent phosphodiesterase, were synthesized and evaluated for their antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo. Of ten derivatives tested, four were active against the P388 murine leukemia i. p.-i. p. system, although K-252a was inactive. Among these derivatives, KT6124 was selected for further biological evaluation studies because its efficacy was the highest. KT6124 was also active against sarcoma 180 and B16 melanoma. It exerted a relatively broad spectrum of antiproliferative activity against 20 human tumor cell lines in vitro. To determine the mechanism(s) of action underlying the antitumor activity of KT6124, we tested the drug for inhibition of protein kinases, including Ca²⁺-and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (PKC), in intact A431 human epidermoid carcinoma cells in comparison with the PKC-inhibitory activity of K-252a. KT6124 did not antagonize the action of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) in A431 cells, whereas K-252a did, suggesting that KT6124 may not act on protein kinases in the cells. The interaction of KT6124 with DNA in living cells was examined by the alkaline elution method. KT6124 apparantly exhibited DNA scission both dose-and time-dependently in the target cells. The DNA breakage was dependent on proteinase K treatment, suggesting its possible interaction with DNA-related enzyme(s). These results indicate that KT6124 exerts antitumor activity by acting on DNA or on DNA-related enzyme(s) in tumor cells rather than via the inhibition of protein kinases.     

Neonatal renal failure due to obstructive candidal bezoars

Acute renal failure (ARF) developed in a 7-week-old infant due to bilateral candidal bezoars (fungal balls) causing obstruction at the pelviureteric junction. The baby was born at term with an appropriate birthweight, and had been treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics for respiratory distress and septicemia during the 1st week of life. Recovery from ARF followed renal decompression with bilateral nephrostomy tube placement and parenteral administration of amphotericin B and 5-flucytosine. Received August 21, 1996; received in revised form and accepted January 3, 1997