Restless legs syndrome in pregnancy. Case reports

Restless legs syndrome is a common complaint in pregnancy affecting up to one in every three women. The exact pathophysiology is poorly understood. The majority of patients respond to simple explanation and reassurance, however, a small proportion may suffer debilitating symptoms requiring drug therapy. We describe two such cases.     

On the mechanism of dextran-induced histamine secretion from rat peritoneal mast cells

The mechanism of histamine release induced from isolated rat peritoneal mast cells by clinical dextran was examined in detail. The putative involvement of cell-fixed IgE antibodies in the process was discounted by a number of experimental approaches. Instead, the characteristics of the release were found to be consistent with the interaction of the polysaccharide with specific glucoreceptors on the mast cell membrane.     

Modern treatment of Parkinson's disease

Both general measures and a variety of drugs serve to improve the quality of life in the Parkinsonian patient. Meticulous neurological supervision is required to monitor response and the many drug-induced side-effects.     

Functional characteristics of mucosal and connective tissue mast cells of man, the rat and other animals

Mast cells from different species and even from given tissues within a particular animal are shown to differ in their responsivity to histamine liberators and anti-allergic drugs. The significance of these findings is discussed.     

Antibody levels to Mycoplasma pneumoniae in sera collected from healthy blood donors of Wellington, New Zealand, during 1976-80

The sera of healthy blood donors from the Wellington area of New Zealand, collected between 1976 and 1980, were analysed by the complement fixation test for antibody to Mycoplasma pneumoniae. A high prevalence of antibody to this organism was demonstrated and the occurrence of an M. pneumoniae epidemic in New Zealand within the survey period was shown to be reflected in the immune status of this healthy adult population. This would suggest that during an epidemic many people within the Wellington community may have M. pneumoniae infections involving little overt illness.     

Radiological implications of inhaled 239Pu and 241Am in dusts at the former nuclear test site in Maralinga.

The biokinetics of 239Pu and 241Am present in three dust samples obtained from Maralinga were investigated after their deposition in the rat lung. Results were used as an experimental basis for assessing the radiological implications for human exposure. The transfer rates of these actinides to blood in the various dusts differed by 50-fold. The most transportable forms were compatible with a material that had 25% class W and 75% class Y characteristics. The doses per unit intake for adults, children, and infants exposed to an aerosol of 5 microns AMAD were calculated to be, respectively, 0.059, 0.076, and 0.140 mSv Bq-1. The corresponding doses for the least transportable forms were the same as those calculated for a class Y compound, namely 0.036, 0.049, and 0.096 mSv Bq-1. The behavior of the actinides in humans was predicted by combining the transfer rates to blood with mechanical clearance data obtained after volunteers had inhaled 85Sr or 88Y labeled fused aluminosilicate particles. The results suggested that monitoring of 241Am in the chest could be used to advantage for assessing intakes incurred by workers involved with any further decontamination procedures but would be of little practical value for assessing inadvertent public exposure. The paper includes comments on the relevance of the 1990 ICRP recommendations and the proposed new dosimetric model for the respiratory tract.