FURTHER ANALYSIS OF THE MONOCLONAL ANTIOBODY H8 DEMONSTRATING A JMH-RELATED SPECIFICITY

The monoclonal antibody H8, previously described as anti-JMH, has the same specificity as a JMH-related antibody, R.M. H8 blocks the reaction of human anti-JMH and related antibodies with JMH+ cells, suggesting that the JMH-related antigens are very closely situated to each other on the red cell membrane.     

Parotid gland enlargement and xerostomia associated with labial sialadenitis in HIV-infected patients

Infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may be associated with enlargement of the major salivary glands or symptoms of dry mouth. We term this condition HIV-associated salivary gland disease (HIV-SGD). In this report we describe 12 patients with HIV-SGD. Nine patients (one child, eight adults) had enlargement of the parotid glands, and three had xerostomia alone. Symptoms of dry mouth, dry eyes or arthralgia occurred in 11, five and five patients, respectively. Salivary flow rates were normal or slightly reduced in seven patients and severely reduced in five. Labial salivary gland (LSG) biopsy specimens from patients contained lymphocytic infiltrates in focal and other patterns, whereas specimens from three HIV-infected patients without salivary gland symptoms did not. The inflammatory infiltrates in LSG specimens showed a preponderance of T8-positive cells and a tissue T4/T8 average ratio of 0.66. The mean T4/T8 ratio of peripheral blood lymphocytes was 0.4. Serum antinuclear antibodies were present in one patient, but rheumatoid factor, SS-A, and SS-B antibodies were absent in all. Search for Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus in the LSG tissue of the six patients tested did not reveal evidence of antigens or DNA. HIV-SGD patients show a number of similarities to and differences from patients with Sj?gren's syndrome (SS). The similarities include the oral and salivary features, histopathology and possibly changes in other organs. The differences include the lower salivary gland T4/T8 ratio and the absence of autoantibodies in serum. The causes of HIV-SGD as well as of Sj?gren's syndrome are unknown.     

No evidence for allelic association between bipolar disorder and monoamine oxidase a gene polymorphisms

We have tested the hypothesis that DNA markers in the MAOA gene show allelic association with bipolar affective disorder. Eighty-four unrelated Caucasian patients with DSM III-R bipolar disorder and 84 Caucasian controls were typed for three markers in MAOA: a dinucleotide repeat in intron 2, a VNTR in intron 1, and an Fnu4HI RFLP in exon 8. No evidence for allelic association was observed between any of the markers and bipolar disorder. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Genomic rearrangements in childhood spinal muscular atrophy: linkage disequilibrium with a null allele.

Autosomal recessive childhood onset spinal muscular atrophy has been mapped to chromosome 5q13. We report the analysis of a polymorphic microsatellite which shows linkage disequilibrium with the disease. The linkage disequilibrium is observed with a null allele which is seen as the non-inheritance of alleles from one or both parents. The inheritance of a null allele was observed in 26 out of 36 (72%) informative childhood onset spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) families tested, of all types of severity and from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. In seven families segregating for the severe Werdnig-Hoffmann or SMA type I, no alleles were inherited from either parent using this microsatellite. This null allele may represent a deletion which is either closely associated with, or causes, the disease.     

A contig of non-chimaeric YACs containing the spinal muscular atrophy gene in 5q13

We have constructed a contig of non-chimaeric yeast artificialchromosomes (YACs) across the candidate region for childhoodautosomal recessive spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) In 5q13. Anovel microsatellite reduces the candidate region to approximately400kb of DNA distal to D5S435. The candidate region containsblocks of chromosome 5 specific repeats which have copies on5p as well as elsewhere on 5q. Restriction mapping of the YACsreveals at least one CpG island In the SMA gene region. TheYAC maps indicate that the contig contains minimal rearrangementsor deletions. The data show the value of screening several YAClibraries simultaneously in order to construct a set of overlappingsequences suitable for candidate gene searches and direct genomicsequencing.     

Estimating population size and drag sampling efficiency for the blacklegged tick (Acari: Ixodidae)

Estimates of absolute density were determined over a 5-yr period (1990-1994) for a population of Ixodes scapularis Say located in Westchester County, NY, by mark-release-recapture (nymphs and adults) and removal (larvae) methods. Density estimates for larvae ranged from 5.2 to 16.5/m2 and averaged 11.5/m2. Values for nymphs varied as much as fourfold among successive years, ranging from 0.5 to 2.3/m2 and averaging 1.2/m2, whereas adult density ranged from 0.3 to 0.4/m2, averaging 0.33/m2. Natural mortality of nymphs and adults was measured in experimental cages during population estimation periods, and indicated that survival declined linearly over the short-term and did not significantly influence estimates. Drag sampling efficiency, the proportion of the estimated population obtained in a single sample, averaged 6.3% among all stages. Efficiency was not significantly different among stages and was independent of tick density within a given life stage. The population estimation techniques employed in this study are well suited for use with I. scapularis and can provide data that offer insights into mortality patterns in individual populations.     

The effect of adrenalectomy or pharmacological inhibition of adrenocortical function on macromolecule uptake by the new-born rat intestine

1. Bilateral adrenalectomy in 18-day-old rats resulted in an extension by approximately 4 days of the period during which the villous epithelial cells of the small intestine took up polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) of mean mol. wt. 160,000.2. The eventual termination of PVP uptake (;closure') closely resembled normal closure in control animals: the time course of the decline in uptake and the histological changes indicated that more mature ;PVP-impermeable' cells progressively ascended the villi.3. Injection of Metopirone was ineffective in animals 10 days after birth, but when injected after day 13 caused closure within 3 days.4. Metopirone injection significantly reduced the plasma concentration of corticosterone and caused a marked rise in the plasma concentration of deoxycorticosterone.5. Aminoglutethimide injection also produced precocious closure and had an effect similar to Metopirone on the plasma concentrations of corticosterone and deoxycorticosterone.6. Injection of Metopirone or aminoglutethimide increased the relative adrenal weight compared with control animals. Aminoglutethimide was more effective and caused approximately a 100% increase in adrenal weight.     

Multiple cerebral metastases: detectability with Gd-DTPA-enhanced MR imaging

Sixteen patients with suspected cerebral metastases were studied with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging before and after the intravenous administration of 0.1 mmol/kg of gadolinium diethylenetriaminepenta-acetic acid. The images were interpreted blindly by two neuroradiologists; all clinical, radiologic (computed tomographic and MR imaging), and pathologic data were reviewed to arrive at a final "best diagnosis," which was then compared with the prior blinded interpretations. Of seven patients found to have multiple metastases, six (86%) had at least one tumor nodule depicted by postinfusion MR imaging that was missed by one or both observers on review of preinfusion images alone. Lesions missed on preinfusion studies were usually small nodules hidden by or not detected next to regions of high-signal edema thought to be related to the adjacent tumor nodule. The authors believe that contrast enhancement improves detection of metastatic foci with MR imaging and that the findings indicate broader implications for the detection of multiple lesions from other causes.     

Osteopetrosis: MR characteristics at 1.5 T

Four patients with proved osteopetrosis (three with the infantile malignant form and one with the benign form) were examined with magnetic resonance imaging at 1.5 T. All patients were studied in the coronal and sagittal planes using both short and long repetition time/echo time sequences. The infantile malignant form was characterized by a complete lack of signal from the marrow alternating with a signal intensity equivalent to that of the intervertebral disks, resulting in a "stepladder" appearance. In the benign form or after successful marrow transplantation in the infantile malignant form, intermediate or high signal intensity in the vertebrae was noted, suggesting the presence of some marrow elements.     

Is the Parkland formula still the best method for determining the fluid resuscitation volume in adults for the first 24 hours after injury? — A retrospective analysis of burn patients in Germany

BackgroundR Rapid fluid resuscitation is a crucial therapy during the treatment of patients with extensive burns. In 1968, the Parkland Formula was introduced for the calculation of the estimated volume of the resuscitation fluid. Since then, different methods for the calculation of fluid resuscitation volume have been developed. We aimed to evaluate if the Parkland formula is still the most effective method for fluid resuscitation volume calculation in burn patients.MethodsIn the period between January 2015 and January 2019, data from 569 patients over 16 years old with burns of more than 20% total body surface area (TBSA) and at least 15% TBSA full thickness burns were entered in the German burn registry. The patients were divided into 5 groups (0, +1, ?1, +2, ?2) according to the volume of the resuscitation fluid they received. Group 0 patients received the amount of fluid calculated according to the Parkland formula (n = 83). The 4 other groups received reduced (-1, -2) or increased (+1, +2) fluid volumes in comparison to the value obtained by the Parkland formula.ResultsPatients in Group 0 presented a significantly lower mortality in the first week (4.5%) compared to groups –2 (16.7%) and group +2 (19.5%) (p = 0.021). Furthermore, the mean number of operations in group +2 (5.81) was higher than in group ?2 (3.81). Surviving patients from group +2 presented a longer hospital stay (68.1 days) compared to the other groups. Additionally, the logistic regression analysis showed a higher survival of patients in groups ?2 and ?1 (regression coefficients ?0.11 and ?0.086; Odds Ratio 0.896 and 0.918; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0,411–1.951 and 0.42–2.004).ConclusionIn this retrospective study, register based analysis a restrictive fluid regime was associated with a higher survival compared to the liberal Parkland guided fluid regime.