The utilization of native glioma antigens in the assessment of cellular and humoral immune responses in malignant glioma patients

Summary Cellular and humoral components of the immune response have been studied preoperatively, concurrently, and serially in patients with malignant glial neoplasms.In order to assess titres of circulating antibodies to tumour cell constituents an indirect immunofluorescent technique was applied to single cell suspensions and snap frozen cell smears. In an allogeneic system, 49% of 47 test and 7% of 124 control sera gave a positive response to cytoplasmic components.The leucocyte adherence inhibition assay was applied to study 39 test and 64 control patients. Significant non-adherence of leukocytes was observed in 77% of test cases. Control parameters indicated specificity of the response.Simultaneous assessment in 28 test patients yielded a positive response for one or both assays in 89% of cases.Table of abbreviations PBL Peripheral Blood Leucocytes - LAI Leucocyte Adherence Inhibition - NAL Non-Adherence of Leucocytes - IIF Indirect Immunofluorescence - KCL Potassium Chloride - PBS Phosphate Buffered Saline - MEM Minimal Essential Medium     

The effect of mnemonic training on perceived recall confidence in the elderly

This study examined the effects of memory training on the relationship between perceived recall confidence and recall performance. The sample consisted of 76 elderly, community dwelling volunteers. Fifty-nine individuals received eight hours of memory training; the remaining 17 were wait-list controls. Participants were tested at pre- and post-intervention, and rated their confidence for recall of name-face pairs prior to each testing. The results showed a significant improvement in name-face recall at post test, favoring the group receiving mnemonic training. There was a significant association found between confidence ratings and recall performance at post-test. A closer examination of standardized regression residuals (confidence ratings and number of name-face pairs recalled) revealed that with mnemonic training, there was an improvement in the relationship between perceived confidence and recall performance following mnemonic training. The results suggest that the ability to assess changes in recall capacity and to judge future memory performance is enhanced by exposure to mnemonic training.     

e Antigen-antibody system as indicator of liver damage in patients with hepatitis-B antigen.

The clinical relevance of the e antigen-antibody system was investigated in 61 people persistently positive for hepatitis-B surface antigen, including 22 healthy carriers. The e antigen was not detectable in any of the healthy carriers, whereas it was found in 15 out of 28 patients with chronic aggressive hepatitis and two out of 11 with chronic persistent hepatitis. Its presence therefore indicates chronic liver disease but its absence does not exclude it. It may prove to be a particularly useful prognostic aid in chronic persistent hepatitis, since one of the two patients in whom it was found later developed aggressive hepatitis. In contrast, e antibody is of little diagnostic help, for, though it was found mostly in healthy carriers (18;82%), it was also detectable in 9 (23%) of the patients with chronic hepatitis. In 13 (76%) of the patients positive for e antigen Dane particles were seen on electron microscopy, but these were also present in 5 (19%) of the patients positive for e antibody. These findings are consistent with other evidence suggesting that e antigen is not a surface component of the Dane particle, but rather an independent soluble protein manufactured by the host in response to infection with the hepatitis-B virus.     

Hysterosalpingographic follow-up of the partial salpingectomy type of sterilization

Two hundred and eleven of 743 patients with salpingectomy-type sterilization had hysterosalpingographic (HSG) follow-up. This type of sterilization was performed post partum, electively suprapubic, vaginally (including fimbriectomies), or at the time of cesarean section. A Foley catheter technique was used for hysterosalpingography. Of these, 1.895 per cent had fistula on hysterosalpingography. Mechanism of fistula formations and recanalization is discussed. A modification of the Pomeroy sterilization procedure is described and discussed.     

Definition of cellular immune responses to brain antigens in human head trauma.

Cellular immune responses to brain antigens in patients with head injury were studied by applying the leukocyte adherence inhibition (LAI) assay. The investigation was conducted in three phases. 1) In the initial phase, evaluation of a series of 22 test and 25 control cases obtained at random during a 2- to 6-week time frame following a traumatic event indicated significant non-adherence of leukocytes (NAL) in 77% of the test group and 20% of the control group in the presence of brain antigen. 2) In a second phase, larger test population was divided into four groups of different posttraumatic intervals. This study measured NAL in the presence of normal heart of normal brain antigen. Assays revealed an initial significant NAL in the presence of both antigens; however, after the first week following injury the majority of cases manifested significant NAL only with brain antigen. These values of NAL persisted over a 6- to 8-week period. 3) As a final phase of investigation, analysis of a sequential series of assays in 12 patients over a 90-day period indicated significant NAL in the presence of brain antigen within the first week of injury, this was followed by a drop in NAL in most of the cases. Studies at 7 to 60 days posttrauma demonstrated significant NAL with brain antigen alone, with a subsequent drop by 90 days. These observations are interpreted to represent sensitization of leukocyte subgroups to brain proteins that are immunologically recognized following the traumatic event.