Monoclonal antibodies to polioviruses. Production of specific monoclonal antibodies to the Sabin vaccine strains

Murine lymphocyte hybridomas which produce neutralizing or non-neutralizing monoclonal antibodies to different type 1, 2 or 3 poliovirus strains were isolated. The majority of these monoclonal antibodies reacted with antigenic determinants present on different poliovirus strains of the same type. However, hybridomas producing monoclonal antibodies specific for each of the three Sabin vaccine strains were also generated.     

Brain magnetic resonance spectroscopy in Tourette's disorder

OBJECTIVE: Although abnormalities of neural circuits involving the cortex, striatum, and thalamus are hypothesized to underlie Tourette's disorder, the neuronal abnormalities within components of these circuits are unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the cellular neurochemistry within these circuits in Tourette's disorder using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, a method that has not previously been used in neurobiological investigations of the disorder. METHOD: Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging examinations were conducted in 25 males with Tourette's disorder (age 10.9 +/- 2.0 years) and 32 male comparison subjects (age 11.5 +/- 2.7 years). Spectra from frontal cortex, caudate nucleus, putamen, and thalamus were analyzed, and N-acetylaspartate, creatine, choline, myoinositol, and glutamate + glutamine were quantified and compared between the groups. RESULTS: Patients with Tourette's disorder demonstrated a reduction in N-acetylaspartate and choline in the left putamen, along with reduced levels of creatine bilaterally in the putamen. In the frontal cortex, patients had significantly lower concentrations of N-acetylaspartate bilaterally, lower levels of creatine on the right side, and reduced myoinositol on the left side. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest compromised neuronal integrity and deficits in density of neuronal and nonneuronal cells in components of the neural circuits implicated in Tourette's disorder.     

Regional block and DVT prophylaxis

The last few years have seen increasing concerns among anaesthetistsabout the risks of pharmacological prophylaxis for thromboembolicdisease. Increased bleeding during or after surgery is one concern,but of greater significance is the possibility of an increasedpredisposition to haematoma formation when regional block isused. Most of the recent consideration of this problem has beenin relation to vertebral canal haematoma formation after centralnerve block. Some thought must be given also to the possibilityof haematoma formation after peripheral techniques when thetarget nerve is deeply placed so that pressure cannot be usedto control bleeding after needle insertion. However, this reviewwill be focused on vertebral canal haematoma.     

Motor unit characteristics in healthy subjects and those with postpoliomyelitis syndrome: a high-density surface EMG study

The purpose of this study was to identify optimal ways to detect neurogenic changes with high-density surface electromyography (HD-sEMG). For this purpose, we searched for the variables that most clearly discriminated between postpoliomyelitis and healthy subjects. We obtained HD-sEMG from the quadriceps muscle at different force levels in nine subjects with postpoliomyelitis syndrome and in matched healthy controls. Single motor unit action potentials (MUAPs), extracted from the HD-sEMG signal and the raw signal itself, were analyzed. Areas under the curve of the extracted MUAP waveform, indicating motor unit size, perfectly separated both groups. Raw signal analysis showed significant differences between groups for the monopolarly recorded amplitude up to 60% of maximal force and for the level of interference at higher force levels (40-100% force). We conclude that with HD-sEMG it is possible to detect neurogenic motor unit changes noninvasively, both by analysis of the raw signal itself and by analysis of extracted single MUAPs. The diagnostic yield of the single MUAP analysis is clearly higher. These findings point toward applications for clinical practice and invite further studies exploring the diagnostic value of HD-sEMG.     

Duration of untreated psychosis vs. N-acetylaspartate and choline in first episode schizophrenia: a 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy study at 4.0 Tesla

N-acetylaspartate (NAA) has been associated with neuronal integrity and function, and choline-containing compounds have been linked to neuronal membrane integrity. This study examined the influence of the duration of untreated psychosis, duration of prodromal symptoms and total length of untreated illness on these markers of neuronal loss or damage. In vivo 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy data were acquired from 1.5-cc volumes in the left anterior cingulate and left thalamus of 19 never-treated first episode schizophrenic subjects using STEAM20 at 4.0 Tesla. Duration of untreated psychosis, prodrome and total length of untreated illness were correlated with levels of NAA and choline. No significant correlation was observed between NAA and duration of untreated psychosis and untreated illness in both regions examined. Thalamic NAA negatively correlated with duration of prodromal symptoms. A positive correlation between choline and duration of untreated psychosis was identified in both regions studied. Delays in treatment of psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia were not associated with a reduction in markers of neuronal integrity or function in contrast to longer prodromal periods, which were associated with lower NAA. Neuronal damage, potentially detectable via lower NAA, may be occurring before the onset of psychosis. Increased choline is associated with longer duration of untreated psychosis and could indicate that psychosis-related membrane alterations precede the appearance of NAA reductions observed by studies of chronic schizophrenia.     

Comparative study of proton and phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy in schizophrenia at 4 Tesla

This study used high-field magnetic resonance spectroscopy to examine the correlation of 1H and 31P metabolite levels in patients with schizophrenia and normal controls. 1H and 31P in vivo spectra were acquired successively from the left anterior cingulate and left thalamus of nine chronic schizophrenic patients and eight comparable healthy controls. A significant positive correlation between glutamine (Gln) and phosphoethanolamine (PEtn) was found in the left anterior cingulate of patients. In the left thalamus of patients, a significant negative correlation between N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and glycerophosphocholine (GroPCho) was found. No significant correlations were found in controls. The correlation between glutamine and phosphoethanolamine may reflect a link between neurotransmission alterations and membrane phospholipid metabolism alterations. The negative correlation between N-acetylaspartate and glycerophosphocholine may reflect the presence of neurodegeneration.