The effect of freezing on sperm-associated immunoglobulin G (IgG)

Previously frozen and fresh sperm from infertile and fertile men were assayed for sperm-associated immunoglobulin G (IgG) to determine the effect of a simple freezing technique on the assay results. A direct radiolabeled antiglobulin assay (DRAA) and a direct fluorescein-labeled antiglobulin assay (DFAA) utilizing a fluorescein-activated flow cytometer were employed. The amount of IgG detected by the DRAA and the percentage of sperm that fluoresced in the DFAA generally declined when frozen sperm were used, but only the DFAA showed a statistically significant decrease. However, the degree of decline was predictable (r = 0.91 in both assays), and whether the test remained positive or negative when frozen sperm were used was not significantly affected.     

Biliary Atresia: histopathologic observations and reflections upon its natural history

Operative liver biopsies and specimens of the extrahepatic ducts and porta hepatis have been studied in 12 cases of biliary atresia. In all cases, the liver showed giant cell transformation and inflammation with mononuclear cells and neutrophils. Most had other features of neonatal hepatitis, including necrosis of hepatocytes. In the intrahepatic bile ducts of all cases but one, the hepatic ducts and glands at the porta hepatis, and in the extrahepatic ducts where epithelium remained, there was degeneration of the epithelium and intramural inflammation. In the ducts at the porta hepatis and in 6 of 8 extrahepatic ducts where epithelium remained, there was extensive mural fibrosis compromising the diameter of the duct lumens. Three cases showed the inflammatory changes distal to sites of closure of the extrahepatic ducts. These findings demonstrate that in biliary atresia, hepatitis, intrahepatic cholangitis, and sclerosing cholangitis of the extrahepatic ducts all interact to produce acquired obstruction to bile flow.     

Grundlagen der operativen Behandlung von Gesichtshautmalignomen

Summary The complete mastery of reconstructive plastic surgery is a basic requirement first essential for sufficient radical treatment of basal cell carcinoma in the facial area.Furthermore, the subclinical growth of the basal cell carcinoma must be taken into consideration. One can assume that the growth of the b.c.c. is much greater than the apparent clinical limits, especially in cases of recurrent tumors, tumors of long standing, tumors in frontal and temporal regions, as well as tumors with diameters of more than 2 cm and scleroderm growth. In such cases a safety margin of 8–15 mm is required, whereas by primary and locally well defined b.c.c. a safety margin of 3–5 mm is regarded as sufficient.Following the examination of the microscopically controlled surgery developed by MOHS, which is suitable for improvement of the five-year cure rate after surgical treatment of b.c.c., the treatment of the squamous cell carcinoma of the bottom lip is dealt with. Taking into account the tendency of these tumors to metastasise, it is advised to carry out an elective neck-dissection confined to the supra-hyoidal region in cases of squamous cell carcinoma in the stages T2 and T3 and also by suspicious metastastical changes in the lymphnodes.The diagnosis of a malignant melanoma is fundamentally histological. The tumors is electrically excised with a clearance safety margin of surrounding skin of 1 cm if clinically there appears to be a 10% likelihood of the tumor being a malignant melanoma. If the histological frozen section of the excised tumor confirms the diagnosis suspected, an area of no less than 3 cm from the edge of the primary tumor must be reexcised. A free skin graft is preferred to cover the defect rather than a plastic repair by a pedicle-flap graft. The elective lymphnode dissection in the case of malignant melanoma stage I is made dependent on the level of invasion. Malignant melanomas with an infiltration degree 1 or 2 are only operated locally whereas an extra prophylactic dissection of the regional lymphnodes is generally recommended in cases of malignant melanomas with an infiltration degree 4 or 5. The question of an elective neck-dissection in cases of malignant melanomas with invasion level 3 is made dependent on the depth and surface-area growth of the primary tumor.

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Erscheint ausführlich in Z. Laryngol. Rhinol. Otol.     

DEVELOPMENT OFFEEDBACK AND FEEDFORWARD CONTROL OF UPRIGHT STANCE

Feedback and feedforward (anticipatory) adjustments of stance were investigated in 58 children with normal development aged between seven months and 14 years, and in 14 children with motor and mental retardation aged between 21 months and seven years. Feedback responses after tilting the body were elicited in all but the two youngest children, aged seven and nine months. The observed rapid decrease in feedback response latency with age suggests considerable acceleration of central transmission. Effective anticipatory postural adjustments (feedforward) were elicited only in the normal children over four years of age. The development of both feedback and feedforward continued until adolescence.     

Effect of repeated washing on sperm-bound immunoglobulin G

The effect of sperm washing on the stability of sperm-bound immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody derived from plasma from four patients and also IgG bound in vivo on the spermatozoa of four other men was quantitatively evaluated. In the first series of experiments, human spermatozoa were incubated with an IgG antibody-containing plasma and subjected to 18 cycles of sperm washing. In the second set of experiments, spermatozoa from men positive for sperm-bound IgG were subjected to four cycles of sperm washing. The amount of residual antibody bound to a constant number of spermatozoa was quantitated by a radiolabeled antiglobulin assay during and following the washing procedures. There was no significant loss of sperm-bound antibody due to the washing procedures. The results of these studies undermine the utility of sperm washing as an effective treatment of antibody-mediated infertility in men.     

Cytolytic T cell hybridomas. II. Interleukin 2-independent cytolytic variants

Interleukin 2 (IL2)-dependent cytolytic hybrids usually loose IL2 dependence and cytolytic activity concomittantly. Here we describe an exceptional IL2-independent variant which lost IL2 receptor but retained cytolytic activity. When the IL2-independent cytolytic hybrid cells were fused with IL2-dependent cytolytic clones which express IL2 receptors constitutively, IL2-dependent hybrids were obtained. This suggests that the expression of IL2 receptors can interfere with IL2-independent growth mechanisms.