Non-Type b Haemophilus influenzae Infections in Adults with Reference to Biotype

We report three cases of serious non-group b Haemophilus influenzae infections. The significance of these isolates with respect to both biotypes and serotypes is discussed.     

Renal Biopsy Pathology in Wegener''s Granulomatosis

Eighteen renal biopsies from 10 patients with active generalized Wegener's granulomatosis (GWG), with GWG in remission on therapy, and with active localized Wegener's granulomatosis (LWG) have been examined by light and electron microscopy. In all 9 patients with active GWG, light microscopy revealed focal and segmental glomerulonephritis. Electron microscopy revealed subepithelial basement membrane densities resembling immune complex deposits in two biopsies from patients with active GWG. In biopsies from patients on cytotoxic therapy, there was no active inflammatory process, but focal glomercular obsolescence and segmental tuft sclerosis provided evidence of prior focal and segmental glomercular disease. Discrete zones of basement membrane crimping and increased mesangial material along the capillary wall were observed in some patients with apparent LWG, as well as proven GWG, possibly representing foci of previous glomerular injury. The appearance of dense deposits on the epithelial side of the basement membrane suggests that immune complex deposition in the glomeruli may be at least partially responsible for the renal injury in Wegener's granulomatosis.     

Psychopathy and Physiological Activity In a Mixed-Motive Game Situation

Heart rate (HR) and skin conductance (SC) were recorded while 17 psychopathic (P) and 17 nonpsychopathic (NP) inmates (referred to as A) were engaged in a mixed-motive game situation with another S (referred to as B). On each trial A had to choose the intensity of shock to be delivered to himself and to B. B then was given a chance to retaliate, although his choices were actually overridden by the experimenter. A 10 sec tone (CS) preceded delivery of shock to each S. There were no differences between Groups P and NP in the intensity of shock chosen for themselves and for the other (B) Ss. Compared with Group NP, Group P gave small unconditioned skin conductance (SC) responses to shock directly received and to shocks delivered to the other S. There were no differences between groups in the unconditioned HR response to either direct shock (acceleration) or to shocks delivered to the other S (slight deceleration). Group P gave small electrodermal orienting responses (ORs) and anticipatory responses (ARs) to the CS preceding shock to self and shock to other; Group NP gave relatively large ORs and ARs to the CS preceding shock to self, and small ones prior to shock to other. Both Groups gave a biphasic conditioned HR response–acceleration followed by deceleration; each component was larger in Group P than in Group NP, and the acceleratory component in Group P appeared on the first trial. The electrodermal data were consistent with the view that psychopaths experience little fear arousal prior to reception of aversive stimuli by themselves or by others. It was suggested that the anticipatory HR responses of the psychopathic Ss were part of an adaptive response that helped them to cope with stress.     

Specific Hemagglutinin and a Modulator of Complement in Cockroach Hemolymph

Natural hemagglutinin activity against vertebrate erythrocytes is present in the hemolymph of the cockroach Blabarus craniifer. The hemagglutinin titer against rabbit erythrocytes is high, whereas sheep and horse red cells agglutinate weakly. Hemagglutinin activity was depressed by the complement inhibitor, cobra venom factor. Cockroach hemagglutinin is heat-labile; all activity is destroyed by heating at 56 C for 1 hr. A humoral factor similar to the complement component 3 proactivator is also present in cockroach hemolymph. The formation of the cobra venom factor-hemolymph "complex" is dependent on the presence of divalent cations and will not proceed at 56 C. The hemolytic intermediate formed after treatment of cockroach hemolymph with cobra venom factor was active in the presence of serum treated with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid to inactivate the early complement components.     

The role of intrahepatic lymphocytes in mediating protective immunity induced by attenuated Plasmodium berghei sporozoites

Summary: Exposure to irradiated Plasmodium sporozoites (g‐spz) results in protection against malaria. Like infectious spz, g‐spz colonize hepatocytes to undergo maturation. Disruption of liver stage development prevents the generation of protection, which appears, therefore, to depend on liver stage antigens. Although some mechanisms of protection have been identified, they do not include a role for intrahepatic mononuclear cells (IHMC). We demonstrated that P. berghei g‐spz‐immune murine IHMC adoptively transfer protection to naive recipients. Characterization of intrahepatic CD4+ T cells revealed an immediate, albeit transient, response to g‐spz, while the response of CD8+ T cells is delayed until acquisition of protection. It is presumed that activated CD8+ T cells home to the liver to die; g‐spz‐induced CD8+CD45RBloCD44hi T cells, however, persist in the liver, but not the spleen, during protracted protection. The association between CD8+CD45RBloCD44hi T cells and protection has been verified using MHC class I and CD1 knockout mice and mice with disrupted liver stage parasites. Based on kinetic studies, we propose that interferon‐g, presumably released by intrahepatic effector CD8+ T cells, mediates protection; the persistence of CD8+ T cells is, in turn, linked to Plasmodium antigen depots and cytokines released by CD4+ T cells and/or NK T cells.     

Reassortment and interspecies transmission of North American H6N2 influenza viruses

To identify the protein encoded by a 687-bp open reading frame (ORF) of a salI genomic DNA fragment of shrimp white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), we expressed the ORF in a baculovirus/insect cell expression system. The apparent molecular mass of the recombinant protein on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) was 35 kDa in insect cells. Antibody raised against bacterially synthesized protein of the ORF identified a nucleocapsid protein (VP35) in the extracts of both the purified WSSV virions and the nucleocapsids which comigrated with the 35-kDa baculovirus-expressed recombinant protein on SDS-PAGE. We also show by transient expression in insect cells (Sf9) that VP35 targets the nucleus. Two potential nuclear localization signals (NLSs) were characterized, but only one of them was important for targeting VP35 to the nuclei of transfected insect cells. Replacement of a cluster of four positively charged residues ((24)KRKR(27)) at the N terminus of the protein with AAAA resulted in mutant proteins that were distributed only in the cytoplasm, thus confirming that this sequence is a critical part of the functionally active NLS of VP35.     

Concentration and turnover of intraperitoneal hyaluronan during inflammation

Aseptic peritonitis was induced in rabbits by intraperitoneal injection of irritating agents, mainly starch suspensions. The inflammatory response was followed in the peritoneal lavage fluid by cell counts (average increase about 800-fold the first day) and hyaluronan concentration (average increase about 200-fold on the second and third days). The turnover rate of hyaluronan was studied by injecting tritium-labeled hyaluronan intraperitoneally and by following the appearance of tritiated water in serum. In control animals given trace amounts of hyaluronan, half-lives of 1–14 h were recorded. When the labeled polysaccharide had been mixed with 10 mg/ml of unlabeled hyaluronan, the half-life was approximately one day. Rabbits with ongoing peritonitis exhibited half-lives between 1 and 16 h. It was concluded that there was a large individual variation in uptake kinetics, that the removal process could be receptor mediated, and that the increase in intraperitoneal hyaluronan in peritonitis mainly was due to an increased production of the polysaccharide rather than a decreased rate of removal.