Red Cell Preservation: Further Studies with Adenine

Supplementation of the ACD-preservative with small amounts of adenine(0.5 µM per ml. amounting to 37 mg. of the base or 56 mg. of adenine sulfateper 550 ml. unit of blood) preserved satisfactory viability (post-transfusionsurvival greater than 70 per cent) of stored human red cells for 5 to 6 weeks.In the concentrations used, the addition of guanine, cytidine or uridine, aloneor in combination with adenine, had little or no effect in extending viability.Hypoxanthine, even in large amounts, did not appear to be toxic to thestored cells. Preservation of viability after 6 weeks of refrigerated storagemay be somewhat improved by storage in certain plastic containers as compared with glass.

Submitted on April 16, 1962 Accepted on June 22, 1962     

HUMAN EXTERNAL OPHTHALMOMYIASIS CAUSED BY THE HORSE BOT FLY LARVA (Gasterophilus spp.)

We report the case of a 20-year-old woman who presented with a subconjunctival maggot. The maggot was removed and identified as the larval form of the horse bot fly (Gasterophilus spp J The patient had been grooming infected horses in a stable prior to presentation. To our knowledge, this is the first well documented case in the ophthalmic literature of external ophthalmomyiasis caused by Gasterophilus spp.     

'J-SHAPED' RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DRINKING DURING PREGNANCY AND BIRTH WEIGHT: REANALYSIS OF PROSPECTIVE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL DATA

Worldwide epidemiological studies on the effects of drinkingduring pregnancy on birth weight and prematurity were surveyed.Far more studies have reported no significant effects on birthweight than have reported significant decreases. Statisticalanalyses of the means from the prospective studies in this areaindicated that both maternal smoking and alcohol consumptionduring gestation are associated with a significant decreasein birth weight. The effect of smoking is three times greaterthan the effect of alcohol. When the data were stratified bysmoking status, maternal alcohol consumption did not have asignificant effect on birth weight for non-smokers, but amongsmokers there was a significant linear trend with a thresholdfor decreased birth weight at about an average of two drinksper day. There was also a significant pattern of increased birthweight associated with low levels of alcohol consumption. suggestingan inverted ‘J-shaped’ function between drinkingduring pregnancy and birth weight.     

The efficacy of sodium hypochlorite as a denture cleanser

Various concentrations of sodium hypochlorite solutions on stained dentures were evaluated. Cleansing effects of hypochlorite were compared with the cleansing effect of a series of proprietary cleansers available on the market. A 50% hypochlorite solution proved more effective than the proprietary cleansing agents evaluated.     

Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita with pulmonary tuberculosis: a case report

Our case is that of a 67-year-old man who presented with a blistering, scarring eruption at sites of trauma. Histologically the blistering was subepidermal. IgG and C₃ were present at the basement membrane zone. Electronmicroscopy demonstrated bulla formation to be beneath the basal lamina and that it contained amorphous electron-dense material. These clinical and investigational findings are consistent with a diagnosis of epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA). The patient also had pulmonary tuberculosis which again highlights the association between EBA and diseases in which the immune system is compromised.