Angled aorta ("sigmoid septum") as a cause of hypertrophic subaortic stenosis

Review of the hearts of seven patients in whom hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy had been diagnosed by the usual clinical and morphologic criteria revealed diminished angles between the interventricular septa and ascending aortas in three cases. The angles in these three hearts were 90 to 110 degrees, as compared with a mean value of 145 degrees in the other four hearts with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and 140 +/- 14 degrees in 55 control hearts. None of the patients with hypertrophic subaortic stenoses and angled aortic roots died of the heart disease, and none had either asymmetric ventricular hypertrophy or evidence of familial cardiomyopathy. It is proposed that in patients with angled aortic roots and left ventricular hypertrophy, subaortic obstruction may develop due to narrowing of the left ventricular outflow tract, resulting in clinical and morphologic findings of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. In hearts with angled aortic roots the top of the ventricular septum is tipped toward the mitral valve, rather than tapered toward the aorta, as in normal hearts. This configuration narrows the outflow tract of the left ventricle and can result in systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve, the illusion of asymmetric septal hypertrophy when studied by M-mode echocardiography, a subaortic pressure gradient, and a subaortic endocardial plaque. This less serious form of hypertrophic subaortic stenosis should be distinguished from other forms of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.     

The effect of beta adrenergic blockade on bronchial sensitivity to acetyl-beta-methacholine in normal and allergic rhinitis subjects.

The effect of propranolol inhalation on sensitivity to methacholine inhalation was studied in normal and allergic rhinitis subjects to determine whether beta adrenergic blockade alters sensitivity to mediators in nonasthmatic atopic individuals. A partial beta adrenergic blockade is suggested as being instrumental in asthma. Hay fever patients studied showed similar effects and also developed asthma for the first time.     

Cytotoxicity of ionophore A23187 for basophils and other human blood cells.

The calcium ionophore A23187(A23) at concentrations exceeding 1 microgram/ml has been shown to be progressively cytotoxic for human blood basophils, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and erythrocytes. Toxicity to basophils was considered to be manifested by the increasing inability of 2-deoxyglucose (2DG) to inhibit histamine release (HR) at increasing concentrations of A23. The toxicity to neutrophils and lymphocytes was demonstrated by decreased lactate production (LP) after incubation with A23 of Ficoll-Hypaque fractions greatly enriched in each respective cell type. Red cells present in dextran-sedimented leukocytes were increasingly susceptible to lysis during washing subsequent to exposure to increasing concentrations of A23. A concentration of 4 microgram A23/ml, which is cytotoxic at 37 degrees C, produced optimal and noncytotoxic HR at 22 degrees C. It was possible to reduce A23 concentrations required for optimal HR by increasing Ca++ from 0.6 to 3 mM.     

Characteristic features of actinomycin D-induced paw inflammation of the rat.

Features of paw edema induced by subplantar injection of actinomycin D (act D) were investigated in rats. The paw edema was produced as early as the 1st day and reached a maximal level on the 3rd or the 4th day. Thereafter, it began to subside progressively and was considerably reduced by the 16th day following act D (20 μgm) injection. A direct dose response relationship between the amount of act D injected and the intensity of the paw edema was obtained. No difference in β-glucuronidase and acid phosphatase activity was found between saline and act D-injected paws on the 2nd day. This was followed by an increase in the activity of both enzymes on the 4th, 8th, and 16th days after injection. The histamine content of the saline and act D-injected paws remained unchanged during the early phase of inflammation. A marked increase in the histamine content was noted during the late phase in the drug-injected paw. The effects of act D treatment on capillary permeability to Evans blue dye (EBD) and the edema formation of the paw revealed that a maximal increase in vascular permeability to EBD occurred on the 1st day and was maintained until the 8th day. In contrast to permeability, the paw edema on the 1st day was minimal and increased progressively until the 3rd or 4th day. Thereafter, both the permeability and the paw edema began to diminish and were considerably reduced on the 16th day. Aspirin and hydrocortisone treatment were ineffective in suppressing the act D-induced paw inflammation. Indomethacin produced a somewhat dose-related anti-inflammatory effect against the inflammation caused by this drug.     

北京市三所高校大学生SARS流行期的心理状态现况调查

目的 :了解SARS流行时期大学生在封闭式管理下的心理状况。方法 :采用症状自评量表、ZUNG氏焦虑自评量表、ZUNG氏抑郁自评量表和一般状况调查表 ,以分层整群抽样的方法 ,对北京市三所重点大学 62 80名在校本科大学生和研究生进行了心理状况自评问卷调查。结果 :症状自评量表的因子阳性检出率为 7 3 % ,各因子得分均明显低于既往北京市大学生调查结果 ;除恐怖因子和精神病性因子外 ,各因子得分均低于或接近国内常模 (t=2 17-5 3 65 ,P <0 0 5 )。焦虑症状阳性检出率为 9 5 % ,抑郁症状阳性检出率为 2 9 6%。结论 :北京市SARS流行期间大学生存在焦虑、抑郁症状 ;采取了有效的传染病防治和健康教育等措施后大学生群体的心理健康状况良好。     

The synthesis and actions of mouse and human interferons in mouse-human hybrid cells.

Lines of mouse-human hybrid cells segregating either mouse or human chromosomes were used for the analysis of various aspects of the production and actions of mouse and human interferons. In one of the hybrid cell lines capable of producing both mouse and human interferons, the proportion of the two interferon activities produced varied greatly under different inducing conditions, suggesting that there are differences in the triggering mechanisms of the two interferons. Generally both mouse and human interferon production could be enhanced (“superinduced”) by sequential treatment with cycloheximide and actinomycin D; however, in one of the lines producing both mouse and human interferon, only the latter could be superinduced. There was no correlation between the capacity of the lines to produce mouse or human interferons and the sensitivity to their action. However, there was good correlation between the sensitivity to the antiviral action and the priming action (i.e., enhancement of subsequent interferon production) by the two interferons. Thus, line 55-91F2 produced both mouse and human interferons, but was sensitive to the antiviral and priming actions of human interferon only. Line GM52 × BalbVC15 produced only mouse interferon but was sensitive to the antiviral and priming actions of both interferons.     

Histologic studies of human skin test responses to ragweed and compound 48/80: III. Effects of alternate-day steroid therapy

Our previous studies have shown depressed eosinophil responses in skin test reactions to pollen antigens and compound 48/80 in those just completing a 1-wk course of daily steroids. Wheal reactions were unaffected. In this study, 6 ragweed-sensitive atopic subjects were studied before and on the seventh day (“day on”) and day 8 (“day off”) of a course of alternate-day steroids. Blood neutrophil levels rose on day 7 and were similar to baseline on day 8, whereas blood eosinophil levels were significantly reduced on both days 7 and 8. Neutrophil responses in skin test reactions were depressed on day 7 and normal on day 8. In contrast, the tissue eosinophil responses were depressed significantly, and to similar degree, on both days 7 and 8. These findings are of potential significance in evaluating the clinical effects of steroids in allergic diseases.     

Different specificities of an HLA-DRw6 haplotype detected by alloreactive T lymphocytes

DRw6 has been difficult to define serologically. In the present experiments we have developed T cell lines in order to characterize the components of a DRw6 haplotype. This was accomplished by priming T cells with allogeneic mononuclear cells mismatched for DRw6, Dw6, and MT2. Subsequently, three sublines with distinct reactivity patterns were derived by limiting dilution. The specificities detected by these sublines included: (a) a specificity found on a subset of cells positive for DRw6 which was inhibited by monoclonal antibodies against DS(DC), the human homologue of the murine IA-encoded molecules, (b) another DRw6-associated specificity blocked by an MT2-like antibody, and (c) an MT2-like specificity blocked by monoclonal antibodies reactive with a different MT2-associated determinant. These results show that more than one IE-like, as well as the DS/DC (IA-like) molecules, carry distinctive antigenic epitopes that can be recognized by allogeneic T cells. Primed T cell lines may be useful for a better definition of certain haplotypes which are at present difficult to characterize with serological reagents alone.