Primary Sjögren's syndrome: the challenge for classification of disease manifestations

A new model for classifying the clinical disease manifestations of primary Sjögren's syndrome is introduced. Three 'exocrine' and four 'nonexocrine' subgroups of disease manifestations are defined. Accordingly, 'surface exocrine disease' includes the diagnostic features from eyes, mouth, and the manifestations from the upper airways, skin and genital tract. Involvement of the excretory parenchyma of the lungs, hepatobiliary system, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract and kidneys is designated 'internal organ exocrine disease'. We suggest 'monoclonal B lymphocyte disease' to be an exocrine disease manifestation because it originates mostly from the immunoinflammatory foci of the autoimmune exocrinopathy. The nonexocrine manifestations are subgrouped into 'inflammatory vascular disease', 'noninflammatory vascular disease', 'mediator-induced disease' and 'autoimmune endocrine disease'.     

Follow-up of the Antibody Response to Measles Vaccine in a Rural Area of Guinea-Bissau

ABSTRACT. One hundred and fourty-four children who either were already immune or had been successfully immunized against measles were reexamined after 16 months. All still had circulating Elisa antibodies at a clearly detectable level. Titres were higher in the group of children stated to have had measles prior to the immunization. None of the children had measles after immunization. Boostering by the wild virus may have occurred, whereas no evidence of a booster effect from the vaccine was found. About one third of the children were underweight. Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia rate, and also its seasonality, varied with the location of the child's homestead. Even children exposed to mesoendemic P. falciparum malaria and moderate malnutrition can be successfully immunized with a conventional live attenuated measles vaccine from 8 months of age, which probably results in a lasting protection.     

MEASLES VACCINATION

Children immunized with 4 doses of formalin-killed (FK) whole virus vaccine containing adjuvant and aqueous, purified hemagglutinin prepared from Tween-ether (TE) treated material in different combinations have been followed serologically and clinically during a period of 3 to 4 years after the last dose of vaccine. The average decline in HI antibody titers was about 10-fold during this period of time, except in children who had received 4 doses of TE vaccine. The latter group displayed about a 40-fold decrease in titers. Four out of 10 children exposed to cases of regular measles displayed clinical symptoms of varying degrees of severity. Two more children responded with a rise in HI antibody titer only. All these reactions occurred in children with a pre-exposure HI serum titer of 160 or higher. A case of pneumonia was encountered in connection with exposure to wild virus in a child who had received only 2 doses of FK vaccine.     

Increased bonding of a glass-ionomer cement to dentin by means of FeC13

Abstract – It was previously demonstrated by other authors that FeC1₃ is readily sorbed by dentin surfaces. The main purpose of the present work was to investigate the possibility of increasing the bonding of a glass-ionomer cement to dentin by means of FeC1₃. It was found that the strength of the bond was approximately doubled when the dentin was treated with an acidic cleansing agent followed by an application of an aqueous solution of FeC1₃ of suitable concentration.     

Flexural and fatigue strengths of root canal posts

Abstract – This study measured the flexural and fatigue strengths of root canal posts of different alloy, design, and diameter. Fixed posts were loaded up to a preset force and the number of loadings endured until fracture was recorded at each loading force. The flexural strength was defined as the maximum force a post could endure before fracture when loaded once. The fatigue strength was determined as the maximum force a post could endure when loaded 10000 times. Both modes of strength were found to increase with increasing diameter. Aluminum posts had lower flexural and fatigue strengths than posts of titanium, stainless steel, and a Ag-Pd alloy, all of which had strength values of about the same magnitude. Among the investigated brands, Triax and Radix were stronger than the others at comparable diameters. The high strength of Triax may be explained by the design of the post, whereas a superior alloy may account for the high strength of Radix.     

Pulse Width Dependent Increase in the Pacemaker Automatic Interval

From a total of 51 patients equipped with rate and pulse width adjustable pulse gen erators (Microlith-P 0505, Microthin-PI 0522) implanted over the last 3 years, 10 (19.6%) showed an un expected drop in pacemaker pulse rate during pulse width programming. For one of the pulse gen erators used (Microthin-PI 0522), unexpected rate decrease occurred in 7/13 cases (53.8%). For all ex cept one patient, decrease in pacemaker pulse rate corresponded with the total refractory period of the pulse generator (320 ms), at a certain pulse width when rate drop first occurred. In seven of the patients the pulse generator automatic interval was extended from 13 ms to 171 ms beyond the re fractory period. In two patients it was necessary to replace the pulse generators. Our study strongly proves that this abnormal pacemaker functioning is a result of sensing of the polarization voltage at the pacemaker electrode/tissue interface and/or the T-wave. The polarization voltage is highly dependent on the total pacemaker electrode/tissue interface impedance. Using typical values for pulse genera tor output and input resistance and output capacitance, Faraday resistance, Helmholtz capacitance and tissue resistance at the electrode/tissue interface it was shown mathematically that in some cases the polarization voltage alone would be of sufficient amplitude and slew rate for pacemaker inhibi tion. The study demonstrates an urgent need for change in the filter characteristics by making the pulse generators less sensitive in the low frequency region and reducing the polarization voltage by reducing the output circuit capacitance. (PACE, Vol. 5, May-June, 1982)     

Color stability of three composite resins used in the inlay/onlay technique

Abstract – The color stability of three composite resins used in the inlay/onlay technique was determined by means of irradiation with UV-light and by water storage. Generally, water storage resulted in greater changes in color than did UV-light, but no correlation was found between the results of the two chromogenic procedures. The microfilled composite resin was the least color stable material, but none of the resins had alarmingly low color stability.     

PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA INFECTION IN CYSTIC FIBROSIS: Occurrence of Precipitating Antibodies against Pseudomonas Aeruginosa in Relation to the Concentration of Sixteen Serum Proteins and the Clinical and Radiographical Status of thi Lungs

ABSTRACT, Heiby, N., Jacobsen, L., Jergensen, B. A., Lykkegaard, E. and Weeke, B. (Statens Seruminstitut, Department of Clinical Microbiology at Blegdamshospitalet, the Paediatric Clinic TG with the Paediatric Clinic of Dronning Louises Børnehospital, the Radiologic Department TX, Rigshospitalet, and the Protein Laboratory, Untversity of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark). Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in cystic fibrosis. Acta Paediatr Scand, 63: 843, 1974.—The significance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in the respiratory tract of 9 cystic fibrosis patients have been studied by means of immunoelectrophoretical analysis of patients' sera for the number of precipitins against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the concentrations of 16 serum proteins. In addition, the clinical and radiographical status of the lungs have been evaluated using 2 scoring systems. Precipitins against Pseudomonas aeruginosa were demonstrated in all sera, the maximum number in one serum was 22. The concentrations of 12 of the serum proteins were significantly changed compared with matched control persons. Notably IgG and IgA were elevated and the "acute phase proteins" were changed, the latter suggesting active tissue damage. The concentrations of 3 of the acute phase proteins, notably haptoglobin were correlated to the number of precipitins suggesting that the respiratory tract infection in patients with many precipitins is accompanied by more tissue damage than the infection in patients with few precipitins. The results indicate no protective value of the many precipitins on the tissue of the respiratory tract.