WISKOTT-ALDRICH SYNDROME IN IDENTICAL TWINS: ABNORMALITY OF CD4 AND CD8 POSITIVE LYMPHOCYTES

The rare occurrence of Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) in identical twin brothers without a preceding family history of the disease is described. Investigation into the nature of the lymphocyte abnormality in the surviving twin suggests that the frequency of T cell clone forming cells is markedly decreased. Further analysis of the T cell clones showed a deficiency of CD8 positive cytotoxic/suppressor cells. This alteration may be an underlying mechanism in the development of some of the clinical manifestations of WAS     

Rapid quantitation of mixed red cell populations using flow cytometry

Methods are described for the identification and quantitation of mixed red cell populations using flow cytometry. Antibodies specific for a wide range of blood group antigens have been used and examples are given in which these analyses have proved to be of clinical use. These examples include monitoring of erythropoiesis following engraftment in allogeneic bone marrow transplant recipients and the detection of chimaeric states months or years after transplantation. The techniques involved are fast, simple and inexpensive.     

Sin Returns To Sociology

Book reviewed in this article: The Seven Deadly Sins: Society and Evil . By Stanford M. Lyman. The Seven Deadly Sins Today . By Henry Fairlie.     

Musical preference as an indicator of adolescent drug use

Aims. This paper aims to demonstrate whether a relationship exists between adolescent drug use and identification with styles of music linked to specific youth culture. Design. Survey data were collected by researchers, under exam conditions, from two contrasting samples of Scottish secondary schoolchildren. Setting. Fieldwork was conducted in five comprehensive schools in the city of Dundee in 1994 and five comprehensive schools in the rural area of Perth and Kinross District in 1996. Participants. Questionnaires were administered to two randomly selected mixed ability classes in each of the four compulsory school years (S1 to S4), at each participating school. The eventual sample ( n= 1523) was approximately 10% of all children in these school years from the geographical areas surveyed. Measurements. Comparisons were made between life-time measures of legal and illegal drug use and current favourite style of music. Findings. Although few children in this study had ever taken the drug ecstasy (MDMA), 'fans' of rave music were more likely to have used drugs than those who preferred other styles of music. This relationship held true across a range of drugs used, across two geographical areas, over time and controlling for age, gender and parental social class. Conclusions. The paper is one of the first to quantify a possible relationship between drug use and music style. On the basis of the evidence presented, a significant relationship was found between identification with rave music and life-time drug use.