Leprosy and hepatitis B surface antigen

An ELISA technique has been developed to detect HBsAg in the sera of leprosy patients. Out of ninety-two serum samples taken from untreated leprosy patients, 10 samples were positive for HBsAg. The ELISA used in the present investigation is a low cost, reliable and sensitive marker of HBsAg. It is better than lesser sensitive (haemagglutination and counterimmunoelectrophoresis), costly and hazardous (radioimmunoassay) techniques and is therefore recommended for routine use.     

Vesicular pityriasis rosea: response to erythromycin treatment

Pityriasis rosea (PR) is a relatively common disease although its aetiology has not yet been identified. It occurs worldwide and there is no racial susceptibility factor. It usually affects teenagers and young adults between 10 and 35 years of age. Typical PR is much easier to diagnose than the rare atypical forms. We report a rare case of vesicular PR in a black woman who had vesicular lesions limited to her palms and soles in addition to regular typical lesions. We devised an efficient oral erythromycin treatment for this patient.     

Hepatitis B vaccine alone or in combination with anti-HBs immunoglobulin in the perinatal prophylaxis of babies born to HBsAg carrier mothers.

The efficacy of hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine alone (group I) or in combination with hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) (group II) for prevention of perinatal transmission of the virus was assessed in 21 and 24 neonates, respectively. 58 infants who could not be vaccinated constituted the control group. It was observed that in the unvaccinated group approximately 70% of the infants became infected. In both the vaccinated groups, the seroconversion and seroprotection rates (anti-HBs > or = 10 IU/1) were almost similar at 6 months of follow up, but, at 12 months, infants given HBIG and vaccine showed better seroprotection rate (85%) than those given vaccine alone (58.8%). Immune response to the vaccine was also better in both the groups if the mothers were anti-HBe positive. Despite immunization, 14.2% and 25% infants in group I and II, respectively, became chronic carriers if their mothers were HBeAG positive.     

Lung cancer in Newfoundland, Canada

In this study 1,466 cases of primary lung cancer diagnosed between 1974 and 1983 and reported to the Provincial Tumour Registry, were reviewed. The incidence of lung cancer in Newfoundland has been lower than that in Canada as a whole. The age-adjusted rates for Canadian males and females were 56 and 14 per 100,000 compared to 45 and 7 in Newfoundland. Census division rates showed no association with socioeconomic indicators. The rate in one census division was higher (63 vs 53) most probably because of the higher risk of men who worked in the St. Lawrence fluorspar mines. Although Newfoundland's current smoking rates (39% of men over 15 and 29% of women over 15) are high, this is not reflected in lung cancer rates. Smoking was not widely accepted in rural areas until the time of World War II, and Newfoundland's lower rates may be due to this delay in exposure.     

环孢菌素A阻断人HL－60抗药性细胞于G_1期而诱导敏感细胞凋亡

进一步研究了抗三尖杉酯碱的ＨＬ－６０细胞（ＨＲ２０）抗细胞凋亡的机制及该抗性和抗药性的关系。结果表明，环孢菌素Ａ（ＣｓＡ）２０，１０μｇ·ｍｌ￣（－１）诱导ＨＬ－６０细胞发生凋亡，而阻断ＨＲ２０细胞于Ｇ＿１期，就不能诱导细胞发生凋亡。低浓度的ＣｓＡ明显增加柔红霉素在ＨＲ２０细胞内的积聚，其逆转抗药性作用与阻断细胞周期运行无关。ＣｓＡ１０μｇ·ｍｌ￣（－１）处理ＨＲ２０细胞，可引起５０ｋＤａ的蛋白质高度磷酸化。结果提示：环孢菌素Ａ阻断抗三尖杉酯碱的ＨＬ－６０细胞于Ｇ＿１期，而诱导敏感的ＨＬ－６０细胞发生凋亡，其阻断作用与抗药性无关     

Adenosine 3'',5''-cyclic monophosphate in Vibrio cholerae.

The extracellular concentration of cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (AMP) of three different strains of Vibrio cholerae growing in syncase medium were measured. Cyclic AMP secreted by V. cholerae 569B varied widely, with different carbon sources. Mutant 13, which produced little or no toxin, released half the amount of cyclic AMP as the wild type. The release of less cyclic AMP into the medium by mutant 13 may be accounted for by the lower activity of adenylate cyclase observed. High glucose (3%) in the culture medium reduced the concentration of cyclic AMP both in wild type and mutant 13. Reduction of cyclic AMP levels at high concentrations of glucose (3%) occurred without change of adenylate cyclase activity. The release of enterotoxin to the medium varied with carbon sources but was independent of conditions which reduced the cyclic AMP both within the cell and the medium. Neither adenylate cyclase activity nor toxin production was reduced by an increase concentration of glucose in wild-type V. cholerae, whereas cyclic AMP levels were reduced by sixfold. A lower activity of the adenylate cyclase was observed in a mutant of V. cholerae which produced no detectable toxin. Thus, a correlation exists between toxin production and adenylate cyclase activity in V. cholerae.     

Guinea Pig Lung Lavage Cells After Intranasal BCG Sensitization

Recent studies have suggested that intranasal administration of antigen can induce local cell-mediated immunity in lung lavage cells. The present study was designed to examine the changes in composition of lung lavage cells and their capacity to produce the lymphokine migration inhibitory factor after intranasal immunization with BCG in guinea pigs. Results indicate that guinea pigs responded to respiratory tract BCG infection with an increase in immunocompetent cells in the bronchoalveolar tract and with production of migration inhibitory factor. After local pulmonary BCG administration, the total number of cells increased as compared with that of the uninfected animals, the increase being statistically significant within 2 weeks. This marked increase in the total cell population is due to a more than doubling of the number of macrophages in the lavage fluid. Animals also developed at this time positive delayed hypersensitivity to intradermally administered purified protein derivative. A significant increase in the total lymphoid cells and macrophage population was observed again at 6 weeks after sensitization, suggesting that the response is biphasic in nature. At 6 weeks, however, there was also a significant rise in total lymphocytes and T cell population in addition to macrophage numbers. This increase in T cells correlated with an increase in production of migration inhibitory factor in the presence of purified protein derivative. These data suggest that the immune response of the respiratory tract after BCG challenge involves increased recruitment of immunocompetent cells locally at the site of infection and that these cells are capable of producing effector molecules in terms of the elaboration of migration inhibitory factor.