Brainstem lesion revealed by MRI in a case of Leigh's disease with respiratory failure.

This 6-year-old girl was admitted with insufficient involuntary breathing and generalized hypotonia. T2-weighted MR images showed bilateral symmetrical tubular hyperintense lesions in the medio-caudal part of the medulla oblongata that correlated well with demyelination and gliosis in the regions of the reticular formation and the nucleus solitarius found at autopsy. The typical lesions of Leigh's disease in the basal ganglia were not present, which made the diagnosis uncertain prior to the histopathological findings.

Phototoxic erythema following PUVA treatment: independence of complement.

The effect of PUVA treatment on normal human serum (NHS), on isolated PMN, or on C3-deficient guinea pigs and congenic (C3-competent) control animals was tested. At a concentration of 0.1 or 1 mM/l 8-MOP and UVA doses of 5-30 J/cm2, PUVA failed to induce any detectable C3-cleavage in NHS.

Effects of zidovudine on Friend virus complex infection in Rfv-3r/s genotype-containing mice used as a model for HIV infection.

Infection with the Friend virus complex (FV) in (B10.A x A/WySn)F1 mice containing the Rfv-3r/s genotype results in several disease manifestations analogous to those seen in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome, predominantly high levels of specific antibody and low levels of infectious virus with eventual retroviral disease-induced death of the host. Other immunologic manifestations of FV infection in this murine host included inhibition of percent total T, T-helper, and T-suppressor/cytotoxic cells of total splenic lymphocytes and phytohemagglutinin-induced response of spleen cells.

Reflection of changes in membrane constituents in various regions of Alzheimer brains to differential scanning thermograms.

To test whether changes in basic biochemical membrane constituents were reflected in membrane fluidity measurements, protein, total lipids, triglycerides, lecithin, cholesterol and alkaline phosphatase were determined in frontal cortex, hippocampus, putamen and nucleus basalis Meynert (NbM) of DAT brains and controls and compared to differential scanning thermograms. Biochemical changes were most pronounced in the hippocampus, while thermostability was altered in the NbM and the frontal cortex. The results indicate that changes in protein content, but not in lipid composition were reflected in alterations of thermostability of the brain regions examined.

Tumor infiltrating leukocytes (tils) during progressive tumor growth and BCG-mediated tumor regression.

Tumor regression was induced by intralesional injection with BCG, 7 days after inoculation of line 10 hepatocellular carcinoma cells into strain 2 guinea pigs. Tumor-infiltrating leukocytes (TILS) were characterized immunohistochemically with 11 monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) during the induction phase of line 10-immunity, and during immune-mediated regression of the tumor, at days 12 and 28 after tumor cell inoculation, respectively. At day 5 after BCG-injection (day 12 after tumor cell inoculation), there were no major differences between the TIL subpopulations of the BCG-treated and untreated tumors.

HOW MUCH HERITABLE VARIATION CAN BE MAINTAINED IN FINITE POPULATIONS BY MUTATION-SELECTION BALANCE?

The joint effects of stabilizing selection, mutation, recombination, and random drift on the genetic variability of a polygenic character in a finite population are investigated. A simulation study is performed to test the validity of various analytical predictions on the equilibrium genetic variance. A new formula for the expected equilibrium variance is derived that approximates the observed equilibrium variance very closely for all parameter combinations we have tested.

[Transpenile venous occlusion in the treatment of erectile impotence].

In 15 of 18 patients, 2 of them with previous surgery, transpenile venoablation was performed for treatment of erectile dysfunction due to cavernous leakage. In 4 this was combined with retrograde venooclusion via the internal iliac vein. In 4 patients normal erectile status could be obtained.

Quantitation of the anaphylatoxin C3a in the presence of C3 by a novel sandwich ELISA using monoclonal antibody to a C3a neoepitope.

C3a levels in plasma are usually measured by a competitive inhibition radioimmunoassay (RIA) using 125I-labelled C3a-desArg and antibodies to C3a capable of detecting C3a determinants which are also present on the native C3. Therefore, prior to the assay native, non-cleaved C3 has to be removed completely from the C3a-containing sample by precipitation. We developed a new rapid two-site sandwich ELISA system for the quantitation of C3a-desArg in plasma.

Ileocecal vaginal construction.

In 10 patients, six with previously failed vaginal reconstruction of Mayer-Rokitansky syndrome, two with male pseudohermaphroditism, one with a history of Wertheim-Meigs operation followed by irradiation of the true pelvis, and one with vaginectomy caused by trauma, a neovagina was created out of cecal or ileocecal segments. Advantages of this technique are the excellent blood supply to the ileocecal region and the long vascular pedicle. The supplemental application of terminal ileum for prolongation of the cecal vaginoplasty allows for tensionless anastomosis between the neovagina and the vulva, even in patients with difficult anatomic conditions.

Aspartame fails to facilitate pentylenetetrazol-induced convulsions in CD-1 mice.

Concentrations of plasma amino acids and brain monoamines as well as pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures were monitored in CD-1 mice treated with aspartame in acute oral doses from 0 to 2500 mg/kg. One hour after administration aspartame produced increases in plasma concentrations of phenylalanine and tyrosine and modest reductions in concentrations of brain serotonin and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid. However, these effects of the sweetener had no influence on the convulsive dose fifty (CD50) of pentylenetetrazol.

Analysis of guinea pig leukocyte antigens using interspecies T cell hybrids.

In the guinea pig system, there are no T lymphocyte tumors available. In addition, in this species the production of T cell lines in vitro for analysis of T cell markers or function proved to be difficult. As an alternative approach, guinea pig X mouse and guinea pig X rat T cell hybridomas were obtained by fusion of guinea pig T cells with HAT-sensitive mouse or rat thymomas.

Echinococcus multilocularis: in vitro secretion of antigen by hybridomas from metacestode germinal cells and murine tumor cells.

Hybrid cells were produced from Echinococcus multilocularis metacestode germinal cells and murine tumor cells. Small colonies were formed which, while ceasing to grow after a few generations, remained viable for at least 10 weeks. These hybridoma cells secrete antigen(s) reacting in indirect immunofluorescence and ELISA specifically with sera from patients suffering from an E.

Linkage and the maintenance of heritable variation by mutation-selection balance.

The role of linkage in influencing heritable variation maintained through a balance between mutation and stabilizing selection is investigated for two different models. In both cases one trait is considered and the interactions within and between loci are assumed to be additive. Contrary to most earlier investigations of this problem no a priori assumptions on the distribution of genotypic values are imposed.

Extent of surgery in rhabdomyosarcoma of urogenital structures.

After high inguinal semicastration in group-1 paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), the patient having undergone chemotherapy can be followed closely by CT scanning without retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy. In contrast, retroperitoneal RMS should be operated on as radically as possible after downstaging the tumor mass. In RMS of the female genitalia locally limited organ-preserving surgery is the method of choice.

Physiological considerations in radionuclide imaging of the penis during impotence therapy.

The increased use of intracorporeal drugs in the treatment of impotence has advanced our understanding of erectile physiology. Radionuclide imaging of the penis (nuclear penogram) has provided clinicians with a noninvasive, objective measure of blood flow and blood pool changes during erection and with assistance in the quantitative documentation of therapeutic effect.

Physiological considerations in radionuclide urodynamic studies.

Radionuclear imaging of micturition (RNIM) (Nuclear Uroflowmetry, Voiding Nuclear Cystogram) measures bladder volumes, bladder emptying times, and urinary flow rates. These data help to differentiate normal subjects from those with obstructive uropathy or neuromuscular failure and to quantify the deficit. We discuss the physiological considerations of importance to physicians ordering and interpreting this convenient and noninvasive diagnostic procedure.

The C terminus of the anaphylatoxin C3a generated upon complement activation represents a neoantigenic determinant with diagnostic potential.

Activation of the C component C3 results in generation of the anaphylatoxin C3a. The C3a polypeptide chain consists of 77 amino acids. The active site of this potent mediator, which also has immunoregulatory function resides in its C terminus.

Effects of potassium, oxygen and carbon dioxide on the steady-state discharge of cat carotid body chemoreceptors.

1. We have studied the effects of intravenous infusions of 0.1 mmol/min KCl (raising arterial potassium from ca.