The frequency of children's poisonings in different social groups.

1 Social stress has been emphasised as one of the major aetiologic factors in childhood poisonings. The clinical records of 188 children treated for acute poisoning in Helsinki during a six month period in 1980 were investigated. 2 The ratios of the observed number of poisonings to the expected ones calculated on the basis of the social group distribution in Helsinki were as follows: (I) 1.

Immunohistochemical localization of phospholipase A2 in human pancreas in acute and chronic pancreatitis.

Phospholipase A2 was localized with peroxidase anti-peroxidase (PAP)-technique in pancreatic tissue resected from normal portions of tumor-bearing glands of 4 patients and from pancreases of 16 patients suffering from either acute or chronic pancreatitis. In acute pancreatitis the enzyme immunoreactivity was detected in the apical zymogen granule portion of acinar cells and in ductal secretory material similarly as in normal tissue. At the border of necrotic and non-necrotic exocrine parenchyma the staining reaction was evenly dispersed throughout the cytoplasm or localized in small cell fragments.

Thymus-dependent immune functions in chickens bursectomized with colchicine applied to the anal lips.

Thymus-dependent immune functions were investigated in chickens bursectomized neonatally with colchicine solution given per anum. Antibody responses to thymus-dependent antigens sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and human gamma-globulin (HGG) were delayed, reaching the normal level after the third antigen stimulation. Also the mitogenic responses of peripheral blood lymphocytes were preserved, and no changes in the thymic morphology were found.

Migration of prebursal stem cells from the early chicken embryo to the yolk sac.

Allogeneic yolk sac-embryo chimaeras were constructed by association of B15B15 yolk sac and B2B2 embryo on day 2 of incubation. Five days later yolk sac cells from the chimaeras were injected intravenously into 14-day-old irradiated embryos, using recipients of B2B2 and B15B15 genotypes. One week after hatching, cells in the bursa of Fabricius and peripheral blood erythrocytes were studied for Ia-like antigens and B alloantigens, respectively, to determine whether they were derived from the embryo or yolk sac part of the chimaera.

Effects of indomethacin on lymphocyte proliferation, suppressor cell function, and leukocyte migration inhibitory factor (lmif) production.

The in vitro effect of indomethacin (IND) on PHA- and Con-A-induced immune responses was studied. The results showed that the enhancement of both PHA and Con A responses by IND does not significantly depend on the concentrations of mitogens or IND. A significant negative correlation was found between the initial PHA response and augmentation index, whereas there was a positive correlation between the initial Con A response and the enhancement of the Con A responses.

Effect of strenuous physical stress on circulating lymphocyte number and function before and after training.

Seventeen young male subjects underwent a six-week training period and their physical fitness was examined using a bicycle ergometer test. Twelve subjects without any marked training served as controls. Venous blood was drawn immediately before and after exercise on a bicycle ergometer both before and after training.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for antibodies to purified protein derivative of tuberculin (PPD). IgM-, IgA- and IgG- anti-PPD antibodies in active pulmonary tuberculosis.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for IgM, IgA and IgG antibodies against purified protein derivative of tuberculin (PPD). PPD antibodies of 44 patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis were measured at admission to hospital. The control material consisted of 35 healthy blood donors.

Cell-mediated immunity in Darier's disease: effect of systemic retinoid therapy.

In five patients with Darier's disease, lymphocyte subpopulations, lymphocyte responsiveness to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (Con A), pokeweed mitogen (PWM) and purified protein derivative of tuberculin (PPD), leukocyte migration inhibitory factor (LMIF) production and suppressor cell activities were studied before and during oral etretinate treatment. Pre-therapy investigations of cell-mediated immunity showed no severe immunological dysfunction, although high responses to supra-optimal Con A concentrations suggested abnormalities in immunoregulatory lymphocyte subpopulations. In addition, two patients showed enhanced LMIF production upon stimulation with Con A, PWM and PPD.

Migration of erythropoietic and prebursal stem cells from the early chicken embryo to the yolk sac.

Lymphocyte development and ontogenetic changes in erythroid cells have been studied in chick-chick yolk sac-embryo chimeras constructed of histoincompatible partners. The results obtained indicate that the early chick yolk sac produces transiently erythroid stem cells whereas definitive erythrocytes are derived from the intraembryonic stem cells. Such a change from the yolk sac-derived cells into embryo-derived cells is not observed in the lymphocytes which are exclusively derived from the embryo-borne stem cells.

Mechanism of action of an orally active PGE1-analogue in pregnant guinea-pigs.

At the 43rd day of pregnancy 6 Experimental guinea-pigs were treated orally with the PGE1-analogue, CP 48,630 (Pfizer), while 6 animals served as vehicle Controls. An average dose of 1.5 mg CP 48,630 compromized the conceptus and provoked abortion in 6.

Gestational changes in the progesterone and prostaglandin F levels of the guinea-pig.

In 87 guinea-pigs the gestational changes were measured in the progesterone (P) and prostaglandin F (PGF) levels of the peripheral and uterine vein plasmas, ovaries, uterus, placenta, fetal membranes and amniotic fluid. In the ovaries, the peripheral and uterine vein plasma, placenta and uterus, P-concentrations increase during early pregnancy and after a plateau decrease significantly as term approaches. In contrast, the uterine-vein PGF-levels remain low throughout pregnancy and only increase near term.

Immunologic consequences of neonatal splenectomy.

The hazard of overwhelming postsplenectomy infection has been suggested to be greatest in children operated upon before 1 yr of age. In this work immune functions of 3 children, splenectomized within 2 days after birth were studied. The opsonic activity of the sera of all patients towards pneumococcus was decreased.

The biological meaning of prostaglandin-levels.

Two groups of term pregnant rats, one pretreated with progesterone (P) and another with vehicle only, were induced to deliver with PGF2 alpha. Through an implanted intrauterine (extraovular) catheter 5 microgram PGF2 alpha was injected into each animal every 15 minutes until delivery occurred. If induction fialed the fetuses were removed by hysterotomy.

The biological meaning of progesterone levels.

The effect of systematically delayed progesterone treatment was examined in 45 pregnant rats near term. Progesterone (P) and prostaglandin F (PGF) were measured in uterine vein plasma and uterine tissue before and during spontaneous labor or during prolonged pregnancy. Control animals exhibited the expected P-withdrawal (Pw) prior to spontaneous labor and properly timed P-treatment predictably prevented Pw and labor.

Induction of preterm labor in the rabbit by antiprogesterone.

On the 25th day of pregnancy, 14 New Zealand white rabbits were treated orally with 500 mg of the progesterone (P)-synthesis inhibitor: Isoxazol. This treatment was repeated 12 hours (n = 6) or 24 hours (n = 8) later. An additional group of 6 rabbits received at the same time the solvent, without Isoxazol, to serve as vehicle controls.

Lymphoid stem cells in the intraembryonic mesenchyme of the chicken.

Chromosomally marked cells from the 7-day intraembryonic mesenchyme were transplanted into 14-day-old irradiated chick embryos. At the age of 6 weeks donor-derived T and B lymphocytes were shown to be present in the thymus, spleen and bone marrow, indicating that cells in the 7-day intraembryonic mesenchyme are capable of developing into functional T and B lymphocytes. In addition to the sex chromosome marker, IgG allotype was used as a marker; the results demonstrate that cells from intraembryonic haemopoietic sites develop into mature IgG-producing cells.

In vivo effect of levamisole on cellular and humoral immunity in normal chickens.

The effect of levamisole in vivo was studied on the PHA and Con A responses of chicken peripheral blood lymphocytes and on the in vivo antibody response to a thymus dependent antigen (BSA) and to a thymus independent antigen (Brucella abortus). Levamisole (0.25 mg/kg) increased significantly both the PHA and Con A responses of chicken blood lymphocytes.

Prebursal stem cells in the intraembryonic mesenchyme of the chick embryo at 7 days of incubation.

Cyclophosphamide-treated 18-day-old chick embryos were transplanted with cells from 7-day intraembryonic mesenchyme; the recipients and donors were identical at the major histocompatibility locus. At the age of 35 days, the cell recipients were studied to determine the reconstitution capacity of the transplanted cells. The transplantation resulted in a complete restoration of IgM and IgG class antibody production against human gammaglobulin and Brucella abortus, and of microscopic morphology of the bursa of Fabricius and of the germinal center formation in the spleen.

Meal induced increase in serum triglycerides has no effect on lymphocyte response to mitogens.

The effect of a standardized heavy meal on the lymphocyte transformations induced by phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (Con A) and PPD tuberculin was studied. The meal significantly increased the serum triglycerides (P less than 0.01), while it had no effect on cholesterol or high density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels.