Acid-fast bacilli on buffy coat smears in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: a lesson from Hansen's bacillus.

A patient with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome was found to have a continuous bacillemia of Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare by examination of Kinyoun-stained buffy coat smears. There were 29 cells/cu mm that contained acid-fast bacilli (AFB) and 1.5 X 10(5) AFB/ml of whole blood.

Calcium association with phosphatidylserine. Modification by cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine in monolayers and bilayers.

We have examined the association of Ca2+ with phosphatidylserine/cholesterol and phosphatidylserine/dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine mixed monolayers using a surface radiocounting technique. No Ca2+ association with pure monolayers of the uncharged molecules was observed. The Ca2+/phosphatidylserine surface ratio was approximately 1:2 in expanded monolayers of the pure anionic lipid and in phosphatidylserine/phosphatidylcholine mixtures.

Commentary on the utility of experimental social and learning models of alcoholism.

This chapter reviews the status of models in scientific research generally and in alcohol research in particular. The reader's attention is drawn to both advantages and disadvantages of models. The authors concur with others that models should be judged primarily by a criterion of usefulness rather than that of truthfulness .

Lamb model in the study of immunity to enteropathogenic Escherichia coli infections.

Three groups of ewes were vaccinated with formalin inactivated, whole cell, aluminum hydroxide adjuvanted bacterins prepared from capsulated enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EEC). Lambs born to and suckling these ewes, compared with lambs of nonvaccinated control ewes, were highly resistant to homologous EEC challenge exposure. Lambs of ewes vaccinated with products prepared from K99 antigen-positive, noncapsulated E coli were highly resistant to heterologous EEC challenge exposure.

Esophageal candidiasis: treatment with ketoconazole.

Three patients with esophageal candidiasis were treated with a new orally administered antifungal agent, ketoconazole. Favorable results were obtained in two patients; in the remaining patient other foci of candidal infection developed while the patient was receiving ketoconazole.

Pericarditis associated with Hemophilus influenzae type B pneumonia and bacteremia in two adults.

Two cases of pericarditis associated with Hemophilus influenzae bacteremia and pneumonia are reported and the literature reviewed. Both patients were treated with antibiotics alone and had resolution of their illnesses without apparent adverse sequelae. Neither patient required pericardial drainage.

N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase, beta-glucuronidase and acid phosphatase in Mycobacterium leprae.

N-Acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase, beta-glucuronidase and acid phosphatase activities were detected in cell-free extracts of Mycobacterium leprae (from armadillo liver). Extracts of bacteria which had been treated with 7-diazonaphthalene-1,3-disulphonic acid to inactivate surface enzymes retained 30-45% of the activity of the glycosidases and 15% of the activity of the acid phosphatase. When intact bacteria were treated with 1 M-NaOH, the corresponding activity in the extracts was 4--9% for the glycosidases and 7% for the acid phosphatase.

Fine structural studies of ciliary processes after treatment with cholera toxin or its B subunit.

Delivery of 2 micrograms of cholera toxin (CT), a specific, irreversible activator of adenyl cyclase, via the blood causes dilation of capillaries and stromal edema of the ciliary processes. These morphologic changes occur within 3 h, are maximal at 12 to 24 h, then gradually return to normal by 72 h. In the late phase of hypotony, ultrastructural changes in the ciliary epithelia, similar to Greeff vesicles, are due to a "paracentesis effect" from hypotony, caused by decreased aqueous flow through the eye.

Ultracytochemistry of cholera-toxin binding sites in ciliary processes.

Cholera toxin reduces the rate of aqueous humor in concentrations (10-11M) that do not disturb the morphology of the aqueous-humor forming epithelial cells of the ciliary processes of the rabbit eye. The search for an endogenous mediator of aqueous-humor formation comparable to cholera toxin in its mode of operation prompted us to map the distribution of cell surface receptors for cholera toxin in the ciliary processes of the eyes of rabbits. Cytochemical studies were carried out with the use of conjugates of cholera toxin to fluorescein isothiocyanate (CT-FITC) and to horseradish peroxidase (CT-HRP), and of the B subunit of cholera toxin to horseradish peroxidase (B-HRP).

Progressive disseminated histoplasmosis; favorable response to ketoconazole.

Four patients with disseminated histoplasmosis, two of whom had late relapses after previous therapy with amphotericin B, were treated with ketoconazole 200 to 400 mg daily for 1 year. All patients improved markedly during therapy, with resolution of symptoms decreasing liver and spleen size, and weight gain; resolution of oral ulcers occurred in the two patients in whom they were present. Decrease in serum alkaline phosphatase levels correlated well with clinical improvement.