[Decision analysis of congenital toxoplasmosis in the absence of exact knowledge of the treatment benefits and secondary effects].

Decision analysis seemed the appropriate method to bring out the interest of toxoplasmosis serology in children born from mothers who seroconverted during pregnancy. In particular it provides the possibility to choose between IgA serology, recently introduced in hospital practice, and IgM serology that is the reference test. We study a series of 96 children suspected of having congenital toxoplasmosis who were followed up until the age of one.

An improved assay for the detection of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in human serum by flow cytometry.

The diagnosis of toxoplasmosis relies primarily on the demonstration of specific antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii. We describe a flow cytometry method for the determination of antibodies to whole fixed tachyzoites by indirect immunofluorescence. Fixed tachyzoites in suspension have characteristic light scattering properties.

Prolactin receptors in N-nitroso-N-methylurea-induced rat mammary tumors: relationship to tumor age and down-regulation in short-term explant culture.

Mammary tumors were induced by N-nitrosomethylurea (NMU) in young female Sprague-Dawley rats and time of appearance of the tumors was recorded daily. A total of 41 tumors of different ages (7 to 110 days old) were removed and prolactin (PRL) receptors were measured using [125I] human growth hormone (hGH) (equipotent lactogenic activity to oPRL). All but one tumor contained high PRL receptor levels.

Prolactin receptors in explant cultures of carcinogen-induced rat mammary tumors.

The turnover, down-regulation and role of intracellular organelles in the down-regulation of prolactin (PRL) receptors have been investigated in N-nitrosomethylurea (NMU)-induced rat mammary tumors cultured in short-term explants. Tumor explants are capable of maintaining PRL receptors for 24-48 hr. This maintenance reflects a dynamic phenomenon involving receptor synthesis, since addition of cycloheximide (1 microgram/ml) in the culture medium results within 12 hr in a marked decline of PRL receptor levels.