Toxoplasma antibodies in patients with meningoencephalitis.

This study was carried on 42 patients with meningoencephalitis who had negative C.S.F.

Immune responses and immunoregulation in relation to human schistosomiasis in Egypt. III. Immunity and longitudinal studies of in vitro responsiveness after treatment.

Immune responsiveness of schistosomiasis patients was assayed longitudinally, before and for two years after chemotherapeutic treatment with praziquantel, by in vitro peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMN) proliferation upon exposure to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), or soluble schistosomal antigenic preparations from eggs (SEA), adult worms (SWAP) or cercariae (CAP). Parallel faecal and urine examinations documented the infection status of the patients during this time. Treatment resulted in substantially increased responsiveness to the schistosome-derived materials but not to PHA or C.

Immune responses and immunoregulation in relation to human schistosomiasis in Egypt. II. Cimetidine reversal of histamine-mediated suppression of antigen-induced blastogenesis.

The effect of histamine on cell-mediated immune responses of chronic schistosomiasis patients was tested by peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMN) reactions to phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA) and soluble schistosomal antigenic preparations derived from eggs (SEA) or adult worms (SWAP). PBMN responses to PHA were suppressed by exogenous histamine (10(-5)M), and the addition of cimetidine (CIM) (10(-4)M), an H2-receptor antagonist, reversed this suppressive effect. Histamine primarily suppressed PBMN responses to suboptimal and optimal PHA concentrations.

Colorimetric assay of strychnine and brucine in nux vomica.

Two colorimetric methods are described for the estimation of strychnine and brucine in nux vomica. The first is a modification of the Karawya and Ghourab method for the determination of strychnine, in which the sensitivity of the color is increased by changing certain conditions of the method. The second was developed for the determination of brucine and is based on measuring the intensity of the violet color produced by treating brucine with nitric acid and methanolic stannous chloride.