The demonstration of subtype (D or Y)-specific determinants on the surface of the presumed hepatitis B virus.

Dane particles isolated from the sera of HBsAg/ad and HBsAg/ay carriers were reacted with monospecific antibodies to the d and y subtype-specific determinants of HBsAg/. Dane particles from HBsAg/ad expressed the d determinant on their surfaces and those from HBsAg/ay sera contained the y specificity. Both complete (DNA-P and HBcAg) and defective (HBcAg alone) Dane particles expressed the subtype-specific determinants.

Simultaneous presence of HBsAg and anti-HBs in the serum of different subtypes (serological and immunofluorescent studies).

Serological and immunofluorescent studies were performed in 3 patients with the simultaneous presence of HBsAg and anti-HBs in the serum. Our investigations revealed the following results: HBsAg and anti-HBs in the serum were of different subtypes. HBsAg in the serum and in the liver had the same subtype.

Allosteric interactions between the membrane-bound acetylcholine receptor and chemical mediators. Kinetic studies.

The kinetics of the specific irreversible reaction of a snake neurotoxin, alpha-bungarotoxin, with the acetylcholine receptor of electroplax membrane preparations have been investigated. The effects of activators (decamethonium, carbamylcholine) and inhibitors (alpha-bungarotoxin, d-tubocurarine) of neural transmission on this reaction have been measured and the following new information obtained. (1) The irreversible reaction is preceded by the reversible formation of toxin-receptor complexes.

Allosteric interactions between the membrane-bound acetylcholine receptor and chemical mediators: equilibrium measurements.

An approach to equilibrium dialysis measurements has been developed which enables one to study the interaction of chemical mediators with the membrane-bound acetylcholine receptor and to gain information of a type previously obtainable only with soluble proteins. Equilibrium dialysis experiments conducted at pH 7.0,4 degrees C, and mu = 0.

Functional acetylcholine receptor--electroplax membrane microsacs (vesicles): purification and characterization.

Kinetic analysis of the flux of sodium ions in a heterogeneous population of acetylcholine receptor-rich microsacs (vesicles) formed by membrane fragments of electroplax indicated that functional microsacs, which on average comprise only 15% of the preparation, can be filled with 190 mM sodium chloride while nonfunctional microsacs are filled by 190 mM cesium chloride. The functional microsacs have then been successfully separated from nonfunctional microsacs on the basis of their density differences with a continuous sucrose-190 mM cesium chloride density gradient. In the presence of acetylcholine analogs all the internal sodium ions in these microsacs rapidly exchange with external ions.

e System and intrahepatocelullar HBcAG and HBsAG in HBsAG positive patients with liver diseases and healthy carriers.

Patients with hepatitis-B surface antigen positive liver diseases and healthy carriers were studied for the presence of e-antigen and anti-e as well as for intrahepatocellular HBsAG and hepatitis-B core antigen. The e-antigen was demonstrated in 9 out of 12 patients with chronic perisitent hepatitis, in 15 out of 39 patients with chronic active hepatitis, in 3 out of 40 patients with acute type B hepatitis, and in 2 out of 9 patients with a protracted course of type B hepatitis. No e-antigen was found in healthy HBsAG carriers nor in patients with complete recovery from type B hepatitis one year after onset of the disease.

[Methodical problems for evidence of the hepatitis-B-surface and hepatitis-B-core antigens in tissue (author's transl)].

Liver biopsy material of 22 in the serum HBsAg positive patients was tested with the fluorescent antibody technique for the localization of HBcAg and HBsAg in the liver tissue. Comparative studies were done with the following tissue preparation techniques: Cryostat technique, freeze drying, freeze substitution, cold ethanol paraffin embedding technique (SAINTE MARIE) and isolated liver cells. The investigations revealed the following results: 1.

Cardiac responses to stimulation of thoracic afferents in the primate and canine.

Excitatory cardiovascular responses to electrically stimulated upper thoracic sympathetic afferent nerves were observed in halothane-anesthetized mongrel dogs and monkeys. The central end of the transected ventral limb of the left ansa subclavia was stimulated before and after several types of denervation. Significant increases in right and left ventricular maximum systolic pressures, systolic and diastolic systemic blood pressures, and aortic flow were observed.

[The characterization of clinically healthy hepatitis-b-surface-antigen (HBsAg)-carriers. Clinical, biochemical, histiological and immunological investigations in 129 case of a prospective study (author's transl)].

129 blood donors found to be HBsAg-positive on routine testing were studied for evidence of hepatic disease. Twelve had already lost the antigen from the serum when histologically examined. None of these has had clinical or histological evidence of inflammatory liver disease.

[Immune response to HBsAg, HBcAg and e-antigen in patients with acute hepatitis and HBsAg carriers with and without liver diseases].

Humoral and/or cell-mediated (CMI) immune responses to HBAg components, human and rabbit liver specific proteins (HLP and RLP) and tuberculin were tested in patients with acute virus B and non-B-hepatitis, asymptomatic HBsAg carriers and HBsAg positive chronic active hepatitis (CAH). Furthermore, the presence of HBsAg, HBcAg and/or "e"-antigen has been studied in patients with sera and/or liver tissue. Asymptomatic HBsAg carriers are characterized by a status of immunological tolerance against HBsAg.

The diagnostic significance of intrahepatocellular hepatitis-B-surface-antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis-B-core-antigen (HBcAg) and IgG for the classification of inflammatory liver diseases. (Studies on HBsAg-positive and -negative patients).

Liver biopsies of patients with inflammatory liver diseases and clinically healthy HBsAg-carriers were examined for presence of intracellular HBsAg, HBcAg and IgG by direct immunofluorescence. The studies revealed the following results: 1. In most cases healthy HBsAg-carriers had HBsAg in the cytoplasm, but they did never show HBcAg in the nuclei of hepatocytes.

Acetylcholine-receptor-mediated ion flux in electroplax membrane preparations.

The kinetics of acetylcholine-receptor-mediated sodium efflux from electroplax microsacs of electrophorus electricus has been analyzed. This led to the discovery that only a small fraction of the observed efflux is affected by chemical effectors such as carbamylcholine. Experimental conditions were chosen so that the receptor-mediated flux could be analyzed without the measurements' being obscured by efflux from the nonexcitable microsacs.

Tetrahedral intermediate in a specific alpha-chymotrypsin inhibitor complex detected by laser Raman spectroscopy.

Laser Raman spectroscopy indicates that inhibition of alpha-chymotrypsin by 2-phenylethaneboronic acid occurs in two steps: (i) the formation of a loosely bound complex, in which the boron remains in a trigonal configuration; and (ii) reaction of the boron with a functional group in the catalytic site of the enzyme, resulting in a reversible, stable tetrahedral adduct.