[Distribution of digoxin, digitoxin and their cardioactive metabolites in human heart and kidney tissue. A postmortem study].

A method was developed for the specific determination of digoxin and digitoxin, as well as their semisynthetic derivatives and dependent cardioactive metabolites, in autopsy samples of heart and kidney. A collective of six patients on long-term treatment with therapeutic doses of beta-acetyldigoxin had a mean myocardial digoxin content of 46.1 +/- 25.

Membrane plasma exchange in patients with metastatic cancer.

Seven patients suffering from metastatic cancer and all showing objectively measurable tumours were treated with eight sessions of membrane plasma exchange. No other oncological treatment was administered during the period of plasma exchange. The procedure itself was well tolerated and subjective improvement was reported by some patients.

Association of anti-heart antibodies and circulating immune complexes in the post-pericardiotomy syndrome.

The post-pericardiotomy syndrome (PPS) is a common complication of cardiac surgery. In order to better understand the pathogenesis of this complication we undertook a prospective, triple blind study of consecutive long term survivors of cardiac surgery. We followed 82 patients and determined anti-heart antibodies (AHA), circulating immune complexes (CIC) and anti-viral antibodies (AVA) on sera pre-operatively and serially post-operatively.

Enzyme analysis of autologous rosette-forming cells.

Autologous rosette-forming cells (ARFC) have been considered to be post-thymic precursor cells. Since thymocytes and peripheral T lymphocytes differ considerably in lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme pattern and in activity of the enzymes of the purine metabolism, we investigated the enzyme profile in the ARFC. The L-lactate: NAD+ oxi-reductase analysis showed an isoenzyme pattern that closely resembled the pattern found in peripheral T lymphocytes and was totally different from the thymocytes.

LDH analysis of human thymocytes and thymocyte subsets.

The lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) isoenzyme pattern (expressed as the B:A subunit ratio) and two enzymes of the purine metabolism adenosine deaminase (ADA) and purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) (expressed as the ADA/PNP ratio) were studied in human prenatal thymocytes, in subsets of human infant thymocytes, and in peripheral T lymphocytes. Prothymocytes were enriched by E rosette depletion, cortical thymocytes were enriched with a monoclonal antibody rosette technique using OKT6, and medullary thymocytes were enriched either with a monoclonal antibody rosette technique using OKT3 or with complement-mediated cytolysis using normal fresh rabbit serum. Peripheral T lymphocytes were isolated from normal adult peripheral blood by E rosette sedimentation.

Analysis of lymphocytes in tonsils and blood from patients with chronic tonsillitis.

A series of B, T and natural killer cell (NK) monoclonal antibodies was used to determine the distribution of lymphocyte subpopulations in cell suspensions obtained from tonsils of seventeen patients with chronic tonsillitis. The percentage of lymphocytes reacting with the monoclonal antibodies was determined by means of cytofluorometry. The majority of the tonsillar lymphocytes stained with the B-cell specific monoclonal antibody OKB-7.

LDH isoenzyme distribution in human T gamma lymphocytes.

The lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) isoenzyme distribution was measured in T gamma+ lymphocytes from normal individuals. T gamma+ lymphocytes were obtained from purified T lymphocytes by ox-IgG rosette sedimentation. The B:A subunit ratio was clearly lower in the T gamma+ lymphocytes.

Beta-glucuronidase activity in human T and B lymphocytes and the Tmu and T gamma subpopulations.

The beta-glucuronidase staining characteristics of isolated T cell populations and the Tmu and T gamma enriched fractions derived of them were studied. T gamma lymphocytes were obtained from purified T lymphocytes by ox-IgG rosette sedimentation. The rosette-forming cells in the pellet were referred to as T gamma lymphocytes, whereas the lymphocytes in the interface were referred to as T gamma depleted or Tmu lymphocytes.

Cell-marker studies in CLL with monoclonal OKT antisera and lactic dehydrogenase isoenzyme analysis.

In 16 patients with B-type CLL, the T and B cell compartment was analysed using the monoclonal anti-T-cell antisera OKT1, 3, 4 and 8 and the lactic dehydrogenase enzyme marker. Pertinent findings were: the presence on the CLL cells in 15 out of 16 patients of the antigen determined by the OKT1 antiserum, and, in all patients, a lower total LDH content on a per cell basis combined with a higher percentage-activity in the LDH-3 band as compared to the normal B-cell. Furthermore, the T-cell compartment was also disturbed in these patients, as the ratio of OKT4+ to OKT8+ cells was significantly depressed accompanied by a significant decrease of the LDH-1 percentage-activity in favour of LDH-3 and 4.

Influence of nandrolone decanoate on the repopulation of the thymus after total body irradiation of mice.

It has been reported that nandrolone decanoate is helpful in overcoming the neutropenic phase following irradiation. In the present study the influence of nandrolone decanoate on the thymus' cellularity after total body irradiation was investigated. In comparison with a placebo-treated group, mice receiving nandrolone decanoate showed a similar pattern of thymus repopulation, but a significantly lower number of thymocytes over the whole period of treatment was found.

Immunohistochemical evidence for a plasma membrane localization of dopamine-beta-hydroxylase in the mouse neuroblastoma.

Dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (D beta H), a glycoprotein enzyme which converts dopamine into noradrenaline, was purified from C1300 mouse neuroblastoma and used to raise antibodies in rabbits. Using an indirect immunofluorescence technique the cellular localization of D beta H in C1300 mouse neuroblastoma was compared with that of the superior cervical ganglion. C1300 neuroblastoma D beta H was found to be predominantly localized in the plasma membrane, in contrast to its intracellular localization in the superior cervical ganglion of A/J mice.

Lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme pattern of the pre-thymic precursor cell.

The thymic cell precursor was obtained from thymic rudiments of 14 day old mouse embryos of strain NMRI. The LDH isoenzyme pattern of this cell population showed a higher LDH-5 activity than the cortical and medullary thymocytes. These results indicate that during the T-cell development, a shift in the pattern occurs towards the LDH-1 end of the spectrum, as described for other murine tissues and cells.

Basic concepts in immunology.

The immune system exhibits the capacity to react specifically towards antigens. This capacity depends on the activation of T and B cells. The cooperation between B and T cells is necessary for the production of IgG, IgA and IgE.

Lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme pattern: marker for differentiation of lymphocytes.

The lactate dehydrogenase isoenzyme pattern has been determined in different murine thymocyte cell populations. Enrichment of thymocytes with more mature cells through total irradiation results in a smaller percentage of LDH-1, LDH-2, LDH-3 and a greater percentage of LDH-4 and LDH-5. Fractionation of normal thymocytes by velocity sedimentation at unit gravity yields a fraction of cells with a high sedimentation rate.

Distribution of mononuclear cells during pregnancy.

Leucocyte and lymphocyte counts, the distribution of erythrocyte rosette-forming cells (E-RFC), erythrocyte-antibody-complement rosette-forming cells (EAC-RFC), cells bearing surface membrane immunoglobulin (SMIg), latex-ingesting cells and the PHA stimulation index of lymphocytes were evaluated in both pregnant and non-pregnant women. In the gravid female leucocytosis due to neutrophilia is seen, and the PHA-induced transformation of maternal lymphocytes in the absence of autologous plasma remains unaltered. There was a rise in the percentage of EAC-RFC and cells bearing SMIg during a pregnancy, but after monocyte adsorption on plastic dishes of the mononuclear cells, obtained after Ficoll-Hypapue centrifugation, this increase is abolished.

Levamisole versus placebo as an adjunct to primary therapy of laryngopharyngeal epidermoid carcinoma. Evaluation of the immune status.

Twenty-four patients, with a biopsy-proven laryngeal or hypopharyngeal carcinoma, received as an adjunct to their primary treatment (surgery and/or radiotherapy), levamisole (150 mg daily during three consecutive days, every fortnight) or placebo, following a single-blind, but randomized method. At the end of the follow-up, an investigation of the immune status was done, and compared with that of a healthy control-group. It is concluded that the immunity is disturbed in patients with laryngo-pharyngeal cancer, but that this disturbance does not clearly correlate with the clinical state of the disease.

LDH isozymes of human T and B lymphocytes.

Peripheral lymphocytes were obtained from five normal healthy adults. T and B lymphocytes were separated by rosette formation. LDH (L-lactate: NAD-+ oxidoreductase, EC 1.