The agglutinin response to whole-cell and acellular pertussis vaccines is Bordetella pertussis--strain dependent.

Objective: To determine the significance of the Bordetella pertussis strain used as the antigen in the agglutinin assay for the evaluation of pertussis vaccines.

Design: Randomized, double-blind study.

Setting: Health maintenance organization clinics, primary care clinic at a referral hospital, and private practices in Los Angeles County, California.

A search for Bordetella pertussis infection in university students.

University students with persistent cough of greater than or equal to 6 days' duration were evaluated for evidence of infection with Bordetella pertussis. Of 130 students studied during a 30-month period, 34 (26%) were found to have evidence of recent infections with B. pertussis.

Protection of the reperfused heart by L-propionylcarnitine.

The effects of L-propionylcarnitine on mechanical function, creatine phosphate and ATP content, and lactate dehydrogenase leakage were studied in isolated perfused rat hearts exposed to global no-flow ischemia for 30 min followed by reperfusion for 20 min. Five and 10 mM L-propionylcarnitine resulted in a 100% recovery of left ventricular-developed pressure, whereas the recovery was only 40% in the hearts perfused without this agent. Ischemia-reperfusion caused a 85% loss of creatine phosphate and a 77% loss of ATP, which was prevented by 10 mM L-propionylcarnitine.

Indications for modification of coexisting dual atrioventricular node pathways in patients undergoing surgical ablation of accessory atrioventricular connections.

Concomitant susceptibility to atrioventricular (AV) node reentrant tachycardia has been demonstrated in certain patients having reentrant tachycardia utilizing accessory AV connections. For those patients undergoing accessory connection ablation, AV node surgical modification may be warranted during the same operative procedure. To assess indications for a combined operative procedure, this study evaluated potential predictors of subsequent spontaneous AV node reentrant tachycardia in patients undergoing ablation of accessory AV connections.

Usefulness of combined propranolol and verapamil for evaluation of surgical ablation of accessory atrioventricular connections in patients without structural heart disease.

Successful surgical ablation of atrioventricular (AV) accessory connections may be confirmed during postoperative electrophysiologic testing by the absence of accessory connection conduction in both the anterograde and retrograde directions. Whereas the former may be readily apparent by examination of the surface electrocardiogram during sinus rhythm or atrial pacing, assessment of the latter may be complicated by the frequent presence of enhanced retrograde AV nodal conduction in the postoperative period. Consequently, availability of interventions that selectively affect AV nodal conduction and refractoriness without concomitant effects on accessory connections may be helpful for assessing the success of the surgical procedure.

A prospective study of the effects of acyclovir treatment on the HSV-2 lymphoproliferative response of persons with frequently recurring HSV-2 genital infections.

In a randomized double-blinded fashion, herpes simplex virus type 2 specific lymphocyte proliferation (HSV-2-LP) was studied in patients with frequently recurring genital HSV-2 who were administered daily suppressive oral acyclovir (S-ACV) or placebo and acyclovir for 5 d (PLC/ACV) with recurrences. The pretreatment HSV-2-LP of subjects was low compared with that of controls with infrequently recurring genital HSV-2 (54,000 vs. 110,000 cpm).

"Atypical" posteroseptal accessory pathway in Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.

The posteroseptal accessory pathway in the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is associated with a delta wave that is negative in the inferior electrocardiographic (ECG) leads and the occurrence of the earliest retrograde atrial activation near the orifice of the coronary sinus during atrioventricular (AV) reentrant tachycardia. Seventy-two patients with a posteroseptal accessory pathway underwent epicardial mapping before operative ablation. The earliest epicardial activation occurred at the posterosuperior process of the left ventricle in all patients.

Surgical approach to anterior septal accessory pathways in 20 patients with the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.

Right anterior septal accessory pathways in the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome are generally defined by electrophysiological criteria, the most important being that earliest retrograde atrial activation during AV reciprocating tachycardia occurs at the anterior medial segment of the tricuspid annulus (His bundle catheter). The purpose of our study is to describe intraoperative mapping in 20 patients with anterior septal accessory pathways, and to assess if intraoperative mapping contributes to the operative approach. At surgery, all patients had identical early ventricular activation during pre-excitation at the infundibulum.

Pulmonary artery banding: results and current indications in pediatric cardiac surgery.

The results of pulmonary artery banding in 144 patients seen from 1971 to 1984 were reviewed. Age ranged from 1 week to 4 years (median, 8 weeks) and weight, from 1.1 to 16 kg (median, 4 kg).

[Teaching of the scientific method in the basic training of the health professional].

In this article the authors explore an innovative methodological proposal for the teaching of research. They begin with an analysis of the overall critical situation, the lack of education and training in that field for health manpower, and the need to develop research as a scientific approach to the solution of problems. They also address the existing need for integrating scientific work with learning experiences in the health services setting, as a contribution to improved care and practices.

Suppression of recurrent genital herpes simplex virus infection with recombinant alpha 2 interferon.

This double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the efficacy and safety of sc administered recombinant alpha 2 interferon (IFN-alpha 2) in the suppression of frequently recurrent genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection. Seventy-six otherwise healthy subjects who had eight or more recurrences during the preceding year received 1 X 10(6) IU of IFN-alpha 2, 3 X 10(6) IU of IFN-alpha 2, or placebo three times per week for 12 weeks. Recipients of the higher dose of IFN-alpha 2, had fewer outbreaks during the study (2 vs.

The selective role of membrane IgG in the antigen-induced inhibition of human in vitro antibody synthesis.

IgG-anti-tetanus toxoid-producing B cell precursors from recently immunized individuals can be stimulated by pokeweed mitogen and T cells to produce IgG-Tet antibodies in vitro. Treatment of these cells with tetanus toxoid selectively inhibits the synthesis of IgG-Tet. Because the IgG-Tet precursors display heterogeneity in their surface isotypes (mu, delta, gamma), the aim of this study was to determine the surface isotype responsible for transmitting this antigen-induced inhibitory signal to the B cell.

[Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy in congenital cyanotic cardiopathy, description of 2 cases].

Hypertrophical osteortropathy syndrome, which consists of arthritis, periostitis, growth of the periarticular soft tissue and fingers like drumsticks, is associated to several cardiopulmonary sufferings, its relation to cyanotic congenital cardiopathies has been rarely informed. Two cases of this rare association are described in this article, and the possible patogenic mechanisms are discussed. To distinguish this syndrome from other rheumatic sufferings such as Rheumatic Fever, Juvenile Rheumatoide Arthritis or Gout is an important point, because its treatment and prognostic are different.