Comparison of tilt angles and provocative agents (edrophonium and isoproterenol) to improve head-upright tilt-table testing.

Patients with syncope underwent head-up tilt testing at 60 degrees and 80 degrees followed by edrophonium or isoproterenol challenge when indicated. The 80 degrees tilt protocol and edrophonium provocation were found to be as effective or more effective in eliciting neurally mediated syncope in susceptible patients.

Steel factor (c-kit ligand) stimulates the in vitro growth of immature CD3-/CD4-/CD8- thymocytes: synergy with IL-7.

The ability of Steel factor (SLF) to stimulate the growth of immature thymocytes alone and in combination with IL-7 was assessed. In suspension cultures of CD4-/CD8- thymocytes, SLF itself did not induce significant proliferation, but in combination with IL-7, it induced a greater response than did IL-7 alone. In fetal thymus lobe submersion cultures, SLF stimulated the growth of cells to a magnitude similar to that of IL-7 and the combination resulted in a synergistic response.

Chronic candidal meningitis: an uncommon manifestation of candidiasis.

Chronic meningitis is an uncommon manifestation of candidiasis. We present the case of an elderly woman who had symptoms such as headache, malaise, and fever for 8 months and was found to have Candida albicans meningitis, and we review 17 similar cases. An underlying illness or risk factor for candidiasis was present in only 13 (72%) of the 18 patients.

Inhibition of human red blood cell N-acetyltransferase.

Acetanilide and derivatives of benzoic acid, benzamide, salicylic acid, and salicylamide were tested as inhibitors of p-aminobenzoic acid N-acetyltransferase partially purified from peripheral blood of three rapid and two slow dapsone acetylator human volunteers. The 50% inhibition point of these compounds does not provide a kinetic basis for differentiating the rapid and slow dapsone acetylator phenotypes.