Suppressive mechanisms of alveolar macrophages in interstitial lung diseases: role of soluble factors and cell-to-cell contact.

Alveolar macrophages (AMs) from patients with interstitial lung diseases, such as sarcoidosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, suppress the phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) stimulation of autologous peripheral lymphocytes. The aim of this study was to determine whether the suppressive effect of alveolar macrophages of patients with interstitial lung disease is due, not only to the secretion of soluble factors prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), interleukin-1 (IL-1) but is also correlated to a direct effect of AMs on the expression of IL-2 receptors (IL-2R: CD25) and on the induction of IL-2 activity. We studied 26 subjects, 8 with sarcoidosis, 7 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and 11 controls.

Hyperphosphataemia and hypocalcaemia induced by hypertonic phosphate enema--an experimental study and review of the literature.

1. The study objective was to determine the hyperphosphataemic and hypocalcaemic effect of hypertonic phosphate enema. The study was conducted in a department of Internal Medicine at a University Medical Center.

Septic complications following endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography: the experience in Tel Aviv Medical Center.

At the Tel-Aviv Medical Center, five of 720 (0.69%) patients undergoing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) subsequently developed septicaemia. One of these patients (0.

Pregnancy and Cushing's syndrome: example of endocrine interaction.

Pregnancy rarely occurs in women with Cushing's syndrome, and when it does, fetal mortality and morbidity are very high. We describe a 30-year-old woman who was found to have severe Cushing's syndrome in the 22nd week of her first pregnancy, after a year of unsuccessful attempts to conceive. The patient had the majority of the symptoms and signs characteristic of the syndrome.