Measurement of polypeptide- and antigenic site-specific antibodies to measles virus using a competitive enzyme immunoassay.

A competitive enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for measuring polypeptide- and antigenic site-specific antibodies against measles virus (MV) was developed. Three monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against the fusion (F) and one MAb against the hemagglutinin (H) protein of MV were labelled with biotin and used in biotin-streptavidin EIA system. The inhibition of the binding of the labelled MAbs by the bound serum samples was measured in EIA and the titers were defined by reading at the level of 25% inhibition.

Is it possible to recognize portal hypertension with continuous-wave Doppler ultrasonography?

Continuous-wave (CW) Doppler ultrasonography is a well-known technique in the assessment of peripheral and central circulation. The purpose of this study was to find out whether the technique can be used to demonstrate portal hypertension (PH) from liver disease through the evaluation of flow reversal in the veins of the round ligament. One hundred eight patients (50 controls and 58 with PH) underwent abdominal sonography, endoscopic examination, and CW Doppler flowmetry of the umbilical region.

NK activity and NK-like non-specific cytolysis after PPD, rubella and measles antigen stimulation in multiple sclerosis.

Blood samples were collected from 14 pairs of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and from age- and sex-matched healthy controls. The cytotoxic activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells was tested against the K562 cell line on the day of collection and again after 3 days in vitro culture with medium or with purified protein derivative of tuberculin (PPD), inactivated rubella virus or inactivated measles virus antigen. Lymphocytes from MS patients had a lower spontaneous cytotoxic activity compared to the controls both on the day of collection (P less than 0.

Immunological findings during an acute relapse of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis in a patient with an unusually prolonged disease course.

A 171/2-year-old male subacute sclerosing panencephalitis patient underwent a disease relapse after an 8 year remission. A total of 14 paired peripheral blood/cerebrospinal fluid specimens were obtained during this relapse. These specimens were tested for 13 parameters of non-specific or measles virus-specific cell-mediated and humoral immunity.

Characterization of in vivo activated lymphocytes found in the peripheral blood of patients undergoing cardiac operation.

We studied in vivo lymphocyte activation in patients who underwent cardiac operation. A large number of deoxyribonucleic acid-synthesizing cells characterized by 3H-thymidine uptake and morphologically atypical lymphocytes were found after operation in the peripheral blood samples of patients, the peak level occurring on the sixth or seventh postoperative day. Most of the deoxyribonucleic acid-synthesizing cells were in the B cell fraction.

The interaction of cadmium and selenium in horse kidney cortex in relation to histopathological changes.

The kidney cortex of 32 Finnish horses was analysed chemically for cadmium (Cd) and selenium (Se) content and by light microscopy for histopathological changes of the tissues. Cd concentrations in kidney cortex ranged from 6.9 to 91.

[Intrahepatic presinusoidal portal hypertension in a female patient with chronic lymphatic leukemia].

A rare case of intrahepatic presinusoidal portal hypertension, due to massive infiltration of portal zones by chronic lymphatic leukaemia, revealed by sonographic patent umbilical vein, is reported. Sonographic patent umbilical vein which is considered specific for portal hypertension in liver cirrhosis may be present in myeloproliferative syndromes with liver involvement too.

US-guided percutaneous alcohol injection of small hepatic and abdominal tumors.

Fourteen lesions (nine hepatocellular carcinomas, four hepatic metastases from gastric carcinoma, and one peritoneal metastasis from transitional cell carcinoma) in 12 patients were treated with percutaneous injection of 95% ethyl alcohol under guidance with ultrasound. Requirements for this procedure included inadequate response to conventional treatment or refusal of surgery, easy identification of the tumor with sonography, and a tumor diameter less than 4 cm. Three to nine administrations (75 in all) were performed for each lesion according to its size and to the results of the fine needle biopsy.

Nuclear accumulation of measles virus nucleoprotein associated with a temperature-sensitive mutant.

A measles virus (MV) Lec strain conditional-lethal (temperature-sensitive) mutant, designated MV ts38, has been isolated from 5-fluorouracil-mutagenized stock. The mutant has been characterized with regard to growth characteristics at 32 degrees C (permissive temperature) and 39 degrees C (non-permissive temperature). Virus-specific RNA transcription and/or translation appeared to be blocked at the non-permissive temperature as no virus-specific products could be detected by biochemical or immunological procedures.

Circulating immune complexes in patients with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.

Levels of immune complexes (ICs) in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens from subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) patients were measured using a solid-phase C1q radioimmunoassay. Single or serial serum specimens were available from 19 patients, while serial CSF specimens were available from two patients. ICs isolated from one CSF specimen by C1q immobilized to Affi-Gel were analyzed for measles virus antigens by binding of measles virus-specific antisera and by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by Western blotting.

Comparison of HLA-Dw1 and -Dw2 positive adherent cells in antigen presentation to heterozygous T-cell lines: a low rubella antigen-specific response associated with HLA-Dw2.

T-cell lines specific for purified tuberculin (PPD), rubella, and herpes simplex virus (HSV) antigens were established from two Dw1/w2 heterozygous subjects. Fresh peripheral blood monocytes from healthy individuals with shared and non-shared D-antigens were used as presenting cells and the T-cell lines as responders in lymphocyte blast transformation assays with specific antigens. An HLA-restricted reaction was seen with all the antigens, although the PPD- and HSV-specific cell lines reacted stronger than rubella-specific lines when the specific antigens were presented by monocytes not sharing the D-antigens.

Immune functions in healthy blood donors with HLA-DW2 and -DW3 antigens.

We compared healthy blood donors with and without HLA-Dw2 and -Dw3 in immunity assays, the results of which have been found to be abnormal in multiple sclerosis or autoimmune diseases. Tests included lymphocyte blast transformation responses to rubella, mumps and purified tuberculin (PPD), in vitro production of IgG and interferons, natural killer (NK) cell function and measurement of serum antibodies to measles, rubella, mumps and herpes simplex viruses. HLA-Dw2-positive subjects had a lower lymphocyte blast transformation response to rubella virus antigen and a lower NK cell function compared with HLA-Dw2-negative subjects.

Sonographic patent umbilical vein: lack of specificity for portal hypertension.

The sonographically patent umbilical vein is commonly considered a sign of portal hypertension and is held to be specific by some authors. We found sonographically patent umbilical veins in 11 patients with hepatic cirrhosis and esophageal varices, and in three subjects without liver disease and without esophageal varices. All subjects were submitted to Doppler flowmetry, which, with the investigation of the direction of venous flow, proved to be a simple discriminatory test.

[Hypothalamo-hypophyseal metastasis: a rare initial manifestation of adenocarcinoma of the jejunum. Description of a clinical case].

A rare case of jejunal adenocarcinoma is described in which the initial clinical sign was diabetes insipidus and hypopituitarism linked to hypothalamohypophyseal metastasis. The rarity of the intestinal neoplasm and the unusual site of the metastatic lesions are underlined.

[Serum cholylglycine in the evaluation of impaired hepatic function].

The biliary serum salts cholylglycine and sulfolithocholylglycine were assessed in 88 chronic liver disease patients subjected to laparoscopy and biopsy. The assay was conducted before and after meals in order to assess the diagnostic value of the test together with the common liver function parameters. The greatest diagnostic sensitivity was provided by gamma glutamyl transpeptidase and bromosulfophtalein K1 clearance.

Polyclonal activation of B cells during rubella infection.

Intensive spontaneous production of IgG by peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro is detected at the onset of rash in patients with rubella virus infection. The IgG synthesized consists not only of antibodies against rubella virus specific antigens but also of antibodies to unrelated viruses.