Genetic polymorphisms of the beta-2 adrenergic receptor in Israelis with severe asthma compared to non-asthmatic Israelis.

Background: It has been argued that arginine replacement in locus 16 (Arg16) of beta 2 adrenergic receptor with glycin (Gly16) increases asthma severity, while glutamin replacement in locus 27 (Gln27) with glutamic acid (Glu27) decreases it. In addition, ethnic dependency of these polymorphisms has been described, but few studies investigated its relation to asthma severity in a non-anglosaxic population.

Objectives: To investigate non-anglosaxic ethnic influences on beta 2AR polymorphisms and its correlations to asthma severity.

Bronchial response to methacholine in parents of asthmatic children.

Cumulative dose response curves to inhaled methacholine were established in 28 parents of asthmatic children, seven parents of healthy children, and four asthmatic patients. Bronchial sensitivity was defined as the dose of methacholine causing a 25 percent decrease in specific airway conductance while bronchial reactivity was determined by the slope of the cumulative dose response curve. Results indicated that parents with allergic rhinitis or airflow limitation in small airways may represent a high risk group, while parents with no atopy and normal pulmonary functions may reflect only the inherited characteristics of bronchial response.

Changing pattern of lung tuberculosis.

In 46 (20%) of 233 consecutive patients with active lung tuberculosis, the localization of the tuberculous process was unusual. The majority of patients (81%) were greater than 40 years of age. Men predominated in the usual localized tuberculosis group, whereas women predominated in the group with unusual localized tuberculosis (UNLT).

Long-term survival in bronchogenic carcinoma with a solitary metastasis.

Partial resection of a huge anaplastic large cell carcinoma of the upper lobe of the right lung was performed in a 47-year-old patient in order to relieve symptoms of pulmonary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy. Several months later a solitary metastasis was noted in the muscles of the right forearm. The metastasis was resected and the forearm irradiated.

Toxoplasmosis in a patient with common variable immunodeficiency.

We describe here a case of common variable immunodeficiency with depression of both humoral and cellular immunity, manifested primarily by chronic toxoplasmosis. The presence of a lymphoma as the underlying etiology of the immunodeficiency was excluded. The clinical, histological, and immunological interrelations between immunodeficiency, toxoplasmosis and lymphoma are discussed.

The effect of sera from chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients on normal mitogen-stimulated lymphocytes. A possible correlation with the patients' T and B lymphocytes.

Serum from chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients was examined for its effect on normal lymphocytes stimulated by phytohemagglutinin and pokeweed. Responses of the patients' lymphocytes were similarly examined. E and EAC rosettes were also tested.