Lesser sac hernia.

A rare case of mesocolic hernia containing the descending colon is described in a 71-year-old man. The literature on lesser sac hernia is briefly reviewed and the pathogenesis symptoms and treatment are discussed.

T cell subsets regulating antibody responses to L-glutamic acid60-L-alanine30-L-tyrosine10 (GAT) in virgin and immunized nonresponder mice.

T cell subsets from virgin and immunized mice, which are Ir gene controlled nonresponders to GAT, which regulate antibody responses to GAT have been characterized. Virgin nonresponder B10.Q B cells develop GAT-specific antibody responses to GAT, B10.

T cell subsets in (responder x nonresponder)F1 mice regulating antibody responses to L-glutamic acid60-L-alanine30-L-tyrosine (GAT).

Immune responses to GAT are controlled by H-2-linked Ir genes; soluble GAT stimulates antibody responses in responder mice (H-2b) but not in nonresponder mice (H-2q). In nonresponder mice, soluble GAT stimulates suppressor T cells that preempt function of helper T cells. After immunization with soluble GAT, spleen cells from (responder x nonresponder: H-2b X H-2q)F1 mice develop antibody responses to responder H-2b GAT-M phi but not to nonresponder H-2q GAT-M phi.

Spontaneous course of secretory otitis and changes of the eardrum.

In 222 nonselected, otherwise healthy children, seven repetitive tympanometric screenings were performed from ages 4 to 7 years. At the last three screenings, otomicroscopy was performed and the changes of the eardrum were analyzed. At age five years 24%, at age six years 37%, and at age seven years 39% of all 444 ears had changes of the eardrum, either attic retractions of varying degrees, atrophy, and/or tympanosclerosis of the pars tensa.

Bacterium-induced cleavage of IgA in nasopharyngeal secretions from atopic children.

Immunoglobulin A forms the specific immune barrier of mucosal surfaces against microorganisms and potential allergens. Immunochemical studies of nasopharyngeal secretions (NPS) from 97 children showed enzymatic degradation of IgA in 18.6% of the samples.

Bone resorption in cholesteatomas. An experimental study.

A model for studying different aspects of human cholesteatomas in vivo in the immunodeficient "nude' mice is described. Epithelial-mesenchymal interaction was studied in human cholesteatoma membranes, transplanted to the flank region. Findings of cystic lesions lined by stratified keratinizing epithelium were frequent and the connective tissue reaction were weak.

Quantitative aspects of IgD and secretory immunoglobulins in middle ear effusions.

Levels of the true secretory immunoglobulins, secretory IgA (SIgA) and secretory IgM (SIgM) were determined in middle ear effusions (MEEs) from children with secretory otitis media (SOM) and correlated to the MEE levels of IgD. Double sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were used for the quantitative determinations. The levels of SIgM were expressed arbitrarily in units using a nasopharyngeal secretion pool as a standard.

Antigen-specific suppressor T cell interactions. II. Characterization of two different types of suppressor T cell factors specific for L-glutamic acid50-L-tyrosine50 (GT) and L-glutamic acid60-L-alanine30-L-tyrosine10 (GAT).

We have previously reported that two types of suppressor T cell factors (TsF) specific for L-glutamic acid50-L-tyrosine50 (GT) or L-glutamic acid60-L-alanine30-L-tyrosine10 (GAT) can be distinguished based upon differences in their ability to suppress responses by allogeneic mice. Injection of GAT or GT induces a suppressor T cell subset that produces an antigen-binding, I-J+, genetically unrestricted, specific suppressor factor (TsF1). Injection of this factor plus small amounts of antigen induces a second-order suppressor T cell that produces an antigen-binding, I-J+, genetically restricted, specific suppressor factor (TsF2).

Strictures of the male urethra treated by the Otis method.

During a 5-year interval 72 consecutive patients with urethral strictures were treated by internal urethrotomy according to the method of Otis. The etiology, surgical technique, complications and postoperative management are discussed. The results after a mean followup of 29 months showed an over-all success rate of 82 per cent (95 per cent confidence limits 71 to 90 per cent).

Purification and characterization of an L-glutamic acid60-L-alanine30-L-tyrosine10 (GAT)-specific suppressor factor from genetic responder mice.

A hybridoma-derived, GAT-specific suppressor T cell factor (GAT-TsFR) from responder C57BL/10 mice has been purified to apparent chemical homogeneity using reversed phase HPLC techniques. 40 l of starting material yielded approximately 880 micrograms protein with a specific activity of 28.4 X 10(3) S50 U/ng protein representing a purification factor of 4.

RNA transcripts for I-J polypeptides are apparently not encoded between the I-A and I-E subregions of the murine major histocompatibility complex.

The I-J subregion of the mouse major histocompatibility complex has been reported to encode antigenic determinants expressed by suppressor T cells. Previously, cosmid clones were obtained from mouse sperm DNA that contain all of the sequences between the I-A and I-E subregions, where I-J has been mapped genetically. However, hybridization of these sequences to RNA prepared from several I-J-positive suppressor T-cell hybridomas did not reveal the presence of a transcript.

T and B cells that recognize the same antigen do not transcribe similar heavy chain variable region gene segments.

We have attempted to determine whether T cells and B cells that have the same antigenic specificity and whose receptors share idiotypic determinants in fact express similar VH gene segments. To do this, we have obtained and characterized a cDNA clone containing the entire coding sequence for the VH gene from a glutamic acid60/alanine30/tyrosine10 (GAT)-binding immunoglobulin that carries the CGAT idiotype. The GAT-VH clone was hybridized to Northern blots of GAT-specific T cell RNAs; there was no evidence of a T cell transcript that hybridized to the GAT-VH probe.

Perturbation of mucosal immune defence mechanisms by bacterial IgA proteases.

The secretory IgA system plays an important role in protecting the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract from attacks by microorganisms and potential allergens. We present evidence of in vivo cleavage of S-IgA1 in nasopharyngeal secretions by IgA1 proteases excreted by certain bacteria colonizing the upper respiratory tract. A procedure in two stages, which includes separation of secretion constituents by HPLC and subsequent immunochemical analysis of the fractions by two ELISA systems, identified the S-IgA fragments observed in some nasopharyngeal secretions as intact (FC alpha)2 .

Expression of cell surface antigens by suppressor T cell hybridomas. I. Comparison of phenotype and function.

The phenotypic expression of cell surface markers by T cell hybridomas that elaborate suppressor factors specific for the polymers L-glutamic acid60-L-alanine30-L-tyrosine10 (GAT) or L-glutamic acid50-L-tyrosine50 (GT) has been analyzed. We found that determinants encoded by the I-J subregion of the H-2 complex were borne on the surface of these hybrid cells and on the factors they secrete, whereas I-J determinants were not expressed by the AKR thymoma fusion parent, BW5147. The level of expression of I-J determinants fluctuated widely depending upon culture conditions, but I-J products and other cell surface markers of normal T cells could be quantitatively increased, or induced to appear, by treatment of the hybridomas with chemical agents, such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or phorbol myristate acetate (PMA).

Changes in point prevalence of secretory otitis in preschool children.

By performing annual tympanometric screenings of randomly selected children in the winter, the changes in the point prevalence rate of secretory otitis could be estimated during childhood. The tympanometric conditions deteriorated from the age of 4 to the age of 5, and a significant increase in the point prevalence of type B, i.e.

Antigen-specific suppression in genetic responder mice to L-glutamic acid60-L-alanine30-L-tyrosine10 (GAT). Characterization of conventional and hybridoma-derived factors produced by suppressor T cells from mice injected as neonates with syngeneic GAT macrophages.

Spleen cells from C57BL/10 mice injected with syngeneic B10 L-glutamic acid60-L-alanine30-L-tyrosine10 (GAT)-pulsed macrophages (GAT-M phi) within 18 h of birth were unable to respond to soluble GAT, GAT-methylated bovine serum albumin, or B10 GAT-M phi as adults. Spleen cells from these neonatally treated mice responded at control levels to GAT presented in allogeneic M phi and to sheep erythrocytes. Partially purified T cells from these neonatally treated mice suppressed responses by syngeneic virgin, but not primed, spleen cells in an antigen-specific manner and acted during the early phases of the response.

Secretory IgA enzyme immunoassay. Application of a model for computation of the standard curve.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is applied for quantitation of secretory IgA (SIgA) in nasopharyngeal secretions (NPS) and saliva. In principle, both the alpha and secretory component determinants of SIgA are utilized in a two-site sandwich technique. Dilutions of a SIgA solution prepared from colostrum (Col-SIgA) are used for standards.

Evans' syndrome in IgA deficiency. Episodic autoimmune haemolytic anaemia and thrombocytopenia during a 10 years observation period.

A 26-year-old male with a 10-year history of complete selective IgA deficiency and recurrent autoimmune anaemia and thrombocytopenia (Evans syndrome) is presented. Both serum IgA and saliva secretory IgA were below the detection limit (less than 0.05 mg/l).

Middle ear effusion and risk factors.

In 373 randomly selected four year old children tympanometric measurements were correlated with the medical history and the results of an otorhinological examination. The purpose of the study was to demonstrate potential risk factors in the evolution of secretory otitis media (SOM). The tympanometric results represent related as well as independent data, making an appropriate choice of statistical model essential.