Isolation and characterisation of intestinal spirochaetes.

Faeces or rectal swabs from 1527 subjects were examined for the presence of intestinal spirochaetes by anaerobic culture on blood agar incorporating spectinomycin (400 mg/l). Twenty three specimens (1.5%) were positive, and only one of these came from a patient with diarrhoea.

Left ventricular hyperkinesia at rest and during exercise in normotensive patients 2 to 27 years after coarctation repair.

The short- and long-term results of effective surgical repair of coarctation of the aorta on left ventricular mass and function in 48 patients were evaluated using echocardiography and stress-gated radionuclide angiography. Thirty-two of the 48 patients who had no additional cardiac problems and had technically adequate radionuclide angiograms form the basis for this report. Among these, three had mild systolic hypertension and none had significant aortic valve dysfunction.

Characteristics of lympho-myelopoietic stem cells isolated from canine peripheral blood.

If hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) could be separated from peripheral blood, it might be possible to harvest these stem cells for potential clinical use. By leukapheresis techniques, we harvested mononuclear cells (MNC) from peripheral blood and then placed these cells over discontinuous stractan gradients of three densities (1.077 gm/ml, 1.

Comparison of Phadebact coagglutination tests with counterimmunoelectrophoresis for the detection of bacterial antigens in cerebrospinal fluid.

One hundred and seventeen specimens of cerebrospinal fluid from 94 patients were examined for the presence of pneumococcal and Haemophilus influenzae type b antigens using counterimmunoelectrophoresis and coagglutination tests. The coagglutination method using Phadebact reagents was as sensitive as counterimmunoelectrophoresis, but culture was a more sensitive diagnostic procedure than either test. A meningococcus coagglutination reagent, included in a prototype meningitis diagnostic kit, was also found to be as sensitive as counterimmunoelectrophoresis when tested on culture-positive cerebrospinal fluid specimens.

An automated dry-slide enzymatic method evaluated for measurement of creatinine in serum.

We evaluated an automated dry-slide enzymatic method involving creatinine iminohydrolase for measurement of creatinine in serum with the Kodak Ektachem analyzer. The means (and SD) for three commercially available quality-control sera, analyzed during eight weeks, were 9.7 (1.

Granulocyte progenitor cell (CFUC) harvest by continuous apheresis in dogs. Effects of blood volume and lithium on yields.

The ability to harvest large amounts of hematopoietic stem cells from blood would eliminate the more difficult approach of bone marrow harvest. Unfortunately, concentration of stem cells in the blood compartment is less than 1% of their concentration in bone marrow. Attempts to increase harvest of blood stem cells, as assayed by granulocyte progenitor cells (CFUC), have been only partially successful.

Pericapillary permeability of the ciliary processes: role of molecular charge.

The pericapillary permeability of the ciliary processes to intravenously injected native (anionic) ferritin, neutral ferritin, and two cationic ferritin derivatives was studied in normal rats by electron microscopy. Anionic and neutral ferritin were largely confined to the circulatory compartment. Those particles that entered the pericapillary region of the ciliary processes were randomly scattered within the basal lamina.

Enzymic determination of citrate in serum and urine, with use of the Worthington "ultrafree" device.

We describe an enzymic method for conveniently measuring citrate in serum or urine. Interfering enzyme proteins are removed by a disposable ultrafilter ("Ultrafree"; Worthington Diagnostics), obviating the need for hazardous protein precipitants. A 50 mmol/L Tris buffer adequately controls pH, no lactate dehydrogenase is necessary in the reagents, and the reaction of citrate catalyzed by citrate lyase (EC 4.

Isolation of intestinal spirochaetes from homosexuals.

Spirochaetes were isolated from rectal swabs of two homosexuals and the faeces of a third, using simple isolation techniques not previously applied to specimens of this type. The ease of culture of these organisms will enable their distribution and pathogenicity to be studied, particularly in relation to their significance in homosexuals.

Evaluation of the Phadebact Gonococcus Test in the identification of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in a routine diagnostic laboratory.

The Phadebact Gonococcus Test, a coagglutination procedure for the confirmation of identity of presumptive N gonorrhoeae isolates, was evaluated under normal working conditions in a routine diagnostic laboratory and compared with an immunofluorescence technique. Of 166 isolates of N gonorrhoeae from urogenital, rectal, and pharyngeal sites, 164 gave a positive coagglutination reaction, and one of the two negative isolates gave a positive reaction on retesting after subculture. There were no cross-reactions with other organisms tested.

The Worthington "ultrafree" device evaluated for determination of ultrafiltrable calcium in serum.

We evaluated a commercially-available disposable device ("Ultrafree," Worthington Diagnostics) for the anaerobic preparation of protein-free ultrafiltrates from serum for measurement of ultrafiltrable calcium. Sufficient filtrate for the analysis is obtained with 10 min from 0.2 to 0.

Myocardial necrosis and ventricular aneurysm following closed chest injury in a child.

A 4-year-old child is described who suffered an unsuspected myocardial contusion which led to the formation of a ventricular aneurysm 2 months after an automobile accident. Electrocardiography, thallium scanning, myocardial enzyme assays, two-dimensional echocardiography and, when indicated, cardiac catheterization, may aid in the early diagnosis of cardiac contusions. In the patient presented, resection of the aneurysm 6 months postinjury was followed by elimination of almost all the mitral regurgitation originally present and good cardiovascular function.

Congenital absence of the pulmonary valve.

Congenital absence of the pulmonary valve (CAPV) is a rare anomaly usually associated with ventricular septal defect or Fallot's tetralogy. CAPV may be rapidly fatal in infancy because of severe disturbance of pulmonary ventilation resulting from bronchial compression by massively dilated pulmonary arteries. Other cases may be relatively benign.

Effect of molecular charge on choroid-plexus permeability: Tracer studies with cationized ferritins.

The permeability of the choroid plexus and renal glomerulus to intravenously injected native, anionic ferritin and various cationic ferritin derivatives was studied in normal rats by electron microscopy. In both structures, anionic, native ferritin was largely confined to the circulatory compartment while the cationic forms penetrated and accumulated within the filtration barriers. In the choroid plexus, cationic ferritin concentrated in relationship to the endothelial fenestrations and the subendothelial basal lamina region.

Rat CNS in experimental chronic serum sickness: integrity of the zonulae occludentes of the choroid plexus epithelium and brain endothelium in experimental chronic serum sickness.

The present study is an extensive systematic immunofluorescence and labelled electron microscopic investigation of chronic rat serum sickness brains. It is specifically directed at discerning effects of chronic serum sickness upon the zonulae occludentes of both the choroid plexus epithelium and the intra-cerebral endothelium. Although the choroid plexus is a known site of complex entrapment in systemic immune complex disorders, comprehensive immune studies of the CNS parenchymal vasculature have not yet been reported in either experimental or spontaneous immune complex disease.

Status of patients 5 or more years after correction of coarctation of the aorta over age 1 year.

In this retrospective study, we reviewed the records of patients who had coarctectomies at the University of Virginia Hospital after 1 year of age. Follow-up data for 5 years or more after surgery were available for 52 patients. Data from 23 similar patients from the Medical College of Virginia brought the total postoperative sample size to 75.

Rat ciliary process in chronic serum sickness: light, immunofluorescence, and electron microscopy.

The ciliary processes of 26 male Wistar rats that survived a prolonged period of immunization with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and a similar number of age- and sex-matched controls were studied by immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. The findings in the ciliary process were compared with those of the renal glomeruli. Granular subepithelial deposits of rat IgG, C3, and BSA were demonstrated by direct immunofluorescence in the ciliary process and renal glomeruli of 38% and 85% of experimental animals, respectively.