Anticardiolipin antibodies are an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke.

Our aim was to determine if anticardiolipin antibodies are an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke and to determine their influence on stroke type and clinical outcome. We prospectively studied 194 consecutive patients with ischemic stroke admitted within 48 h of stroke. A control group consisted of 100, age and sex matched, healthy individuals.

[Cause of hematuria in children with special consideration of urolithiasis. Personal observations].

Microscopic hematuria was diagnosed in case of 102 children out of 2505 hospitalised in Provincial Special Hospital at Children's Ward, which is of all treated children. The most numerous age group were school children. The most common reason of microscopic hematuria was infection of urinary system which was found in case of 34 children (33%).

Anticardiolipin antibodies, a disease marker for ischemic cerebrovascular events in a younger patient population?

The prevalence of anticardiolipin antibodies (ACLA) in sera of 49 patients having had their first TIA or ischemic stroke before 50 years of age was studied using a solid phase enzyme immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Five patients had IgM antibodies, eight had IgG, and three had antibodies belonging to both classes. Although ACLA were detected in 32% of patients (95% confidence interval [CI] 19-45%), the ACLA positive group did not differ with respect to clinical characteristics and distribution of major stroke risk factor frequency from the ACLA negative group.

Latent collagenase of rheumatoid synovial fluid is not of granulocytic origin.

The physicochemical properties of three latent collagenases derived from rheumatoid synovial fluid, polymorphonuclear leucocytes and culture medium of rheumatoid synovium were compared. It has been shown that synovial fluid enzyme is similar to that of synovium collagenase from tissue culture and differs significantly in molecular size and protein charge from granulocyte collagenase. The results indicate that the latent, trypsin-activable collagenase present in rheumatoid synovial fluid is not of granulocytic origin and seems to derive from the synovial membrane.

Inhibition or stimulation of immediate, spontaneous rosette formation at various SRBC:lymphocyte ratios.

The active rosette-forming cell (ARFC) percentage was investigated in a group of 100 persons, consisting of 50 healthy blood donors, 30 cancer patients (CA), and 20 patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The test was repeatedly performed using five SRBC:lymphocyte ratios: 10:1, 20:1, 5-:1, 100:1, and 200:1. In 18% of healthy donors and 30-40% of cancer patients, contrary to the remaining persons no relation between ARFC percentage and the SRBC:lymphocyte ratio was found.