Septic pulmonary embolism caused by Candida albicans: a fatal complication to bone marrow transplantation.

A fatal course of Candida albicans infected embolism in a 31-year-old woman undergoing bone marrow transplantation due to leukemia is described. C. albicans was continuously cultured from the mucous membranes for 6-8 months after transplantation in spite of local treatment with amphotericin B and mycostatin and systemic treatment with itraconazole.

The treatment of Listeria monocytogenes septicaemia.

Thirty cases of Listeria monocytogenes septicaemia occurred in Denmark between 1981 and 1986. The aim of this study was to consider the treatment of these patients, 18 males and 12 females aged from 20 to 87 years: average (AV) 65 years. One or more predisposing factors (PF) were found in 90% of the patients, mainly cancer (16), steroid treatment (12), cirrhosis and/or alcoholism (8), and diabetes mellitus (3).

The treatment of Listeria monocytogenes infections in the central nervous system.

Fifty-four cases of Listeria monocytogenes meningitis and meningoencephalitis occurred in Denmark between 1981 and 1986. The aim of the present study was to consider the antibiotic treatment of these patients, 33 males and 21 females aged from 16 months to 91 years: average (AV) 54 years. One or more predisposing factors (PF) were found in 30 patients (55%): steroid treatment (15), cancer (12), alcoholism and/or cirrhosis (10), diabetes mellitus (5), and renal allograft (2).

In situ hybridization using biotin-labeled oligonucleotides: probe labeling and procedures for mRNA detection.

Methods for non-radioactive in situ hybridization are rapidly progressing in refinement and application. In this overview, we present our experiences with the use of synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides, labeled with biotin- or digoxigenin-tagged nucleotides by the terminal transferase method.

Proopiomelanocortin producing cells of spleen: increase after transplantation with opioid-peptide producing Ehrlich ascites tumor cells.

Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) peptides are produced by many cell systems, including a population of macrophage-like cells in mouse spleen. After transplantation of mice with Ehrlich ascites tumor cells, the number of POMC producing spleen cells increase up to 10-fold by 5 to 6 days. The POMC peptides produced by these cells increase even more, as evidenced by radioimmunoassay.

Evaluation of live attenuated measles vaccines prepared in human diploid cells for reimmunization.

Two live attenuated measles vaccines developed in baby calf kidney cells, a similar vaccine produced in chick embryo chorioallantoic cells and five vaccines prepared from human diploid cells (HDC) have been studied by subcutaneous injection in groups of susceptible and immune children in three field trials. The results indicated that the vaccine developed in chick embryo cells which caused mild clinical reactions, had induced a lower seroprotection rate in susceptible children and only a low rise in hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) antibody titre in previously immunized children. The serological responses induced by vaccines developed in HDC or in calf kidney cells were satisfactory in both susceptible and immune children.

Lipopolysaccharides in a traditional pertussis vaccine.

Analysis of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS, endotoxin) in cell sonicates of four Danish vaccine strains of Bordetella pertussis (3803, 3825, 3843 and 3860) and of purified strain 3803 LPS in sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis by silver staining, showed identical profiles. The LPS profile revealed a dominant, brownish LPS II band and a minor, faster-migrating, black-stained LPS I band. However, the ratio of LPS I to LPS II in the preparation of purified LPS differed slightly from the cell sonicates.

Modulation of human neutrophil and monocyte chemotaxis and superoxide responses by recombinant TNF-alpha and GM-CSF.

The effects of recombinant TNF and GM-CSF on human peripheral blood neutrophil and monocyte chemotaxis and the superoxide response were studied. TNF exhibited a slight chemotactic activity for both cell types. Preincubation of neutrophils with as little as 40 units/ml strongly inhibited the neutrophil chemotaxis towards f-Met-Leu-Phe.

Blood-monocyte functions in acute bacterial meningitis.

The blood-monocyte chemotactic, phagocytic and microbicidal activities were studied in 20 patients with acute bacterial meningitis. The cell functions were measured on admission, during treatment and after clinical recovery. In general, monocyte functions were within normal range on admission.

Immunity against diphtheria and tetanus in the age group 30-70 years.

In Denmark, childhood primary vaccination against diphtheria and tetanus has been recommended since 1950. No routine revaccinations or general vaccination of adults have been offered. In most other western countries revaccinations are recommended later in childhood.

N-acetylcysteine inhibits human neutrophil and monocyte chemotaxis and oxidative metabolism.

The effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on human neutrophil and monocyte cell viability, chemotaxis, oxygen consumption and chemiluminescence was studied. It was found that NAC at concentrations higher than 3 X 10(-2) M resulted in neutrophil and monocyte cytotoxicity. The studies on the effect of NAC on neutrophil and monocyte chemotaxis showed that NAC inhibited chemotaxis of both cell types in a concentration dependent manner.

Down-regulation of natural killer cell activity by autologous polymorphonuclear leucocytes. Role of indomethacin.

It has been recently reported that neutrophils are involved in the regulation of NK cell activity. However, the mechanism of such regulation is unclear. The present study was designed to investigate the mechanisms involved in the regulation of NK cytotoxicity by human neutrophils.

Revaccination against tetanus 17 to 20 years after primary vaccination: kinetics of antibody response.

In 24 military recruits vaccinated against tetanus 17-20 years earlier antibody responses were studied 4, 11, and 24 days after revaccination. Antitoxin concentration in serum showed a sigmoid increase with titres at day 4 only just above protective level, corresponding to a risk of susceptibility to be expected even 4 days after revaccination (2.0%, 95% confidence limit).

Rabbit antibodies against the low molecular weight folate binding protein from human milk. Use for immunological characterization of human folate binding proteins in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Antibodies to a low molecular weight folate binding protein isolated from human milk were raised in rabbits and used for development of a two-site enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for immunological characterization of human folate binding proteins (FBPs). The high and low molecular weight FBPs from human milk were immunologically indistinguishable. Furthermore, the FBPs in human urine and cerebrospinal fluid showed a cross-reactivity of 70% and 30%, respectively.

Defective monocyte oxidative metabolism in a child with non-pneumonic legionellosis.

A case of non-pneumonic legionellosis with gastrointestinal manifestations is described in a 13-year-old boy without premorbidity. A selective defect in monocyte oxidative metabolism was found and consistently demonstrated throughout the following year. We suggest that the observed monocyte deficiency may have facilitated the development of legionnaires disease and that otherwise normal monocyte function may have contributed to the favourable course of disease.

Determination of tetanus and diphtheria antitoxin content in dried samples of capillary blood: a convenient method applied to infants.

To assess the effect of vaccination of infants against tetanus and diphtheria capillary blood was drawn from 51 randomly selected healthy infants 2 years of age. The blood was applied directly to filter paper. In the laboratory the blood dots were eluted in phosphate buffered saline for 2 h at room temperature yielding 100% recovery of antitoxin activity.

Epidemiology of tetanus in Denmark 1920-1982.

Tetanus is still a major health problem in developing countries and still occurs in countries with a high medical standard. To guide planning of future prophylactic programs, incidence and mortality from tetanus in Denmark previous and present prophylactic efforts have been studied. Incidence and mortality from neonatal tetanus decreased in the thirties probably consequently to social and hygienic improvement, and a very marked decrease coincided with the introduction of vaccination against tetanus in 1947.

Immunological studies in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: effect of TCGF and indomethacine on the in vitro lymphocyte response.

We studied the effects of exogenous T cell growth factor (TCGF) (= interleukin-2) and indomethacine on the lymphocyte transformation response in vitro to allogeneic cells, mitogens, and antigens in AIDS patients, those with AIDS-related complex (ARC), and in healthy controls. While low amounts of TCGF reduced the response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to allogeneic cells in both healthy controls and AIDS patients, large amounts of TCGF augmented the response in both groups, although the response of the patients' cells were still subnormal. By depleting the PBMC for either CD4-positive or CD8-positive cells, the effect of TCGF on suboptimally mitogen-stimulated PBMC from controls was shown to be due to an increased response in both the CD4-positive and the CD8-positive cells.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa septicaemia in a patient with severe Plasmodium falciparum.

This report describes a Danish patient with severe Plasmodium falciparum infection and Pseudomonas aeruginosa septicaemia. The patient had been sailing along the coast of West Africa for ten years without taking any antimalaria prophylaxis and without any apparent previous history of malaria. He presented with severe form of malaria, progressing rapidly into coma and died within a short time.

THE CHANGES IN SERUM PROTEINS AND BLOOD VOLUME DURING IMMUNIZATION.

In rabbits hyperimmunized with pneumococcal vaccine high concentrations of gamma globulin are produced. In such rabbits, plasma volume was determined with (131)I-labelled rabbit albumin and red cell volume with (51)-Cr-labelled autologous red cells. It was found that the plasma volume increased with increasing gamma globulin concentration, the highest values observed being about 10 gm.