Toxic-oil syndrome. Gallium-67 scanning and bronchoalveolar lavage studies in patients with abnormal lung function

The toxic-oil syndrome (TOS) is a multisystem disorder whose etiology and pathogenesis are as yet unknown. Lung alterations persist in a significant number of TOS patients due to the underlying vascular lesion. Computer-assisted 67Ga scanning and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) studies were performed in 14 TOS patients with sustained abnormal diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (Dco). No significant difference was observed between the 67Ga uptake index of the TOS and control populations. Likewise, there was no significant difference in the number of effector cells recovered from the lungs of TOS patients and controls by bronchoalveolar lavage. However, a rise in IgA and IgG concentrations (p less than 0.002) and a fall in alpha 1-antitrypsin (p less than 0.05) and transferrin (p less than 0.01) were observed in the TOS group. Phospholipid and lecithin concentrations in the lavage fluid were similar for patients and controls. The alveolar macrophage function assayed in three TOS patients was normal. These observations raise new questions about the outcome of lung pathology in TOS and warrant further follow-up studies of the lung abnormalities observed.

Isolation of human complex-forming glycoprotein, heterogeneous in charge (protein HC), and its IgA complex from plasma. Physiochemical and immunochemical properties, normal plasma concentration

Human complex-forming glycoprotein, heterogeneous in charge (protein HC) has previously been isolated from urine and immunochemically shown to be present in low and high molecular weight forms in blood plasma (Tejler, L., and Grubb, A. O. (1976) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 439, 82-94). In the present work, the major low and high molecular weight forms of the protein were isolated from plasma by immunosorption followed by gel chromatography. The plasma low molecular weight protein HC and the urinary protein had similar, if not identical, molecular weight, amino acid composition, NH2-terminal and carboxyl-terminal amino acid sequences and electrophoretic mobility. The low molecular weight plasma protein HC carried a yellow chromophore like the urinary protein, but its molar extinction coefficient at 280 nm was lower and its charge heterogeneity less pronounced than that of urinary protein HC. The plasma high molecular weight protein HC had a hydrodynamic volume which was greater than that of monomeric IgA but smaller than that of dimeric IgA. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the isolated high molecular weight protein followed by electrophoretic blotting and immunochemical analysis demonstrated that the protein contained four polypeptide chains: two light immunoglobulin chains (Mr = 23,000), one IgA alpha-chain (Mr = 54,000), and one chain with Mr approximately 90,000 which carried both alpha-chain and protein HC antigenic determinants. Whether the protein HC X IgA complex is a functionally significant part of the humoral immune system cannot be decided without further experimentation, but the complex was found to be completely absent from the blood plasma of patients with a selective deficiency of IgA-secreting immunocytes. The isolated low and high molecular weight plasma protein HC components were used as standard proteins in the construction of a quantitative crossed immunoelectrophoretic assay for the simultaneous quantitation of the two major protein HC components in blood plasma. The plasma concentrations of the low and high molecular weight protein HC components were measured by this method in 13 healthy Caucasians. The results for the low molecular weight protein HC were: mean, 20.3 mg/liter, S.D., 3.2 mg/liter, range, 13.6-26.0 mg/liter; and for the protein HC X IgA complex: mean, 293 mg/liter, S.D., 176 mg/liter, range, 36-620 mg/liter.

A probable monogenic form of polyostotic fibrous dysplasia

A 37 year-old female patient with polyostotic fibrous dysplasia (PFD) is described. She presented the typical "café au lait" spots and severe bone involvement including a maxillary osteosarcoma. The father, four sibs, two nephews, two paternal aunts and two paternal first cousins were clinically examined, and seven of them also radiologically evaluated. "Café au lait" spots were found in the father, three sibs, one nephew, one aunt and one first cousin. Although no definite PFD bone lesions, mild radiological abnormalities were found in the father, three sibs and one nephew. These findings were interpreted as the variable expression of a pleiotropic gene. The present observation and three previous familial cases of this entity strongly suggest the existence of a form of PFD determined by an autosomal dominant gene.

Photometric measurement of lipoprotein-cholesterol after agarose electrophoresis: comparison with single-spin ultracentrifugal analysis

A method is presented for the evaluation of lipoprotein-cholesterol after fractionation of 20 microliter of serum in agarose electrophoresis in a discontinuous buffer system. The prestained lipoprotein bands are separated in less tha 1 h, cut out and extracted with butanol. The cholesterol in the extract is measured by a simple colorimetric method. The recoveries of lipoprotein cholesterol were 95.3% +/- 13.0 (S.D.), and the average coefficient of variation was 8% for alphalipoprotein, 6.4% for betalipoprotein and 8.0% for pre-betalipoproteins. Lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations, determined by the proposed method correlated well with those analyzed following ultracentrifugation. The method can handle up to 4 serum samples run in duplicate per day and only requires equipment available in conventional clinical laboratories, and stable reagents.

Genetic variability of Hong Kong (H3N2) influenza viruses: spontaneous mutations and their location in the viral genome

The genetic heterogeneity of five influenza A (H3N2) strains isolated between 1968 and 1977 has been estimated by T1-oligonucleotide fingerprinting of 32P-labeled viral RNA. Assuming that the large T1-resistant oligonucleotides represent a random sample of the viral RNA, the genetic differences observed would affect 0.3 to 10.7% of the RNA positions of the genes studied, depending on the pair of viruses considered. A smaller degree of genetic heterogeneity was observed when six coetaneous viral samples were compared. The distribution of spontaneous mutations among the viral genes was studied by fingerprinting individual RNA segments isolated either by gel electrophoresis or hybridization with plasmids containing influenza-specific DNA sequences. No statistically significant differences were detected in the distribution of mutations among the viral genes studied. The mutation frequency at the hemagglutinin RNA region coding for the HA1 subunit was found to be two times higher than that at the region encoding that HA2 subunit. Our results suggest that the antigenic variability of influenza viruses may be a consequence of a general genetic variability which effects many of the viral genes.

A type-specific antiserum induced bya major herpesvirus type 1 glycoprotein

A type-specific antiserum was prepared against VP 7/8, the major HSV-1 type-specific glycoprotein. The specificity of this antiserum was demonstrated by both neutralization of HSV-1 infectivity and immunoprecipitation followed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the immunoprecipitates. Only minimal cross-reactivity with HSV-2 was observed. This major VP 7/8 glycorprotein was also purified from a host of virus-induced proteins with the specific immunoadsorbent prepared with anti-VP 7/8 serum. The one-step purification of this type-specific neutralizing antigen of HSV-1 should allow the development of a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay.

[Preschool age mortality (1-4-year olds) in Cuba, 1961-1975]

An abstract is made of the preschool age mortality in Cuba through the period of 1961 to 1975. The authors outlight how it has dropped from 2.0 to 1.1 per 1000 population to reach 45% reduction. They establish comparison with a group of American countries, setting of contrast with the low mortality in Cuba. The mortality in children of 1 to 4 years old is considered as indirect index of malnutrition. The percentage of diminution for the different departments in the period stated is as follows: Pinar del Río, 57.6%; Havana, 43.7%; Matanzas, 58.5%; Las Villas, 63.1%; Camagüey, 50.0%; Oriente, 39.0%. The 10 most important causes of death are analyzed and the percentages in drop of mortality are reported as follows: (A 43), 80.0%; (A65) and (A105-106), 66.7%; (A5), 61.5%; (A93), 50.0%; (A89, 90, 91 and 92), 46.5%; (A21), 42.8%; (AE 138-146), 34.6%; (A126-130), 31.2%; (A25), 25.0%. Finally, stress is placed on the elements responsible for the drop in preschool age children's mortality.

[Salmonella infection in children. Epidemiological and clinical considerations (author's transl)]

An analysis of data on Salmonella infection treated at the Children's Hospital "La Fe", in Valencia, from 1974--75 is presentd. A patient population of 211 selected cases were divided into two groups: Gastroenteritis (GEC), 155 cases, and typhoid-paratyphoid fever (T-P F), 56 cases. Hospitalization was required in 79% of the cases. The following parameter were studied: Locality and district of origin with respect to residence, conditions of hygiene, size of family: age, sex, seasonal incidence, previous time of illness, presenting symptoms and physical sings and complementary studies. The following conclusions were obtained: Salmonella infection are and endemic problem in Valencia. Their incidence is maximal during the months of June to October. Epidemiological environment was positive in 15% of the cases. Higher morbidity in children less than two years of age. Most frequent presenting symptoms: Diarrhea, fever and vomiting as often in GEC as in T-P F. In 38.7% of GEC cases, the diarrhea was bloody; 21.9% of GEC cases began with fever. Salmonella paratyphi B was the agent most frequently responsible. Data concerning sex, family size, conditions of hygiene and white blood cells offer little discriminatory information. Results obtained are concordant with those described in the literature.

Degradation of benzothiophene and related compounds by a soil Pseudomonas in an oil-aqueous environment

Pseudomonas aeruginosa PRG-1, an isolate from oil-contaminated soil, degrades benzothiophene (BT) and other related compounds in a 5% oil-basal medium system. The organism cannot grow on BT alone; 0.05% yeast extract is a suitable substrate for its growth and for its attack on BT. Although BT is partially toxic to the bacteria, toxicity is reduced when BT is added in this oil system. The oil phase is emulsified by bacterial action during the process. Oxygen uptake studies with washed cell suspensions show increased respiration in the presence of BT. Endogenous respiration is markedly decreased by p-hydroxy-mercuribenzoate, whereas respiration due to BT is scarcely affected, suggesting that oxygen is added directly to BT. Results obtained both in direct degradation and in respiration studies indicate that 3-methyl-thiophene is more rapidly and extensively degraded than BT and other related compounds.