[Heat-stable Escherichia coli-enterotoxin: reduced action after administration of phenylbutazone in infant mice (author's transl)]

Heat-stable Escherichia coli enterotoxin was assayed by the method of DEAN determining gut weight to body weight ratios in infant mice. The enterotoxic responses were significantly lower than in saline treated controls when Phenylbutazone at 20 mcg/mouse was administered subcutaneously 30 minutes prior to intragastric toxin challenge. The trials were performed with lyophilized culture filtrates of E. coli O 149:K91 (B) K88 ab (L), and three other enterotoxigenic strains one of which was isolated from an outbreak of swine oedema disease, the other two strains originated from the stools of diseased children.

[Decreased flexibility of newborn infant erythrocytes]

The rheological properties of erythrocytes of 10 full-term infants were studied. A method of filtration and measurements of viscosity of erythrocyte suspensions with a hematocrit of 80% were used. Erythrocytes of newborn infants were less flexible than erythrocytes of healthy adults. Rigidity of erthrocytes was due to an increased hemoglobin content of the erythrocyte membranes which was measured in isolated ghosts. After incubation of the cells with acetylphenylhydrazin Heinz-bodies were formed in the erthrocytes of adults. The flexiblity of these cells decreased markedly. More Heinz-bodies were found in the erythrocytes on the newborn infants, when their cells were incubated under identical conditions. These erythrocytes became more rigid than the erythrocytes of adults. From these results we conclude that the more rigid erythrocytes of the newborn infants would not pass the splenic sinus, especially when they contain Heinz-bodies. The rheological properties of the erythrocytes of newborn infants explain the shortened life-span of red cells of newborn infants.

Cytophotometric studies in suspicious cervical smears

Papanicolaou stained smears of various cervical lesions diagnosed as "suspicious" by routine cytology were reviewed with regard to different cell types leading to this diagnosis. The smears were then submitted to Feulgen hydrolysis and redyed by Acriflavin-SO2 for fluorescence-cytophotometry. In nine of 14 cases measured, the DNA content of all types of "suspicious" cells was increased with DNA modes at euploid levels of 2 n, 4 n and 8 n indicating that the "suspicious" cells in those cases are polyploid. However, in five cases aneuploid DNA-distribution patterns were found similar to those observed in carcinoma in situ or severe dysplasia. Since polyploidization may be considered as a cellular response to higher functional requirement (i.e. inflammation or regeneration) a "suspicious" cervical smear with a polyploid DNA-distribution pattern may reverse to normal cervical epithelium after normal conditions are restored. However, a "suspicious" smear with an aneuploid DNA-distribution pattern should be considered more seriously as being related to a precancerous lesion requiring immediate surgical treatment.

The significance of random sample size in flow-through photometric prescreening in cervical cytology

The determination of nuclear DNA content by flow-through photometry is employed as a prescreening procedure in cervical cytology. The goal of a prescreening procedure is to obtain the smallest possible number of false negative findings with an economically acceptable number of false positive findings, which must be retested. False negative findings result from the often low relative frequency of atypical cells in a mixed population of normal and atypical cells. Only between 10,000 and 50,000 cells are contained in a random sample from the total suspended smear material. It was the purpose of this study to investigate whether a flow-through photometric study of the entire suspension and thus the larger absolute frequency of atypical cells mught lead to a decrease in false negative results. Flow-through photometric evaluation of the entire smear material is not superior to measurement of a random sample of 10,000-50,000 cells. 1. The relative frequency of atypical cells is unchanged, and thus also the proportion of false negative findings. 2. The number of false positive findings increases by 10% due to the inclusion of aggregates at the bottom of the preparation. 3. The measuring time is increased 10-fold, thus making the prescreening procedure uneconomical.

[Virologic and serologic findings in an epidemic of abacterial meningitis of unknown origin (author's transl)]

In the summer of 1972 there occurred an epidemic of abacterial meningitis in Bayreuth and its surroundings. We received material of 52 ill children, aged 2 months to 14 years. A virus could be isolated in 10 (5 Coxsackie A4, 2 ECHO 6, 1 Coxsackie B 5 and twice enterovirus which would not be typed). Only in another 13 children could we make unequivocal diagnoses (7 Coxsackie A4, 2 Coxsackie B5, one each Coxsackie A 2, ECHO 3, Mumps, RRS-virus). With the other 29 patients a safe laboratory diagnosis could not be made, because there were either antibody titers against several virus from the same blood specimen (10) or nothing abnormal could be found (19). Therefore, since in a third of those examined no laboratory diagnostic basis for the cause of the epidemic could be found, we felt that we had not established the cause. The large number of positive findings we believe to be due to more or less "normal" epidemiologic processes in this child-population during the summer-fall period. The obvious limits of serologic diagnosis are discussed.