Double aortic arch: axial angiography with concomitant esophagogram: report of a case

A case of functioning double aortic arch in a 6-month-old boy is presented. The value of angled-view angiography with concomitant esophagogram is stressed, because it offers exact anatomical diagnosis and helps in determining the location of surgical division.

EEG changes 24 hours after myelography with metrizamide

A prospective study of EEG changes following metrizamide myelography was made on 34 patients aged 17-79 years. EEGs were recorded just before and 22-26 hours after myelography. Usually 8-10 ml of metrizamide was injected by either lumbar or lateral cervical puncture. The concentration of metrizamide was relatively high. EEGs were abnormal in 15 out of the 20 patients whose baseline EEGs were normal. EEGs deteriorated in 10 of the 14 patients whose control tracings were abnormal. High voltage delta activity and/or a great deal of theta activity were common abnormalities. Three patients showed triphasic waves. No relationships were found between the EEG changes and clinical variables. But central nervous system involvements by metrizamide tended to be accompanied by a severe EEG slowing.

Shared antigen between the myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) and a cell line from human T cell leukemia (HSB-2)

HSB-2 is a cell line originated from human T-cell leukemia and its membrane antigen is recognized by anti-HNK-1, a monoclonal antibody against human natural killer (NK) cells. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) revealed that not only anti-HNK-1 but also rabbit polyclonal and human monoclonal anti-myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) antibodies were absorbed by cell homogenate of HSB-2. Molt-4 and K-562 cell lines from human T-cell leukemia and human erythroleukemia did not absorb anti-HNK-1 and the anti-MAG antibodies. On the immunoblot of HSB-2 cell homogenate, two major molecules were stained by anti-HNK-1 and anti-MAG antibodies, while Molt-4 and K-562 were not stained by these antibodies. Comparing molecular weights of the two major molecules with those of MAG and derivative of MAG (dMAG), one is larger than MAG and the other is smaller than dMAG. The molecular weights of the two molecules were approximately 130 kDa and 80 kDa. The shared antigen in HSB-2 is not identical with MAG but a part of the molecule in the cells may be shared with a part of MAG molecule.

Detection of purine nucleoside phosphorylase in paraffin sections by the immunoperoxidase method

A method is described for immunohistochemical demonstration of purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP: EC 2.4.2.1) in paraffin sections from routine surgical histology specimens. A peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) method was employed, using specific rabbit antiserum against human PNP, which was purified from postmature human erythrocytes. In human lymph nodes, intensive staining for PNP was observed in the vast majority of small lymphocytes in paracortical areas, in many small lymphocytes in medullary cords, and in a few small-to medium-sized lymphocytes in germinal centers. Small lymphocytes in the primary follicles and those in the mantle zones of secondary follicles were negative for PNP staining. Tingible body macrophages, lymphatic sinus cells, and most of the large cells in germinal centers did not stain with anti-human PNP (hPNP) antibody. Endothelial cells of small vessels in the cortex and plasma cells did not show any constant pattern of PNP staining intensity. Histochemistry revealed that the distribution pattern of PNP activity was quite similar to that demonstrated on paraffin sections by the PAP method.

Histochemical and polarization optical investigation for glycosaminoglycans in exfoliation syndrome

The iris of patients with exfoliation syndrome and senile cataracts were studied with a polarization microscope as well as histochemically. Amorphous substance stained by pH 1.0 alcian blue was observed in exfoliation syndrome on the posterior surface of the iris. This layer was thicker in exfoliation syndrome than in senile cataracts. The major component of this layer was verified as chondroitin sulphate and the minor one as hyaluronic acid. Polarization microscopic study demonstrated the presence of more sulphated glycosaminoglycans in exfoliation syndrome than in senile cataracts. Abnormal metabolism of glycosaminoglycans is indicated in the iris of exfoliation syndrome.

Probability of the presence of glycosaminoglycans in aqueous humor

The crossed immunoelectrophoretic pattern of 62 eyes was reexamined, and 6 cases were selected for their abnormal patterns that demonstrated the presence of glycosaminoglycans in aqueous humor. Three of these cases were exfoliation syndrome, one was pigment liberation syndrome, and the other two were rhegmatogeneous retinal detachment. The abnormal electrophoretic patterns showed peculiar tailing and a biphasic pattern in albumin. Similar patterns could be reproduced in vitro by adding chondroitin sulfate to normal aqueous humor. Abnormal overproduction of glycosaminoglycans in exfoliation syndrome was indicated. Similar tailing of albumin was also noticed in 2 of 3 cases of rhegmatogeneous retinal detachment. It is supposed that the glycosaminoglycans produced by visual cells pass through the retinal break and vitreous cavity on the way to the anterior chamber. The Schwartz syndrome may be explained by this mechanism.

Facilitatory effects of intermittent photic stimulation on visual cortical kindling

There are few reports on kindling preparation by daily electrical stimulation to the primary visual cortex. In our previous studies on cats, it was demonstrated that repeated stimulation to the primary visual cortex brought a similar progress in seizure development as in amygdaloid kindling, although it took more trials. In this study, we examined the effects of intermittent photic stimulation (IPS) (2.5 Hz) on the visual cortical kindling preparation to clarify more underlying mechanisms of photosensitivity. Under IPS, afterdischarges synchronizing to IPS were seen and a duration of afterdischarge was extremely prolonged, even in the early stage of the kindling process. The threshold of stimulus intensity inducing afterdischarge was significantly reduced and the generalized convulsive seizure was obtained with fewer times of stimulation, as compared to visual cortical kindling without IPS. In visual cortical kindling myoclonic responses were sometimes caused by IPS for a few minutes immediately after cessation of the electrically induced generalized seizure. Such phenomena were never seen in amygdaloid kindling. These results indicate that IPS facilitates a seizure development in all stages of visual cortical kindling.

Investigation of the pathogenesis of glaucoma capsulare with special discussion of alpha 1 Lp and Cp in aqueous humor

The aqueous humor proteins of exfoliation syndrome were studied qualitatively by crossed immunoelectrophoresis and compared with normal controls. Two kinds of macromolecules (alpha 1-lipoprotein and ceruloplasmin) were detected more frequently in exfoliation syndrome than in the normal controls. Alpha 1 Lp was detected in eight of ten patients with exfoliation syndrome, but in none of the eight controls. Cp was detected in seven of ten patients with exfoliation syndrome, but in only one of the eight controls. The presence of these macromolecules in the anterior chamber suggests high permeability of vessels in the exfoliation syndrome. This interpretation is also supported by the fact that neovascularization is sometimes present in the iris of the exfoliation syndrome. In the aqueous humor from a patient with diabetic retinopathy, ten kinds of aqueous humor proteins were identified.

A new pattern discriminant method for evoked potentials

A statistical approach to evaluate evoked potentials (EPs), consisting of three stages in procedure, was proposed with an application to study on postictal changes of visually evoked potentials (VEPs). At the first step, time series data of EPs were reduced by the means of using an autoregressive (AR) model. In this way, EPs were described in terms of AR coefficient vectors. Then statistical distances which are well known as the Mahalanobis' distances were determined as a scale for dissimilarity between patterns of EPs. At the third stage, a retrospective classification through a numerical taxonomy based on similarity of patterns was demonstrated. This procedure will tell us some standards for future experiments as well as an integrative insight of results from present experiment. By the above method, it was suggested that there may be two different processes in postictal recovery of kindled cats.