Monoclonal antibodies with specificity for three different serotypes of Marek's disease viruses in chickens

A total of 50 antibody-secreting hybridoma cells against Marek's disease virus (MDV) and turkey herpesvirus (HVT) have been produced. Eleven hybridomas were used for serotyping a panel of 15 pathogenic and nonpathogenic strains of MDV and HVT, representing three serotypes. The antibodies from the culture medium have fluorescence antibody (FA) titers of up to 100 and those from mouse ascitic fluid have titers ranging from 10(4) to 10(6). Monoclonal antibody T81 is type-common, i.e., it reacts at equal titer with all MDV and HVT tested. Of the remaining 10 antibodies, eight react only with pathogenic and attenuated strains of MDV (presumably serotype 1), one reacts only with nonpathogenic MDV (presumably) serotype 2), and one reacts only with strains of HVT (presumably serotype 3). Two hybridomas belong to IgG2a and IgG2b subclasses, respectively, and the remaining nine belong to IgG1 subclass. None of the antibodies specific for MDV strains reacted with homologous viruses in serum neutralization (SN), agar gel precipitin (AGP), or membrane immunofluorescence tests. Antibody L78, which is specific for HVT, was reactive with its homologous virus in the SN test; antibody from the culture medium showed an SN titer of 10 and that from mouse ascites a titer of 10,000. None of the antibodies specific for MDV or HVT reacted with other avian or mammalian herpesviruses, avian leukosis viruses (ALV), reticuloendotheliosis viruses (REV), or Marek's disease tumor-associated surface antigen (MATSA) expressed in a lymphoblastoid cell line, MDCC-MSB-1.

A monoclonal antibody reactive with Marek's disease tumor-associated surface antigen

An antibody-secreting hybridoma, RPH-6, to Marek's disease tumor-associated surface antigen (MATSA) was produced by somatic-cell hybridization between the mouse myeloma SP2/O-Ag/14 and spleen cells from MSB1 immunized mice. The antibody reacted with 95 to 100% of the cells from eight of 10 chicken MD cell lines and one of two turkey MD cell lines. It did not react with chicken MD cell lines RP1 and SK3, turkey MD cell line RP19, lymphoid leukosis (LL) cell lines, RP9 and RP12, and reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) cell line RP14. A weak reaction was observed with REV cell line RP13 (10 to 20%), and a very slight reaction with normal chicken spleen cells (1 to 5%). RPH-6 produces immunoglobulin of the IgM class. Cell culture and mouse ascitic fluids have titers of 10(2) and 10(6), respectively, by fluorescent antibody (FA) test against MD tumor cell lines. The antibody did not react with Marek's disease virus (MDV) internal antigen or membrane antigen as detected by indirect FA test on chicken embryo fibroblast cultures grown on coverslips. The 51Cr release assay showed RPH-6 is highly cytotoxic (60% release) only against MD lymphoblastoid cell lines, with antibody prepared from mouse ascites having a cytotoxic titer approaching 10(6). Results from using RPH-6 for differential diagnosis of chicken lymphoid tumors of unknown origin were in complete agreement with those obtained with rabbit anti-MATSA reference serum and pathologic diagnosis.

Measurement of left ventricular ejection fraction with ionic 113mIn and a cardiac probe

Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was measured with a cardiac probe (Nuclear Stethoscope, Bios Inc., Valhalla, New York) and 113mIn in 28 normal subjects and 86 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). In 20 normal subjects 99mTC-RBCs were compared with 113mIn which binds to transferrin after IV injection. With 99mTc-RBCs, average LVEF was 57 +/- 7% (1 SD); with 113mIn, average LVEF was 55 +/- 8% (N.S.). Sequential measurements at different times over 60 min revealed good reproducibility. Comparison of LVEFs obtained using 99mTc-RBCs with a gamma camera and cardiac probe revealed a good correlation. The correlation coefficients were 0.92 in 25 patients with CAD and 0.95 in 10 patients with LV wall motion abnormalities. The LVEF obtained using a cardiac probe and 113mIn increased in 28 normals from 57 +/- 9% to 64 +/- 13% (P less than 0.001) during handgrip exercise, while the LVEF decreased from 45 +/- 9% to 41 +/- 10% (P less than 0.01) in patients with acute myocardial infarction 4-7 weeks after episode, from 48 +/- 11 to 40 +/- 12% (P less than 0.001) in patients with old myocardial infarction, and from 52 +/- 9 to 42 +/- 9% (P less than 0.001) in patients with angina pectoris. The cardiac probe and 113mIn provide a useful alternate means of determining left ventricular dysfunction in facilities where 99mTc and a gamma camera computer system are not readily available.

Evaluation of a miniature CdTe detector for monitoring left ventricular function

A miniature CdTe probe interfaced to a microcomputer was used to measure left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in 25 patients. LVEF obtained with the CdTe module, in the beat-to-beat mode, or the integrated gated mode agreed well with LVEF obtained with a gamma camera (r = 0.80; r = 0.82 respectively). Similarly, LVEF by CdTe probe agreed with LVEF obtained by gated equilibrium studies performed with a computerized NaI probe. The CdTe probe can provide comparable measurement of LVEF at a fraction of the cost of a camera-computer system and, being small and lightweight, the CdTe probe is adaptable for monitoring patients in intensive care facilities.

Psychiatry in traditional Chinese medicine

Psychiatry in traditional Chinese medicine had a long evolution, but is now under re-evaluation. Modern psychiatry in China is based on Western psychiatry, and has a history of less than one hundred years since the first lunatic asylum was set up in Guangzhou (Canton) in 1898 (1, 2, 3) and the first generation of Chinese psychiatrists was trained by an American psychiatrist, Dr Lyman, in Peking Union Medical College, in the 1930s. The present paper is a brief introduction to psychiatry in traditional Chinese medicine.

Mental health work in sichuan

Sichuan is the biggest province of the People's Republic of China, with a broad area of over 560 thousand square km and a population of over 90 million people. The central portion of it is a big basin about 200 thousand square km in area, surrounded by many mountains with average altitude between 1,000 and 3,000 m above sea level. About 90 per cent of the population of the province lives in this area. The west portion of the province, called West Sichuan Plateau with average altitude of over 3,000 m, is relatively unpopulated. According to a census of a district of Zigong in 1973, 39.2 per cent of the population was below age 15 and 4.3 per cent above age 65. [In Britain (1975) the corresponding figures were 25 per cent and 14 per cent—Editor].