Monoclonal autoantibodies that react with hormones also react with cells not containing those hormones

Two immunoglobulin M monoclonal autoantibodies, PI-6 and AP-2, were found by immunofluorescence, hormone absorption, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to react with insulin and GH, respectively. The same antibodies were also found to react with a variety of organs that do not contain those hormones. Absorption of PI-6 with insulin, but not with GH, and absorption of AP-2 with GH, but not with insulin, eliminated the capacity of these antibodies to react with all organs tested. It is concluded that these monoclonal antibodies are broadly reactive and recognize epitopes on more than one protein.

Studies on pathogenicity and persistence of Propionibacterium acnes in mice

The pathogenicity of Propionibacterium acnes was studied using immunodeficient and germ-free (GF) mice. P. acnes injected i.p. to immunocompetent (ddY and BALB/c-nu/+) and -deficient mice (CBA/N and BALB/c-nu/nu) decreased rapidly and only as small number were recovered from organs from day 7 on. The organisms injected similarly into GF-immunocompetent (GF-CF1) mice also decreased but when injected into GF-immunodeficient (GF-BALB/c-nu/nu) mice a small number persisted as late as week 4. When GF-immunocompetent (GF-ICR) mice were treated with cortisone and anti-mouse thymocyte serum, a small number of organisms were also recovered for 4 weeks after injection. Upon injection into irradiated GF-nu/nu mice, the number of viable P. acnes decreased relatively slowly and were recovered even at week 22. After oral administration a small number of P. acnes were readily detected from organs of GF-nu/nu mice but rarely from GF-nu/+ mice. The results indicate that P. acnes organisms have very low pathogenicity to mouse. However, small numbers persisted in organs of P. acnes-monoassociated immunodeficient mice. The mechanisms of this persistency of the nonpathogenic bacteria is discussed.

Cyclic guanidines. 14. Imidazo[1,2-a]thienopyrimidin-2-one derivatives as blood platelet aggregation inhibitors

A series of novel 1,2,3,5-tetrahydroimidazo[1,2-a]thieno[2,3-d]-, -[3,2,-d]-, and -[3,4-d]pyrimidin-2-one derivatives has been prepared and tested for the activity of inhibiting platelet aggregation in rats in vitro and ex vivo. These compounds were synthesized through the following reactions: sodium borohydride reduction of 2,4-dichlorothienopyrimidines, followed by ethoxycarbonylmethylation and successive amination. Most of the compounds were found to be potent inhibitors of blood and platelet aggregation. Structure-activity relationships have indicated the essential contribution of the lactam structure and lipophilic substituents on the thiophene ring to the effective interaction of the compounds with a receptor site on the platelet. Among the compounds studied, 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9-octahydro-[1]benzothieno[2,3-d]imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidin-2-one (9m) exhibited the most favorable activity.

Progressive and fatal infection with attenuated Mycobacterium bovis (BCG) in nude mice

Congenitally athymic nude mice (nu/nu) were infected intravenously with Mycobacterium bovis BCG Japanese strain under specified pathogen-free (SPF) or germ-free (GF) conditions. SPF euthymic litter mates (nu/+) serving as controls were found to tolerate the infection well, while SPF nu/nu mice following infection of 3 X 10(7) organisms died by week-36. Animals having received a very small dose (3 X 10(0) of organisms and their non-infected cage mates showed no evidence of infection at week 37 post-infection. Time-course observations carried out on SPF and GF nu/nu mice following infection with 10(5) or 10(6) organisms revealed that the number of organisms in the liver and spleen reached 10(6) to 10(7) viable units per organ at week 12 and this level was maintained for 50 weeks post-infection. Bacillary counts in the kidney and lung increased progressively and reached a level of 10(7) to 10(8) at the terminal stage of infection. In the liver, spleen and lymph nodes of nu/nu mice, granulomas were noted 12 weeks postinfection. The granulomas were composed of macrophages and accompanied by slight infiltration of lymphocytes, plasma cells and a small number of polymorphonuclear leucocytes. In later infection stages, small aggregations of pigmented macrophages packed with acid-fast bacilli were present in the liver, spleen and lymph nodes. Lesions with large foci of bacilli-laden macrophages developed progressively in the kidney, lung and subcutaneous and periosteal connective tissues. Periosteal granulomatous lesions, sometimes accompanied by exudation, intruded occasionally into the bone marrow, resulting in extensive granulomatous osteomyelities.

Bacteriological investigation on biopsy specimens from patients with sarcoidosis

Biopsy specimens, mostly lymph nodes, removed under aseptic conditions, were emulsified and the homogenate was inoculated in various media, which were incubated aerobically or anaerobically. Only Propionibacterium acnes was isolated in high incidence and the highest concentration of bacteria was 6.5 X 10(5) per g tissue: 28 and 31 out of 40 lymph nodes were positive on solid and on liquid media, respectively. P.acnes was also isolated from control non-sarcoidosis lymph nodes: 4 and 8 out of 14 were positive on solid and on liquid media, respectively. The highest concentration of bacteria was 1 X 10(4). A bacterial component derived from P. acnes was used for the passive hemagglutination test to estimate antibodies against the bacterium and also for skin test on patients. These results showed only slight differences between patients with sarcoidosis and control patients. No other bacteria or fungi were isolated.

Septicemic infection in nude mice caused by a virulent strain of Mycobacterium bovis

Following i.v. infection with 2.3 to 2 X 10(6) viable organisms of Mycobacterium bovis strain Ravenel, congentitally athymic nude (nu/nu) mice of BALB/c background died earlier than their heterozygous (nu/+) counterparts, showing necrotic nodules in the heart and kidney with the involvement of liver and spleen. Pulmonary lesions in nu/nu mice, however, were less severe than those of dead nu/+ mice. In the reticuloendothelial organs of nu/nu mice, macrophages loaded numerous acid fast bacilli were transiently proliferated and later, necrotic-exudative lesions were produced without epithelioid granuloma formation, while necrotic lesions appeared at very early stage of infection in the other organs as well as adipose tissues. After thymocyte-reconstitution nu/nu mice were capable of developing epithelioid granulomas as seen in nu/+ mice, though having more numerous bacilli in granulomas than those of nu/+.

Transmissible enterocolitis in hamsters caused by Tyzzer's organism

An outbreak of enteric form of Tyzzer's disease occurred in a golden hamster colony, and 60% of diseased animals examined were found to have severe enterocolitis without hepatic lesions. Organisms were detected within mucosal epithelial cells, especially in the lower ileum, cecum and colon showing degenerative and necrotic changes, and in some cases organisms were also detected in the smooth muscle layer. Infiltration of neutrophils and mononuclear cells in the lamina propria and submucosa was observed. Hamsters either having been cage-mates with diseased ones or given perorally cecal contents from affected animals, suffered from severe diarrhea and were shown to have necrotic foci in the liver. By intravenous inoculation with affected hamster liver homogenate into cortisone-treated mice, hepatic lesions characteristic of Tyzzer's disease were produced. Moreover, such infected mouse liver was found to cause severe diarrhea in hamsters when administered perorally.