A newly developed X-ray transparent ameroid constrictor for study on progression of gradual coronary stenosis

For the experimental studies on chronic coronary stenosis, an ameroid constrictor was modified to facilitate serial cineangiographic evaluation of the degree of arterial narrowing. A radiolucent plastic ring instead of a stainless frame was used to prevent outward swelling of the ameroid material. Coronary cineangiography was performed 10, 20 and 30 days after the implantation of the modified ameroid constrictor on the left circumflex coronary artery (LCX), which could prove the progressive coronary stenosis of 57, 78 and 88% on the respective days. Collateral channels from the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery to the LCX were demonstrated angiographically in 5 out of the 6 dogs on the 30th day.

Anti-HLA-A, B, C and DR antibodies in renal transplant recipients

Anti-HLA-A, B, C and DR antibodies in 173 sera derived form renal transplant recipients were examined, using the cytotoxicity techniques standardized at the 8th International Histocompatibility Workshop. About 50% of sera obtained within 6 months of transplantation showed anti-HLA-DR antibodies. Thereafter, serum anti-DR antibodies were found in about 30% of the examined sera. However, at more than 3 years after transplantation, the reappearance of anti-DR antibodies was noted in more than 60% of the examined sera. Anti-HLA-A, B and C antibodies were not found except in the sera from recipients with irreversible rejection. The post-transplant production of anti-DR antibodies against incompatible donor HLA-DR antigens was confirmed in sera derived repeatedly from the same patients.

Cross-reactive antibodies against human cultured B cells and bovine erythrocytes in human renal transplantation sera

Sera of 58 recipients of renal allografts were studied for the presence of antibodies against cell cultures of human B lymphoid cell lines (B-LCL) and bovine erythrocytes (BRBC). Cytotoxic anti-B-LCL antibodies were found in 13% of the sera from recipients with the grafts and in 67% of the sera obtained after removal of the rejected grafts. Most of these sera also contained BRBC lysins of high titers. Absorption studies showed that the anti-B-LCL antibodies are directed against antigens shared by BRBC and that they can be absorbed with corresponding graft tissues. The specificity of BRBC lysins found in some of the transplantation sera was shown to be similar to that of Hanutziu-Deicher antibodies.

Heterophile antibodies in the sera from renal transplant recipients

Microcytotoxicity tests with the sera from renal transplant recipients against cultured B-cell lines were performed by using guinea pig complement. Out of 106 sera, 18 sera showed strong cytotoxicity against cultured cell lines. The same results were obtained by using normal human serum as a complement source. These sera did not show any cytotoxicity against normal peripheral T- and B-lymphocytes. On the other hand, the sera containing the cytotoxicity against cultured B-cell lines were found to have high-titered heterophile antibodies against bovine red blood cells (BRBC) when hemolysis in agar gel with guinea pig complement was used. The sera without cytotoxicity did not have high-titered heterophile antibodies. The sera with cytotoxicity against cultured B-cell lines reacted in the same way against both human tonsilar lymphocytes cultured with the medium containing fetal calf serum and human serum. Therefore, the antigenicity of cultured cells was not affected by the fetal calf serum in the culture medium. After absorption with BRBC, the sera lost their cytotoxicity against cultured cells. Hemolysins in the sera were almost completely removed after absorption of the sera with cultured cells. From these results, it seemed apparent that the sera from renal transplant recipients contained heterophile antibodies which reacted with the cells of some cultured B-cell lines and tonsilar lymphocytes.

Screening of anti-B cell antibodies in the sera of renal transplant recipients by using Daudi cell line

In order to examine the presence of antibodies against B cells, 83 sera obtained from 55 renal transplant recipients were screened by microcytotoxicity test using Daudi cell line. Out of 83 samples, 12 were pretransplant sera, 62 were post-transplant sera and 9 were from the patients whose grafts has been removed due to rejection. For the purpose of improving the reliability of the tests, 5 different rabbit complements were selected and cytotoxicity tests with them were carried out simultaneously. Pretransplant sera without blood transfusion did not show any cytotoxicity against Daudi cells. Although 42% of post-transplant sera showed cytotoxicity against Daudi cells, cytotoxic activity of the sera showed no relation with the occurrence of rejection episodes. Three serum samples out of 5 patients whose grafts had been removed due to rejection showed strong cytotoxicity against Daudi cells and the sera of 2 other patients did not. There was no relation between the cytotoxicity against Daudi cells and antibodies against Epstein-Barr virus capsid antigen in the post-transplant sera.

Chorio-meningo-encephalitis due to Listeria monocytogenes after renal transplantation

A 35-year-old man, who underwent renal transplantation, died of meningo-encephalitis with symptoms of meningitis for only 8 days. The autopsy revealed marked chorio-meningo-encephalitis caused by Listeria monocytogenes. This report on listeriosis in renal transplant patients is the second in our country, where adult cases of listeriosis are rare. Recent knowledge about listeriosis in renal transplants is reviewed and discussed.

Effects of the combination of tumor-specific and nonspecific immunization on tumor suppression

The crushed whole Aoyama B cells attached to oil droplets were found to be most suitable for the adjuvant effect of Mycobacterium tuberculosis against tumor growth when judged by the criterion of effectiveness and a clinical application with minimal side effects. The immunogenicity of tumor cells was well stabilized and maintained with a suitable concentration of formalin; this was less than 1% and the optimum concentration was 0.05% or 0.1%. When the tumor cells treated with the optimum concentration of formalin were combined with suitable adjuvant, immunoprotection against the tumor progress was accelerated.

Properties of hepatic tissue extracts: 2. An approach to the artificial liver

In the previous paper [3], the lethal effect of normal rabbit liver extract intravenously infused into rabbits was described. By comparing to the course of destruction of the liver tissue in fulminant hepatitis, the toxicity of the liver extract was recently studied. Attempts were also made to adsorbing the liver extract by activated clay and detoxifying the liver extract with a formaldehyde solution, and the results suggested that the findings would be applicable as an approach to the artificial liver.

HLA antigens in Japanese populations

HLA antigens in 841 healthy, unrelated Japanese from nine widely separated geographic localities were studied. The five most common antigens observed in order of decreasing frequency were for the HLA-A locus: HLA-A9, A2, A10, AW32 and A11; and for the HLA-B locus: HLA-'B5' (= HLA-B5+B17), BW40, B12, B14 and B8. The allelic frequency of undetected antigens of the HLA-A locus was .14-.37, and that of the HLA-B locus, .32-.67, indicating that there were serological difficulties in typing for Japanese antigens using antisera from Caucasians. Marked gene frequency clines were observed for HLA-A9 and HLA-A2 from south (Okinawa) to north (Nagoya). Two haplotypes, HLA-A9, B5 and HLA-A10, BW40 were shown to be in linkage disequilibrium in four of the nine subpopulations.

Immunologic and chemical studies on mucopolysaccharide derived from murine lymphosarcoma

Mucopolysaccharide was prepared from media in which the Gardner's lymphosarcoma cells were cultured. Multiple intraperitoneal injections of the preparation into syngeneic mice resulted in enhancement of the tumors which were inoculated prior to the injections. Sera of these hosts contained antibodies reacting with antigens of the outer layer of the tumor cells. Chemical analyses of the preparation showed that the mucopolysaccharide is composed of hexosamine, uronic, acid, hexose, and proteins. The mucopolysaccharide was shown to possess unique migration rate on electrophoresis and thin layer chromatography.

Inhibitory effect of progesterone on the phytohaemagglutinin- induced transformation of human peripheral lymphocytes

Effect of sex steroids, progesterone and estradiol-17beta, on transformation of human lymphocytes induced by PHA was investigated. Responses of peripheral lymphocytes from non-pregnant women to PHA was markedly reduced in the presence of progesterone at a concentration of 10(3) or 10(4) ng/ml. Estradiol-17beta, on the other hand, had no effects on the PHA-induced transformation under the present experimental conditions. The immunosuppressive property of progesterone may contribute to depression of maternal cell-mediated immunity against fetus during pregnancy.