Serum adenosine deaminase activity in brain tumours

Adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity in serum was estimated in 86 patients with intracranial tumours and 40 healthy volunteers. Although high ADA concentrations in biological fluids and tumour tissues were observed in several neoplastic conditions, there was no significant difference in the ADA in sera of brain tumour patients when compared to the control values. Therefore, cell-mediated immunity probably does not play a significant role in brain tumours.

Meningitis due to Xanthomonas maltophilia

During 1st week of post-operative period, a 28 year old female patient operated for left cerebellopontine angle tumor, continued to get fever. Lumbar puncture did not reveal any organisms. She responded to ciprofloxacin. Two months later, she was readmitted with signs and symptoms of meningitis. The CSF tapped on lumbar puncture grew Xanthomonas maltophilia, Gram negative bacilli, sensitive to various antibiotics, ciprofloxacin being one of them. The patient was given ciprofloxacin for 3 weeks. On follow up, a year later she was found to be asymptomatic.

Urinary excretion of pseudouridine in patients with brain tumours

Elevated urinary levels of modified nucleosides, especially pseudouridine (psi), have been observed in patients with a variety of malignant neoplasms. In this report, the urinary psi levels were estimated by high performance liquid chromatography in 93 patients with brain tumours and in 40 age and sex matched controls. The psi levels were found to be excreted in equal amounts in the control and the tumour groups. There was no significant difference in psi when patients with malignant diseases were compared with those with benign tumours. Following therapy, the psi levels remained unchanged when compared to the controls and their preoperative values. It is concluded that urinary psi concentration is not a useful marker for brain tumours.

Urinary excretion of 6-hydroxymethylpterin in brain tumours

The urinary 6-hydroxymethylpterin(Pt-6-CH2OH) excretion was determined in 87 patients with brain tumours and in 50 control patients. The Pt-6-CH2OH levels were significantly elevated in all patients with tumours. No difference was observed when malignant tumours were compared with benign neoplasms. Following therapy, the Pt-6-CH2OH levels were partially reduced when compared with control patients and their pre-operative values.

Serum immunoglobulins in brain tumours

Immunoglobulin level in the sera of 62 patients with intracranial space occupying lesions was assayed using the radial immunodiffusion method. Serum IgM levels showed a highly significant increase in all types of brain tumour when compared to controls. Serum IgG levels were also increased in benign as well as malignant cases. Serum IgA levels were high only in benign cases. Hence, increased serum Ig levels may be of prognostic value in these cases.

Elevation of serum ceruloplasmin levels in brain tumours

Serum ceruloplasmin levels have been estimated in 80 patients with various intracranial space occupying lesions and in 30 controls. The ceruloplasmin levels were significantly increased in all brain tumours except in meningiomas. After therapy, the ceruloplasmin levels were still significantly increased when compared to controls and their respective preoperative values. However, the rise in levels of ceruloplasmin in malignant tumours compared to benign was statistically not significant. It is concluded that ceruloplasmin may have a role to play as an acute phase reactant protein in brain tumours.

Otogenic brain abscess in childhood

Brain abscesses are quite rare complications of middle ear infections. Although temporal lobe abscesses are more common than cerebellar abscesses, the converse was found to be true in our series of 10 cases. Eight cases of cerebellar abscess and 2 cases of temporal lobe abscess in the paediatric age group were reported including 4 cases of latent brain abscesses which manifested themselves after mastoidectomy for middle ear infection. Brain abscess is by far the most serious of otogenic complications.

The detection by immunoassay of antibody to mycobacterial antigens and mycobacterial antigens in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from patients with tuberculosis and control subjects

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and from control subjects were studied using direct and inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of IgG and IgA antibody to Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture filtrate and purified antigen 5 and for the detection of mycobacterial antigens. The IgG and IgA antibodies were found in the majority of samples from tuberculous patients. The IgG titers were higher than were IgA titers. Substantial nonspecificity was observed for antibodies to crude M tuberculosis culture filtrate. Antibodies to purified M tuberculosis antigen 5 were more specific. The detection of antibody in BAL did not offer advantages over previously described serodiagnostic assays. Antigen was found in some BAL samples from tuberculous patients. Greater specificity was observed with an assay based on purified antigen 5 than on crude mycobacterial culture filtrate.

Superficial spreading malignant melanoma with neurosarcomatous metastasis

A case of neurosarcomatous nodal metastasis of superficial spreading malignant melanoma, without primary site desmoplasia or sarcomatous changes, is reported. Of particular interest regarding the metastasis are: the ultrastructural demonstration of numerous cytoplasmic microtubules, absence of premelanosomes, intense immunohistochemical reaction with S-100 protein antibody, and the presence, at the light microscopic level, of extranodal fibrosis. The primary lesion shows a pre-existing benign nevus and features suggestive of lamellar fibroplasia. The origin and histogenesis of melanocytic desmoplasia, in the context of a neural crest progenitor cell, and of lamellar fibroplasia, are discussed.

A study of urinary excretion of biogenic amine metabolites in epilepsy

Urinary total catecholamines, their metabolites, and a metabolite of serotonin have been investigated in 20 patients with epilepsy, and in 10 controls. The levels of total catecholamines, vanillyl mandelic acid and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid in epileptics were not significantly different from the controls. However, the mean 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol, excretion in cases of epilepsy was significantly increased as compared to the control group. It is concluded that a central catecholaminergic disturbance is involved in the pathogenesis of epilepsy.

Urinary excretion of taurine in epilepsy

The level of urinary taurine and 17-hydroxycorticosteroids were estimated in 19 cases of epilepsy. These levels were then compared with those of normal healthy subjects. The urinary taurine levels were significantly higher in epilepsy and have diagnostic as well as prognostic significance.