HLA antigens in genetic neutropenia of Yemenite Jews

The HLA antigenic system was studied in Yemenite Jews with genetic neutropenia. No deviation in antigen frequency was observed when compared with matched controls from the same ethnic group. HLA antigen frequency and common haplotypes of the Yemenite Jews were found entirely different from those of the African blacks, known to have the same anomaly.

Familial leukopenia among Yemenite Jews

Benign familial leukopenia was found in 75 of 200 healthy Yemenite Jews examined. The leukopenia was not a constant finding and was not associated with a tendency toward infection. HLA typing showed no significant differences in the frequency of the various HLA antigens between the subjects with and without leukopenia. No similarity was found between the HLA of the Yemenite Jews with leukopenia and that reported in black Africans with benign familial leukopenia. The suggestion of a genetic contribution from African blacks to Yemenite Jews is not supported by these results. The question remains to be answered whether the familial leukopenia in Yemenite Jews and black Africans is the result of a mutation.

Treatment of acute intermittent porphyria with large doses of propranolol

A patient had an acute attack of intermittent porphyria with severe neurologic manifestations, hypertension, and tachycardia. Treatment with propranolol hydrochloride (Deralin [Israel]; Inderal, comparable US product) intravenously administered in a total dose of 284 mg during a period of 18 hours, was followed by clinical remission associated with a decline in urinary excretion of porphyrin precursors.

Pleural effusion--presenting sign in multiple myeloma

A patient with multiple myeloma in whom recurrent right pleural effusion was the presenting sign of the disease is reported. An IgA (k) monoclonal component was found in both the pleural effusion and the serum. The bone marrow specimen was interpreted as typical for multiple myeloma and the pleural fluid contained numerous plasma cells. Treatment with cyclophosphamide was followed by clinical improvement and the disappearance of the pleural effusion.

A 13-years remission in chronic myelocytic leukemia after a single course of busulfan

A patient with chronic myelocytic leukemia in whom a clinical and hematological remission occurred after a single course of busulfan is described. The remission lasted for a period of 13 years and during that lapse of time, she gave birth to a healthy child. Afterwards, acute myeloblastic leukemia was diagnosed. Following treatment with rubidomycin and arabinoside C another remission was achieved, lasting already for 18 months.

Urolithiasis associated with hypercalciuria

Fifty male patients with urolithiasis (UL), associated with idiopathic hypercalciuria (IH), were studied in comparison to a group of 18 male normocalcemic patients with inactive calcium stone disease of unknown etiology. In the group of IH-UL, in addition to hypercaliuria, statistically significant hyperphosphaturia with decreased tubular reabsorption of phosphate and hyperuricemia were observed; there was a tendency to hypophosphatemia although non-significant. In 36% of the IH-UL patients the first episode of renal colic appeared at age 40 to 50. Thirty-eight per cent of the IH-UL patients had recurrent stone formation. Twenty per cent of the IH-UL patients had a family history of urolithiasis. Forty-six per cent of all stones contained oxalate in addition to calcium, and 25% of the stones contained oxalate and phosphate.

Sucessful treatment of severe bone pain and acute arthritis in chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia by cytosine arabinoside

An elderly patient with chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia developed severe bone pains and acute gonarthritis. Intravenously administered cytosine arabinoside brought dramatic relief of the bone pains and led to a rapid subsidence of the arthritis, without achieving haematological remission.

Familial hypouricemia due to isolated renal tubular defect. Attenuated response of uric acid clearance to probenecid and pyrazinamide

A 37-year-old female was found to have hypouricemia (1.1-1.9 mg%) with markedly increased uric acid clearance (24.7039.5 ml/min). Uric acid excretion was only slightly affected by pyrazinamide, a drug which suppresses renal tubular uric acid secretion, and by probenecid, a drug which inhibits tubular uric acid reabsorption. The attenuated response in this subject to both drugs suggest a renal tubular defect in the proximal high capacity-high affinity uric acid reabsorption mechanism. No other renal tubular or metabolic abnormalities were detected. A survey of the family-three sisters and two brothers, revealed two similarly affected sisters. The abnormality described in this family is defined as familial renal hypouricemia due to an isolated renal tubular defect with attenuated response of uric acid clearance to probenecid and pyrazinamide.

Motor paralysis complicating herpes zoster

Two patients in whom transient paralysis complicated cutaneous herpes zoster infection are described. The major features of this condition are reviewed.

Three group treatments for reduction of speech anxiety among students

Conditions of group systematic desensitization (n = 8), group flooding (n = 7), and a group discussion-placebo control treatment (n = 4) were employed to reduce anxiety about public-speaking in university students. Three 90-min. sessions were provided. Pre- and posttreatment assessments employed self-report and behavioral measures. The desensitization group showed significant pre- to posttreatment change across all self-report measures, whereas the flooding and control groups showed similar improvement on only one such measure. No group showed significant improvement on the behavioral measure. Groups did not exhibit significant intergroup differences in improvement on any measure.

Possible response of acute psychosis in hepatic encephalopathy to levodopa

A favorable response to levodopa in two episodes of hepatic encephalopathy, the latter presenting as acute psychosis, is described in a patient with Budd-Chiari syndrome.

Transport into erythrocytes and intestinal absorption of uric acid in hereditary renal hypouricemia

Uric acid transport into the erythrocytes and uric acid absorption from the intestine in a subject with hereditary defective renal tubular uric acid reabsorption was found to be normal. The findings are discussed in relation to the variability of phenotype expression in other renal tubular transport disorders.