Maternal antibodies in human foetal sera at different stages of gestation

Complement-fixing antibodies to ten viral antigens and/or mercaptoethanol treated anti-streptolysin-O and anti-staphylolysin-α were determined in thirty human sera from foetuses at different stages of gestation, in fifty-seven full-term cord sera, and in the corresponding maternal sera. In the smallest foetuses (crown—heel length of 125–150 mm), no antibody was found. In those of length 155–215 mm, antibody was detectable if the corresponding maternal value was high. In foetuses of 230–380 mm, antibody was detected occasionally even when the maternal value was low. Sera of foetuses of 390 mm or more contained the same antibodies as the maternal sample, and foetal titres sometimes exceeded those of the mother. Titres in the full-term cord sera were significantly higher than the maternal titres for seven of the twelve antibodies studied.

The experimental induction of glomerulonephritis like that in man by infection with group A streptococci

106 rabbits received one or more courses of inoculations, spaced 1-4 months apart, with Group A streptococci, usually of strains isolated from patients with acute glomerulonephritis. 8 days to a few weeks after onset of a given infection with streptococci known to have been nephritogenic for man, marked proteinuria, often with hematuria and occasionally with azotemia, was detected in 22 of the animals. 15 of these were sacrificed a few days to a few weeks thereafter, and 10 showed renal changes like those of acute or recurrent acute glomerulonephritis in man. Such changes occurred in three other rabbits whose urine was not examined that died or were sacrificed 1-3 wk after onset of infection with streptococci of a serotype known to include a strain nephritogenic for man. The remaining seven animals in which marked proteinuria had occurred died or were sacrificed many months later, in some cases after additional infections. Two of these had become azotemic and two convulsed and died after giving birth; in these animals, there were renal changes like those that occur in man in chronic latent glomerulonephritis, toxemia of pregnancy super-imposed on chronic latent glomerulonephritis, or chronic active glomerulonephritis. Anatomical changes in the kidneys in the experimentally induced and in naturally occurring glomerulonephritis, from acute to chronic stages, are compared and illustrated. The pathogenesis of poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis is discussed.

A critical and comparative study of methods of isolating tumour cells from the blood

From the large number of techniques described for isolating tumour cells from the blood, five have been selected because they were those most widely used by previous workers and can be performed with a minimum of special apparatus. These techniques have been assessed for their efficiency in retaining tumour cells added to blood samples, in eliminating normal blood cells, and in preserving the morphology of the retained cells. Those techniques which depend on the differing densities of blood and tumour cells were reliable in recovering tumour cells unaltered morphologically and at the same time eliminating most of the blood cells. Because of its simplicity the silicone flotation technique has been preferred for routine use.

Impaired in vitro lymphocyte transformation in patients with ataxia-telangiectasis

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Disruption of wall-less bacteria by streptococcal and staphylococcal toxins

Bernheimer, Alan W. (New York University School of Medicine, New York, N.Y.). Disruption of wall-less bacteria by streptococcal and staphylococcal toxins. J. Bacteriol. 91:1677-1680. 1966.-Earlier studies demonstrating that staphylococcal alpha-toxin and streptolysin S have the capacity to lyse protoplasts and spheroplasts of certain species of bacteria and Mycoplasma have been extended to encompass additional kinds of wall-less bacteria including L forms. It is suggested that sensitivity to staphylococcal alpha-toxin and streptolysin S may be explicable in terms of specific phospholipid composition of cell membranes, whereas sensitivity to streptolysin O is dependent upon the presence in cell membranes of cholesterol. The results suggest that streptolysin O might prove to be a useful reagent for differentiating L forms from parasitic pleuropneumonia-like organisms.

Serological activity in myeloma type golbulins

The relation between the M-component (`paraprotein') and the maximal antistreptolysin-O (AST) activity is studied in the sera from two patients, one with unequivocal and one with probable myeloma. The results indicate that the AST activity is to be found in the M-components and not in the `normal', diffuse γ-globulin.

ELECTRON MICROSCOPE STUDY OF THE DEGRANULATION OF POLYMORPHONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTES FOLLOWING TREATMENT WITH STREPTOLYSIN

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