Int J Tissue React, 1985, 7(4), 267 - 71 An experimental model of arteritis: periarteritis induced by Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae in young rats; Shinomiya K et al.; The acute phase of the arteritis of the common iliac artery induced in young rats by the inoculation of viable Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae was examined . Arteritis of the common iliac artery was observed within 4 days after inoculation in every rat that was inoculated with the live bacteria . Within 2 days after the inoculation, infiltration by mononuclear and polymorphonuclear cells was first detected in the periarterial tissue extending centripetally to the outer two-thirds of the media . Invasion by the bacteria always preceded cell infiltration . Immunofluorescence test by FITC-labeled peanut lectin demonstrated the desialated sites by the effect of neuraminidase produced by the bacteria in the arterial wall concomitantly with the invasion of the bacteria . Linear presentation of C3 along the external elastic lamina of that artery was also detected . The results showed that viable E . rhusiopathiae could induce arteritis of muscular arteries and that the neuraminidase produced by the bacteria might play a role in the progress of arterial inflammation . We consider that this model will contribute to clarifying the progression of the arteritis process, and to assessing the efficacy of antiinflammatory drugs to inhibit the arterial inflammation. Infection, 1985, 13 Suppl 2, S251 - 5 Stimulation of non-specific resistance to infections by synthetic immunoregulatory agents; Parant M et al.; Muramyl dipeptide or MDP (AcMur-L-Ala-D-iGln) is a synthetic immunoadjuvant which can also enhance non-specific resistance to bacterial infections in mice, even by the oral route . By the use of several derivatives, it has been shown that neither adjuvanticity nor pyrogenicity was a perequisite for eliciting an increased resistance, and that unwanted pharmacological effects can be eliminated by minor chemical modifications . Moreover, some lipophilic analogs or derivatives obtained by linking the glycopeptide to a carrier were found to be more active than MDP . Their effectiveness also depended on the dose and the timing of administration, and varied according to the bacterial challenge . The most appropriately timed administration of MDP and derivatives was established between one and four days before the challenge . In some cases, MDP was protective even when injected one hour after the challenge, whereas with other immunostimulants such as lipopolysaccharides or BCG, a negative phase of higher susceptibility may occur under these conditions . MDP still enhanced resistance to bacterial infections in animals with a poor immune status, like newborns or adult mice under immunosuppressive treatment . Moreover, the protective activity was not impaired after repeated injections of large doses of MDP or other adjuvant analogs, a treatment which is known to inhibit specific immune responses. Cancer Invest, 1985, 3(5), 473 - 9 Is Ap4A an activator of eukaryotic DNA replication? Bambara RA, Crute JJ, Wahl AF. The most well established fact concerning Ap4A metabolism is that the concentration of this compound is cell cycle and cell proliferation dependent . An additional intriguing fact is that Ap4A can stimulate DNA synthesis in cell extracts, and when injected into living cells . In view of these facts, it is not surprising that Ap4A has been postulated to regulate the initiation of DNA replication . However, in our opinion, experimental efforts designed to test this hypothesis do not conclusively link Ap4A to DNA replication . Work on the mechanism of stimulation of DNA synthesis in vitro indicates that Ap4A and a variety of adenylated nucleotides increase DNA synthetic rates by acting as primers . Thus far there is no evidence that this primer function plays a role in the initiation of normal DNA replication in vivo, or that Ap4A is unique in this capacity to stimulate initiation processes . Additional experiments have shown an association of partially purified DNA alpha polymerase with both tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase and a protein capable of binding Ap4A . The Ap4A-binding protein appears to be necessary for Ap4A to assume the correct conformation for priming, since physiological levels of Ap4A are not stimulatory for highly purified DNA alpha polymerase . The relevance of tRNA synthetases to the regulation hypothesis is their ability to produce Ap4A . Ironically, mammalian tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase does not appear to have this capacity . Furthermore, the association of alpha polymerase with either Ap4A-binding protein or tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase in vivo has not been conclusively demonstrated . Although Ap4A has been postulated to regulate many phenomena in eukaryotes and bacteria, such as entry into S phase and the response to oxygen deprivation, the links between Ap4A and these processes are still only circumstantial . It is tempting to extrapolate from the alarmone and stringent responses of bacteria to other systems, but these phenomena are not known to occur in eukaryotic cells . Similar deprivation and inhibition experiments in mammalian cells have been shown to stop growth at a synchronous position in cell cycle, and the Ap4A concentration has been found simply to vary accordingly . The addition or depletion of Ap4A from intracellular pools has not been shown to alter cell cycle . Therefore, while the speculation concerning the role of Ap4A in vivo is a good source of future experiments, at this point its role as an important regulatory compound is far from demonstrated. Biosystems, 1985, 17(4), 317 - 25 Heliobacterium and the origin of chrysoplasts; Margulis L et al.; Chrysoplasts, golden-yellow and brown photosynthetic membrane-bounded plastids, photosynthetic organelles of algae such as phaeophytes (brown seaweeds), bacillariophytes (diatoms) and chrysophytes (golden-yellow algae including silicoflagellates), are hypothesized to have originated from brownish photoheterotrophic bacteria such as the newly discovered anaerobic nitrogen-fixing Heliobacterium . The consequences of this hypothesis as well as the data required to verify or disprove it are presented. Adv Exp Med Biol, 1985, 186, 487 - 93 The bursa of Fabricius as a trapping mechanism for environmental antigens; Ekino S et al.; The bursa of Fabricius was isolated from gut-derived antigens by ligating the bursal duct on the 18th day of incubation . Ligation of the bursal duct (BDL) suppressed the bursal development, spontaneous germinal centre formation in the spleen and the development of serum "natural" agglutinins for bacteria or heteroerythrocytes . Moreover, administration of sterilized cecal contents into the bursal lumen at BDL led to normal level of serum "natural" agglutinins . These findings strongly suggest that the bursa of Fabricius possesses an antigen-dependent process which modulates the development of immune system . Antigen-trapping mechanism of the bursa may supply information about environmental antigens for this process. Rev Pneumol Clin, 1985, 41(3), 205 - 11 {Comparative clinical trial of cefoperazone versus ampicillin + tobramycin in severe bronchopulmonary and pleural infectious pathology}; Vergnon JM et al.; This study involved an open trial with parallel randomised series receiving either cefoperazone (2 g/d) or a combination of ampicillin (6 g/d) and tobramycin (3 to 4 mg/kg/d) . The 30 patients included were of both sexes (male predominance), hospitalised, aged 62 +/- 11,5 years and suffering from a severe bronchopulmonary or pleural infection . Underlying pathology was serious (neoplasm, C.O.D.L., bronchiectasis, cardiac pathology) . No significant difference was seen in the sampling of the two populations . Cefoperazone was prescribed in 2 infusions per 24 hours . Ampicillin was given as 3 infusions, followed by tobramycin administered by a similar number of injections . The duration of treatment was 16.8 +/- 9 days (cefoperazone) and 11,8 +/- 6,5 days (ampicillin + tobramycin) . Overall evaluation (clinical, radiological and laboratory criteria) showed 88% (cefoperazone group) and 71% (ampicillin + tobramycin group) recovery and improvement rates . There were two failures in the cefoperazone group and 6 failures in the other group . These results were not statistically different . Three of the 6 failures could be attributed to resistance of the initial bacteria or selected by one or other type of treatment . None of the antibiotics prescribed raised any acceptability problems. Prog Clin Biol Res, 1985, 189, 433 - 51 Designs for the evaluation of the endotoxin assay as a diagnostic test; Roberts RS; The comprehensive evaluation of the usefulness of a new diagnostic test should include a hierarchy of assessments ranging from reliability and validity to impact on clinical decision making and outcome . This paper reviews some of the design methodology appropriate for evaluation of an endotoxin assay such as the Limulus Amebocyte Lysate test . Primary focus is on the design and analysis of studies aimed at establishing diagnostic validity . However, suggestions are made for the design of clinical studies of management change and to determine the impact on patient outcome . Results from such studies must be combined into a cost-utility calculation eventually to determine societal benefit. Dev Comp Immunol, 1985 Summer, 9(3), 407 - 17 In vitro production of hydrogen peroxide by the amoebocytes of the scallop, Patinopecten yessoensis (Jay); Nakamura M et al.; In vitro production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) by the amoebocytes of the scallop, Patinopecten yessoensis, was studied . The authors first confirmed the availability of the direct quantitative method using homovanillic acid, and found that both resting and stimulated amoebocytes produced H2O2 . However, the latter showed higher capacity for H2O2 production . The amoebocytes stimulated by concanavalin A released a large amount of H2O2 compared with the cells challenged with three species of bacteria. Dermatologica, 1985, 171(2), 95 - 8 Combined UVB and UVA phototherapy of atopic eczema; Midelfart K et al.; The effect of combined UVB-UVA treatment in a group of 23 patients with severe atopic eczema was compared to UVB therapy alone in 33 patients . Mean age and number of treatments were approximately the same in the two groups . With UVB-UVA treatment, 48% achieved complete remission and in another 48% good improvements were obtained as compared to 27 and 58%, respectively, in the group treated with UVB alone . A few failures were recorded in the UVB group . Some possible explanations for the better effect of the combined UVB-UVA treatment are given. Tissue Cell, 1985, 17(1), 53 - 68 Ultrastructure of cyclic changes in the murine uterus, cervix, and vagina; Corbeil LB et al.; The regional and cyclic changes in the murine genital epithelium were studied by transmission and scanning electron microscopy to provide a morphological standard to serve as a basis for investigation of host-parasite relationships in genital infections . Thus, we examined not only mucosal epithelial cell changes, but also surface mucus, normal flora and inflammatory cells . Ultrastructurally, at proestrus/estrus, we found uterine and most cervical epithelial cells covered with microvilli overlaid with mucus-like secretions and evidence of internal secretory activity . There was little normal flora anywhere in the tract . At early metestrus, we found squamous cervicovaginal epithelial cells with low discontinuous microrugae, extensive normal flora and many neutrophils beginning to migrate through the epithelium . The flora and neutrophils could explain the relative lack of susceptibility to infection at that time . At diestrus the appearance of a newly regenerated epithelium and lack of normal flora suggested that initiation of infection could occur at this stage; however, the presence of large numbers of neutrophils ready to phagocytize invading bacteria indicated a deterrent to infection . This study of cyclic changes in flora, mucus, neutrophils and epithelial cells provided ultrastructural evidence to support an earlier hypothesis that the greatest susceptibility to gonococcal infection in mice occurred at proestrus/estrus. J Biol Stand, 1985 Jan, 13(1), 61 - 6 The standardization of an assay for pertussis toxin and antitoxin in microplate culture of Chinese hamster ovary cells; Gillenius P et al.; A microplate assay, based on the clustering effect induced by pertussis toxin (PT) in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, has been developed and standardized . Toxin titration is done directly in the culture microplate by twofold dilutions of 25 microliters of test material to which are added 10 000 freshly trypsinized cells in 200 microliters of culture medium per well . The dilution causing the clustering effect is determined by direct microscopic observation after 48 h of incubation . The method allows detection of 50-100 pg toxin per millilitre . For determination of neutralizing antibodies (antitoxin), twofold dilutions of 25 microliters of antiserum are first made directly in the culture microplate . Thereafter 25 microliters of toxin, containing four times the minimal clustering concentration, is added to each well . After three hours for neutralization at +37 degrees C, cells are added, incubated and examined as above . The assay has been found to be simple and reproducible for measuring the antibody response to PT in human and different animal sera . For titration of bacteria associated toxin, the CHO cells are seeded and incubated for 24 h before the addition of bacteria . Incubation and examination are done as described for toxin titration. Cell Immunol, 1985 Jan, 90(1), 179 - 89 Disappearance and reappearance of resident macrophages: importance in C . parvum-induced tumoricidal activity; Haskill S et al.; We have investigated the role of resident macrophages in the early tumoricidal response to C . parvum . The bacteria were labeled with FITC and resident cells were labeled in situ with blue fluorescent covaspheres to enable subsequent monitoring of cellular changes by flow cytometry . Macrophages disappeared within 5 hr of administration of bacteria . At 24 hr, fibrinous adhesions containing double labeled macrophages were observed at numerous sites on the peritoneum . Macrophages associated with large numbers of bacteria, levels of beads similar to control animals, and elevated plasminogen activator-like activity did not reappear in washings in significant numbers until 72 hr . Thus, the large bacteria-containing cells that account for the majority of the early tumoricidal activity are likely to be derived from resident macrophages. Int J Biochem, 1985, 17(4), 515 - 9 A possible origin of chemiluminescence in phagocytosing neutrophils . Reaction between chloramines and H2O2; Zgliczynski JM et al.; A mixture of chloramines and hydrogen peroxide emits light . It was found that the reaction between taurine monochloramine and hydrogen peroxide is very slow . The stoichiometry of the reaction is 1:1 and taurine is detected as one of the products . The chlorinated proteins and bacteria, containing N-Cl groups, when reacting with hydrogen peroxide, are more effective in emitting light than low-molecular chloramines . Luminol enhances considerably light yield of the chloramine-hydrogen peroxide reaction . The chloramine-H2O2 reaction may account for light emitted by neutrophils during phagocytosis. Immunol Lett, 1985, 9(4), 229 - 33 Dual functions of DNA synthesis inhibitory peptide in fetal calf serum; Okai Y; A novel factor in fetal calf serum was found which showed the dual inhibitory effects on DNA synthesis of murine lymphocytes and some species of bacteria . The factor was purified by gel filtration, ion exchange and thin-layer chromatography and characterized to be a 1 kDa basic peptide . In addition, this factor is not nonspecific to inhibitors, thymidine or polyamines . The modes of action and the spectrum of target cells were analyzed and its biological significance is discussed. J Interferon Res, 1985 Winter, 5(1), 11 - 22 Effects of combined treatment with interferon and mezerein on melanogenesis and growth in human melanoma cells; Fisher PB et al.; We have analyzed the effects of various human interferons produced in bacteria and the antileukemic compound mezerein (MEZ) on growth and melanogenesis in human melanoma cells . In four human melanoma cell lines, recombinant human fibroblast interferon (IFN-beta) was more active than recombinant human leukocyte interferons (IFN-alpha A, IFN-alpha D, or IFN-alpha A/D (Bgl} in inhibiting cellular proliferation . When monolayer cultures were exposed to 1000 IU/ml IFN-beta for four days the degree of growth inhibition in the different melanoma cell lines varied between 94 and 26% . Similarly, four days growth in medium containing 10 ng/ml MEZ resulted in either no inhibition of growth or as much as 53% inhibition of growth, depending on the specific melanoma cell line tested . MEZ induced dendrite-like processes, cytoplasmic projections morphologically similar to those normally found in neurons and melanocytes, in all four melanoma cell lines, whereas none of the interferons tested had this effect . The combination of interferon and MEZ resulted in a dramatic inhibition in cellular proliferation in all four melanoma cell lines . When cell extracts were assayed for melanin content, a marker of melanoma cell differentiation, the combination of IFN-beta and MEZ resulted in higher levels of melanin than with either agent alone . Dendrite-like formation was also prominent in the cultures treated with this combination . These results indicate that the antiproliferative effect of interferon toward human melanoma dells can be enhanced by treatment with MEZ and that this effect is associated with an enhancement of terminal differentiation. Eur J Clin Pharmacol, 1985, 28(1), 97 - 103 Pharmacokinetics of sulphinpyrazone and its major metabolites after a single dose and during chronic treatment; Schlicht F et al.; The pharmacokinetics of sulphinpyrazone and its major metabolites (sulfide, sulfone, p-hydroxysulfone and p-hydroxy-sulphinpyrazone) were investigated in 9 volunteers after a single oral dose as well as after chronic treatment for 23 days . Chronic administration of sulphinpyrazone, in comparison with a single oral dose, led to significant changes in plasma AUC (115.86 to 42.90 mg/l . h), in renal clearance (1.06 to 1.80 l/h), in hepatic intrinsic clearance (319.0 to 598.0 l/h), and in the unbound fraction in plasma 1.15 to 1.69%) and in tissue (2.73 to 1.31%) . The volume of distribution changed from 20.24 to 52.04 l . The steady state concentrations predicted from the single dose were significantly higher than the values found after chronic treatment . The results suggest that sulphinpyrazone induces its own metabolism . The metabolism of the sulfone, p-hydroxysulfone and the p-hydroxy-sulphinpyrazone to further degradation products was also induced . Chronic treatment with sulphinpyrazone reduced the plasma AUC of the sulfide and caused a decrease in its elimination half-life (20.9 to 14.3 h) . Since considerable amounts of the sulfide are formed in the G.I . tract, it is suggested that besides the induction of metabolism, bacteria which reduce sulphinpyrazone to the sulfide may also be responsible for the observed pharmacokinetic changes. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1985 Jan, 27(1), 93 - 5 Penetration and clearance of cefoperazone and moxalactam in pleural fluid; Yamada H et al.; The penetration of cefoperazone and moxalactam into pleural fluid was studied in 11 patients after intravenous infusion of 2-g doses of these agents . Clearance of these agents from pleural fluid was studied in seven patients after instillation of 1-g doses into the pleural space . The concentrations in pleural fluid after intravenous infusion of 2-g doses reached a peak of 7 to 25 micrograms/ml for cefoperazone and 9 to 35 micrograms/ml for moxalactam at 4 to 6 h after administration . These levels exceeded reported MICs for most susceptible organisms . The elimination half-life of both agents was about two to five times longer in pleural fluid than in serum . These prolonged elimination rates of both agents might be of great advantage for killing bacteria in the pleural space. Mol Cell Biol, 1985 Jan, 5(1), 70 - 4 Efficient correction of mismatched bases in plasmid heteroduplexes injected into cultured mammalian cell nuclei; Folger KR et al.; Heteroduplexes were prepared from two plasmids, pRH4-14/TK and pRH5-8/TK, containing different amber mutations in the neomycin resistance gene (Neor) . The Neor gene was engineered to be expressed in both bacterial and mammalian cells . A functional Neor gene conferred kanamycin resistance to bacteria and resistance to the drug G418 to mammalian cells . In addition, the plasmids contained restriction site polymorphisms which did not confer a selectable phenotype but were used to follow the pattern of correction of mismatched bases in the heteroduplexes . In a direct comparison of the efficiency of transforming mouse LMtk- cells to G418r, the injection of heteroduplexes of pRH4-14/TK-pRH5-8/TK was 10-fold more efficient than the coinjection of pRH4-14/TK and pRH5-8/TK linear plasmid DNA . In fact, injection of 5 to 10 molecules of heteroduplex DNA per cell was as efficient in transforming LMtk- cells to G418r as the injection of 5 to 10 molecules of linear plasmid DNA per cell containing a wild-type Neor gene . To determine the pattern of mismatch repair of the injected heteroduplexes, plasmids were "rescued" from the G418r cell lines . From this analysis we conclude that the generation of wild-type Neor genes from heteroduplex DNA proceeds directly by correction of the mismatched bases, rather than by alternative mechanisms such as recombination between the injected heteroduplexes . Our finding that a cell can efficiently correct mismatched bases when confronted with preformed heteroduplexes suggests that this experimental protocol could be used to study a wide range of DNA repair mechanisms in cultured mammalian cells. J Pharm Sci, 1985 Jan, 74(1), 29 - 32 Sterility test systems for product recovery; Gee LW et al.; When presterilized, closed canister, membrane filter units for sterility testing are validated for process, large volumes of therapeutic products for injection can be tested for sterility, recovered, and added to a subsequent bulk prior to sterile filtration . Intermittent positive pressure, applied to the canisters through the vent filters, makes possible the relatively rapid filtration, with minimal foaming, of viscous solutions such as 25% (w/v) normal serum albumin (human) . Canister systems appear to be at least as effective as the standard membrane filter method, and the canisters are particularly suited to the sterility testing of bulks. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol, 1985, 76(4), 318 - 23 Chronic cutaneous granulomatous dermopathy: morphologic and serologic evaluation, differential diagnosis and pharmacologic control; McGrath KG et al.; We report on a syndrome of disfiguring lower extremity cutaneous lesions of 6 years duration . Previous medical evaluations included 5 skin biopsies and several therapeutic regimens which did not alter the course of illness . The histologic interpretations of skin biopsies included panniculitis, papulonecrosis, and granuloma . One biopsy was interpreted as a localized cutaneous vasculitis with a wedge-shaped infarct . Infectious, collagen vascular, and factitious etiologies could not be demonstrated to explain the patient's lesions . The Chicago Dermatological Society included in their differential diagnosis bacterial allergy, including the tuberculoid reaction . Mycobacterium tuberculosis as the etiology was dismissed by negative cultures, histologic staining and failure of response to antituberculous therapy . Our report includes a series of immunologic tests that might be consistent with but do not definitively establish a bacterial hypersensitivity reaction to explain this patient's skin lesions . Despite a lack of proven etiology dramatic improvement occurred with corticosteroid therapy. Arch Otorhinolaryngol, 1985, 241(2), 163 - 8 Analysis of fifty cases of facial palsy due to otitis media; Takahashi H et al.; Fifty cases of facial palsy (FP) due to otitis media treated in our hospital during the 10-year period from 1972 to 1981 were analyzed . The averaged percentage of this incidence was 3.1% of all the FP occurring . FP due to otitis media acuta (OMA) was frequently seen in infants . FP due to otitis media chronica (OMC) tended to occur in combination with cholesteatoma or acute exacerbations of infection . Paralyses were generally mild and bacteria from the otorrhea were similar to those of OMC without FP . When present, sites of dehiscence of the facial canal were most frequently seen in its horizontal portion . Electromyographically, the posterior (mastoid) side of the horizontal portion of the facial nerve bundle seemed to be related to the branch to the orbicularis oculi muscle, while the anterior (stapes) side was directed to the orbicularis oris muscle. Am J Vet Res, 1985 Jan, 46(1), 132 - 5 Development of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for the detection of Fusobacterium necrophorum antibody in animal sera; Evans JW et al.; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for the detection of Fusobacterium necrophorum antibody in the sera of rabbits, cattle, and sheep were developed, using a ribosome-rich extract (RRE) from F necrophorum as the antigen . Test character, including optimal antigen dilution and substrate incubation periods, was established, using rabbit, bovine, and ovine antisera produced against RRE from isolates of F necrophorum . Rabbit antisera produced against 7 other species of bacteria were used to test the specificity of the F necrophorum RRE antigen . Cross-reactivity was not detected . Sera from 50 feedlot cattle were examined with the bovine ELISA . Of the 50 samples, 43 (88%) were positive for F necrophorum antibody . The ELISA developed in this study were sensitive and specific and appear to be readily adaptable to serologic investigations of F necrophorum. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol, 1985 Jan, 77(1), 133 - 43 Reproductive effects of inhaled methyl chloride in the male Fischer 344 rat . I . Mating performance and dominant lethal assay; Working PK et al.; Methyl chloride (MeCl) is a direct-acting mutagen in bacteria, induces renal adenocarcinomas in male mice, and is a potent reproductive toxicant in the male Fischer 344 (F-344) rat . A dominant lethal assay was performed to examine the possibility that MeCl may be a germ cell mutagen in the F-344 male rat . Groups of 40 rats each were exposed to 0, 1000, or 3000 ppm MeCl 6 hr/day for 5 consecutive days, or received a single ip injection of 0.2 mg triethylenemelamine (TEM)/kg as a positive control . Each male was bred to a single female weekly for 8 weeks, and the standard criteria of dominant lethal tests were recorded . Exposure to 1000 ppm MeCl caused no consistent change in any parameter relative to control values . TEM caused increases in pre- and postimplantation loss indices in Weeks 1 to 5 postexposure, corresponding to sperm exposed in the epididymis and as early to late stage spermatids in the testis . Exposure to 3000 ppm MeCl caused a slight increase in postimplantation loss at Week 1 postexposure only, i.e., in sperm exposed in the epididymis or vas deferens, and increases in preimplantation loss throughout the 8 weeks postexposure . Fertility of the 3000 ppm MeCl-exposed males was significantly decreased by Week 2 after exposure, and never recovered to control values during the period of observation . It is suggested that the increased preimplantation losses are due, at least in part, to cytotoxic rather than genotoxic effects . High concentrations of inhaled MeCl, however, do induce dominant lethal mutations (reflected as an increased level of postimplantation fetal deaths) in sperm located within the vas deferens and epididymis at the time of exposure. Postgrad Med, 1985 Jan, 77(1), 139 - 45, 148 Skin diseases of the external genitalia . Recognition and treatment; Hordinsky MK; Dermatologic diseases of the genitalia are of several types: congenital diseases, acquired diseases (those caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, or physical or chemical toxins), tumors, and atrophic dermatoses . The methods available to diagnose these diseases vary . Some conditions may be recognized by appearance alone, whereas others require histopathologic examination of involved skin for correct diagnosis . Some do not need treatment, while others call for an aggressive approach . Some types of genital dermatologic diseases, such as herpes infections and condylomata acuminata, appear to be associated with genital carcinogenesis . Patients with these diseases should be carefully examined. Infect Immun, 1985 Jan, 47(1), 74 - 9 Identification of protein antigens of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1; Pearlman E et al.; Growth of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 in yeast extract broth was standardized, and protein profiles of detergent-solubilized cells were determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis . Over 30 protein bands were identified, 6 of which were more prominent both in Coomassie brilliant blue-stained profiles and in fluorograms with intrinsically radiolabeled bacteria . These major proteins were 22,000 dalton (22K), 24K, 43K, 63K, 76K, and 78K . We found that the 24K and 63K major proteins were antigenic, as demonstrated both by radioimmunoprecipitation (RIP) of {35S}methionine-labeled organisms and by immunoblotting with rabbit hyperimmune sera . In addition, both techniques detected antigens migrating at 58K, 72K, 76K, and 78K . The major 22K and 43K major proteins and antigens migrating at 25.5K, 29K, and 46K were only detected by radioimmunoprecipitation, whereas antigens of 19K, 48K, 53K, and 68K were detected only by immunoblotting . Cell-surface localization of the proteins was determined by a modified radioimmunoprecipitation assay designed to react specifically with surface antigens and by the use of hyperimmune sera that had been extensively preabsorbed with intact cells to deplete the sera of antibodies directed against surface components . The 22K, 24K, 43K, 63K, and 78K major proteins and several minor proteins were found to be located on the surface of L . pneumophila cells. Microbiol Sci, 1985, 2(4), 105 - 9 Physiology of the thiobacilli: elucidating the sulphur oxidation pathway; Kelly DP; Bacteria of the genus Thiobacillus can obtain energy from the chemolithotrophic oxidation of inorganic sulphur and its compounds (sulphide, thiosulphate and polythionates) and use this energy to support autotrophic growth on carbon dioxide . Despite many decades of work on them, the precise details of the pathway(s) for sulphur oxidation are still obscure . In this article the latest state of knowledge is analysed and a likely mechanism developed that takes account of all the experimental data available. Rev Argent Microbiol, 1985, 17(1), 51 - 4 {Detection in bovine serum of non-agglutinating antibodies directed against occult antigens of Brucella abortus strain 19}; Parma AE et al.; Injection of different animal species with particulate T-dependent antigens induces the appearance of two antibody populations belonging to IgG class, one of them with agglutinating activity and the other lacking this capacity, that is, non-agglutinating . In this paper, 3 adult female Hereford were inoculated subcutaneously, fortnightly, four times, with 5 x 10(10) heat killed smooth S19 Brucella abortus cells . Blood samples were taken ten days after the last inoculation and were individually processed . Serum agglutinating titres against the homologous antigen and the Coombs test score were similar, indicating that nonagglutinating antibody titres directed against surface antigens of the smooth phase were not significant (Table 1) . When sera were incubated with a suspension of Brucella abortus S45/20 (a rough strain) they showed poor agglutinating ability, but they contained non-agglutinating activity at high level, as determined by the anti-gamma-globulin test (Table 1) . Similar results were obtained when the same sera were adsorbed with Brucella abortus S19 up to elimination of the antibodies directed against surface antigens, and then incubated with a suspension of strain 45/20 (Table 1) . These antibodies were isolated from sera by immunoadsorption, using a thick suspension of S45/20 and then dissociated with glycine-CHl buffer 0.1M pH 3 . These antibodies showed little agglutinating capacity for S45/20; however non-agglutinating antibodies were bound to the bacteria up to 1.5 micrograms g as demonstrated by Coombs test . Apart from the incomplete antibodies against external antigens of smooth Brucella abortus strains detected in long-term stimulated cattle, non-agglutinating antibodies with specificity for deeper antigens of the smooth bacteria were evidenced.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Mol Gen Mikrobiol Virusol, 1985 Jan, (1), 12 - 7 {Plasmids of Azospirillum brasilense}; Bakanchikova TI et al.; The cells from natural isolates of A . Brasilense were found to harbour 1 to 4 plasmids with the molecular masses within the 27-300 Md range . 100 Md plasmids are specific for this bacterial species . Strains isolated from the roots of cereals (wheat, maize, barley) have more heterogeneous plasmid composition as compared to the strains isolated from soil. Acta Biochim Pol, 1985, 32(3), 225 - 33 Preparation and some properties of the haemoglobin-binding protein of bovine blood; Osada J; Bovine haptoglobin was prepared from sera which showed peroxidase activity in the complex with haemoglobin . The procedure consisted of precipitation with ammonium sulphate at 0.5 saturation, affinity chromatography on Sepharose 4B coupled to bovine apoglobin, and gel filtration on Sepharose 4B . The preparation was heterogeneous, migrating in 7.5% polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at pH 8.3 as four haemoglobin-binding bands . On immunoelectrophoresis with bovine antiserum the preparation formed a single precipitin arc with the mobility of alpha 2-globulin; the preparation was found to be a glycoprotein, the sugar moiety of which amounted to 16%. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand Suppl, 1985, 82, 76 - 80 Hospital experience of total parenteral nutrition with 3-litre containers (big bags); Muth L; A system for total parenteral nutrition (TPN) with a 3-litre container (big bag) has been developed . The bag is filled by a pharmacist in the hospital pharmacy . One of four standard nutritional regimes can be chosen depending on the patients weight and estimated metabolic condition . The bags contain aminoacids, electrolytes, trace elements and energy in the form of glucose . Lipids with vitamins are given separately via a side port and not mixed into the bags . During one year 61 patients have been given a total of 846 bags . All patients, except for two, maintained or increased their body weight during TPN with the big bag system . However, almost all patients lost weight when TPN was exchanged for enteral or oral feeding . S-phosphate was initially low but normalized within one week in all patients . S-magnesium was low in 1/3 of the patients and remained low in 50% of those for the entire treatment period . S-calcium increased beyond the normal upper limit in 25% of the cases . S-albumin increased in all patients, except for those with metastasizing cancers . Fifteen positive cultures were obtained from big bags . Only in one patient, however, the same bacteria could be cultured from both the patient and the big bag . Some increase in infections related to central venous catheters was noticed . Better utilization due to increased amount of potassium, magnesium, phosphate and zinc compared to routine may be beneficial. Biosystems, 1985, 17(4), 327 - 35 Protein synthesis by intracellular symbionts in two closely interrelated aphid species; Ishikawa H et al.; An aphid endosymbiont in vivo synthesizes symbionin almost exclusively which is not produced in vitro by the same symbiont . While symbionin produced by the endosymbiont of the pea aphid is an acidic protein with a molecular weight of 63,000, that by the symbiont of the kondo aphid, the closest relative to the former, is a distinct, less acidic, molecule . While the two endosymbionts in vivo in old insects synthesize about 11 protein species in common, they produce many different proteins when incubated extracellularly. Exp Pathol, 1985, 28(2), 97 - 104 Experimental arteritis in young rats induced by Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae; Nakato H et al.; The acute phase of arteritis of the common iliac artery induced in young rats by the inoculation of viable Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae (E . rhusiopathiae) was examined . Within three days post inoculation, cell infiltration was first detected in the periarterial tissue, extending centripetally to the outer two-thirds of the media . However, the inner third of the media and the intima were free from cell infiltration, and the media showed no degeneration . E . rhusiopathiae first invaded the periarterial tissue and the adventitia, thereafter, invaded the outer two-thirds of the media, but not the inner third of the media or the intima . Invasion by the bacteria preceded cell infiltration . Arteritis was not induced by heat killed bacteria or the supernate from the culture medium . The arteritis was produced preferentially in large or medium-sized muscular arteries . Immunofluorescence test by FITC-conjugated peanut lectin demonstrated the desialated sites by the effect of the neuraminidase produced by E . rhusiopathiae in the arterial region that were concomitant with the invasion of the bacteria . C3 was also detected along the adventitia of the artery . The results demonstrated that viable E . rhusiopathiae can induce arteritis of muscular arteries and that the neuraminidase produced by the bacteria may play a role in the pathogenesis. Aust Vet J, 1985 Jan, 62(1), 13 - 8 Effect of enzootic pneumonia of pigs on growth performance; Pointon AM et al.; Growing pigs were naturally infected with a field strain of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae to assess the effect of enzootic pneumonia on production . Both the initial ("breakdown") and endemic stages of infection were evaluated . The pigs were reared under environmental and management conditions commonly found on commercial piggeries in South Australia . Growth rate of pigs held in-contact with inoculated pigs was reduced by 12.7% (p less than 0.01) between 50 to 85 kg bodyweight . In the second trial inoculated gilts were used to naturally infect piglets during suckling . Growth rate of infected pigs was reduced by 15.9% (p less than 0.001) between 8 to 85 kg bodyweight, while feed conversion was depressed by 13.8% (p less than 0.05) between 10 to 25 kg bodyweight . At current feed and production costs this reduced performance added approximately $2.80 to the cost of every pig produced . These losses were recorded in groups of pigs in which enzootic pneumonia was present . At slaughter, 40% of lungs contained gross lesions of enzootic pneumonia which were free of significant secondary bacteria . The nature of the infection was established by gross and microscopic pathology and confirmed by the detection of specific complement fixing antibody in infected pigs and the demonstration of M . hyopneumoniae by direct immunofluorescent staining of lung sections. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1985 Jan, 49(1), 242 - 3 Biotransformation of trichloroethylene in soil; Wilson JT et al.; Trichloroethylene was shown to degrade aerobically to carbon dioxide in an unsaturated soil column exposed to a mixture of natural gas in air (0.6%). Braz J Med Biol Res, 1985, 18(4), 507 - 12 The influence of inflammatory agents on giant cell formation; Birman EG et al.; The inoculation of live or dead BCG into the pocket formed by the insertion of glass coverslips into the subcutaneous tissue of mice caused a drastic reduction of giant cell formation on the glass surface . Conversely, when carrageenan was used, the number of polykaria increased . Live BCG also induced a decrease in the number of giant cell nuclei, whereas killed bacteria had no effect . In contrast, carrageenan caused the opposite phenomenon . The transformation of foreign body giant cells into Langhans type cells was almost blocked in the presence of live BCG . These data support the concept that inflammatory giant cell formation depends on the rate of macrophage turnover within the lesion. Scand J Gastroenterol Suppl, 1985, 117, 27 - 38 Subunit, recombinant and synthetic hepatitis B vaccines; Zuckerman AJ; Hepatitis B surface antigen in the form of 22 nm spherical particles (and tubular forms) is excess virus coat protein . Guidelines for the preparation of the 22 nm spherical particles (and their separated polypeptides) derived from the plasma of asymptomatic human carriers, were suggested by the WHO Expert Committee on Viral Hepatitis in 1977, and the proposed requirements for the 22 nm hepatitis B particle vaccine were published by the WHO Expert Committee on Biological Standardisation in 1981 and revised in 1983 . Such preparations have been tested for safety and protective efficacy and many clinical trials with the plasma-derived vaccine have demonstrated the immunogenicity, high protective efficacy and safety of the currently licensed preparations . Polypeptide vaccines, derived from the surface antigen from any source, have several advantages which include precise biochemical characterisation, exclusion of genetic material of viral origin, exclusion of host or donor-derived substances and enhanced potency . A polypeptide vaccine in micellar form has been developed in London . The applications of recombinant DNA technology permit the isolation, purification and selective amplification of almost any individual segment of DNA from practically any organism in convenient biological systems such as bacteria, yeast, or any other cell including mammalian cells . Considerable progress has been made with vaccines prepared from antigen expressed in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) . Cloning of the DNA of hepatitis B virus has resulted in sequencing of nucleotides and mapping of the amino acids of antigens . Information obtained from the sequencing of the 226 amino acids of hepatitis B surface antigen has led to the development of chemically synthesised peptides corresponding to amino acid sequences predicted from the nucleotide map . Several such synthetic peptides, when linked to potent adjuvants elicit antibodies in experimental animals which react with the surface antigen . The potential of pure chemically synthetic vaccines against hepatitis B, and other infectious agents, is under intensive investigation since such vaccines should be chemically well-defined, uniform, safe and cheap to produce . Studies have been carried out recently using a chemically synthetic peptide in a linear and in a cyclical form corresponding to the amino acids sequence 139-147 of the major polypeptide I of hepatitis B surface antigen . The synthetic antigens and the native polypeptide complex p23-gp28 purified from hepatitis B surface antigen in plasma were used for the measurement of affinity of the antibody to the surface antigen (anti-HBs) in human sera.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS) Zentralbl Chir, 1985, 110(22), 1388 - 98 {Endotoxin in diffuse suppurative peritonitis}; Gogler H et al.; Endotoxin has been measured in the blood and peritoneal fluid from 28 patients with diffuse peritonitis after intestinal perforation, intestinal obstruction or mesenteric infarction . Phenol-Water-Extraction for plasma preparation has been used . Endotoxin in correlated with the clinical state in these patients. Scand J Gastroenterol Suppl, 1985, 114, 17 - 38 The human gastrointestinal secretory immune system in health and disease; Brandtzaeg P et al.; The main function of secretory IgA is to exert immune exclusion; that is, by intimate cooperation with innate non-specific defence mechanisms, it dampens down penetration of soluble antigens and inhibits epithelial colonisation of bacteria and viruses . Secretory IgM may exert a similar protective function in the gut as its local synthesis sometimes is markedly increased, especially in selective IgA deficiency . IgG should not be considered a secretory immunoglobulin because its external translocation depends on passive intercellular diffusion . By activating complement, antibodies of this isotype may cause increased mucosal permeability and tissue damage . IgG may thus contribute to persistent immunopathology in mucosal lesions . The same is true for IgE antibodies which, in atopic individuals, may be carried into the gut mucosa by mast cells and cause their degranulation with histamine release . Secretory IgA and secretory IgM are the products of two cell types: plasma cells synthesise IgA dimers and IgM pentamers which, by non-covalent association, become complexed with the secretory component (SC) which is synthesized by serous-type glandular cells . The adsorption of the Ig polymers to the SC-expressing epithelial cells depends on J chain-determined binding sites . This fact gives biological significance to the striking J chain expression shown by mucosal immunocytes regardless of the Ig class they produce . The immunocytes populating the gut mucosa apparently belong to relatively early memory B cell clones . The obvious functional goal of J chain expression at this stage of clonal differentiation is local generation of SC-binding IgA and IgM polymers . In various gut diseases, altered immune regulation results in a disproportionately increased number of J chain-negative IgG-producing cells in the mucosa . Such altered immunological homeostasis may contribute to perpetuation of inflammatory bowel diseases. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis, 1985, 8(2), 99 - 108 {Swine alveolar macrophages: a review}; Charley B; Following a presentation of different methods used to collect alveolar macrophages by lung washing performed on killed or anaesthetized animals, several main features of these cells are described: in vitro adherence, enzymatic properties and morphology, phagocytosis . Studies of postnatal development show that swine alveolar macrophages appear during the first week of age . Finally, the alveolar macrophage immunological behaviour (surface receptors, cytotoxicity, co-operation with lymphocytes, activation) and the complex micro-organisms-macrophages interrelationships are discussed. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis, 1985, 8(2), 171 - 85 Chemistry of immunomodulators; Lefrancier P; A large number of synthetic derivatives, inorganic compounds or naturally occurring substances are able to depress, regulate or enhance the immune response . Immunomodulators, among which some are chemically well defined and others are complex preparations, exhibit a great variety of chemical structures which are briefly reviewed, without details on their immunopharmacological properties . These molecules allow access to a new type of therapy which aims at acting on the host defense mechanisms. Z Parasitenkd, 1985, 71(6), 801 - 14 {Suppression of the parasitemia in rodent filariasis (Litomosoides carinii) by immunization with BCG and microfilaria . II . Intravenous BCG application}; Kimmig P; By intravenous (i.v.) inoculation of living tuberculosis bacteria (BCG) non-specific resistance to microfilariae of Litomosoides carinii (Filarioidea) is induced in cotton rats . This is only possible using the preparation "Immune-BCG Pasteur F" (suspended germs), but not with "Vaccin-BCG pour scarifications" (lyophilized tuberculosis bacteria) . After inoculation of Immune-BCG, followed by a challenge infection by 60 infective larvae 6 weeks later, a patent infection develops . However, the level of microfilaraemia is constantly lower than in the control . After challenge infection 12 weeks later, this effect has disappeared . Immune-BCG has no influence on the worm load or the output of microfilariae by the adult worms . If i.v . inoculation of Immune-BCG is combined with a subcutaneous injection of specific antigen--living embryos from the uteri of adult worms--the BCG-activated immune system undergoes specific sensitization . Upon challenge infection 6 weeks later, the microfilaraemia is completely suppressed, but the worm load and production of microfilariae by the adult female worms are normal . If Immune-BCG is injected i.v . 3 days before intraperitoneal injection of freeze-killed microfilariae, there is still constantly reduced microfilaraemia when challenge infection follows 12 weeks later . Obviously, the effect of this relatively weak antigen may be increased by BCG stimulation. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis, 1985, 8(1), 17 - 28 {Laboratory diagnosis of respiratory diseases of cattle}; Fedida M et al.; The authors describe the procedure of laboratory diagnosis for bovine respiratory diseases: direct diagnosis by isolation and for identification of bacteria or viruses and indirect diagnosis by serological methods . They specify the restraints and limits of this diagnosis and the significance results which are obtained and connected with knowledge of anamnestic information. Biol Chem Hoppe Seyler, 1985 Jan, 366(1), 87 - 98 The light-harvesting polypeptides of Rhodopseudomonas viridis . The complete amino-acid sequences of B1015-alpha, B1015-beta and B1015-gamma; Brunisholz RA et al.; Three low molecular mass polypeptides have been isolated by using the technique of organic solvent extraction of thylakoid membranes or whole cells from Rhodopseudomonas viridis . Their primary structures were determined by long liquid phase sequencer runs, combined with the isolation and sequence analysis of the C-terminal o-iodosobenzoic acid fragment and carboxypeptidase degradation . The polypeptide which consists of 58 amino-acids and is 46% homologous to the antenna polypeptide B880-alpha from Rhodospirillum rubrum was designated as B1015-alpha (1 His residue) . The sequence homology between the second polypeptide, named B1015-beta (55 amino acids, 2 His residues) and B880-beta from Rs . rubrum is 52% . For the third polypeptide consisting of 36 amino acids and exhibiting a high hydrophobicity, no equivalent polypeptide has so far been found in other purple bacteria . The molar ratio of these three organic solvent soluble polypeptides from Rp . viridis was estimated to be 1:1:1 . Accordingly, the 36 amino-acid polypeptide is likely to be an additional constituent of the light-harvesting complex B1015, consequently termed as B1015-gamma . According to hydrophathy profiles, the transmembrane arrangement of B1015-alpha and B1015-beta within the thylakoid membrane is supposed to be similar . B1015-gamma, however, shows a somewhat different hydropathy profile . A particular feature of this polypeptide is its high amount of aromatic amino acids . It is postulated that B1015-gamma is involved in the formation of regular arrays of light-harvesting complexes. Haematologia (Budap), 1985, 18(1), 3 - 12 The biological role of lactoferrin; Nemet K et al.; Lactoferrin (LF)--in various quantities--is present in human milk, secretions and polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) . LF's significance lies in its bacteriostatic effect on its environment . Probably it prevents bacterial uptake of iron, leads to damage of bacteria and during phagocytosis helps the organism to combat pathogens . Most likely it regulates iron absorption, and during inflammation it takes part in the plasma iron transport . LF is believed to play an important role in the regulation of granulopoiesis in the bone-marrow . From its biological effects it appears that plasma LF determinations may be useful in the clinical diagnosis of leukaemia and other malignant diseases, as well as in the study of iron metabolism. Z Rechtsmed, 1985, 94(1), 9 - 20 {Immunoenzyme demonstration of isoantigens A, B and H in kidney tissue changed by putrefaction}; Pedal I et al.; In contrast to blood serology, which usually fails in specimens more than a few days old, immunohistochemistry (PAP technique) provided reliable information on the blood group (ABO) and, in most cases, also the secretor character of 23 kidney specimens stored for months at room temperature . Better results were obtained with monoclonal antibodies than with human sera . In the late stages of decomposition, blood group diagnosis is based on the more decomposition-resistant antigens of the collecting tubular epithelium (in secretors) and the endothelia of the arteriolae medullares rectae and not on the identification of erythrocytic antigens . In addition, a decomposition-resistant epithelial antigen in the distal convoluted tubules (Tc II) is unmasked by autolysis or heterolysis . "Blood group" antigens were frequently detected in bacteria and fungi . These antigens, however, were clearly distinguishable from blood group characters of the tissue . A transient, weak, false-positive reaction with monoclonal anti-B appeared in decomposed Tc II epithelia. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg, 1985, 79(1), 110 - 3 Detection of Giardia in human jejunum by the immunoperoxidase method . Specific and non-specific results; Fleck SL et al.; Rabbit antiserum to cultured trophozoites of Giardia intestinalis (G . lamblia) was used to detect organisms in jejunal biopsies using the PAP immunoperoxidase technique . In 30 sections examined from seven cases of giardiasis associated with histological changes in malabsorption, trophozoites were seen in the lamina propria in one instance, although they were otherwise seen in the intestinal lumen and surface mucus . One anti-Giardia serum reacted with the neutrophil polymorphs in all infected jejunal biopsies, and in jejunal and rectal biopsies from patients not suffering from giardiasis . The reaction with Giardia and with polymorphs could be absorbed out using washed Giardia trophozoites but not with preparations of bacteria. Biochim Biophys Acta, 1985, 780(1), 67 - 94 Transformation by human adenoviruses; Branton PE et al.; When, approximately 10 years ago, it was shown that the functions essential for cell transformation were localized in a small region of the adenovirus genome, a DNA segment which at that time was thought to be capable of encoding two or three average-sized proteins at most, it seemed reasonable to hope that an understanding of the mechanisms by which adenoviruses transform cells might be quickly achieved . While such optimism might be forgiven, it was quite clearly naive in the extreme . As a consequence of mRNA splicing and the use of overlapping reading frames the number of proteins encoded within E1 is 2-3-times greater than would have been predicted a decade ago, and post-translational modifications may add another dimension of complexity . In fact it has taken nearly all of the past decade just to identify the proteins encoded in E1 and to characterize them in the most rudimentary way . However, we have now entered a period in which new information is accumulating at an extremely rapid rate as a result of several major technical and fundamental advances . Chief among these are the use of recombinant DNA techniques, particularly site-directed mutagenesis, which combined with methods for introducing mutations made in cloned sequences back into infectious virus, clearly represents a powerful approach to studying the functions of transforming proteins . In addition, the ability to express transforming proteins in bacteria and to produce large amounts of highly purified proteins which previously were only just detectable in infected and transformed cells is a major breakthrough . Advances in immunological techniques, particularly the development of monoclonal antibodies and antisera against synthetic peptides, have enormously simplified the task of detecting and characterizing E1 proteins . Finally, recent results suggesting that adenovirus transforming proteins may be functionally and structurally similar to other oncogenes brings a new perspective to the study of oncogenic transformation . Have all the proteins involved in transformation by adenoviruses been identified? It seems probable that all those virally coded proteins which play a major role are now known but of course minor players in the cast could still be waiting in the wings . We have pointed out that viral functions encoded outside region E1 may have some importance at least in initiation of transformation by virions and have speculated on the possibility that one or more of these may be involved in the integration of viral DNA into the host cell chromosome.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS) Mutat Res, 1985 Jan-Mar, 153(1-2), 57 - 77 Genetic toxicology testing of 41 industrial chemicals; Dean BJ et al.; 41 compounds or mixtures of diverse structure and application have been tested for genotoxic activity . The materials were tested in bacterial mutation assays, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae JD1 for mitotic gene conversion and in a cultured rat-liver cell line for structural chromosome damage . 11 compounds were bacterial mutagens, 4 induced mitotic gene conversion in yeast and 5 were positive in the chromosome assay . 5 of the materials were positive in bacteria only and 2 compounds induced chromosome damage in cultured cells in the absence of mutation in bacteria or gene conversion in yeast . The materials were tested over a 5-year period and the performance and evolution of the 3 assays during this time is evaluated . The results are considered in relation to the structure of the chemicals and the genotoxicity of related compounds. J Nucl Med, 1985 Jan, 26(1), 88 - 92 Mechanism of gallium-67 accumulation in inflammatory lesions; Tsan MF; Multiple factors contribute to the accumulation and retention of gallium-67 in inflammatory lesions . Adequate blood supply is essential . Gallium-67, mainly in the form of transferrin-Ga-67 complex, is delivered to the inflammatory lesions through capillaries with increased permeability . At the site of inflammation, some Ga-67 is taken up by leukocytes and bacteria when they are present . In addition, Ga-67 may also bind to lactoferrin and bacterial siderophores . Multiple contributing factors often coexist at any given inflammatory lesion . The nature and intensity of the inflammation affects the relative contribution of these factors . Thus, there may be situations in which all the contributing factors are present, but in such a low intensity that they escape clinical detection by Ga-67 scans . On the other hand, there may be situations in which one or more contributing factors are missing, such as in patients with agranulocytosis, while they are readily detected by Ga-67 scans. Vet Immunol Immunopathol, 1985 Jan, 8(1-2), 125 - 35 The canine lymphocyte: effect of streptolysin O on the proliferative response of canine lymphocytes; Bloch EF et al.; The effects of Streptolysin O (SLO) on canine peripheral blood lymphocytes were studied using the lymphocyte blastogenesis test (LBT) . Canine lymphocytes stimulated with SLO produced a response that was similar to the response obtained with the commonly used phytomitogens: phytohemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (CON A) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) . When SLO was added to any of the phytomitogens and incubated with canine lymphocytes, an additive or stimulatory response was obtained . However, mixing the phytomitogens in any combination did not produce a similar additive or stimulatory response . The results were interpreted to mean that in the canine system, the binding of SLO to lymphocytes does not sterically interfere with receptors for PHA, CON A, or PWM . Additionally, SLO may stimulate a population of lymphocytes that is distinct from that stimulated by the phytomitogens . Moreover, it would appear that the phytomitogens probably stimulate the same or an overlapping population of lymphocytes . Experiments using enriched lymphoid cell populations were used to characterize the lymphocytes stimulated by phytomitogens and SLO . Lipopolysaccharides from two different bacteria were unable to cause a significant lymphoproliferative response. Ann N Y Acad Sci, 1985, 459, 40 - 55 The status of pulmonary host defense in the neonatal sheep: cellular and humoral aspects; Weiss RA et al.; In consideration of the sheep neonate as a compromised host, we have examined the status of cellular and humoral pulmonary host defense components at selected developmental time points . The dynamic character of the early neonatal LFC population, reflected in changes in subpopulations and proliferative capacity, most probably contributed to the observed changes in in vitro cell function . While certain cell responses, e.g., blood and LFC PMN chemotaxis, appeared intact by day 1, others developed subsequently . The ability of AMs to elaborate a chemotactic factor(s) was first noted at day 21 . Bacteria binding and killing presented a biphasic maturation pattern, with full competence not present until day 180 . Although the in vitro binding and killing activity of day 8 LFCs was comparable to that of the adult, it may be a poor indicator of in vivo host defense capacity, given the relative paucity of endogenous opsonins at that age . In fact, the interdependence of mediators suggests that the sheep neonate may remain a compromised host during the first 3 months of life . Thereafter, cellular and humoral parameters begin to approximate those of adult sheep and by 180 days of life pulmonary defense, as assessed in this study, is fully developed. Acta Chir Scand Suppl, 1985, 526, 66 - 72 High doses of corticosteroids in the prevention of small intestinal mucosal damage in shock; Haglund U; Experimental animals develop a characteristic mucosal damage in the small intestine following shock and hypotension . Similar lesions have also been described in man . The damage is caused by hypoxia and, in addition, proteolytic activities and generation of oxygen derived free radicals may be important . The small intestinal mucosal damage is associated with the development of cardiovascular collapse--hypotension induces mucosal lesions which, in turn aggravate the lesions . Among proposed mechanisms are portal invasion of bacteria and release of cardiotoxic material to the venous blood . Methylprednisolone in high doses (30 mg/kg) has been demonstrated to prevent or delay the development of mucosal lesions . This is probably not due to cardiovascular effects but rather to a stabilizing effect on cellular and subcellular membranes. Acta Chir Scand Suppl, 1985, 526, 120 - 3 Effect of high dose corticosteroids alone or combined with other drugs on survival in septic shock; Almqvist PM et al.; The effect of high dose corticosteroids on survival has been studied in a limited number of canine septic shock models which are reviewed in this presentation . Following injection of live bacteria neither methylprednisolone, nor gentamicin but a combination improved survival . Methylprednisolone increased survival following a slow but not a bolus infusion of endotoxin . In a recent study the effects of short term treatment with methylprednisolone, naloxone and ibuprofen were studied in endotoxin shock . All control animals died within 36 hours . Five of 9 dogs receiving the combination methylprednisolone, naloxone and ibuprofen were permanent survivors . The combined treatment with methylprednisolone and ibuprofen also increased survival . Dogs treated with methylprednisolone alone did not differ significantly from controls . It is concluded that methylprednisolone alone has no significant effect on survival in septic shock, but seems to be an important therapeutic factor to achieve increased survival. Ann N Y Acad Sci, 1985, 446, 134 - 48 Biologically active organotin polymers; Subramanian RV; The synthesis, structure, and properties of polymers in which tin is chemically anchored as tributyltin carboxylate are discussed . A base copolymer with anhydride or carboxyl groups is partially esterified with tributyltin oxide; the free carboxyls are then reacted with diepoxides to yield cross-linked controlled release formulations . The network structure and the separation length and type of epoxide cross-links were altered by changing the degree of esterification of the base polymer, the structure of epoxy monomer, and catalyst . NMR evidence established that rapid exchange exists in tributyltin carboxylates; as a consequence even their interfacial reaction with chloride is fast, producing tributyltin chloride . Biotoxicity data obtained by studying the inhibition of marine and soil bacteria reveal that the type and degree of cross-linking have a significant effect on the size of inhibition zones . Tests in the ocean confirm effective biological activity against marine fouling organisms . Structural correlations with dynamic mechanical and dielectric properties suggest a viable program to investigate the dependence of tributyltin release on polymer matrix properties. Arch Oral Biol, 1985, 30(2), 155 - 9 The role for butyrate and propionate in mediating HeLa-cells growth inhibition by human dental plaque fluid from adult periodontal disease; Levine M; To determine to what extent propionate and butyrate, secreted in vitro by various oral bacteria, account for the growth-inhibiting activity of plaque fluid in gingivitis in the absence or presence of chronic periodontitis, the fluid phase of plaque from each of these disease forms was obtained by homogenizing the bacteria with 0.13 M NaCl, centrifuging the mixture and Millipore-filter-sterilizing the plaque-fluid-extract supernatant . Toxins were detected and measured by growth inhibition of HeLa cells grown in minimal Eagle medium supplemented with calf serum and antibiotics . Samples of butyrate, propionate or plaque-fluid extract were added and inhibition of growth was determined relative to control cultures . The toxins in each extract were characterized by their stability to heat, freeze-drying and elution on gel filtration . Butyrate and propionate contents were measured with a Hewlett-Packard 5880A gas chromatograph . The plaque-fluid extracts from each group had similar contents of butyrate, but most of the activity was due to heat-sensitive high mol . wt components . Butyrate and propionate accounted for only 5 to 15 per cent of the total activity . High mol . wt exotoxins, rather than butyrate or propionate, were the most prominent and freeze-drying-stable tissue-destructive agents in the plaque fluid from subjects with or without periodontitis. Scand J Gastroenterol Suppl, 1985, 107, 8 - 23 Collagenous colitis . A clinical, histological, and ultrastructural study; Fausa O et al.; Eleven patients with so-called collagenous colitis are described and the literature reviewed . The disease presents with persisting watery diarrhoea in middle-aged subjects, predominantly women . The fairly uniform clinical features of abdominal discomfort are suggestive of the irritable bowel syndrome . The morphological changes in colorectal biopsy specimens are diagnostic, showing an excessive intercryptal subepithelial collagen deposition throughout the large bowel . Associated hyperplasia, degeneration, and desquamation are seen in the intercryptal epithelial cells and a mild inflammatory response in the lamina propria . A comparable collagenization has not been demonstrated in other disorders, but otherwise the changes demonstrated histologically and ultrastructurally are of a quantitative nature . Collagenous colitis is unrelated to other diseases and the cause unknown . It has either a benign, continuous course or exacerbations and remissions . Loperamide relieved diarrhoea in five of six patients . The collagen deposition seems to be slowly progressive, but clinical and histopathological resolution may occasionally be seen. Mol Gen Genet, 1985, 198(2), 275 - 8 Recombination deficient mutant of Caulobacter crescentus; O'Neill EA et al.; A recombination-deficient (Rec-) strain of Caulobacter crescentus has been isolated from a collection of mutants sensitive to ultraviolet irradiation . The Rec- mutant fails to give recombinants following phi Cr30-mediated generalized transduction or following RP4-mediated conjugation . The recombination frequency in the Rec- strain is at least 5000-fold lower than in the wild type strains . The Rec- mutant is indistinguishable from wild type in terms of morphology, growth rate, viability, and phage sensitivities, differing only in properties known to be associated with recA-type mutations in other organisms: recombination frequency, ultraviolet sensitivity, and Weigle reactivation . The map location of the rec-526 allele has not been identified, but rec-526 can be cotransferred with the fla-169 mutation by RP4-mediated conjugation at low frequency . This apparent linkage has been used to move the rec mutation to other strains . The Rec- mutant resembles recA strains of other organisms and provides a healthy strain severely deficient in recombination for use in complementation and cloning studies involving C . crescentus. Scan Electron Microsc, 1985, (Pt 3), 1247 - 51 Scanning electron microscopy as an analytical tool for the study of calcified intrauterine contraceptive devices; Khan SR et al.; Within the endometrial cavity intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUDs) become encrusted with cellular, acellular, and fibrillar substances . Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the crust . Cellular material consisted mainly of blood cells and various types of bacteria . The fibrillar material appeared to be fibrin which was omnipresent in the crust and formed a thin layer immediately over the IUD surface . X-ray microanalysis of the acellular component of the crust revealed the presence of calcium . No other major peaks were identified . Near the IUD surface characteristic calcium phosphate crystals were present . Their microanalysis showed peaks for calcium and phosphorus . X-ray diffraction of the crust however, showed it to contain only calcite . It is through the use of scanning electron microscopy that calcium phosphate has been detected in the IUD crust and a fibrillar layer has been visualized on the IUD surface . This study further demonstrates the effectiveness of SEM analytical techniques in the area of biomedical research. Trans Am Soc Artif Intern Organs, 1985, 31, 556 - 9 Hemodialyzer reuse: practices in the United States and implication for infection control; Bland L et al.; Reuse of hemodialyzers has continued to increase dramatically . In 1983, 52% of the hemodialysis centers were reusing hemodialyzers . Use of hollow fiber hemodialyzers has paralleled this increase in hemodialyzer reuse with 63% of the hemodialysis centers reporting exclusive use of this type of hemodialyzer in 1983 . Although reuse of hemodialyzers has not been associated with increased incidence of hepatitis B infection or pyrogenic reactions, an outbreak of nontuberculous mycobacteria in 27 chronic hemodialysis patients was probably associated with water used to reprocess dialyzers . Nontuberculous mycobacteria were isolated from the water in 83% of 115 hemodialysis centers surveyed across the United States and could constitute a potential infection risk because of the organisms' greater germicide resistance than most other naturally occurring water bacteria . Two percent formaldehyde is not an effective germicide for high level disinfection of hemodialyzers . Reprocessed hemodialyzers should be disinfected with 4% formaldehyde or an equivalent disinfectant. Drugs Exp Clin Res, 1985, 11(2), 107 - 9 Topical use of PVP-I (Betadine) preparations in patients with spinal cord injury; Michael J; Povidone-iodine (PVP-I) has a wide range of activity against bacteria . The author's clinical experience has indicated that it can be used successfully as a topical agent in the treatment of decubital ulcer in patients with spinal cord injury . To date, 110 patients have been treated with Betadine solution and ointment, topically applied at daily intervals . Of these, 70 patients had decubitus ulcers involving the sacral and trochanter region; 20 were chronic ulcers which cleared up well . Another 20 required rotation grafting procedure . Primary healing was achieved in all patients (1-4). Auris Nasus Larynx, 1985, 12 Suppl 1, S94 - 6 Endotoxin in middle ear effusions: in cases with persistent effusion after acute otitis media; Iino Y et al.; Endotoxin in persistent middle ear effusions (MEEs) from children with acute otitis media (AOM) whose acute inflammation had cleared was assayed by Limulus test, parallel with the detection of bacteria . Seventy-five percents of MEEs were endotoxin positive, and the concentration of endotoxin in MEE was not related to the interval between the onset of AOM and the date of sample collection . However, the cases with MEE that had high concentration of endotoxin tended to have persistent MEE for more than one month after sample collection . Therefore, the presence of endotoxin may be one of the causal factors of a delayed recovery of AOM and of the development of otitis media with effusion. Auris Nasus Larynx, 1985, 12 Suppl 1, S166 - 8 Cytological and histopathological studies of otitis media with effusion; Takayama M et al.; Middle ear fluid contains such cells as neutrophils, macrophages, and lymphocytes . There have been numerous reports dealing with these cellular components in the fluid . This study was undertaken to investigate interrelation between the type of predominant cells in the fluid and the stage of disease in adults and children . The study also included bacterial isolation from fluid for comparison of detection rates between adults and children, and microscopic examination of temporal bone from 2 adult patients with otitis media with effusion complicating tumors of head and neck . Thirty-two ears of adult patients and 40 ears of children both having received myringotomy were studied . The fluid specimens were obtained from middle ears examined microscopically with May-Giemsa stain and with alpha-Naphthyl butyrate esterase and Naphtohol AS-D chloroacetate double stains for identification of macrophages . Histopathological studies of the temporal bone were examined with hematoxylineosin stain . In adults, neutrophils were predominant in the fluid of 54.5% of subacute cases while the predominant cell type was macrophages in 45% of chronic cases . Neutrophils were the predominant type in 62.2% of children with chronic stage . Bacteria were demonstrated in 26.0% of the adult cases and in 21.6% of the children . By histopathological examination of the temporal bones, neutrophils were found in the fluid of case 1, and a large number of macrophages in the fluid and fibrosis of the tympanic cavity were found in case 2. Dev Biol Stand, 1985, 61, 447 - 51 Is the acute encephalopathy test in mice suited for control of pertussis vaccines? Au-Jensen M, Heron I. Animal models to control the serious neurological complications after vaccination against whooping cough are not available . In a recent paper pertussis vaccine induced acute encephalopathy in certain mouse strains (1) . Healthy BALB/c mice died with shock-like symptoms after immunization with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and heat-killed pertussis . Mice not sensitized with BSA survived, and mice of strains with another H-2 type than H-2d were not susceptible . The authors concluded that the susceptibility to side effects to pertussis vaccine in mice and possibly in human is linked to the MHC . We tried to repeat the experiments reported by Steinman et al . in the hope that the murine encephalopathy model would be useful to evaluate possible neurological complications . In spite of having the same H-2d genotype, the BALB/c mice of two breeding stocks did not develop shock-like symptoms with fatal consequences after the last injection with BSA . This fact corresponds possibly with the author's observation that the pertussis vaccine encephalopathy is not under the control of H-2 genes alone . As shown in our tests the sudden deaths and encephalopathy in mice are not linked to BSA-sensitization because mice who received pertussis vaccine only showed the same symptoms as mice injected with BSA and vaccine . Histology did not indicate brain damage . It seems obvious that the deaths in our experiments were caused by the pertussis toxins present in the large numbers of bacteria given. Auris Nasus Larynx, 1985, 12(3), 183 - 6 Intubation for the membranous laryngotracheobronchitis; Watanabe H et al.; A 49-year-old housewife with membranous laryngotracheobronchitis (the membranous croup) was referred to our clinic because of difficulty in breathing . Instant intubation in the emergency room did not relieve her breathing trouble, thus, following emergency tracheostomy accompanied by irrigation with mucolytic agents and antibiotics proved effective . Preceding intratracheal intubation made the patient suffocate because it induced membranous debris to detach and become lodged in the tracheal wall . In addition, dryness seemed to worsen her respiratory distress, thus high humidification was felt to be instrumental in relieving her symptoms . No pathological bacteria were found in specimens detached from the tracheal wall. Microbios, 1985, 44(181S), 253 - 9 A further contribution to the study of the genus Penicillium; Calvo MA et al.; A study of one hundred Penicillium strains belonging to Raper and Thom's monoverticillate series was carried out . The data compiled led to the conclusion that there are no significant biochemical differences which would make possible an accurate separation of the strains belonging to the series. Mol Gen Genet, 1985, 200(2), 346 - 9 Effect of alpha-isopropylmalate on the synthesis of RNA and protein in Neurospora; Armaleo D et al.; The leu-3/alpha-IPM (alpha-isopropylmalate) regulatory system, previously shown to control several genes of leucine, isoleucine, valine, and histidine biosynthesis, appears likely to be involved also in the regulation of overall RNA and protein synthesis in Neurospora . Upon addition of alpha-IPM the synthesis of all major species of stable RNA was found to be transiently inhibited by approximately 50% . A similar reduction was observed in overall protein synthesis . The inhibition was dependent in both cases on a functional leu-3 gene product, in conformance with previously established patterns of alpha-IPM dependent gene regulation . The overt resemblance of the phenomenon described here to the 'stringent response' of bacteria is noted but neither the mechanism of inhibition nor the precise role of alpha-IPM in the process has been established. Basic Life Sci, 1985, 31, 381 - 9 Mutagenicity of 2-aminopurine, 6-N-hydroxylaminopurine, and 2-amino-N6-hydroxyadenine in Neurospora crassa; de Serres FJ et al.; These data from our experiments with 3 purine analogs reveal striking differences in mutagenic potency . It seems highly likely that these analogs substitute readily for adenine and that they cause mutations in the main part, and in the case of AHA perhaps predominantly, by mispairing with cytosine . The most potent mutagens are those with the hydroxylamino group at the C6 position (AHA and HAP) . Of these, the most potent is the analog with an amino group in the C2 position (AHA) . The most interesting aspect of the present studies is their implications for other eukaryotic organisms . We have determined that AHA, which was shown to be a potent mutagen in bacteria {11}, is an extremely potent mutagen in a eukaryotic organism . AHA is active at relatively low concentrations, and it gives rise to point mutations that appear to arise predominantly by AT----GC base-pair transitions . AHA should be an extremely useful genetic probe for studies on higher eukaryotic organisms . Its potency and specificity make it an unusual mutagen that can be expected to produce specific-locus mutants at high frequency with the genetic damage confined to the boundaries of the gene . These characteristics should make it useful not only for studies of specific-locus mutations and sex-linked recessive lethal mutations in Drosophila but also for specific-locus studies in mammalian cells in culture and in the whole animal . In these latter systems, it is extremely time consuming and sometimes impossible to distinguish between point mutations and multilocus deletions . The use of AHA as a mutagen in these systems should provide a useful new approach to genetic fine structure analysis. J Am Coll Nutr, 1985, 4(1), 5 - 16 Grace A . Goldsmith Award lecture . Trace element regulation of immunity and infection; Chandra RK; Protein-calorie malnutrition is associated with impaired immunocompetence and increased susceptibility to infection . Clinically evident nutritional deficiency syndromes, however, are composite of deficits of many essential nutrients, each of which may exert an important regulating effect on immunity . Among other nutrients, several trace elements have been shown to regulate immune responses, particularly cell-mediated immunity . Zinc undernutrition results in lymphoid atrophy and reduced capacity to respond to many T-cell-dependent antigens . Plaque forming cell response to heterologous erythrocytes is decreased, as is the function of B cells . In zinc deficient rodents, the generation of cytotoxic lymphocytes in the spleen is reduced . Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity is largely unchanged . In acrodermatitis enteropathica, lymphocyte proliferation response to mitogens is decreased and there are significant changes in delayed hypersensitivity responses and in the proportion of various T cell subsets . Neutrophil function is not changed by zinc deficiency . Iron deficiency results in a slight decrease in the number of rosette-forming T cells and a significant impairment of lymphocyte response to mitogens and antigens . Polymorphonuclear leukocytes are unable to kill ingested bacteria and fungi in an efficient manner . Copper deficiency impairs cell-mediated immunity, as does selenium deficiency when it is associated with vitamin E lack . Several pathogenetic mechanisms may underlie such alterations in immunity . Many heavy metals impair immune responses . These effects of trace elements on immunity may have important fundamental and practical implications. Biomed Pharmacother, 1985, 39(6), 253 - 62 {Prevention of genito-anal and bucco-laryngo-esophageal cancers caused by sexually transmitted viruses}; Mathe G; Whilst some viruses of the Papilloma family cause warts on the skin, others infect mucosal cells . The types called 6 and 11 produce benign papillomas, called condylomata acuminata, visible to the naked eye, not only on the vulva, vagina, penis (cockscomb), but also in the anus, and occasionally the larynx, mouth (tongue) and oesophagus . Types 16 and 18 cause cervical cancer (generally called in situ) and especially very small flat lesions that can only be seen through the colposcope in women and a lens in men . These flat micro-lesions can also be found on the vulva, vaginal walls and on the glans and, balano-preputial area and shaft in males, the distal urethra, anus, larynx (especially the vocal cords), the mouth and oesophagus . These flat micro-lesions are either early cancers (here the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of the virus 16 and/or 18 is integrated into the cell genome), or precancerous lesion in which case the viral DNA is not integrated . Their malignant transformation is much more frequent at the junction of the glandular and squamous parts of the cervix, than in the vulva or vagina . Co-carcinogenic factors appear to have an important role in the malignant transformation;--as for instance sexually transmissible infections including chlamydiae, bacteria that produce carcinogens such as nitrosamines, herpes virus which is known to cause mutations predisposing to the integration of the Papova viruses, chemical substances applied to the genitalia . The role of low hygiene standards in male sexual partners is the major cause (such men can carry simultaneously several sexually transmissible diseases (STD}, who are never examined in search for flat lesions, who do not seek medical advice and have multiple sexual contacts with many women among whom some are more dangerous than prostitutes, especially since the wide use of hormone contraceptives and abortion that has multiplied the incidence of cervical cancer by 3 among the 20 year-old females, by 4 among the 25 year-old ones and by 2.5 among the 30 year-old ones, between 1961-65 and 1982-83 . These changes in contraception have now made intra-vaginal ejaculation the rule (this not only carries viruses and other micro-organisms into the female genital tract, but also deposits sperm that contains some thirty factors that suppress local immunity) . This with the rise of multiple partners, early sexual activity in particular in girls (hardly post-puberty) explains the increase of the frequency of cervical cancer in younger and younger women.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS) IARC Sci Publ, 1985, (60), 323 - 39 Biochemistry of latent Epstein-Barr virus infection and associated cell growth transformation; Kieff E et al.; There is sufficient knowledge of the biochemistry of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) persistence and gene expression in latent growth-transforming infection and of the persistence and expression of other oncogenic viruses to permit interesting and possibly useful comparisons . Most smaller oncogenic viral genomes usually persist solely as integrated DNAs despite their ability to circularize . Papilloma and hepatitis viruses may persist as episomes, and parts of their genomes may integrate . Usually, only the oncogenic fragment of adenovirus DNA is integrated into cell DNA . In contrast, the entire EBV genome persists in cells as an episome or as integrated DNA . Thus, EBV may have novel mechanisms to maintain its complete genome as an episome or as a complete integrated virus DNA . Three viral genes are expressed in latently EBV-infected growth-transformed cells, each of which encodes one RNA and one protein . Two of the proteins are probably nuclear DNA-binding proteins; the third is probably a membrane protein . Thus, the repertoire of genes expressed is similar in complexity and intracellular distribution to that expressed by papova and adenoviruses in cellular transformation . The papova and adenovirus-transforming genes are partially analogous to retrovirus oncogenes . This similarity cannot as yet be extended to EBV . There is no homology at the DNA-sequence or protein-sequence level between EBV and other viral or cell oncogenes . Thus, it remains important to pursue analysis of the EBV-transforming genes . Identification of these genes is a first step in discerning their function in latent growth-transforming cell infection . Parts of each of these genes are being made in bacteria . The bacterial products enable us to make antisera that are specific for each of the viral proteins . These antisera can also be used to identify the viral proteins within latently infected growth-transformed cells or within cells stably expressing transfected virus genes . The antisera can also be used to study the association of Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen (EBNA) 1 and 2 with DNA and of the lymphocyte-determined membrane antigen (LYDMA) with the cell membrane . The three genes must be introduced into nontransformed cells to determine whether, alone or in combination, they are sufficient to accomplish cell growth transformation. Mol Gen Genet, 1985, 199(3), 434 - 9 Functional complementation between the two homologous genes, ops and tps, during differentiation of Myxococcus xanthus; Furuichi T et al.; Protein S is a development-specific protein of Myxococcus xanthus encoded by the tps gene . It has been shown that there are two extensively homologous genes (ops and tps) tandemly repeated in the same direction with a 1.4 kb spacer fragment between them (Inouye et al . 1983) . Seven deletion mutants were constructed by removing the ops gene, the tps gene, segments of the spacer sequence or combinations of these regions . The deleted regions were replaced with DNA fragments carrying the Tn5 gene for kanamycin resistance . The effects of deleting different regions on morphological changes and on patterns of protein synthesis during fruiting body formation were examined . The process of fruiting body formation was severely delayed when both the ops and the tps genes were deleted . However, this delay could be suppressed by either the ops gene or the tps gene, individually, although in the latter case, a slight delay was still observed . These results indicate that the ops gene is expressed during fruiting body formation and plays a role in the normal program of M . xanthus differentiation . Furthermore, the role of the ops gene can be complemented by the tps gene . The deletion of the ops and/or tps genes had no effect on glycerol-spore formation. Basic Life Sci, 1985, 30, 707 - 18 The structure of the mer operon; Barrineau P et al.; The DNA sequence has been determined for a 3.8-kb region which encodes the mercury-resistance (mer) operon of the IncFII plasmid NR1 . The sequence reveals 4 open reading frames which could encode proteins of 12,522, 9,429, 14,965, and 58,912 d corresponding to the 4 previously described Hg-inducible proteins detected in minicells carrying mer+ plasmids . The Hg(II) reductase protein sequence is about 90% homologous to that of Tn501, but the DNA sequence shows a homology of 60-70% to that of Tn501 except for short regions of very high homology . The entire mer region is 63.4% G-C overall . The region encoding the merR (positive regulatory) function has 3 possible open reading frames, 2 of which overlap in one direction and the third of which reads in the opposite direction . Attempts to visualize the polypeptide(s) encoded by the merR cistron were unsuccessful. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol, 1985, 109(3), 159 - 72 Sequence rearrangements and genome instability . A possible step in carcinogenesis; Chorazy M; A substantial part of the mammalian genome is composed of sequences that do not contain structural genes . These sequences may constitute the major target for physical, chemical and biological DNA-damaging agents and can be involved in carcinogenesis . DNA-damaging agents contribute to the instability of the genome by introducing recombination-prone sites at DNA; these agents lead to extensive chromosomal lesions and rearrangements of genes and their regulatory sequences . Movable sequences that exist and operate in certain bacteria, yeast, and the fruit fly are responsible for sequence rearrangements and contribute to the majority of mutations . Their presence and role in higher animals is not well established . Extensive chromosomal rearrangements were identified in numerous malignancies in man and animals and definitely seem to represent a characteristic of malignancy . Vast chromosomal damage and sequence reshuffling may be of no less importance in the malignant transformation than the point mutation of a particular gene. Dev Biol Stand, 1985, 59, 23 - 9 Amplification and stability of recombinant plasmid molecules with a very large insert of foreign genetic material; Darai G et al.; The capacity of bacterial plasmid vector pAT 153 for harbouring and for amplifying in a stable way a very large insert of foreign genetic material was screened . The DNA of a tree shrew herpesvirus (strain 2) with a molecular weight of about 130 megadalton (200 kilobasepairs) consisting of a long unique DNA sequence without direct and inverted repeats (greater than 40 basepairs), was used for molecular cloning . A successful insertion and stable amplification of a DNA fragment with 49 megadalton (74 kilobasepairs) cloned in Eco RI site of pAT 153 was performed, which resulted in the construction of recombinant DNA plasmid pTH2-E-C1 . The stability of the recombinant plasmid pTH2-E-C1 with a super insert of 74 kilobasepairs (49 MD) indicates that the bacterial plasmid vector pAT 153 has really a high capacity for harbouring foreign genetic material. Biochimie, 1985 Jan, 67(1), 29 - 34 Catabolite repression 1985; Ullmann A; The present status of catabolite repression is summarized with respect to the involvement of cyclic AMP and other mediators . A model is presented which may account for the relationship between positive control of gene expression exerted by cAMP and its receptor, CAP, and negative control of catabolite repression mediated by specific metabolites. Arch Biochem Biophys, 1985 Jan, 236(1), 52 - 8 Chromatium flavocytochrome c: kinetics of reduction of the heme subunit, and the flavocytochrome c-mitochondrial cytochrome c complex; Meyer TE et al.; The kinetics of reduction of Chromatium vinosum flavocytochrome c heme subunit by exogenous flavin neutral semiquinones generated by laser flash photolysis have been investigated . Unlike the holoprotein, the isolated heme subunit was appreciably reactive with lumiflavin neutral semiquinone . The measured rate constant for the reaction (2.7 X 10(7) M-1 S-1) was comparable to those of c-type cytochromes having similar redox potentials . The ionic strength dependence of the reaction with FMN neutral radical indicated that the heme subunit had a small negative charge at the site of reduction . Taken together, these results suggest that the active site of the heme subunit is buried on complexation with the flavin subunit in the holoprotein . Horse cytochrome c formed a strong complex with Chromatium, but not Chlorobium, flavocytochrome c . Possible physiological electron acceptors such as HiPIP, cytochrome c', and cytochrome c-555 apparently did not bind to the flavocytochromes c . The rate constant for reduction by lumiflavin radical of horse cytochrome c complexed to flavocytochrome c was about twofold smaller than for reduction of horse cytochrome c alone . Flavocytochrome c was itself unreactive with exogenous flavin semiquinones . The ionic strength dependence of the reduction of the complex by FMN radical was also smaller than for horse cytochrome c in the absence of flavocytochrome c . Sulfite, which forms an adduct with the protein-bound FAD (FAD is bound in an 8-alpha-S-cysteinyl linkage), did not affect the reduction of horse cytochrome c in its complex with flavocytochrome c . We conclude that horse cytochrome c is reduced directly by exogenous flavins in its complex with flavocytochrome c, although the kinetics are slightly modified . These results are not unlike observations made with complexes of mitochondrial cytochrome c with cytochrome oxidase or cytochrome b5. Environ Mutagen, 1985, 7(6), 933 - 45 The Reproductive Effects Assessment Group's report on the mutagenicity of 1,3-butadiene and its reactive metabolites; Rosenthal SL; A major data gap for assessing heritable risk from exposure to 1,3-butadiene is the lack of mammalian mutagenicity data . The data base on the mutagenic potential of 1,3-butadiene is limited to three bacterial studies from the same laboratory . Two of these studies were positive only in the presence of liver S9 mix from chemically pretreated animals . In vitro data suggest that 1,3-butadiene is metabolized to two epoxide intermediates . 3,4-Epoxybutene, one potential reactive metabolite of 1,3-butadiene, is a monofunctional alkylating agent and is a direct-acting mutagen in bacteria . In addition, unpublished data suggest that 3,4-epoxy-butene induces DNA damage and chromosomal aberrations in mice . Another potential reactive metabolite, 1,2:3,4-diepoxybutane, is a bifunctional alkylating agent and is mutagenic in a wide variety of organisms (bacteria, fungi, and the germ cells of Drosophila) . This metabolite also induces DNA damage in mice and in cultured hamster cells, is clastogenic in fungi and cultured rat cells, and produces chromosome damage/breakage in Drosophila germ cells . These data, when combined with evidence that 1,3-butadiene is carcinogenic in rodent gonadal tissues and is associated with gonadal atrophy in mice, constitute suggestive evidence that 1,3-butadiene may be a human germ cell mutagen . However, because the mutagenicity of 1,3-butadiene has been studied only in bacteria, studies in mammalian test systems are needed to further characterize the mutagenic potential of 1,3-butadiene. Dev Biol Stand, 1985, 61, 373 - 7 A rapid and simple method for evaluation of serum opsonic capacity against Bordetella pertussis by chemiluminescence; Lilius EM et al.; Serum opsonic capacity against Bordetella pertussis was studied by using quantitative chemiluminescence (CL) which is known to have several advantages over conventional methods in the evaluation of opsonization and phagocytosis . For opsonization, sera from whooping cough patients or from controls were incubated with killed B . pertussis cells at 37 degrees C for 30 min . Polymorphonuclear leukocytes, mononuclear cells or unfractionated leukocytes, all from healthy blood donors, were added to the opsonization mixture and CL emission was measured . Bacteria opsonized in diluted sera of whooping cough patients caused the activation of leukocytes manifested as a CL emission and no CL emission was observed when unopsonized B . pertussis was incubated with leukocytes . The opsonins could be detected by using any type of leukocyte preparation . Sera from adults vaccinated with DTP in the childhood gave rise to a large CL emission . Sera from whooping cough patients produced CL responses in more dilute solutions than those from vaccinated controls and sera from unvaccinated infants did not contain opsonins against B . pertussis . In unvaccinated infants suffering from whooping cough no opsonins were detectable in sera collected one week after the onset of the disease . However, the development of the opsonic capability against B . pertussis was observed in follow-up sera of all patients . The CL assay is simple, rapid, and reproducible offering new possibilities to evaluate humoral immune mechanisms and phagocytosis in whooping cough. Dev Biol Stand, 1985, 61, 337 - 40 Class-specific antibody response to lymphocytosis promoting factor (LPF) and fimbriae (F) in pertussis; Viljanen MK et al.; IgM, IgA and IgG antibodies to lymphocytosis promoting factor and fimbriae were measured by enzyme-linked immunoassay in seropositive and/or culture-positive patients without symptoms of pertussis, culture-negative patients with typical whooping cough symptoms, and culture-positive patients with typical symptoms . The culture-negative patients with typical symptoms had higher antibody levels in the first specimens and stronger responses to these antigens than the other patients . Antibody levels in the first specimens and antibody responses did not correlate with patients' age and duration of symptoms before taking of the first specimens . Thus, no correlation occurred between the symptoms of pertussis and antibody levels or antibody responses to fimbriae or lymphocytosis promoting factor . Bacteria were less likely to be isolated from those with strong antibody responses and this stresses the need of using both isolation and serology in the diagnosis of pertussis. Dev Biol Stand, 1985, 61, 165 - 72 Protection against intranasal infection of mice with Bordetella pertussis; Robinson A et al.; Mice have been infected by intranasal instillation of Bordetella pertussis and the infection monitored by determining numbers of bacteria isolated from the lungs . Outer membrane proteins, filamentous hemagglutinin, toxoided-lymphocytosis promoting factor and agglutinogens (fimbriae) actively protect mice against intranasal infection and antibodies of the antigens neutralize infectivity . The neutralization of infection by agglutinins is serospecific . In general, antigens that actively protect mice against intracerebral infections also protect against intranasal infections but some antigens, such as filamentous hemagglutinin and agglutinogens, protect only against intranasal infections . The intranasal protective potency of antigens can be enhanced by including low levels of active lymphocytosis promoting factor in the preparations . The relevance of the intranasal test to the potency testing of pertussis vaccines is discussed. Dev Biol Stand, 1985, 61, 11 - 9 Genetic studies of the molecular basis of whooping cough; Weiss AA et al.; The etiologic agent of whooping cough, Bordetella pertussis, synthesizes several biochemically and biologically active factors believed to contribute to the disease process . They include filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA), pertussis toxin (PTX), adenylate cyclase toxin (AC), and hemolysin (HLY) . We have used a genetic approach to evaluate the contribution of these factors to the virulence of B . pertussis . A series of B . pertussis mutants prepared by transposon Tn5 insertion mutagenesis were characterized and determined to be specifically deficient in the elaboration of these factors . The wild type strain and the mutants were tested for their ability to produce a lethal infection in the classical infant mouse intranasal infection model . The dose of organisms required to cause lethal infection in 50% of the animals (LD50) for the wild type strain was 2 X 10(3) bacteria . A mutant deficient in production of the proposed adherence factor, FHA, was equivalent in virulence to the wild type strain (BP353, LD50 = 8 X 10(3)) . In contrast, mutants deficient in production of PTX alone (BP357, LD50 = 5 X 10(6)), AC and HLY (BP348, LD50 greater than 3 X 10(7)), or all known toxins and virulence factors (BP347, LD50 greater than 3 X 10(7)) were severely impaired in their ability to cause a lethal infection . Our data indicate the hemolysin and adenylate cyclase as well as pertussis toxin are important virulence factors and provide the basis for a working model of the molecular basis of the disease caused by Bordetella pertussis. Acupunct Electrother Res, 1985, 10(4), 255 - 77 A new, simple, non-invasive imaging technique of internal organs and various cancer tissues using extended principles of the "Bi-Digital O-Ring Test" without using expensive imaging instruments or exposing the patient to any undesirable radiation--Part I; Omura Y; A new, simple, non-invasive and inexpensive imaging method of internal organs, using the "Bi-Digital O-Ring Test" was developed by the author . This new imaging technique does not require any bulky expensive instruments or electric power source . Unlike currently available imaging techniques, such as NMR tomography, CAT-Scan, angiography, or ultrasonography, which expose the patient to undesirable radiation, this new imaging technique does not expose the patient to undesirable radiation, such as X-rays, strong magnetic field, ultra-sound, etc . Material required for this present simplest form is a sample of internal organs in the form of a microscopic slide or a small piece of dessicated internal organ from a human or animal and a fine probe, or its alternative method (using a focused beam of light or a positive electrical field) . The imaging can be carried out any place in any emergency situation, even in a place where there are no medical facilities or electricity . In addition to imaging of the internal organs, without any prior knowledge of the patient's chief complaint or history, not only can the presence or absence of cancer of specific internal organs be suspected, even in very small size, but also the exact location of such a suspected area within the specific internal organ can be localized, even when NMR tomography or CAT-Scan has failed to detect the cancer . As a further extension of the "Bi-Digital O-Ring Test" application and imaging technique, the presence or absence of specific bacteria can be suspected and localized, using the patient's "Bi-Digital O-Ring Test" response to glass slides of pure bacteria, which can often be confirmed by bacterial culture, when culturing is feasible . Imaging of different internal organs, including the heart, blood vessels, pancreas, gall bladder, duodenum, bile ducts, pancreatic ducts, kidneys, uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, thymus networks, appendix, etc . were studied . Also, detection and localization of cancer of the head of the pancreas was studied, and some of the clinical examples of these various studies are shown in this article . When the "Bi-Digital O-Ring Test" of the pancreas representation area showed minus 3 or minus 4, the author often found an abnormally enlarged body of the pancreas, with prolonged and enlarged tail of the pancreas, with suspected bacterial infection in that part of the pancreas, often accompanied by enlarged gall bladder.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS) Scand J Gastroenterol Suppl, 1985, 111, 36 - 40 Moderate reduction of gastric acid secretion in the treatment of peptic ulcer disease; Jaup BH; Duodenal ulceration is presumed to be induced and maintained by imbalance between aggressive and defensive factors . Development of drugs for correction of this imbalance has recently concentrated on maximum inhibition of acid secretion e.g . via H2-receptor antagonists but has led to re-evaluation of antacids and antimuscarinics . It has been shown that about the same percentage of ulcers can be healed using low antacid doses or antimuscarinics (e.g . pirenzepine) or doses of H2-receptor antagonists which do not inhibit acid secretion maximally as can be healed using higher doses of H2-receptor antagonists . Avoidance of the intragastric bacterial overgrowth and its consequences and the disturbance of the acid-gastrin feedback mechanism which may follow maximum gastric acid suppression could provide a rationale for use of anti-ulcer therapy based on moderate reduction of gastric acid secretion. Biochem Soc Symp, 1985, 50, 97 - 125 Role of water in processes of energy transduction: Ca2+-transport ATPase and inorganic pyrophosphatase; de Meis L; After the proposal of the chemiosmotic theory by Mitchell (1966, 1979) it has been recognized that different membrane-bound enzymes are able to use the energy derived from ionic gradients for the synthesis of ATP . These include the F1-ATPases of mitochondria and chloroplasts, the Ca2+-dependent ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum and the (Na+,K+)-ATPase of plasma membrane . In these systems the process of energy transduction is fully reversible . The enzyme can use the energy derived from the hydrolysis of ATP to build up a concentration gradient of ions across the membrane and, in the reverse process, use the energy derived from the gradient to synthesize ATP . Another interesting system in which these forms of energy are interconverted is found in photosynthetic bacteria . In chromatophores of Rhodospirillum rubrum there is a membrane-bound pyrophosphatase that, like the transport ATPases, catalyses the synthesis of pyrophosphate from Pi when a light-dependent proton gradient is formed across the chromatophore membrane . Like F1-ATPase, this enzyme is also able to generate an electrochemical potential gradient of protons at the expense of pyrophosphate hydrolysis . The mechanism by which the energy derived from a gradient is used by membrane-bound enzymes to catalyse the synthesis of high-energy phosphate compounds is still far from understood . Among the different enzymes studied, Ca2+-dependent ATPase is probably the system in which most is known about the mechanism of energy transduction . We now know of experimental conditions which allow us to move the different intermediary steps of the catalytic cycle of the enzyme in the direction of ATP synthesis . Thus, ATP synthesis can be attained after a single catalytic cycle in the absence of a transmembrane Ca2+ gradient . The net synthesis of ATP can be promoted by a variety of perturbations, including Ca2+, pH and water activity . These experiments indicate that during the catalytic cycle different forms of energy are interconverted by the Ca2+-dependent ATPase . The ultimate step of the cycle seems to be a change of water activity within the catalytic site of the ATPase . A common feature of all membrane-bound enzymes mentioned above is that during the catalytic cycle there are steps in which the hydrolysis of a phosphate compound (ATP, pyrophosphate or an acyl phosphate residue) is accompanied by only a small change in free energy . In conditions similar to those found in the cytosol, the hydrolysis of these phosphate compounds is accompanied by a much larger change in free energy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS) Int Rev Cytol, 1985, 96, 1 - 28 The evolutionary role of recombinational repair and sex; Bernstein H et al.; We have argued that sexual reproduction arose very early in the evolution of life as a way of overcoming informational damage or loss through recombinational repair . As organisms became more complex and genome information content expanded, diploidy, at first transient, became the predominant way of coping with increased vulnerability to mutation . This allowed further genome expansion . Once such expansion had occurred, however, diploidy became essentially irreversible, since reversion to haploidy would lead to expression of accumulated deleterious recessive alleles . This expression of recessive alleles also imposes a stiff penalty on organisms that experiment with close inbreeding forms of recombinational repair . A consequence of sex is that fitness (defined as per capita rate of increase) is density dependent . At low population density, fitness declines due to increased costs of finding a mate . This fundamental constraint on population increase can inhibit evolutionary success of the best adapted species if it is small in numbers . Sexual reproduction also tends to eliminate new coadapted genotypes within a species by breaking up their coadapted gene complexes; this also contributes to the cohesion of species . In general, we think the existence of species and their characteristic cohesion and stability over time are direct consequences of sex; and sex in turn is a consequence of the need to overcome gene damage through recombinational repair while at the same time masking the deleterious effects of mutation. Microbiol Immunol, 1985, 29(8), 751 - 7 Monoclonal and oligoclonal immunoglobulins localized in human dental periapical lesion; Matsumoto Y; The gamma-globulin fractions of extracts obtained from 70 periapical lesions were studied by agarose gel electrophoresis and immunofixation . In agarose gel electrophoresis, homogeneous bands in the gamma-globulin region were found in 25 of 70 specimens (36%) . Among the 25 specimens showing homogeneous bands, these bands in six specimens were identified as monoclonal or oligoclonal immunoglobulins . Local production of oligoclonal immunoglobulins was suggested since the corresponding homogeneous bands were not detected in the serum of the same patient . These immunoglobulins may be produced as a result of local immunogenic response against infecting bacteria in periapical inflammation. Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz), 1985, 33(3), 387 - 95 Comparison of lipopolysaccharides of Rhodomicrobium vannielii grown in photo- and chemotropic conditions; Rozalski A et al.; Chemical composition of the lipopolysaccharides obtained from the strain Rhodomicrobium vannielii (ZoBell) grown in photo- and chemoheterotrophic conditions was compared . No significant differences in the constitution of both lipopolysaccharides were revealed, except for the presence of an additional 2-0-methyl-pentose and palmitic acid in the LPS isolated from the chemotrophically grown bacteria . The degraded polysaccharides from both lipopolysaccharide preparations, when fractionated in column chromatography, revealed the occurrence of two fractions only: the first one containing all the sugars present in the respective lipopolysaccharide and the second composed of KDO . Glucan was shown to be produced by the investigated strain in phototrophic conditions only. Surv Synth Pathol Res, 1985, 4(2), 126 - 51 Acute phase response in infectious disease; Gauldie J et al.; In considering the pathology associated with infectious diseases, the most common host response to such infection is inflammation . The mechanism(s) whereby inflammation is initiated and the cell types involved will dictate the kinds of acute phase plasma changes that can be seen associated with the infection . Bacteria seem to ini