Cancer Detect Prev Suppl, 1987, 1, 463 - 75 Modulation of NK activity in regional lymph nodes by preoperative immunotherapy with OK-432 in patients with cancer of the oral cavity; Vinzenz K et al.; The influence of preoperative perilesional therapy with the potent bacterial biological response modifier (BRM) OK-432 on natural killer (NK) cell activity in peripheral blood and tumor draining lymph nodes (LNs) of patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) has been investigated . Pretreatment NK activity in peripheral blood (PB) was comparable within the group of HNC patients . However, after perilesional OK-432 therapy, a significant increase in cytotoxicity was observed by day 8 . Furthermore, postoperative suppression of PB NK activity was less pronounced in patients with OK-432 therapy . In tumor draining LNs, NK activity was significantly higher in patients receiving OK-432 therapy than in those treated by surgery alone . No differences were detected concerning the in vitro stimulatory capacity of interferon (IFN) and/or Staphylococcus protein A (SPA) on LN NK activity in both the OK-432 treated and untreated group . Furthermore, by immunoperoxidase technique, LNs of OK-432 treated patients were found to express a higher number of cells reacting with the monoclonal antibody HNK-1 compared to LNs of the untreated group . Both these results suggest that perilesional OK-432 therapy leads to an increase in number and function of NK cells in regional LNs, together with an increase in NK activity in PB in some but not all patients. Drugs Exp Clin Res, 1987, 13(12), 731 - 5 Stability of dactimicin to aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes; Gomez-Lus R et al.; Dactimicin was active against strains expressing the activities of aminoglycoside acetylating enzymes {AAC(3)-II, III, IV and V, AAC(2'), AAC(6')-I and II}, aminoglycoside-nucleotidylating enzymes {ANT(2"), AAD(3")} and aminoglycoside-phosphorylating enzymes {APH(3')-I-II and III}, with the exception of AAC(3)-I and one staphylococcal AAC(6')-IV . Apparently this is the first report of one 6'-N-acetylating enzyme which modifies and inactivates dactimicin . The authors' data suggest that the differences in the behaviour of dactimicin, gentamicin and amikacin against the aminoglycoside-resistant strains tested were mainly due to the production of aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes . If the results are summarized, it may be concluded that dactamicin is the most stable to the majority of aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes demonstrated {APH(3'), APH(2"), APH(3"), ANT(2"), AAD(3"), AAC(2') and AAC(6')}, with the exception of AAC(3)-I and staphylococcal AAC(6')-IV. Protein Seq Data Anal, 1987, 1(1), 7 - 12 Structural studies on a 75-kDa glycoprotein isolated from porcine gastric mucosal membranes: close homology with the 78-kDa glucose-regulated family of proteins; Baldwin GS et al.; A 75-kDa glycoprotein (P75) has been purified to homogeneity from washed membranes isolated from the corpus of porcine gastric mucosa . The purification procedure employed chromatography on concanavalin A-Sepharose and DEAE-Sepharose, and preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis . Reversed-phase microbore high-performance liquid chromatography was employed to fractionate and purify a number of tryptic peptides generated from approximately 1100 pmol purified P75 . The use of reversed-phase microbore (2.1 mm internal diameter) columns facilitated the purification of subnanomole amounts of polypeptides in small volumes (40-60 microliter) suitable for loading onto the gas-phase sequencer without further concentration . N-Terminal amino acid sequence analyses were performed on the intact polypeptide and on 13 tryptic peptides and one Staphylococcus protease V8 peptide, yielding 170 unique assignments; this corresponds to approximately 26% of the molecule . A comparison of this amino acid sequence information with the cDNA-deduced primary structure of a 70-kDa heat-shock-related protein (P72), which is expressed in normal rat liver reveals that these protein sequences are almost identical, differing in only 1 of the 170 positions positively assigned thus far . The probable correspondence of P72 with the 78-kDa glucose-regulated protein (GRP78) isolated from hamster fibroblasts has been reported. Neurochirurgie, 1987, 33(6), 474 - 7 {Acute staphylococcal epidural inflammation . Apropos of 2 cases}; Pernot P et al.; Two cases of staphylococcal infection of the epidural space are presented and on this purpose a review of literature is done to remind of this pathology and to plead for early diagnosis. Arch Microbiol, 1987, 149(2), 120 - 4 Voltage-dependent depolarization of bacterial membranes and artificial lipid bilayers by the peptide antibiotic nisin; Sahl HG et al.; The peptide antibiotic nisin is shown to disrupt valinomycin-induced potassium diffusion potentials imposed on intact cells of Staphylococcus cohnii 22 . Membrane depolarization occurred rapidly at high diffusion potentials while at low potentials nisin-induced depolarization was slower suggesting that nisin requires a membrane potential for activity . This assumption was proven in experiments with planar lipid bilayers (black lipid membranes) . Macroscopic conductivity measurements indicated a voltage-dependent action of nisin . The potential must have a trans-negative orientation with respect to the addition of nisin (added to the cis-side) and a sufficient magnitude (ca.-100 mV) . With intact cells the threshold potential was lower (-50 to -80 mV at pH 7.5 and below -50 mV at pH 5.5) . Single channel recordings resolved transient multi-state pores, strongly resembling those introduced by melittin into artificial bilayers . The pores had diameters in the range of 0.2-1 nm, and lifetimes of few to several hundred milliseconds . The results indicate that nisin has to be regarded as a membrane-depolarizing agent which acts in a voltage-dependent fashion. Zh Nevropatol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova, 1987, 87(11), 1650 - 3 {Skin autoflora in patients with encephalomyelopolyradiculoneuritis with a protracted course}; Khlebtovskii ES et al.; The deep and superficial skin autoflora has been investigated in 57 patients with encephalomyelopolyradiculoneuritis (EMPRN) characterized by a protracted course . There was a tendency toward an increase in the total colonization of the skin, particularly in the zone of thin intestine projection onto the anterior abdominal wall with the appearance of colonies of microorganisms fermenting mannitol and splitting red blood cells in the amounts exceeding the normal range . These alterations were more marked in deep autoflora and they were evaluated as an indicator of depressed immunobiological reactivity of the body in patients with EMPRN . Skin autoflora in these patients was predominantly presented by a pathogenetic epidermal staphylococcus . The presence of this staphylococcus is considered as a factor of risk and the indicator that the development of staphylococcal infections is highly possible, which makes the "immunological disarmament" in patients with a protracted course of EMPRN even more pronounced. Med Microbiol Immunol (Berl), 1987, 176(6), 281 - 7 Immunostimulating cell surface substance from Staphylococcus epidermidis strain ATCC-31432 prevents metastatic lung colonization in Balb/c-mice; Ohshima Y et al.; The antineoplastic activity of cell surface substance from Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC-31432 (CSS-subfraction 2) in mice and its influence on the activation of human leucocytes was studied . After in vitro incubation with CSS-subfraction 2, human polymorphonuclear leucocytes were evidently stimulated . In vivo (Balb/c-mice) intraperitoneal application of subfraction 2 of CSS induced a considerable splenomegaly and greatly increased IgM levels indicating a strong immuno-stimulating activity . In order to evaluate antineoplastic effects of CSS-subfraction 2, we used sarcoma L-1 cells (Balb/c-mouse origin) which cause heavy tumor colonization of the lung . After single systemic injection of subfraction 2 of CSS, the number of lung tumor-cell colonies drastically decreased . The combination of this immunomodulating therapy with a temporary anticoagulation resulted in a further reduction of tumor colonies in the lungs of Balb/c-mice. J Hyg Epidemiol Microbiol Immunol, 1987, 31(4), 445 - 52 Experimental investigation of preparations for the immunotherapy of staphylococcal infections; Jegorova NB et al.; A comparative experimental study was carried out of antigenic staphylococcal preparations developed in the USSR and Czechoslovakia for the immune therapy of chronic staphylococcal infection . The efficiency of the preparations was unequivocally confirmed using the rabbit staphylococcal sepsis model . The immunogenicity of tested strains was shown not to always correlate with their virulence . Preparations obtained by means of aqueous extraction from mildly virulent immunogenic strains exhibited greater protective activity than those prepared from highly virulent strains . The PCA phenomenon did not differ significantly provided the tested preparations were administered at doses which ensured equal protective action. Biomed Pharmacother, 1987, 41(6), 329 - 36 Lymphocyte locomotion "in vitro": the role of growth activators and chemoattractants; Wilkinson PC; Studies of lymphocyte locomotion in vitro are reviewed . This locomotion is important (a) for recirculation and the traversing of high endothelial venules in lymphoid tissue; (b) for recruitment of lymphocytes into inflammatory sites . In the latter situation, activated lymphocytes migrate more actively than resting lymphocytes . Our studies indicate that lymphocyte activators such as PHA, anti-CD3 antibodies, or the Cowan staphylococcus confer locomotor capacity on populations of human blood lymphocytes which, in the resting state, are immotile . Locomotor capacity is acquired in the G1 phase of growth and requires protein and RNA synthesis but not DNA synthesis . Anti-CD3-driven locomotor activation is inhibited by cyclosporin A, suggesting that new gene expression is required . The mitogens do not act directly as locomotor stimulants, i.e . they are not themselves chemotactic or chemokinetic factors . Rather they activate the potential for motility of lymphocytes and also cause release of lymphokines which are the direct stimulants for locomotion . One of these lymphokines (lymphocyte chemotactic factor: LCF) has been partially characterized. Cancer Detect Prev Suppl, 1987, 1, 351 - 9 Serological evaluation of melanoma patients in a phase I/II trial of vaccinia melanoma oncolysate (VMO) immunotherapy; Wallack MK et al.; Vaccinia melanoma oncolysates (VMO) were tested in a Southeastern Cancer Study Group (SECSG)-sponsored phase I/II multiinstitutional trial . Forty-eight patients with stage I or II disease were placed on study at six different dose levels of VMO and two different dose schedules, immediate or delayed . Patients' sera, obtained before treatment and every 3 months following initiation of treatment, were tested for antimelanoma antibodies using a Staphylococcus protein A (SpA) assay . Pretreatment sera were negative in 46 of 47 patients, and only two of 19 patients on delayed treatment developed reactivity by 6 months . However, 13 of 23 on immediate treatment developed reactivity, including eight of eight at the higher doses (1.5 and 2.0 mg) . Neither anti-HLA antibody tested by a standard microcytotoxicity assay nor circulating immune complexes measured by both Clq and conglutinin binding assays were produced as a result of the immunization . The demonstration of immunogenicity of VMO at the 2 mg dose and immediate schedule supported the rationale for the use of this dose and schedule for the ongoing second phase Ia/Ib trial and for the future phase III randomized prospective study. Nephrol Dial Transplant, 1987, 2(6), 551 - 6 Relationship of IgG, C3 and transferrin with opsonising and bacteriostatic activity of peritoneal fluid from CAPD patients and the incidence of peritonitis; McGregor SJ et al.; IgG, C3 and transferrin in peritoneal dialysis effluent of patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) were 1%-2% of those in serum . In contrast, the values in normal peritoneal fluid were not significantly different from those in serum . The three proteins correlated with each other in peritoneal dialysis effluent, but were independent of the amount in the corresponding patients' sera . There was also an overall inverse correlation between total protein in peritoneal dialysis effluent and time on CAPD during the first 6 months of treatment but not thereafter, which suggests that changes in membrane permeability occur during the early months . In peritoneal dialysis effluent, but not in normal peritoneal fluid, there was a correlation between opsonising capacity and IgG or C3 concentrations . An inverse correlation between opsonic activity of peritoneal dialysis effluent and frequency of peritonitis was also found . Peritoneal dialysis effluent permitted significantly faster multiplication of Staphylococcus epidermidis than sera or normal peritoneal fluid, and the growth rate correlated inversely with the transferrin levels in peritoneal dialysis effluent . Overall IgG, C3 and transferrin in peritoneal dialysis effluent are inadequate for optimal opsonising and bacteriostatic activity, and the peritoneal cavities of CAPD patients are therefore immunocompromised sites. Nephrol Dial Transplant, 1987, 2(5), 359 - 65 Opsonic activity of dialysis effluent predicts those at risk of Staphylococcus epidermidis peritonitis; Coles GA et al.; The overnight effluent obtained from 62 patients undergoing CAPD was examined for IgG, C3 and C4 concentrations and for opsonic activity against S . epidermidis using polymorphonuclear leucocyte phagocytosis and luminol-dependent . chemiluminescence . There was a negative correlation between IgG and the age of the patient, but no relationship between IgG, C3 and C4, time on CAPD, or clinical diagnosis . Forty-eight of these patients were followed up for 6 months and 37 for a full year . An effluent IgG concentration of less than 0.105 g/l was associated with a significantly greater risk of infection with S . epidermidis during the study period . Comparing 'high' and 'low' values of C3 and C4, and using phagocytosis and chemiluminescence as measures of opsonic activity there were significant differences in the frequency of S . epidermidis peritonitis between the two groups during the follow up periods . No patient with high values of both IgG and C3 had S . epidermidis peritonitis during 12 months of study . Opsonic activity was both immunoglobulin and complement dependent . The latter activity involved both the classical and alternative complement pathways . These results suggest that routine screening of dialysate for IgG and C3 concentrations may be of prognostic value. Nephrol Dial Transplant, 1987, 2(2), 104 - 8 Bactericidal activity of peritoneal macrophages from continuous ambulatory dialysis patients; McGregor SJ et al.; A radiometric assay is described for measuring phagocytosis and intracellular killing of Staphylococcus epidermidis by peritoneal cells from continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients . Using this method it is possible to determine simultaneously and independently, in a single assay, whether peritoneal cells from CAPD patients possess defects in either ingestion or intracellular killing . Assays were performed on peritoneal cells obtained from 28 samples of spent dialysis fluid from CAPD patients . In the majority of cases these cells were able to efficiently phagocytose and kill opsonised Staph . epidermidis, although the degree of intracellular killing was slightly reduced compared with peritoneal cells obtained from eight normal controls undergoing laparoscopy . Overall there was no correlation between the degree of phagocytosis or intracellular killing and susceptibility of patients to peritonitis, although cells from two patients with a high incidence of peritonitis did show abnormally poor ingestion and/or killing . In a number of samples only low numbers of cells (less than 10(6)) were recovered in total from the overnight bags, and there was a significant inverse correlation between the number of cells in the fluid and the length of time on CAPD. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol, 1987, 82(3-4), 272 - 4 Anti-idiotypic antibodies as staphylococcal enterotoxin receptor probes on monkey mast cells; Bamberger U et al.; The immediate-type skin reaction in unsensitized monkeys upon challenge with staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) was studied to define the role of mast cell receptors in the action of the toxin . For this purpose anti-idiotypic antibodies (anti-Id) were raised in BALB/c mice against monoclonal anti-SEB antibodies and purified by idiotype affinity chromatography . Anti-Id completely abolished skin reactions upon challenge with SEB without having biological functions itself . The data are compatible with the view that receptors for staphylococcal enterotoxin actually exist on the mast cell membrane of primates and anti-Id may be of potential value to influence the course of staphylococcal enterotoxin-mediated effects. J Clin Lab Immunol, 1987 Jan, 22(1), 13 - 7 The effect of corticosteroids and other antineoplastic agents on the generation of leukocyte migration inhibition factor; Li J et al.; We have shown that hydrocortisone in physiological concentrations can inhibit the production of leukocyte migration inhibition factor (LMIF), but does not diminish the action of this lymphokine . Other agents tested failed to influence LMIF production . Inhibition of LMIF production by corticosteroids was influenced by the nature of the stimulus used for the production as an effect could be seen with PHA or Con A, but not Staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) . Production of LMIF was promptly restored after removal of the steroids . Furthermore, addition of a calcium ionophore to PHA restored the production of LMIF even in the presence of corticosteroids . In contrast, addition of exogenous IL-2 did not correct the defect in lymphokine secretion . We believe that inhibition of the production of LMIF by steroid may lead to defective granulocytic function and thus, predispose to infection. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr, 1987 Jan-Feb, 11(1), 42 - 5 The incidence and clinical significance of intravenous fat emulsion contamination during infusion; Ebbert ML et al.; So that the actual contamination rate of intravenous fat emulsions, as well as the type of microbial contamination, could be quantified, 103 bottles of 10% fat emulsion were collected near infusion completion from patients' bedsides . All samples were cultured and compared according to actual hanging time, in addition to the amount and type of microbial contamination . Recovered organisms included Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis, diphtheroids, and Micrococcus . Sample analysis failed to demonstrate significant differences in extrinsic microbial contamination rate or organism multiplication between samples infusing for less than or equal to 12 hr and those infusing longer . Although these products support microbial growth, the contaminants introduced into the infusate by environmental or touch contamination yielded minimal colony growth . No patient developed signs or symptoms of bacteremia during the study period . Therefore, infusion of intravenous fat emulsion products over extended periods of time in this study did not increase the risk of developing infectious complications. Eksp Onkol, 1987, 9(1), 28 - 30 {Non-specific antitumoral activity of staphylococcal enterotoxins}; Shcheglovitova ON et al.; St . aureus enterotoxins A and B possess an antitumour effect . After intraperitoneal inoculation they decrease the size and in some cases prevent the development of the human hypernephroma in the cheek pouch of golden hamsters . The effect of enterotoxins may possibly consist in inducing the production of endogenous immune interferon which activates the host immune system and enhances the rejection of heterologous tumour cells. Cancer Detect Prev, 1987, 10(5-6), 435 - 44 Clearance of retroviremia and regression of malignancy in cats with leukemia-lymphoma during treatment with staphylococcal protein A; Engelman RW et al.; Cats persistently infected with a type C retrovirus (feline leukemia virus; FeLV) were treated either by the extracorporeal perfusion of their plasma through filter columns containing staphylococcal protein A (SPA) or by the intraperitoneal injection of SPA for up to 32 treatments . The clearance of evidence of viral infection occurred during treatment with SPA in 67% of the treated cats with chronic viral infection that had FeLV-related abnormalities other than overt malignancy . This rate of viral clearance is more than 30 times greater than the incidence of spontaneous clearance of persistent FeLV viremia in the untreated cat . Actual clearance of viremia occurred in 28% of all cats treated . Regression of malignancy, which occurred in four of 12 (33%) treated cats, was demonstrated by reductions in tumor size and bone marrow neoplastic cell populations . Immediately preceding or concurrent with these remissions from viral infection and malignant disease, a marked though transient elevation in the plasma level of circulating gamma-like interferon occurred in some responding cats and was followed by the appearance and rising titer of a complement-dependent cytotoxic antibody that reacted with FeLV-infected cells . This IgG antibody was shown by several analyses to be specific for the major viral envelope glycoprotein gp70 . Further investigations demonstrated that high levels of FeLV at the cellular level might be responsible for the reduced ability of normal feline lymphocytes to secrete gamma-interferon in response to mitogenic stimuli in vitro . These findings may provide some clue to the variation in the responsiveness of individual cats to immunotherapy with staphylococcal protein A. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1987 Jan, 84(1), 26 - 30 Immunoprecipitation of the parathyroid hormone receptor; Wright BS et al.; An 125I-labeled synthetic analog of bovine parathyroid hormone, {8-norleucine,18-norleucine,34-tyrosine}PTH-(1-34) amide ({Nle}PTH-(1-34)-NH2), purified by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), was employed to label the parathyroid hormone (PTH) receptor in cell lines derived from PTH target tissues: the ROS 17/2.8 rat osteosarcoma of bone and the CV1 and COS monkey kidney lines . After incubation of the radioligand with intact cultured cells, the hormone was covalently attached to receptors by using either a photoaffinity technique or chemical (affinity) cross-linking . In each case, covalent labeling was specific, as evidenced by a reduction of labeling when excess competing nonradioactive ligand was present . After covalent attachment of radioligand, membranes were prepared from the cells and solubilized in the nonionic detergent Nonidet P-40 or octyl glucoside . The soluble membrane fraction present in the supernatant of a 100,000 X g centrifugation was incubated with IgG prepared from anti-PTH antiserum generated to the amino-terminal region, residues 1-34, of PTH . The IgG-PTH-receptor complex was precipitated with staphylococcal protein A-Sepharose . Analysis of the immunoprecipitate on NaDod-SO4/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by autoradiography revealed the presence of a doublet of apparent molecular mass 69-70 kDa . Specifically labeled bands of approximate molecular mass 95 and 28 kDa were also observed . The anti-PTH IgG was affinity purified by passage over a PTH-Sepharose column and used to make an immunoaffinity column . The 70- and 28-kDa bands were also observed after labeled solubilized membrane preparations were allowed to bind to this column and then were eluted by using a {Nle}PTH-(1-34)-NH2-containing buffer or acetic acid . These studies suggest that the use of an anti-PTH antiserum that binds receptor-bound hormone is likely to be a useful step in the further physiochemical characterization and purification of the PTH receptor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1987 Jan, 84(1), 237 - 40 Suppressive effect on polyclonal B-cell activation of a synthetic peptide homologous to a transmembrane component of oncogenic retroviruses; Mitani M et al.; Purified feline leukemia virus, UV light-inactivated feline leukemia virus, and a synthetic peptide (CKS-17) homologous to a well-conserved region of the transmembrane components of several human and animal retroviruses were each studied for their effects on IgG production by feline peripheral blood lymphocytes . Using a reverse hemolytic plaque assay, both the viable virus and the UV-inactivated feline leukemia virus, but not the CKS-17, activated B lymphocytes to secrete IgG . When staphylococcal protein A, a polyclonal B-cell activator, was used to stimulate IgG synthesis by feline lymphocytes, the viable virus, the UV-inactivated virus, and the CKS-17 peptide each strongly suppressed IgG secretion without compromising viability of the lymphocytes . These findings suggest that the immunosuppressive influences of feline leukemia virus on immunoglobulin synthesis may reside in a conserved portion of the envelope glycoprotein that includes the region homologous to CKS-17. J Diabet Complications, 1987 Jan-Mar, 1(1), 11 - 5 Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) in diabetic patients with end-stage renal failure in Hong Kong; Chan MK et al.; The authors' experience in managing 17 diabetic patients among their first 100 consecutive patients treated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) was reviewed . The diabetics were significantly older than the non-diabetics, but their biochemistry was comparable to that of the non-diabetics . With three exchanges a day, the requirement for antihypertensives was high (60%) . Exit-site infection occurred at a rate of one episode per 9.7 patient-months, and the frequency of peritonitis averaged one episode per 9.4 patient-months; the main culprit was Staphylococcus pyogenes . Rehabilitation was good because the patients had to finance their treatment . In spite of old age, 23% worked full-time . There was no progressive increase in serum cholesterol or triglycerides . Glycemic control was good and was comparable whether the patients were given insulin subcutaneously or intraperitoneally . There was a highly significant (p less than 0.001) positive correlation between fasting blood glucose levels and HbA1 concentrations . Fasting blood glucose concentrations did not correlate with either serum cholesterol or triglyceride concentrations . Diabetic retinopathy progressed in five patients, to the point that their vision was severely impaired . There was no relationship between the degree of glycemic control and progression of diabetic retinopathy . Two patients died of cardiovascular causes, but there were no peritonitis-related deaths . Cummulative patient survival at 2 years was 86%, and the corresponding technique survival, 100%. Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz), 1987, 35(4), 457 - 61 Cell phenomena in experimental viral-bacterial infections in mice . III . Estimation of the phagocytic activity of peritoneal granulocytes after in vitro contact with viral and bacterial antigens; Szydlowska T et al.; In the paper, the influence of in vitro contact of granulocytes with the antigen obtained from A/Scotland/74 and APR-8 influenza viruses as well as with staphylococcal anatoxine on phagocytic activity of granulocytes was examined . The results are given as phagocytic indices . In the group of animals infected with non-adapted influenza viruses the increase of phagocytosis was observed only in the first period of infection (on the 3rd and 6th day), whereas phagocytic index of granulocytes obtained from animals infected with adapted virus increased only on the 3rd day . In mixed infections, when granulocytes were contacted in vitro with viral as well as bacterial antigens, the insignificant increase of phagocytic indices was observed in the initial period of infection . On the other days of observation (on the 6th, 9th and 14th day) the obtained results approximated to values of phagocytic indices of granulocytes from the control group of animals. Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz), 1987, 35(4), 447 - 51 Cell phenomena in experimental viral-bacterial infections in mice . I . The release of leukocyte inhibiting factor (LIF) from mouse spleen leukocytes in the presence of specific antigens; Bialek J et al.; The aim of the presented experiments was to estimate LIF production in the course of experimental infections with influenza viruses (of different degrees of adaptation), with S . aureus 209P and in the course of simultaneous viral-bacterial infections in mice . Spleen cells incubated with specific influenza antigens obtained according to Nath's method were used for the experiments as well as cells incubated with staphylococcal staphylolysine (Boehring Werke) . The interdependence between LIF release and the degree of adaptation of viruses to lung tissue was observed . When influenza viruses APR-8 of high degree of adaptation to animal lung tissue were used, inconsiderable LIF production was observed in the early stage of observation . When the animals were infected with viruses A/Scotland/74 of low degree of adaptation, significant LIF production could be noticed since the 1st day of observation . Mixed, viral-bacterial infections influenced insignificantly LIF release . Its production was mainly conditioned by influenza viruses used for the infections. Microbiol Immunol, 1987, 31(5), 427 - 34 Immunoreactivity of cytomegalovirus-induced Fc receptors; Mackowiak PA et al.; The present studies were undertaken to characterize the affinity of CMV-induced Fc receptors for each of the subclasses of human IgG and to define the specific region of the IgG Fc fragment interacting with such receptors . To do this, we infected confluent human embryonic lung (HEL) cell monolayers with CMV (strain AD169) and then used a double radiolabel assay to measure adherence of antibody-coated E . coli 06 to such monolayers . Preincubating monolayers with each of the 4 subclasses of human IgG (but not IgA, IgM, or human or bovine albumin) abrogated the enhancing effect of CMV infection on adherence of antibody-coated E . coli 06 to HEL monolayers . Pepsin-derived, purified Fc fragments of human IgG had a similar abrogative effect . Preincubating these with staphylococcal protein A did not reduce their capacity to interfere with binding of antibody-coated E . coli to CMV-induced Fc receptors . These observations establish a broad range of immunoreactivity for CMV-induced Fc receptors, that encompasses all 4 subclasses of human IgG . They also provide indirect evidence that the reaction site of CMV-induced Fc receptors is in the CH2 domain of the Fc fragment. Gene, 1987, 58(1), 99 - 107 Production and detection of coliphage T4 endonuclease V polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies using staphylococcal protein-A hybrid proteins; Valerie K et al.; To facilitate the production of antibodies against endonuclease V, a pyrimidine dimer-specific DNA glycosylase produced in bacteriophage T4-infected Escherichia coli, we constructed plasmids containing protein-A-endonuclease V fusion genes under control of the E . coli tac promoter . Induction with isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside produced large amounts of fusion proteins, which could easily be purified on human IgG agarose columns . The affinity-purified fusion proteins were injected into rabbits and mice to produce polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies, and also used for the screening of the monoclonal antibodies . These antibodies recognized endonuclease V on immunoblots, and also inhibited the DNA-glycosylase activity in vitro . Epitope mapping of monoclonal antibodies showed that they all (6/6) recognized determinants in the C-half of endonuclease V . A convenient way to detect primary antibodies on nitrocellulose was also developed using a crude protein extract containing protein-A-beta-galactosidase fusion protein and subsequent detection with a mixture of dyes. Scand J Immunol, 1987 Jan, 25(1), 11 - 9 Abrogation of staphylococcal enterotoxin A-induced suppressor cell activity by the anti-Tac monoclonal antibody; Carlsson R et al.; Human mononuclear cells stimulated with staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) for 2-6 days significantly suppress {3H}thymidine incorporation and reduce the levels of interleukin 2 (IL-2) and interferon (IFN) in culture medium when added to fresh, polyclonally activated mononuclear cells . The inhibitory capacity of the cells correlates well with the expression of IL-2 receptors . Lymphocytes obtained 3 days after stimulation with SEA, when the IL-2 receptor expression is high, are more potent inhibitors than cells obtained 2, 6, 11 or 14 days after stimulation, when the IL-2 receptors are less expressed on lymphocytes . T4+ and T8+ cells were both found to be inhibitory . Irradiation of the cells with 15 Gy before stimulation with SEA reduced but did not eliminate their suppressive capacity . The expression of the IL-2 receptor was lower in the irradiated cells . Irradiation or mitomycin-C treatment of cells after 3 and 5 days of SEA exposure had no effect on their inhibitory capacities . Pretreatment of the cells with IL-2 could partially reverse their suppressive effect on recorded IL-2 levels of stimulated fresh cultures . A complete reversal was obtained with the anti-Tac monoclonal antibody, which binds to the IL-2 receptor . The collective data show that the SEA-induced suppression of IL-2 activity in lymphocyte culture medium is not due to a suppression of the IL-2 production but rather depends on depletion of IL-2 due to absorption of IL-2 from the culture medium. J Biol Chem, 1986 Dec 25, 261(36), 16818 - 26 Suppression of synthesis of pro-alpha 1(I) and production of altered pro-alpha 2(I) procollagen subunits in 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide-transformed fibroblasts; Peterkofsky B et al.; The collagen phenotype of a 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide-transformed line of Syrian hamster embryo fibroblasts, NQT-SHE, was markedly altered from that of normal Syrian hamster embryo cells, which synthesized mainly type I procollagen {pro-alpha 1(I)}2 pro-alpha 2(I) . Total collagen synthesis in the transformant was reduced to about 30% of the control level primarily because synthesis of the pro-alpha 1(I) subunit was completely suppressed . The major collagenous products synthesized consisted of two polypeptides, designated as N-33 and N-50, which could be completely separated by precipitation with ammonium sulfate at 33 and 50% saturation, respectively . N-33 migrated similarly to pro-alpha 2(I) on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and N-50 migrated slightly more slowly . The collagenous regions of these chains were more sensitive to protease than the analogous region of procollagen I, but alpha-chains could be obtained by digestion for 2 h at 4 degrees C with high ratios of protein:pepsin . Staphylococcus V8 protease and cyanogen bromide peptide maps of N-33 alpha and N-50 alpha chains indicated that the chains were homologous with, but different than, alpha 2(I) chains and that they differed from each other . Considering their similarity to pro-alpha 2(I), it was surprising to find that the N-collagens were secreted to the same extent as was type I procollagen from Syrian hamster embryo cells and that there were no disulfide bonds between N-collagen chains . Intrachain disulfides were present . One possible explanation for the unusual collagen phenotype of NQT-SHE cells is that transformation induced one or more mutations in the pro-alpha 2(I) structural gene while suppression of synthesis of the pro-alpha 1(I) subunit may be due to a mutation in the regulatory region of its gene or in a general regulatory gene. Thromb Haemost, 1986 Dec 15, 56(3), 391 - 6 Comparison of tryptic fragments of von Willebrand factor involved in binding to thrombin-activated platelets with fragments involved in ristocetin-induced binding and binding to collagen; Houdijk WP et al.; Previously we have studied the binding domains on von Willebrand factor (vWF) involved in ristocetin-induced binding to platelets (ristocetin binding domain, RBD) and in the binding of vWF to collagen (collagen binding domain, CBD) using tryptic fragments of 125I-labelled vWF (21, 23) . We have also reported on the RBD, CBD and the domain on vWF involved in the binding to thrombin activated platelets (thrombin binding domain, TBD) using vWF-fragments prepared by digestion with staphylococcal protease V8 (25) . In the present study, we have digested 125I-vWF with TPCK-trypsin and we have performed at various times of digestion immuno-precipitation with Mab 9, the antibody inhibiting binding of vWF to thrombin activated platelets . The data were compared with the immunoprecipitation patterns simultaneously obtained with CLB-RAg 35 which inhibits binding of vWF in the presence of ristocetin and with CLB-RAg 201, which inhibits binding of vWF to collagen . At 90 min, Mab 9 and CLB-RAg 201 precipitated similar high molecular weight bands, whereas CLB-RAg 35 precipitated bands at 180 and 120 kDa . After 24 h, Mab 9 precipitated bands at 200, 155, 116 and 85 kDa; CLB-RAg 201 precipitated a band at 48 kDa and CLB-RAg 35 a band at 116 kDa . Two-dimensional electrophoresis demonstrated that the high molecular weight bands, precipitated by Mab 9 and CLB-RAg 201 at 90 min, were identical . The 116 kDa fragment recognized by CLB-RAg 35 had a different subunit composition than the 116 kDa fragment precipitated by Mab 9.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) FEBS Lett, 1986 Dec 15, 209(2), 335 - 9 Amino acid sequence determination of guanyl-specific ribonuclease Sa from Streptomyces aureofaciens; Shlyapnikov SV et al.; Using automated Edman degradation of two nonfractionated peptide mixtures of tryptic and staphylococcal protease digests of the protein, the complete amino acid sequence of the guanyl-specific ribonuclease Sa from Streptomyces aureofaciens was established . Ribonuclease Sa contains 96 amino acid residues (Mr 10,566) . A 50% sequence homology of ribonuclease Sa to the guanyl-specific ribonuclease St from S . erythreus was found. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1986 Dec, (12), 76 - 7 {Possibility of inactivation by formalin of staphylococcal protein A at different stages of its production}; Bulk VF et al.; The possibility of the formalin inactivation of material containing staphylococcal protein A in the process of obtaining the preparation has been studied . The inactivation of the material with formalin at a concentration of 5% (from the volume of the material) for 1 hour has been shown to ensure a complete bacteriostatic effect and the stability of the initial biological activity of staphylococcal protein A. Eur J Pediatr, 1986 Dec, 145(6), 553 - 4 Obstructive endocarditis in an immunodeficient infant; Walters MD et al.; We report the case of 5-week-old male infant who presented as a 'near miss cot death' . He had the immunodeficient syndrome of defective neutrophil mobility and delayed umbilical cord separation . He was shown to have staphylococcal endocarditis with a large vegetation on the mitral valve, and acute obstruction of the mitral valve flow may have accounted for the suddenness of his presentation . Death resulted from overwhelming sepsis with widely disseminated micro-abscesses. Ann Rheum Dis, 1986 Dec, 45(12), 1029 - 30 Vertebral osteomyelitis due to Staphylococcus warneri; Karthigasu KT et al.; We report a case of vertebral osteomyelitis in a diabetic woman . This appears to be the first report of such an infection with the coagulase negative staphylococcus, S warneri. Acta Ophthalmol (Copenh), 1986 Dec, 64(6), 632 - 6 Serum fibrin degradation products in acute idiopathic anterior uveitis; Sen DK et al.; Levels of serum fibrin degradation products were measured by the Staphylococcal clumping test in patients with acute idiopathic anterior uveitis and traumatic anterior uveitis . We found them to be significantly increased (P less than 0.001) in patients with acute idiopathic anterior uveitis (11.0 micrograms/ml) . The extent of this increase in the serum levels of fibrin degradation products correlated well with increased severity of the disease . It showed return to normal levels (5.0 micrograms/ml) with the clinical improvement . It increased again with the re-appearance of acute stage of the disease . We found no alteration in the levels of serum fibrin degradation products in patients with traumatic anterior uveitis . We hypothesise that uveal deposition of immune complexes causes secondary platelet damage and intravascular coagulation which results in uveal tissue damage through inflammation. Biull Eksp Biol Med, 1986 Dec, 102(12), 678 - 81 {Action of toxic staphylococcal (St . aureus) substances on the functional properties of the thrombocytes}; Maleev VV et al.; The effect of toxic substances from St . aureus on morphofunctional properties of platelets has been studied in vitro . The toxic substances have been shown to induce platelet aggregation and stimulate their secretion . The platelets are transformed from discs to spheres with small pseudopodia . It is believed that platelet aggregation and secretion play an essential role in hemostasis and microcirculation disturbances. Br Heart J, 1986 Dec, 56(6), 561 - 2 Infective endocarditis affecting the eustachian valve; Edwards AD et al.; A previously fit 44 year old man presented with acute staphylococcal pneumonia . Despite appropriate antibiotics he showed signs of continuing sepsis and eventually died . At necropsy endocarditis of the eustachian valve was found. Am J Vet Res, 1986 Dec, 47(12), 2621 - 3 Comparison of single-dose and conventional trimethoprim-sulfadiazine therapy in experimental Staphylococcus intermedius cystitis in the female dog; Turnwald GH et al.; Cystitis was produced in 4 groups of 6 female dogs each, using salicylic acid, ethanol, and Staphylococcus intermedius . Group-I dogs served as nontreated controls . Starting 2 days after infection was induced, group-II dogs were treated with trimethoprim-sulfadiazine at a dosage of 15 mg/kg given orally 2 times a day for 21 days; groups-III and -IV dogs were treated with single oral dosages of the antibiotic at 60 mg/kg and 90 mg/kg, respectively . Group-I dogs (controls) remained infected for the 26-day duration of the study . The response to therapy seen in group-II dogs was better than the therapeutic responses in groups-III and -IV dogs (P less than 0.05) . Results of the present study do not support the efficacy of single-dose therapy for this model of cystitis. Ann Thorac Surg, 1986 Dec, 42(6), 670 - 4 On antibiotic prophylaxis in cardiac surgery: a risk factor for wound infection; Lilienfeld DE et al.; During a 30-month period, median sternotomy wound infections or endocarditis developed during the first 60 days postoperatively following 20 of 1,204 (1.7%) adult cardiac procedures at the University of Maryland Hospital . Fifty percent of the infected patients received perioperative clindamycin prophylaxis . A retrospective study was conducted in which the odds ratio estimate of the relative risk of sternotomy infection or endocarditis for patients receiving clindamycin prophylaxis compared with patients receiving cefamandole was found to be 17.0 (p less than .001) using population controls and 8.25 (p less than .001) using matched controls . Seventy-five percent of the organisms causing infections, principally Staphylococcus epidermidis, were resistant in vitro to clindamycin . Perioperative clindamycin administration was not fully effective in preventing wound infection following cardiac surgery at our hospital, thus providing indirect evidence for the efficacy of prophylaxis with cephalosporin-containing regimens . Trials of alternative antibiotics to clindamycin for prophylaxis in penicillin-allergic patients undergoing cardiac surgery are indicated. Quad Sclavo Diagn, 1986 Dec, 22(4), 412 - 8 {Research on staphylococcal enterotoxin B by dot immunobinding assay (DIB) . Preliminary observations}; Vullo V et al.; A recently developed immunoenzymatic technique, the Dot Immunobinding assay (DIB), has been applied to the rapid detection of staphylococcal enterotoxin B in filtered culture supernatants . The test has been shown to be highly sensitive and specific, easy to perform and rapid (only 4 hours) . The use of nitrocellulose paper as the solid phase allows the exact standardization of the amount of antigen employed and it avoids the overnight incubation usually necessary with the conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Acta Pathol Microbiol Immunol Scand {B}, 1986 Dec, 94(6), 387 - 92 Evidence that an extract of Staphylococcus capitis can precipitate human serum HDL2; Osland A et al.; The high density lipoprotein (HDL) fraction involved in the precipitation with Staphylococcus capitis can be quantitated by single radial diffusion in agar containing an extract of the bacteria . Both whole serum and purified HDL produce a precipitation ring with bacterial extract . When dilutions of serum are tested, the squared radius of the precipitation ring plotted against serum concentration gives a linear relationship . Cumulative density flotation of HDL, followed by quantitative analysis of precipitating activity and apo A, indicates that the precipitating activity is present in the less dense fraction of serum HDL (i.e . HDL2) . This suggestion is supported by the finding that the precipitating activity correlates positively with HDL2 (but not with HDL3) in human sera . Precipitating activity was higher in sera from women than from men, in accordance with the sex difference in serum HDL . The results raise the question whether precipitation with an extract of S . capitis might serve as a simple, direct method to assess serum HDL2 levels. Pathol Biol (Paris), 1986 Dec, 34(10), 1055 - 9 {In vitro study of the effects of an imipenem-fosfomycin combination against clinical strains of Staphylococcus}; Fosse T et al.; In vitro antibacterial activity of imipenem-fosfomycin (IMP-FOS) combinations were studied against 31 clinical isolates of Staphylococcus strains: methicillin susceptible S . aureus (MSSA, 11 strains), methicillin resistant S . aureus (MRSA, 11 strains), methicillin resistant S . epidermidis (MRSE, 9 strains) . The study was carried out by means of a microtiter checkerboard method (FICs and FBCs index) and killing-curves (3 strains) . Imipenem antibacterial activity was good against MSSA (mean MICs of 0.12 micrograms/ml) but reduced against MRSA (16 micrograms/ml) . Fosfomycin was regularly effective (CMI less than or equal to 64 micrograms/ml) against most strains . IMP-FOS combination was strongly synergistic (FIC less than 0.125) against MSSA and still synergistic with achievable therapeutic concentrations against heterogeneous MRSA and MRSE strains (mean FIC of 0.125, MIC in the combination of 1 microgram/ml) . The bactericidal activity (FBCs and killing-curves) was limited against homogeneous MRSA and MRSE needing higher concentrations (8 micrograms/ml in the combination) . In the 3 cases fosfomycin concentrations in combination remained low (1 to 2 micrograms/ml). Appl Environ Microbiol, 1986 Dec, 52(6), 1253 - 7 Specificity and cross-reactivity of staphylococcal enterotoxin A monoclonal antibodies with enterotoxins B, C1, D, and E; Edwin C et al.; The cross-reactivity of monoclonal antibodies produced against staphylococcal enterotoxin A with purified and crude enterotoxins B, C1, D, and E and the specificity of such reactions were evaluated by the indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblotting of Western blots (from sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) followed by autoradiography . Purified and crude enterotoxins B were also tested with polyclonal antibodies . Specificity of reactivity was demonstrated by immunoblotting of crude enterotoxin A, crude enterotoxin A treated with trypsin, crude enterotoxin E, and also with crude A, B, C1, and D that were pretreated with Sepharose-4B-linked normal rabbit immunoglobulin G to remove protein A . A band corresponding to each staphylococcal enterotoxin was seen with monoclonal antibodies under all conditions tested and also with crude and purified enterotoxin B with two different (rabbit and goat) polyclonal antisera. AIDS Res, 1986 Dec, 2 Suppl 1, S87 - 93 Surface marker expression of human B-cell lymphomas; Ishii Y et al.; We have generated a battery of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) that distinguish different antigen molecules present in human B cells . Two antigen systems, termed L26 and L27, respectively, were expressed in most surface immunoglobulin-positive B cells and thus showed pan-B cell specificity . Two other antigens (L22 and L30) appeared to be expressed mainly on small resting B cells but not on large activated B cells . In contrast with L22 and L30, L29 and L4, the latter of which corresponds to OKT10, were not or little expressed on resting B cells, but were found on these B cells after activation either in-vivo or in-vitro with staphylococcal protein-A (SAC) plus interleukin-2 (IL-2) or with pokeweed mitogen (PWM) . We also produced MAb (L10) that detected IL-2 receptors (IL-2R) consistently expressed on in-vitro activated B cells as described above . In contrast with L4, L10 and L29, L30 was lost from in-vitro-activated B cells, following the appearance of either L10 or L29 on these in-vitro-activated B cells . Then, we analyzed antigen profiles of B cell tumors using these MAbs as described above . Common acute lymphatic leukemia (CALL) expressed L4 and L30 . B cell type chronic leukemia (B-CLL) and hairy cell leukemia (HCL) possessed most of the B cell antigens as described herein, and furthermore, HCL expressed IL-2R as detected by L10 MAb . In the case of B cell lymphomas, they were phenotypically divided into two groups, corresponding to either early or late activated B cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Arthritis Rheum, 1986 Dec, 29(12), 1467 - 72 Hypocomplementemia with low C1s-C1 inhibitor complex in systemic lupus erythematosus; Lockshin MD et al.; Ninety-three serum and plasma samples from 45 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus were analyzed for the complex formed by C1s and its inhibitor, as well as for C3, C4, C4a desarginine, and staphylococcal protein A-bound immune complexes . There were statistically significant correlations between C1s-C1 inhibitor complex and CH50, between C1s-C1 inhibitor complex and C4, and between C1s-C1 inhibitor complex and C4a desarginine . Serial studies were performed on 24 patients over a period of 6 months . Seven of 21 patients with hypocomplementemia had persistently normal levels of C1s-C1 inhibitor complex, 7 had transiently abnormal levels of C1s-C1 inhibitor complex, and 7 had sustained abnormal levels of C1s-C1 inhibitor complex . Two of 3 pregnant patients with normal levels of complement had abnormal levels of C1s-C1 inhibitor complex . Staphylococcal protein A-bound immune complexes demonstrated no correlation with any of the complement assays . Complement activation, as measured by C1s-C1 inhibitor complex, is often a transient phenomenon in systemic lupus erythematosus patients with persistent hypocomplementemia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1986 Dec, 83(24), 9403 - 7 The human prothymosin alpha gene is polymorphic and induced upon growth stimulation: evidence using a cloned cDNA; Eschenfeldt WH et al.; Clones for human prothymosin alpha have been identified in cDNA libraries from staphylococcal enterotoxin A-stimulated normal human lymphocytes and from simian virus 40-transformed fibroblasts . The 1198-base-pair fibroblast clone has been sequenced . The encoded protein is highly acidic (54 residues out of 111) and shares greater than 90% sequence homology with rat prothymosin alpha . The peptide "hormone" thymosin alpha 1 appears at positions 2-29 of the prothymosin alpha amino acid sequence . There is no N-terminal signal peptide . Examination of mouse and human tissues revealed the presence of prothymosin alpha mRNA in kidney, liver, spleen, normal lymphocytes (predominantly T cells), human T-cell leukemia virus-infected T cells, and myeloma cells (B-cell lineage) . Prothymosin alpha mRNA is inducible; upon mitogen stimulation it increased greater than 15-fold above the level found in resting lymphocytes . Similarly, serum-deprived NIH 3T3 cells responded to serum restitution with an increase in prothymosin alpha mRNA . Characterization of human genomic DNA by Southern blot analysis disclosed a complicated pattern consistent with genetic polymorphism . These data suggest that prothymosin alpha plays an intracellular role tied to cell proliferation . There is no evidence that it serves as a precursor for secreted thymic peptides . However, given the complexity at the genomic level, multiple functions, including a putative secretory capability, cannot be excluded. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1986 Dec, 52(6), 1247 - 52 Nature and reactivity of staphylococcal enterotoxin A monoclonal antibodies; Edwin C et al.; Monoclonal antibodies from four clones (C5, C3, B2II, and B2I) directed against staphylococcal enterotoxin A were tested by the indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and double-gel immunodiffusion (micro-Ouchterlony) assay for the nature of heavy and light chain types . The reactivities of monoclonal antibodies were also tested by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with various levels of purified staphylococcal enterotoxin A and various levels (dilutions) of monoclonal antibodies and saturation analysis-competitive indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay . The heavy-chain isotype of monoclonal antibodies was found to be an unspecified subclass of immunoglobulin G1, and the light chain was the kappa type . Monoclonal antibodies from all of the clones exhibited high reactivity and nearly the same affinity to staphylococcal enterotoxin A in saturation analysis-competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay . Purified immunoglobulin G from B2I yielded very high absorbance (1.2) at 405 nm with 1 ng of staphylococcal enterotoxin A as the coating antigen in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay . Monoclonal antibodies from B2I also neutralized the biological activity of staphylococcal enterotoxin A when tested by the kitten bioassay. Am J Clin Pathol, 1986 Dec, 86(6), 765 - 8 False positive indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) tests for antibody to herpes simplex virus 1 . Comparison of four commercially available methods; Rand KH et al.; Four commercially available herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) kits were compared with the use of sera selected because they were negative for HSV antibody by complement fixation (CF less than 1:8) and by ELISA (less than 1:100) . However, 14 of 24 (58.3%) of these HSV-1 antibody-negative sera were positive at greater than or equal to 1:10 with the use of the HSV-1 IFA kit from Electronucleonics, 15 of 24 (62.5%) were positive with the Clinical Sciences HSV-1 IFA kit, 4 of 24 (16.7%) were positive with Zeus Scientific, and 4 of 18 (22.2%) were positive with the Gull Laboratories product . HSV-1 induces Fc receptors that commonly cause false positive IFA tests for HSV antibody . Therefore, further studies were undertaken to determine whether Fc receptors accounted for these false positive results . Staphylococcal protein A (SPA) is known to bind to the Fc portion of human IgG and therefore could be used to distinguish between the binding of an antibody by its Fab or its Fc portion . Thus, when fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugated (FITC) SPA was used as conjugate instead of FITC antibody to human IgG, true HSV-1 antibody-containing sera remained positive, but the false positives identified in the commercial IFA kits did not . The authors conclude that HSV-1-induced Fc receptors are responsible for most of the problem of these false positives and that HSV-1 serology probably should not be done by this type of IFA method until this problem is corrected. Cell Immunol, 1986 Dec, 103(2), 352 - 64 Target cell specificity of human natural killer cells . II . Apparent change with activation; MacDougall SL et al.; The activity of natural killer (NK) cells can be augmented by incubation with interferons, or with other compounds, such as staphylococcal protein A, which stimulate interferon production . In the experiments described here we compared the patterns of lytic activity of human lymphoid effector cells, before (NK-B) and after (NK-A) short-term activation . Target cells used were K562, Clone I (a partially NK-resistant K562 variant), and those that had been preincubated with neuraminidase or trypsin . The results obtained include the following: proteases, but not neuraminidase, decreased lysis by NK-B, but not by NK-A, of both K562 and Clone I in the standard Cr-release assay . In the single cell assay, trypsin minimally decreased conjugate formation and the fraction of bound cells that were killed by NK-B, but did not reverse the increased lytic efficiency of NK-A . In the cold-target competition assay, Clone I, which does not compete as well with K562 for NK-B, did so equally well for NK-A . Trypsinized targets, regardless of their equal sensitivity to lysis by NK-A, were not as active competitors for NK-A . We conclude that the most reasonable interpretation is that K562 cells bear surface structures which can induce release of lytic mediators from NK-A under conditions that are not sufficient to stimulate NK-B . Although it appears that NK-A may respond to a smaller number of the same target molecules recognized by NK-B, the process must be better defined at the molecular level to exclude the possibility that there are qualitative differences between the proposed recognition structures for these two states of NK activity. J Invest Dermatol, 1986 Dec, 87(6), 737 - 40 Selective binding of colloidal gold-protein conjugates to epidermal phosphorus-rich keratohyaline granules and cornified cells; Jessen H et al.; Colloidal gold solutions conjugated with staphylococcal protein A (SpA) are widely used in high-resolution immunocytochemical studies to visualize antibodies bound at antigenic sites . Here we report that colloidal gold solutions conjugated with SpA, bovine serum albumin (BSA), or gelatin bind selectively to structures in glutaraldehyde-fixed, plastic-embedded epidermis of rabbit, mouse, and human . Two types of keratohyaline granules are present in epidermis, a phosphorus-rich (PR) and a sulphur-rich (SR) type . The PR keratohyaline granules were strongly labeled with gold particles, whereas SR keratohyaline granules or other structures in the living cells of epidermis were unlabeled . The PR keratohyaline granules are assumed to be precursors of the matrix protein of cornified cells, and intense gold labeling occurred over the lower layer of cornified cells (i.e., stratum lucidum) . More superficial cornified cells were weakly labeled or unlabeled . The gold labeling pattern was identical whether SpA, BSA, or gelatin was used to stabilize the colloidal gold solution . The mechanism of binding of protein-conjugated gold to PR keratohyaline granules and matrix protein of cornified cells is not clear . It is speculated that the charged gold particles are not completely coated by the stabilizing protein, allowing for an electrostatic interaction with charged proteins in sections of cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 1986 Nov 26, 141(1), 185 - 90 Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence of the lipase gene from Pseudomonas fragi; Kugimiya W et al.; The gene coding for the lipase of Pseudomonas fragi was cloned into Escherichia coli JM83 by inserting Sau3A-generated DNA fragments into the BamH I site of pUC9 . The plasmid isolated, pKKO, was restriction mapped and the position of the lipase gene on the 2.0 kb insert was pinpointed by subcloning . DNA sequencing revealed that the open reading frame comprises 405 nucleotides and gives a preprotein of 135 amino acids with a predicted Mr of 14643 . By comparing the putative lipase amino acid sequence with porcine pancreatic, rat lingual and Staphylococcus hyicus lipases the amino acid sequence around the reactive serine was found to be common among the types of lipase which have been reported. J Biol Chem, 1986 Nov 15, 261(32), 15153 - 8 Immunochemical evidence for a role of complex carbohydrate chains in thyroglobulin antigenicity; Fenouillet E et al.; Thyroglobulin secreted by porcine thyroid cells in serum-free culture was previously found (Ronin, C., Fenouillet, E., Hovsepian, S., Fayet, G., and Fournet, B . (1986) J . Biol . Chem . 261, 7287-7293) to contain more highly branched complex carbohydrate chains than the thyroid-derived molecules . When assayed for their ability to react with polyclonal antibodies directed against the natural prohormone in competitive radioimmunoassays, using the porcine antigen as iodinated tracer and standard competitor, in vitro thyroglobulin appeared to be 4-fold less immunoreactive than the in vivo molecule . However, both types of thyroglobulin exhibited superimposable incomplete displacement curves after peripheral deglycosylation using a mixture of neuraminidase, alpha-, and beta-galactosidases while they behave as good competitors as the native antigen after removal of the majority of the carbohydrate chains by Endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase F . Solid-phase binding assays revealed that in vitro thyroglobulin was able to bind less antibodies than its thyroid-derived counterpart before as well as after treatment with exo- or endoglycosidases . Furthermore, only 20% of thyroglobulin biosynthetically labeled with glucosamine could be precipitated with specific antibodies followed by addition of staphylococcal-protein A, whereas up to 61% of the labeling was specifically bound when the antibodies were preincubated with protein A . After pronase digestion, both thyroglobulin-like material displayed different carbohydrate structures as judged by concanavalin A-Sepharose analysis . Thus, substituting multiantennary complex carbohydrate chains to the usual biantennary and high mannose structures present on thyroid-derived thyroglobulin had a profound effect on the prohormone immunoreactivity. J Immunol Methods, 1986 Nov 6, 93(2), 259 - 64 A method for measuring rate of neutrophil phagocytosis of Staphylococcus epidermidis or Candida guilliermondii using uptake of tritiated uridine; Harvey DM et al.; A method is described for measuring the rate of neutrophil phagocytosis, together with the total and intracellular kill at 20 min of 2 different organisms . The technique is sensitive over the early stages of phagocytosis as it distinguishes between adherent and engulfed organisms and is totally objective . It therefore allows detection of defects in phagocytosis which are missed if only the end point is assessed . Both total and intracellular killing are measured under the same conditions as those used to assess phagocytosis and results obtained on the same day the assay is performed. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1986 Nov, 30(5), 653 - 8 Novel mechanism for plasmid-mediated erythromycin resistance by pNE24 from Staphylococcus epidermidis; Lampson BC et al.; We describe an unusual type of erythromycin resistance (Emr) mediated by a plasmid designated pNE24 from Staphylococcus epidermidis . This 26.5-kilobase plasmid encodes resistance strictly to 14-membered macrolide antibiotics, erythromycin, and oleandomycin . Resistance to other macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B (MLS) antibiotics was not observed even after a prior induction stimulus with various MLS antibiotics . Plasmid pNE24 was found to express resistance constitutively and manifested a low to intermediate MIC (62.5 micrograms/ml) for erythromycin . The resistance gene, designated erpA, appears to mediate resistance by altering the permeability of the host cell for erythromycin, because the measured uptake of 14C-labeled erythromycin by strain 958-2 (containing pNE24) was lower than for the erythromycin-susceptible, isogenic strain 958-1 . No inactivation of erythromycin in overnight broth culture supernatants could be detected . In addition, no significant loss in binding affinity between {14C}erythromycin and ribosome could be detected for ribosomes isolated from strain 958-2 relative to 958-1, indicating that pNE24 probably does not produce a modification of the bacterial ribosome . No other selectable marker was found associated with pNE24; however, a 60,000-dalton protein was present only in the membrane fractions of cells (958-2) containing pNE24 and may play a role in mediating resistance to erythromycin. Br J Obstet Gynaecol, 1986 Nov, 93(11), 1150 - 4 Enhanced phagocytosis of mononuclear phagocytes in pregnancy; Koumandakis E et al.; The phagocytic activity of peripheral blood mononuclear phagocytes for Staphylococcus epidermis of healthy non-pregnant and pregnant women throughout pregnancy was examined in relation to gestational age . The study included 30 healthy non-pregnant women and 90 healthy pregnant women equally distributed across the three trimesters . Two variables were investigated: the number of mononuclear cells in phagocytosis and the average number of bacteria per monocyte in phagocytosis . As pregnancy progressed a gradual and significant increase was found in the number of monocytes in phagocytosis and a significantly higher proportion of macrophages with six or more bacteria per phagocyte. J Clin Microbiol, 1986 Nov, 24(5), 809 - 11 Antibodies to staphylococcal enterotoxins and toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 in sera of patients and healthy people in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Solino Noleto AL et al.; Sera from 33 persons with staphylococcal infections and from 37 healthy persons were surveyed for the presence of antibody to staphylococcal enterotoxins A, B, C, D, and E and toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 . Thirty-one (93.9%) of the patients and 35 (94.6%) of the control group had antibodies to one or more of the enterotoxins . The numbers of patients with antibody to the enterotoxins were as follows: A, 8; B, 9; C, 7; D, 17; E, 21; and toxic shock syndrome toxin 1, 11 . The numbers of healthy individuals with antibody to the enterotoxins were as follows: A, 6; B, 12; C, 8; D, 27; E, 21; and toxic shock syndrome toxin 1, 9. J Clin Microbiol, 1986 Nov, 24(5), 803 - 8 In vivo study of an antimicrobial surgical drape system; Conn J Jr et al.; We performed a double-blind clinical study to determine the efficacy of nonwoven laparotomy drapes in which 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyldimethyloctadecyl ammonium chloride, an antimicrobial agent, was chemically bonded to the absorbent reinforcement surrounding the fenestration . The reinforcement portion of the surgical drape that contained the fenestration was segmented into four identical-appearing sections, two on each side of the fenestration . One segment on each side was antimicrobial . The locations of the treated segments were randomly varied . At the end of each operation, test strips were removed . Bacteria were harvested from each segment by mechanical agitation . Bacterial CFU were counted . There were 110 surgical cases in the study, including clean, clean contaminated, and contaminated procedures . Data analysis divided the cases into two distinct groups . Group 1 was composed of 59 cases in which less than 30 total CFU was recovered from the four test samples . The average duration of surgery for this group was 1.8 h . Group 2 was composed of 51 cases in which bacterial recovery was in excess of 30 CFU per procedure (range, 30 to 25,000 bacterial CFU) . The average duration of surgery was 3.3 h . Bacterial reduction in the treated strips was 84% . The most common organisms identified on the laparotomy drapes were Staphylococcus epidermidis, S . hominis, and Micrococcus luteus . This study demonstrated that the reinforcement of a laparotomy drape is a reservoir for potential pathogens . It demonstrated that an organosilicon quaternary ammonium antimicrobial agent covalently bonded to the reinforcement reduced the number of potential pathogens surrounding the surgical incision by 84%, independent of the size of the bacterial challenge. Dis Colon Rectum, 1986 Nov, 29(11), 694 - 8 Psoas abscess: changing patterns of diagnosis and etiology; Leu SY et al.; From 1976 to 1984, 43 patients with psoas abscess were seen at the Mayo Clinic . Intestinal disease, including Crohn's disease, diverticulitis, and carcinoma, was the most frequent cause (14 patients) . Eleven patients had osteomyelitis, five had postoperative complications, four had a foreign-body reaction, and three had a primary staphylococcal abscess . Two patients each had extension of a primary pancreatic and perinephric abscess . One patient had tuberculosis of the spine, and in the remaining patient, an exact cause was not determined . Definitive treatment of psoas abscess includes adequate debridement, drainage of the abscess cavity, and resection of involved bowel. Cancer Res, 1986 Nov, 46(11), 5933 - 40 Production and characterization of two human glioma xenograft-localizing monoclonal antibodies; Wikstrand CJ et al.; Multiple fusions following immunization of athymic mice with the extensively characterized human glioma cell line D-54 MG resulted in the selection of several antibodies (Mabs) highly reactive with tumors of neuroectodermal origin and unreactive with normal nervous system tissue . Two Mabs, C12 and D12, which localized specifically to tumors in athymic mouse-human glioma xenograft paired label localization assays, are IgG3 antibodies; both bind readily to staphylococcal protein A in column purification and radioimmunoprecipitation procedures . Both iodinate via the chloramine-T method yielding 125I-immunoreactive product by direct cell surface radioimmunoassay and absorption assay . By indirect cell surface radioimmunoassay, a cultured cell line panel consisting of 17 gliomas, 3 medulloblastomas, 2 neuroblastomas, 2 melanomas, and 2 fetal and 2 adult brain-derived cell lines was examined; the two Mabs were highly similar but distinct in their reactivity profiles . Each was positive with greater than 47% of the gliomas tested (C12, 9 of 17; D12, 8 of 17); and with 1 of 3 medulloblastomas, 1 of 2 melanomas, and cell lines derived from 12- and 16-week-gestation human fetal brain . No reactivity was observed with neuroblastoma or adult brain-derived cell lines or with neutral glycolipids and gangliosides extracted from D-54 MG xenografts or human glioma cell lines . Notable extraneuroectodermal reactivity included that of Mab D12 for splenic trabeculae and the spermatids and Sertoli cells in the testes . Following immunoprecipitation of {3H}leucine labeled cell membrane preparations, Mabs C12 and D12 have consistently yielded unique bands in the Mr 180,000 and Mr 88,000 regions respectively . When used in paired label localization experiments in s.c . D-54 MG xenograft-bearing athymic mice, Mabs C12 and D12 demonstrate similar localization patterns, attaining peak localization indices at day 3 (D12) or 4 (C12); the maximum percentage of injected Mab bound to tumor ranged from 5% (D12) to 8% (C12) . The peak tumor/normal brain localization ratios (167-181) attained by these Mabs at days 1-2 followed by their rapid clearance suggest that these Mabs are potentially useful imaging and therapeutic agents for further investigation. Antibiot Med Biotekhnol, 1986 Nov, 31(11), 860 - 3 {Action of combinations of ampiox and a quinoline derivative on penicillin-resistant staphylococcal strains}; Palii GK et al.; The effect of ampiox combination with a quinoline derivative (QD) on penicillin resistant strains of Staphylococcus was studied . Combination of ampiox and QD had in vitro a synergistic action . It was shown that the combined use of ampiox in a dose of 5 mg/kg and QD in a dose of 10 mg/kg had a pronounced therapeutic effect in staphylococcal septicemia of albino mice: 95 per cent prevention of death in the experimental animals and lower contamination of the animal internal organs . It was noted that ampiox and QD had different mechanisms of action on the bacterial cell . Therefore, their combination may be used for increasing antistaphylococcal activity of the antibiotic drug. Vet Med (Praha), 1986 Nov, 31(11), 643 - 50 {Similarity in the incidence of mastitis in the daughters of related bulls}; St'avikova M et al.; The overall prevalence of mastitis in the cow population, selected with respect to sire relatedness, was 12% . As positive for mastitis the cows with positive bacteriological findings in milk were considered . In order to objectify the evaluation by regarding the lactation number achieved, the index of morbidity In was introduced (In = number of positive findings/lactation achieved) . Using this index, the groups of halfsisters--daughters of bulls and their sons--were compared and within-group variances were calculated . Differences in In between the groups of unrelated bulls were highly significant (P less than 0.01) . In the progeny of sons of the same bull no significant differences were found . This indicates the role of genotype in the susceptibility to mastitis . Mean In value was 0.04 and 0.05 for the progeny of Czech Pied and Friesian breed, resp . No marked differences were observed between the groups of daughters of related bulls . The portion of Staphylococcus infections in the total number of positive findings was higher in the progeny of Friesian bulls (26.3 and 19.8% for the first and the second generation, resp.) than in the progeny of Czech Pied bulls (16.2 and 16.5% for the first and the second generation, resp.). Surg Gynecol Obstet, 1986 Nov, 163(5), 469 - 74 Clinical significance and etiology of infected catheters used for total parenteral nutrition; Hansell DT et al.; Catheter related sepsis (CRS) is the most serious complication of total parenteral nutrition . Frequently, however, low rates of CRS are associated with a high incidence of infection of the catheter tip, the clinical significance of which is unclear . The relationships between CRS, infection of the catheter tip and infection at the site of catheter insertion have been investigated in 283 catheters of 257 patients receiving total parenteral nutrition . CRS occurred in only ten patients (3.5 per cent) whereas organisms were isolated from 108 catheter tips (38.2 per cent) . The most common organism isolated was Staphylococcus epidermidis (66.7 per cent) . Eight catheter tips were colonized from a distant septic focus . Organisms were isolated from 90 catheter tips which were removed electively from patients who displayed no clinical evidence of sepsis . There was a poor correlation between infected catheter tips and infected catheter insertion sites . Asymptomatic infection of the catheter tip appears to be of little clinical relevance, resulting in no patient morbidity . Contamination of the catheter tip during or after removal seems to account for a significant proportion of these infections. J Bacteriol, 1986 Nov, 168(2), 523 - 33 Complete nucleotide sequence and transcription of ermF, a macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B resistance determinant from Bacteroides fragilis; Rasmussen JL et al.; DNA sequence analysis of a portion of an EcoRI fragment of the Bacteroides fragilis R plasmid pBF4 has allowed us to identify the macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B resistance (MLSr) gene, ermF . ermF had a relative moles percent G + C of 32, was 798 base pairs in length, and encoded a protein of approximately 30,360 daltons . Comparison between the deduced amino acid sequence of ermF and six other erm genes from gram-positive bacteria revealed striking homologies among all of these determinants, suggesting a common origin . Based on these and other data, we believe that ermF codes for an rRNA methylase . Analysis of the nucleotide sequences upstream and downstream from the ermF gene revealed the presence of directly repeated sequences, now identified as two copies of the insertion element IS4351 . One of these insertion elements was only 26 base pairs from the start codon of ermF and contained the transcriptional start signal for this gene as judged by S1 nuclease mapping experiments . Additional sequence analysis of the 26 base pairs separating ermF and IS4351 disclosed strong similarities between this region and the upstream regulatory control sequences of ermC and ermA (determinants of staphylococcal origin) . These results suggested that ermF was not of Bacteroides origin and are discussed in terms of the evolution of ermF and the expression of drug resistance in heterologous hosts. Cell Immunol, 1986 Nov, 103(1), 147 - 59 Suppression of cytolytic T-cell activity by staphylococcal enterotoxin B-induced suppressor cells: role of interleukin 2; Lin YS et al.; We have previously shown that staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) is a potent inducer of suppressor T cells which function to inhibit antibody production in vitro . In the present paper we extend these studies and show that the SEB-induced suppressor cells also inhibit the development of cytotoxic lymphocytes in mixed-lymphocyte reaction (MLR) cultures . Since further analysis also showed that the level of interleukin 2 (IL-2) in cultures of SEB-primed cells was significantly reduced, experiments were carried out to determine the role of IL-2 in the inhibition of cytotoxic cell activity . Attempts to neutralize the suppression by supplementing MLR cocultures with delectinated supernatants from concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated rat splenocytes were not successful . In addition, MLR cocultures supplemented on Day 0 with 50 units of affinity-purified IL-2 were also suppressed . Further analysis showed that the IL-2 activity in the supplemented MLR cocultures containing suppressor cells were significantly reduced by Day 3 . However, repeated supplementation of the MLR cocultures with exogenous IL-2 was successful in achieving (and maintaining) "normal" levels of IL-2 . The cytotoxic cell activity in these MLR cocultures remained suppressed . These results suggest that the inhibition of cytotoxic cell activity by SEB-induced suppressor cells is independent of IL-2 levels in the MLR coculture. J Biol Chem, 1986 Oct 25, 261(30), 14335 - 41 Amino acid sequence of a specific antigenic peptide of protein B23; Chan PK et al.; A specific antigenic peptide was obtained from protein B23 (Mr/pI = 37,000/5.1) after 30 min of digestion with staphylococcal V8 protease (10 micrograms/ml/mg protein B23) . The antigenic peptide was purified by DEAE-cellulose chromatography and high pressure liquid chromatography on a reverse-phase C18 column . The antigenic peptide contains 14.7 and 18.7 mol% of glutamic acid and lysine, respectively . Amino acid sequence analysis showed that the peptide has 68 amino acids and is located on the carboxyl-terminal sequence of protein B23 . The sequence is Ser-Phe-Lys-Lys-Gln-Glu-Lys-Thr-Pro-Lys-Thr-Pro- Lys-Gly-Pro-Ser-Ser-Val-Glu-Asp-Ile-Lys-Ala-Lys-Met-Gln-Ala-Ser-Ile-Glu- Lys-Gly- Gly-Ser-Leu-Pro-Lys-Val-Glu-Ala-Lys-Phe-Ile-Asn-Tyr-Val-Lys-Asn-Cys-Phe- Arg-Met- Thr-Asp-Gln-Glu-Ala-Ile-Gln-Asp-Leu-Trp-Gln-Trp-Arg-Lys-Ser-Leu-Cooh . Extensive digestion of the antigenic peptide with V8 protease, trypsin, or chymotrypsin results in loss of the antigenic activity . Three cloned cDNAs (hpB1, hpB2, and hpB7) which code for the 82 amino acids at the COOH terminus of protein B23 and the 3' non-translating sequence were identified and characterized . All three clones have identical nucleotide sequences coding for the antigenic portion of the protein (68 amino acids at the COOH terminus), the stop codon, and the 3' non-translated region . However, mutation of 6 nucleotide bases of one clone (hpB2) caused changes in 4 amino acids in the sequence just preceding the immunoreactive region . The result suggests the presence of at least 2 immunologically similar but distinct proteins which are both recognized by the anti-B23 antibody. Dtsch Med Wochenschr, 1986 Oct 24, 111(43), 1642 - 6 {Acute spinal epidural abscess}; Mattle H et al.; An acute spinal epidural abscess is a rare cause of paraplegia, seen in seven patients over a period of ten years . All patients had fever and severe localized back-pain . Unless treated, within hours or a few days, there will be root defects and rapidly progressive paraplegia . Staphylococcus is the most frequent causative organism and clinically manifest septicaemia is common . Rapid diagnosis and treatment are essential in deciding the patient's fate . Myelography is an important additional examination as it demonstrates the abscess in 96% of cases . Non-contrast radiology is of little value . High-dosage antibiotics and surgical spinal decompression are the cardinal treatment procedures . Antibiotics alone are justified only so long as there are no neurological deficits and neurosurgical intervention, if needed, is immediately available. Biochemistry, 1986 Oct 21, 25(21), 6426 - 32 Identification of polyphosphate recognition sites communicating with actin sites on the skeletal myosin subfragment 1 heavy chain; Chaussepied P et al.; Using the thrombin-cut {68-30 kilodalton (kDa)} myosin subfragment 1 (S-1) whose heavy chain has been selectively split within the central 50-kDa region, at Lys-560, with concomitant specific alterations of the ATPase and actin binding properties {Chaussepied, P., Mornet, D., Audemard, E., Derancourt, J., & Kassab, R . (1986) Biochemistry 25, 1134-1140; Chaussepied, P., Mornet, D., Barman, T., Travers, F., & Kassab, R . (1986) Biochemistry 25, 1141-1149}, we have isolated and renatured the COOH-terminal 30-kDa fragment associated with the alkali light chains by the procedure recently described {Chaussepied, P., Mornet, D., Audemard, E., Kassab, R., Goodearl, J., Levine, B., & Trayer, I . P . (1986) Biochemistry 25, 4540-4547} . The 30-kDa peptide preparation was found to exhibit a crucial feature of the native S-1; namely, it interacts with F-actin in an adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP)-dependent manner . Studies by ultracentrifugation, turbidity measurements, and chemical cross-linking experiments showed that the acto-30-kDa peptide complex was dissociated almost completely by the gamma-phosphoryl group containing ligands ATP, 5'-adenylyl imidodiphosphate, and pyrophosphate, to a lesser extent by ADP, and not at all by AMP and inorganic phosphate . The maximal dissociating effect is operating with the thrombic 30-kDa entity, whereas the 22-kDa fragment produced by staphylococcal protease is only slightly dissociated . In contrast, the tryptic 20-kDa fragment binds irreversibly to actin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Thromb Haemost, 1986 Oct 21, 56(2), 144 - 6 IgG binding to endothelial cells in systemic lupus erythematosus; Le Roux G et al.; Endothelial-associated IgG were determined in 20 patients with systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE)-8 of whom had a lupus anticoagulant (LA) and 6 a history of thrombosis . The binding of IgG present in patient plasma to cultured human endothelial cells was detected using radiolabeled staphylococcal protein A . Thirteen samples gave positive results and a significant association between endothelial-associated IgG and lupus anticoagulant was found (p less than 0.05) . No statistically significant relationship with a previous history of thrombosis was found . These results suggest that the lupus anticoagulant may be directly involved in immune vascular injury induced by either antibodies or immune complexes in SLE. Klin Wochenschr, 1986 Oct 15, 64(20), 1029 - 35 Lysostaphin-based assay of human granulocyte functions: a reevaluation; Urbanitz D et al.; Lysostaphin, a staphylococcus-derived staphylocidal substance, has widely been used in assays of granulocyte phagocytic and bactericidal capability . It rapidly kills extracellular bacteria . Thus, a separate determination of intracellular surviving bacteria can be performed . One prerequisite for this approach is the safe inactivation of lysostaphin (usually brought about by trypsin) before the intracellular bacteria are externalized for plating . This inactivation has been found by others to be incomplete . Data are presented demonstrating a safe inactivation of lysostaphin by trypsin, if the pH value is maintained within the alkaline range . A low variation of results is obtained by plotting the total number of bacteria killed per incubate vs the logarithm of initial bacterial inoculum or of the intracellular surviving bacteria, leading to linear regression lines . The variation of the results increases greatly for initial bacteria/granulocyte proportions of greater than 5/1 . The results obtained for two different St . aureus strains are significantly different . Dexamethasone pretreatment (12 mg p.o . within 8 h) had no detectable influence, when fresh blood was assayed, while blood storage at room temperature for 12 h (without dexamethasone pretreatment) led to a significant functional impairment, mainly of bactericidal capability when analyzed in a pairwise fashion . A major limitation of this kind of assays is that killed bacteria cannot be determined directly. J Immunol, 1986 Oct 15, 137(8), 2682 - 7 The mitogenic activity of staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB): a monovalent T cell mitogen that stimulates cytolytic T lymphocytes but cannot mediate their lytic interaction; Zehavi-Willner T et al.; Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), a monovalent T cell mitogen and inducer of T suppressor cells, was found to be a potent polyclonal activator of cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL) effective against concanavalin A (Con A)-treated target cells . In addition to polyclonal stimulation of CTL, SEB could reactivate "memory" CTL, alloimmunized 60 to 90 days earlier, into "secondary" CTL detectable as early as 24 hr after onset of stimulation and specific for the original priming target cells . Optimal cytolytic activity was induced at 0.5 to 10 micrograms/ml SEB; optimal priming time was 3 days, correlating well with the proliferative activity and morphologic transformation of small lymphocytes into large T lymphoblasts . Long-term cultures of splenocytes, stimulated by SEB, continued to express high cytolytic activity . It is noteworthy that although SEB and Con A are comparable CTL inducers, SEB, unlike Con A, is an ineffective mediator of nonspecific, CTL/target cell interactions . To the best of our knowledge this is the first example of a CTL inducer unable to mediate CTL-target interaction and lysis . The latter observations suggests that different receptors are involved in CTL activation and in CTL-target interaction resulting in lysis. Eur J Biochem, 1986 Oct 15, 160(2), 427 - 31 The primary structure of apolipoprotein A-I from rabbit high-density lipoprotein; Yang CY et al.; The amino acid sequence of rabbit apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) has been determined by degradation and alignment of two overlapping sets of peptides obtained from tryptic and staphylococcal digestions . All of the peptides of rabbit apo A-I resulting from digestion by staphylococcal protease were isolated and sequenced except residues 33-37 . A digestion with trypsin was employed to find overlapping and missing peptides . The N-terminus of rabbit apo A-I was confirmed by sequencing the intact protein up to 20 residues while the C-terminus was identified through its homology with human apo A-I . The protein contains 241 residues in its single chain . Its primary structure is highly homologous to the reported canine apo A-I (80%) and human apo A-I (78%), but exhibits less similarity with rat apo A-I (60%) . Like human apo A-I, rabbit apo A-I contains very little histidine (2) and methionine (1); it does however have two residues of isoleucine . Based on a comparison of the hydrophobic-hydrophilic character of apo A-I residues with that of the two synthetic peptides that activated lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase (Pownall et al . and Yokoyama et al.), we found that the five segments with the highest corresponding homologies on the protein are located within the N-terminal half . This suggests that the N-terminal half of apo A-I contains the major portion of regions activating lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase. Cell Immunol, 1986 Oct 15, 102(2), 299 - 306 Inhibition of antibody production from the plasmacytoma cell line MOPC-315 by staphylococcal enterotoxin B-induced T-suppressor cells; Lin YS et al.; Our previous results have shown that staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) induces a population(s) of T cells which has the capacity to suppress the antibody response of splenocytes in vitro . In the present report we have attempted to investigate the effect of SEB-primed cells on the secretion of antibody by the plasmacytoma cell line MOPC-315 . We have found that the secretion of antibody by MOPC-315 is significantly reduced in as little as 24 hr of coculture with the suppressor cells . The suppressive activity is not antigen- or isotype-specific, since the antibody secretion by both MPC-11 and HOPC1 plasmacytomas are also inhibited by the SEB-primed cells . In addition, we have found that the SEB-primed cell population which inhibits the antibody production by the MOPC-315 cell line expresses the Lyt-1+,2- and Thy-1+ cell surface markers . The apparent relationship between the SEB-primed suppressor cell population and the population which inhibits a conventional antibody response is discussed. JAMA, 1986 Oct 3, 256(13), 1758 - 62 Effects of exposure to factor concentrates containing donations from identified AIDS patients . A matched cohort study; Jason J et al.; We compared recipients of eight lots of factors VIII and IX voluntarily withdrawn from distribution because one donor was known to have subsequently developed the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome with a nonexposed cohort matched by age, sex, and factor use . The factor VIII recipient cohorts did not differ in prevalence of antibody to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (exposed, 75%; nonexposed, 86%), T-cell subset numbers (median: exposed, 619 T-helper cells per cubic millimeter; nonexposed, 659 T-helper cells per cubic millimeter), T-helper to T-suppressor ratios, or immunoglobulin levels . Exposed individuals had higher levels of immune complexes by C1q binding and staphylococcal binding assays and lower responses to phytohemagglutinin and concanavalin A . However, only the staphylococcal binding assay values were outside the normal range for our laboratory . Factor IX recipient cohorts did not differ in HIV antibody prevalence (exposed, 30%; nonexposed, 40%) or any immune tests . Although exposed and nonexposed individuals did not differ from each other in a clinically meaningful fashion at initial testing, both the exposed and nonexposed cohorts had high rates of HIV seroprevalence . Market withdrawals were clearly insufficient means of limiting the spread of HIV in hemophilic patients; however, the currently available methods of donor screening and viral inactivation of blood products will prevent continued exposure within this population. Br J Exp Pathol, 1986 Oct, 67(5), 679 - 86 A morphological study of experimental staphylococcal endocarditis and aortitis . II . Inter-relationship of bacteria, vegetation and cardiovasculature in established infections; Ferguson DJ et al.; The inter-relationship of the bacteria, vegetations and cardiovasculature was studied by light and electron microscopy in experimental staphylococcal endocarditis and aortitis in acute and fatal infections . A specific spatial relationship was observed with the majority of bacterial colonies located along the junction between the cardiovasculature and the overlying thrombic vegetation . The bacterial colonies within the vegetations on the ventricular and aortic walls were smaller and embedded in a thick layer of thrombus with certain colonies showing evidence of bacterial cell death . By comparison, the lesions on the aortic valve consisted of large masses of bacteria with little or no thrombic coating . The structural damage to the aortic valve appeared to be the direct result of bacterial invasion into the connective tissue of the cusp . The acute nature of the disease may be related to bacterial destruction of the aortic valve whereas the colonies within the aortic wall vegetations are probably the source of 'resistance' to antibiotic treatment. J Allergy Clin Immunol, 1986 Oct, 78(4 Pt 1), 583 - 9 Anti-Staphylococcus aureus-specific IgE in atopic dermatitis; Motala C et al.; Serum samples from 60 adults and 64 children with atopic dermatitis were tested for antistaphylococcal IgE antibodies with RAST discs coupled to cellular proteins from Wood 46 strain S . aureus . Anti-S . aureus IgE antibodies were detected in 19 (29.6%) of the children and 14 (23.3%) of the adult patients . Anti-S . aureus IgE-positive adults had more severe and prolonged disease than those who were negative . Two groups of children comprising 10 who were anti-S . aureus IgE positive and 10 who were negative were compared . Children with anti-S . aureus IgE antibodies had more severe and more extensive disease (p less than 0.05), a greater prevalence of cutaneous S . aureus infections (p less than 0.05), higher mean total serum IgE level (p less than 0.05), a greater prevalence of specific IgE responses to food allergens (p less than 0.05), and a higher percentage of helper T cells (p less than 0.05) than children who were negative for these antibodies. Eur J Biochem, 1986 Oct 1, 160(1), 9 - 22 Epidermin: sequencing of a heterodetic tetracyclic 21-peptide amide antibiotic; Allgaier H et al.; Epidermin is a large peptide antibiotic, which is synthesized in the ribosome via a precursor protein, followed by enzymatic modifications . It was isolated from the culture filtrate of Staphylococcus epidermidis Tu 3298 by adsorption on Amberlite XAD-8 . The basic heneicosapeptide amide was chromatographed on Sephadex LH-20 and purified to homogeneity via multiplicative counter-current distributions in one acidic and one neutral system . Tryptic digestion gave the soluble N-terminal fragment epidermin-(1-13)-peptide (P1) and the insoluble C-terminal fragment 2-oxobutyryl-epidermin-(15-21)-peptide amide (P2), each possessing two sulfide ring systems . The heterodetic rings consisted of meso-lanthionine and (2S,3S, 6R)-3-methyllanthionine (P1), meso-lanthionine and C-terminally the new amino acid S-(2-aminovinyl)-D-cysteine (P2) . The complex sequence was elucidated via a combination of desulfurization with Raney nickel, enzymatic and acidolytic degradations, gas-phase sequencing, fast-atom bombardment and field-desorption mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. Drug Intell Clin Pharm, 1986 Oct, 20(10), 789 - 92 Acute interstitial nephritis associated with intermittent rifampin use; Katz MD et al.; Rifampin is a widely used antimicrobial agent, most commonly administered in the treatment of tuberculosis . Since its introduction in the late 1960s, rifampin has become a standard agent in the treatment of tuberculosis, especially with the acceptance of short-course chemotherapy in the U.S . Rifampin also is being used with increasing frequency in the treatment of nontuberculous infections, especially serious staphylococcal infections . While rifampin usually is well tolerated in most patients, adverse effects, including serious forms of toxicity, have been reported . Some of these adverse effects include liver toxicity and various immunologic reactions such as skin rashes, eosinophilia, and interstitial nephritis . This report documents a case of acute interstitial nephritis, most likely secondary to intermittent rifampin administration. Clin Orthop, 1986 Oct, (211), 103 - 7 One-stage revision of infected cemented total hip arthroplasty; Wroblewski BM; A prospective study of a one-stage revision of infected cemented total hip arthroplasty was carried out in 102 consecutive cases using acrylic cement with 0.5 g of gentamicin in each 40 g pack as well as systemic and oral antibiotics . Thirty percent had a sinus tract at some stage before the revision . The most common infecting organism was coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, either as a pure growth or in combination with other organisms . The success rate was 91%, with an average follow-up study of three years and two months . The infection persisted in 9% of the cases . In three cases, infection was correlated with some aspect of the revision technique . The method gave a higher success rate than that obtained without the use of an antibiotic-loaded acrylic cement . Combined systemic and oral use of antibiotics appears to reduce the recurrence rate still further. Biull Eksp Biol Med, 1986 Oct, 102(10), 408 - 9 {Prevention of wound suppuration}; Palii GK et al.; The results of 0.3% sodium chloride solution application for the prevention of wound suppuration are reviewed . The experiments were carried out on animals, by making several pricks around the place of injection of potentially pathogenic microorganisms (staphylococcus, E . coli and yeast-like fungi) and forming a "tight" infiltrate . No inflammation was observed in the place of injection and the following "tight" infiltration by 0.3% sodium chloride solution . The control animals revealed suppuration in the infiltration area, and bacteriological analysis isolated initial cultures of microorganisms. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg, 1986 Oct, 92(4), 784 - 9 Prosthetic valve endocarditis . The case for prompt surgical management; Rocchiccioli C et al.; Clinical and morphologic features are described in 27 patients with prosthetic valve endocarditis . The interval from valve replacement to onset of symptoms of prosthetic valve endocarditis was less than 2 months in 10 patients, longer than 2 months but less than 6 months in seven patients, and longer than 6 months in 10 patients . The most frequent infecting organism was Staphylococcus (11 patients) . In nearly all patients, infection spread behind the site of attachment of the valve prosthesis and resulted in valve ring abscesses . Twenty-three of the 28 infected prostheses were partially or almost completely detached, and in 15 patients the infection destroyed the entire valve anulus, burrowing to adjacent structures in six . Despite prolonged bactericidal antibiotic therapy, bacterial cultures of prosthetic valves removed at operation or autopsy were positive in 14 patients . Standard valve replacement was attempted in nine patients . All were hospital survivors, but two of these patients evidenced rapid postoperative valve dehiscence and required a complex surgical procedure at reoperation . The 14 other surgically treated patients had almost complete destruction of the annular root, and surgical repair was achieved by complex surgical techniques . There were five postoperative deaths, but nine patients survived with no further evidence of infection (mean follow-up 34 months) . All patients with early prosthetic valve endocarditis who recovered underwent this type of operative technique . Total exclusion of the infected annular root, as described, may offer in patients with extensive endocarditic lesions the only possibility to eradicate the infection and to reduce the mortality. Am J Hematol, 1986 Oct, 23(2), 89 - 99 Platelet-associated immunoglobulins IgG, IgM, IgA and complement C3 in immune and nonimmune thrombocytopenic disorders; Panzer S et al.; A two-stage radioactive antiglobulin test--using unlabelled antisera specific for IgG, IgA, IgM and C3 followed by binding of 125I-staphylococcal protein A--was applied to determine platelet-associated immunoglobulins (PAIg) and complement (PAC3) in thrombocytopenias of various etiologies . One hundred and one patients with immune thrombocytopenia (chronic autoimmune, 48; acute autoimmune, 37; Evans syndrome, nine; connective tissue diseases, seven) and 20 patients with presumed nonimmune thrombocytopenia (bone marrow aplasia or malignancy, six; septicemia, five; hypersplenism, five; cirrhosis of liver, three; others, one) were studied . Increased levels of PAIg/C3 were found in 76% of patients with immune thrombocytopenia . PAIgG was raised in 66%, PAIgM in 57%, PAIgA in 44%, and PAC3 in 29% . Isolated elevation of PAIgG and of PAIgM was found in four and three cases, respectively; PAIgA and PAC3 were elevated in one case each . PAIgG was associated with PAIgM in 56%, with PAIgA in 34%, and with PAC3 in 27% . Both patients with Evans' syndrome and patients with connective tissue diseases had significantly higher PAIgM levels than the other patients with immune thrombocytopenia . In patients with nonimmune thrombocytopenia, increased rates of PAIg/C3 were also encountered . Positive test results were found in 88% (PAIgG 88%, PAIgM 47%, PAIgA 35%, and PAC3 24%) . In immune-mediated thrombocytopenia, we observed a significant inverse correlation between platelet counts and PAIgG, PAIgA, and PAC3, but not with PAIgM . In contrast, no such correlation was found in patients with nonimmune thrombocytopenia . Our data indicate that the evaluation of neither parameter alone nor the combination of PAIg/C3 will discriminate between immune and nonimmune thrombocytopenia . Preferential coating with certain immunoglobulins, however, may be present in some subgroups of immune thrombocytopenias. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1986 Oct, (10), 15 - 20 {Staphylococcal toxic shock exotoxin (its isolation and characteristics)}; Akatov AK et al.; The method for obtaining the preparation of toxic shock exotoxin (TSE) has been developed . This method comprises the following operations: the sorption of the toxin from the culture fluid on Amberlite CG-50, elution, dialysis, gel chromatography in a column with biogel P-2, isoelectric focusing, and gel chromatography in a column with Sephadex G-75 . TSE is a relatively thermostable protein with a molecular weight of 24,000 . Its isoelectric point is 7.2 . Monospecific antiserum to TSE with precipitating antibody titer equal to 1:16, identical to the reference serum (M . S . Bergdoll), has been prepared . This antiserum has shown no cross reactions with the homogeneous preparations of staphylococcal enterotoxins. J Hyg (Lond), 1986 Oct, 97(2), 317 - 29 Comparison of techniques for demonstrating antibodies to Rift Valley fever virus; Swanepoel R et al.; Nine serological techniques were compared by monitoring the response to infection with Rift Valley fever (RVF) virus in three sheep . Antibodies were monitored daily for the first 14 days after infection, then weekly and later fortnightly up to week 24 . The earliest antibody response was detected in one sheep on day 3 by a plaque reduction neutralization test, and by day 6 antibodies were demonstrable in all three sheep by haemagglutination-inhibition, reversed passive haemagglutination-inhibition, immunodiffusion, indirect immunofluorescence (IF), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and neutralization of cytopathic effect in cell cultures . Antibodies were demonstrable by complement fixation on day 8 at the earliest . IF and the two neutralization techniques produced the highest titres, but all tests could be used satisfactorily for the serological diagnosis of RVF . Inactivated antigen could be used for all except the neutralization tests . A radioimmunoassay technique using 125I-labelled staphylococcal protein A detected antibodies on day 8 at the earliest and produced lower mean titres than some of the other techniques . This was probably because sheep immunoglobulins bind protein A poorly. Clin Nephrol, 1986 Oct, 26(4), 163 - 8 Increased immunoglobulin-secreting cells in the blood of patients with active idiopathic IgA nephropathy; Schena FP et al.; Peripheral blood lymphocytes from 33 patients with idiopathic IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and 15 healthy controls were stimulated in vitro by Protein A from Staphylococcus Cowan I; immunoglobulin (Ig) production was measured by a reverse hemolytic plaque assay to evaluate the quantity of cells secreting Ig . In addition, serum Ig levels, circulating IgG, IgA and IgM immune complexes (ICs) and the Fc and C3b receptor mediated phagocytosis of peripheral monocytes were measured . The laboratory findings in different phases of the disease were compared . The mean level of IgA-plaque forming cells (IgA PFC) in IgAN patients with normal renal function was significantly higher (p less than 0.001) than the mean control value . In contrast, they were reduced significantly in those patients who were subjected to periodic hemodialysis (p less than 0.001) . Disease activity produced a significant increase in IgG PFC and IgA PFC, high IgG and IgM serum levels, high circulating IgG ICs, and low C3b-mediated phagocytic function of the peripheral macrophages . These findings demonstrate that IgAN is associated with an increased number of IgG and IgA-secreting cells in the peripheral blood of patients during the active phase of the disease and that the concurrent presence of high levels of circulating Ig ICs may be responsible for the gross hematuria, as their deposition in the glomeruli could activate the complement system. J Rheumatol, 1986 Oct, 13(5), 944 - 7 Interleukin 1 and interleukin 2 generation by peripheral blood cells from patients with ankylosing spondylitis; Keystone EC et al.; We examined the spontaneous secretion of interleukin 1 (IL-1) from peripheral blood monocytes and staphylococcal protein A (SPA) induced secretion of interleukin 2 (IL-2) from peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 13 patients with active ankylosing spondylitis and 10 healthy controls . IL-1 and IL-2 secretion in the patient group was not measurably different from controls (p greater than 0.05) . We also examined IL-1 and IL-2 generation in 7 patients before and 2 months after therapy with a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agent, piroxicam . A variable effect of piroxicam was observed on IL-1 and IL-2 generation despite the efficacy of piroxicam in reducing the clinical activity of the disease . Our results suggest the absence of an intrinsic aberration in IL generation from peripheral blood cells from patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Acta Ophthalmol (Copenh), 1986 Oct, 64(5), 504 - 8 Lysozyme in tears during post-operative inflammation of the eye; Sand BB et al.; Lysozyme (ly) concentration in tears was measured the day before and the days following intracapsular cataract extraction in 25 patients . A median ly concentration of 1.30 mg/ml was found pre-operatively . On the first post-operative day a significant drop in the median ly concentration was observed (0.58 mg/ml) . Thereafter a gradual rise towards pre-operative level was found at the 12th post-operative day . An inverse correlation existed between ly concentrations and Schirmer values during the observation period, and dilution thus seems to be an important cause of the post-operative drop in ly concentration . We observed an inverse relationship between ly level, and the number (%) of patients displaying bacterial colonization of the conjunctival sac 24 h later . The most frequently isolated bacteria were staphylococcus albus and diphteroids . It is proposed that the drop in ly concentration post-operatively may contribute to an increased risk of bacterial colonization of the eye post-operatively. Ophthalmology, 1986 Oct, 93(10), 1328 - 35 Treatment of experimental methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis endophthalmitis with intravitreal vancomycin; Smith MA et al.; Endophthalmitis remains a dreaded complication of intraocular surgery and penetrating eye trauma . Subconjunctival, topical, and systemic antibiotics have been largely ineffective in the treatment of endophthalmitis, whereas intravitreal antibiotics have proved efficacious . Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis has become an important pathogen in many infections, including endophthalmitis . Toxicity, clearance, and efficacy of intravitreal vancomycin were evaluated in the treatment of experimental methicillin-resistant S . epidermidis endophthalmitis . No evidence of retinal toxicity was found and therapeutic levels were demonstrated six days after injection . The treated rabbit eyes showed a marked beneficial effect when compared to the untreated eyes . If experience confirms the safety of intravitreal vancomycin in human eyes, vancomycin should be considered the drug of choice for methicillin-resistant S . epidermidis endophthalmitis. Clin Exp Immunol, 1986 Oct, 66(1), 139 - 49 Mitogenic response of human thymocytes: identification of functional Ca2+-dependent and independent signals; Roifman CM et al.; In contrast to peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), human thymocytes do not exhibit a proliferative response to the T cell mitogens phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (Con A), or Staphylococcal protein A (SPA) . In thymocytes and PBMC, Con A and PHA induce increases in free cytosolic calcium concentrations {( Ca2+}i) . Since both Con A and PHA induce similar increases in {Ca2+}i in thymocytes and PBMC, the absence of thymocyte proliferation was not due to an inability to induce an increase in {Ca2+}i . The lack of proliferative response was secondary to the failure of the mitogens to induce interleukin 2 (IL-2) production . Incubation of mitogen-treated thymocytes with phorbol esters reconstituted IL-2 production and the proliferative response indicating that the cells were indeed activated by the mitogens . Similarly, addition of exogenous recombinant IL-2 also induced mitogen-treated thymocytes to proliferate . This IL-2-dependent proliferation established that SPA, Con A, and PHA triggered the expression of biologically active IL-2 receptors . Since an increase in {Ca2+}i is a prerequisite, and possibly a trigger, for IL-2 production, the failure of PHA, Con A, or SPA to result in thymocyte proliferation may be due to an inability of thymocytes to respond to increases in {Ca2+}i with subsequent IL-2 production. Cell Immunol, 1986 Oct 1, 102(1), 33 - 42 The regulation of gamma-interferon production by interleukins 1 and 2; Croll AD et al.; Purified interleukins 1 and 2 (IL-1 and IL-2) were used to investigate their role in the production of gamma-interferon (gamma-IFN) . Macrophage depletion from human peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes (PBML) inhibited gamma-IFN production . Addition of purified IL-1 partially restored IFN production of macrophage-depleted PBML induced by three T cell mitogens (phytohemagglutinin, PHA; concanavalin A, con A; and staphylococcal enterotoxin A, SEA), but had no effect on induction of IFN production by undepleted PBML . Therefore endogenous IL-1 production by macrophages is probably one of the mechanisms by which they act as accessory cells for IFN production by lymphocytes . A monoclonal antibody 9.6 which binds to the sheep erythrocyte (E) receptor found on human T cells inhibited IFN production . Addition of IL-2, but not IL-1, was found to reverse this inhibition . Prostaglandin E2, a macrophage product, inhibited gamma-IFN production induced by PHA, Con A, and OKT3 but usually not SEA . This inhibitory effect was reversible by the addition of IL-2 but not IL-1 . In the absence of mitogen IL-1 alone rarely induced any IFN production, although some IFN was produced by PBML from a small minority of donors . Without mitogen IL-2 induced IFN production only at very high concentrations and the added presence of IL-1 did not enhance this induction. Am J Clin Nutr, 1986 Oct, 44(4), 449 - 52 Fever and malnutrition: endogenous pyrogen/interleukin-1 in malnourished patients; Kauffman CA et al.; The effect of protein-calorie malnutrition on the release of endogenous pyrogen/interleukin-1 (EP/IL-1), the protein responsible for the induction of fever, was investigated in 18 hospitalized patients with chronic malnutrition . Monocytes from the 18 patients and from 19 healthy controls were cultured overnight after stimulation with Staphylococcus epidermidis . The presence of EP/IL-1 was tested by injecting culture supernatants into rabbits and measuring the maximum febrile response (delta Tmax) . Malnourished patients produced significantly less EP/IL-1 than controls (delta Tmax = 0.27 +/- 0.04 degrees C for patients vs 0.49 +/- 0.03 degrees C for controls, p less than 0.001) . The poor febrile response in the malnourished patients was related to low serum albumin and retinol-binding protein, but not to thyroxine-binding albumin or lymphocyte number . This abnormality may help explain the poor febrile response often noted in hospitalized debilitated patients. Infect Immun, 1986 Oct, 54(1), 265 - 8 Transfer of the plasmid for exfoliative toxin B synthesis in mixed cultures on nitrocellulose membranes; Rogolsky M et al.; Plasmid pRW002 carries genetic determinants for exfoliative toxin B and bacteriocin R1 synthesis . When a donor strain carrying plasmid pRW002 was mixed with a plasmidless recipient strain on a nitrocellulose membrane in accordance with the procedure used for staphylococcal conjugation, pRW002 was passed to the recipient by mixed-culture transduction . Transfer was inhibited by citrate and serotype B phage antisera but not by DNase I . Cell-to-cell contact was not required, and transfer frequencies increased more than 10-fold in the presence of small concentrations of mitomycin C . These results are consistent with pRW002 transfer in mixed cultures by transduction and not by conjugation or transformation . Immunodiffusion and DNA analyses after agarose gel electrophoresis demonstrated that transductants were exfoliative toxin B producers and housed pRW002 . Since mixed-culture transfer has been reported to occur on skin, our results suggest that mixed-culture transduction might be a mechanism for the transfer of genetic determinants for pathogenicity in vivo. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1986 Oct, (10), 68 - 71 {Choice of the method for isolating conjugates of staphylococcal protein A with peroxidase for immunoenzyme analysis}; Perel'man EV et al.; An attempt to obtain the preparations of peroxidase-labeled staphylococcal protein A, intended for use in the enzyme immunoassay, by the glutaraldehyde method has failed . The modified periodate method permitting the preparation of active conjugates of staphylococcal protein A with peroxidase has been developed. Infect Immun, 1986 O