Mayo Clin Proc, 1977 May, 52(5), 267 - 80 Immune complexes (IgG and C3) at the motor end-plate in myasthenia gravis: ultrastructural and light microscopic localization and electrophysiologic correlations; Engel AG et al.; Although there is strong evidence that myasthenia gravis (MG) is caused by an autoimmune reaction to the nicotinic postsynaptic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) protein, immune complexes have never been directly demonstrated at the end-plate by immunocyto-chemistry or immunoelectron microscopy . Staphylococcal protein A (which binds to the Fc region of human IgG subclasses 1, 2, and 4) and rabbit anti-human C3 conjugated with peroxidase were used for the ultrastructural (5 patients) and light microscopic (12 patients) localization of IgG and C3, respectively, at MG end-plates . Both IgG and C3 were localized on segments of the postsynaptic membrance and fragments of degenerating junctional folds in the synaptic space . In nonmyasthenic control patients no immune complexes were evident at the end-plate . As judged by morphometric analysis of electron micrographs, the immune complexes were more abundant in the less severely affected MG patients than in the more severely affected ones . A linear correlation was demonstrated between the length of the postsynaptic membrance binding immune complexes and the amplitude of the miniature end-plate potential . The less intense reaction for immune complexes in the more severely affected MG patients can be attributed to the smaller quantity of AChR remaining at their end-plates . The findings provide unambiguous evidence for a destructive auto-immune reaction involving the postsynaptic membrance in MG . Immunopharmacologic blockade of AChR and IgG-induced modulation of AChR may also contribute to the AChR deficiency at the MG end-plates. J Med Microbiol, 1977 May, 10(2), 161 - 9 Studies on antagonism between human skin bacteria; Marsh PD et al.; Antagonism by an antibiotic-producing Staphylococcus epidermidis strain (S6+) against other bacteria was studied semi-quantitatively on solid media and quantitatively in liquid batch culture . Parallel experiments were performed with a similar but non-antibiotic producing strain (S6-) . On solid media strain S6+ in the logarithmic growth phase unilaterally inhibited members of all gram-positive species tested, whereas S6- had no effect . In liquid media, more complex interactions were observed, including mutual and reversed antagonisms . The relevance of these findings to the ecology of human skin is discussed. Arch Ophthalmol, 1977 May, 95(5), 812 - 6 Staphylococcal blepharitis; Smolin G et al.; A detailed discussion of various aspects of staphylococcal blepharitis is presented . These include epidemiology, pathogenesis and immunity, microbiologic characteristics, clinical signs, associated systemic diseases, differential diagnosis, and treatment. J Med Microbiol, 1977 May, 10(2), 261 - 5 Continuous-culture studies of interactions among human skin-commensal bacteria; Marsh PD et al.; Chemostat studies were made of an antibiotic-producing Staphylococcus epidermidis strain (S6+), a similar, but antibiotic non-producing S . epidermidis strain (S6-), and a sensitive indicator strain of Micrococcus sp . (M7) . Pure and mixed continous cultures were investigated at low population levels (in 0-1% peptone water) and at higher levels (in 0-5% peptone water) . Strain S6+ antagonised the growth of strain M7 when its colony count was maintained above 10(7-0) per ml, while strain S6- remained unaffected. Infect Immun, 1977 May, 16(2), 610 - 6 Regulation of staphylococcal enterotoxin B; Iandolo JJ et al.; The effect of glucose and the glucose analogues 2-deoxyglucose and alpha-methyl-glucoside on the synthesis and regulation of staphylococcal enterotoxin B was examined . The attenuating effect of glucose on staphylococcal enterotoxin B synthesis was observed . However, when this effect was examined with analogues of glucose, contradictory responses were seen . alpha-Methylglucoside had a slight stimulatory effect on enterotoxin production and other extracellular proteins, whereas 2-deoxyglucose markedly inhibited enterotoxin production . beta-hemolysin and staphylococcal nuclease were also inhibited by 2-deoxy glucose but the synthesis of nuclease could be rescued by the addition of glucose to 2-deoxyglucose-containing cultures . Enterotoxin and beta-hemolysin synthesis were not subject to glucose rescue . The cells used in this study were permeable to cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate, but the addition of this compound did not reverse glucose repression or 2-deoxyglucose inhibition of enterotoxin B synthesis . We conclude from these data that the regulation of enterotoxin is not under catabolite control as previously reported. Antibiotiki, 1977 Apr, 22(4), 340 - 4 {Effect of successive cyclic administration of oleandomycin and tetracycline on the immunogenic reactivity and indices of non-specific bodily resistance in experimental staphylococcal sepsis}; Plaksina AN et al.; The effect of subsequent cyclic administration of oleandomycin and tetracycline on the titer of the complement, the content of lysozyme, the bactericidal properties of the serum and the presence of the antibiotic specific antibodies in the blood serum found in the Hoigne reaction were studied on rabbits . It was found that the subsequent cyclic administration of the antibiotics to both the intact animals and the animals with experimental staphylococcal sepsis was accompanied by an increase in the titer of the complement only on the 7th day of administration of oleandomycin, the first antibiotic . The subsequent administration of tetracycline and especially discontinuation of the antibiotics use resulted in a significant, stable and prolonged decrease in the complement titer . The cyclic subsequent administration of oleandomycin and tetracycline for 7 days was accompanied by an increase in the lysozyme content and serum bactericidal properties . Changes in the factors of non-specific resistance under the effect of the subsequent cyclic administration of oleandomycin and tetracycline on both the intact animals and the animals with experimental staphylococcal sepsis were accompanied by an appearance, progressive increase and prolonged preservation in the serum of the antibiotic specific antibodies found in the Hoigne reaction . A possibility of producing specific antibodies simultaneously to the 2 antibiotics, i . e . oleandomycin and tetracycline in their administration in subsequent 7-day cycles was shown. Nuklearmedizin, 1977 Apr, 16(2), 76 - 8 Comparison of 131I-tetracycline and 67Ga-citrate as abscess localizing agents; Hagan PL et al.; Previous studies have shown that radiolabeled tetracyclines tend to accumulate in infarcts and necrotic tumors . These results suggested that radiolabeled tetracyclines might also accumulate in necrotic abscesses or areas of inflammation . In order to develop a better abscess scanning agent, we compared the efficiency of 131I-tetracycline with 67Ga-citrate in labeling experimentally induced staphylococcal aureus abscesses in rats 24 and 72 hours after injection . In addition to evaluating 131I-tetracycline as an abscess scanning agent, we hoped to obtain data which might clarify the controversy regarding early versus late gallium scanning in suspected infection . 131I-tetracycline was chosen over 99mTc-tetracycline because the longer half-life of 131I would allow 72 hour imaging . Absolute concentrations of gallium in the abscess contents and in the surrounding areas of inflammation were significantly greater than the concentration of 131I-tetracycline at both 24 and 72 hours . With the exception of blood, muscle, and bone, the abscess-to-tissue activity ratios for gallium and 131I-tetracycline were similar; however, the ratio of gallium activity in the inflammed tissue to other tissues was greater than that of 131I-tetracycline for every tissue examined at both time periods . The data suggest that 131I-tetracycline has little potential as a general abscess scanning agent . The gallium tissue concentrations and tissue ratios suggest that abscesses which can be imaged at 72 hours can probably be imaged at 24 hours, thus allowing earlier initiation of appropriate therapy . Because of the higher lesion-to-blood ratio at 72 hours, a 72-hour scan would appear to be indicated before a scan is interpreted as normal. J Gen Microbiol, 1977 Apr, 99(2), 425 - 30 Serological grouping of virulent and avirulent strains of the lobster pathogen Aerococcus viridans; Steenbergen JF et al.; Virulent strains of Aerococcus viridans (formerly Gaffkya homari) are the aetiologic agents of gaffkemia, a septicaemic disease of the American lobster (Homarus americanus) . The virulent and avirulent forms of this bacterium, previously thought to be taxonomically indistinguishable, have been differentiated by serological studies . Antisera were produced in rabbits using autoclaved bacteria as antigens . Reactions were measured by agglutination tests using microtitre techniques and an antigenic scheme was determined . Specific antisera were prepared by absorption and used to determine antigens of strains of A . viridans and other Gram-positive cocci . In general, only virulent strains of A . viridans have antigen b . Both virulent and avirulent strains possess other antigens also detected in strains of the genus Staphylococcus. Am J Ophthalmol, 1977 Apr, 83(4), 443 - 50 Autoimmune phenomena in ocular cicatricial pemphigoid; Mondino BJ et al.; Twelve patients with various stages of ocular cicatricial pemphigoid were studied . Tear volumes measured by Schirmer tests and visual acuities were generally reduced in proportion to disease severity . Mannitol-positive staphylococcus was recovered from 67% (16/24) of the eyelids cultured . Immunoglobulins were bound to the basement membrane of clinically involved conjunctivae in 67% of the patients (8/12) . Eighty percent (8/10) of the clinically normal conjunctivae had no immunoglobulins bound to the basement membrane or epithelium, further reinforcing the importance of tissue-fixed immunoglobulins in the pathogenesis of this condition . Four of eight patients with immunoglobulins bound to basement membrane also had C3 complement bound to basement membrane . Acute disease may be associated with the presence of complement in the conjunctiva . In addition, three of the eight patients with basement membrane staining, and three without, showed marked epithelial intercellular and intracellular staining for immunoglobulins . Indirect immunofluorescence of patients' sera showed no circulating antibodies to basement membrane, but three patients had circulating antibodies directed to the conjunctival epithelium in an intercellular or intracellular location . No significant association of ocular pemphigoid with other circulating autoantibodies . HLA aantigens, or abnormal serum immunoglobulin levels was realized. Zentralbl Bakteriol {Orig A}, 1977 Apr, 237(4), 470 - 6 Distribution of resistances to metals and antibiotics of staphylococcal strains in Japan; Nakahara H et al.; Clinical isolates of 565 staphylococcal strains were studied for the resistance to four metals and eight antibiotics . Distribution patterns of their susceptibilities to Hg, As and Pb clearly revealed two peaks . But in the case of Cd resistance, there were three groups of Cd sensitivity . Frequencies of metal resistances were 36.6% to Hg, 95.6% to Cd, 48.8% to As and 91.9% to Pb . On the other hand, those of drug resistances were 87.3% to PC, 28.5% to SM, 33.5% to TC, 22.7% to CP, 23.9% to KM, 43.0% to EM, 38.8% to JM and 0% to GM . Most of tested cultures were metal-resistant (92.9%), moreover, these multiple-metal-resistant strains were also found to be multiple-drug-resistant . And about 10% of total isolates were metal-resistant and drug-senstitive strains, whereas the frequency of the metal-sensitive and drug-resistant strains was only 1.8%. Nucleic Acids Res, 1977 Apr, 4(4), 771 - 89 Structural repeat units of Chinese hamster ovary chromatin . Evidence for variations in repeat unit DNA size in higher eukaryotes; Rill RL et al.; DNA lengths in the structural repeat units of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) and chicken erythrocyte chromatin were compared by analyzing the sizes of DNA fragments produced after treatment of nuclei with staphylococcal nuclease . The repeat length of CHO chromatin (173 +- 4 BP) is about 20 base pairs (BP) smaller than that of chicken erythrocyte chromatin (194 +- 8 BP) . Repeat lengths of rat liver and calf thymus chromatin were found to be about 10 BP shorter than that of chicken erythrocyte chromatin . Thus significant variations occur in repeat units of chromatin of higher eukaryotes . These variations occur in the lengths of "spacer" (or "internucleosomal") DNA segments, not in "core particle" (or "nucleosomal") DNA lengths . The concept of spacer regions and the possible influence of H1 histones is discussed. J Cell Physiol, 1977 Apr, 91(1), 89 - 102 The effect of 2-deoxyglucose on guinea pig polymorphonuclear leukocyte phagocytosis; Boxer LA et al.; The effects of 2-deoxyglucose (DOG), an inhibitor of glycolysis, on guinea pig polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) obtained from peritoneal exudates was examined . ATP levels in PMN were reduced by 40% by one hour following an incubation with 2-deoxyglucose . When complement (C3) coated 14C-staphylococcus aureus, C3 coated lipopolysaccharide-paraffin oil droplets (LPS-PO), 14C-pneumococcus opsonized with IgG, or albumin coated paraffin oil droplets opsonized with IgG were added to cell suspensions containing DOG, the phagocytizing rate was 1,310+/-55 cpm/5 X 10(6) cells/15 minutes, 6+/-2 microng paraffin oil (PO)/10(7) cells/minute, 2,250+/-175 cpm/1 X 10(6) cells/20 minutes or 0.037+/-0.01 mg PO/10(7) cells/minute compared to control values of 5,970+/-275 cpm/5 X 10(6) cells/15 minutes, 35+/-3 microng PO/10(7) cells/15 minutes, 4,510+/-200 cpm/1 X 10(6) cells/20 minutes and 0.067+/-0.01 mg PO/10(7) cells/minute . In parallel studies the phagocytic index for latex was 0.74+/-0.28 in DOG compared to control of 2.36+/-1.13 and the phagocytic rate of albumin coated paraffin oil droplets was 0.029+/-0.01 mg PO/10(7) PMN/minute in DOG compared to control of 0.048 mg PO/10(7) cells/minute . When ATP levels were maintained by the simultaneous addition of 5 mM glucose or pyruvate to media containing DOG, latex ingestion was improved to 1.15+/-0.3 with glucose and 1.59+/-0.64 with pyruvate and albumin coated particles to 0.045+/-0.01 mg PO/10(7) PMN/minute with pyruvate . There was no improvement in the uptake of either the C3 dependent particles or IgG coated Pneumococci in media containing DOG and glucose and/or pyruvate . Following the removal of DOG from the extracellular medium and the addition of pyruvate or glucose, phagocytosis of C3 dependent LPS-PO was restored to normal values . Neither the binding of C3 or IgG coated particles to the PMN nor the lateral movement of glycoprotein utilizing concanavalin A capping was affected by DOG . Thus, the presence of DOG in the PMN containing adequate amounts of ATP will selectively and reversibly inhibit those surface events required for phagocytosis of C3 and IgG bound particles but not latex particles or albumin particles which non-specifically bind to PMN. Aust J Exp Biol Med Sci, 1977 Apr, 55(2), 165 - 86 Studies on immune responses to larval cestodes in mice . Increased susceptibility of certain mouse strains and hypothymic mice to Taenia taeniaeformis and analysis of passive transfer of resistance with serum; Mitchell GF et al.; Various inbred strains of mice vary markedly in their susceptibility to the larvae of the cestode, Taenia taeniaeformis . Males are generally more susceptible than females and the most susceptible common inbred mouse strains are those which are deficient in C5 and/or C4 components of complement . However, no genetic evidence is yet available to implicate loci controlling complement levels in susceptibility/resistance, and multiple genetic factors appear to be operative . Hypothymic, nu/nu ("nude") mice of the relatively resistant mouse strain, BALB/c, are highly susceptible in that cystic larvae in the liver develop in large numbers and more rapidly than in intact BALB/c.nu/+litter-mates . Cyclophosphamide pretreatment also increases the susceptibility of relatively resistant strains of mice in terms of both the number and size of liver cysts . Hypothymic and intact mice can be protected, absolutely, by an injection of serum from infected intact mice, provided the serum is given to recipient mice close to the time of oral egg administration . The protective activity of immune serum is absorbed totally by staphylococcal protein A-Sepharose columns and can be abolished by treatment of recipients with cobra venom factor . Cyst fluid from established larvae facilitates the activity of subhaemolytic amounts of guinea pig complement in a standard direct PFC assay . The data suggest that complement-fixing antibodies are responsible for inhibition of establishing larvae in mice and that one method of protection for established cystic larvae involves the alteration of host complement activity within the cyst. Am J Dis Child, 1977 Apr, 131(4), 393 - 7 Infection in infants and children; Visintine AM et al.; Infection with Listeria monocytogenes is demonstrated over a 141/2 year period in 24 newborns, three infants 1 to 2 months of age, and two children . Comparison of the 22 cases of Listeria meningitis in newborns with 118 cases of neonatal meningitis due to other bacteria indicates a later onset of symptoms in cases of Listeria meningitis with a more favorable outcome than with most other agents . Treatment with ampicillin sodium appears effective . Monocytic cell increases in peripheral blood or CSF may be helpful in suspecting this diagnosis . The cases of Listeria meningitis in the older children were unusual . In one child it occurred as a concomitant infection with Staphylococcus epidermidis of a ventricular shunt . In the second case in an otherwise healthy child the acquisition of the bacteria from gerbils was suggested, but could not be confirmed. Immunology, 1977 Apr, 32(4), 383 - 94 Ther persistent PHA-responsive population in the mouse thymus . i . Characterization of the population; Elliott EV; Using an in vitro culture technique, mouse thymus graft cells were co-cultured with peripheral blood lymphocytes in the presence of phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) . The persistent PHA-responsive thymus graft population (Elliott, 1973) was shown to be able to response to other T-cell mitogens (Con A, pokeweed mitogen, staphylococcal enterotoxin B), but not to E . coli lipopolysaccharide a known B-cell mitogen . The percentage of persistent PHA-responsive cells did not alter during 5 days in culture and was relatively unaffected by either hydrocortisone or anti-lymphocyte serum treatment in vitro . In allogeneic thymus grafts (AKR leads to CBA), persistent PHA-responsive cells could be demonstrated, which were destroyed when incubated with CBA anti theta AKR serum and complement . When thymus graft cells were allowed to sediment on a 0.2-2 per cent BSA gradient, it was seen that the PHA-responsive population sedimented faster than the bulk of thymus graft cells . Some separation could be obtained on this gradient between the persistent and non-persistent PHA-responsive cell populations. Hautarzt, 1977 Apr, 28(4), 178 - 84 {Staphylodermia superficialis circinata . The 5th obligatory cutaneous paraneoplasia}; Rockl H et al.; Clinical observations on two cases of staphylodermia superficialis circinata are reported . This rare variation of superificial staphylococcal skin infection is identical with the "erythema necroticans migrans" . As this cutaneous manifestation is highly associated with malignant internal diseases it must be regarded as a "cutaneous paraneoplasia" . Out of 14 cases of erythema necroticans migrans, so far published this dermatosis occured in 13 patients suffering from pancreatic cancer . Association with pancreatitis was demonstrated in one case . In both cases herein reported the cutaneous manifestations were associated with a carcinoma of the pancreas and with cervix cancer . Extreme loss of weight, atrophic glossitis, therapy-resistant anemia and a slight diabetes are extra-cutaneous symptoms of this paraneoplastic syndrom. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1977 Apr, (4), 115 - 7 {Effect of alcoholic intoxication on the body's natural resistance to exposure to infectious and toxic agents}; Aver'ianova LL et al.; The influence of alcoholic intoxication on the resistance of albino mice to bacterial toxins and staphylococcus cultures was investigated . Five-day administration of 40% ethyl alcohol to the animals was accompanied by a significant increase of their resistance to the intoxication caused by C1 . perfringens toxins and staphylococcus . Thirty-day alcoholic intoxication promoted a marked reduction of albino mice resistance to the both toxins used and the staphylococcus cultures. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1977 Apr, 33(4), 824 - 8 Iodination of staphylococcal enterotoxin B by use of chloramine-T; Orth DS; This report describes the conditions that are necessary for iodination of staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) by use of chloramine-T . Makor Chemical Co . SEB and the two major SEB components, which were prepared by isoelectric focusing of partially purified SEB, were used in these studies . The antigenic activity of the SEB preparations was monitored by radioimmunoassay as the oxidation/reduction (O/R) potential was increased by addition of chloramine-T . The SEB preparations lost antigenic activity rapidly at pH 7.5 and room temperature when sufficient chloramine-T was added to raise the O/R potential above 250 mV . Iodinated SEB with satisfactory immunoreactivity was prepared by omitting carrier iodide from the iodination reaction mixture and by using at least 1 mg of SEB/ml, steps which made the O/R potential more stable, and by stopping the reaction before the O/R potential exceeded 250 mV . Comparison of the chloramine-T method with a lactoperoxidase/H2O2 method of iodinating SEB showed the latter to cause a greater loss of immunoreactivity. Biochemistry, 1977 Mar 8, 16(5), 873 - 7 The complete amino acid sequence of the major component myoglobin of dwarf sperm whale (Kogia simus); Dwulet FE et al.; The complete amino acid sequence of the major component myoglobin from the dwarf sperm whale, Kogia simus, was determined by specific cleavage of the protein to obtain large peptides which are readily degraded by the automatic sequenator . Three easily separable peptides were obtained by cleaving the protein at its two methionine residues, and five peptides were obtained from the methyl acetimidated protein by cleavage with trypsin at the four arginine residues . Sequenator analysis of these fragments and the apomyoglobin provided over 80% of the covalent structure of the protein . The remainder of the primary structure was determined by further digestion of the two larger cyanogen bromide fragments with trypsin and staphylococcal protease . To reconfirm many of the substitutions found in this protein, the apomyoglobin was treated with 1,2-cyclohexanedione, and the resulting arginine protected protein was cleaved at its lysine residues with trypsin . This myoglobin differs from that of the sperm whale at 6 positions, and from the other cetacean myoglobins at about 16 positions . The appearance of a histidine residue at position 35 has no precedent in any myoglobin . The substitutions seen at positions 21, 51, and 132 are unique to date for cetacean myoglobins. Clin Exp Immunol, 1977 Mar, 27(3), 421 - 4 A human IgA myeloma protein interacting with staphylococcal alpha-toxin and protein A; Dalen A et al.; High anti-staphylolysin activity was found in the serum from a patient with multiple myeloma . The activity was confined to the monoclonal IgA protein and was dependent on an intact Fc part of the molecule . An Fc-dependent interaction with protein A was also demonstrated . In addition, a part of the monoclonal IgA was found to be complexed with alpha2-macroglobulin . The results imply an unusual Fc-reactivity of the IgA protein. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1977 Mar, (3), 102 - 7 {Cytochemical characteristics of blood leukocytes during an experimental purulent-inflammatory process in rabbits}; Katosova LK; The activity of redox and hydrolytic enzymes was studied in the blood lymphocytes and neutrophils of rabbits infected with hemolitic Staphylococcus albus . The changes in the enzymatic activity of blood cells in generalized and localized forms of the inflammatory process depended on the form, course and duration of the disease . At early periods the indices of the acid phosphatase activity of lymphocytes had the greatest informative value for the diagnosis of the inflammatory process . The diagnostic significance of the activity of the alkaline phosphatase of neutrophils consisted in redistribution of cells by the degree of the enzyme activity. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol, 1977 Mar-Apr, 86(2 pt . 1), 196 - 203 Anaerobic bacteria in otitis media; Fulghum RS et al.; Anaerobic bacteria, Peptostrepotococcus intermedius and Propionibacterium acnes, were found in mixed culture specimens from four to ten tested cases of chronic secretory otitis media . These anaerobic bacteria were in a mixed infection flora with aerobic bacteria most often Staphylococcus epidermidis and Cornybacterium sp . which do not fit any established species . The findings of anaerobic bacteria in otitis media is consistent with the sporadic report of the involvement of anaerobic bacteria in otitis media in the literature since 1898. Geriatrics, 1977 Mar, 32(3), 83 - 6 Life-threatening infections: how to choose the right antibiotics; Smith IM et al.; Pneumococcal pneumonia in two or more lobes in frail, elderly patients; staphylococcal and Gram-negative rod pneumonia in patients of any age; lung abscesses; septicemia; endocarditis; peritonitis; and meningitis are life-threatening infections . To save patients with these infections, the physician should know the causative organism and educate himself by cultures; estimate the whole body bacterial burden and decrease bacterial numbers by incision and drainage where large collections of pus are accessible; choose antibiotics with care and use two antibiotics if serious prognostic signs are present initially, if there is a change for the worse, or if the laboratory report indicates that multiple organisms are present; check the serum bactericidal level and repeat this test if the route of antibiotic administration is changed; watch for and treat underlying disease; and always monitor for septic shock . Aged patients need special care, as they often have severe underlying disease . The bacterial burden is often high before infection is recognized in elderly patients, and age itself interferes with host defenses. Pediatrics, 1977 Mar, 59(3), 457 - 9 Hexachlorophene storage in a burn patient associated with encephalopathy; Chilcote R et al.; Hexachlorophene (HCP), a chlorinated phenolic hydrocarbon with bacteriostatic properties against Staphylococcus, is used in a number of topical products . Absorption through normal and damaged human skin has been appreciated and neurologic changes have been described in experimental animals, but instances of human toxicity have been reported infrequently . A 10-year-old boy who sustained a 25% burn did well initially but died in the second week of convalescence with hyperthermia, lower-extremity weakness, and cerebral edema . His treatment had included frequent applications of HCP . Analysis of post-mortem tissue revealed the presence of toxic levels of HCP in the blood (2.2 mug/gm) and brain (2.2 mug/gm), with storage in skin (25 mug/gm), liver (4.4 mug/gm), and fat (6.0 mug/gm) . This case suggests that topical applications of HCP in man may result in an extensive absorption with fat storage and may cause fatal encephalopathy. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg, 1977 Mar, 73(3), 408 - 12 A clinicopathological study of post-thoracotomy purulent pericarditis . A continuing problem of diagnosis and therapy; Bulkley BH et al.; Cardiac infections after operations are infrequent but, when present, are often fatal . The 14 autopsied patients in whom purulent pericarditis developed after thoracic operations over an 88 year period at The Johns Hopkins Hospital were studied . Purulent pericarditis developed after cardiac operations in 10 and after pulmonary resections in 4 . In 12 of the 14 cases the pericardial sac had been opened . Associated postoperative infection, present in 13 patients, included mediastinitis in 7 and empyema in 3 . Staphylococcus was the infection organism in half of the patients . Associated cardiac infection, including endocarditis, myocardial abscess, and graft infection, was present in 5 (36 per cent) patients . Death occurred within 2 months of operation in 11 (79 per cent) patients; it was due to infection in 9, cardiac tamponade in 4, and arrhythmias and heart failure in one . The diagnosis of purulent pericarditis was made before death in only 5 (36 per cent) cases, in part owing to masking of the usual signs of pericarditis in the postoperative patient . Since the introduction of antibiotics, the over-all incidence of purulent pericarditis has decreased . However, pericardial infection after thoracotomy has increased tenfold, and patients undergoing cardiac operations in particular provide a new and increasing population at risk for this disease. Cancer Res, 1977 Mar, 37(3), 684 - 91 Effect of N-2-acetylaminofluorene modification on the structure and template activity of DNA and reconstituted chromatin; Yamasaki H et al.; This study compares the effects of in vitro modification of native duck reticulocyte DNA by {14C}-N-acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene in terms of alterations in DNA secondary structure, ability to reconstitute nucleosome structures in chromatin, and template activity for in vitro transcription . In contrast to the control native DNA, the carcinogen-modified DNA was susceptible to partial digestion by the single-strand-specific endonuclease S1 . Depending on the particular conditions, for every {14C}-N-2-acetylaminofluorene residue released, about 5 to 35 base pairs of DNA were also released during the S1 nuclease digestion . Chromatin was reconstituted in vitro utilizing {14C}-N-2-acetylaminofluorene-modified DNA and unmodified chromatin-associated proteins . This reconstituted chromatin showed the same kinetics and extent of digestion by staphylococcal nuclease and similar nucleosome profiles on sucrose gradient density centrifugation as those obtained with native chromatin or chromatin reconstituted with unmodified DNA . The carcinogen-modified DNA and also chromatin reconstituted from this DNA showed, however, marked reductions in their abilities to serve as templates for transcription with Escherichia coli RNA polymerase . These results suggest that the covalent binding of N-2-acetylaminofluorene to DNA produces localized regions of denaturation in the DNA and that this is associated with a marked impairment in template activity during transcription . This modification, however, does not grossly affect the ability of the DNA to interact with chromosomal proteins to form apparently normal nucleosome structures. Mol Biol (Mosk), 1977 Mar-Apr, 11(2), 294 - 302 {Structure of chromosomal deoxyribonucleoproteins . IX . Heterogeneity of chromatin subunits in vitro and location of histone H1}; Bakaev VV et al.; Chromatin subunits ("nucleosomes") isolated from a mild staphylococcal nuclease digest of chromatin by a sucrose gradient centrifugation have been studied . We found that such preparation contains nucleosomes of the two discrete types which can be separated from each other by a low-ionic-strength polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis . Nucleosome of the first type contains all five histones and a DNA fragment 170--180 base pairs long, whereas nucleosome of the second type lacks histone H1 and its DNA fragment is approximately 140 base pairs long . Purified dimer of the nucleosome (dinucleosome) can be fractionated by gel electrophoresis into three discrete bands which correspond to dinucleosomes, containing two, one and no molecules of H1 histone . Similar heterogeneity with respect to the content of histone H1 probably exists in the case of larger oligonucleosomes . These and related findings strongly suggest that the H1 molecule is bound to a short (30--40 base pairs) terminal stretch of the nucleosomal DNA segment which can be removed by nuclease (possibly in the form of H1--DNA complex) without any significant disturbance of the main structural features of the nucleosome. Ann Sclavo, 1977 Mar-Apr, 19(2), 293 - 9 {Electrosyneresis in identification of staphylococcal enterotoxins}; Azzi A et al.; Counterimmunoelectrophoresis adjusted on the ground of proteins tested electrophoretic features, is described as a rapid, simple and specific method for staphylococcal enterotoxins identification . This technique has been applied to either purified enterotoxins A, B, and C1 or crude enterotoxins from 196 E, S6 and 137 strains . Enterotoxin-serum reaction takes place in 25 minutes with formation of a precipitation band . Method sensibility moreover allow to use diluted sera and to detect 2 microgram of the purified toxin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1977 Mar, 74(3), 1259 - 63 Characterization of polyoma virus T antigen; Ito Y et al.; High-titer antiserum raised in rats against the tumor (T) antigen of polyoma virus was used to purify the T antigen by the Staphylococcus protein A antibody adsorbent technique . Sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis allowed the identification of a protein with an apparent molecular weight of 100,000-108,000 as a major component induced in lytically infected mouse cells . In cells infected by ts A mutants this component was temperature sensitive . Several minor components were also observed . In pulse and chase experiments there was a slight decrease in electrophoretic mobility of T antigen during the chase period at the permissive temperature, suggesting that the T antigen is a modified protein . In two lines of transformed cells, the amount of T antigen seemed to be considerably less than in lytically infected cells, but the size of the antigen appeared to be equal. J Biol Chem, 1977 Feb 25, 252(4), 1189 - 96 Amino acid sequence of phospholipase A2 from horse pancreas; Evenberg A et al.; The complete amino acid sequence of phosphlipase A2 (EC 3.1.1.4) from horse pancreas was determined . The protein controls of a single polypeptide chain of 125 amino acids and has a molecular weight of 13,927 . The chain is crosslinked by seven disulfide bridges . The sequence was determined by automated Edman degradation of the intact protein and several of the large peptide fragments . Smaller peptides were analyzed by manual Edman degradation . Fragmentation of the peptide chain was accomplished by enzymatic digestion with trypsin, chymotrypsin, and thermolysin . The final overlap was found by digestion of the polypeptide with a staphylococcal protease specific for glutamoyl bonds . Phospholipase A2 from horse pancreas shows homology to snake venom phospholipases A2 and to the enzyme from porcine pancreas, provided that the published amino acid sequence of the porcine phospholipase A2 is revised to some extent. Biochemistry, 1977 Feb 8, 16(3), 463 - 71 Quantitative analysis of the digestion of yeast chromatin by staphylococcal nuclease; Lohr D et al.; The DNA in intranuclear yeast chromatin is protected from rapid staphylococcal nuclease degradation so as to yield an oligomeric series of DNA sizes . The course of production and disappearance of the various oligomers agrees quantitatively with a theory of random cleavage by the enzyme at uniformly susceptible sites . The sizes of the oligomers are integral repeats of a basic size, about 160 base pairs, and 80-90% of the yeast genome is involved in this repeating structure . Within this repeat there exists a 140 base pair core of more nuclease-resistant DNA . During the course of digestion, the sizes of the oligomers decrease continuously . The widths of the distribution of DNA sizes increase in order: monomer (1 X repeat size, half width = 5-7 base pairs) less than dimer (2 X repeat size, half width = 30 base pairs) less than trimer (3 X repeat size, half width = 40-45 base pairs) . The yeast genome thus seems to have variable spacing of the nucleaseresistant cores, to produce the average repeat size of about 160 base pairs . Also, the presence of more than one species of monomer and dimer at certain times of digestion suggests a possible heterogeneity in the subunit structure. JAMA, 1977 Feb 7, 237(6), 569 - 70 Unsuccessful treatment of staphylococcal endocarditis with cefazolin; Bryant RE et al.; Two patients with staphylococcal endocarditis were treated unsuccessfully with cefazolin sodium . One patient relapsed after 52 days of therapy . The second patient had concomitant central nervous system infection and failed to respond to cefazolin therapy . Both patients recovered with methicillin sodium or nafcillin sodium therapy . Other studies report unsuccessful therapy of staphylococcal endocarditis with cefazolin. Blut, 1977 Feb, 34(2), 99 - 106 {Fibrinogen "Hannover", a further abnormal fibrinogen}; Barthels M et al.; Another abnormal fibrinogen--"fibrinogen Hannover"--is reported . As known from most dysfibrinogenemias the clottability is poor, while immunologic test, heat precipitating test and the staphylococcal clumping test give normal fibrinogen concentrations . The clotting time when using thrombin or thrombin like enzymes is prolonged, it can be corrected with high thrombin concentration or thrombin combined with calcium inons, but not with thrombin like enzymes combined with calcium ions . The mild bleeding diathesis was first noted when the patient underwent an operation. Am J Dis Child, 1977 Feb, 131(2), 181 - 5 Acute disseminated staphylococcal disease in childhood; Hieber JP et al.; From 1964 to 1974 we treated 15 children who had acute disseminated staphyloccal disease . The majority were previously-well males over 5 years of age . Thirteen of 15 patients had one or more cutaneous lesions characteristic of staphyloccal septicemia . Fifty percent of extracutaneous foci of staphylococcal infection were not detected on hospital admission and one third of these lesions were noted for the first time at autopsy . An absolute polymorphonuclear cell count of greater than 10,000/cu mm or an absolute band-form count of greater than 500/cu mm, or both, correlated with the presence of one or more inadequately treated sites of infection . These foci were responsible for bacteremia continuing after the initiation of antimicrobial therapy and for prolonged fever . The overall mortality was 27%; three of the four deaths occurred in patients with predisposing medical conditions . In addition to prolonged antimicrobial therapy, all patients should be evaluated carefully for the presence of occult metastatic sites of staphyloccal infection. Chest, 1977 Feb, 71(2), 218 - 20 Forward angiography in the identification of vegetations in tricuspid endocarditis; Harris CN et al.; A patient with staphylococcal endocarditis of unknown valvular location and resistant to antibiotic therapy was studied in order to localize the site of infection prior to cardiac surger . The injection of contrast material into the right atrium visualized tricuspid vegetations which were confirmed at surgery . In such situations, forward angiographic studies constitute a safe, simple, and potentially diagnostic procedure which avoids the hazards of advancing a catheter across an infected valve. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1977 Feb, 33(2), 341 - 4 Effect of beef broth protein on the thermal inactivation of staphylococcal enterotoxin B1; Lee IC et al.; Enterotoxin B produced by Staphylococus aureus 243 in brain heart infusion broth was concentrated by dialysis against 40% polyethylene glycol (20 M), partially purified on a Sephadex G-100 column and heated at 110 degrees C in thermal death time cans . Various heating menstrua included 0.04 M Veronal buffer (pH 7.4), beef broth, and fractions of beef broth obtained by ultrafiltration or precipitation with ammonium sulfate . The toxin was assayed serologically using the microslide gel double-diffusion method . The time requiring for 90% inactivation at 110 degrees C (D110 value) obtained in buffer and in beef broth was 18 and 60 min, respectively . When the concentration of beef broth was increased fivefold, the D110 increased to 78 min . The apparent protective effect or protein was further investigated using beef broth protein obtained by precipitation with (NH4)2SO4 . The D110 values were 51 and 70 min when the protein concentration in the heating menstruum was 3.8 and 7.7 mg/ml, respectively . However, when the beef broth protein was dialyzed against buffer before use as a heating menstrum, the D110 was only 39 or 41 min at comparable protein concentrations . Results indicated a dialyzable factor, whose protective effect was partially destroyed by trypsin and chymotrypsin but did not by disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, was involved in the protection of enterotoxin B during heating. Br J Exp Pathol, 1977 Feb, 58(1), 40 - 1 Use of anaesthesia with ketamine HCl in assessing the emetic activity of staphylococcal enterotoxin B in the rhesus monkey (Macacca mulatta); Melling J; Anaesthesia of rhesus monkeys with ketamine HCl which facilitated feeding them with staphylococcal enterotoxin B solutions was shown not to affect the ED50 of this toxin . Adoption of this anaesthetic procedure was found to make feeding studies with enterotoxins easier and safer. J Allergy Clin Immunol, 1977 Feb, 59(2), 115 - 9 A hyperimmunoglobulin E syndrome with normal chemotaxis in vitro and defective leukotaxis in vivo; Weston WL et al.; A 26-yr-old male with a lifelong history of atopic dermatitis and recurrent severe staphylococcal abscesses was found to have hyperimmunoglobulinemia E . Evaluation of both the humoral and cellular aspects of chemotaxis in vitro showed both neutrophils and monocytes to be normal . However, quantitative neutrophil migration in vivo was significantly suppressed using the patient's own serum as the attractant . This defective migration in vivo was partially corrected by serum from normal donors as the attractant and also partially corrected following plasma infusion in this patient . Evaluation of quantitative leukocyte migration in vivo may be most useful in patients suspected of defects of leukocyte mobility. J Immunol, 1977 Feb, 118(2), 567 - 73 The mononuclear cell in human blood which mediates antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity to virus-infected target cells . II . Identification as a K cell; Melewicz FM et al.; Studies were carried out to determine whether the mononuclear cell in human blood which mediates antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) to herpes simplex virus (HSV)-infected target cells has surface Fc receptors which participate in the reaction . The F (ab')2 fragment of human IgG antibody was inactive both in ADCC and in complement-mediated cytolysis, but retained the capacity to neutralize infectious virus, to agglutinate erythrocytes coated with viral antigens, and to bind to the surface of virus-infected cells . Treatment of sensitized virus-infected target cells with staphylococcus protein A, which has affinity for the Fc epitope of IgG, strongly reduced their susceptibility to lysis by ADCC in a dose-dependent relationship . These findings indicate that the Fc portion of IgG antibody to the virus is necessary for cytotoxicity . Treatment of blood mononuclear cells with either heat-aggregated gamma-globulin or HSV immune complexes inhibited effector cell activity . The presence of "third party" cellular immune complexes also strongly inhibited ADCC . Adsorption of mononuclear cells to plastic surfaces coated with soluble third party immune complexes resulted in a significant reduction in effector cell activity . These findings demonstrate that the ADCC effector cell possesses surface Fc receptors which are utilized in the ADCC reaction . The presence of Fc receptors on the surface of the effector cell indicates that it is a K cell rather than a null cell. J Biol Chem, 1977 Jan 10, 252(1), 125 - 40 Study of equilibration of the system involving two alternative, enzymically active complementing structures simultaneously formed from two overlapping fragments of staphylococcal nuclease; Taniuchi H et al.; Quantitative complementation of two overlapping fragments of staphylococcal nuclease, Nuclease-(1-126) (residues 1 to 126) and Nuclease-T-(50-149) (residues 50 to 149), simultaneously forms in 1 min, two alternative, enzymically active ordered structures (types I and II) resembling nuclease (149 residues) (Taniuchi, H., and Anfinsen, C.B . (1971) J . Biol . Chem . 246, 2291-2301) . We determined the ratio of type I to type II complex formed from the two fragments as a function of time, temperature, and the presence or absence of the ligands thymidine 3',5'-diphosphate and calcium ion . The ratio of type I to type II complex was determined on the basis of the quantities of their derived complexes obtained after each experiment by removing the redundant amino acid sequences by limited digestion with trypsin in the presence of ligands . The quantity of the derived complexes was estimated by quantitative determination of the component fragments separated by gel filtration . The ratio of type I to type II complex formed in 2 min after mixing the two fragments was approximately 0.3 and appears to be independent of temperature and the presence or absence of ligands . The equilibrium of the system of type I and II complexes is attained through unfolding and folding . The ratios of type I to type II complex at the apparent equilibrium state of the system at 6 and 23 degrees were approximately 1.1 and 2.4, respectively . The observations indicate that the rate of unfolding of type II complex is greater than that of type I complex at 6 degrees and increases more than that of type I complex with increasing temperature . Thus, the change of the complementing structure from type I complex with increasing temperature . Thus, the change of the complementing structure from type I to type II causes a decrease in the activation free energy, an increase in the activation enthalpy, and thereby an increase in the activation entropy of unfolding . Since the unfolded states with which type I and II complexes are in equilibrium are the same, the distribution of the population of type I and II complexes at the equilibrium state will be determined on the basis of the respective decreases in Gibbs standard free energy from the unfolded state to type I and II complexes . On this basis type I complex has a lower energy by deltaG0 = -0.05 and -0.51 kcal mol-1 at 6 and 23 degrees, respectively, than type II complex . Nevertheless, at the initial complementation the population of type I complex formed is approximately one-third that of type II complex at both 6 and 23 degrees . That is, the probability (rate) of folding is not related to the decrease in energy from the unfolded to the folded state . Using van't Hoff's equation deltaH = 7.5 kcal mol-1 and then deltaS degrees = 27 cal deg-1 mol-1 from type II to type I complex. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo), 1977, 23(3), 221 - 6 Influence of intestinal microbes on heat production in germ-free, gnotobiotic and conventional mice; Yamanaka M et al.; To observe the influence of intestinal microbes on energy metabolism, male ICR strain germ-free (GF) mice, gnotobiotic (GB) mice, produced from GF mice monocontaminated with Staphylococcus epidermidis (Staph.) at three weeks of age, and conventional (CV) mice were used . Metabolizable energy, heat production and net energy (gain) per mouse were measured for three weeks when the mice were given 5 Mrad 60Co irradiated purified whole-egg protein diet from 5 to 8 weeks of age . With respect to metabolizable energy and heat production per mouse or per kg of metabolic body size for three weeks, CV mice gave the highest values, followed by GB and GF mice . GV mice showed the highest net energy (gain) followed by GF mice, with GB mice having the lowest value. J Immunol Methods, 1977, 18(1-2), 183 - 92 Isolation of soluble immune complexes by affinity chromatography using staphylococcal protein A--Sepharose as substrate; Chenais F et al.; This report describes a technique for the general isolation of immune complexes, based on a combination of gel filtration and affinity chromatography . The first step is the preparation of a globulin-enriched fraction by precipitation with ammonium sulfate at 50% saturation, or of an immune-complex-enriched fraction by precipitation with 5% polyethylene glycol 6000 . The enriched fraction is then subfractionated by gel filtration in Ultrogel AcA 34 . The immune complexes elute close to the void volume in the macroglobulin peak, separated from monomeric IgG molecules . This peak (sometimes subdivided into two fractions) is then submitted to affinity chromatography on a protein A--Sepharose cooumn . Most immune complexes contain IgG molecules and therefore bind to the column . Almost no protein is bound when normal serum is fractionated according to this method, and no immunoglobulins are detectable in the acid-eluted fraction from the protein A--Sepharose column . In two patients with soluble immune complexes in their sera we eluted immunoglobulin-containing fractions from the column; in one, these fractions had high rheumatoid factor titers; and in the second, with a clinical diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus, a similar fraction contained RNA. Arkh Patol, 1977, 39(7), 3 - 14 {Pathological anatomy and pathogenesis of influenza}; Il'in GI et al.; The analysis of most important publications and the authors' own data on the pathological anatomy and pathogenesis of influenza are presented . Severe complicated forms of influenza are characterized by the development of acute bacterial tracheobronchites which are the source of staphylococcal aspirations into the lungs . The degree of severity of developing pneumonias is determined to a large extent by destructive changes in the lungs . The destruction of osmiophilic bodies in the alveolar epithelium and the disturbance of the surfactant system is conducive to pulmonary edema . An important role in the involvement of the lungs and other organs is played by viralstaphylococcal toxicity . Lymphoid-macrophage and leukocyte reactions responsible for the production of antibody, interferon, and other factors of resistance are very important for protection against influenza . During epidemics, particular attention should be paid to combinations of influenza with cardio-vascular diseases. Dermatologica, 1977, 155(5), 315 - 8 Immunological properties in staphylococcal toxic epidermal necrolysis; Sarai Y et al.; The analysis of host defenses in 4 patients with staphylococcal toxic epidermal necrolysis revealed normal serum immunoglobulin levels, but a deficiency in cell-mediated immunity as detected by the tuberculin reactions . We suspected that the transient deficiency of cell-mediated immunity may have contributed to the development of this disease. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol, 1977, 54(6), 529 - 37 The functions of human monocytes in normal subjects and in disorders associated with immune deficiency; Cruchaud A et al.; Human peripheral blood monocytes were tested for various functions . It was found that 63--70% of monocytes from 12 normal subjects phagocytized either Staphylococcus epidermidis or latex particles; 28% of Staphylococcus organisms exposed to cells were phagocytized in 1 h and 67% were killed within 2 h; 59% of phagocytizing cells reduced NBT; 77% of endocytosed rabbit gammaglobulin was catabolized in 18 h . In Hodgkin's disease, sarcoidosis and severe pulmonary tuberculosis, phagocytic and bactericidal capacity was decreased in one third to two thirds of cases, while catabolism of gammaglobulin was reduced less often and metabolism was practically unmodified . By contrast, phagocytic and bactericidal capacity were practically normal in the common variable form of agammaglobulinemia, while gammaglobulin was catabolized at a low level in all cases . There was no relationship between the functional disorders of monocytes and alterations of lymphocyte stimulation . These results indicate that mononuclear phagocytes may have intrinsic alterations of functions which can result in deficient defense mechanisms and/or immune response. Antibiotiki, 1977, 22(2), 143 - 5 {Action of rifampicin on the ultrastructure of Staphylococcus cells}; Zhukov VG et al.; The ultrastructure of Staphylococcus after its contact with rifampicin was studied by the method of electron microscopy . Changes in the submicroscopic structure of the cells depending on the antibiotic dose and incubation time with the drug were shown on solid and liquid media . After removal of the antibiotic from the medium at the stage of demaging the Staphylococcus ultrastructure growth of the cells with normal ultrastructure was observed. Phlebologie, 1977 Jan-Mar, 30(1), 7 - 14 {Septic phlebitis . Its consequences and its treatment}; Vic-Dupont V; Septic phlebitis is characterized clinically by a local syndrome in an arm, the chest or a leg, by an irregular temperature (toothsaw curve), by blood cultures that are simultaneously or successively positive for one or several pathogenic microorganisms, by repeated, multiple infected embolism and by the possibility of endocarditis as a complication . Septic phlebitis occurs either spontaneously (staphylococcosis, syndrome of angina pectoris and infarction), or through secondary infection by secondary microbial colonization of a thrombosis of gynecological or obstetrical origin or, thirdly, as the consequence of venous catheterization (perfusion, pacemaker, explorations) . Prevention is based on the selection of the material (silastic piercing catheters), the choice of the site of injection, the observation of strict surgical asepsis and of choice of the fluid injected (no corticoids, nor heparin which inactivates the oligosaccharides) . As regards the curative treatment, no use should be made either of heparin or of anti-inflammatory agents (especially no corticoids); first of all, the material that has caused the thrombophlebitis should be withdrawn immediately; secondly, 24 to 36 hours later, a specific antibiotic treatment should be instituted and after two weeks, if still necessary, surgical ligation may be carried out of the inferior vena cava, the subclavian vein or the brachiocephalic venous trunk, depending on the localization of the phlebitis. Jpn J Antibiot, 1977 Jan, 30(1), 114 - 6 {Clindamycin-2-phosphate in the field of dermatology (author's transl)}; Arata J et al.; 1 . MIC against 20 strains of staphylococcus isolated from skin infections was studied . MIC was less than or equal to 0.05 mug/ml in 11 strains and greater than 100 mug/ml in 9 strains . 2 . Clindamycin-2-phosphate was injected intramuscularly to rats at the dosis of 10 mg/kg in solution of 10 mg/ml . The serum and skin levels of this drug were determined at 0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 7 hours . Mean serum levels of 4 rats were 0.893, 0.578, 0.463, 0.268 and 0.167 mug/ml respectively at 0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 7 hours . The corresponding skin levels were 0.500, 0.707, 0.431, 0.313 and 0.269 mug/g . 3 . Clindamycin-2-phosphate was used clinically in 7 patients of skin infection with the following result: excellent in 2 cases, fair in 3 cases and poor in 2 cases . Abdominal pain was complained in one case and loose stool in one case. Infect Immun, 1977 Jan, 15(1), 335 - 6 Serum opacity factor of Staphylococcus epidermidis; El Tayeb SH et al.; Three Staphylococcus epidermidis strains produced a factor giving rise to opacity in different sera but not in albumin . Serum opacity factor was resistant to age and heat and active in acidic media. J Exp Med, 1977 Jan 1, 145(1), 111 - 22 Genetic control of the immune response to staphylococcal nuclease . III . Time-course and correlation between the response to native nuclease and the response to its polypeptide fragments; Berzofsky JA et al.; The progression of the Ir gene-controlled antibody response to staphylococcal nuclease in mice with repeated immunizations has been examined . H-2-linked control of the response to a single immunization with 100 mug of nuclease in complete Freund's adjuvant was confirmed . However, among strains of the high responder H-2a haplotype, the response of the A/J mice was about 10-fold higher than that of the B10.A, indicating additional non-H-2-linked control . In addition, the low responder C57BL/10 (H-2b) strain produced antibody levels as high as or higher than those of the congenic high responder B10.A (H-2a) strain when both strains were repeatedly immunized, indicating complexity even in the H-2-linked control of the response to this small monomeric protein . Polypeptide fragments of nuclease were also studied as immunogens . The antibody response to one fragment (residues 99-149) was found to follow the same pattern among five strains tested as that to whole nuclease . However, in this case the C57BL/10 was found to be a nonresponder rather than a low responder, failing to develop a response despite repeated immunizations . In contrast, the C57BL/10 showed a low but significant response to another fragment (residues 1-126) of nuclease . These results suggest that the apparent H-2-linked control of the response to whole nuclease is a reflection of the ability to recognize a determinant(s) in the region from residues 99 to 149, and that the eventual response of the C57BL/10 strain after hyperimmunization reflects the recognition of other determinants . If these observations reflect the common recognition of a determinant on native nuclease and on a random-conformation fragment, they have implications about the conformational specificity of the receptors, or the flexibility of the determinants, involved in H-2-linked Ir-gene control . In addition, evidence is presented for a possible second H-2-linked gene (or genes) controlling the response to other determinants of nuclease expressed on the polypeptide fragments. Microbiol Immunol, 1977, 21(12), 675 - 82 Improved reversed passive hemagglutination for simple and rapid detection of staphycococcal enterotoxins A approximately E in food; Yamada S et al.; Detection and identification of staphylococcal enterotoxins in food or culture filtrates were performed using the reversed passive hemagglutination (RPHA) technique, with formalized sheep red blood cells (FSRBC) sensitized with immunologlobulins of anti-A, B, C, D, and E rabbit hyperimmune sera fractionated by affinity chromatography . The FSRBC sensitized with anti-A approximately E immunoglobulins showed a high level of reactivity and specificity in RPHA, against homologous types of purified enterotoxins and culture filtrates of toxin-producing strains . No non-specific reactions with various ingredients in foods nor cross-reactions among enterotoxin types were observed . The minimum amount of enterotoxins in foods detected by RPHA was calculated to be 0.01 micorgram/g without concentration, and the recovery rate of experimentally added toxins was calculated to be about 80% . Under routine laboratory practice, detection and identification of enterotoxins from incriminated foods of five food poisoning outbreaks were performed by RPHA within 3 hr after reception of the specimens . Among them, three were determined to be enterotoxin A food poisoning, one to be toxin C and the rest to be intoxication of A and D . The concentrations of the toxins was between 0.014 and 3.65 microgram per gram of food. Arkh Patol, 1977, 39(12), 29 - 34 {Pathologic anatomy of sepsis in children with acute leukemia}; Chumakov AM; Autopsies of 252 cases of acute leukosis in children dying of sepsis were examined . Except 2, all the children had been in the state of exacerbation of the leukemic process and received current intensive therapy . Sepsis was the immediate cause of death in 68 (26.9%) cases . Most prevalent were such forms of sepsis as sepsis with embolic foci of necrosis in organs (44 cases), septicemia (18), septicopyemia (6) . In 40 cases considerable leukemic infiltration of the bone marrow and internal organs, in 18 cases moderate and in 10 poor was observed . The criterian of sepsis in children with acute leukosis is the presence of embolic foci of necrosis, less frequently of metastatic abscesses . All the other signs may be associated both with leukemic and septic processes . The causative agent of sepsis in the majority of cases was hemolytic coagulaso-positive staphylococcus. Arzneimittelforschung, 1977, 27(4), 758 - 60 Synthesis, structure and antibacterial activity of some alkyltriazenopyrazoles; Spassova MK et al.; A series of bis-beta-chlorethyl-, dimethyl- and diethyltriazenopyrazoles (I-IV) were synthesized . By the method of IR spectroscopy the most probable transformation form of I was shown . The compounds were tested as antibacterial agents on a series of bacterial species . It was established that only one of them (VI) possessed a low inhibitory effect . All the rest inhibited strongly the growth of Staphylococcus aureaus 209 and E . coli 387. Allergol Immunopathol (Madr), 1977 Jan-Feb, 5(1), 53 - 62 Immunosuppression . Role on the infectious diseases of oncologic children; Castel V et al.; Cancer patients show an immune deficit whose beginnings are influenced to one extent or another, by two factors: the cancer itself, and the antimitotic-immunosuppressive treatment to which the patient is subjected . The immune deficit will have repercussions in the anti-infectious defense that these patients show: --Greater number of infections . --Greater severity of infections . --Tendency towards generalization and showing of septicemic states . The problem is most serious in hematological tumors (leukemia, lymphosarcoma) where the primary cause of death is infection . During the period of activity of the disease, and also in relation to the antimitotic treatment, the PMN will decrease in absolute count and will function poorly . The consequence will be a high frequency of bacterial infections, sepsis, pneumonia, skin infections, etc., predominantly caused by gram-negative germs and staphylococcus (any germ considered not to be "very virulent" can be found); and it will result in a high mortality rate . When these children are in remission or have solid tumors, the problem is not so acute, and bears more relation to antimitotic treatment and other extraneous factors (hospitalization, catheters, antibiotics, gastrointestinal ulcers...) . Patients most frequently show localized bacterial, viral and protozoon infections (varicella, zooster, herpes simplex, cytomegalia, pneumocystis) because of the predominance of cellular immunity deficit. J Hyg Epidemiol Microbiol Immunol, 1977, 21(4), 468 - 72 Staphylococcal infections; Vymola F et al.; All the forms of staphylococcal infections require cooperation among microbiologists, immunologists and clinicians . In case of any acute staphylococcus process, the curative tactics is based on an effective chemotherapy sometimes completed by a radical surgical intervention . In case of chronic forms, however, the antibiotics therapy is considered to be problematic . It is the specific immunotherapy by means of specific vaccine with polyvalent action, containing all pathogenetically significant antigens, that is considered by the authors to be a reliable base of the therapy of chronic staphylococcus infections . The specific polyvalent phage lysate is used for local application . It has to be pointed out that this therapy requires a complex curative regimen, i.e . regulation of the deficiency of serum immunoglobulines, administration of antibiotics, amelioration of the tissue trophism of the area concerned, suitable therapy by means of vitamines and diet . If necessary, surgical technique and tactics are an important part of the entire complex curative method. Microbiol Immunol, 1977, 21(9), 517 - 24 Effects of lectins on the hemolysis of rabbit erythrocytes by straphylococcal alpha toxin; Kato I et al.; When concanavalin A (1 microgram/ml) or wheat germ agglutinin (2 microgram/ml) was preincubated with a suspension of 2% rabbit erythrocytes for 5 min at 20 C, the binding {125I}-labeled staphylococcal alpha toxin to these erythrocytes was greatly inhibited and the hemolytic action of alpha toxin was decreased . The inhibitory effect of concanavalin A on hemolysis by alpha toxin was completely reversed in the presence of 0.1 M alpha-methyl-D-glucoside or alpha-methyl-D-mannoside . Phytohemagglutinin-P from Phaseolus vulgaris and soybean agglutinin inhibited hemolysis by the toxin at concentrations exceeding 20 microgram/ml . The effect of concanavalin A on alpha-toxin hemolysis was studied further to ascertain the nature of the inhibition . Double reciprocal plots were made of hemolysis against alpha toxin concentrations, and the data suggested that inhibition of the initial rate of the hemolysis by concanavalin A is competitive in nature . This was probably due to an interaction with the alpha toxin binding sites on the cell membrane surface. Ann Immunol (Paris), 1977 Jan-Mar, 128(1-2), 15 - 7 {An immunological enhancement phenomenon in different experimental bacterial infections}; Forget A et al.; To demonstrate that an enhancement phenomenon might be involved during the development of bacterial infections, one has to establish that specific humoral antibodies protect, in some way, microorganisms against the defence reations of the host . This report presents the evidence that specific antibodies could be evolved in assuming a certain survival of bacterial cells in host's tissue . (1) Homologues antistaphylococcal sera passively potentiated the development of experimental staphylococcal synovitis infection of chickens . The enhancement activity of the antisera was associated with a relatively high level of immune adherence antibodies and seemed not be correlated with their agglutinin titers . (2) The passive transfer of chicken anti-Brucella immune globulins promote the survival of B . abortus in the spleen of chickens infected with these bacteria . This enhancing effect was reduced significantly when the immune globulins were absorbed with heat-killed Brucella cells to remove all the anti-Brucella agglutinins and immune adherence antibodies . (3) The passive transfer of rabbit antimycobacterial immunoglobulins directed against either living or soluble extracts of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain H37Rv, promotes the multiplication of the BCG stain of M . tuberculosis in the spleen of mice infected with low doses of this latter strain . This enhancing effect was reduced significantly when antisera were absorbed with living BCG . Morever, such treatment led to the removal of all haemagglutinating antibodies when antisera were tested aganist either BCG or H37Rv soluble extracts. Prog Pediatr Surg, 1977, 10, 257 - 66 Pleuropulmonary suppurations; Hartl H; The neonatal pleural empyema, especially in its most serious form, following staphylococcal pneumonia, presents a surgical problem demanding immediate emergency treatment . In 1957, we proposed that after diagnosis the empyema should immediately by drained by intercostal suction although in those times drainage was only an attempt after numerous aspirations . Children treated for pleural suppuration in the past were subjected to follow-up studies over a period of 14 to 15 years . Two comparative groups of "early-drained" and "late-drained" empyema cases showed that after immediate drainage there was definite improvement . Careful study of all the data of our 273 cases (up to 1970) shows that immediate continuous suction drainage with specific antibiotic and general supportive treatment have been very successful. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1977 Jan, 74(1), 79 - 83 Comparative subunit structure of HeLa, yeast, and chicken erythrocyte chromatin; Lohr D et al.; We have compared the chromatin subunit structure of yeast, HeLa, and chicken erythrocyte by analyzing the DNA fragments produced by in situ digestion with staphylococcal nuclease (EC 3.1.4.7) and DNase I(EC 3.1.4.5) . The repeat size of the chromatin varies among (and within two of) the three organisms but the size and the structure of the most nuclease-resistant "core" of the repeat is the same . Thus, the interspecies differences in repeat size are due to different lengths of nuclease-sensitive "spacer" DNA between the cores . There also seems to be a difference in the manner of spacing of cores; the transcriptionally active (yeast and HeLa) chromatins have spacings of variable length while the transcriptionally inactive (chicken erythrocyte) has a more regular spacing of cores. G Batteriol Virol Immunol, 1977 Jan-Jun, 70(1-6), 108 - 17 {Biochemical, enzymatic and cultural characteristics and criteria of pathogenicity of staphylocci (study of strains isolated in a hospital environment)}; Loschiavo F et al.; The Authors have examined the coagulase activity, mannitol fermentation, DNase and phosphatase activity, and production of haemolisins and pigment on 200 strains of Staphylococcus isolated from hospitalized patients affected by various diseases . On the basis of results obtained, they conclude that the evaluation of the pathogenic power of Stah . aureus should be always founded upon a "pattern" of biochemical, enzymatic, cultural and toxinogenetic tests. Arkh Patol, 1977, 39(4), 78 - 81 {Acute leukemia and generalized cytomegaly in a 10-year-old boy}; Chumakov AM; A case of acute myelomonocytic leukemia in a 10-year-old boy who received massive cytostatic therapy is described . At autopsy a picture of therapeutically determined pathomorphism and cytostatic disease with generalized cytomegalia and terminal staphylococcal sepsis was revealed . Multiple thrombosis of major venous trunks, necroses of the cecum and subtotal necrosis of the spleen were observed; this apparently was associated with generalized cytomegalia and massive cytostatic therapy . Peculiar features of the case were dystrophic changes in cytomegalic cells subjected to necrobiosis, which, probably, was due to cytostatic therapy. Microbiol Immunol, 1977, 21(1), 1 - 10 Studies on the minimum reproducible unit of staphylococcal L-forms; Okuda K et al.; The minimum size of a reproducible unit of staphylococcal L-forms was determined by filtration and electron microscopic methods . Ultrathin sections of an induced strain of Staphylococcal L-forms (STA-EMT-1) in liquid medium revealed several types of structures, all of which were bound by a single membrane and most of which possessed ribosome-like granules . Many of the small granules were less than 0.3 micron and were attached to the membrane of the large bodies . Using a serial filtration method, it was observed that viable L-forms were still detected in 0.22 micron filtrate, but the viable cell count of L-forms decreased in number with the decrease in pore size of membrane filters . A fractionation technique, using L-forms filtered through a membrane filter with a 0.45 micron pore size, revealed that there were three classes of small bodies but only the first class with ribosome-like granules over approximately 0.2 micron in diameter seems to be able to reproduce. Arch Ophtalmol (Paris), 1977, 37(6-7), 479 - 86 {Ultrastructural study of a case of molluscum contagiosum (author's transl)}; Denis J et al.; This is the case of a female child with molluscum contagiosum widely disseminated around the mouth and the eye-lids . Antibiotics were used to stop local staphylococcal superinfection . Follicular conjunctivitis and keratitis punctata disappeared only after complete removal of all cutaneous lesions . Biological diagnosis was done by direct observation of the Poxvirus with the electron microscope, since isolation of the virus itself is impossible . Ultrastructural study of the excised tumor has shown the different stages of the growth of the virus, and the associated cellular lesions. Infection, 1977, 5(3), 128 - 31 Abnormal neutrophil chemotaxis and T-lymphocyte function in staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome in an adult patient; Peterson PK et al.; Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome, a disease rarely reported in adults, developed in a 38-year-old male while on steroid therapy for chronic active hepatitis . Studies of immunologic parameters important in staphylococcal host defense revealed normal opsonic activity and phagocytic function but marked defects in neutrophil chemotaxis and T-lymphocyte function . Compromised host defense appears to play a significant role in the pathogenesis of the syndrome in adults. Infect Immun, 1977 Jan, 15(1), 212 - 20 Influence of serum-derived chemotactic factors and bacterial products on human neutrophil chemotaxis; Issekutz AC et al.; The chemotaxis of neutrophils has been shown to be modulated by serum factors, tissue factors, bacterial products, and a host of other substances . In vivo, these factors may act in concert with each other to modify neutrophil movement . We examined the effect of aggregated gamma globulin-activated serum (AS), bacterial factors, and endotoxin either alone or in combination with each other, on human neutrophil chemotaxis . Exposure of neutrophils to AS resulted in deactivation to AS but not to Escherichial coli or Staphylococcus epidermis culture filtrate . Exposure of neutrophils to S . epidermis or E . coli CF or E . coli endotoxin resulted in deactivation to AS or C5a but not to E . coli or S . epidermis culture filtrate . Addition of endotoxin to AS or C5a resulted in inhibition of chemotaxis by untreated neutrophils toward this combination as compared with AS alone . These results suggest that separate mechanisms may be involved when serum or bacterial chemotactic factors initiate human neutrophil chemotaxis . Furthermore, the potent but specific inhibitory effect of endotoxin on chemotaxis toward AS may be of clinical significance. J Exp Med, 1977 Jan 1, 145(1), 123 - 35 Genetic control of the immune response to staphylococcal nuclease . IV . H-2-linked control of the relative proportions of antibodies produced to different determinants of native nuclease; Berzofsky JA et al.; The relative proportions of antibodies of different specificities within antisera raised to native staphylococcal nuclease have been studied in several strains of mice in which the antibody response has been shown to be under H-2-linked Ir-gene control . A method was developed in which binding to different radiolabeled fragments of nuclease was titrated against increasing fragment concentration until the binding capacity of the antiserum for that fragment was saturated . In comparing the low responder (H-2b) strain C57BL/10 with its congenic high responder counterpart B10.A (H-2a), it was found that the two strains made markedly and reproducibly different proportions of antibodies to different determinants on native nuclease . Since these two strains differ only at H-2, and therefore have identical immunoglobulin structural gene repertoires, we conclude that H-2-linked Ir genes can control the response to different determinants on the same antigen molecule independently of one another . This result suggests a possible role of H-2-linked genes in the selection of specific B cells. Adv Nephrol Necker Hosp, 1977, 7, 261 - 90 Renal consequences of narcotic abuse; Sreepada Rao TK et al.; Heroin addiction is associated with several severe and occasionally fatal renal complications . Acute renal failure consequent to rhabdomyolysis and myoglobinuria, when treated supportively, carries a good prognosis . Staphylococcal or other bacterial septicemia may in itself prove fatal and is associated with a proliferative immune complex, acute glomerulonephritis, which generally follows the course and prognosis of septicemia . The necrotizing angiitis reported in heroin addicts still is largely undefined . Focal and segmental glomerular sclerosis is the most common pathologic finding in the syndrome of heroin-associated nephropathy (HAN) . Typically, HAN presents with massive proteinuria and progresses rapidly to renal failure . Presumptive evidence supports the premise that heroin or its vehicles elicits immunologically mediated renal damage . The antigen still is unidentified . Removing the antigenic challenge by stopping heroin injection apparently interdicts the progression of renal disease . Renal transplantation can be effectively accomplished in patients with HAN without early recurrence if patients discontinue the use of heroin. Enzyme, 1977, 22(3), 207 - 12 The energy metabolism of the leukocyte . IX . Changes in the concentration of the coenzymes NAD, NADH, NADP, and NADPH in polymorphonuclear leukocytes during phagocytosis of Staphylococcus albus and due to the action of phospholipase C; Aellig A et al.; The determination of the coenzymes NAD+, NADH, NADP+ and NADPH, by the use of a method of enzymatic cycling, demonstrates that the enzymes responsible for the stimulations found during the phagocytosis of Staphylococcus albus are NADH and NADPH oxidase of human leukocytes and NADPH oxidase in the case of guinea pig leukocytes . The effects of serum, of the bacterial strain used and of phospholipase C are also discussed. Jpn J Antibiot, 1977 Jan, 30(1), 107 - 10 {Use of clindamycin-2-phosphate in ophthalmology (author's transl)}; Tokuda H et al.; Clindamycin-2-phosphate was studied to evaluate its possible use in ophthalmology . 1 . Sensitivity of organisms isolated from human clinical materials: Of 44 staphylococcal strains in vitro studied 13 were highly sensitive to 0.1 mug/ml and 28 were resistant to 100 mug/ml or more of clindamycin-2-phosphate . 2 . In experiments with rabbits, clindamycin-2-phosphate showed superior penetration into the ocular tissues after intravenous injection than after intramuscular injection . 3 . Clindamycin-2-phosphate was administered intramuscularly at the dose of 300 mg to 6 healthy volunteers . The blood concentrations of 6 cases averaged 3.2 mug/ml after 1 hour, and 0.8 mug/ml after 6 hours . 4 . Fourteen patients with extraocular infection were treated with daily intramuscular administration of 300 mg of clindamycin-2-phosphate . All of them improved by the treatment, and no side effect was observed. Infect Immun, 1977 Jan, 15(1), 59 - 65 Production and detection of staphylococcal elastase; Hartman DP et al.; The optimum conditions were determined for the production and detection of staphylococcal elastase from Staphylococcus epidermidis . Optimum production and recovery took place when the dialysis membrane technique was utilized with brain heart infusion agar incubated for 44 h under 15% CO2 and harvested in physiological saline . Near-optimal production took place by 28 h, and this was found more useful for routine use . Incorporation of elastin into the culture medium or the inoculum did not result in higher levels of elastase production . The detection system consisted of 0.25% particulate elastin suspended in a pH 7.0, 0.05 M tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane-hydrochloride-buffered solidified plated medium . Crude undialyzed elastase was best detected when the medium contained either agarose and 10(-3) M calcium or purified agar without additional additives . Crude dialyzed elastase was best detected when the medium contained agarose and 10(-3) M disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. Experientia, 1976 Dec 15, 32(12), 1600 - 2 Staphylococcus epidermidis in the circulating blood of normal and thrombocytopenic human subjects: immunological data; Tedeschi GG et al.; Immunological studies, performed with human sera and rabbit antisera upon some strains of Staph . epidermidis carried in the circulating blood of normal and thrombocytopenic subjects, indicate that the reactivity is very low and almost completely related to antigenic properties common to Staph . aureus. Arch Ophthalmol, 1976 Dec, 94(12), 2078 - 81 Vitrectomy in endophthalmitis . Results of study using vitrectomy, intraocular antibiotics, or a combination of both; Cottingham AJ Jr et al.; A rabbit model of endophthalmitis was produced by inoculating Staphylococcus epidermidis and S aureus into the vitreous cavity . Elimination of microorganisms was compared using intravitreal administration of 0.1 mg of gentamicin alone, vitrectomy alone, and a combination of gentamicin and vitrectomy . In the case of S . epidermidis treated 24 hours after inoculation, all untreated eyes were culture-positive at one week, eyes treated with gentamicin alone or intravitreal gentamicin in combination with vitrectomy were all culture-negative, and vitrectomy alone rendered half of the eyes culture-negative . In the case of S aureus, eyes not treated by vitrectomy alone were all culture-positive at one week . Eyes treated with intravitreal gentamicin 25 to 31 hours after infection were culture-negative for S aireus in 33% at one week, while eyes treated with combined vitrectomy plus intraocular gentamicin were culture-negative in 83% of cases . When treatment was delayed 40 to 49 hours after inoculation of S aureus, intravitreal rendered 50% culture-negative at one week, while vitrectomy combined with intravitreal gentamicin eliminated the infection in 100% of eyes. J Biol Chem, 1976 Dec 10, 251(23), 7343 - 7 Isolation and amino acid sequence of a neurotoxic phospholipase A from the venom of the Australian tiger snake Notechis scutatus scutatus; Halpert J et al.; The complete amino acid sequence of notechis 5, a neurotoxic phospholipase A from the venom of Notechis scutatus scutatus (Australian tiger snake), has been elucidated . The main fragmentation of the 119-residue peptide chain was accomplished by digesting the reduced and S-carboxymethylated derivative of the protein with a staphylococcal protease specific for glutamoyl bonds . Tryptic peptides were used to align and complete the sequence of the four staphylococcal protease peptides . The sequence was determined by Edman degradation by means of the direct phenylthiohydantoin method . Notechis 5 differs in seven positions from the recently elucidated sequence of the presynaptic neurotoxin notexin from the same venom . Notechis 5 has a 50% higher specific prospholipase A activity than notexin when assayed against egg yolk but is only one-third as toxic. Can J Microbiol, 1976 Dec, 22(12), 1691 - 8 Comparative zone electrophoresis of catalase of Staphylococcus species isolated from mammalian skin; Zimmerman RJ; Vertical polyacrylamide slab gel electrophoresis was conducted for the catalase enzymes of representative strains of 18 proposed species and subspecies of the genus Staphylococcus . The catalase bands which resulted were predominantly monomorphic within each of the species and differences in catalase mobilities were observed between many of the species . The electrophoretic mobilities of the catalases were supportive to the scheme of classification used . Many strains of certain species demonstrated multiple catalase bands which are suggestive of multimolecular forms of the enzyme . Horizontal starch gel electrophoresis of representative strains of S . capitis produced catalase bands with relative mobilities that were different from those obtained with polyacrylamide electrophoresis, presumably due to a difference in molecular sieving between the gels. Nucleic Acids Res, 1976 Dec, 3(12), 3313 - 29 The subunit structure of chromatin from Physarum polycephalum; Johnson EM et al.; Nucleosome DNA repeat lengths in Physarum chromatin, determined by nuclease digestion experiments, are shorter than those observed in most mammalian chromatin and longer than those reported for chromatin of certain other lower eukaryotes . After digestion with staphylococcal nuclease for short periods of time an average repeat length of 190 base pairs is measured . After more extensive digestion an average repeat length of 172 base pairs is measured . Upon prolonged digestion DNA is degraded to an average monomer subunit length of 160 base pairs, with only a small amount of DNA found in lengths of 130 base pairs or smaller . Mathematical analysis of the data suggests that the Physarum nucleosome DNA repeat comprises a protected DNA segment of about 159 base pairs with a nuclease-accessible interconnecting segment which ranges from 13 to 31 base pairs . The spacing data are compatible with measurements from electron micrographs of Physarum chromatin. Arkh Anat Gistol Embriol, 1976 Dec, 71(12), 62 - 70 {Changes in the lymphoid tissue and in the level of corticosteroids in staphylococcal intoxication and infection}; Gusikhina VI et al.; A complex quantitative study of changes of proliferative processes in lymphatic vessels on the one hand and changes of the level of corticosteroids in the peripheral blood in staphylococcal intoxication and infection in the same rats on the other hand has been carried out . In the work H3-thymidine has been used . The comparison of the obtained morphological data with the dynamics of the change in the corticosteroid level shows that the decay of lymphocytes, the devastating of light centers and the cortical substance of lymph nodes, an abrupt lowering of the amount of DNA-synthesizing and mitotically dividing cells take place in the period associated with a release of a great amount of corticosteroids into the blood . The drop of their level to control values goes in parallel with increasing the amount of DNA-synthesizing and mitotically dividing cells . The obtained data suggest that the leading role in those changes of the lympoid tissue which had been described by a number of authors in infectional processes is played by corticosteroids. Antibiotiki, 1976 Dec, 21(12), 1098 - 104 {State of phagocytic immunity in white mice treated with doxycycline and pentoxyl for experimental staphylococcal sepsis}; Manukova MA; When albino mice with experimental staphylococcal sepsis were treated by doxycycline for 10 days, it was noted that the antibiotic had an inhibitory effect on the absorbing capacity of the peritoneal leucocytes with respect to Staph aureus . The decreased digesting capacity of the leucocytes was observed only during the first 5 days from the moment of infection and treatment . The combined use of doxycycline and pentoxyl stimulated the activity and intensity of phagocytosis . The activity values of completed phagocytosis did not change, while the coefficient of the phagocytosis completeness increased as compared to the same values in the animal group treated with doxycycline alone. Antibiotiki, 1976 Dec, 21(12), 1078 - 82 {Mechanism of the heterogeneity of a staphylococcal population with respect to methicillin resistance}; Zueva VS et al.; The study of the staphylococcal population heterogeneity with respect to methicillin resistance by 2 methods revealed different numbers of the resistant cells in the population . Thus, when the microbial suspension was plated on an agarized medium with methicillin (50 gamma/ml), only 0.0007--0.0005 per cent of the resistant cells were found . When the colonies were replicated from a medium without methicillin to a medium containing methicillin (50 gamma/ml), 84.3--97.3 per cent of the resistant microbial cells were found in the population of the same strains . The main mechanism in the heterogeneity of the staphylococcal population with respect to methicillin resistance was impairement of the phenotype manifestation of the antibiotic resistance under definite conditions. Vestn Khir Im I I Grek, 1976 Dec, 117(12), 73 - 6 {Diagnosis and treatment of acute purulent pleurisy in children}; Volokh IuA et al.; Under consideration is the diagnosis and treatment of different forms of staphylococcic destruction of the lung in children . The immediate and late results of treatment are studied . Application of the intensive therapy in association with different surgical interventions enabled the authors to obtain good immediate and late results in children with staphylococcic destruction of the lung. Br J Dermatol, 1976 Dec, 95(6), 607 - 12 Effects of occlusion upon population dynamics of skin bacteria; Bibel DJ et al.; Quantitative and qualitative changes of the cutaneous aerobic bacterial flora upon 20 sites on the backs of each three healthy subjects were examined before and after one site was occluded, using skin flora maps as a tool . Major local alterations were found to affect the carriage of micro-organisms in distant surrounding areas . Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most successful competitor . Furthermmore, some sites appeared to act as retricted reservoirs for specific types of micro-organisms whereas other areas were less limited in their support of flora. Arch Dermatol, 1976 Dec, 112(12), 1757 - 60 Thiabendazole-induced toxic epidermal necrolysis; Robinson HM et al.; Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is a syndrome that may develop from a number of different stimuli, including drug administration, staphylococcal infection, vaccine administration, and blood dyscrasias . A 29-year-old woman developed TEN from the systemic administration of thiabendazole . Although various cutandous adverse reactions have been attributed to the administration of this medication, this is the first case to indicate that orally administered thiabendazole may also produce TEN . Although acutely ill at the time of hospitalization, the patient showed a prompt response to treatment with prednisone. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1976 Dec, 32(6), 735 - 40 Preparation of labeled staphylococcal enterotoxin A with high specific activity; Niskanen A et al.; Staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) was labeled by the chloramine-T method with 125I to a specific activity of 68 to 300 muCi per mug of SEA and with 131I to specific activity of 8 to 218 muCi per mug of SEA . SEA was partially damaged and aggregated during the labeling and storage . The damage seemed not to be greatly dependent on the specific activity of labeled entertoxin . Crossed immunoelectrophoresis showed two antigenically active and three inactive components in the ascending part of the labeled enterotoxin peak during fractionation by gel chromatography . During storage at 4 degrees C, the antigenic activity of label decreased faster when labeling had been with 131I than when with 125I . The antigenic activity of labeled SEA was lowered remarkably in the ascending part of the protein peak . Greatest release of radioiodine during storage was in the same part of protein peak . According to these results, the most suitable label for radioimmunoassay is obtained from the descending part of protein peak. J Immunol, 1976 Dec, 117(6), 2119 - 23 Analysis of mononuclear cell surfaces with fluoresceinated staphylococcal protein A complexed with IgG antibody of heat-aggregated gamma-globulin; Ades EW et al.; Fluorescein-conjugated staphylococcal protein A (SPA) was complexed with either: 1) heat-aggregated IgG, 2) B cell specific antibody, or 3) T cell specific antibody and then used for an immunofluorescent analysis of mononuclear cell surfaces . Cellular Fc receptors failed to recognize the Fc region of aggregated IgG that had been blocked by SPA . Moreover, fluoresceinated SPA that had been complexed either with anti-Fab (B-cell specific) or T cell-specific antisera prevented the nonspecific binding of these reagents to the IgG-Fc receptors on mononuclear cells, thereby permitting the latter to be properly identified as B or T lymphocytes . In addition, when unconjugated SPA was added to presensitized target cells in a test for antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity, cytolysis was abrogated. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand {B}, 1976 Dec, 84B(6), 326 - 32 A simple procedure for the purification of staphylococcal alpha-toxin; Dalen AB; Staphylococcal alpha-toxin was produced in a fluid medium based on acid hydrolysed casein using strain Wood 46 . alpha-Toxin and several other proteins were precipitated from bacteria-free culture supernatants by heating at 60 degrees C for 20 min . The process was influenced by the pH of the solution . The toxin was completely inactivated and the precipitate contained a number of proteins if the pH of the solution was adjusted to 4.0-5.0 . Heat precipitation of solutions having a pH of 6.0-7.0 resulted in a partial inactivation of alpha-toxin . The precipitates at this pH contained less of the additional proteins and had higher relative amounts of alpha-toxin than precipitates formed at a lower pH . The precipitate was dissolved in 8 M urea with the resultant activation of the haemolysin . Pure alpha-toxin with a molecular weight of 39,000 was obtained by electrophoresis in 8 M urea at pH 8.6 in ordinary tubes for polyacrylamide electrophoresis . The separation time was 45 min . The minor component of alpha-toxin with a pI of 7.4 could be demonstrated by the same method . A non-haemolytic protein with a molecular weight of 27,500 which existed in at least two charged forms, was shown to have an antigenic relationship to the toxin with a molecular weight of 39,000. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg, 1976 Nov, 72(5), 714 - 26 Sternal and costochondral infections following open-heart surgery . A review of 2,594 cases; Culliford AT et al.; From a series of 2,594 patients undergoing open-heart surgery, 39 had sternal or costochondral infections . Most of these infections were associated with a number of predisposing factors: prolonged perfusion time, excessive postoperative bleeding, depressed cardiac output in the postoperative period, and a history of re-exploration for the control of hemorrhage . One important factor was the use of bilateral internal mammary artery implants . The prognosis for patients with sternal wound infections appears related to the length of time required for institution of treatment and the adequacy of initial therapy . Most of these infections are caused by staphylococcus, although the more complicated infections often are caused by fungus . The prevention of serious sternal infections depends on a combination of proper preoperative preparation, attention to minute details at the time of operation, and recognition of variables predisposing to wound complications. Br J Ophthalmol, 1976 Nov, 60(11), 750 - 1 Intracameral injection of gentamicin . Report of a case; Tarakji MS et al.; A case of bacterial endophthalmitis secondary to a penetrating injury was successfully treated with intracameral topical and subconjunctival injections of gentamicin . After treatment the patient had normal vision and there was no evidence of toxic side-effects on the anterior segment of the eye including the endothelium, angle structures, and lens . The potential pathogenicity of Staphylococcus epidermidis is again emphasized. Vestn Khir Im I I Grek, 1976 Nov, 117(11), 99 - 102 {Secondary abscessing pneumonia in children}; Tikhonenko MM et al.; Among 370 patients with staphylococcic abscessing pneumonia in 55 secondary pulmonary involvement (14.8%) was noted . Acute hematogenic osteomyelitis was the most frequent cause of sepsis . The treatment of patients with secondary staphylociccic abscessing pneumonia is described . The mortality was 40 per cent. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1976 Nov, (11), 90 - 3 {The effect of Staphylococcus toxin on the electrophoretic mobility and the value of zeta-potential of erythrocytes of the BALB strain mice}; Balakireva SIu; In experiments in vitro staphylococcus toxin caused a reduction of the electrophoretic mobility and of the zeta potential of the erythrocytes of the BALB line mice; the extent of this reduction depended on the duration of incubation of the erythrocytes with the toxin . The washing of erythrocytes from the toxin after the incubation led to the restoration of the zeta potential and the electrophoretic mobility to 95% of the initial value, this pointing to the sorption interaction of the toxin with the erythrocyte membranes. Klin Monatsbl Augenheilkd, 1976 Nov, 169(5), 638 - 41 {Chloramphenicol in ophthalmic practice (author's transl)}; Parunovic A; The use of chloramphenicol is the cause of much controversy . In general medical practice this antibiotic is considered toxic and dangerous therefore its indications are very narrow and limited . In ophthalmic practice chloramphenicol is used very often and with considerable beneficial effect . Its main advantages are a broad spectrum and a very high intraocular concentration . A series of 34 acute conjunctivitides were treated with chloramphenicol solution with succes . The causative organisms were Pneumcoccus and Staphylococcus aurels. J Clin Pathol, 1976 Nov, 29(11), 999 - 1002 Staphylococcal protein A; its preparation and an application to rubella serology; Mallinson H et al.; Good yields of staphylococcal protein A are obtained by growing the staphylococcus Cowan type 1 on cellophane agar . The activity of these preparations in removing immunoglobulin G (IgG) from human serum can be readily measured by the Mancini radial-diffusion technique and the correct in-use dilution determined . Treatment with protein A of sera from women with a history of rubella may help in the identification of those having specific antibody in the IgM and IgA fractions . This relatively simple procedure may have worthwhile application in the diagnosis of rubella. Chem Biol Interact, 1976 Nov, 15(3), 257 - 65 Distribution along DNA of the bound carcinogen N-acetoxy-N-2-acetylaminofluorene in chromatin modified in vitro; Metzger G et al.; Chromatin from duck erythrocytes was modified in vitro by the carcinogen N-acetoxy-N-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-Ac-O-AAF) . The distribution of the carcinogen along the DNA molecule was studied using staphylococcal nuclease which allows the fractionation of chromatin DNA into two zones . It was shown that the carcinogen binds preferentially to the regions of chromatin sensitive to the enzyme; however, the regions of DNA tightly bound to histones and resistant to the enzyme react comparatively well . The single-strand specific nuclease S1 which digests DNA modified by the carcinogen in vitro did not digest chromatin under the conditions used . Some possible mechanisms for the interaction of the carcinogen with chromatin are discussed. Trop Anim Health Prod, 1976 Nov, 8(4), 187 - 94 A study of acute "short-wind" (pneumonia) in village pigs of Papua New Guinea; Copland JW; Observations were made over a 12-month period in two villages of the incidence and nature of an acute pneumonia syndrome of village pigs . A detailed ante-mortem and post-mortem examination was made of seven pigs with acute pneumonia, "short-wind" . The principal ante-mortem findings were gross malnourished stunted young pigs with severe respiratory embarrassment . Post-mortem examination revealed acute bacterial pneumonia, superimposed on existing chronic enzootic and lungworm pneumonia . No single bacterial species was constantly isolated, Pastuerella spp . and Staphylococcus were the most frequently isolated . The pathogenesis of the disease is discussed . It is suggested that enzootic pneumonia is not a significant limiting factor in traditional pig husbandry . Low nutritional status and heavy nematode infections resulting in increased susceptibility to bacterial pneumonia of pigs are thought to be responsible for the high incidence and mortality from acute pneumonia. Cell, 1976 Nov, 9(3), 419 - 22 Cooperative alignment of nu bodies during chromosome replication in the presence of cycloheximide; Weintraub H; 50% of control DNA is resistant to staphylococcal nuclease after digestion in isolated nuclei, while only 25% of the labeled DNA made in the presence of cycloheximide is resistant to nuclease . Nevertheless, cycloheximide DNA is folded into normal chromosomal subunits as evidence by the observation that it generates nuclease limit-digest DNA fragments that are indistinguishable from controls . These results indicate that cycloheximide chromatin is associated with half the number of normal nu bodies . These nu bodies are probably recycled from the parental chromosome . Partial nuclease digestion of cycloheximide chromatin reveals that a normal pattern of monomer and multimer DNA fragments is generated up to octamers . The data are consistent with the idea that in the presence of cycloheximide, recycled parental histones become cooperatively aligned along the daughter double helices. J Lab Clin Med, 1976 Nov, 88(5), 796 - 806 Severe staphylococcal disease associated with allergic manifestations, hyperimmunoglobulinemia E, and defective neutrophil chemotaxis; Hill HR et al.; Neutrophil granulocyte function was determined in three patients with systemic staphylococcal infection, clinical manifestations of generalized allergic disease, and hyperimmunoglobulinemia E . Each of the patients had urticarial skin rashes before or at the time of development of staphylococcal suppurative lymphadenitis, pneumonia, or sepsis . Neutrophil chemotaxis, random migration, phagocytosis, and bactericidal capacity were assessed to determine if an abnormality in these functions might have contributed to the development of severe staphylococcal infections . Each of the three patients with generalized urticaria was found to have a marked defect in neutrophil chemotaxis . The mean chemotactic index of the patients was 12 +/- 4, whereas that of 20 controls was 72 +/- 11 . Neutrophil random migration, phagocytosis, and bactericidal capacity were normal in each patient . The serum or plasma of the patients did not inhibit chemotaxis of control neutrophils and did not contain an increased concentration of the chemotactic-factor inactivator found in normal serum . Treatment of the neutrophils of these three patients with the competitive histamine H2 receptor blocking agent, burimamide, produced a significant increase in chemotactic responsiveness . These studies suggest the possibility of pharmacologic modification of neutrophil granulocyte function. Ann Sclavo, 1976 Nov-Dec, 18(6), 855 - 62 {The coagulase test: considerations . II note (author's transl)}; Chiarini F et al.; The Authors carried out a research on 22 strains of Staphylococcus, isolated from pathological specimens, studying the free coagulase and the clumping factor with human, pig and rabbit plasma and two types of anticoagulant, citrate and heparine . The results are discussed test by test and in relation one to another. J Med Microbiol, 1976 Nov, 9(4), 371 - 7 Purity of staphylococcal delta-haemolysin obtained by three different procedures; Lee SH et al.; Three methods at present available for the purification of staphylococcal delta-haemolysin were compared as to the purity and identify of the product obtained . None yielded a pure preparation of delta-haemolysin; one of the three preparations did not contain demonstrable delta-haemolysin when tested electrophoretically, but it contained deoxyribonuclease, penicillinase, phosphatase and alpha-haemolysin . The second preparation had delta-haemolysin activity and was free of alpha-haemolysin, but it contained lipase, egg-yolk factor, esterase, deoxyribonuclease, penicillinase, phosphatase and hyaluronidase . The third preparation contained all of the products mentioned above, except phosphatase, and it also contained alpha-haemolysin, staphylokinase, lysozyme and caseinase . These findings are discussed with special reference to the requirement for criteria of purity in work with staphylococcal products. Arch Pathol Lab Med, 1976 Nov, 100(11), 601 - 5 Chloramphenicol-induced mitochondrial and ultrastructural changes in hemopoietic cells; Skinnider LF et al.; Bone marrow from a patient with bilateral staphylococcal bronchopneumonia who was treated with large doses of chloramphenicol was examined with the electron microscope . Our study supports the currently accepted concept that this drug depresses protein synthesis in mitochondria as it does in bacteria, since numerous alterations of mitochondrial morphology were encountered . These include (1) swollen mitochondria; (2) mitochondria with ruptured envelope; (3) mitochondria with longitudinally oriented cristae; (4) "ring" mitochondria; and (5) mitochondria with intramatrical iron deposits . The electron microscopical study discloses that the well documented vacuoles seen in marrow cells on light microscopy after treatment with this drug represent lipid droplets. Zentralbl Bakteriol {Orig A}, 1976 Nov, 236(2-3), 215 - 23 Lytic patterns of Staphylococcus epidermidis type 1; Krynski S et al.; In typing of Staphylococcus epidermidis higher concentrations of phages should be used in view of the danger of committing an error while typing at RTD only . Lytic patterns may be divided into long and short ones . The latter possess greater identification value . There are several phage types of Staphylococcus epidermidis type 1 which are more common . Phage type A 9c is chiefly encountered in hospital environments. Biochemistry, 1976 Oct 19, 15(21), 4666 - 71 beta Structure of aqueous staphylococcal enterotoxin B by spectropolarimetry and sequence-based conformational predictions; Munoz PA et al.; Conformations of the globular protein staphylococcal enterotoxin B have been examined experimentally by ultraviolet circular dichroism (CD) and visible optical rotatory dispersion (ORD) . Chen-Yang-Chau analysis (Chen, Y.-H., Yang, J.T., and Chau, K . H . (1974), Biochemistry 13, 3350) of the far-ultraviolet CD spectrum of native enterotoxin B revealed (assuming an average helix length of 11 residues) 9% alpha helix, 38% beta structure, and 53% random coil . A fourfold increase in alpha-helix was observed for enterotoxin exposed to 0.2% sodium dodecyl sulfate, behavior typical for globular proteins of low helical content . Values of -40 to -50 for the Moffitt-Yang parameter b0 calculated from visible ORD suggested 6-13% alpha helix in native enterotoxin . Application of a new predictive model (Chou, P . Y., and Fasman, G . D . (1974), Biochemistry 13,222) to the amino acid sequence of enterotoxin B indicated 11% alpha helix, 34% beta structure, and 55% coil in native enterotoxin . The excellent agreement for the amount of alpha and beta conformation utilizing different optical and predictive methods indicates beta structure as the dominant secondary structure in native enterotoxin B . Most of the beta structure is predicted by Chou-Fasman analysis to reside in two large regions of antiparallel beta sheet involving residues 81-148 and residues 184-217 . Such highly cooperative regions of anti-parallel beta sheet account for the slow unfolding of enterotoxin B in concentrated guanidine hydrochloride and rapid folding of guanidine hydrochloride denatured enterotoxin B to native conformation(s) (Warren, J.R., Spero, L., and Metzger, J . F . (1974), Biochemistry 13, 1678) . A more than twofold increase in alpha-helix content with a small diminution in beta structure was detected by CD and ORD upon acidification of aqueous enterotoxin to pH 2.5 . Thus, the beta structure of enterotoxin B appears to resist isothermal denaturation and constitutes a stable interior core of structure in the enterotoxin molecule. Med J Aust, 1976 Oct 16, 2(16), 591 - 3 Further observations on the value of oral penicillins in chronic staphylococcal osteomyelitis; Bell SM; This report confirms after periods of observation of up to nine years, the successful treatment with high oral doses of cloxacillin or phenoxymethylpenicillin of 19 patients suffering from chronic staphylococcal osteomyelits . The antibiotic treatment was closely supervised over long periods, and the satisfactory response initially reported has been maintained in each case . Brief reference is made also to the use of the same treatment in a further 191 patients with chronic staphylococcal bone infection . Observations of the progress of 136 of these patients are continuing . At this stage the response in these patients confirms the value in chronic osteomyelitis of the long-term treatment with these penicillins which was established in the first 19 patients treated. J Biol Chem, 1976 Oct 10, 251(19), 6025 - 9 Structure and action of heteronemertine polypeptide toxins . Primary structure of Cerebratulus lacteus toxin B-IV; Blumenthal KM et al.; The amino acid sequence of Cerebratulus toxin B-IV, a crustacean-selective axonal toxin occurring in the marine worm C . lacteus, was determined by Edman degradation of the tryptic and staphylococcal protease peptides obtained from the reduced, carboxymethylated toxin . All four of the anticipated maleylated tryptic peptides, ranging in size from 8 to 23 residues, and three staphylococcal protease peptides, ranging from 9 to 35 residues, were isolated in pure form by gel filtration followed by either ion exchange chromatography or preparative paper electrophoresis . The order of the maleylated tryptic peptides was based upon the sequences of the staphylococcal protease peptides . As might be expected, toxin B-IV displays no homology with the elapid nicotinic receptor toxins . In addition, toxin B-IV is structurally unrelated to a group of scorpion neurotoxins which, like B-IV, affect action potential generating mechanisms. Biochemistry, 1976 Oct 5, 15(20), 4418 - 22 Complete amino acid sequence of the myoglobin from the Atlantic bottlenosed dolphin, Tursiops truncatus; Jones BN et al.; The complete amino acid sequence of the major component myoglobin from the Atlantic bottlenosed dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, was determined by specific cleavage of the protein to obtain large peptides that are readily degraded by the automatic sequencer . Three easily separable peptides were obtained by cleaving the protein with cyanogen bromide at the 2 methionine residues and 4 peptides were obtained by cleaving the methyl acetimidated protein with trypsin at the 3 arginine residues . By subjecting 4 of these peptides and the apomyoglobin to automatic Edman degradation, over 80% of the covalent structure of the protein was obtained . The remainder of the primary structure was determined by further digestion of the central cyanogen bromide peptide with trypsin and staphylococcal protease . This myoglobin differs from that of the sperm whale, Physter catodon, at 15 positions, from that of the California gray whale, Eschrichtius gibbosus, at 14 positions, from that of the common porpoise, Phocoena phocoena, at 6 positions, and from the myoglobin of the Black Sea dolphin, Delphinus delphis and the Amazon River dolphin, Inia goeffrensis, at 5 and 7 positions, respecitvely . All substitutions observed in this sequence fit easily into the tertiary structure of sperm whale myoglobin. Vestn Khir Im I I Grek, 1976 Oct, 117(10), 80 - 5 {Tissue tolerance to staphylococcal infection in multiple wounds of the soft tissues{}; Lytkin MI et al.; The results of 254 experimental studies and 117 case reports of patients with multiple soft tissue injuries of different localization are analysed . Mutiple cutimuscular wounds were found to decrease the tolerance of injured tissues to purulent infection . Experimentally, on 130 rabbits the methods of rational prophylaxis of local purulent infection in case of multiple soft tissue wounds were studied . Their prophylactic effect in this pathology was 20% lower compared with single wounds of identical character. Vestn Khir Im I I Grek, 1976 Oct, 117(10), 68 - 72 {Methods for expanding the collapse lung in complicated abscessing pneumonia in children}; Diakin VM; A comparative estimation of different methods of expanding the collapsed lung for staphylococcic pneumonia in children enabled the author to speak in favour of lung inflation by using an artificial occlusion of the bronchus with a peripheral fistula . This technic seems to be advantageous since a one-moment inclusion of the lung in the process of ventilation is found to contribute to prompt reduction oxygen deficiency of the organism, liquidation of the residual cavity and hemodynamic disturbances, and intoxication . The recovery of children is note din shorter terms . The time of patient's stay at the hospital is also shortened. J Biochem (Tokyo), 1976 Oct, 80(4), 891 - 3 A potent polyamine analog, spermindiol; Yanagawa H et al.; The effects of spermine, putrescine, and spermindiol on different nucleases were investigated . A highly active spermine analog, spermindiol, was synthesized, which markedly enhanced DNA hydrolysis by staphylococcal nuclease and spleen DNase II {EC 3.1.4.6} and RNA degradation by staphylococcal nuclease and pancreatic RNase A {EC 3.1.4.22} . Spermindiol also increased the melting temperature of calf thymus DNA. Vopr Okhr Materin Det, 1976 Oct, 21(10), 44 - 8 {Nursing in lactation mastitis}; Gurtovoi BL et al.; PIP: Nowadays, the pathogenic staphylococcus plays the most important part in the etiology of mastitis . Further in depth studies of this disease are still necessary . The presence of this disease raises the question of breast feeding . Lactation mastitis disturbs the function of the manmary glands and