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| J Immunol, 1975 Apr, 114(4), 1191 - 6 A radioactive hapten-binding assay for measuring antibodies to the pentapeptide determinant of peptidoglycan; Heymer B et al.; A major portion of the humoral immune response to peptidoglycans is directed against the non-cross-linked pentapeptide side chains of these ubiquitous bacterial antigens . At present, no specific and sensitive assay for pentapeptide antibody determination is available . Therefore, a radioimmunoassay has been developed which employs the synthetic pentapeptide hapten L-Ala-gamma-D-Glu-L-Lys-D-Ala-D-Ala, labeled by the active ester method of Bolton and Hunter to high specific activities (6.74 to 18.18 muCi/mug) with 125I, and used as a reagent for measuring pentapeptide antibody . A-variant streptococcal antisera, known to contain pentapeptide antibodies as shown by quantitative precipitation, would bind more than 95% of the radiolabeled hapten in contrast to 2 to 3% by preimmune rabbit sera . Specificity of the binding reaction was demonstrated by inhibition experiments imploying various synthetic oligopeptides related or unrelated to the pentapeptide in the radioimmunoassay . Binding curves established with serial dilutions of peptidoglycan antiserum were linear from 15 to 500 mug/ml of antibody permitting pentapeptide antibody measurement within this range . Comparative data on pentapeptide antibody determinations by quantitative precipitation and radioimmunoassay are given and the time course of the production of this antibody in 14 rabbits hyperimmunized with A-variant streptococcal vaccine is reported. Sem Hop, 1975 Mar 8, 51(12), 811 - 5 {Immunologic changes and infections in alcoholic cirrhosis}; Paraf A et al.; The authors explored humoral and cellular immunity in 50 cases of alcoholic cirrhosis . The levels of the three serum immunoglobulins were greater than normal . IgM was significantly higher . The levels of antipolio antibodies (types I, II and III) were significantly higher in cirrhosis than in controls . The antistreptolysin and antistaphylolysin titers showed that the differences between levels found in cirrhosis and in controls were not significant . After taking the Sabin polio vaccine, variations in antipolio antibodies remained within normal limits, considering the high levels noted before taking the vaccine . Total serum complement was normal in 90% of the estimtions carried out . The results of the intradermal reactions were dissociated . Tuberculin skin tests were negative in 35% of cases of cirrhosis and in 14.3% of controls . In skin tests for candida and streptococcal antigen, differences between cirrhotics and controls were not significant . The absolute figure for blood lymphocytes per mm-3 was, in half the cases, less than normal. Pediatrics, 1975 Mar, 55(3), 422 - 4 Recurrence of skin disease in a nursery: ineffectuality of hexachlorophene bathing; Gehlbach SH et al.; An outbreak of streptococcal and staphylococcal skin disease was discovered in a full-term nursery after the discontinuation of bathing infants with hexachlorophene . The epidemic was only temporarily controlled by conventional means and recurred despite reinstitution of hexachlorophene bathing . Measures that decreased infants' exposure to visitors and hospital personnel and enforced aseptic techniques in the nursery were more important than use of hexachlorophene soap in achieving and maintaining control. Biochemistry, 1975 Feb 25, 14(4), 664 - 8 Modification of the cysteine residue of streptococcal dihydrofolate reducatse; Warwick PE et al.; Modification of the single cysteine residue of streptococcal dihydrofolate reducatase with 5,5'-dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoic acid) results in virtually complete inactivation of the enzyme . Reduction of the enzyme-S-nitrobenzoate mixed disulfide with dithiothreitol indicates that 1.0 cysteine has been modified and approximately 70 percent of the original enzyme activity restored . Circular dichroic and fluorescence studies suggest that a localized conformational change involving aromatic residues, possibly tryptophan, has occurred following modification . In addition, nearly stoichiometric amounts of p-hydroxymercuribenzoate lead to complete inactivation of the reducatas . It is suggested that the S-nitrobenzoate moiety bound to the cysteine residue of the enzyme may perturb one or more aromatic side chains and lead to a distortion of the hydrophobic substrate binding site. Br J Vener Dis, 1975 Feb, 51(1), 61 - 2 Streptococcal pyoderma of the penis following fellatio; Drusin LM et al.; Gonococcal pharyngitis has been correlated with fellatio in both heterosexual females and homosexual males . This report describes another complication of fellatio, group A beta-eaemolytic streptococcal pyroderma on the penis after exposure to a male who probably had pharyngitis . the erythematous, purulent lesions should be cultured . After the organism has been identified, adequate treatment with either a long-acting parenteral penicillin or a 10-day course of oral penicillin is important in order to prevent the possible life-threatening complication of post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis. Infect Immun, 1975 Feb, 11(2), 265 - 72 Deregulation of mouse antibody-forming cells in vivo in cell culture by streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin; Hanna EE et al.; An unregulated, elevated rebound of antibody levels in rabbits was shown to follow late (10 to 15 days) after steptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin (SPE)-induced immunosuppression . Because of that result we have suggested that SPE acts by preferentially inhibiting a regulatory cell which normally limits the extent of full expression of antibody formation by B-cells . We are currently testing this hypothesis in mice . NIH (Swiss Webster) mice (+/+) or NIH (Swiss Webster) mice heterozygous (+/nu) for the mutant athymic nude gene and phenotypically normal showed an elevated plaque-forming cell (PFC) response to sheep erythrocytes (SE) late (10 to 15 days) after immunosuppressive SPE treatment similar to that described in rabbits . Homozygous nude mice (nu/nu) that are phenotypically athymic normally show a reduced early (4 day) PFC response to SE (a T-cell-dependent antigen) as compared with +/nu littermates or +/+ parent strain mice . This cryptic early 4-day response was improved by injection of purified endotoxin (a B-cell mitogen), but these relatively elevated nude PFC responses had decreased to normal control (SE only)nude PFC levels before 10 days . In similar SE-injected nude mice treated instead with SPE, no elevation at 4 days was observed and, more pertinently, the late (10 to 15 day) elevated rebound of PFC levels observed in normal response controls (+/nu or +/+) was not observed . Similar experiments were subsequently conducted in Marbrook-type spleen PFC cultures during periods of 12 days . The results of these experiments paralleled the in vivo results above, and in addition showed that SPE induced a large proliferation of either +/+ or +/nu cells (T-and B-cells) in culture but had no such effect on nu/nu cells (B-cells) in culture . Purified endotoxin, the Bcell mitogen, had a better sparing effect on nu/nu cells in this respect . These results are consistent with our premise that SPE inhibits preferentially the function of a regulator of the antibody response . The regulator appears to be a T-cell and is likely a suppressor T-cell. Aust Dent J, 1975 Feb, 20(1), 10 - 3 An assessment of antibiotics for the treatment of pyogenic dental infections; Woods R; Tests made with a series of antibiotics against a number of different organisms indicate that if clinical evidence suggests a streptococcal infection, penicillin should be used otherwise erythromycin is preferred. Pediatrics, 1975 Feb, 55(2), 244 - 7 Osteomyelitis and sepsis: severe complications of fetal monitoring; Overturf GD et al.; Sophisticated modern methods of fetal monitoring during labor have improved the prognosis for high-risk infants, but the possible adverse side effects have not yet been fully documented . One infant with osteomyelitis and one with streptococcal sepsis are reported . In the future, greater attention should be paid to such potential complications and new noninvasive techniques of fetal monitoring should be developed. Nouv Presse Med, 1975 Jan 18, 4(3), 173 - 6 {Right renal arteriovenous fistula after nephrectomy with streptococcal endarteritis}; Natali J et al.; The authors add a new case, to the 41 already published, of arterio-venous fistula of the renal pedicle after nephrectomy, with the peculiarity of its presentation as a prolonged fever resulting from streptococcal bacterial endarteritis at the site of the fistula (3rd case in the literature) . Surgical treatment in association with massive and prolonged antibiotic therapy resulted in recovery. Scand J Rheumatol, 1975, 4(3), 145 - 57 Rheumatic fever and Yersinia arthritis . Criteria and diagnostic problems in a changing disease pattern; Laitinen O et al.; A study of rheumatic fever (RF) in Finland and Sweden was carried out by examining (a) the patients with RF in two hospitals in Helsinki, Finland during the years 1969-72, (b) the case reports of RF patients in Uppsals hospital region (UHR) in Sweden during the years 1968-69 . In Helsinki there were 22 and 2n UHR 16 patients with an acceptably certain diagnosis of RF . Of the five "major manifestations" according to Jones' revised criteria (Circulation, 32: 664, 1965), carditis and polyarthritis were the most valuable diagnostic criteria, whereas only 8 cases of the whole material had erythema marginatum . The two remaining criteria, chorea and subcutaneous nodules, have lost their diagnostic value, since they are extremely rare nowadays . The diagnosis of RF was substantially influenced by arthritis associated with Yersinia enterocolitica infection . Some of the patients with YA met completely the Jones revised criteria for the diagnosis of RF . The symptomatology of Yersinia arthritis (YA) and that of RF are similar in some cases it is impossible to separate then even on the basis of serological tests . Diagnostic criteria should therefore be viewed against the geographical distribution of the disease . In addition to the required Jones' criteria, we concluded that at least in Sweden and Finland, in order to be categorized under RF, a patient must demonstrate clinical and serological evidence of acute streptococcal infection and, furthermore, Yersinia infection must be excluded. Scand J Immunol, 1975, 4(3), 295 - 302 Cell-mediated and humoral immunity to streptococcal cell wall antigenic extract in patients with glomerulonephritis and in healthy controls; Krzymanski M et al.; Cell-mediated immunity of lymphocytes to group A, type T 12, streptococcal cell wall extract was evaluated by measurement of DNA synthesis in cultures of lymphocytes from healthy controls and from glomerulonephritic patients . Cells from adult healthy persons regularly responded to this antigen, whereas cord blood lymphocytes did not . Several additional experiments suggested that the response in normal controls was due to a specific immune response and was not caused by a nonspecific mitogenic effect of the cell wall antigens . In a group of 17 patients with progressive glomerulonephritis (PGN) and 10 with nonprogressive glomerulonephritis (IRGN) the level of response was comparable to that of healthy controls . In the PGN group the response was significantly lower after 4 days, but this difference disappeared after 6 days . Thus, this method failed to differentiate between health and disease . The presence of anti-streptococcal cell wall antigen antibodies was tested using a passive hemagglutination technique . Only 1 of 6 controls had a demonstrable antibody titer, whereas 15 of 26 nephritic patients had detectable antibodies and 10 of them had titers greater than 1/64 . Our findings suggest the possibility of a relationship between streptococcal bacteria and progressive glomerulonephritis. Scand J Immunol, 1975, 4(1), 63 - 70 Immunological memory: stable IgG patterns determine in vivo responsiveness at the clonal level; Cramer M et al.; Immune responsiveness to the streptococcal group polysaccharides at the clonal level can conveniently be monitored by analytical isoelectric focusing combined with autoradiography . The parameters investigated in this paper can be summarized as follows: {1} Within the first week after injection antistreptococcal p0lysaccharide responses are characterized by IgM antibodies, followed by subclass restriction in Balb/c mice to IgG2a antibodies . {2} The clonal pattern of specific IgG2a antibodies established in the second week after immunization does not change within the following 6 weeks . {3} Persistence of a specific response pattern established within a primary immunization course holds for Balb/c mice and rabbits for as long as 12 to 13 months . {4} Repeated immunization courses in mice and rabbits maintain established clonal antibody patterns in toto . Temporal variations of clonal expression are generally quantitative rather than qualitative . B-cell memory within this system is therefore stable and long-lived.
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