Antibody responses measured by various serologic tests in pigs orally inoculated with low numbers of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts

OBJECTIVE: To follow antibody responses measured by various serologic tests in pigs orally inoculated with low (< or = 10 oocysts) numbers of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts. ANIMALS: 24, 2- to 3-month-old pigs. PROCEDURE: Pigs (n = 42) were inoculated orally with 10 (14 pigs) or 1 (28 pigs) infective oocysts, and 6 pigs served as uninoculated controls. Blood (serum) samples were obtained at 1- to 3-week intervals until euthanasia. At necropsy, the brain, heart, and tongue of pigs were bioassayed in mice and cats for isolation of T gondii. Modified agglutination test (MAT), using whole, fixed tachyzoites and mercaptoethanol; latex agglutination test (LAT); indirect hemagglutination test (IHAT); Sabin-Feldman dye test (DT); and ELISA were used to evaluate serologic responses to T gondii. RESULTS: T gondii was isolated from tissues of 13 of 14 pigs each fed 10 oocysts, 17 of 28 pigs each fed 1 oocyst, and 0 of 6 control pigs. 29 of 30 T gondii-infected pigs developed antibodies when measured by MAT, DT, and ELISA; the 1 seronegative-infected pig had been fed 10 oocysts and was euthanatized 69 days after inoculation. LAT detected antibodies in 26 of 30 T gondii-infected pigs. IHAT detected antibodies in 11 T gondii-infected pigs. CONCLUSION: MAT, DT, and ELISA were more sensitive serologic assays than LAT and IHAT for detecting antibodies induced by low numbers of T gondii in pigs.     

Efficient generation technique for polynomial codesets

The letter introduces a new technique for the generation of a set of polynomial codewords. Each word is generated with a single modulo-2 addition, rather than by using the conventional polynomial multiplication technique. The method is simple to apply and can form the basis for set generation by a minicomputer or microprocessor.     

Improved liquid cholesterol ester crystal thermography of the breast

The infrated detection apparatus used in breast thermography is relatively costly and therefore is not widely available to less populated areas in the country. The use of liquid cholesterol crystals, applied to the breast (applied over a water-base black dye) has already been described in the literature as an effective substitute for infrared instrument thermography. This method, however, has been hampered by the time and troublesome effort necessary for removal of the substances upon completion of the study. The object of this study was to devise a feasible method of cutaneous breast thermography using liquid cholesterol esters, as in prior studies, but by applying them to an easily removable black base. As a result the length of the examination has been shortened, and patients have found the examination to be aesthetically more acceptable. With this improved method, liquid crystal thermography of the breast (and other areas) should become more widely applicable.     

Temporal trends of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and hexabromocyclododecane in milk from Stockholm mothers, 1980-2004

Environmental and human exposures to brominated flame retardants (BFR) have been of emerging concern since some BFR are persistent and bioaccumulative compounds. Among those, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) have frequently been reported in low to high ng/g concentrations in human blood around the world while hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) only occasionally has been reported and then in the low ppb concentrations in human blood. The present study concerns PBDE congener and HBCDD concentrations in human milk from Stockholm from 1980 to 2004. HBCDD concentrations has increased four to five times since 1980 until 2002 but seems to have stabilized at this concentration in the last years (2003/04). Similarly, BDE-153 has continued to increase at least to 2001, after which it has stabilized in the mother's milk. Other PBDE congeners with four to five bromine substituents peaked 5 years earlier (1995) and are all decreasing. DecaBDE (BDE-209) is not a suitable biomarker for time trend studies according to the present results, showing no changes over time. This is likely due to its short apparent half-life in humans and poor transfer from blood to milk.     

Immunological properties of human decidual macrophages--a possible role in intrauterine immunity

Our aim was to investigate the contribution of decidual macrophages, which constitute an important immune component of the decidua in late gestation, to intrauterine defence mechanisms. Using flow cytometry we examined the ability of decidual macrophages, isolated from term decidua, to bind and phagocytose fluorescence-labelled bacterial and yeast bioparticles. We also assessed their ability to generate superoxide radicals and tumour necrosis factor-alpha following lipopolysaccharide challenge. Decidual macrophages bound bacterial and yeast particles in a dose-dependent manner, which subsequently led to phagocytosis. These macrophages also produced superoxide radicals and the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha when challenged with bacterial lipopolysaccharides. These results suggest a role for decidual macrophages in pathogen recognition and clearance during pregnancy, and, therefore, they are likely to protect the fetus against intrauterine infections which might otherwise lead to preterm labour.     

Effects on intraocular pressure and aqueous flow of various dose regimens of latanoprost in human eyes

A "new" syndrome was identified by McPherson and Clemens [1996: Am J Med Genet 62:58-60] in a brother and sister with bilateral cleft lip and palate, hypertelorism, flat facial profile, flat occiput, and complex heart defects. The brother also had a bilobed tongue and the sister had malrotation of the intestine and bifid thumbs. We describe three brothers with similar anomalies apart from the bilobed tongue, malrotation of the intestine, and bifid thumbs. McPherson and Clemens [1996: Am J Med Genet 62:58-60] suggested autosomal recessive inheritance. Our observation of three affected brothers also raises the possibility of X-linked recessive inheritance.     

Treatment of acute lateral ankle ligament ruptures. A prospective 9-13-year follow-up study of three different therapies in 79 patients

In a prospective study of 79 patients with arthrographically verified acute ruptured lateral ankle ligaments we have evaluated the long-term results of three different treatments: operation and walking-cast, walking-cast alone and elastic bandage. The average follow-up period was 11 (9-13) years, and 32 parameters concerning interview, clinical and radiographic examinations were statistically analysed. The three kinds of treatment were found to be equal, since only one parameter showed significant difference at a 5% level using Fisher's exact and the Mann-Whitney test, and no difference by using the Kruskal-Wallis test for homogeneity. Residual disabilities and late complications, such as instability, pain on activity, and the number of secondary ligament reconstructions and talocrural arthroses were low. It was concluded that nonoperative treatment provided adequate results even after a decade.