Effect of contrast agents on the activity of acid phosphatase in mouse neutrophils]

We report a case of Pasteurella multocida pneumonia and empyema in an otherwise healthy patient. The most frequently observed human complication with this microorganism is a local wound infection. Only a few cases of pneumonia have been described, and most of the patients were immunodeficient.     

Computed tomographic angiography of the thoracic vessels: the method, initial experience and outlook for its use

The paper presents the data available in the literature on computed tomographic angiography and the first experience with it to study thoracic vessels. It details the principles of spiral computed tomography and CT angiography. Practical aspects of their implementation, as well as basic concepts are outlined. It is concluded that CT angiography is promising in studying thoracic vessels in various abnormalities.     

Changes in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 envelope glycoproteins responsible for the pathogenicity of a multiply passaged simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV-HXBc2)

In vivo passage of a poorly replicating, nonpathogenic simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV-HXBc2) generated an efficiently replicating virus, KU-1, that caused rapid CD4(+) T-lymphocyte depletion and AIDS-like illness in monkeys (S. V. Joag, Z. Li, L. Foresman, E. B. Stephens, L.-J. Zhao, I. Adany, D. M. Pinson, H. M. McClure, and O. Narayan, J. Virol. 70:3189-3197, 1996). The env gene of the KU-1 virus was used to create a molecularly cloned virus, SHIV-HXBc2P 3.2, that differed from a nonpathogenic SHIV-HXBc2 virus in only 12 envelope glycoprotein residues. SHIV-HXBc2P 3.2 replicated efficiently and caused rapid and persistent CD4(+) T-lymphocyte depletion in inoculated rhesus macaques. Compared with the envelope glycoproteins of the parental SHIV-HXBc2, the SHIV-HXBc2P 3.2 envelope glycoproteins supported more efficient infection of rhesus monkey peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Both the parental SHIV-HXBc2 and the pathogenic SHIV-HXBc2P 3.2 used CXCR4 but none of the other seven transmembrane segment receptors tested as a second receptor. Compared with the parental virus, viruses with the SHIV-HXBc2P 3.2 envelope glycoproteins were more resistant to neutralization by soluble CD4 and antibodies. Thus, changes in the envelope glycoproteins account for the ability of the passaged virus to deplete CD4(+) T lymphocytes rapidly and specify increased replicative capacity and resistance to neutralization.