Isolation of Actinomyces viscosus from two patients with clinical infections

The isolation of Actinomyces viscosus from two patients is described. One was a case of multiple myeloma, the organism being found on blood culture; the other was a patient with a submandibular abscess. These are believed to be the first such isolations of A. viscosus in this country.     

Incidence of Tritrichomonas foetus in young replacement bulls following introduction into an infected herd

Three hundred 8-year-old Shorthorn and Santa Gertrudis bulls, with a 47% incidence of Tritrichomonas foetus infection in the 30 surveyed, were removed from a herd of approximately 6000 cows and replaced by 325 two-year-old Brahman bulls. A sample of 50 of the replacement bulls was examined at introduction and found to be uninfected. After 2 years, the incidence of infection in a sample of 80 of the replacement bulls was 4%. The results suggests that a major reduction in incidence of infection in extensively managed herds might be achieved by the exclusive use of young bulls for mating.     

Adenovirus-mediated gene transfer is augmented in basilar and carotid arteries of heritable hyperlipidemic rabbits

OBJECTIVE: Regional presynaptic dopaminergic function and its regulation by dopamine agonists in different stages of PD can be measured by L-[11C]dopa and PET. In the current investigation, we studied the effects of therapeutic apomorphine on L-[11C]dopa uptake in patients with early and advanced PD. BACKGROUND: With disease progression and chronic dopamine agonist treatment, motor response complications supervene in a majority of PD patients. It is assumed that both presynaptic and postsynaptic changes in the dopaminergic system act to modify dopaminergic efficacy. METHODS: Patients with early and advanced stages of PD were included in the study. All patients were investigated twice with PET and L-[11C]dopa drug free and during a subsequent standardized therapeutic apomorphine infusion. RESULTS: Subregional analysis of the striatum showed differences in the effects of apomorphine infusion on the L-[11C]dopa influx rate in the two patient categories. In patients with early and uncomplicated PD, apomorphine infusion decreased the L-[11C]dopa influx rate. This decrease was most pronounced in the dorsal part of the putamen. In advanced PD patients, apomorphine did not affect the striatal L-[11C]dopa influx rate. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that in mild and stable PD an upregulated presynaptic inhibitory feedback regulation, particularly in the dorsal putamen, acts to maintain congruity within the dopaminergic system in response to antiparkinsonian medication. However, this inhibitory feedback regulation is diminished with the progression of nigrostriatal degeneration and chronic dopamine agonist treatment.     

Blood speed imaging with an intraluminal array

In applications in which Doppler processing is not possible, such as side-looking intravascular imaging systems, decorrelation methods can be used to estimate blood speed. Here, a method is presented measuring relative blood speed using an FIR filter bank to estimate temporal decorrelation rates. It can be implemented in a modern commercially available ultrasound imaging system with no additional hardware. Both simulations and experiments using an intraluminal scanner appropriate for coronary artery applications have tested the system. In this study, the FIR filter bank is contrasted with previous methods, and its utility is further demonstrated with real-time color flow images from a pig model.     

Immunogenicity of four Plasmodium falciparum preerythrocytic antigens in Aotus lemurinus monkeys

Aotus lemurinus monkeys were immunized with pools of either lipid-tailed peptides injected in PBS or peptides in Montanide ISA-51, all derived from four Plasmodium falciparum pre-erythrocytic antigens, namely, LSA1, LSA3, SALSA, and STARP. These formulations were well tolerated. Their immunogenicity was demonstrated by the induction of both B- and T-cell responses to most of the peptides studied (of the 12, 10 induced antibody production, 9 induced T-cell proliferative responses, and all 12 induced gamma interferon secretion). Immune responses proved to be long lasting, since some were still detectable 210 days after immunization. Of particular importance is the fact that B- and T-cell responses elicited in this way by synthetic peptides were specific for native parasite proteins on P. falciparum sporozoites and liver stage parasites.     

Interleukin-6-associated inflammatory processes in Alzheimer's disease: new therapeutic options

The cytokine interleukin-6 is consistently detected in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients but not in the brains of nondemented elderly persons. Until recently it was unclear whether an interleukin-6-associated inflammatory mechanism is an early or late event in the pathological cascade of Alzheimer's disease. We investigated whether interleukin-6 could be detected in plaques of Alzheimer's disease patients prior to the onset of neuritic degeneration. We found interleukin-6 mostly in plaques where neuritic pathology has not yet developed. This indicates that the appearance of interleukin-6 may precede neuritic changes and is not just a consequence of neuritic degeneration. Therefore, one may hypothesize that activation of inflammatory mechanisms may cause neuritic degeneration in plaques. A suppression of interleukin-6 synthesis could, therefore, be of therapeutic value. Upon screening a number of substances, we found that a small number of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, including tenidap, were able to inhibit interleukin-6 synthesis in cultured human astrocytoma cells. These substances may be therapeutically useful in Alzheimer's disease and should be evaluated in clinical studies.     

Splenectomy in children. A correlative review of indications and complications in fifty patients

We have reported our experience with splenectomy in fifty patients less than fourteen years old. The indications, results, and complications were enumerated. These data were then correlated with the recent literature regarding pediatric splenctomy. Of special note is the problem of immunologic incompetency associated with splenectomy in the patients less than five years old.