Studies of 521 sera from the Icelandic cousin marriage project were made to assess the incidence of various anti-tissue antibodies and the levels of immunoglobulins, as these were considered to be useful markers of the humoral immune response. Comparisons were made between these parameters and the HLA-A and B antigens, the blood groups, the immunoglobulin allotypes (Gm, Km and Am), the properdin factor (Bf), and other markers. These investigations offered another approach to the study of the sites of action of immune response genes in man. Because the immune response may be expected to differ for each individual and depend at least in part, on the degree of exposure to different antigens, no absolute correlation was expected. There was, however, a marked association between certain IgG anti-tissue antibodies and HLA antigens. This was most marked for HLA-A10, B18 and b27, but not for HLA-A1 or B8. The comparison of immunoglobulin levels with HLA antigens, was less striking, although HLA-A2 appeared to be associated with low levels of IgE. There were also some associations between immunoglobulin levels and ABO blood groups.

Aged↗

PubMed1979

Serum creatine kinase levels in pubertal, mature, pregnant, and postmenopausal women.

In order to obtain control values for the diagnosis of carriers of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, creatine kinase (CK) estimations were performed in two laboratories on 148 healthy teenage girls (of whom 38 were premenarchal and 110 postmenarchal), 133 healthy mature women, 124 pregnant women, and 37 postmenopausal women. These levels were highest in the premenarchal teenagers, and became successively lower in the postmenarchal teenagers, the mature women, and the pregnant women, so that the mean level of the pregnant women was less than half that of the teenagers. The CK levels then rose again after the menopause. If the distribution of CK levels in adult non-pregnant women had been taken as controls for teenagers who were possible carriers for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, then one third of those teenagers classified as carriers would have been so classified incorrectly.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1979

Angiographically undetected ulceration of the carotid bifurcation as a cause of embolic stroke.

The accuracy of angiographic diagnosis of carotid artery ulceration was evaluated. Of those carotid bifurcations showing ulceration at surgery, 60% were diagnosed as having ulcers at angiography. Half of the remaining ulcers occurred in smooth, benign-appearing plaques and were too small to be seen at angiography. An incorrect angiographic diagnosis of ulceration was made in 17 of 50 carotid arteries; in most cases this was due to the presence of a subintimal hematoma in the wall of the artery.

Carotid Artery Diseases↗

PubMed1979

Atherosclerotic subintimal hematoma of the carotid artery.

A presumed new radiological-pathological entity of atherosclerotic subintimal of the carotid artery is described. Subintimal hematomas were found in 12 of 50 (24%) carotid bifurcations during surgery for repeated transient ischemic attacks in a single hemispheric distribution; only 33% were associated with ulcerations. The typical angiographic appearance was a sharply marginated, rounded, eccentric filling defect located near the extracranial carotid bifurcation, although occasionally it may simulate a typical smooth or even ulcerated atherosclerotic plaque. Pathological mechanisms responsible for the hemorrhage into the atherosclerotic plaque resulting in the hematoma are discussed.

Arteriosclerosis↗

PubMed1979

Report of the committee on unassigned linkage groups.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Chromosome Mapping↗

PubMed1979

The effect of soluble material from mouldy hay dust on the complement system.

The soluble material derived from the respirable fraction of mouldy hay dust has anti-complementary as well as enzyme activity. The anti-complementary activity resides in a heavy molecular weight fraction (approx. 800,000) and acts directly on C1 without combination with or alteration of IgG or IgM. The enzyme function has a lower molecular weight (approx. 30,000-38,000) and is related to papain in that IgG is split into two distinct components of similar molecular weight and with antigenic determinants the same as Fab and Fc pieces respectively. C1 activation leads to C3-9 depletion and on a per sample basis it is calculated that the soluble mouldy hay dust material is up to sixty-six times more active at C3-9 activation than the particulate material in mouldy hay dust. It is probable that the capacity to activate C1 resides in other dusts and may be a basis for non-immune histamine release in the lungs when such a dust is inhaled. It is also probable that non-specific skin reactions are related to C1 activation. The finding of an enzyme with papain-like activity is significant since the introduction of papain into the lungs of the experimental animal leads to emphysema and this has been described as a feature of farmer's lung.

Animals↗

PubMed1978