We describe a hypogammaglobulinemic woman with a one-year history of destructive septic osteomyelitis and polyarthritis with positive cultures for Ureaplasma urealyticum from joint exudate and blood. The clinical course was complicated by subcutaneous abscesses from which both U. urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis were grown. Multiple routine cultures had been negative, except for sporadic findings of Staphylococcus epidermidis before specific cultures for mycoplasmas were performed. Therapy with beta-lactam antibiotics, clindamycin, rifampicin, fusidic acid and aminoglycosides had been given without obvious clinical effect. Intravenous doxycycline treatment instituted after microbiological diagnosis had a dramatic effect on the clinical course. The clinical suspicion of mycoplasma and ureaplasma as etiologic agents of orthopaedic infections in hypogammaglobulinemic patients is mandatory in order to perform appropriate cultures.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Ultimate tensile strength of PDL of molars in rats after 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-bisphosphonate injections.

OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: Administration during root formation of a bisphosphonate, 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-bisphosphonate (HEBP), at a dose corresponding to 10 mg P/kg body weight, has been found to interfere with the formation of acellular cementum in rats. The purpose of this study was to measure the force required to extract a tooth lacking normal acellular cementum, and to correlate this force and the ultimate periodontal strength with the morphology of the periodontal tissues at different time intervals after single or multiple injections of HEBP. RESULTS: A single injection of HEBP given during root formation inhibited the formation of acellular cementum and resulted in a temporary reduction of the extraction force and the ultimate tensile strength. Ninety days after the injection of HEBP, both parameters were the same as in the controls. The increase in extraction force and ultimate tensile strength was associated with the onset of occlusal contact of the teeth. The organization of periodontal ligaments was improved after the teeth reached the occlusal level. After daily injections of HEBP for 3 days, there was a permanent reduction in root length and dento-alveolar ankylosis developed in the furcation area. CONCLUSION: (1) A single or three injections of HEBP changed the formation of acellular cementum to that of an atypical hyperplastic cementum which increased the resorption risk at this site. (2) The ultimate tensile strength was markedly reduced in teeth lacking acellular cementum.

Age Factors↗

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Inversion of chromosome 14 marks human T-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

Rare cases of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) in man stem from the malignant proliferation of T cells. The disease is usually more aggressive clinically than B-cell-derived CLL. Various haematological tumours are associated with specific chromosome aberrations (for example, refs 1, 2). Only limited numbers of T-cell CLL patients have so far been studied cytogenetically and, whereas chromosome 12 seems particularly to be involved in B-cell CLL, several markers have been found in T-cell tumours. Recently, by stimulating malignant clones with different mitogens, novel chromosome abnormalities have been detected in T-cell CLL. Using the same approach for additional cases of T-cell CLL, we now report that the most consistent chromosome change is an inversion of the long arm of chromosome 14, inv(14)(q11 q32), in four of five patients. Another remarkable chromosome aberration is trisomy for the long arm of chromosome 8, found in three of five patients.

Chromosome Aberrations↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Semiquantitative estimation of Shigella antigen-specific antibodies: correlation with disease severity during shigellosis.

Systemic and mucosal antibody responses during shigellosis were analysed and correlated with clinical severity. Patients infected with Shigella dysenteriae type 1 (SDIP), and S. flexneri (SFIP) were grouped according to disease severity. The disease was more severe in SDIP than in SFIP. Higher levels of Shigella antigen-specific serum antibodies were associated with severe disease. In contrast, decreased serum levels of IgG, IgM and total protein were associated with severe disease. Faecal levels of total IgA, secretory IgA, albumin, and LPS specific s-IgA were increased in severe disease. The results of the study indicate that the level of humoral immune response correlates with the disease severity in shigellosis and that the local immune system in the mucosa is directly engaged in the response. This is also reflected at the systemic level by increased serum levels of specific antibodies and non-specific inflammatory parameters.

Adhesins, Bacterial↗

PubMedDate not supplied

IgA2 allotypes determined by restriction fragment length polymorphism in IgA deficiency. Re-expression of the silent A2m(2) allotype in the children of IgA-deficient patients.

IgA2 allotyping was performed on DNA from 60 IgA-deficient Caucasian individuals. The frequency of A2m(2) was not statistically different from that of normal controls. Two informative families were selected for further studies. In both families, the A2m(2) allotype (derived from the IgA-deficient parent) was inherited by some of the children, as determined by Southern blotting experiments. In all cases the 'silent' IgA2m2 gene was re-expressed, as judged by conventional serological allotyping of serum proteins. These data strongly argue against structural gene deletions or mutations as a cause of IgA deficiency.

Alleles↗

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The effects of egg-derived antibodies to glucosyltransferases on dental caries in rats.

The role of Streptococcus mutans in the development of dental caries is well recognized. Important virulence factors include the glucosyltransferases (gtf), essential for production of glucans. We evaluated the anticariogenic effects of orally administered chicken anti-cell-associated (CA) Gtf antibodies in desalivated rats. The animals were infected with S. mutans MT8148R and treated with chicken anti-CA-Gtf egg yolk antibodies (IgY) or nonimmune egg yolk powder. Smooth surface lesions were significantly lower in the anti-CA-Gtf-treated group in comparison to the control groups. Sulcal surface caries was also decreased and of less severity. Our study suggests that chicken anti-CA-Gtf antibodies may have promise as a prophylaxis for high caries risk patients.

Analysis of Variance↗

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Pneumococcal antibodies of different immunoglobulin subclasses in normal and IgG subclass deficient individuals of various ages.

The distribution of pneumococcal antibody activity of the IgG and IgA subclasses was determined in healthy individuals of various ages using monoclonal antibodies in an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). High IgG 2 antibody activity was found in cord blood and in serum from adults. IgG 1 activity was most pronounced in serum from young children and virtually lacking in serum from adults. Anti-pneumococcal antibodies were found to be low in IgG 2 deficient donors and normal in IgG 3 deficient donors. A maturation from relatively low IgG 1 and IgG 2 antipneumococcal activity in young children to high IgG 2 levels in adults was found in healthy individuals. IgA subclass antipneumococcal activity was correlated to age. Evaluation of the distribution of pneumococcal antibody activity of various subclasses offers a new possibility for studying the immune response to infection and immunization.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Lymphocyte activation by Con A.

Con A can activate cytotoxic effector cells, helper cells and suppressor cells. In all cases Con A activates polyclonally and thus the entire T cell repertoir can be revealed by Con A activation. Nylon purified T cells cannot be activated by Con A. however, in the presence of helper cells, such as adherent cells, or in the presence of serum from several species, Con A activates purified T cells. The serum factors that are responsible for Con A activation of purified T cells are present in the albumin fraction. It is suggested that Ia molecules may be responsible for the ability of Con A to activate purified T cells and a general hypothesis for T cell activation is outlined.

Albumins↗

PubMedDate not supplied

IgE in postsecretory ameloblasts suggesting a hypersensitivity reaction at tooth eruption.

The clinical symptoms associated with the eruption of primary teeth resemble a mild hypersensitivity reaction. Light microscopic examination showed that IgE accumulated in postsecretory ameloblasts. The formation of IgE was elicited by enamel matrix proteins, which are chemotactic for mast cells.

Ameloblasts↗

PubMedDate not supplied

IgG subclasses on the lymphocyte surface in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

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B-Lymphocytes↗