Volume 98  ·   Issue 11  ·  1985

This paper presents an evaluation of indirect immunofluorescent and anaerobic culture of B. fragilis and B. melaninogenicus. 102 clinical specimens were studied. The correlation between these two methods were 87.3% for B. fragilis and 86.3% for B. melaninogenicus. In the 102 specimens, the positive rate of 1 or 2 Bacteroides was 26 (25.5%) by immuno-fluorescence and 11 (10.7%) by anaerobic culture. The average number of B. melaninogenicus per oil immersion field in positive anaerobic cultures was 71.9, but was only 4.3 in positive immunofluorescent negative cultures, indicating that immunofluorescent is more sensitive than anaerobic culture. No cross immunofluorescence was detected in B. fragilis, B. melaninogenicus, 24 strains of other anaerobes and 73 strains of aerobes. This shows that our immunofluorescent method is rather specific. The time necessary for anaerobic culture is one week or more, but immunofluorescence requires only an hour. It seems that immunofluorescent assay is more useful for early diagnosis of B. fragilis and B. melaninogenicus infections.

The clinical and pathological features of 54 Chinese patients with IgA nephropathy are reviewed. The diagnosis of IgA nephropathy is based on immunofluorescent staining that shows predominant mesangial IgA deposition in the absence of systemic diseases. The results indicate that in Chinese IgA nephropathy is a disease of young adults. The peak incidence is in the 20 to 29 years old group. Proteinuria is the most common mode of clinical presentation which is asymptomatic in 23 patients (42.6%) and in the nephrotic range in 7 patients (13%). Microscopic hematuria is also frequently found but only 9 patients (16.7%) present with gross hematuria. In addition, 4 patients are in renal failure at the time of diagnosis. The histopathology of IgA nephropathy is not essentially different from other idiopathic forms of glomerulonephritis. The glomerular lesions show features of focal proliferative change (50%), diffuse proliferative change (20.4%), focal or diffuse sclerosis (16.7%) and minimal glomerular lesions (13%). Membranous and membranoproliferative glomerular lesions'are not encountered. With im munofluorescenee, all cases show diffuse mesangial staining of IgA. With electron nucroscopy, the most characteristic feature is the presence of electron dense deposits in the glomerular mesangium. Three types of mesangial cells are identified and peripheral glomerular capillary wall abnormalities are seen in 30% of the cases.

The maximal curve (PAgT max%) and maximal ascending rate (PAgT Vmax%) of platelet aggregation were studied in 93 cases of coronary heart disease and 45 normals of the same age. The PAgT max% induced by adrenaline, 1 μg/ml and ADP 0.6 μM are 58.44±1.53 and 56.18±1.61% in coronary heart disease and 47.24±2.23 and 44.22±2.22% in normals, significantly higher in the diseased (p<0.001 and <0.01). The PAgT Vmax% induced by adrenaline was 40.18±1.51 in coronary heart disease and 32.69±2.28% in normals (P<0.01). The ADP, PAgT Vmax% was 60.67±2.44 in the diseased and 43.6±3.0 in normals (p<0.001). Both the PAgT max% and PAgT Vmax% were the highest in unstable angina. Vitamin C given to 30 cases with coronary heart disease at 1 g/day for two weeks produced no significant changes.

The authors presented 26 patients of viral myocarditis with negative skin tests of OT and PHA, a low response to in vitro PHA mitogenic effect on lymphocytes, presence of inhibitory factor in serum and adherent cells. These patients were treated with thymosine fraction 5 for 3-6 months. After treatment, most patients showed a positive skin test of OT and PHA, an increase response to in vitro phytohe magglutinin (PHA) mitogenic effect on lymphocytes, lowering of inhibitory factor in serum and adherent cells and improvement of clinical menifestations. It was suggested that patients with viral myocarditis had a decreased cell-mediated-immunity and thymosine fraction might have a therapeutic effect on these patients.

This is a record of biostatistical data collected during the years 1981-84 at a clinic in the United States, from patients who came to seek acupuncture treatment. The records consist of patient referral, age, sex, main problem, and clinical diagnosis. The information obtained from such records may be of interest to other acupuncture practitioners. It is also hoped that this report will provide useful data in comparing the profiles of those patients in the East and West who seek acupuncture treatment.

Lymphocyte transformation was used after stimulation with mitogen phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Phytohemagglutinin (PHA) was tested on both fresh and frozen aqueous humor from primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and cataract patients. Either fresh or frozen aqueous samples from cataract patients showed inhibitory activity. However, 65.3% (32/49) of the fresh POAG aqueous samples presented with inhibition while 36.2% (21/58) frozen aqueous samples presented enhancement of lymphoproliferation (p<0.005).

This study was carried out on 22 anesthetized dogs with reversible ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery to determine the effects of infused Radix puerarin on collateral blood flow to the ischemic myocardium and on systemic hemodynamics. The intravenous infusion of puerarin (10 mg/kg/min) during acute regional myocardial ischemia was associated with a decrease in heart rate from 174±6 to 149±6 beats/min (P<0.001) and in mean arterial pressure from 105±9 to 80±8 mmHg (P<0.01). Despite the decrease in mean arterial pressure, collateral coronary blood flow (radiolabelled microspheres) did not decrease. In 6 right heart bypass experiments in which the hemodynamics were controlled, the infusion of puerarin significantly lowered the tension time index and the rate of rise left ventricular pressure (LVdP/dt). Restoration of systemic blood pressure to the same level that existed prior to the infusion resulted in a substantial increase in collateral flow to ischemic myocardium from 0.55±0.12 to 1.36±0.39 ml/min/g (P<0.05) and an increase in coronary blood flow to nonischemic myocardium from l.11±0,15 to 4.28±1.01 ml/min/g (P<0.05). The diminution of coronary vascular resistance was approximately twice that of systemic arterial resistance (P<0.025). This relative augmentation of coronary dilation is not seen with nitroglycerin. The stroke work (left ventricular end-diastolic pressure relationship) did not change significantly indicating that the infusion of puerarin did not affect myocardial contractility. The results suggest that puerarin lowers resistance to collateral blood flow to regionally ischemic myocardium and climinishes the correlates of myocardial oxygen demand both of which would be expected to have a beneficial effect on ischemic myocardium. The data support the clinical potential of this agent.

The fine structures and electron scanning of Leishmania amastigotes and promastigotes isolated from a naturally infected racoon dog (Nytereutes procyonoides Gray) in the suburbs of Beijing were studied and compared with those of a Chinese human strain. They were much similar in fine structures in a number of subpellicular microtubules and in the distance between 2 microtubules. We consider that it may belong to the category of L donovani complex. A kind of multi-vesicular body has been seen in the cytoplasm of amastigotes of both strains but its nature needs further study.

Amikacin and other aminoglycoside antibiotics were tested for in vitro antibacterial activity against 480 strains of common pathogens, including S aureus, E coli, Shigella, P aeruginosa, K pneumoniae, Enterobacter, Proteus, etc. The results indicated that home made amikacin was equal in potency to the Japanese made product. The in vitro antibacterial activity of amikacin was markedly superior to that of kanamycin, gentamicin, tobramycin, and streptomycin. Amikacin was active against organisms resistant to gentamicin, tobramycin and kanamycin. Clinical pharmacological studies were performed on 12 cases with normal renal functions. The peak level was 24.75 μg/ml one hour after intramuscular injection of 400 mg amikacin. The biological half life was 2.39-2.48 hours. Thirty-one cases of infections caused by Gram negative rods and S aureus were treated. 87.1% were considered effective. Renal and oto-toxicity was minimal. It is concluded that amikacin is a broad-spectrum, high potency aminoglycoside antibiotic, and is especially suitable for the treatment of severe Gram negative infections and those infections that were caused by gentamicin-tobramycin resistant Gram negative rods.

Restriction of motion, mainly adduction, of the hip caused by contracture affecting the M gluteus maximus is not rare. Between 1975 and 1983, we treated 27 patients with this disorder (15 boys, 12 girls; age range: 3-14 years). Their clinical manifestations were characteristic. To release the fibrotic contracture tissue of the M gluteus maximus, all of the patients were treated surgically. The results were satisfactory. The cause of this disorder remains unknown, but the primary cause might be congenital in origin with which some predisposing conditions exist. Besides, the intramuscular injection might additionally play an important role.