Japanese Journal of Allergology

In an attempt to evaluate a possible presence of premenstrual exacervation of asthema, the records of asthmatic attack and basal body temperature (BBT) were analysed for up to 10 menstrual cycles in 24 female asthmatick patients. 1) Exacervation of asthma in premenstrual and menstrual phase was obserbed in 18 of 24 cases (75%), but it was not evident in other 5 cases (20.8%). Exacervation of asthma in postmenstrual phase was seen in only 1 case (4.2%). 2) When analysed premenstrual exacervation of asthma on the bases of ovratory or unovratory menstrual cycles, exacervation of asthma was apparent in ovuratory, but not in unovuratory menstrual cycles. 3) Reeation between premenstrual exacervationon one hand and allergic, infectious and psychological factors on the other was sought, but none paticular was observed. 4) Exacervation of asthma in premenstrual phase was thus proved and this seemed to be as important in inducing asthmatic attack as allergic, infectious, psychological and other factors.

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The experimental auto-immune hemolytic anemia was carrid out in the rabbits by frequent immunization with 1% formalin-treated autoerythocytes as Yoshikawa's Method, and the histological changes of the spleen were observed. Major histological changes were as follows: In the red pulp 1) congestion in the pulp cord and intense proliferation of the reticulum cells, 2)in addition to those changes above mentioned, intense proliferations and infiltration of the splenocytes which feeding on the erytrocytes and hemosiderins, 3)nodular extrahematopoesis of the erytrocytes in the pulp cord and sinus, 4)a few pseudoeosinophilic leucocytes and plasma cells in the pulp cord and sinus. In the white pulp 1)atrophy of the lymphfollicles, swelling of the germinal center and mitosis in the germinal center. In the central artery 1)proliferation and swelling of the endothelial cell and fibrinoid degeneration of the wall and perivascular edema. These histological changes resemble those in the experiment of immune hemolytic anemia caused by hetero-erytrocytes antigen or in the autopsy cases of hemolytic anemia.

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In an attempt to compare the amounts of drugs which reqired to produce a 20% decrease of I"FEV, 75 asthmatic patients and 10 healthy volunteers were inhalated with graded doses of acetylcholine, histamine and serotonin. 1) The bronchial hypersensitivity thresholds for acetylcholine and histamine were significantly lower in asthmatic than than in normal subjects. 2) The hypersensitivity threshold for serotonin was approximately the same in asthmatic and normal subjects. However, in the absence of appreciable decrease of the threshold, asthma-like attack was produced in response to serotonin inhalation in one asthmatic patient. 3) When acetylcholine, histamine and serotonin were compared in the same asthmatic patients, the hypersensitivity threshold for serotonin was the highest, its threshold for histamine was the least and its threshold for acetylcholine was the intermediate. It was also shown that the patients, who had high threshold for threshold for acetylcholine, had high threshold for histamine. 4) In order to test day to day variations of hypersensitivity threshold for acetylcholine and histamine, hypersensitivity thresholds were repeatedly measured in several occations in the same asthmatic patients. The thresholds for these two drugs, however, were not so constant. Although threshold for acetyl-holine was in most cases higher than that for histamine, the fluctuation pattern of acetylcholine was not soparallel to that of histamine. 5) In some particular healthy volunteers, moderate hypersensitivity thresholds for both acetyl-choline and histamine was demonstrated.

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The intraperitoneal cells of guinea pigs sensitized with heat-killed human type tubercle bacilli, Strain Aoyama B, were immunologically investigated. 1) It was found that passive transfer of tuberculin sensitivity was possible by the intraperitoneal cells (treated with glycogen) of guinea pigs sensitized with tubercle bacilli. 2) Cytolysis of the intraperitoneal cells and white blood cells of peripheral blood by tuberculin was seen from the first week after sensitization, while that of the large mononuclears became marked later, i.e, three weeks after sensitization when tuberculin reaction became distinct. 3) More exact results could be obtained by the investigation of so-called dead cells together with cytolytic phenomenon. 4) Marked increase of the oxygen consumption of intraperitoneal cells of sensitized guinea pigs was found soon after the addition of diluted old tuberculin in the medium, while no increase was found in the oxygen consumption of intraperitoneal cells of non-sensitized guinea pigs by the same method. 5) Neutralization of the intraperitoneal cells and slice of the liver, kidney and lymph-node against tuberculin became marked later four weeks after sensitization. 6) The cells involved to the neutralization phenomenon against tuberculin among the intraperitoneal cells were investigated using I^<131> labeled PPDs and it was found that the most of I^<131> labeled PPDs was taken up by the large mononuclears. 7) Paper electro-phoresis was carried out with the supernatant obtained by freezing and thawing of the intraperitoneal cells and uptake of I^<131> labeled PPDs was noted in the part corresponding to gamma globulin fraction.

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