Cytological studies were performed on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in 37 cases with bronchial asthma, six with chronic bronchitis, three with bronchiolitis and three with hypersensitivity pneumonitis. The results were as follows. 1) In 9 control subjects, the cells in BAL fluid comprised 81.6% of macrophages, 12.0% of lymphocytes, 6.1% of neutrophils and 0.9% of eosinophils. 2) In asthmatic cases, the cells in BAL fluid comprised 54.0% of macrophages, 12.5% of lymphocytes, 12.7% of neutrophils and 20.7% of eosinophils. These cases showed a remarkable increase in the number of eosinophils and a moderate increase in neutrophil count as compared with control subjects. The increased number of eosinophils in the lavage fluid was relatively related to positive skin tests, high serum IgE levels and peripheral eosinophilia. As for asthmatic types, such was found remarkably in atopic type. By contrast, an increased number of neutrophils in the lavage fluid was frequently found in non-atopic or intractable asthmatics. Pulmonary function tests in these cases showed peripheral airway disorders. 3) An increased number of neutrophils was observed also in cases with chronic bronchitis and also in cases with bronchiolitis. A marked increase in lymphocyte count was found in cases with hypersensitivity pneumonitis.

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Increased immune complex levels in circulating blood have been reported in multiple sclerosis and Guillain-Barre syndrome, although the action on nervous tissue has not been clarified. Therefore, we studied the action of immune complexes on nervous tissue, using experimental acute and chronic serum sickness. Ferritin and galactocerebroside were used as antigens and ferritin was a marker of immune complexes. Immune complexes were perpared from anti-ferritin and anti-galactocerebroside rabbit antibodies and were injected into the spinal muscles of C57/BL mice. Histological, immunohistological and electron-microscopic studies were made on kidney and central nervous tissue. In the central nevous tissue, the proliferation of epithelial cells with aggregation of lumphocytes and fibroblasts was observed in the choroid plexus of the lateral ventricle; adjacent cerebral structures were invaded by these cells. These results suggest that soluble immune complexes may deposit in the choroid plexus, effecting cell reactions so strong as to damage cerebral structures. These allergic changes would include the cellular immunity with cell reactions by lymphocytes and macrophages.

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Slow reacting substance(SRS)of anaphylaxis(SRS-A)and SRS were generated from sensitized guinea pig lung fragments challenged with specific antigen and rat basophilic leukemia(RBL-1)cells stimulated with Ca ionophore A23187, respectively, in the presence of radiolabeled ^<14>C-(for guinea pig)or ^3H-(for RBL-1 cells)arachidonic acid (AA), and indomethacin. Both SRS-A and SRS were separately and sequentially purified by 80% ethanol extraction, Sephadex LH-20 adsorption chromatography with 0.1% NH_3-containing 80% ethanol, acidic organic extraction, DEAE-Sephadex A-25 ion exchange chromatography using linear gradient method of 0.0-0.05 M NaCl in 0.005 M glycine-NaOH-buffered 60% methanol(pH9.7)and finally Sephadex LH-20 partition chromatography with 0.5% NH_3- and 10% H_2O-containing n-butanol. One of the several radioactive peaks from partition chromatography of guinea pig SRS-A finally adopted for purification closely corresponded to the SRS-A activity. The evidence that SRS-A incorporates the radiolabeled AA was rendered more convincing on the purification by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)as described (1). On the other hand, one of the two SRS activities of RBL-1 cells from DEAE-Sephadex A-25 was completely cochromatographed with one of the two peaks of radioactivity from the partition column of Sephadex LH-20. When these purified samples, ^<14>C-radiolabeled SRS-A and ^3H-radiolabeled SRS, were combined and chromatographed on a partition column of Sephadex LH-20, all these activities were detected in the same eluted position. Furthermore, on HPLC the main peak of two SRS activities were was eluted in the same position as that of the SRS-A activity. These results indicate that SRS-A from sensitized guinea pig lung not only incorporates AA into its structure as in the case of RBL-1 cells, but it also has similar, or possibly identical structure to one of the forms of RBL-1 cells.

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To clarify the development of the complement system, the author measured the activity of the total hemolytic complement(CH50)and levels of complement proteins in cord sera from 18 to 37 of normal full-term newborns at birth. Those values in neonates were compared with those of their mothers and normal adults. The levels of Clq, Cls, C3, C4, C5, C9, factor B, C1INH and C3bINA in serum were measured by single radial immunodiffusion methods using monospecific antisera. The activity of total hemolytic complement was determined by Mayers method. Because the value of CH50 and levels of complement proteins in the sera of both umbilical artery and vein were not significantly different, the mean levels±standard deviations of CH50 and complement proteins in both cases cord sera were used to provide the average values. 1) The ratio of CH50 and levels of complement proteins between in cord sera and in maternal or normal adults sera were as follows: Clq Cls C4 C3 C5 C9 factor B C1INH C3bINA CH50 C/M 0.71 0.62 0.45 0.48 0.51 0.08 0.31 0.85 0.29 0.51 C/A 0.55 0.47 0.50 0.45 0.60 0.14 0.41 0.60 0.42 0.77 2) In newborn infancts the activity of total hemolytic complement was less and the levels of complement proteins lower than in the case of maternal and normal adult sera. a) The activity of the total hemolytic complement in the neonate as a group was approximately 50% of that of their mothers and 77% of that of normal adults. b) The mean levels of complement proteins in cord sera were ranged approximately from 8 to 85% of the maternal levels and 15 to 60% of the normal adult levels. c) There was a significant correlation between levels of Clq and Cls in cord sera(r=0.5263, p<0.001)of the neonates, but no such correlation in sera of the mothers. d) In the cord sera there were correlations between CH50 and C3, C4, C5 and factor B. The correlation coefficients(r) of CH50 and each of the complement proteins were as follows: 0.7841 in the case of C3, 0.4473 in C4, 0.5248 in C5, 0.7841 in factor B. e) The levels of CH50 and complement proteins in maternal sera were generally higher than those in normal adult sera. 3) The very low or undetectable levels of C9 and factor B were found in some cord sera taken from normal newborn infants. 4) The levels of CH50, Clq, C4, C3 and C5 in the cord sera were significantly increased with gestational age statistically. However the levels of the other complement proteins were not significantly correlated with gestational age. 5) The levels of C3, C4 and factor B between cord sera and maternal sera were signifiantly correlated respectively. However the levels of CH50 and the other complement proteins were not significantly correlated between in cord and maternal sera. It was suggested that the low levels of serum complement proteins in newborn infants may be associated with the susceptibility to infection. There was quite a difference in maturation grades among complement proteins in the cord sera.

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Endotoxic hypersensitivity of nude mice(BALB/c-nu/nu)and normal littermates(NLM, BALB/c-nu/+)was examined. The auther observed the following: 1) Injection with E.coli LPS produced marked enhancement of the foot-pad reaction after 48 hrs. 2) The foot-pad reaction of nude mice was stronger than that of NLM. 3) The intensity of delayed type hypersensitivity in the case of the NLM immunized with F.tularensis reached its maximum level 72 hrs after the injection of PPD, but such a response was not detectable at any time in the case of nude mice. 4) IgM titer in nude mice was higher than in NLM and conventional mice(ddN). 5) The intensity of the foot-pad reaction to E.coli LPS had a positive correlation to the level of IgM titers.

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In order to investigate if β blocker could be clinically used to treat for various cardiopulmonary diseases in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases(COPD), cardiopulmonary function of 12 hypertensive patients and 7 subjects with COPD complicated by hypertension, coronary insufficiency and/or pre-excitation syndrome was examined before and after oral administration of acebutolol(300mg daily)for 4 weeks. Terbutaline was continuously given orally to 6 cases of COPD. In hypertensive subjects and in the cases with chronic bronchitis(4 cases), significant reduction of the heart rate and a slight decrease in FEV_1, PF and V^^・_<75> were observed after acebutolol. No remarkable changes were observed in V^^・_<25> and V^^・_<50>. In one out of 3 cases with asthma, V^^・_<50> and V^^・_<25> were reduced after 2 weeks' administration of acebutolol, however, both returned to control levels 4 weeks later. No aggravation of airway obstruction was found in the other 2 cases. In one patient complicated with chronic bronchitis and pre-excitation syndrome, significant improvement of his complaint, i.e., palpitation was observed after acebutolol and it has been given for 6 months without change in pulmonary function. Above results indicate that acebutolol could be safely used in patients with COPD together with bronchodilator when β blocker would be clinically indicated.

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