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Anti-peptidoglycan antibody was measured in peptidoglycan-immunized rat and human sera by ELISA test. The results obtained were as follows:
1) By single intravenous injection of 1mg peptidoglycan (PG) extracted from group A streptococcus, type 12 (strain A 374) cell walls, anti-PG antibody was produced in rat serum, but the antibody level was not particularly high.
2) By increasing the number of administrations, antibody titers in the rat serum were found to persist.
3) An increased prevalence of anti-PG antibody was found in sera of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared with sera of patients without RA and healthy controls.
Anti-PG antibody was found to belong to the IgG class. There was no correlation between anti-PG antibody levels and anti-C-polysaccharide antibody levels. Therefore, anti-PG antibody might react to the peptides of side chains or interpeptide bridges of PG.
4) No correlation was observed between anti-PG antibody levels and rheumatoid factor, or, as stated above, between the anti-PG antibody and C-reactive protein.
The measurement of the anti-PG antibody by ELISA test is considered to be a useful tool as one of the serological diagnoses of RA.

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The extracellular protein (ECP) of group A streptococcal strains isolated from patients with acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis possesses a protein (mol. wt. 46K daltons) which was assumed to be specific to these strains. This protein was designated as the nephritis-strain associated protein (NSAP) . In order to detect the NSAP in ECP, monoclonal antibody (MoAb) to NSAP is useful.
BALB/c mice were immunized three times with ECP containing the NSAP intraperitoneally. Spleen cells were prepared from immunized mice three days after the final immunization and fused to myeloma cells (P-3-NS-1-Ag 4-1) using polyethylene glycol. The antibody to the NSAP in culture supernatants of hybridoma cells was analyzed by ELISA. Four clones producing the antibody to the NSAP were obtained and the antibodies belonged to the IgM or IgG classes. It was confirmed by using the nitrocellulose blotting test of combination with the isoelectric focusing and polyacrylamide gel gradient electrophoresis that the MoAb reacted with the NSAP specifically. The existence of the NSAP in ECP was proved by the sandwich method of ELISA using the peroxidase-labeled MoAb.

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β-lactam antibiotics elicited IgE mediated passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) in guinea pigs. These antibodies have a high affinity for the side chain of the drug but have a low affinity for the nucleus of the drug.
In this paper, the effects of the side chain on lgE mediated immune response were studied by PCA inhibition test and the modified PCA inhibition test.
The guinea pigs were passively sensitized with an intradermal injection of antiserum, and 8 days later, the side chain or nucleus of β-lactam antibiotics was injected intravenously before challenging the mixture of antigen and evans blue. PCA titers were depressed by pretreatment rather high concentration of side chain.
Antigens were injected into the guinea pigs which had been passively sensitized with an intradermal injection of the mixture of antiserum followed by the side chain 8 days later. At that time PCA titers were significantly depressed and the specific antibody was detected using a lower dose of the side Chain.
To prove the theoretical basis, retentates of the mixture of antibody and the drug extracted from the skin were measured by thin-layer chromatography and maximum UV spectra scanning. The result showed that the drug bound to the reactive site of IgE antibody and the binding remained in the skin tissue for over 8 days. From these results, it was suggested that the modified PCA inhibition test may be a favourable new method for detecting the specific side chain of β-lactam antibiotics.

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Since hydrogen generated by electrolysis diffuses rapidly in the tissue, it is probable that the half period of a clearance curve under the influence of diffusion is not constant but chnanges in the course of time.
The equation (1) based on half periods has been controversial as to whether it gives the real value of blood flow f.
f= (log 2) (1/Tf-1/To) (1)
where Tf and To are half periods of clearance curves with and without blood flow respectively. Since (1) is not ierived from theoretical process, diffusion and clearance of hydrogen in the tissue were studied by computer simulation in order to evaluate (1) theoretically.
The computer simulation indicated that the clearance curve under the influence of diffusion was not exponential. Hence the half period of the curve should change in the course of time and the value obtained from (1) would also change according to the half periods.
This means when the blood flow is obtained from (1), error is unavoidable.
The simulation also indicated that the duration of electrolysis and distance between the two electrodes (one for generating hydrogen, the other for measuring hydrogen concentration) has some influence on the degree of error. However, the intensity of current used for electrolysis had no influence.
The simulation further indicated error could be decreased by (a) extending the duration of electrolysis (b) extending the distance between two electrodes and (c) applying the half periods of the part of clearance curves after enough time had passed.

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Eighty-six cases of primary gastric cancer were studied biochemically for estrogen receptor (ER) and immunohistochemically for endogenous estradiol (E₂) .
As for quantitative measurements, positive cases of ER were found in 8 out of 52 male cases (15.4%), 9 out of 34 female cases (26.6%), or 17 out of 86 cases (19.8%) in total. The levels of binding activity ranged from 6-200 fmol/mg protein.
In animmunoperoxidase study, E₂ was mainly localized in the cell membrane and cytoplasm of the cancer cells. Positive cases of E₂ were found in 23 out of 52 male cases (44.2%), 7 out of 34 fernale cases (20.6%), or 30 out of 86 cases (34.9%) in total.
Positive cases of ER and/or E₂ were characterized maoroscopically by Borrmann 3 0r 4 types and histologically by moderately or poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with scirrhous stromal change. It is noteworthy that 5 out of 7 female cases (71.4%) which showed Borrmann 4 type with scirrhous stroma, were ER positive.
The presence of ER and E₂ in primary gastric cancers indicates the possibility that these tumors may have hormone-dependency. Thus, in these gastric cancers, one would expect to employ adjuvant chemo-endocrine therapy. From this result, it is suggested that ER and E₂ are useful markers for the study of sex hormones in human gastric cancer.

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Conduction delay in the ischemic or reperfused myocardium is regarded as a warning sign of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. In this study, the effects of calcium antagonists on conduction delay were evaluated in two-step coronary ligated hearts of 32 dogs, 8 dogs as control, 8 treated with verapamil (0.15mg/kg bolus followed by 7.5μg/kg/min), 8 with nifedipine (0.1mg/kg bolus) and 8 with diltiazem (0.02mg/kg/min) . Conduction delay was expressed as ΔCT (difference in conduction time before and after coronary ligation) and was measured by special intramyocardial electrodes. A reperfused area was made by releasing the artery after 30min ligation. The values of ΔCT obtained from normal, ischemic, reperfused and borderline areas were compared in the treated and control groups.
As a result, (1) The control group showed no change in the normal area, but the valve increased in the ischemic and border areas and decreased aftex reperfusion. (2) Verapamil reduced ΔCT significantly in the ischemic, reperfused and border areas. (3) Diltiazem also reduced ΔCT in the same way as verapamil, except in the reperfused area. (4) Nifedipine did not alter ΔCT in any myocardial areas except in the retrograde direction in the border area. (5) Diltiazem reduced ΔCT in both the treated and untreated ischemic areas, while verapamil produced a greater reduction in the treated area. The magnitude of reduction in ΔCT, however, was greater in the verapamil than in the diltiazem group. Nifedipine did not affect either ischemic areas. (6) In conclusion, verapamil and diltiazem appear to be useful agents in protecting against ischemic or reperfusion-induced ventricular arrhythmias.

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In order to clarify the relationship between the kinins and endotoxemia caused by intestinal obstruction. An experimental study in the process of internal obstruction was made concerning changes of bradykinin in the blood. After strangulated obstructions were performed to dogs' small intestines, their plasma-kinin in the blood gradually increased and showed a rapid increment at the time of their deths, resulting in the average survival time of 18 hours. This increment of plasma-kinin was inhibited by means of the anti-kinin agent (Trasylol) administered into the vein after the intestinal obstruction was made and it was observed that the survival time was slightly prolonged in a group of dogs administered with 30, 000 U/kg. Furthermore, administration of a non-absorbing antibiotic (fradiomycin) so as to decrease the number of intestine bacteria prior to the intestinal obstruction, the increase of plasma-kinin was clearly inhibited and as a result, their survival times were conspicuously prolonged.
Administration of E. coli 0-26: B-6 (1mg/kg) into the dogs' vein caused an obvious appearance of endotoxin in 5 minutes in the blood. Then the highest level of plasma-kinin was observed 1-3 minutes after endotoxin appeared and after this peak it gradually returned to the normal range. However, in the case of seriously suffered dogs from shock, the highest level did not return to the normal range and consequently they died in 30 minutes. A similar pattern was observed in the changes of hemodynamics of hepatocirculation in both cases of administering endotoxin and administering bradykinin to dogs.
As regards the protective effect of Trasylol against the lethal toxicity of endotoxin was clearly observed in an experiment using a group of mice.
Seen from these results, it can be concluded that plasma-kinin should be one of the most important chemical mediators concerned with endotoxemia in the process of intestinal obstruction.

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A total of 592 persons were admitted to the DECCM, Nippon Medical School, over a 28-month period from January, 1982, to April, 1984. 197 strains of Staphylococcus aureus were detected in seventy-seven of them. These strains were examined for any relationship they might have with hospital infection. The results obtained are summarized as follows.
1) Staphylococcal detection was positive in 197 of 6, 813 samples examined, giving a rate of positive detection of 2.9%. Staphylococci were relatively abundant in samples of pus, sputum, and burnt skin, but urine was perfectly free from staphylococci.
2) Coagulase types were identified in 92.4% of the 197 strains detected, Type IV was found in 62.4%, type VII in 11.5%, type II in 7.1%, and type III in 7.1%.
3) The rate of strains presenting a resistance to drugs at a concentration of 100 μg/ml or more to the 197 strais was 60.9% to CZE. 44.7% to PIPC, and less than 10% to CEZ, CMZ, and MET.
4) Phage type were identified in 75.6% of the 197 strains. Group III was found in 35.0%, the mixed group in 19.3%, the miscellaneous group in 10.796, group I in less than 10.0%, and group II in less than 10.0%.
5) Persons who were admitted to the DECCM during almost the same period were examined for the properties of Staphylococcus aureus strains detected. As a result, there was a strong tendency for the properties of strains detected relatively late in some of these people to be the same as those of strains detected relatively early in the others. These results seem to indicate the special characteristic of hospital infection.

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[in Japanese]

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A case was diagnosed as mycoplasmal pneumonia secondary to measles pneumonia. The diagnosis was based on the following: First, there was temporary resolution in the chest X-ray along with clinical and laboratory improvement. Second, two phases at intervals of 5 days were clearly noted in these processes. Third, mycoplasmal antibody level in paired serum showed marked elevations, following the two phases.
We documented 20 serologically proven cases of mycoplasmal pneumonia admitted into our hospital in 1984, the most recent peak year in this disease cycle.

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