[A study of Kirby-Bauer method of antimicrobial sensitivity test and resistant plasmid assay with 486 strains of Shigella isolated clinically].

486 cases of bacillary dysentery admitted to an army hospital during the peak season (July to September) from 1986 to 1988 were studied. The pathogens in 452 cases were tested for antimicrobial sensitivity with 14 kinds of antibiotics by using Kirby-Bauer method recommended by WHO. The results showed that the number of antibiotics to which the dysentery bacteria became resistant had increased. In 1986 the number was 9, while in 1987 and 1988 it increased to 12 and 13 respectively. Among the resistant strains of bacteria, 331 had been assayed for resistant plasmids. 88.8% was positive with more than three resistant plasmids. The result of antimicrobial sensitivity test coincided well with that of resistant plasmid assay.

[Antibodies against alpha, beta, and gamma crystallins in human serum].

Serum antibodies against alpha, beta, and gamma crystallins in 79 normal subjects and 38 patients with senile cataract were determined by ELISA, with the result that the presence of the antibodies was related to age, not to sex, and the rate of presence in patients with senile cataract did not differ from that of controls. The relationship between the presence of the antibodies and senile cataract was discussed.

[Humoral and cellular immune responses to retinal S-antigen in uveitis patients].

Humoral and cellular immune responses to purified S-Ag were determined in 73 patients with anterior-, intermediate- and pan-uveitis and in 55 healthy subjects by ELISA and leucocyte migration inhibition test. The positive rates of humoral immune response to S-Ag in patients and controls were comparable; however, the positive rate of cellular immune response to S-Ag in the patients (54.6%) was significantly higher than that in the controls (3.3%), and that in pan-uveitis patients (69.4%) was significantly higher than in patients with anterior uveitis (15.4%), highly suggesting that the cellular immune response to S-Ag was involved in the onset of uveitis, especially when the choroid and retina were affected. The breakdown of anterior chamber associated immune deviation and abnormal expression of intraocular MHC-II antigens may contribute to the development of cellular immune response. More studies are needed.

Specific antitumor immunologic reactivity in patients with retinoblastoma.

Retinoblastoma antigen (RbAg) and retinal tissue antigen (RAg) were made from allogeneic retinoblastoma tissues and normal retinal tissue using the 3M KCl method. We have examined leukocyte migration inhibition test (LMIT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to RbAg and RAg in normal controls and the patients with retinoblastoma, including two spontaneously regressed cases. In LMIT, six out of the 11 patients tested against RhAg showed positive reactivity, in which 4 cases reacted only with RbAg, but not with RAg. All nine control subjects had negative reactivity to the two antigens. In ELISA, 40% of the retinoblastoma patients and 5.56% in normal controls showed positive reaction against RbAg. It was suggested that not only retinal antigens but also retinoblastoma specific antigens present in human retinoblastoma cells. The results also suggested that patients with retinoblastoma and those with spontaneous regression of Rb had both cell-mediated immunologic reactivity and humoral immune response toward retinoblastoma antigen in vitro. These immune responses to RbAg may be responsible for spontaneous regression of retinoblastoma.

Humoral and cellular immune responses to lens protein in patients with congenital cataract.

In order to understand the immune responses to lens protein in patients with congenital cataract, the passive hemagglutination assay for humoral immunity and the leukocyte migration test for cellular immunity to lens protein were performed on 43 patients with congenital cataract and 30 healthy persons served as control. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the incidence of humoral immune responses to lens protein between patients with congenital cataract and the controls (P greater than 0.05), but the incidence of cellular immune responses to lens protein in patients with congenital cataract was higher than that of the controls (P less than 0.005). The results of this study suggested that during the development of congenital cataract, lens protein leaked into the aqueous humour and entered the systemic circulation, sensitizing lymphocytes and producing cellular mediated immune responses. Further investigation is necessary to determine whether there is any relationship between the immune responses to lens protein and the formation of congenital cataract.

Design of intracavitary microwave applicators for the treatment of uterine cervix carcinoma.

A 915 MHz intracavitary applicator was designed to heat tumours in the cervical and upper vaginal regions. The applicator has a 3.5-turn helical coil wound around the distal 19 mm of a dielectric rod 43 mm long and 30 mm in diameter. For treating uterine cancer, a 2450 MHz, 4 mm diameter helical applicator was made by replacing 6 cm of the outer conductor of a coaxial cable with six turns of copper wire soldered to the outer conductor. The heating patterns were determined thermographically in a muscle phantom. The maximum heating rates were 0.42 and 0.83 degrees C/W-min, respectively, for the 915 and 2450 MHz applicators. Intracavitary temperature distributions in the upper vagina, cervix and uterus were measured at the surface of the applicators with thermocouples. The average temperature was 46.0 +/- 2.1 degrees C (S.D.) at mid-tumour and 44.5 +/- 0.8 degrees C at the tumour periphery. The maximum temperature, up to 51.5 degrees C, was measured at the surface of the cervical applicator. The majority of the patients (28/30) tolerated the investigational treatment without burns or pain. Rectal temperatures were also monitored. The location of the hot-spot (40.7 degrees C) in the rectum, 5-7 cm above the anus, corresponded to the tip of the cervical applicator (47.1 degrees C).