Variability of catechin and 4-hydroxyacetophenone distribution in Norway spruce needles in relation to their position, age, and growing conditions.

The amount of catechin and 4-hydroxyacetophenone in the methanolic extract of the Norway spruce needles at the locality Bílý Kríz (Moravian-Silesian Beskydy Mts.) was found in the range 2.8-12.1 mg g(-1) (dry weight) and 0.2-17.7 mg g(-1) (dry weight), respectively. Total amount of catechin (sum of the last three needle year-classes) is statistically higher (p<0.01) in the sparse areas compared to the dense ones and similar trends were recorded for catechin content in current and one-year-old needles. These results may support an idea about primary control of phenolic production by the incident solar radiation, which depends on the social position of the tree and canopy closure degree.

Change of isoenzyme pattern during long-term polyxenic cultivation of Entamoeba histolytica.

Isoenzymes of phosphoglucomutase and hexokinase were repeatedly evaluated using starch gel electrophoresis in polyxenic cultures of Entamoeba histolytica. In two out of 18 strains spontaneous changes of isoenzyme patterns were recorded. While originally they were categorized into virulent group of zymodemes, following isoenzyme analysis classified them as non-virulent. The relation between virulence and isoenzyme pattern is questionable.

Amoebiasis in foreign students.

A total of 2,883 foreign students at the age of 18-30 years were examined for amoebiasis after their arrival to Czechoslovakia. Stool examinations revealed the presence of Entamoeba histolytica in 112 of them (3.9%). Students from 38 countries were found to be infected with this parasite. In a set of 2,064 students from these countries E. histolytica prevalence in stool was 5.4%. There were greater differences in the prevalence between individual countries inside a geographical region than between individual geographical regions. The highest E. histolytica prevalence in stool was found in students from tropical and southern Africa (6.7% of 745 examined) and the lowest in students from South-eastern Asia (3.1% of 321 examined). In a simple cross-section study, antibodies against E. histolytica were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the sera of 1,001 persons. Antibodies were detected in 7.9% of students at the following titres: 1:200 in 4.5%, 1:600 in 1.5%, 1:1,800 in 1.9%. Antibodies occurred more frequently in students carrying E. histolytica cysts (X2 = 14.9). Titre of ELISA antibodies in patients with confirmed liver abscess was higher than 1:1,800. counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIEP) test was used for serum examinations of patients who had been demonstrated by ELISA to be seropositive and of those carrying E. histolytica cysts. In a set of 170 patients CIEP antibodies were also more frequent in those carrying E. histolytica cysts (X2 = 26.95). A comparison of the results of ELISA and CIEP tests in the same patients revealed that CIEP antibodies were more dependent on the actual parasitization with E. histolytica than ELISA antibodies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Entamoeba histolytica--the virulence of imported strains.

We tested the virulence of 15 strains of Entamoeba histolytica, imported to Czechoslovakia, by intracaecal inoculation of laboratory rats. According to the scoring system of Neal, none of the 15 strains possessed the virulence index greater than 2. This indicates that all the organisms tested should be classified as avirulent. However, it should be noted that all the strains produced infection of the caecum and thus should be considered infective for rat. For 7 strains, isoenzyme patterns were determined for PGM, HK and ME. One imported strain, obtained from student from Congo, demonstrated isoenzyme pattern for PGM and HK indicated that the strain was virulent. This organisms had the index of virulence 1.8 (avirulent) in animal experiment; it was isolated from cysts of clinically asymptomatic patient. Examination of the rectal mucosa of the donor of the strain indicated typical chronic catarrhal proctitis of mild degree. Examination of the patient's serum demonstrated the presence of anti E. histolytica antibodies by CIEP, while the ELISA test was negative. Twenty-one cyst carriers were examined by rectoscopy. Pathologic changes were observed in 20 of these, as follows: altered vascular structure (13X), roughened mucosa (12X), mucosal reddening (10X), decreased glistening (7X), mucus in mucosa (5X), inflammatory pseudopolypes (2X), ulcers (2X), enanthema (1X). Histological biopsies were obtained in 15 cases. One was considered normal. Remaining 14 biopsies exhibited following morphological changes: increased mucus secretion (8X), edema (7X), lymphocytic and plasmocytic infiltration (6X), lymphocytic and plasmocytic infiltration in addition to the presence of eosinophilic granulocytes (6X), presence of mucophages (5X), haemorrhages (4X), increased vascularity (3X), lymphocytic and plasmocytic infiltration with presence of extremely abundant eosinophilic granulocytes (1X), erosive-ulcerative changes of mucosa (1X). The changes observed indicated chronic catarrhal proctitis with expression to greater or less degree of signs of chronic catarrhal inflammation.