Initial clinical experience with the admiral oxygenator combined with separated suction.

The Admiral, a new microporous membrane oxygenator with a low surface area, decreased priming volume and two separate reservoirs, was tested in 30 adult patients. This study was undertaken to evaluate blood path resistance, gas exchange capabilities and blood trauma in clinical use, with and without shed blood separation. Patients were divided into 3 groups. Group 1 had valve surgery without separation of suction, Group 2 had coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with direct blood aspiration and Group 3 had coronary artery bypass grafting with shed blood separation. The suctioned, separated, cardiotomy blood in Group 3 was treated with an autotransfusion device at the end of bypass before being returned to the patient. Theoretical blood flow could be achieved in all cases without problem. The pressure drop through the oxygenator averaged 88 +/- 13 mmHg at 4 l/min and 109 +/- 12 mmHg at 5 l/min. O(2) transfer was 163 +/- 27 ml/min. Free plasma haemoglobin rose in all groups, but significantly less in group 3. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) rose significantly in Groups 1 and 2. Platelets decreased in all groups without significant differences. Clinical experience with this new oxygenator was safe, the reduced membrane surface did not impair gas exchange and blood trauma could be minimized easily by separating shed blood, using the second cardiotomy reservoir.

Monoclonal antibodies against human placental glutathione transferase (class pi).

Five monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were produced in a mouse hybridoma system against human placental glutathione transferase (GST pi). Four of these monoclonal antibodies, named 461 to 464, were of immunoglobulin G class, whereas the monoclonal antibody 465 was of IgA class. All these MAbs specifically recognized the glutathione transferase from human placenta (class pi) showing no cross reactivity against the basic and the neutral forms of GST from human liver. When each MAb was incubated with the GST pi, no inhibition of enzymatic activity towards 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene was observed except for MAb 465 which showed a slight inhibition to a serial dilution of 1:128.

Identification of a highly reactive sulphydryl group in human placental glutathione transferase by a site-directed fluorescent reagent.

A fluorescent maleimide derivative, N-(4-anilino-1-naphthyl) maleimide (ANM), a specific probe for thiol groups, reacted with human placental glutathione transferase (GST, EC 2.5.1.18), causing a complete inactivation of the enzyme in a few minutes. The modified enzyme was denatured, alkylated and digested with (L-1-tosylamide-2-phenylethyl chloromethyl ketone)-trypsin. The tryptic digest was analysed by HPLC and a fluorescent peptide was obtained. The sequence of this peptide allowed us, by a comparison with a well known primary structure, to assign the position 47 to the most reactive cysteine of GST enzyme.

Penfigoide benigno de mucosas (Lever) o dermatitis ampollar mucosinequiante y atrofiante (Lortat-Jacob). / Benign mucous membrane pemphigoid (Lever) or atrophying bullous dermatitis (Lortat-Jacob)

Se trata de una paciente con penfigoide benigno de mucosas en la cual se ensayan con buenos resultados nuevas drogas en el tratamiento de esta afeccion: acido mefenanico asociado a prednisona y ketoprofen en segunda instancia como droga unica.Clinicamente se observa desaparicion de las lesiones erosivas propias de la enfermedad, no asi de las ampollas. Es seguida, histologicamente, previamente al tratamiento y durante la terapia antiinflamatoria, no observandose ninguna modificacion significativa en la intensidad y composicion histologica de los fenomenos inflamatorios, por lo cual los autores concluyen que la accion beneficiosa del farmaco se efectuaria reduciendo el tiempo de reparacion de las ampollas, evitando de tal manera el estimulo de la formacion de tejido cicatrizal

Penfigoide benigno de mucosas (Lever) o dermatitis ampollar mucosinequiante y atrofiante (Lortat-Jacob). / Benign mucous membrane pemphigoid (Lever) or atrophying bullous dermatitis (Lortat-Jacob)

Se trata de una paciente con penfigoide benigno de mucosas en la cual se ensayan con buenos resultados nuevas drogas en el tratamiento de esta afeccion: acido mefenanico asociado a prednisona y ketoprofen en segunda instancia como droga unica.Clinicamente se observa desaparicion de las lesiones erosivas propias de la enfermedad, no asi de las ampollas. Es seguida, histologicamente, previamente al tratamiento y durante la terapia antiinflamatoria, no observandose ninguna modificacion significativa en la intensidad y composicion histologica de los fenomenos inflamatorios, por lo cual los autores concluyen que la accion beneficiosa del farmaco se efectuaria reduciendo el tiempo de reparacion de las ampollas, evitando de tal manera el estimulo de la formacion de tejido cicatrizal