[Side effects of therapy with antihuman lymphocyte globulin]. / Nebenwirkungen der Therapie mit Anti-Humanlymphozyten-Globulin (AHLG).

The most important side effects during AHLG-treatment of 34 children suffering from juvenile chronic arthritis, collagenoses, autoimmune chronic hepatitis, aplastic anaemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia are: Thrombocytopenia, urticaria, fever, anaphylactic reaction. They all are reversible a short time after cessation of AHLG-administration.

[Lymphocyte transformation using anti-lymphocyte globulin in child patients (author's transl)]. / Uber die Lymphozytentransformation durch Anti-Humanlymphozyten-Globulin (AHLG) bei verschiedenen Krankheiten im Kindesalter.

In normal children about under PHA 67% of the lymphocytes, but only 8% under AHLG show a blast transformation. Children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis reveal (in autologeous serum) a PHA-reactivity of the normal range, whereas the transformation rate under AHLG is increased on more than 60%. In immune proliferative disease the results are different. Further investigations have to show, if these results are of importance for diagnosis and therapy of the above mentioned diseases.

[Preoperative detection of a bleeding Meckel's diverticulum by 99mTc-pertechnetate scinitigraphy (author's transl)]. / Präoperativer Nachweis eines blutenden Meckel'schen Divertikels durch 99mTc-Pertechnetat-Szintigraphie.

A Meckel's diverticulum containing gastric mucosa was causing recurrent intestinal bleeding in a 5-year old boy. 99mTc-pertechnetate scintigraphy was used to demonstrate the heterotopic gastric mucosa preoperatively. Compared to intestinal radiography and angiography, 99mTc-pertechnetate scintigraphy is a mild and uncomplicated investigation without any risk and with a minimum of radiation exposure. Evaluating its results critically this procedure can be of great help in the preoperative diagnosis of intestinal bleedings of unknown origin.

The activities of alanine aminopeptidase, leucine aminopeptidase, proline dipeptidase and prolyl dipeptidase in the mucosa of the small intestine. Investigations on normal children and patients with the malabsorption syndrome.

Alanine aminopeptidase (EC 3.4.11.2), leucine aminopeptidase (EC 3.4.11.1), proline dipeptidase (EC 3.4.13.9), and prolyl dipeptidase (EC 3.4.13.8) have been investigated in small intestinal mucosa homogenates of normal children and children suffering from different degrees of villous damage. The activities of proline dipeptidase and prolyl dipeptidase could be shown to be significantly decreased in cases of subtotal and total villous atrophy, whereas the activities of alanine aminopeptidase and leucine aminopeptidase were not influenced. The results are discussed in view of the subcellular distribution of these enzymes.

[Possibilities for the treatment of varicella-herpes zoster infections in juvenile leukemia]. / Möglichkeiten zur Beeinflussung von Varizellen-Herpes zoster-Infektionen bei Leukosen im Kindesalter

Chicken pox and herpes zoster represent afraid complications in patients with malignant diseases which may take a noxious course. During the sequence of two chicken pox epidemias in 1973 in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemias, the prevention and therapeutic possibilities were checked again. Chicken pox or herpes zoster convalescent sera being compatible for blood groups and zoster-immunoglobulin were not available. At the time of the epidemia the first reports on the effect of cytarabine (Alexan) were published. Moreover, we received an information on the therapeutic application of small pox vaccine inactivated with formaldehyde (vaccinia antigen) in adults with herpes zoster and herpes labialis. From 10 children with leukaemias, who were affected with chicken pox or herpes zoster, 7 received up to 1.0 ml of inactivated small pox vaccine intramuscularly on the first day of manifestation. In 6 of the patients there were no new efflorescences on the third day. A third child died. First of all it seems probable that this influence may be due to an induction of interferon formation. Further studies will have to elucidate to what extent this mechanism will also be efficient in severe cases of immunosuppression.