Intra-abdominal sepsis: an immunocytochemical study of the small intestine mucosa.

AIM: To investigate immunocytochemical changes in intestinal tissues from patients with intra-abdominal sepsis, and to relate the changes to the possibility of enhanced bacterial adhesion and translocation. METHODS: Tissues from 17 patients suffering from intra-abdominal sepsis and from controls were sectioned and stained immunocytochemically for IgA, IgM, secretory component, J chain, and HLA-DR. Differences in the distribution and characteristics of positively staining cells between the patient groups were assessed. RESULTS: Patients with intra-abdominal sepsis had noticeable reductions in numbers of IgA and IgM plasma cells, reduced J chain staining, and had little immunoglobulin on the surfaces of enterocytes. In contrast, HLA-DR positive cells were increased in the sepsis compared with the control group. The plasma cells present showed cytological changes suggestive of apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: Stress associated with sepsis and its immediate causes might result in increased plasma glucocorticoid levels that bring about apoptosis of mucosal plasma cells (or their precursors). The consequent reduction in expression of IgA and IgM may favour bacterial adhesion to the enterocytes and facilitate bacterial translocation into the tissues.

Spectrophotometric and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometric determination of titanium in ilmenites after rapid dissolution with phosphoric acid.

The use of 85% phosphoric acid in borosilicate conical flasks for the dissolution of ilmenites at 230 +/- 10 degrees C is reported. The samples were quantitatively dissolved in less than 13 min. Titanium was determined by both spectrophotometry and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry ICP-AES. Vanadium and iron were determined by ICP-AES. In several samples of ilmenites analyzed, the TiO(2) concentration was in the range 10.6-57.5% and those of FeO and V(2)O(5) were in the ranges 31.6-51.4% and 0.39-1.32%, respectively. In the spectrophotometric method, vanadium interference occurs only when the Ti V concentration ratio is <4. In all samples analyzed this ratio was around 12, resulting in no interferences due to vanadium. Hence the ilmenite dissolution procedure using phosphoric acid was compatible with titanium quantification by both spectrophotometry and ICP-AES.

[Poisonous sting by Tityus stigmurus (Scorpiones; Buthidae) in the state of Bahia, Brazil]. / Envenenamento por Tityus stigmurus (Scorpiones; Buthidae) no Estado da Bahia, Brasil.

The present investigation is a descriptive study regarding the clinical aspects of accidents caused by the scorpion Tityus stigmurus in Bahia, Brazil. We analyzed 237 confirmed cases treated by the Antivenom Information Centre (CIAVE) from 1982 to 1995. Envenomation by T. stigmurus was mainly characterized by local symptoms: pain (94.4%), dormancy (30.0%), edema (17.8%), erythema (17.8), paresthesia (15.6%) and general manifestations such as headache (4.4%), vomiting (4.4%) and sudoresis (3.3%). Most of the envenomation cases were mild (94%) and all were successfully cured. Although T. stigmurus venom is not in the pool of anti-venom serum (SAE), the absence of lethality and benign nature of the cases suggest the efficiency of SAE. With the exception of deaths and systemic complications, envenoming gravity was similar to those of Tityus serrulatus.

[Coxsackie B virus in children with acute myocarditis]. / Virus Coxsackie B em crianças com miocardite aguda.

PURPOSE: To study etiopathogenic and follow-up aspects of patients with myocarditis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Among 44 cases of acute myocarditis in children studied from clinical and virological point of view, it was selected 16 which were positive to coxsackie B virus. The clinical investigation included blood test to enzyme dosage, chest X-ray, electro and echocardiogram. The virological work up to coxsackie B1, B3, B4, B5 and B6 included culture neutralization test and IgM (indirect immunofluorescence). RESULTS: The positive results were: B4 in 9 (57%); B5 in 4 (25%), B1 in 2 (12%) and B3 in 1 (6%). It was not used immunosuppressive treatment. The follow-up (at least one year it was: 7 patients became free of symptoms (43%); 4 (25%) turned to be chronic dilated myocardiopathy 1 (6%) died and 4 (25%) were discharged from hospital but did not return to out-patient clinic. One of patients of chronic group during 4 years of follow-up had ventricular extrasystoles, second degree heart block and now is asymptomatic. CONCLUSION: We did not observe significative differences among the several types of coxsackie B related to clinical course.

Immunocytochemical study of the ontogeny of Peyer's patches in the Brazilian marsupial Didelphis albiventris.

A detailed ontogenetic immunocytochemical study is reported on gut-associated lymphoid development in the Brazilian marsupial Didelphis albiventris. This employed antibody probes raised to evolutionarily conserved peptides which have been shown to detect HLA-DR-like (class II MHC) antigens and T and B cell markers in a wide range of animal species. Cells with macrophage and dendritic morphology expressing class II MHC and a few cells expressing the T cell marker CD3 were found in the lamina propria of duodenal villi in early (approximately 24 mm crown-rump length) latent opossum. Cells with B cell markers were not detected until lactent animals reached > 60 mm. Development of Peyer's patches (PP) was seen first in the duodenum in 45-60 mm lactent animals, progressing to well developed PP in the duodenum and ileum in lactent animals > 80 mm. These PP, like those in weanling and juvenile animals, consisted of follicles with a network of class II MHC positive dendritic cells and round cells lacking T and B markers, but lacking well defined mantle zones. B cells were present mainly in the lymphatic sinuses, with CD3 T cells present between follicles in the PP and intraepithelially in the villi. The study reveals the sequential development of class II MHC positive dendritic cells, T cells and B cells in the intestinal ontogeny of the opossum PP. These features occurred initially exclusively in the duodenum and subsequently in the ileum, paralleling the physiological maturation of the gut in eutheria.