Search

In 1974-1992 in the HLA reference laboratory of the Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion in Prague 15,731 sera sent by transfusion departments were examined; 4368 sera met the standard required for HLA typing, detecting 9 HLA-A, 18 HLA-B and 3 HLA-C antigens. Against these antigens with the exception of HLA-B41 and public antigens HLA-Bw4 and HLA-Bw6 monospecific sera were found: against 15 HLA antigens in a large number and against 12 HLA antigens--2 to 21 for the given antigen. Sera against subtypes of HLA antigens were sought only in rare instances, as in common practice it is sufficient (and sometimes essential) to type only basic HLA antigens.

The authors report on prophylaxis experience with specific human varicella-zoster immunoglobulin for intravenous use Varitect (produced by Biotest) in two children within incubation period of varicella. One patient was a newborn child whose mother had acquired varicella three days before the delivery and Varitect was administered immediately there after. The other patient had acute lymphoblastic leukemia; it was administered Varitect on the fifth day of incubation period. In the first patient the disease did not appear at all, in the second patient the course of disease had been mitigated and without complications within the extended incubation period.

Forty-five specimens of lymphocytes from HLA-B27 positive subjects were examined by the micro-lymphocytotoxic test with 48 anti-HLA-B27 sera and the results were evaluated statistically by calculation of the correlation coefficient r. Based on the results of the statistical evaluation two groups of sera were determined which determined two groups of lymphocytes, carriers of different HLA-B27 subtypes. Six sera determined subtype B27P1, detected in four lymphocyte samples, another six sera subtype B27P2 found in three lymphocytes. The results of the statistical evaluation correspond to the serological reactions. The results indicate that HLA antigens can be reliably differentiated by simple methods.

When studying disorders fat metabolism in respect to ischemic heart disease great attention has been recently paid first of all to the protein component of lipoprotein complexes, apolipoproteins. Apolipoproteins seem to be much more sensitive indicators of coronary atherosclerosis risk than so far commonly used "lipid" ones. In the presented study we introduce our experience concerning apolipoprotein B assessment by means of rocket technique using foreign made antisera in comparison with antiserum of the Czechoslovak production made by USOL Prague. Our results are comparable with those of foreign and Czechoslovak authors who assessed apolipoprotein B by technically more demanding methods. When using antisera USOL and Behring the established values of apolipoprotein B are comparable both in patients in whom fat metabolism disorder was not proved and in patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia in whom the values of apolipoprotein B are the highest. Indications of apolipoprotein B investigation and its significance for clinical practice are discussed.

Two methods of immunological tests used in haematology were assessed with fairly positive results. However, the authors have some considerable reservations as regards the practical significance of the two methods insofar as practice independent of research is concerned. Their pessimism is substantiated by the demanding complexities of immunological methods, but also by the relatively rare essential diagnostic significance of these findings and by the vulnerability of result interpretation.

When assessing the content of specific antibodies in serum there is tendency to abandon the specification expressed as dilution and use more reproducible data, i.e. international units. To this end it is necessary to derive from the international standard the national standard according to which positive control sera in diagnostic sets, produced by SEVAC can be described in international units. In pooled positive human serum recommended as the national standard and in the international standard first the parallel course of the dose/response curve was tested. Then both sera were repeatedly compared: into a close dilution series of the national standard one dilution of the international standard was included and in both sera the dilution with same response was found (by optic density) and thus the activity of the suggested national standard was assessed as 2400 units/ml. The author discusses also the recommended routine procedure for expressing the activity of the examined sera in international units.

The responses of the field strains and type strains of Mycoplasma hyorhinis are compared in epi-immunofluorescence, in growth-inhibition tests, and growth-precipitation tests. The type strains, together with the field strains, could be definitely identified by direct and indirect epi-immunofluorescence. In indirect epi-immunofluorescence, all rabbit antiserums against the strains of Mycoplasma hyorhinis tested by us always gave positive cross reactions with all the tested strains of Mycoplasma hyorhinis. On the other hand, in the growth-inhibition cross test and growth precipitation cross test, the type strains of Mycoplasma hyorhinis always reacted positively only with the homologous antiserums, whereas the heterologous reactions were mostly negative or dubious. The clearly positive epi-immunofluorescent reactions with serums against any strain of Mycoplasma hyorhinis suggest that this method is more suitable for the identification of Myocplasma species than the other two tests studied.

The authors present a method for demonstrating alpha -1- fetoprotein in neonatal blood spots. The results as obtained with the method used since 1973 are referred to as good. The method can be regarded as highly specific if the respective person can be ruled out to have, in particular, hepatic carcinoma. The specificity can be supported by a simultaneous demonstration of fetal haemoglobin. The positive result of the two methods permits to conclude that the blood examined originated from a fetus or a neonate, thus contributing to the resolution of some cases of illegal interruption of pregnancy or murder of a neonate.

For precision of bacteriological diagnosis of Listeria monocytogenes (L. m.) the immune fluorescent technique (IFT) was assessed. On using the described immunization pattern high titres of specific antibodies were obtained from the immunized rabbits. The obtained hyperimmune sera yielded very good results when used in IFT, and they were suitable for conjugate production. By means of IFT L.M. was demonstrated from cultures, organ replicas and tissue sections of experimentally infected rabbits. The most brilliant fluorescence was achieved with conjugate of the corresponding serotype, the polytype conjugate yielded demonstrable fluorescence with all serotypes. Listerias showed intensive fluorescence, and in contrast staining of replicas and tissue sections with Evans blue they could be well differentiated from the background.