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Aims:To report treatment and outcome in patients with malignant and benign pheochromocytoma and abdominal paraganglioma.

Transplantation of cultured neuronal cells is safe in animal models and improves motor and cognitive deficits in rats with stroke. The authors studied the safety and feasibility of human neuronal cellular transplantation in patients with basal ganglia stroke and fixed motor deficits, including 12 patients (aged 44 to 75 years) with an infarct 6 months to 6 years previously (stable for at least 2 months). Serial evaluations (12 to 18 months) showed no adverse cell-related serologic or imaging-defined effects. The total European Stroke Scale score improved in six patients (3 to 10 points), with a mean improvement 2.9 points in all patients (p0.046). Six of 11 PET scans at 6 months showed improved fluorodeoxyglucose uptake at the implant site. Neuronal transplantation is feasible in patients with motor infarction.

AbstractWe review various aspects of the mechanical behaviour of metallic alloys under high pressure. The Ashby's deformation mechanism maps and the principle of the corresponding states provide explanations for the moderate effect of pressure on yield stress at “low“temperature and its more marked effect on creep at “high“temperature. On thecontrary pressure induces a spectacular increase in ductility due to its influence on void initiation and growth, with great consequences for metal working and powder compaction. The results of shearing experiments performed by Bridgman provide interesting insights into ultimate work hardened structure and frictional properties of metals.

The microenzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of immunoglobulin M and G (IgM, IgG) antibodies to Legionella pneumophilaserogroup 1 antigens was evaluated. IgM antibodies were measured by both double-sandwich and single-sandwich techniques. These assays were compared with the previously standardized indirect immunofluorescence test in four groups of subjects: (i) pneumonia patients with culture-proven Legionnaires disease with serogroup 1 isolates, (ii) pneumonia patients with serogroup 1 organisms detected by direct immunofluorescence testing of respiratory secretions but without culture confirmation, (iii) pneumonia patients with negative culture and direct immunofluorescence tests, and (iv) healthy hospital employees. In addition, the sensitivity and specificity of the IgG ELISA were evaluated with larger groups of controls and Legionnaires disease patients. The ELISA was more sensitive than the indirect immunofluorescence test. However, it detected antibody rises in pneumonia patients without culture or direct immunofluorescence evidence of L. pneumophilaserogroup 1 infection, thereby suggesting that the specificity of the ELISA was slightly lower than that of the indirect immunofluorescence test. The double-sandwich ELISA was a sensitive method for detecting IgM antibodies and, as previously reported, appeared to be free from interference by rheumatoid factor. IgM anti-Legionellaantibodies detected by the ELISA appeared earlier and were less persistent than IgG antibodies. In addition, the IgM ELISA was useful in detecting antibodies in necropsy serum samples obtained from patients dying acutely of Legionnaires disease. The data presented show that the ELISA is a reliable method for the detection of specific anti-Legionellaantibodies.

Environmental and clinical isolates of Legionella pneumophila obtained from the Pittsburgh Veterans Administration Medical Center were studied for the presence of plasmids and for unique surface antigens. The majority of environmental isolates contained a single 80-megadalton plasmid. After an epidemic of nosocomial Legionnaires disease subsided in the Spring of 1981, plasmid-bearing environmental isolates persisted in the environment. Whereas L. pneumophila could not be reisolated from most sites with plasmidless isolates. During this epidemic the attack rate was highest on wards with plasmidless isolates. All clinical isolates were plasmidless. Strains were serotyped by the indirect immunofluorescence method with serum from a single immunized rat which was used both without absorption and after absorption with various plasmid-bearing and plasmidless isolates. These studies suggested that a plasmid-associated surface antigen was present and that the most common plasmidless environmental serotype was similar to the epidemic clinical serotype.

Five strains of bacteria (strains 684, 687, U7W, U8W, and MICU-B) that were biochemically and morphologically indistinguishable from Legionella pneumophila were recovered from the environment. Strains U7W, U8W, and MICU-B were antigenically identical to L. pneumophila strain Dallas 1E (serogroup 5), as determined by direct fluorescent antibody staining and immunodiffusion. Although strains 694 and 687 shared antigenic determinants with L. pneumophila Dallas 1E, they could be distinguished by immunodiffusion and differential absorption studies. However, as determined by DNA hybridization, the antigenically distinct strains 684 belong to the same DNA homology cluster as previously described authentic strains of L. pneumophila, whereas strain U7W, U8W, and MICU-B belong to a separate homology group. Therefore, two groups could be identified among these environmental isolates; one represents an antigenic subclass of serogroup 5 L. pneumophila (strains 684, and 687), and the other, although antigenically indistinguishable from serogroup 5 L. pneumophila, probably represents a new Legionella species (strains U7W, U8W, and MICU-B).

Mitogens and vasoconstrictors stimulate many of the same early intracellular signals (e.g. phospholipase C and protein kinase C activation) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). Despite these shared signals, angiotensin II is not mitogenic for cultured VSMC. The nonmitogenic effect of angiotensin II suggests that other intracellular signals associated with growth should differ between mitogens and vasoconstrictors. Because of the importance of intracellular pH (pHi) in growth, we compared the effects of 10% calf serum, 10 ng/ml platelet-derived growth factor, and 100 nM angiotensin II on pHi and Na+/H+ exchange. All agonists stimulated a rapid (less than 1 min) rise in pHi mediated by Na+/H+ exchange. However, exposure of growth-arrested VSMC to these agonists for 24 h caused significant differences in pHi: 7.18 (10% serum), 7.16 (platelet-derived growth factor), 6.99 (angiotensin II), and 7.08 (0.4% serum). Na+/H+ exchange activity was measured in acid-loaded cells by the ethyl isopropyl amiloride-sensitive influx of Na+ and efflux of H+. Both techniques showed that exposure to 10% serum caused approximately 45% decrease in Na+/H+ exchange activity without significant change in angiotensin II-treated cells. Thus, although the rapid changes in pHi and Na+/H+ exchange function are the same for angiotensin II and mitogens, the long term effects differ. The data suggest that differences in pHi regulatory mechanisms are important in determining whether an agonist causes VSMC hypertrophy or hyperplasia.