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Autologous conjunctival transplants have been used successfully for restoration of damaged ocular surfaces. Homologous (allogeneic) conjunctival grafts have been explored less systematically. We developed a nonhuman primate model for comparison of autologous and homologous conjunctival transplantation in order to assess the clinical viability and immunopathologic characteristics of these grafts. Autologous or homologous grafts were performed in nine adult rhesus monkeys. Both autologous and homologous grafts were compared for clinical viability and immunopathologic change. Clinical results suggest that, although homologous grafts incited a greater inflammatory and scarring response, there was minimal graft shrinkage and a normal surface epithelium. Immunopathologic studies using laminin, bullous pemphigoid antigen, and fibronectin indicate that, despite the increased inflammatory response seen in homografts, the epithelial surface is normal. With our increasing ability to modulate the immune response, conjunctival homografts may play a role in restoration of the ocular surface.

A group of central nervous system neoplasms, previously known as reticulum cell sarcoma or microglioma, and recently classified as malignant lymphoma, histiocytic type, not infrequently occur in patients with immunodeficiency, either primary or induced by immunosuppressant drugs. The authors report such a neoplasm in a patient with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura immunosuppressed with azathioprine and prednisone. The neoplasm was studied with several immunological techniques and by electron microscopy. The neoplasm had B lymphocyte membrane markers and showed plasmacytic differentiation. These features suggest that it was a tumor of transformed B lymphocytes (immunoblasts).

Dynamic orbitotonography was done in 17 patients with Graves' disease, 25 patients with orbital tumours and 15 healthy subjects. The mean orbital pressure for both patient groups was significantly different from that for the healthy subjects at each time interval (p less than 0.001). Healthy patients may be differentiated from those with orbital disease with a good degree of reliability with this technique. As well, the technique may provide information about the location of disease within the orbit.

The clinical, pathologic, immunologic and electron microscopic findings in three cases of young men who had T cell leukemia and lymphoma are presented. The disease in this older age group appears to have the same characteristics as that seen in children. It is an aggressive, rapidly fatal disease with a poor response to the usual chemotherapeutic regimens for acute leukemia or poorly differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma, with which this T cell disorder is frequently grouped. An example of Burkitt's lymphoma in another young man is presented briefly to illustrate the clinical, morphologic and immunologic similarities to and differences from an aggressive B cell lymphoma.

Leighton tube cultures of peripheral blood leukocytes and splenic cell suspensions of 11 patients with hairy cell leukemia (leukemic reticuloendotheliosis) were utilized to compare characteristics of hairy cells and macrophages. Light and electron microscopy, both transmission and scanning, as well as cytochemical studies demonstrated several striking similarities to macrophages. They included phagocytosis of red cells, platelets, cellular debris, and latex particles, adherence to glass with development of long pseudopodia and cytoplasmic granules, alpha-naphthyl butyrate esterase activity and diffuse and granular periodic acid-Schiff positivity.