A. Martin Lerner

Characteristics of Nonbacteremic Pseudomonas Pneumonia

Abstract The distinguishing clinical course, laboratory findings, and morbid anatomy of nonbacteremic pseudomonas pneumonia is described. These infections occurred in ten patients (eight of whom ul...

Hemagglutination with reoviruses

Abstract Hemagglutination (HA) of human “O” erythrocytes by reoviruses was found to be similar to that of enteroviruses in its nonenzymatic character and in its inhibition by treatment of the virus with p -hydroxymercuribenzoate (PMB). This inhibiting effect of PMB was reversed by reduced glutathione (GSH). Infectivity and HA declined after incubation of the viruses with PMB and were restored by GSH. Treatment of reoviruses with alkaline N -ethylmaleimide (NEM) did not alter subsequent HA, differing in this respect from results with enteroviruses. Infective reovirus types 1 and 3, but not type 2, were incompletely eluted from erythrocytes after incubation for 48 hours at 20°C. Trypsin treatment of reovirus type 1, but not of reoviruses types 2 or 3 or Coxsackie B5, markedly increased titers of HA and infectivity. The red cell receptor for reovirus HA was removed by incubation with trypsin or periodate but was unaltered by PMB, receptor-destroying enzyme (RDE), or NEM. It is concluded that reovirus-erythrocyte union involves mucoproteins on the surface of each reactant; those on the virus contain SH groups but those of the red cell do not, and, therefore, the essential bond between them may not be SH in nature.

Pseudomonas cepacia Peritonitis Associated with Contamination of Automatic Peritoneal Dialysis Machines

During a 3-month period, Pseudomonas cepacia was recovered from the peritoneal fluid of 10 patients having chronic dialysis therapy at a peritoneal dialysis center. Six patients developed clinical evidence of peritonitis; one patient developed septicemia. Epidemiologic studies showed that dialysis on specific peritoneal dialysis machines was associated with an increased risk of infection. Laboratory investigation showed contamination of two machines with P. cepacia. Inadequacies in the cleaning and disinfection practices of the automatic peritoneal dialysis machines were identified. Cross-contamination between machines probably occurred through the peritoneal fluid discharge from infected patients during dialysis. Also, the intermittent 2-hour exposure of the machine to 2% formaldehyde may have been inadequate. P. cepacia has not been isolated from the peritoneal fluid of any peritoneal dialysis patient after machine cleaning and disinfection practices were altered.

Infections due to Coxsackie virus group A, type 9, in Boston, 1959, with special reference to exanthems and pneumonia.

FROM early July through mid-October, 1959, illnesses apparently caused by viruses were regularly seen at the Boston City Hospital. During this period, virologic studies, focused particularly on the...

EFFECTS OF EXERCISE ON COXSACKIE A9 MYOCARDITIS IN ADULT MICE.

Summary A cardiotropic strain of Cox-sackie A9 virus was inoculated intraperitone-ally into groups of adult C3H mice, one-half of which were vigorously exercised daily by swimming. Uninfected controls were studied in parallel. Among the infected mice, the virus was isolated in high titer from the hearts of a significantly greater proportion of those that were exercised. The possible mechanisms by which exercise could augment replication of virus in the myocardial tissue were discussed. On the ninth day after inoculation, the weight and relative weight of the heart were significantly greater in the exercised mice than in those that were not exercised. Among the exercised animals, the the weight and relative weight of the heart were significantly greater in those that were infected with virus than in those that were not infected. The increase in weight could not be attributed to increased water content or to inflammatory infiltrate. The technical assistance of Elaine Jeannotte is gratefully acknowledged.

Association of pyridoxine deficiency and convulsions in alcoholics.

Summary 1. Increased xanthurenic acid excretion after 10 g dl-tryptophane was demonstrated in 3 of 5 patients with rum fits. This metabolic defect was corrected by Vit. B6 in a second tryptophane load test. 2. Patients with alcoholism and associated epilepsy, acute and chronic alcoholism, cirrhosis, acute hallucinosis-tremulousness, acute peripheral neuropathy, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, and a non-alcoholic, healthy individual did not demonstrate significant Vit. B6 deficiency by this test. 3. It is postulated that Vit. B6 deficiency is etiologically related to rum fits.

Historical findings in subjects from a high socioeconomic group who have genital infections with herpes simplex virus.

A highly motivated, self-selected group of 1,535 men and 1,607 women of middle-to-high socioeconomic class who had recurring genital herpes were surveyed in an assessment of the historical characteristics of these subjects and their disease. All subjects lived in the continental United States and were members of the national herpes organization, HELP, sponsored by the American Social Health Association. Subjects were predominantly well-educated white persons (mean educational level, 15.2 years) earning >

Infection with Coxsackie Virus Group B, Type 3, with Vesicular Eruption — Report of Two Cases

20,000 per year. The mean ages of acquisition of genital herpes were 26.9 years for women and 30.8 years for men. The mean durations of infection were 3.9 years for women and 5.1 years for men. Women usually acquired genital herpes between the ages of 20 and 29 years, whereas substantial numbers of men experienced their initial episodes of infection when they were in their thirties. The population studied was predominantly heterosexual. Many of the subjects, especially the men, had experienced other sexually transmitted diseases such as gonococcal or nongonococcal urethritis. Over two-thirds of the subjects experienced more than five relapses every year, and the percentage of subjects with more than five recurrences yearly did not decrease with time.

A laboratory outbreak of infections with Coxsackie virus group A, type 9.

DESPITE the frequent occurrence of infections with Coxsackie virus Group B we could find only 1 report of a case of such infection accompanied by an exanthem.1 This was in a nine-month-old boy with...

Acyclovir Reaches Clinical Trial

LABORATORY-acquired infections with Coxsackie viruses are known occupational hazards.1 2 3 An outbreak of such infections was described by Shaw, Melnick and Curnen,1 and at least 1 other reported c...