Arieh Szeinberg

Congenital bilateral absence of vas deferens in the absence of cystic fibrosis

The high frequency of mutations in the cystic fibrosis gene in patients with congenital bilateral absence of vas deferens (CBAVD) has raised the question whether all of them have a genital form of cystic fibrosis. We investigated 47 CBAVD patients by ultrasonography, 10 (21%) had renal malformations and 37 (79%) did not. In the former group, no cystic fibrosis mutations were found and sweat chloride concentrations were normal. In the latter group, 18 patients (49%) carried at least one cystic fibrosis mutation and sweat chloride was high in 17 of 26 tested (65%). Our findings suggest that CBAVD patients with renal malformations do not necessarily have cystic fibrosis.

A syndrom characterized by congenital ichthyosis with atrophy, mental retardation, dwarfism, and generalized aminoaciduria

A syndrome of congenital ichthyosis with atrophy, mental retardation, dwarfism, and generalized aminoaciduria is described in three siblings in a family of a consanguineous marriage. Renal glycosuria and uricosuria were noted in some affected and unaffected members. It is postulated that these two renal tubular reabsorption defects are independent of the ichthyosis syndrome and are transmitted as a dominant defect, whereas the syndrome is inherited as an autosomal recessive disorder.

Middle Ear Gas Composition during Nitrous Oxide-Oxygen Ventilation:

The middle ear gas composition during 180 minutes ventilation with nitrous oxide-oxygen mixture was determined in 12 mongrel dogs. The mean relative concentration of N2O in the middle ear (ME) rose to 12, 26.4 and 29.3% after 60, 120 and 180 minutes respectively. During this period, the relative concentration of N2 dropped from a mean of 83.2% in the air-ventilated dogs to 54.8%, without an essential change in the concentrations of O2 or CO2. The elimination of N2O from the ME during 30 minutes of postanesthetic ventilation with O2 was incomplete, an average of 11.4% N2O remaining in the ME. At the same time, the mean relative concentration of O2 reached 19%, higher than the O2 relative concentration normally present in the ME. The results indicate that gas diffusion may occur across the ME mucosa for N2O as well as for O2, producing selective changes in the middle ear gas composition.

Immunochemical gel diffusion study of relationships between erythrocyte catalase of various species

Abstract 1. 1. The activity and starch gel electrophoretic mobility of catalase (EC 1.11.1.6) in red cells of several mammals and of two avian species has been examined. Among the mammals the highest catalase activity was observed in the red cells of Rhesus monkeys and the lowest in those of dogs. Very low activity was found in chicken red cells, while in quail erythrocytes no catalase activity was detected by the methods used. 2. 2. The method of Thorup for localization of catalase activity in starch gels has been adapted for agar gel double diffusion and immunoelectrophoresis. 3. 3. Hemolysates of the various species have been examined by immunodiffusion procedures with rabbit antiserum against non-hemoglobin protein fraction of human red cells. Catalases of all the animals examined (with the exception of rats and chicken) produced catalytically active enzyme-antibody complexes with this anti-serum, demonstrating the existance of common antigenic determinants. 4. 4. The mammals investigated could be divided into four groups of immunological relationships of red cell catalases: (1) man, Rhesus monkey, Vervet monkey; (2) horse, donkey, guinea pig; (3) goat, sheep, calf; (4) dog. Catalases from animals within each group produced patterns of complete identity on double diffusion. Intergroup differences of some antigenic determinants were demonstrated by production of spurring reactions between respective immuno-precipitates.

Micromethod for Determination of Middle Ear Gas Composition

This is a microchromatographic method for simultaneous determinations of O2, N2, CO2 and N2O in gas samples of 40–100μl. A Packard 836 U gas chromatograph with a thermal conductivity detector and helium gas as carrier was used. The combination of Porapak® and 5A molecular sieve column system was found adequate and is described in detail. The fidelity of this method was proved by a high constancy of the retention time, the linearity of the response and the reproducibility of results. The present method proved to be reliable for determination of all middle ear gases in man and experimental animals during general anesthesia with N2O.

Immunoelectrophoretic-chemical investigation of erythrocyte aspartate aminotransferase.

Abstract Aspartate aminotransferase of human red cells formed on immunoelectrophoresis a catalytically active enzyme-antibody complex, which was identified by a specific chromogenic reaction. Rabbit antiserum against non hemoglobin protein fraction of human red cells produced similar results and patterns of antigenic identity with erythrocyte aspartate aminotransferase of Rhesus and Vervet monkeys. Hemolysates of horse, calf, donkey, goat, sheep, dog, pig, guinea-pig, rat and rabbit produced negative results with this antiserum.

Evaluation of Dietary Treatment in Phenylketonuria: A Proposed Methodology

The authors suggest a method of analysis of results in phenylketonuria involving the independent ranking of cases by age of starting and adequacy of dietary control and by IQ followed by a measure of correlation between these rankings. Only cases ascertained by screening newborns or siblings of previously diagnosed PKU cases are used in this type of analysis.

Gas Scavenging during Bronchoscopy under General Anesthesia

Prevention of exposure of the endoscopist to high levels of anesthetic gases during bronchoscopy was attempted experimentally in dogs by a scavenging system. Results were compared with exposure during the conventional technique of anesthetic gas administration for clinical bronchoscopy using the rigid open ventilating bronchoscope. The scavenging system consisted of a vacuum pump applied to the open ventilating rigid bronchoscope sidearm connection during intratracheal administration of nitrous oxide, oxygen, and halothane gas mixture. Gas samples were taken from the trachea, the proximal end of the bronchoscope, and the endoscopists breathing zone, and analyzed by gas chromatography. Findings indicate that halothane anesthesia for bronchoscopy administered by conventional techniques is a source of air pollution in the operating room and exposes the endoscopist to subanesthetic levels of halothane that may affect psychomotor functioning. The use of the gas scavenging system lowered the concentrations of halothane and nitrous oxide at the endoscopists breathing zone to a level at which inhalation for short periods has no clinical effects, while the concentrations of the anesthetics and oxygen in the trachea were maintained at a satisfactory level.