Dan Douer

Neisseria catarrhalis Endocarditis

Excerpt To the editor: Pollock and Holzman (1) reported in this journal a patient with a prosthetic valve in whomNeisseria catarrhalisendocarditis was found.N. catarrhalisendocarditis appears to ha...

Serum immunoglobulin changes after accidental splenectomy in adults

Serum immunoglobulin levels were examined in a group of twelve healthy adults who underwent accidental splenectomy. Depressed mean IgM levels and elevated mean IgA levels were found in these patients as compared with the control group consisting of forty-five healthy, untraumatized volunteers. Immunoglobulin changes may have some relevance for the increased tendency to severe infections which has been noted after splenectomy.

Peripheral Cryoglobulinemic Neuropathy in a Patient with Gaucher’s Disease

Cryoglobulinemia with peripheral cryoglobulinemic neuropathy is reported in a patient with Gauchers disease. To the best of our knowledge, a similar relationship has not been previously described. The question whether the cryoglobulinemic neuropathy in this patient is related to Gauchers disease, or is a mere coincidence, is discussed.

A 13-Years Remission in Chronic Myelocytic Leukemia after a Single Course of Busulfan

A patient with chronic myelocytic leukemia in whom a clinical and hematological remission occurred after a single course of busulfan is described. The remission lasted for a period of 13 years and during that lapse of time, she gave birth to a healthy child. Afterwards, acute myeloblastic leukemia was diagnosed. Following treatment with rubidomycin and arabinoside C another remission was achieved, lasting already for 18 months.

Recombinant interferon alpha-C for advanced hairy cell leukemia. An Israeli multicenter study.

Thirteen patients with advanced hairy cell leukemia were treated with a new subspecies of interferon (IFN): recombinant IFN (rIFN)‐alpha‐C. The timing of the peripheral hematologic remission of individual blood elements was similar to that reported for other interferons, and 60% of patients attained a complete peripheral hematologic remission at 9 months. Two patients relapsed despite a good initial response to IFN. No anti‐IFN antibodies could be detected in their sera. in vitro studies of colony formation from the peripheral blood of all responding patients showed that rIFN‐alpha‐C did not inhibit the growth of colonies but favorably affected the maturation of their elements towards monocytes, granulocytes, and erythroid elements. The relapsing patient examined initially experienced a similar beneficial in vitro response which paralleled his in vivo improvement. During relapse, rIFN‐alpha‐C inhibited both the colony formation and the myelomonocytic differentiation in the in vitro cultures. These findings may suggest that the acquired resistance to IFN in our patient could be due either to an acquired stem cell maturation arrest in response to IFN or to emergence of a new clone indifferent to IFN‐alpha‐C differentiation effect.

Hyperviscosity syndrome in a patient with plasma cell leukemia.

A patient with plasma cell leukemia and IgG (K) M-component, who developed a hyperviscosity syndrome is reported. To our knowledge, this complication has not yet been reported in plasma cell leukemia.

Benign Cholestatic Jaundice After Nephrectomy for Pyonephrosis and Sepsis

Severe benign postoperative intrahepatic cholestatic jaundice appeared immediately after nephrectomy in a patient with nephrolithiasis and septicemia. Convalescence was uneventful and no treatment was necessary. This diagnostic possibility should be considered whenever jaundice appears postoperatively for pyonephrosis and septicemia.

Circulating Anticoagulant in Patients with Gaucher’s Disease?

A case of Gaucher’s disease is presented, in which prolonged partial thromboplastin time was found. The possibility of circulating sphingolipids responsible for this abnormality is raised.