Golda Selzer

Primary malignant tumors of the thyroid gland: a clinicopathologic study of 254 cases.

Of 254 primary malignant tumors of the thyroid gland diagnosed in the pathology department of the University of Cape Town, 212 (83.5%) were differentiated carcinomas. In this differentiated group, tumors composed exclusively of papillary structures exhibited the most favorable prognosis; local recurrences and/or spread were noted in tumors with a mixed papillary and follicular pattern and, more commonly, in those with a pure follicular pattern. A chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis occurred in association with 21 tumors (8.3%) but an associated multinodular goitre was found in only nine patients (3.5%). In addition to the well‐known preponderance of thyroid carcinoma in women, a majority of lesions occurred in white patients in this series despite a higher hospital admission rate for coloreds (mulattos).

Primary Gastrointestinal Lymphoma A Clinicopathologic Study of Fifty-Seven Cases

Fifty-seven primary gastrointestinal lymphomas, seen over the 17-year period, 1952 to 1969, have been investigated. Nineteen of the lymphomas arose in the stomach, 34 in the small bowel and 4 in the large bowel. Small-bowel lymphomas in adults occurred almost exclusively in nonwhite patients and 33% of these patients presented as a malabsorption syndrome. Lymphomas of the stomach had a better prognosis (29% survived 5 years) than those of the small bowel (6% survived 5 years). The problems in histologic differentiation from carcinoma and pseudolymphoma are discussed.Fifty-seven primary gastrointestinal lymphomas, seen over the 17-year period, 1952 to 1969, have been investigated. Nineteen of the lymphomas arose in the stomach, 34 in the small bowel and 4 in the large bowel. Small-bowel lymphomas in adults occurred almost exclusively in nonwhite patients and 33% of these patients presented as a malabsorption syndrome. Lymphomas of the stomach had a better prognosis (29% survived 5 years) than those of the small bowel (6% survived 5 years). The problems in histologic differentiation from carcinoma and pseudolymphoma are discussed.

Hodgkin's disease. A clinicopathologic study of 122 cases

One‐hundred and twenty‐two cases of Hodgkins disease seen over a 15‐year period (1952–1967) have been reviewed. These patients have been followed for periods varying from 2 to 15 years. This study confirms the relatively good prognosis of the nodular sclerosing and lymphocytic predominant histologic types and of the patients first seen in an early clinical stage of the disease. A highly significant difference was noted between the survival of those patients who had at least a 2‐year remission following their initial therapy as compared to those who did not have such a remission. No significant difference was found in the survival curves of the colored as compared to the white patients in any of the histologic types.

The Particle Size of Rubella Virus

Summary The sedimentation coefficient of rubella virus was found to be 342 S and the buoyant density of 1.085 g./cm.3. The calculated particle diameter, 850 A, was in good agreement with that found by ultrafiltration, namely 900 A.

Antigens common to Types 1 and 2 poliomyelitis viruses

During a recent epidemic of poliomyelitis three viruses isolated (one Type 1 and two Type 2) elicited both Type 1 and Type 2 CF and precipitating antibodies in the patients whilst only the homotypic neutralizing antibodies were present. These viruses inoculated into animals produced specific CF and neutralizing antibodies, but precipitating antibodies to both types were present in a significant number of animals. These findings suggest that certain polioviruses have complement-fixing and precipitating antigens common to both Type 1 and Type 2 viruses. We would like to thank our colleagues in the Virus Research Unit for their helpful advice and criticism and Dr J. Hampton (Poliomyelitis Inst., Johannesburg) for the concentrated Type 1 poliovirus vaccine.

The Use of New Antigens in the Complement-Fixation Test for Acute Poliomyelitis.

A complement-fixation test for acute poliomyelitis using unheated antigens derived from suckling mouse brain infected with poliovirus Type 1 or Type 2 is described. The results of tests in 62 patients clinically diagnosed as cases of acute poliomyelitis in a recent epidemic and in 26 controls are recorded. The CF tests were positive in 100% of 53 cases with poliovirus Type 1 and/or Type 2 in stool. A positive result was obtained in 23 (76%) of 30 cases whose sera were examined in the first 7 days of illness. Negative tests of the initial serum samples were found in 15 (28·5%) of 53 cases, but all these became positive in titres of 40 or 80 on testing of convalescent serum. In 31 (69%) of 45 cases whose sera were re-tested between the 3rd and 4th weeks of illness the CF antibody levels rose, reaching titres of 80 or 160 in most instances. Of the remaining 14 cases only one dropped in insignificant degree (from titre 320 to 160) and the 13 stationary results had been positive in titres of 40–160 on initial tests most of which were performed in the 2nd week of illness. Homotypic CF antibody response without crossing was found in 37 (71%) of 52 cases with Type 1 or Type 2 virus in stool. In the cases of crossing the heterotypic antibody response was either transient, diminishing or stationary in all and in only low titre in most instances. In 26 control cases there were seven positive CF tests, but one of these was nonspecific, five were in lowest titres, and one case appeared to have had recent poliomyelitis infection. Heating the antigens did not broaden the reaction. It caused only slight loss of potency except in two cases in which the CF titre increased substantially. The antigenic preparation described appears to be superior to antigens of other origin in the diagnosis of acute poliomyelitis by complement-fixation tests, as positive tests are recognized earlier in the illness and the titres are higher. Homotypic results were obtained in all cases and no instance of false negative occurred in this series. I would like to thank the medical staff of the Cape Town City Hospital for Infectious Diseases for the trouble taken in collecting stools and paired sera, and Prof. Kipps for his interest in this work. I am indebted to Miss Karin Larssen for valuable technical assistance.

A comparison of complement-fixation titres in poliomyelitis-infected tissue-culture fluids and mouse brains

Previous communications from this laboratory (Selzer & Polson, 1954 and Selzer & van den Ende, 1956) reported the presence of a non-infective antigen in suspension of brains of infant mice infected with the MEF1 strain of poliomyelitis. This antigen, which was specific and accounted for more than half the complementfixing power of brain suspensions, was present in the supernatants from which infective virus had been removed by ultra-centrifugation. The fact that polio tissue-culture fluids fixed so little complement in comparison with infected suckling mouse brains suggested that this soluble antigen was not formed in infected monkey kidney tissue-culture fluids. In this communication are recorded the results of investigations on polio-infected tissue culture fluids and suckling mouse brains using both Mahoney, Type 1 and MEF1, Type 2 strains.

A Comparison of Complement-Fixing Antigens by Types 1 and 2 Poliomyelitis-Infected Suckling Mouse Brains.

In previous communications from this laboratory (Selzer & Poison, 1954, and Selzer & van den Ende, 1956), it was reported that ultra-centrifugation of emulsions of suckling mouse brains infected with MEF1 Type 2 poliomyelitis virus separated a non-infective soluble antigen from infective virus. High complement-fixing titres obtained with the supernatant were considered to be due mainly to the presence of the soluble antigen. This antigen was not found in monkey kidneytissue cultures of either the MEF1 Type 2 or Mahoney Type 1 polioviruses (Selzer, 1958) and it was suggested that its absence was probably a factor accounting for the low complement-fixing power of tissue-culture fluids. Subsequently, Mahoney poliovirus was adapted to suckling mice by mouse-tomouse passage (Selzer, 1959). This communication compares the results of complement-fixation tests with emulsions of suckling mouse brains infected with the Mahoney and the MEF1 strains, respectively.