Somnate Boonpucknavig

Glomerulitis in Typhoid Fever

Abstract Renal biopsies were done on three unselected patients with typhoid fever. There was no clinical evidence of renal disease, except for mild and transient proteinuria in two patients; renal ...

Infection of young adult mice with dengue virus type 2

Young adult female mice, five to six weeks old, were injected intraperitoneally with 2.5 x 10(6.3) LD50 of dengue-2 virus, New Guinea C strain. The mice were killed on day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 14, 21, 28, and 35 respectively. By means of the immunofluorescent antibody technique, viral antigen appeared as irregular granules in the reticuloendothelial cells of liver, lymph nodes and spleen of infected mice on the first day after inoculation and then diminished. From the fifth to sixth day of infection dengue antigen appeared again as homogeneous staining in the cytoplasm of single or groups of mononuclear cells in the lymphatic sinuses only. Later, by the third week of infection, dengue antigen could be seen in the mononuclear cells located in the marginal zone of lymphoid follicle of the spleen, the pattern of staining changing to bright spherical granules. At the same time, the deposition of immune complexes (composed of dengue antigen, mouse gamma and beta 1C globulin) could be seen in the renal glomeruli of infected mice. Serum antibody to dengue virus was found at low levels, being maximal on the 14th day after infection. Dengue virus was not isolated from the sera or from the infected organs. Granulomatous inflammation developed in lymph nodes and liver of mice infected with dengue virus and in mice inoculated with normal mouse brain suspension. Proliferative glomerular lesion was observed on day 14 after inoculation without definite abnormal urine findings.

Acute Glomerulonephritis Complicating Plasmodium Falciparum Infection

*** Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. ACUTE GLOMERUL(~i~IEPHRTTIS complicating Flc~.srno~liur~z falca~artcm infection has never been completely documented by immunologic or immunopathologic study, though Berger and associates in 1967 described three cases of acute glomerulonephritis in which renal biopsies were performed late, during the nephrotic state. The histopathologic studies showed a proliferative change with avascularity of the glomerular tu£ts.l 1

IgA Nephropathy Associated with Enteric Fever

3 cases of enteric fever (2 paratyphoid and 1 typhoid) associated with IgA nephropathy were reported. Salmonella Vi antigen was demonstrated in the glomeruli. The clinical syndrome disappeared after enteric fever was treated. Possible pathogenesis was discussed relating this intestinal infection to IgA nephropathy.

Immunofluorescent Staining of Platelet Suspensions and Detection of Antiplatelet Antibody in Patients with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Abstract. Direct immunofluorescent staining of 31 specimens of platelets obtained from 13 cases of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) revealed positive staining on the surface of platelets for both immunoglobulins (Igs) and human β1C globulin in 9 specimens, for only Igs in 1 specimen and for human β1C alone in 5 specimens. The pattern of the positive immunofluorescent staining was granular. Indirect immunofluorescent staining of normal platelets in serum obtained from patients with ITP was positive for antiplatelet antibody in 9 out of 31 specimens. This suggests that platelets in patients with ITP may be damaged by an antiplatelet autoantibody acting directly on the platelet surface and/or by antigen antibody complexes binding via Fc IgG receptors on the surface of the platelets.

Plasmodium berghei: Detection in organs of infected mice by means of immuno-fluorescence

An immunofluorescent study of the malarial antigen in the tissues of mice infected with Plasmodium berghei (berghei strain) was conducted. In the first week of infection, the malarial antigen appears in corpuscular forms in the erythrocytes located in the vessels of the spleen, liver and kidney. From the second week onward, when antibodies to malaria begin to be detected, a new form of the malarial antigen, which appears as coarse granules, is detected in the fixed RE cells of the liver, spleen and in the glomerular endothelial and mesangial cells. There is a progressive decrease in the amount of the corpuscular form of the malarial antigen with a concomitant increase in the granular form. In the third week, most of the malarial antigen in the tissues is granular and the corpuscular form is rarely seen.

Unusual protein pattern of Opisthorchis viverrini

The proteins of homogenized adult Opisthorchis viverrini were separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing in the presence of detergents. By far the most abundant component(s) had a Mr of 18,000 to 19,000, represented about 47% of the total parasite protein, and did not separate in isotypes.

Ethics of Renal Biopsies in Typhoid Fever

Excerpt To the editor: In response to Dr. LoGerfos comment (Ann Intern Med81:861, 1974) on the ethical aspect of renal biopsy study in typhoid fever done by our group (Ann Intern Med81:210-213, 19...