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The diagnosis of antibody-mediated allergic disorders is based on clinical findings, skin prick tests and detection of allergen-specific IgE in serum. Here, we present a new microarray technique of high-density antigen immobilization using carboxylated arms on the surface of a diamond-like carbon (DLC)-coated chip. High immobilization capacity of antigen on DLC chip at (0.94-7.82)×10(9) molecules mm(-2) allowed the analysis of allergen-specific immunoglobulins against not only purified proteins but also natural allergen extracts with wide assay dynamic range. The higher sensitivity of the allergen-specific IgE detection on DLC chip was observed for comparison with the UniCAP system: the DLC chip allowed lowering the limit of dilution rate in UniCAP system to further dilution at 4-8-fold. High correlations (ρ>0.9-0.85) of allergen-specific IgE values determined by the DLC chip and UniCAP were found in most of 20 different allergens tested. The DLC chip was useful to determine allergen-induced antibodies of IgA, IgG, IgG1, and IgG4 in sera, apart from IgE, as well as secretory IgA in saliva against the same series of allergens on the chip in a minimal amount (1-2 μL) of sample., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

To assess the effects of wall motion abnormalities of the anterior left ventricle and interventricular septum on right ventricular (RV) systolic and diastolic filling function, multiple-gated radionuclide angiography was performed at rest in 53 patients with previous anteroseptal myocardial infarction and 14 normal subjects. There were 26 patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) greater than or equal to 45% (group 1) and 27 with LVEF less than 45% (group 2). Six measurements were obtained simultaneously in both ventricles: 1) EF, 2) peak ejection rate, 3) duration of systole, 4) peak filling rate, 5) time to the peak filling rate, and 6) ratio of the peak filling rate to the peak ejection rate. The mean RV ejection fraction and the peak ejection rate in groups 1 and 2 were similar to those in the normal subjects. The ratio of the peak RV filling rate to the peak RV ejection rate, a sensitive indicator of diastolic filling function, decreased significantly in group 1 (0.61 +/- 0.15, p less than 0.02) and group 2 (0.59 +/- 0.15, p less than 0.02) as compared with that in the normal subjects (0.74 +/- 0.14). This indicates an impairment of early diastolic RV filling compared with RV systolic function. Thus, RV systolic function appears to be normally maintained even when anteroseptal wall motion is severely impaired; however, even in the presence of mild anteroseptal wall motion abnormality, RV filling may be impaired without reduced RV systolic function.

A new method was developed for the simultaneous determination of psychosine and cerebrosides in tissues. Total lipids extracted from the tissues were treated with [3H]acetic anhydride in toluene-methanol. Known amounts of nonradioactive N-acetylpsychosine were added to the reaction product and then subjected to mild alkaline methanolysis. After the product was washed, it was fractionated by silica gel column chromatography and the fraction containing glycolipids was benzoylated. The benzoylated product was finally fractionated on TLC. The amounts of benzoylated derivatives of nonhydroxy- and hydroxycerebrosides and N-acetylpsychosine were determined using a scanning densitometer. The amounts of psychosine in tissues were calculated from the radioactivity in the spot of N-acetylpsychosine and the recovery of added carrier N-acetylpsychosine. This method allowed us to determine 5 to 1000 pmol of psychosine and 1 to 20 nmol of cerebrosides in peripheral nerves and other tissues of the twitcher mouse as well as transfected Schwann cells derived from the sciatic nerves.