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Two cases of venous angioma of the brain are presented. Both were discovered by computed tomography and diagnosed by angiography. The lesion was located in the right frontal lobe in 1 case and in the left cerebellar hemisphere in the other. Neither was operated on because of the deep location or extent of the lesion. The 2 cases showed significant angiographic and hemodynamic differences. The literature on venous angiomas of the brain is reviewed. We proposed classifying venous angiomas into two subgroups based on angiographic findings: those with early-appearing vessels and those without. No significant differences in clinical manifestations were noted between these two subgroups in spite of the hemodynamic differences.

Clinical efficacies of a new macrolide antibiotic, rokitamycin (RKM, TMS-19-Q), were studied in acute pediatric infections. Responses to the RKM administration were evaluable in 62 out of 68 patients consisted of 7 patients with pharyngitis (efficacy rate of 85.7%, 6/7 patients), 4 with bronchitis (25.0%, 1/4), 9 with tonsillitis (100%, 9/9), 13 with mycoplasmal pneumonia (100%, 13/13), 13 with hemolytic streptococcal infections (92.3%, 12/13), 14 with pneumonia (57.1%, 8/14), one with pertussis (100%, 1/1) and another with Chlamydia pneumonia (100%, 1/1) thus an overall efficacy rate of 82.3% was achieved. Urticaria was observed in one of the patients as an adverse reaction to the drug, while abnormal laboratory test results were noted in 3 patients, but none of such changes were severe. The drug, even when administered in combination with a theophylline preparation, exerted no effects on the serum concentration of the latter.

A pedigree of so-called benign familial neonatal convulsions was reported. Nine members experienced convulsions in the neonatal period and/or in early infancy. All members except one had good prognosis. One member had mild mental retardation and epilepsy with rolandic EEG foci. It was suggested that some common genetic factors may be involved in the etiology of benign familial neonatal convulsions, convulsions of unknown etiology in infancy (Fukuyama) and epilepsy with rolandic EEG foci. A review of literature revealed that about 14% of cases with benign familial neonatal convulsions eventually developed epilepsy.

In this report a method for the affinity purification and radiolabeling of recombinant mouse interleukin (IL)-4 is described. It is shown on the basis of several criteria that IL-4 retains full biologic activity after radioiodination and can therefore be used as a valid model for measuring the binding characteristics of native IL-4. By using Scatchard plot analysis of equilibrium binding data, it is demonstrated that 125I-IL-4 binds to a high affinity cell surface receptor which is expressed by both hemopoietic and nonhemopoietic cells. The dissociation constant for 125I-IL-4 (Kd = 20 to 60 pM) corresponds to the concentration of IL-4 which gives 50% biologic activity (i.e., 10 to 30 pM). Binding of 125I-IL-4 is rapid (t1/2 of 2 min), whereas dissociation occurs at a slow rate (t1/2 approximately 4 hr). The IL-4 receptor shows a high degree of specificity. Whereas unlabeled mouse IL-4 competed with mouse 125I-IL-4 in an equimolar fashion for binding to IL-4 receptors, several other lymphokines, including mouse IL-2, IL-3, interferon-gamma, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and human IL-1, IL-2, and IL-4 were unable to inhibit, even at molar excesses of 400 to 800-fold. At 37 degrees C, 125I-IL-4 is rapidly internalized (approximately 200 molecules/cell/min) by HT-2 cells, with at least 85% of cell surface receptors being functional in this respect. Receptors for IL-4 were found to be expressed by subclasses of T and B cells, mast cells, macrophages, and by cells of the myeloid and erythroid lineages. This wide distribution of receptor expression closely matches the known spectrum of biologic activities of IL-4, including proliferation and/or differentiation of T and B cells, mast cells and granulocytes, and induction of macrophage antigen-presenting capacity. IL-4 receptors were also found on a variety of nonhemopoietic cells such as cloned stromal cell lines from the bone marrow, spleen, thymus, and brain, and on muscle, brain, melanoma, fibroblast, and liver cells. Indeed, only 5 of more than 90 cell types tested have undetectable numbers of IL-4 receptors. The biologic effects of IL-4 on nonhemopoietic cells have not yet been reported and await elucidation.

Hemodynamic changes were examined with an ultrasonic Doppler flowmeter and with a sound-spectrograph in 5 patients with internal carotid giant aneurysms or with recurrent laryngeal cancer undergoing gradual carotid occlusion. The ultrasonic Doppler technique was useful for preoperative assessment of intracranial cross-filling and as a practical guide for the graded reduction of blood flow in the carotid artery. The degree of flow increase in the contralateral carotid artery when the ipsilateral carotid artery was totally occluded was greater in postoperative gradual occlusion than in intraoperative rapid occlusion. In one patient with bilateral internal carotid artery giant aneurysms, whose left internal carotid artery had already been ligated at its origin, gradual occlusion of the right internal carotid artery was performed after the bilateral superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) anastomoses. Flow in the donor artery of the right STA-MCA anastomosis developed with increasing occlusion of the right internal carotid artery.

A strain bearing an extragenic suppressor of cya mutation was isolated as a second-site revertant of an adenylate cyclase deficient strain. The mutant was unable to synthesize cAMP but showed normal fermentation profiles and growth properties on a variety of carbon sources. The site of reversion was mapped in, or near, the structural gene for the cAMP receptor protein. Structural alteration of the protein was directly demonstrated by the following biochemical observations: (i) A 10-fold decrease in the dissociation constant for cAMP, (ii) an acidic shift in the isoelectric point, and (iii) the altered binding properties to lambdah80dlac ps DNA.

The secular trend of increase in physical size of children has often been reported. Children today are bigger than before, but there is a question whether their physical fitness has improved as well. Methodological differences make it difficult to compare older and newer data. Data are presented from the tests and measurements of physical fitness of collage students measured once a year from 1964 to 1987. Identical methods of measurement were used throughout. Sample sizes are of about 500-2,300 for each year, and year to year changes are discussed. Height, weight and chest grith measurements increased from 1964 to 1987 by 4.4 cm, 5.3 kg, and 3.7 cm, respectively, and their regression coefficients for the years are .15, .24, and .15, respectively. The rate of increase of height is greater in the first half of these years. Vital capacity, standing broad jump, and 100 m dash records improved, but both right and left grip strength decreased. Back strength, ball throwing, and push-up performance did not change significantly. The results show that the size of young adults has increased, but that their physical fitness does not always follow a similar course., (Copyright © 1989 Wiley-Liss, Inc., A Wiley Company.)

The role of superficial temporal artery--middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) anastomosis was investigated with an ultrasonic Doppler flowmeter in 3 patients with sphenoid ridge meningiomas and one with a parasellar malignant teratoma, all of which involved the intracranial internal carotid artery. The intraoperative Doppler flow study revealed a remarkable increase in flow volume of the STA after trial occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in one case and permanent occlusion in two cases. These results substantiate the effectiveness of STA-MCA anastomosis. We also discuss surgical and other contrivances for obtaining sufficient blood supply from this bypass to prevent cerebral ischaemia in the acute phase after elective or accidental occlusion of a major cerebral artery. This is the first report of STA-MCA anastomosis in cases with brain tumour.