OBJECTIVE The immune-mediated events that precipitate erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) are not well understood. One component may be the complexing of antibody with antigens released from infected macrophages, the activation of complement and the subsequent local inflammation. We assess here the ability of highly-purified, disrupted M. leprae, to activate complement. RESULTS Intact and sonical...

In order to obtain intravenous immunoglobulin G (iv IgG) of high quality from F-I+II+III or F-II+III pastes prepared by the Cohn method, we developed a chromatography process using ion exchange gels, Q-Sepharose FF and CM-Sepharose FF, and Sephacryl S-300 gel filtration. Viral inactivation was performed by incubating the preparation with pepsin at pH 4.0 at 35 degrees C for 18 h. The characteri...

The whole serum complement and its components were studied in 24 recipients of 27 renal homografts. In 12 of 13 instances in which homograft rejection was diagnosed, it was accompanied by significant declines in CHSO, IASO, C4, and C3 levels, and to a lesser degree in C1 and C2 levels. Fourteen patients had normal graft function during the postoperative course of study, and in 13 of the 14 the ...

OBJECTIVE Interstitial lung disease (ILD) may be a characteristic, often serious, manifestation of mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD). In this retrospective study, the frequency and clinical picture of ILD were determined in patients with MCTD using two diagnostic tests: high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and inhaled aerosol clearance times of (99m)Tc-labelled diethylene-triamine pe...

Frentizole is a benzimidazoleurea that has immunosuppressive properties in mice. Eleven steroid-treated patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus received frentizole (150-350 mg/day) in combination with stable or decreasing doses of prednisone in an open label trial. Nine patients completed at least one 21- to 75-day course of therapy with this drug. Clinical parameters of disease impro...

Fetal wastage is still high in the pregnancies of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We examined retrospectively the cases of 38 patients with inactive SLE in whom pregnancy was either desired or had already been obtained. The prevalence of antiphospholipid antibodies in the group with fetal loss was high. The antibodies were, however, also detected in five of 14 patients who had...