Sera of man and animals infected with tubercle bacilli were tested for precipitating antibody to trehalose-6, 6'-dimycolate (cord factor) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. None of the sera of mice and rabbits infected with M. tuberculosis H37Rv reacted with cord factor, whereas the sera of animals vaccinated with cord factor-methylated bovine serum albumin complex demonstrated a precipitin reactio...

Among blood preparations, serum has been topically used in the management of various ocular diseases in ophthalmology. Like peripheral blood serum, umbilical cord blood serum contains a high concentration of essential tear components, growth factors, neurotrophic factors, vitamin A, fibronectin, prealbumin, and oil. Umbilical cord serum can provide basic nutrients for epithelial renewal and can...

Because of the potential for methemoglobinemia during nitric oxide therapy in newborns, methods are needed to accurately quantify methemoglobin (MetHb) in the presence of the high concentrations of fetal hemoglobin (Hb F), bilirubin, and lipids seen in these patients. Spectral differences between fetal and adult Hbs invalidate assumptions of conventional multiwavelength Hb photometry, so we eva...

PURPOSE To evaluate the role of umbilical cord serum therapy in cases of acute ocular chemical burns. METHODS In a double-blind prospective randomized controlled clinical study, 33 eyes of 32 patients with acute ocular chemical burns of grade III, IV, and V severity were randomized into three groups: umbilical cord serum (n = 12), autologous serum (n = 11), and artificial tears (0.5% HPMC+0.3...

OBJECTIVE To determine the concentrations of adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (AFABP) and other adipocytokines in maternal and cord serum of pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and of control subjects and to relate them to indexes of insulin sensitivity. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In 86 control and 98 GDM pregnant women, venous blood was collected before vaginal deliv...

It is well known that regions of the CNS differentially respond to insults. After brain injury, cyclosporine A reduces damage but is ineffective following spinal cord injury. We address this disparity by assessing several parameters of mitochondrial physiology in the normal neocortex and spinal cord. In situ measurements of O(2) (-.) production, lipid peroxidation, and mitochondrial DNA oxidati...

A 36-year-old housewife with type II hyperlipoproteinemia became pregnant with twins. Although the pregnancy was uneventful, the serum triglycerides were elevated during the third trimester, the delivery, and early puerperium. The mother had no complications directly related to the pregnancy despite hypercholesterolemia, coronary atherosclerosis, and hypertension. Cord blood cholesterol and bet...

A 36-year-old housewife with type II hyperlipoproteinemia became pregnant with twins. Although the pregnancy was uneventful, the serum triglycerides were elevated during the third trimester, the delivery, and early puerperium. The mother had no complications directly related to the pregnancy despite hypercholesterolemia, coronary atherosclerosis, and hypertension. Cord blood cholesterol and bet...