Toxoplasma antibodies by indirect latex agglutination tests in National Seoul Mental Hospital patients

A total of 573 patients hospitalized in National Seoul Mental Hospital and 76 of healthy persons as control were examined by indirect latex agglutination test in order to evaluate Toxoplasma antibody titers in mental patients. Throughout this survey, 1:32 or more titers of diluted sera were regarded as positive. The 573 samples of test sera showed negative in 386 cases (67.4 percent), 1:2 in 93 cases (16.2 percent), 1:4 in 57 cases (9.9 percent), 1:8 in 14 cases (2.4 percent), 1:16 in 12 cases (2.1 percent), 1:32 in 5 cases (0.9 percent), 1:64 in 1 case (0.2 percent), 1:128 in 3 cases (0.5 percent) and 1:256 in 2 cases (0.3 percent) respectively. Among total 573 mental patients, 11 cases (19 percent) showed positive, and they were 9 cases (1.8 percent) of schizophrenia and 2 cases (7.4 percent) of manic depression. One case (1.3 percent) out of 76 control sera showed positive result.

Changes of liver and diaphragm in experimental paragonimiasis

Changes of abdominal organs in early paragonimiasis are described in dogs and cats. Experimental infection was induced by feeding 40-50 and 20-30 metacercariae of Paragonimus westermani to 15 dogs and 15 cats respectively. These animals were killed sequentially starting from 8 days to 120 days after infection. Complete autopsies were carried out in all animals and the tissues were examined microscopically with the main emphasis on changes of the liver and the diaphragm. A definite bout of acute diffuse fibrinoexudative peritonitis with ascites ranging from 5 to 20 ml was present in both dogs and cats at the time of 20 days after infection. This was also the period of the maximum liver damage and diaphragmatic injuries. The peritonitic changes became minimized after 45 days of infection. The liver changes were of two folds. The first one was characterized by numerous pin-point or linear tissue defects on the surface of the lobes, which were often covered with fibrin clots. Some of these defects were impacted by the larvae. These 'scratch' marks appeared to be of mechanical effect, and the margins were often banal without a significant inflammatory reaction. The scratch marks were no longer observed in animals examined after 45 days. The second was noted in the Kupffer cells of the liver. A large amount of hemosiderin pigment was noted in the Kupffer cells and became prominent by 20 days through 45 days. Hemosiderin-laden macrophages were found also in the spleens of these animals. Some animals in 30 days group showed the most Kupffer cells heavily loaded with hemosiderin. However, no associated degenerative changes were noted in these cells. The diaphragm was quite unique in early phase of infection in all animals examined. Numerous pinpoint perforative lesions could definitely be seen grossly, and some of these lesions included migrating larval worms inside the tunnels. These lesions were microscopically characterized by tract or tunnel formation with accompanying tissue reaction. The diaphragmatic changes were manifest by 20 days after infection. The tracts of tunnels appeared to have been made by pressure necrosis and surrounding edema, and subsequently were associated with a massive eosinophilic influx and myocytolysis. The eosinophilic abscess and multinucleated giant cells were often observed in the animals of the 30 days group. The diaphragmatic changes seemed to be repaired with or without fibrous scar formation which was occasionally seen in 45 days and later.

A clinical trial of oxantel and pyrantel against intestinal nematodes infections

This study was conducted to determine the effect of oxantel/pyrantel tablets, oxantel suspension, pyrantel dry syrup and pyrantel tablets against T. trichiurus and A. lumbricoides infections. Twenty-four cases of mixed infections of T. trichiurus and A. lumbricoides were treated with oxantel/pyrantel tablets at a single dose of 20 mg/kg of body weight, and 49 cases of single infection of T. trichiurus were administered oxantel suspension at a single dose of 15 mg/kg of body weight. On the other hand, single infection of A. lumbricoides in 18 cases was administered pyrantel dry syrup at a single dose of 5 mg/kg of body weight. In the above 91 cases, the negative conversion rate and the egg reduction rate of egg out-put before and after the drug administration were examined by the cellophane thick smear method and Stoll's egg counting technique. A follow-up examination was carried out 3-4 weeks after the drug administration. Other 59 cases of single and mixed infection of T. trichiurus and A. lumbricoides were examined by the cellophane thick smear method only and administered pyrantel tablets at a single dose of 2.5 mg/kg of body weight. The results were summarized as follows: The prevalence rates of T. trichiurus and A. lumbricoides infection in this study were 42.8% and 27.2% respectively by the cellophane thick smear method among 1,066 stool specimens. The egg negative conversion rate and the egg reduction rate in the administration of oxantel/pyrantel tablets at a single dose of 20 mg/kg body weight were 75.0% and 97.8% respectively in T. trichiurus infection and 100% each in A. lumbricoides. The egg negative conversion rate and the egg reduction rate in the administration of oxantel suspension at a single dose of 15 mg/kg body weight were 85.7% and 93.0% respectively in sinlge infection of T. trichiurus. The egg negative conversion rate and the egg reduction rate in the administration of pyrantel dry syrup at a single dose of 5 mg/kg body weight were 100% each in single infection of A. lumbricoides. The qualitative evaluation in cases of single and mixed infection of T. trichiurus and A. lumbricoides were by means of pyrantel tablets at a single dose of 2.5 mg/kg body weight, the cure being 100% against A. lumbricoides but 17.0% against T. trichiurus. There were no undesirable side effects in this study and oxantel suspension and pyrantel dry syrup were well accepted and tolerated.