Inflammatory cells in skin immunological infiltrations.

Cell composition was tested in 64 patients with atopic asthma, and in 62 healthy patients after inducing an inflammatory infiltration by grass pollens allergen; PAF-acether; tuberculin; DNCB; and mechanical injury in hours 0.5, 3, 6, 12, 48, and 72 after evoking the infiltrations. The evaluation was done according to the Southam method (Matusiewicz et al.) and through skin biopsy. Similarities in cell composition in inflammatory infiltrations at the observed time intervals were significant and seem to be independent of the mechanisms evoking the inflammatory reaction.

The migration, phagocytosis and reduction ability of granulocytes from skin infiltrations of patients with atopic asthma.

The migration, phagocytosis and reduction ability of granulocytes from the skin of atopic asthmatics (n = 30) and healthy control subjects (n = 20) were evaluated. In all subjects, granulocyte migration was evaluated in vitro using the Clausen test and in vivo using the Matusiewicz and Brzezinska test, and Park's tests of phagocytosis of neutral latex particles and the reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) were also performed. It was demonstrated that patients with atopic asthma had a defect in skin granulocyte migration. Our studies also showed that the ability of granulocytes from skin infiltrations to reduce NBT was increased. The ability of granulocytes from skin infiltrations to migrate was inversely proportional to the degree of oxidative burst in patients with atopic asthma.

Granulocyte migration in vivo and in vitro in healthy children of parents with aspirin-sensitive asthma.

The test of granulocyte migration in vitro and in vivo was carried out in 30 healthy children who had at least one parent with aspirin-sensitive asthma. A defect in granulocyte migration was demonstrated in children with both parents having aspirin-sensitive asthma.

Granulocyte migration in vivo and in vitro in healthy children of parents with infectious asthma.

Our study was carried out on 28 healthy children aged 6-11 years (mean = 9 years) with at least one parent having infectious asthma, and 13 children aged 7-14 years (mean = 9 years), both of whose parents had infectious asthma. The age of the affected parents was 26-45 years (mean = 36 years). The control group comprised 20 healthy subjects aged 25-37 years (mean = 32 years) and 20 healthy children aged 6-14 years (mean = 9 years) with no family history of atopic diseases. In all subjects, the test of granulocyte migration in vitro was carried out using the method of Clausen, modified by us. The in vivo test was performed according to the Southam method. The results of our investigations demonstrate a defect of granulocyte migration in patients with infectious bronchial asthma. In healthy children, both of whose parents had infection, the migration of the granulocytes was impaired.

The ability of granulocytes to absorb latex particles and Staphylococcus aureus in patients hypersensitive to aspirin.

An examination of the ability of granulocytes to absorb latex particles and Staphylococcus aureus was performed in 32 patients with atopic asthma, 27 patients with atopic asthma and hypersensitive to aspirin, and 20 patients hypersensitive to aspirin only. The control group included 20 healthy subjects. The results of our investigation demonstrate a defect of the ability of granulocytes to absorb latex particles and S. aureus in patients with atopic asthma and hypersensitivity to aspirin.

[Effect of cyclosporine A on the clinical state and spirometric parameters in patients with steroid-dependent bronchial asthma]. / Wplyw cyklosporyny A na stan kliniczny i wskazniki spirometryczne u chorych na astme kortykosteroidozalezna.

The study aimed at assessing an effect of Cs A on spirometric indices in 30 patients with steroid-dependent bronchial asthma. All patients were treated with triamcinolone in a mean daily dose of 6-8 mg for at least 5 years. Half of patients were given in a double blind trial cyclosporin in a daily dose of 100 mg for 2 years. The remaining 15 patients were not given cyclosporin. All patients were also given corticosteroids, methylxanthines, and mucolytics. Statistically significant increase in FVC, FEV1, and PEFR was noted in patients treated with cyclosporin after 2 years while no change was seen in patients not given Cs. At the same time, a reduction of corticoids doses and diminished of post-steroid symptoms were noted in patients treated with cyclosporin.

The migration of granulocytes from allergic and nonallergic infiltrations in patients with atopic asthma.

The granulocyte migration inhibition tests both in vivo and in vitro from allergic skin infiltrations were carried out in 30 patients with atopic asthma and in 20 healthy people used as a control. It was found that the migration of leukocytes from allergic skin infiltrations was defective with the lowest ability to migrate. Neutrophils comprised about 80% cells found in the cutaneous allergic infiltrations.

The ability of granulocytes to engulf latex particles and Staphylococcus aureus in healthy children of parents with infectious asthma.

A test to determine engulfing of neutral latex particles and Staphylococcus aureus by peripheral blood granulocytes was carried out in 28 healthy children who had at least one parent with infectious asthma and 13 children, in whom both parents had infectious asthma. A defect in engulfing neutral latex particles and Staphylococcus aureus by granulocytes was demonstrated in children who had both parents with infectious asthma.

[Effect of platelet activating factor (PAF) on granulocyte migration in vivo in patients with atopic asthma]. / Wplyw czynnika aktywujacego plytki (PAF) na migracje granulocytów in vivo u chorych na astme atopowa.

The study was carried out in 40 patients with atopic asthma, age 16-31 years (mean 26 years) and 30 healthy volunteers, age 19-25 years (mean 20 years). In vivo granulocyte migration tests were carried out simultaneously using two methods: Southam's and the authors' original (Matusiewicz, Brzezinska). The above mentioned tests were carried out twice: the first time in December/January, the second time February/March after subcutaneous administration of PAF. The authors have demonstrated that in patients with atopic asthma a defect in migration of tissue granulocytes is present. They have also shown that PAF does not effect significantly granulocyte migration in atopic patients.

[Various immunochemical properties of nonspecific bacterial vaccines]. / Niektóre immunochemiczne wlasciwosci nieswoistych szczepionek bakteryjnych.

After critical evaluation of the composition and technology of preparation of nonspecific bacterial vaccines (nsb) some of them were withdrawn from the production (Neoflaminum, Neurovaccinum) and replaced with a new one (Polyvaccinum submite). Part of them were modified (media) and modernised (Panodinum, vaccine according to Delbet). Panodine produced at the present is free from bovine bile, which according to the results of the studies is strongly haemolytic for human and animal red blood cells. Thus it was justified to withdraw this component from Neoflaminum and Panodinum preparations. Purity and degree of lysis of these preparations were evaluated on the basis of ratio between nucleic acid absorbance and protein absorbance A260/A280. This allowed to determine if nsb tested are partially lysed and if their production process is reproducible. Our pilot studies on five patients suffering from infectious asthma indicate that a restoration of phagocytic activity of granulocytes and an increase of leukocytes migration after subsequent Panodine injections take place.

Granulocyte migration ability in subjects hypersensitive to aspirin.

The reported study was carried out on 32 patients with atopic asthma. Twenty-seven patients had atopic asthma and were hypersensitive to aspirin. Twenty patients were hypersensitive only to aspirin. At the time of the investigation the patients were in the remission period at the beginning of the investigations and the lowest aspirin dose producing hypersensitivity symptoms was established in each case. It ranged from 0.05 to 0.5 g. In the group of patients hypersensitive to aspirin were included those in whom spirometric measurements demonstrated a FEV1 fall below 20% of the initial level. In all the patients and controls studied the "in vitro" granulocyte migration test was done by Clausen's method and "in vivo" by Southam's method. As shown in the presented results, patients with aspirin hypersensitivity have a defect in the migration of granulocytes of the vascular and tissue pools.

The ability of granulocytes to engulf latex particles and Staphylococcus aureus in healthy children of parents with atopic asthma.

The test of engulfing of neutral latex particles and Staphylococcus aureus by peripheral blood granulocytes was carried out in 37 healthy children who had at least one parent with asthma and in 14 children, both of whose parents had asthma. A defect of engulfing neutral latex particles and S. aureus by granulocytes was demonstrated in children who had both parents with asthma.

[The most frequent complications during long-term corticotherapy]. / Najczestsze powiklania w przebiegu przewleklej kortykoterapii.

In 274 outpatients with chronic spastic bronchitis long-term treatment with corticosteroids was used due to their clinical condition. In patients treated for 6 years with daily doses of 1-2 mg of prednisolone no corticosteroid-induced complications were observed. Transient ecchymoses occurred in patients treated for longer time periods with prednisolone 4 mg daily. In 12.5% of patients pityriasis versicolor developed, and muscle weakness was the complaint in 3.1% of cases. In patients treated with 6 mg daily of prednisolone petechiae were noted in 35% of cases, in 10% subcutaneous tissue atrophy, in 2.5% osteoporosis was observed, and menstruation disturbances were reported in 25% of the treated women. In patients receiving prednisolone 8 mg daily subcutaneous extravasations developed in 80% of cases, skin atrophy in 50%, myopathy in 25%, crural thrombophlebitis in 5%, cushingoid features in 7.5%. In patients receiving prednisolone 12 mg daily, besides the above complications, fractures occurred in 14.2% of cases, and psychotic symptoms in 7%.

The ability of granulocytes of bone marrow tissue and vascular pools in atopic patients to absorb latex particles and Staphylococcus aureus.

In 68 patients with atopic asthma the ability of the granulocytes from the marrow tissue and vascular pools to engulf neutral latex particles and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria was studied. In patients with atopic asthma at the time of a lull in the disease, an impairment of engulfing of latex particles and S. aureus by the granulocytes in the marrow and vascular pools was demonstrated. The ability of absorbing bacteria and latex by the granulocytes in the tissue pool was similar in the group of patients and in the control group. At the time of asthmatic dyspnoea the ability of engulfing of S. aureus and latex by marrow pool granulocytes was rising steeply, while vascular and tissue pool granulocytes showed an even greater impairment of this ability than at the time of absence of dyspnoea.

In vitro granulocyte migration from bone marrow, tissues and blood vessels in atopic patients.

An examination of the migration ability of pool tissue and vascular granulocytes was performed in 60 patients and in 9 patients, the migration ability of bone marrow granulocytes. The test for granulocyte migration by Clausen, Bendixen and Søborg was performed with each granulocyte pool separately. It was proved that in patients with atopic asthma there is a significant statistical reduction in bone marrow and peripheral blood granulocyte migration during the asymptomatic period. During dyspnea, a decrease in migration of granulocytes from tissue and peripheral blood is seen.

Ability of peripheral blood neutrophils from patients with infectious bronchial asthma to engulf latex particles and reduce nitroblue tetrazolium.

In 42 patients with infectious bronchial asthma, aged 18-44 years (average 34) the levels of serum IgM, IgG, IgA and IgE were measured. Additionally, latex particles engulfment and nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) tests according to the method of Park modified by the authors were performed. The control group consisted of 20 healthy people aged 22-45 years (average 39). It was found that in patients with infectious bronchial asthma, during the dyspnoeic attack a defect occurs in the engulfment of latex particles by peripheral blood granulocytes: The ability of granulocytes to engulf latex particles is inversely proportional to the IgG levels in sera of infectious asthma patients.