ABSTRACT
In four cases of biopsy proven amyloidosis there was evidence of impaired splenic function. All had absent or grossly reduced splenic uptake on colloid isotope scans and three had haematological changes consistent with hyposplenism. Poor splenic function with a normal sized or enlarged spleen may be a clue to underlying amyloid.
Subject(s)
Amyloidosis/physiopathology , Spleen/physiopathology , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Amyloidosis/diagnostic imaging , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Radionuclide Imaging , Spleen/diagnostic imagingABSTRACT
The suppression of the contact sensitivity of oxazolone in murine malaria is shown to be mediated by non-specific T suppressor cells, but to a different extent in infection caused by two different species of parasite. Depletion of T suppressor cells in vivo and/or anti-Thy 1.2 treatment in vitro indicated that in mice infected with P. berghei the suppressor effect was largely mediated by T cells. By contrast, in mice infected with a lethal strain of P. yoelii it was only partly due to T cells; B suppressor cells and/or macrophages may also be involved. However, depletion of T suppressor cells in vivo had no effect on the course of the parasitaemia or on the survival time. Therefore, we postulate that this kind of non-specific immunosuppression cannot be regarded as a major cause of lethality.
