Nitric oxide mediates the depression of lymphoproliferative responses following burn injury in rats.

Among the multiple biological activities of nitric oxide (NO) an immunoregulatory role consisting of the mediation of macrophage suppressive activity, has recently been evidenced. In the present work, we investigated whether NO was implicated in immunosuppression following burn injury. Thermal injury affecting 20-25% of the total body surface area in Wistar rats, provoked a biphasic depression of spleen cell proliferative responses to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and concanavalin A (Con A). We show that these responses are fully restored on day 4 after burn and only by 55% on day 10 when spleen cells were stimulated in the presence of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (NMMA), a potent inhibitor of the macrophage inducible NO synthase. Nitrite content in culture supernatant, as an indicator of NO release (in the absence of NMMA), was significantly augmented in Con A-stimulated spleen cells from burned rats as compared to normal spleen cells. These results show for the first time that NO is implicated, at least in part, in an immunosuppression state which is not linked to an infectious disease.

[Acute osteomyelitis in childhood. A follow-up of predominantly conservatively treated children]. / Die akute Osteomyelitis im Kindesalter. Eine Nachkontrolle von vorwiegend konservativ behandelten Kindern.

The disease course in 76 children with acute osteomyelitis treated at the Pediatric Hospital, Aarau between 1970 and 1979 was followed as regards etiology, clinical symptoms, laboratory and radiologic findings, choice of antibiotics, duration of therapy and outcome. 65 children had acute hematogenous osteomyelitis and 11 children an exogenous form. 4 children (6.1%) with acute hematogenous and 4 children (36%) with exogenous osteomyelitis underwent surgery. 75 of the 76 patients were followed up for an average of 5.6 years. 14 patients (18.7%) had sequelae but only 6 patients (8%) had a deficit in function. Neonates were a special risk. 8 of the total of 18 neonates (44.5%) had sequelae, 3 with functional deficit. In older children the risk of sequelae was 9.8%. This study shows that mainly conservative therapy for acute osteomyelitis in childhood gives just as good rates of healing and a similar incidence of sequelae as in surgically treated patients.