HLA class II factors associated with Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface antigen allele families.

In Plasmodium falciparum malaria, certain human leukocyte antigens (HLA) and the parasite's merozoite surface antigens 1 and 2 (MSA-1, MSA-2) have been shown to influence the course of the infection. This report is on associations of distinct HLA factors with the occurrence of particular MSA families in a group of patients with either severe or mild P. falciparum malaria in Gabon. Different distributions of HLA-DPB1 alleles were found in the 2 groups. DR *04 alleles were observed more frequently among patients with severe malaria. Several alleles of different loci were associated with distinct MSA allele families. In addition, carriers of the amino acid methionine at position 11 of the DPA1 allele were more often infected by MSA-1 K1 parasites and less frequently by MSA-1 RO33 parasites. Furthermore, associations of HLA factors with polyclonal infections were found.

[Surgical treatment of small-cell bronchial carcinoma]. / Die chirurgische Behandlung des kleinzelligen Bronchialkarzinoms.

The analysis of 284 resected small-cell bronchial cancers from 4 Lung clinics has shown that these represent 11% of all resected lung cancers. The 5-year survival rate was 24%. The male-to-female ratio was 9.5: 1. Two-thirds were detected by X-ray mass screening. The majority of them (60%) were peripheral tumors. 50% of the patients had a stage Ia cancer and showed a 5-year survival of 40%! This result speaks for the primary surgical therapy even for stage I small-cell bronchial cancers, and for a 6-month screening interval of the respective risk groups. Patients with stage II or III cancers showed a 5-year survival rate of only 10%. In such cases postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy should be carried out. But such a therapy seems to be little effective in stage Ia patients.

[Pulmonary arteriovenous malformation (report on 11 cases, 1970-1979) (author's transl)]. / Das arterio-venöse aneurysma der Lunge (Bericht über 11 Fälle aus dem Krankengut 1970-1979).

The clinical features and the diagnostic difficulties in 11 cases of pulmonary arteriovenous (av) malformation, diagnosed in the last 10 years, are discussed. It is possible to get the correct diagnosis with the help of the typical thorax-X-screen, inclusive tomography in combination with the clinical signs of the right to left shunt. Pulmonary angiography is indicated (first) before any kind of therapy in order to exclude av malformations in other localisations, (second) in all pulmonary lesions, where av malformations are part of the differential diagnosis, and (third) in patients suffering from symptoms of a right to left shunt after exclusion of a cyanotic vitium cordis.

[Radiographic examination of tracheal strictures by means of powdered tantalum (author's transl)]. / Die röntgenologische Darstellung narbiger Trachealstenosen mittels Tantalpulver.

This report deals with the diagnostic value of a tracheobronchography with powdered Tantalum in 5 patients who suffer from a severe stricture of the trachea. The own experiences with this method are described.

[Misdiagnosed peripheral pulmonary adenocarcinomas in radiographical follow-ups (author's transl)]. / Fehldeutung peripherer Adenokarzinome der Lunge bei langem Röntgenverlauf

By means of chest radiograph-series it is pointed out that adenocarcinomas of the lung show only a slow growth in the initial stage. Therefore failures in diagnosis are not uncommon despite of well timed abnormal findings in X-ray-investigations. In the differential-diagnosis the special use of tomography plays an important part. The existence of metastases has to be supposed when the radiological presence of a solitary nodule is evident during some years, even if the primary tumour itself shows only a very slow growth.