Moderate anxiety modifies the electromyographic activity of a forearm muscle during a time-reaction task in women.

Arousal anxiety has a great impact on reaction time, physiological parameters and motor performance. Numerous studies have focused on the influence of anxiety on muscular activity during simple non ecologic task. We investigate the impact of a moderate state-anxiety (arousal stressor) on the specific component of a complex multi-joint ecologic movement during a reaction time task of auditory stimulus-response. Our objective is to know if central and peripheral voluntary motor processes were modulated in the same way by an arousal stressor. Eighteen women volunteers performed simple reaction time tasks of auditory stimulus-response. Video-recorded Stroop test with interferences was used to induced moderate state-anxiety. Electromyographic activity of the wrist extensor was recorded in order to analyse the two components of the reaction time: the premotor and motor time. In anxiogenic condition, an acceleration and an increase of muscular activity of the reaction time was obtained. This increase was due to a stronger muscle activity during the premotor time in the anxiogenic condition. Arousal anxiety has a different impact on central and peripheral voluntary motor processes. The modifications observed could be related to an increase in arousal related to a higher anxiety in order to prepare the body to act.

Trait-anxiety dependence of movement time performance in a bimodal choice task in subjects exposed to moderate anxiogenic conditions.

Recent studies have provided insight into the interdependence between state-anxiety, trait-anxiety and motor performances. In the present study, we investigated in very low trait-anxiety (VLTA) and normal trait-anxiety (NTA) subjects, the effects of moderate state-anxiety induced by the video-recorded Stroop color word interference test, on reaction time and movement time in bimodal choice response time task providing either visual or auditory modality. We found that in anxiogenic condition, movement time performances were improved in visual modality in NTA subjects, and in auditory modality in VLTA subjects. Our results show that depending on their trait-anxiety level, individuals exposed to anxiogenic condition would allocate attentional resources towards a specific relevant modality. Such attentional resources would influence movement time, but not reaction time.

Moderate state-anxiety differently modulates visual and auditory response times in normal- and very low trait-anxiety subjects.

Because relationships between mood states, personality and motor performances remain ambiguous, we investigated in very low trait-anxiety (VLTA) and normal trait-anxiety (NTA) subjects, the effects of moderate state-anxiety, tension and fatigue induced by the video-recorded Stroop Color-Word Interference Test on reaction time and movement time in visual and auditory tasks. Our results show that visual response time performances were improved in NTA subjects, while auditory response time performances were improved in VLTA subjects. In both groups, improvement of performance occurred at the reaction time and movement time level. Our results show that allocation of attentional resources can be modulated by personality traits, such as trait-anxiety, and furthermore highlight personality and individual differences as regards to the human/environment interaction.

Effects of mood states and anxiety as induced by the video-recorded stroop color-word interference test in simple response time tasks on reaction time and movement time.

Mood states and anxiety might alter performance in complex tasks whereas in more simple tasks such as stimulus-response, high anxiety could provoke bias in mechanisms of attention leading to better performances. We investigated the effects of anxiety, tension, and fatigue induced by the video-recorded Stroop Color-Word Interference Test on either reaction or movement time. 61 subjects performed a visual and an auditory response-time test in Control and Anxiogenic conditions during which heart rate was measured. Tension and anxiety states were assessed using self-evaluation. Analysis showed auditory response time was improved for both reaction and movement times in the Anxiogenic condition. These data suggest that the increased attention underlying anxiety and mood responses could have favored auditory response time by leading subjects to process stimuli more actively. In addition, state-anxiety and tension could have influenced muscular tension, enhancing the movement time in the auditory task.

[Aspects of hemostasis and the immunology of burns]. / Aspects de l'hémostase et de l'immunologie des brûlures.

Burn injury haemostasis and immunology are described comprehensively, in terms of the involvement of kallikrein/antiproteases anti-kallikrein system. The plasma prekallikrein level correlates with prognosis and infection. The kallikrein, active on angio-haemostasis, depress cellular immunity. A test to monitor the restoration E-rosette formation is described. The level of antithrombin III and alpha-2-macroglobulin antithrombins and main-anti-kallikreins correlates with prognosis for initial therapy, the use of these proteins is discussed.

[Kallikrein inhibition of the expression of the lymphocyte E rosette receptor. Prevention of this effect by alpha-2-macroglobulin]. / Inhibition par la kallicréine de l'expression du récepteur lymphocytaire des rosettes E. Prévention de cet effet par l'alpha-2-macroglobuline.

In vitro Kallikrein inhibits the expression of lymphocytes-E-rosetting-receptor. The preincubation of alpha-2-macroglobulin with Kallikrein prevents this effect quickly. The incubation with alpha-2-macroglobulin of Kallikrein pretreated-lymphocytes is ineffective.

[Viral hepatitis A: specific immunological aspects before and after exposure to risk]. / Hépatite virale A: aspects immunologiques spécifiques avant et après exposition au risque.

The serum samples collected from 1279 healthy subjects were studied by radio-immunologic methods before they were given polyvalent immunoglobulin for hepatitis A prophylaxis. They departed all together for the endemic area at the same time. 1220 remained healthy, and serum samples (120 th day) were studied once again. Hepatitis A occurred in 59 cases. For 30 studied of them, the proof had been given at the initial phase, either by the discovery of the virus in the stool, or by detection of anti-HAV IgM. Among the subjects having anti-HAV antibodies, these, whose titer was around hundred, were better protected; the risk seemed more important for a smaller or higher anti-HAV titer. Among the subjects who came back with hepatitis A, the markers of HB had been more frequently observed in the first sample. When their anti-HAV antibodies titer is under 20, the markers of HB are significantly fewer often associated. This might mean either that these is a congenital susceptibility towards the two viruses or that prior infection by virus HB enhances the risk of hepatitis A.

[Specific immunological profile of candidates for hepatitis A]. / Profil immunologique spécifique des "candidats" à l'hépatite A.

Blood samples were taken from 1,279 healthy adults for radioimmunological studies before their collective departure to an endemic area and received an administration of polyvalent immunoglobin for hepatitis A prophylaxis. On the 120th day, 1,220 subjects were in good health and their serum was studied again. Hepatitis A was observed in 59 cases, confirmed either by the presence of virus in the stool or by the demonstration of anti-HAV IgM, when other causes of hepatitis had been excluded. The following results were observed in the two groups: a) Subjects having HAV antibodies with a titre of about 1:100 in the initial blood samples had a reduced risk of hepatitis. Subjects with lower titres and, paradoxically, with higher titres, had a significantly higher risk. b) Markers of HBV were less commonly present in the initial blood samples of subjects who did not develop hepatitis. c) Low titres of HAV antibodies (less than 20) were commonly associated with markers of HBV in the initial samples of subjects who developed hepatitis. This suggests either a congenital susceptibility to infection to both viruses or that prior HBV infection increases the risk of HAV infection.

[Production of human antitetanus antibodies by hybridomas]. / Production d'anticorps antitétaniques humains par des hybridomes.

Peripheral blood lymphocytes from healthy people recently immunized against tetanus toxoid (TT) were fused with human malignant B-cell lines or mouse myeloma cells (X63 Ag8.653) in an attempt to establish stable B cell hybridomas secreting anti TT antibodies. Human-human fusion experiments were not successful. In contrast, the five heterospecific fusion experiments yielded between 60 and 100% of wells that contained growing hybrids. Five of these hybrids repeatedly secreted anti-TT antibodies. One of the hybrids was cloned and secreted 10-20 micrograms/ml of human IgM, lambda anti-TT antibody. Heterospecific hybridization thus appears as an interesting method to obtain human monoclonal antibodies, allowing the study of their properties.

[Hemostasis in burn patients and treatment with heparin. Relation to prognosis and infection. Pattern of blood levels of prekallikrein, alpha-2-macroglobulin, antithrombin III, plasminogen and alpha-2-antiplasmin]. / Hémostase des brûlés et traitement par l'héparine. Rapport avec le pronostic et l'infection. Evolution du taux de prékallicréine plasmatique, de l'alpha-2-macroglobuline, de l'antithrombine III, du plasminogène et de l'alpha-2-antiplasmine.

In burnt patients with a fatal prognosis, the level of prekallikrein is initially low and further diminished. In burnt patients who survive, the initial decrease of the prekallikrein level is less pronounced and is progressively overcome, significantly by the sixth day. Moreover the decrease of the prekallikrein level occurs before and during clinical infection. In good prognosis patients, the level of alpha-2-macroglobulin remains low until day 20 and then increases in the noninfected patients while in fatal prognosis patients the level decreases. The level of antithrombin III and plasminogen is lower in fatal prognosis patients. These is no correlation between the level of antiplasmin and the outcome of burn injuries.

Human dialysable leucocyte extracts (transfer factor) in interstitial pneumonia. A retrospective trial in immunodeficient patients.

Thirty-six cases of interstitial pneumonia in acquired immunodeficient states were treated with transfer factor (Dialysable Leukocyte Extract) and studied retrospectively. The criteria of efficacity of this treatment were: rapidity of immediate improvement, improvement after failure of other immunostimulant therapy and demonstration of a dose-related effect. The mechanism of the therapeutic action is unclear. There is no evidence in favour of "transfer" of cell mediated immunity. A non-specific mode of action (adjuvant effect, interferon synergy, proinflammatory action) seems much more likely.