Functional studies on purified eosinophils and neutrophils from patients with Schistosoma mansoni infections.

Unpurified peripheral blood leucocytes or purified eosinophils and neutrophils from patients with schistosomiasis and from normal individuals were compared for their ability to interact with antibody coated schistosomula of Schistosoma mansoni. There was no difference in the ability of buffy coat cells or neutrophils from patients and from normal individuals to mediate antibody-dependent 51Cr release from labelled schistosomula. However, eosinophils from patients were significantly better than those from normal individuals in causing antibody-dependent 51Cr release. This enhanced activity of eosinophils from patients with schistosomiasis was found to correlate with the intensity of their infection as judged by faecal egg counts. Eosinophils from patients also contained a higher proportion of cells with detectable Fc receptors than those from normal individuals. It is suggested that the difference in the behaviour of eosinophils from patients and from normals may reflect an 'activated' state of these cells in the infected individuals.

Outbreak of idiopathic erysipelas in a psychiatric hospital.

In an outbreak of idiopathic erysipelas ten women patients, aged 42-74, in a long-stay unit of a psychiatric hospital were simultaneously affected. Group A streptococci M-type 1 were isolated from two isolated from two patients with erysipelas and 18 carriers, but subsequent serological tests for type-specific antibody, antistreptolysin O, and anti-deoxyribonuclease B showed that the infection had been widespread in the unit. Treatment with ampicillin proved ineffective and to prevent relapse it was substituted by a standard course of intramuscular penicillin. This seems to be the first epidemic of this type to be reported and certainly the first outbreak of idiopathic erysipelas to be investigated by modern serological techniques.