The presence of hypodense eosinophilic granulocytes in allergic children.

To evaluate hypodense eosinophils known very little in children, peripheral blood from asthmatic, allergic-non-asthmatic and non-allergic children was evaluated by density Percoll gradient techniques. A significantly higher number of eosinophils were hypodense in asthmatic children (n = 24) compared with allergic non-asthmatic (n = 10) and non-allergic children (n = 13), namely 484 +/- 348 cells/40 microliters versus 113 +/- 109 and 39 +/- 61 (p less than 0.001) respectively. We also observed by light and electron microscopy that the hypodense eosinophils of asthmatic children were swollen and their granules were dispersed, but the normodense eosinophils of the same patient were small and compact. In three cases of severe asthmatic attack, hypodense eosinophils found on admission decreased in number after intravenous aminophylline therapy and relief of symptoms. Moreover, a decreased number of hypodense eosinophils were found in seven cases of allergic children (p less than 0.05) after 2 weeks of anti-allergic drug treatment associated with relieved symptoms. From these data we concluded that the presence of hypodense eosinophils in the peripheral blood might be related to the development of allergic symptoms and might participate in the pathophysiology of allergic diseases in children.

[Treatment of aplastic anemia with KRN8601 (rhG-CSF)].

Thirty-nine patients with severe or moderate aplastic anemia received treatment with recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF). The first group of eight patients received rhG-CSF in doses of 100 to 400 micrograms/m2/d by a daily 30-minute intravenous infusion for one or two weeks. Doses up to 400 micrograms/m2/d were well tolerated and resulted in increases of neutrophil counts in 5 out of 8 patients. We gave rhG-CSF (400 micrograms/m2/d) to the second group of 26 patients by a daily 30-minute intravenous infusion for two weeks. The treatment resulted in an increase of neutrophil counts in 15 out of 26 patients (3.1 to 29.5 fold). Further, higher doses (800 or 1,200 micrograms/m2/d) were administered in 5 patients who did not respond to the dose of 400 micrograms/m2/d. The treatment increased the neutrophil counts in 3 out of 5 patients. The third group of five patients received rhG-CSF subcutaneously in doses of 20 to 400 micrograms/m2/d. An increase of neutrophil counts was noted in all five patients. Differential counts of bone marrow aspirate revealed an increase of myeloid: erythroid ratios. However, the responses were transient and neutrophil counts returned to basal levels within 1 approximately 2 weeks after discontinuing treatment. No severe toxicity due to rhG-CSF was observed. These results suggest that rhG-CSF is effective on stimulating granulopoiesis in patients with aplastic anemia. This treatment will be particularly useful for the patient with aplastic anemia suffering from bacterial or fungal infections.

Stimulated intraphagosomal release of eosinophil peroxidase and acid phosphatase in the rats spontaneously infected with Mycoplasma pulmonis: a cytochemical study.

In this study we performed a cytochemical comparison of peroxidase and acid phosphatase activities in peritoneal eosinophils from specific pathogen-free (SPF) and Mycoplasma pulmonis-infected rats. When eosinophils ingested polystyrene particles for 120 min, peroxidase- and acid phosphatase-positive specific granules, as well as small granules, fused to phagosomes. Unusual peroxidase activity was detected in some particle-containing phagosomes in 6.8% of eosinophils from control SPF rats and 31% of those from infected rats. Intense acid phosphatase activity was also demonstrated in some phagosomes in 4 and 20% of eosinophils from control and infected rats, respectively. The rate of peroxidase-positive and acid phosphatase-positive phagosomes to all ingested phagosomes was 8.1 and 7.3% in control rats and rose to 41.3 and 31.1% in those infected, respectively. The population of eosinophils (18%) in the control peritoneal cells did not change after infection (16.6%). These results suggest that the intraphagosomal release of lysosomal enzymes was significantly stimulated in peritoneal eosinophils of the rats spontaneously infected with M. pulmonis.

Clinical evaluation of a pasteurized factor XIII concentrate administration in Henoch-Schönlein purpura. Japanese Pediatric Group.

Arthral, abdominal and renal symptoms in Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) were scored. Coagulation factor XIII (F XIII) activity was determined in fifty-six children with HSP and the correlation with the severity score of the clinical symptoms was investigated. As a result, it was found that the decrease in F XIII level was correlated with the severity score of clinical symptoms, particularly abdominal symptoms. Based on the results, a controlled study was performed in 24 cases with moderate symptoms divided into a group treated with F XIII concentrate and a non-treated group to investigate clear-cut efficacy as a next study. In three days after the administration the symptoms were improved remarkably in accordance with the increase of F XIII level compared with non-treated group and scoring of clinical symptoms was confirmed to be useful for assessing the application of the F XIII concentrate to HSP.

[Family of hereditary elliptocytosis with abnormalities of spectrin function (Sp alpha 1/74)].

We have experienced a case of cytohemolytic hereditary elliptocytosis (HE) in a six-year-old boy. Metabolisms of the erythrocytic membrane were investigated on the members from his pedigree. The results were as follows; 1) The presence or absence of ovalocytic HE were studied in his pedigree. 2) Failure in the process of spectrin dimer to tetramer conversion was found. 3) Although abnormality existed in conversion of D to T by the patient's alpha-chain spectrin and normal beta-chain spectrin, no abnormality was recognized when normal alpha-chain and the patient's beta-chain were combined. 4) Decrease of the alpha-chain (80 kd) domain and appearance of abnormal (74 kd) spot were found by two dimensional peptide mapping of spectrin. 5) In his pedigree, neither patients with hereditary pyropoikilocytosis (HPP) nor carrier states were recognized. In summary, this patient's pedigree was considered to be HE [SP alpha 1/74]. This case appears to be the first case in Japan and only few cases have been reported in the world literature.

Localization of the spherocytosis gene to chromosome segment 8p11.22----8p21.

A case of hereditary spherocytosis (HS) is reported. Cytogenetic study revealed a de novo minute deletion of chromosome 8. The critical portion which affected the expression of the HS phenotype appeared to be localized to 8p11.22----8p21.1.