Seven hundred and twenty-seven renal transplant patients are reviewed with respect to the occurrence of urinary tract infection (UTI) after renal transplantation. UTI was defined as the detection of both bacteriuria (10(5) CFU/ml) and pyuria (10 leukocytes/hpf). UTI developed in 11 of the inpatients (20.8%) and in 30 (4.2%) of the outpatients during a one-year period. Among outpatients, 12 had symptomatic infections, comprising seven with acute pyelonephritis and five with acute cystitis. Asymptomatic UTI was detected in 18 patients. In addition, asymptomatic bacteriuria without pyuria was observed in ten (1.4%) patients. UTI was more common in patients with diabetes, and underlying urinary tract complications were present in some patients. Administration of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for about 4 months is suggested to reduce the frequency of UTI in the early period after renal transplantation.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The biochemical properties of urinary human chorionic gonadotropin from the patients with trophoblastic disease.

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) was extracted and purified from urine of normal pregnant women and patients with hydatidiform mole and choriocarcinoma using the sam methods. Both hCG-hydatidiform mole and hCG-choriocarcinoma as well as hCG-normal pregnancy was separated into alpha and beta subunits by SDS disc electrophoresis upon treatment with 2-mercaptoethanol and showed the same immunoreactivities against anti-hCG, -alpha hCG, and -beta hCG as hCG in each radioimmunoassay. In vivo bioassay, bioactivities of hCG- normal pregnancy and hCG-hydatidiform mole were approximately 7,000 IU/mg (2nd IS), while that of hCG--choriocarcinoma was only 400 IU/mg. Conversely, the receptor binding activities in vitro of hCG-chorio carcinoma was about 3 times more effective than the other 2. Although the amino acid composition of these hCG preparations were practically identical, a great difference in the carbohydrate composition was observed. The significant difference was that while sialic acid was undetectable in hCG-choriocarcinoma approximately 8.5% of sialic acid was found in hCG-normal pregnancy and hCG-hydatidiform mole. A parallel finding was that iodinated hCG-choriocarcinoma was taken up in large quantities by the liver in comparison to the ovary which differed from that observed with hCG-normal pregnancy and hCG-hydatidiform mole in Parlow rats. The present findings support the thesis that neoplastic or malignant transformation of trophoblasts may result in an alteration of the glycosylation process, especially the sialylation, in the biosynthesis of hCG rather than the translation steps.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A DNA hybridization assay for use in drug sensitivity tests in vitro for Plasmodium falciparum under field conditions.

A deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) hybridization technique was applied to in vitro drug sensitivity testing of P. falciparum using a synthetic 21-mer oligonucleotide coupled to alkaline phosphatase (PFR1-AP) to monitor development of parasite stages in culture. The density of the coloured spot clearly distinguished schizonts from ring forms. This assay system was applied in the field on Hainan Island, China. Blood samples obtained from patients were cultivated in the presence of antimalarial drugs and the minimum drug concentration required to inhibit development of parasites was determined by the DNA hybridization assay and by microscopical observation of Giemsa-stained blood smears. The 2 methods yielded identical results, indicating that the DNA hybridization assay can be used for in vitro drug sensitivity testing under field conditions.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied