Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to S Shulman.
The occurrence of sperm antibodies on the surface of sperm can be demonstrated by several methods. A study to evaluate the immunobead (IB) test as a laboratory procedure during the detection of sperm antibodies among infertile males showed an overall prevalence of 6.8% and 5.8% for IgG and IgA respectively--convincing evidence that the IB test can be employed as a sperm antibody detector.
In 1964, Smith et al described a syndrome of microcephaly, growth and mental retardation, unusual facial appearance, syndactyly of toes 2 and 3, and genital abnormalities. Major structural malformations and early death have been uncommon in the many subsequent literature reports. We report on 19 infants with a phenotype we propose to call Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS)-Type II, in which major structural abnormalities, male pseudohermaphroditism, and early lethality are common. Of these 19 patients, 18 had postaxial hexadactyly, 16 had congenital heart defect, 13 had cleft palate, and 10 had cataracts. Unusual findings seen in these patients at autopsy included Hirschsprung "disease" in five patients, unilobated lungs in six, large adrenals in four, and pancreatic islet cell hyperplasia in three. Comparison of our cases to 19 similar literature cases suggests the existence of a distinct phenotype that may be separate from SLOS as originally described. It is also inherited as an autosomal recessive, as documented by occurrence in one pair of sibs in this study and recurrence in three reported families.
Blos has conceptualized adolescence as the stage when a second process of separation individuation takes place. It is assumed that maturational processes like physical and sexual development combined with higher levels of thinking play a dominant role in this process enabling the disengagement of the adolescent from the family. Various handicapping conditions may force the adolescent to stay closer to his/her family and hence interfere with the adolescent's separation-individuation. It is suggested that the nature of the interference will vary depending on whether the handicap is physical or cognitive. Both conditions appear to have differential effects on the separation individuation process. The influences of various parental attitudes are also discussed.
A tracer gas technique using sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) was developed for the evaluation of industrial exhaust hood efficiency. In addition to other parameters, accuracy of this method depends on proper location of the sampling probe. The sampling probe should be located in the duct at a minimum distance from the investigated hood where the SF6 is dispersed uniformly across the duct cross section. To determine the minimum sampling distance, the SF6 dispersion in the duct in fully developed turbulent flow was studied at four duct configurations frequently found in industry: straight duct, straight duct-side branch, straight duct-one elbow, and straight duct-two elbows combinations. Based on the established SF6 dispersion factor, the minimum sampling distances were determined as follows: for straight duct, at least 50 duct diameters; for straight duct-side branch combination, at least 25 duct diameters; for straight duct-one elbow combination, 7 duct diameters; and for straight duct-two elbow combination, 4 duct diameters. Sampling at (or beyond) these distances minimizes the error caused by the non-homogeneous dispersion of SF6 in the duct and contributes to the accuracy of the tracer gas technique.
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Twenty-five patients were studied for the presence of sperm antibodies in their cervical mucus and seminal plasma. The sperm cervical mucus contact test (SCMC) and the immunobead test (IBT) were used to evaluate sperm antibody activity. A close correlation was found between the results of the SCMC and IBT tests, and it was concluded that both techniques can be regarded as good indicators of sperm antibodies.
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There are several antigens of the human sperm cell that can stimulate production of autoantibodies in certain individuals. This occurs in a number of spontaneous cases and leads to a condition of immunological infertility. It also occurs in a majority of men who have had a vasectomy. There are currently many new developments for the detection of the antibody, the study of its significance, and in the treatment of this autoimmune disease. As for the diagnostic testing of the serum, there are the classical methods of agglutination, namely, GAT, TSAT, TAT, and CTAT, and of immobilization. There are also the newer methods of the passive hemagglutination assay, the radio-label-antiglobulin test, the ELISA, the hemadsorption procedure, and the ATP-luminescence cytotoxicity method, plus indirect MAR (mixed antiglobulin reaction) and IBT (immunobead test) procedures. For testing of the genital secretions, sperm cells can be evaluated directly by the MAR and IBT methods, and cervical mucus, after being dissolved, can be tested by the MIS (microscale method) or an indirect IBT procedure. Interpretations of the significance of sperm antibody have been passed on epidemiologic values and also on direct fertilization-inhibition studies. Treatment of the antibody problem has been based on several approaches, but the most promising approach has been the use of intermittent high-dose steroid medication. A number of studies have shown good results by this procedure of immunosuppression.
This article delineates the interpersonal function of suicidal behavior in children. Children's suicidal attempts have a major impact on their immediate surroundings and can be perceived as a mode of controlling the family or school. In order to highlight this approach, a case of epidemic suicidal attempts in a special education high school is presented. A systemic mode of intervention, consisting of an adolescents' group and a teachers' group within the school system, is described. The importance of implementing systemic modes in preventing suicide is outlined.
Two procedures were developed and evaluated that used either larger or smaller volumes for the detection of sperm antibodies in serum by means of an indirect immunobead test (IBT). The immunobeads, coated with rabbit antibody to each of the major human immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, or IgM), were mixed with preparations of donor sperm, onto which antibody had been coated by passive transfer from various serum samples. The results of the IBT could be evaluated in various ways: (1) positive or negative; (2) if positive, whether binding is to the tail, the head, or the head and tail of the sperm cells; (3) if positive, whether binding is by IgG, IgA, or IgM. The diverse IBT results were obtained from a group of 50 serum samples; these sera were also tested by two sperm agglutination methods; the gelatin agglutination test (GAT) and the tube-slide agglutination test (TSAT). There was an excellent agreement between the IBT and the GAT; it was not as good between the IBT and the TSAT. However, considering both agglutination methods together, 90% of the IBT-positive sera were agglutination-positive. In terms of morphological sites, tail binding occurred in 27 of 31 sera, head binding in 12 of 31 sera, and head-tail binding in 15 of 31 sera. The number with tail binding was very close to the number that were GAT-positive (26). As for the immunoglobulins, the most frequent class was IgG. IgA was 83% as frequent and IgM was only 25% as frequent as IgG.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Sperm antibody titers were evaluated in the serum of 73 infertile couples by the F-D and Kibrick agglutination tests, to study the relationship of the quality of post-coital tests and semen analysis. Thirty-eight couples had poor post-coital tests, fifteen couples had normal post-coital tests, and twenty couples revealed abnormal semen pictures of the males. In the first two groups, semen analysis was normal. The incidence of sperm antibodies was 10.5%, 6.6% in men, and 18.4%, 20.0% in women, with poor and normal post-coital tests, respectively. This suggests that sperm antibody testing is equally indicated in infertile couples with poor post-coital tests. In addition, there was no difference in the incidence of sperm antibodies in men with poor semen pictures and those with normal semen analysis in this infertile population. This suggests the significance of sperm antibody testing in infertile men with abnormal and normal semen pictures after correcting other infertility factors, in order to detect those patients who could benefit from treatment of such immunologic problems.
Crossed immunoelectrophoresis of human platelet membranes reveals a major antigen GPIIb-GPIIIa-Ca++ complex which is absent to decreased in Glanzmann's thrombasthenia. In our initial report, we also noted its absence in two patients with Bernard-Soulier syndrome associated with the presence of two neoantigens, and postulated that this may be due to endogenous proteolysis. It now appears that this observation is due to exogenous proteolysis from granulocyte-elastase contamination in the platelet membrane preparation. Purified elastase is capable of degrading the major antigen-Ca++ complex, particularly in its dissociated form, to the pattern initially reported for Bernard-Soulier platelets. Of particular interest is the observation that the elastase-degraded dissociated complex can be reassociated in the presence of Ca++. This indicates that the elastase-sensitive antigenic determinants recognized by the rabbit anti-human platelet membrane antibody are not required for the bonds which reassociate the complex.
Thirty-three intact families consisting of an adolescent referred for psychotherapy, and a sibling adolescent, were classified according to the Reiss Card Sorting Test. All the families fit two of the types described by the theory of Reiss, the consensus sensitive and the distance sensitive; none were from the environment sensitive. Significant differences were found to exist between the adolescents in these two family types on personality measures. The adolescents from consensus-sensitive families showed a higher level of psychological differentiation, a higher self-concept, and more mature object relations than adolescents from the distance-sensitive families. The results verify and broaden aspects of Reiss' theory and are discussed in consideration with the development that has taken place in family therapy and research. They suggest that the relationship between the family and the adjustment of its children can be better understood and predicted on the basis of the family type.
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