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Elementary bodies of zoster and their serologic relation to varicella
436
THE
JOURNAL
OF' ALLERGY
not diminish hypersensitivity in guinea pigs, probably because of t,hc fact, that guinea pigs are not very sensitive to this tlrug. X0 effect on the course of sensitization could bc demonstrated as a result of injections of nrolphillnl-sc:ol)ol:ltrlirle, luminal or thyroglandol, excepting a transitory weskcming effected by luminal,
Tuberculin
in Treatment
M. S. 1212,
June
of Cutaneous 15, 1935.
Tubserculosis. Burnell-Jones,
H. 5.:
Brit.
It is still uncertain whether lupus can be cured by tuberculin, but further investigations are encouraged byL the improvement obtained in some cases. The author reports three cases that had persisted over a long period before tuberculin treatment was attempted. In one case improvement continued in spite of marked allergy. The fact is emphasized that the site of injection may det)ermine the type of reaction. Thus in some patients reacting to local injections in the arm, no reaction results if the injection is made between the shoulders. The quantity injected is increased by 10 per cent at each dose and the
Cutaneous Test of Syphilis and Its Significance Stein, R. 0.: Indian J. Ven. Dis. I: Qfi, 1035.
for Diagnosis
and Treatment.
Muller-Rrandt has rendered available a new cx’tract known as luotest for skin tests in syphilis. According to the present author, it is the first reliable specific preparation available for this purpose. Plammer reported positive reactions to luotest in 80 per cent of 106 cases of tertiary syphilis with various gummous lesions. The reaction becomes manifest as early as twenty-four hours after injection, appearing first as a brown papule surrounded by a red zone 1 cm. wide which at.tains the size of a silver dollar within from thirty-six to fort,y-eight hours. For diagnostic purposes a circumscribed red area with infiltration at its center constitutes a The infiltrate may be erythematous or papular. A negative repositive reaction. action definitely excIudes gumma, malignant syphilis, and congenital syphilis. In the latent stage of tertiary syphilis a negative Wassermann reaction may turn to positive shortly after the intense inflammation caused by the intracutaneous vaccine The genetic relation between the serologic reaction and the positive c,lsubsides. taneous reaction is considered as definitely demonstrated. Reactivation is due to activation of latent syphilitic foci, similar to the effect noted in cases of tuberculin reaction and trichophytjn reaction.
Elements c. R.:
Bodies of Zoster and Their Serologic Relation Brit.
J. Exper.
Path.
to Varicella.
Amies,
15: 314, 1934
confirm Pas&en ‘s findings of elementary The results of Amies ’ experiments bodies in zoster vesicle fluid. Pure suspensions of these bodies are agglutinated specifically by zoster convalescent serums and the evidence presented suggests that the zoster elementary body is the etiologic agent, of zoster. As regards the relation of zoster to varicella, cross agglutination tests did not give such uniform results as those obtained by the complement fixation methotl. Nrvert.heless the author believes that the high degree of specificity of the reaction lends significance to the positive results obtained.
SELECTED
437
ABSTRACTS
As monkeys hyperimmunized with human variola virus develop antivaceinal ag glutination and hyperimmunized antivaecinal serums from rabbits will agglutinate the failure to obtain cross agglutination in variola elementary body suspension, some of the present series of experiments may be explained in a similar manner. Recently Craigie demonstrated that a soluble antigen is responsible for the vaccinia flocculation reaction. This substance may be the same as the heat-stable precipitating substance isolate,d from autolysates of neuroraccinia rabbit testicles by Wilson Smith. Probably complement fixation reactions with aoster and varicella vesicle fluids depend more upon this soluble substance than upon the presence of intact bodies themselves. Flaring Up of Injection J. Immunol. F. A.:
Sites in Allergic 28: 321, 3935.
Guinea.
Pigs.
Dienes,
I,., and Simon,
The authors describe observations made on guinea pigs injected intracutaneously with human serum and turtle egg. In guinea pigs as in man, the flares are unquestionably of the delayed type and develop at the moment when the guinea pig begins to give a delayed t,ype of reaction to skin tests. Intravenous injections at this time cause no noticeable shock or temperature reaction. The nature of the antigen plays a considerable role in sensitization, and in the appearance or abWith egg white and horse serum, sence of flares both in man and in guinea pig. the authors have never seen flares in guinea pigs, although they pro.duce strong sensitiveness. Human serum produces flares in about one-fourth of the animals treated, while turtle egg is effective in nearly all. The influence of allergy on the development of early lesions receives support from observations here described. It is reasonable to assume that a portion of the antigen remains in the tissues in a latent condition, and when the sensitization appears in the skin, a slowly developing inflammatory reaction characterized by mononuclear infiltration begins. Microscopic study of the flares shows an in filtration with mononuclear cells. The incubation period and the type, of microscopic structure show many analogies to certain infectious lesions. As allergy develops both after infection and after treatment with turtle egg, it probably exerts an analogous effect on the development of the similar lesions in both. The appearance of an exanthem in a guinea pig injected with a large dose of human serum presents many analogies to human serum sickness, with the difference, however, that the exanthem is not fleeting but exists for several days. The ,difference between delayed and immediate reactions is certainly not simply quantitative, but the whole reaction mechanism is different; identification of the two types does not seem possible. The nature of the difference between the exanthem observed in guinea pigs and that in human serum sickness cannot, at present, be It is suggested that the developing allergy probably plays a role in the interpreted. tlerelopment of specific tissue reactions in lesions of certain infectious disease. Factors Affecting Rogin, James
Color of the Skin. Their Significance R., and Sheard, Charles: Arch. Dermat.
in Berlock Dermatitis. 32: 265, 1935.
The authors undertook the following experiment to test the concept that oil of bergamot sensitizes the skin to sun rays and thus leads to pigmentation. The following three sites were exposed to rays of a sun lamp: (1) skin site covered with oil of bergamot; (2) site covered wit,h 10 per c.ent tincture of oil of bergamot ; (3) an untreated (control) site. The three sites were regularly examined over a period of four to five weeks with the spectrophotometric system. It was found that the treated sites evidenced decreased sensitivity to sun rays and showed no more erythema or pigmentation than did the untreated site. It was concluded that berlock dermatitis is due to an individual hypersensitivity to chlorophyl or to perfume in. gredients.
THE
JOURNAL
OF' ALLERGY
not diminish hypersensitivity in guinea pigs, probably because of t,hc fact, that guinea pigs are not very sensitive to this tlrug. X0 effect on the course of sensitization could bc demonstrated as a result of injections of nrolphillnl-sc:ol)ol:ltrlirle, luminal or thyroglandol, excepting a transitory weskcming effected by luminal,
Tuberculin
in Treatment
M. S. 1212,
June
of Cutaneous 15, 1935.
Tubserculosis. Burnell-Jones,
H. 5.:
Brit.
It is still uncertain whether lupus can be cured by tuberculin, but further investigations are encouraged byL the improvement obtained in some cases. The author reports three cases that had persisted over a long period before tuberculin treatment was attempted. In one case improvement continued in spite of marked allergy. The fact is emphasized that the site of injection may det)ermine the type of reaction. Thus in some patients reacting to local injections in the arm, no reaction results if the injection is made between the shoulders. The quantity injected is increased by 10 per cent at each dose and the
Cutaneous Test of Syphilis and Its Significance Stein, R. 0.: Indian J. Ven. Dis. I: Qfi, 1035.
for Diagnosis
and Treatment.
Muller-Rrandt has rendered available a new cx’tract known as luotest for skin tests in syphilis. According to the present author, it is the first reliable specific preparation available for this purpose. Plammer reported positive reactions to luotest in 80 per cent of 106 cases of tertiary syphilis with various gummous lesions. The reaction becomes manifest as early as twenty-four hours after injection, appearing first as a brown papule surrounded by a red zone 1 cm. wide which at.tains the size of a silver dollar within from thirty-six to fort,y-eight hours. For diagnostic purposes a circumscribed red area with infiltration at its center constitutes a The infiltrate may be erythematous or papular. A negative repositive reaction. action definitely excIudes gumma, malignant syphilis, and congenital syphilis. In the latent stage of tertiary syphilis a negative Wassermann reaction may turn to positive shortly after the intense inflammation caused by the intracutaneous vaccine The genetic relation between the serologic reaction and the positive c,lsubsides. taneous reaction is considered as definitely demonstrated. Reactivation is due to activation of latent syphilitic foci, similar to the effect noted in cases of tuberculin reaction and trichophytjn reaction.
Elements c. R.:
Bodies of Zoster and Their Serologic Relation Brit.
J. Exper.
Path.
to Varicella.
Amies,
15: 314, 1934
confirm Pas&en ‘s findings of elementary The results of Amies ’ experiments bodies in zoster vesicle fluid. Pure suspensions of these bodies are agglutinated specifically by zoster convalescent serums and the evidence presented suggests that the zoster elementary body is the etiologic agent, of zoster. As regards the relation of zoster to varicella, cross agglutination tests did not give such uniform results as those obtained by the complement fixation methotl. Nrvert.heless the author believes that the high degree of specificity of the reaction lends significance to the positive results obtained.
SELECTED
437
ABSTRACTS
As monkeys hyperimmunized with human variola virus develop antivaceinal ag glutination and hyperimmunized antivaecinal serums from rabbits will agglutinate the failure to obtain cross agglutination in variola elementary body suspension, some of the present series of experiments may be explained in a similar manner. Recently Craigie demonstrated that a soluble antigen is responsible for the vaccinia flocculation reaction. This substance may be the same as the heat-stable precipitating substance isolate,d from autolysates of neuroraccinia rabbit testicles by Wilson Smith. Probably complement fixation reactions with aoster and varicella vesicle fluids depend more upon this soluble substance than upon the presence of intact bodies themselves. Flaring Up of Injection J. Immunol. F. A.:
Sites in Allergic 28: 321, 3935.
Guinea.
Pigs.
Dienes,
I,., and Simon,
The authors describe observations made on guinea pigs injected intracutaneously with human serum and turtle egg. In guinea pigs as in man, the flares are unquestionably of the delayed type and develop at the moment when the guinea pig begins to give a delayed t,ype of reaction to skin tests. Intravenous injections at this time cause no noticeable shock or temperature reaction. The nature of the antigen plays a considerable role in sensitization, and in the appearance or abWith egg white and horse serum, sence of flares both in man and in guinea pig. the authors have never seen flares in guinea pigs, although they pro.duce strong sensitiveness. Human serum produces flares in about one-fourth of the animals treated, while turtle egg is effective in nearly all. The influence of allergy on the development of early lesions receives support from observations here described. It is reasonable to assume that a portion of the antigen remains in the tissues in a latent condition, and when the sensitization appears in the skin, a slowly developing inflammatory reaction characterized by mononuclear infiltration begins. Microscopic study of the flares shows an in filtration with mononuclear cells. The incubation period and the type, of microscopic structure show many analogies to certain infectious lesions. As allergy develops both after infection and after treatment with turtle egg, it probably exerts an analogous effect on the development of the similar lesions in both. The appearance of an exanthem in a guinea pig injected with a large dose of human serum presents many analogies to human serum sickness, with the difference, however, that the exanthem is not fleeting but exists for several days. The ,difference between delayed and immediate reactions is certainly not simply quantitative, but the whole reaction mechanism is different; identification of the two types does not seem possible. The nature of the difference between the exanthem observed in guinea pigs and that in human serum sickness cannot, at present, be It is suggested that the developing allergy probably plays a role in the interpreted. tlerelopment of specific tissue reactions in lesions of certain infectious disease. Factors Affecting Rogin, James
Color of the Skin. Their Significance R., and Sheard, Charles: Arch. Dermat.
in Berlock Dermatitis. 32: 265, 1935.
The authors undertook the following experiment to test the concept that oil of bergamot sensitizes the skin to sun rays and thus leads to pigmentation. The following three sites were exposed to rays of a sun lamp: (1) skin site covered with oil of bergamot; (2) site covered wit,h 10 per c.ent tincture of oil of bergamot ; (3) an untreated (control) site. The three sites were regularly examined over a period of four to five weeks with the spectrophotometric system. It was found that the treated sites evidenced decreased sensitivity to sun rays and showed no more erythema or pigmentation than did the untreated site. It was concluded that berlock dermatitis is due to an individual hypersensitivity to chlorophyl or to perfume in. gredients.