A 62-year-old man with classical signs of polymyalgia rheumatica for one year suddenly developed fatal renal failure, despite treatment with steroids. Autopsy showed disseminated giant cell arteritis in the kidneys, pancreas, oesophagus, and larynx, with the most pronounced changes in the kidneys. All intrarenal arteries and arterioles were affected. The changes ranged from occlusive intimal proliferation to severe fibrinoid necrosis in the whole arterial wall. Fibrinoid necrosis was also found in the afferent and efferent arteries and several thromboses were seen in the glomeruli. It is not known why this apparently non-complicated case of polymyalgia rheumatica suddenly turned into a fatal case of disseminated giant cell arteritis. The only precipitating factor to be incriminated seems to be a reduction in the corticosteroid dose. This case adds further support to suggestions of the existence of a distinct type of systemic giant cell arteritis.
Brain tumors were induced in Sprague-Dawley and Long-Evans rats by administration of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea in the drinking water. Of these tumors, a grade 2 mixed glioma, a grade 2 to 3 astrocytoma and a grade 1 to 2 oligodendroglioma were established in vitro, maintained in culture and designated 75SD-G-376, 75SD-G-420 and 77LE-G-180, respectively. Of these mass cultures, two were successfully cloned and are currently available as 75SD-G-376C and 75SD-G-420C cell lines. Clonal lines produce S-100 protein and grow as tumors when isografted in young rats. Using the cultured cells as target cells , specific antibodies were searched for in the sera of the rats with the primary tumors by means of an indirect fluorescent antibody staining method and a complement-dependent antibody-mediated microcytotoxicity assay. Fluorescent and cytotoxic antibodies were demonstrated in the sera of the mixed glioma- and astrocytoma-bearing animals. However, a variable proportion of cells of the 75SD-G-376 and 75SD-G-420 lines showed no reaction with the corresponding sera. Furthermore, cytotoxic antibodies had a lytic effect on the autologous glioma cells only in the presence of rabbit complement.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.