Antigen-specific electrophoretic cell separation for immunological investigations

Preincubation of human blood lymphocytes with cell surface antigen specific antibodies under non-capping conditions reduces the electrophoretic mobility of the corresponding lymphocyte subpopulation. Antigen-positive and antigen-negative cells can be separated by free flow electrophoresis with high yield, purity and viability. The use of fluorescence-labelled second antibodies augments the induced decrease in net surface charge density, and allows rapid detection of antigen-positive cells in the fractions of electrophoresis. Carrier-free cell electrophoresis of human peripheral blood lymphocytes after reaction with anti-IgM-antibody or the monoclonal antibodies OKT4 or OKT8, and sandwich staining with tetrarhodamine isothiocyanate-labelled anti-IgG resulted in the large-scale separation of high pure human B and T lymphocyte subpopulations. Their functional integrity was shown in assays of lymphocyte transformation and of antigen-specific induction and regulation of antibody synthesis in vitro. These separate lymphocyte subpopulations are useful tools for immunological investigations. While, for instance, the effects of drugs on human lymphocytes are obscured by coincident changes in cell composition of the peripheral blood tested that do not by themselves reflect whole body immunocompetence, the cell separation and in vitro assays at a defined cell number and cell composition allow the recording of quantitative changes in the function of different cell subpopulations. We studied the influence of the anesthetic thiopental on separated human lymphocyte subsets. In both polyclonal lectin stimulation and in vitro antibody production, thiopental exhibited a noncytotoxic suppression of lymphocyte functions. B-Cells, T-helper and T-suppressor cells were equally affected and showed the same dose response.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS

Endoscopic cordectomy. A proposal for a classification by the Working Committee, European Laryngological Society.

The European Laryngological Society is proposing a classification of different laryngeal endoscopic cordectomies in order to ensure better definitions of post-operative results. We chose to keep the word "cordectomy" even for partial resections because it is the term most often used in the surgical literature. The classification comprises eight types of cordectomies: a subepithelial cordectomy (type I), which is resection of the epithelium; a subligamental cordectomy (type II), which is a resection of the epithelium, Reinke's space and vocal ligament; transmuscular cordectomy (type III), which proceeds through the vocalis muscle; total cordectomy (type IV); extended cordectomy, which encompasses the contralateral vocal fold and the anterior commissure (type Va); extended cordectomy, which includes the arytenoid (type Vb); extended cordectomy, which encompasses the subglottis (type Vc); and extended cordectomy, which includes the ventricle (type Vd). Indications for performing those cordectomies may vary from surgeon to surgeon. The operations are classified according to the surgical approach used and the degree of resection in order to facilitate use of the classification in daily practice. Each surgical procedure ensures that a specimen is available for histopathological examination