Menstrual Abnormalities, Nutritional Patterns, and Body Composition in Female Classical Ballet Dancers

In brief: Classical ballet is a demanding discipline that until recently has been largely ignored by the medical and exercise communities. The authors studied the nutritional habits of 34 high-level classical ballet dancers during three days of a typical rehearsal week and found that they consumed only 71.6% of the recommended daily allowance for nutrients. Their average percent body fat was 16.9%. Many (17) had menstrual abnormalities, 15 had secondary amenorrhea, and 11 cited irregularities they felt were directly due to dancing. No statistical correlation could be found between the reported menstrual abnormalities and percent body fat or the age they began training.

Autoimmune reactivity in Cogan's syndrome: a preliminary report

Autoimmune inner ear disease was first described by McCabe in 1979. The diagnosis is supported by cell-mediated immune responses to inner ear membrane antigen stimulation. Cogan's syndrome consists of vestibuloauditory dysfunction, ocular inflammation, and nonreactive serologic tests for syphilis. The ocular disease can be controlled by steroids; unfortunately, some patients ultimately become totally deaf. An autoimmune etiology has long been suspected but only recently confirmed by McCabe. In our study two patients with Cogan's syndrome were studied for autoimmune inner ear disease with the use of both cellular and humoral immune tests. Results were compared to normal control subjects. On the basis of test results, preliminary conclusions were that (1) the vestibuloauditory symptoms of Cogan's syndrome are autoimmune in origin; (2) the autoimmune process is mediated through cellular rather than humoral (antibody) pathways; (3) systemic steroids may suppress positive test results; and (4) test results are more likely to be positive when symptoms are acute. Therapeutic implications are significant: the addition of cytotoxic drugs to steroids in selected cases may help prevent total deafness that otherwise might be inevitable.

Serum beta 2-microglobulin and interferon in homosexual males: relationship to clinical findings and serologic status to the human T lymphotropic virus (HTLV-III)

The identification of the human T cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV-III) as the presumed etiologic agent for AIDS has stimulated a re-examination and allowed better understanding of many of the immunologic abnormalities described in high risk individuals with and without clinical disease. Currently needed are useful predictors of clinical progression which will allow better counselling, earlier diagnosis and effective treatment of high risk individuals. We have examined the principles of test selection including sensitivity, specificity, predictive value and overall test efficiency for serum beta 2 microglobulin (beta 2M), serum interferon (IFN) and antibody to HTLV-III (HTLV-III Ab) in a group of 113 homosexual men and 62 controls. The presence of HTLV-III Ab and elevated serum beta 2M appear to be the most sensitive markers of immune dysregulation in the study group but also proved to be the least specific. Rising levels of serum beta 2M correlated with clinical severity where HTLV-III Ab positivity did not. The detection of elevated levels of acid labile serum IFN alpha was most specific for full-blown AIDS and was overall the most efficient test when compared with HTLV-III Ab, serum beta 2M and lymphocyte subpopulations. We believe that further examinations of the principles of test selection for immunologic abnormalities in AIDS may lead to potential applications for these tests in patient management.

Development of systemic lupus erythematosus after thymectomy for myasthenia gravis. Studies of suppressor cell function

Systemic lupus erythematosus developed in an 18-year-old man three years after thymectomy for myasthenia gravis. The patient had considerable defects in suppressor cell function that seemed to be partially reversed in vitro by the addition of thymic hormone.

Allogeneic suppression of polyclonal immunoglobulin production in normals and patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

T lymphocytes suppressing in vitro polyclonal immunoglobulin production can be activated by allogeneic stimuli or concanavalin A (Con A). These cells are deficient in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In order to investigate the cellular requirements for this effect, we studied IgM and IgG biosynthesis by (a) normal and SLE lymphocytes cultured with pokeweed mitogen (PWM) and mitomycin C-blocked allogeneic normal or SLE lymphocytes, and (b) by normal and irradiated lymphocytes cultured with PWM and with Con A-pretreated normal and irradiated allogeneic and autochthonous blocked lymphocytes. Results showed that blocked allogeneic normal cells or blocked Con A-pretreated, normal or irradiated, autochthonous or allogeneic cells served as potent stimuli for suppression of immunoglobulin biosynthesis by normal responder cells, but not by SLE responder cells. This suggests that Con A stimulates a radioresistant suppressor inducer cell which in turn activates a radiosensitive, proliferation-dependent suppressor effector cell; the latter can also be activated by allogeneic stimulation and is deficient in SLE.

Familial late complement component (C6, C7) deficiency with chronic meningococcemia

Two patients with chronic meningococcemia were found to lack hemolytic complement, one because of C6 deficiency, the other because of C7 deficiency. In both cases family studies were consistent with inheritance of the deficiencies as non-HLA-linked, autosomal co-dominant traits. Functional studies showed the deficient sera to support monocyte chemotaxis but not phagocytosis or lysis of meningococci. Both patients have remained well following antibiotic treatment.

Deficiency of T cell mediated regulation of anti-DNA production in systemic lupus erythematosus

Isolated B cells from normal subjects and patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) could be stimulated to produce IgM anti-DNA with pokeweed mitogen. Normal but not SLE allogeneic T cells abrogated this response. Normal but not SLE autologous T cells promoted a switch from IgM to IgG anti-DNA production. SLE is characterized by at least two types of immunoregulatory abnormalities: a defect in T suppressor function and a defect in the IgM to IgG switchover.

Development of antinuclear antibodies during acebutolol therapy

Eleven patients were studied while taking the beta blocker acebutolol for a period ranging from 12 to more than 24 wk. Control titers for fluorescent antinuclear antibody (ANA) were obtained in all. Serial testing was performed over the duration of the therapy and following its discontinuation. Additional immunologic testing was performed in most patients. The patients were observed closely for the development of clinical autoimmune disease. Using a sensitive assay, fluorescent ANA developed in 8 of 9 patients with negative values in the control period. In no patient has evidence of clinical autoimmune disease developed. In general, the titers of ANA tended to rise with increasing duration of therapy and decline after its discontinuation. Positive lupus erythematosus cell preparations were also observed in several patients. These data suggest that autoantibodies are frequently induced by acebutolol and, although no evidence of clinical autoimmune disease has been reported, immunologic surveillance is warranted.