In order to compare the grading system for oligodendrogliomas described by M.T. Smith (1983) with the conventional grading system according to Kernohan (1938), specimens from 72 patients were graded according to both systems, and survival times of the patients were compared. Survival rates decline in older patients. No interaction between the age of the patient and the degree of the tumor was found. No influence of localization of the tumor on survival was found. Similar to the system of Kernohan, the grading system of Smith distinguishes between only three groups of patients with significantly different survival times. In Smith's Grade A and Kernohan's Grade 1 the longest survivals are found; while in Smith's Grade D and Kernohan's Grade 4 the shortest survivals are found. Smith's Grades B and C as well as Kernohan's Grades 2 and 3 were intermediate with respect to the survival times of the patients and did not significantly differ from each other. With the independently significant features (cell density, pleomorphism, and necrosis) evaluated according to simple on-off scoring, and with the reduction from four grades to three, the grading system according to Smith would provide a simple and good, concise grading system for oligodendrogliomas of the brain.

Intravenous Nimodipine was administered to 109 patients (65 female and 44 male) with either pre- or post-operative progressive neurological deterioration from cerebral vasospasm following subarachnoid hemorrhage from a ruptured aneurysm. In 91 of the patients the efficacy of Nimodipine in relieving ischemic symptoms was assessed and in all of the 109 patients the tolerance was evaluated. The aneurysms were related to following arteries: anterior communicating artery (41%), middle cerebral artery (24%), internal carotid artery (10%), vertebro-basilar arteries (4%) and others (5.5%); 11% of the patients had multiple aneurysms. On 16 of the 91 patients no surgery was performed. On 16% of the remaining 75 patients surgery was performed within 72 hours after the hemorrhage, 57% were operated between day 4 and day 15 and 29% after day 16. The ischemic neurological deficits occurred preoperatively in 67% of the patients and post-operatively in 23%. At the beginning of treatment 84% of the patients were graded III-V according to the Hunt and Hess grading system. Most of the patients received doses of 24-48 mg Nimodipine daily as constant i.v. infusion for 7-10 days. The grade of neurological deficit at the end of the treatment was evaluated according to the Glasgow Outcome Scale. 59 (65%) of the patients showed complete recovery or marked improvement of the ischemic symptoms while 22% remained unchanged and 11% died due to severe vasospasm. Administration of Nimodipine seemed to be more efficient in cases where treatment was started within 24 hours. In the patient group which was treated pre-operatively, recurrent hemorrhage was recorded in 8% of the patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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Two hundred and eight pregnancy sera were tested for the presence of antibodies specific for lymphocyte sub‐populations by using the isolated B and T lymphocytes from the women's mating partners. This was done by the microlymphocytotoxicity and the indirect immuno‐fluorescence techniques. Five sera (2.5%) reacted exclusively with B lymphocytes and sixty‐three sera (30.2%) reacted with both B and T lymphocytes; none of the sera was specific for T cells. Several sera, reacting with both B and T lymphocytes, were absorbed with platelets and this procedure revealed nine additional antisera specific for B lymphocyte antigens. Specificity studies on a panel of forty‐eight HLA—ABCD typed individuals indicated that most antisera possibly defined new B‐cell antigens. Family studies established that the antigens defined by these antisera were coded for by genes in the Major Histocompatibility Complex.