Ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) is a human autosomal recessive disorder of childhood characterized by: (1) progressive cerebellar ataxia with degeneration of Purkinje cells; (2) hypersensitivity of fibroblasts and lymphocytes to ionizing radiation; (3) a 61-fold and 184-fold increased cancer incidence in white and black patients, respectively; (4) non-random chromosomal rearrangements in lymphocytes; (5) thymic hypoplasia with cellular and humoral (IgA and IgG2) immunodeficiencies; (6) elevated serum level of alphafetoprotein; (7) premature ageing; and (8) endocrine disorders, such as insulin-resistant diabetes mellitus. A DNA processing or repair protein is the suspected common denominator in this pathology. Heterozygotes are generally healthy; however, the sensitivity of their cultured cells to ionizing radiation is intermediate between normal individuals and that of affected homozygotes. Furthermore, heterozygous females are at an increased risk of breast cancer. These findings, when coupled with an estimated carrier frequency of 0.5-5.0%, suggest that (1) as many as one in five women with breast cancer may carry the AT gene and that (2) the increased radiation sensitivity of AT heterozygotes may be causing radiation therapists to reduce the doses of radiation used for treating cancer in all patients. To identify the genetic defect responsible for this multifaceted disorder, and to provide effective carrier detection, we performed a genetic linkage analysis of 31 families with AT-affected members. This has allowed us to localize a gene for AT to chromosomal region 11q22-23.

Immune milk against Salmonella typhi murium. It is a well known fact that human milk protects the nursing infant from a number of enteral infections, e.g. salmonellosie. The protective effect is due to specific antibodies and several nonspecific factors. The protective agents are principally similar in the cow's milk. Because it is known that a certain part of antibodies in cow's milk pass the human intestine in intact form, also these might be useful weapons against enteral infections in man. We immunized five cows with a whole cell vaccine from a human pathogenic strain of Salmonella typhi murium. The vaccinations were carried out in the subcutaneous tissue and the mammary gland. High titers of antibodies against both the flagellary and somatic antigens were found in blood and milk. The titers were exeptionally high (up to 1:16384) in the colostrum of a cow vaccinated during the last weeks before term. The immune colostrum was added in the ratio one to one in yoghurt. The antibody titers in the yoghurt remained unchanged during one week in refrigerator. The immune yoghurt was administred in a dose of 0.9 l/day to carriers of Salmonella typhi murium. The preliminary results suggest that administration of the immune yoghurt may destroy Salmonella bacteria in the colon. 26 B. BJURKST~N~ and B. KAIJSERX (Intr. by J. Winberg).

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