No abstract

No abstract

An adult male with recurrent meningococcal infections is reported whose serum lacked functional C8 activity but possessed antigenic C8. The addition of 1500 U of purified C8/ml of serum restored hemolytic activity to normal. Four to five times more C8 was required to restore bactericidal activity than to restore hemolytic activity. Bactericidal activity could also be restored by mixing the patient's serum with a second C8-deficient serum that lacked detectable antigenic or functional C8. The patient's serum contained bactericidal antibody for groups A, B, C, and Y meningococci and specific antibody to group Y capsular polysaccharide. There was two to three times more bactericidal antibody activity in the serum than in a pool of normal sera for the infecting strain. Family studies disclosed a sibling who was HLA identical to the patient but whose serum contained normal amounts of total hemolytic and C8 functional activity.

No abstract

Tuberculosis has long been prevalent among elderly people. When tubercle bacilli first enter human bodies they usually remain through the rest of their hosts' lives and are capable of causing clinical disease any time, even in old age. In 1900, a large percentage of people of all ages were harboring tubercle bacilli and high mortality and case rates obtained among elderly people. The only way to solve the problem among future old people was to protect infants, children, and youths from becoming infected and remain so throughout life. As far as possible that was accomplished by isolating and treating tuberculosis patients in sanatoriums and hospitals, with anti-tuberculosis drugs after 1946, and controlling the disease among cattle. In due time, large numbers of children entered adulthood uninfected. From year to year, they replaced those heavily infected as they advanced in years. By 1973 the mortality rate was only a fraction of 1.0 per 100,000 among people under 34 years but of those of 65 to 84 years it was 9.7. The case rate was 28.1 for those older than 45 years. Although tuberculosis among the elderly has tapered off phenomenally, much time and work are necessary to accomplish eradication.