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CD95 (Fas) is known to mediate activation-induced T-cell death by apoptosis. To understand the role of CD95 during the course of bacterial infection, we examined the kinetics of ␣␤ and ␥␦ T cells in the peritoneal cavities and livers of 5-week-old CD95-defective MRL/lpr mice after an intraperitoneal infection with Listeria monocytogenes. The number of bacteria in the spleen decreased to an undetectable level by day 10 after infection with 7 ؋ 10 3 Listeria cells similar to the number in MRL/؉/؉ mice. The number of ␣␤ T cells expressing CD44 and CD95 reached a maximum in the peritoneal cavity on day 6 after listerial infection and thereafter decreased gradually in MRL/؉/؉ mice, whereas CD44 ؉ ␣␤ T cells without CD95 expression continued to increase throughout the course of listerial infection in MRL/lpr mice. Freshly isolated T cells from MRL/؉/؉ mice infected with L. monocytogenes 10 days previously showed DNA fragmentation with apoptosis, whereas such fragmentation was not prominent in T cells from infected MRL/lpr mice. In correlation with the increased number of CD44 ؉ ␣␤ T cells, Listeria-specific T-cell proliferation of peritoneal exudate cells was significantly greater in MRL/lpr mice than in MRL/؉/؉ mice on day 10 after listerial infection. In contrast to ␣␤ T cells, ␥␦ T cells increased in number only transiently in the peritoneal cavity and liver after listerial infection in both MRL/lpr mice and MRL/؉/؉ mice. These results suggest that CD95-mediated cell death with apoptosis may be involved in termination of the ␣␤-T-cell-mediated immune response after the battle against L. monocytogenes has been won, whereas ␥␦ T cells may undergo apoptosis independently of CD95 during the course of listerial infection.

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Searching for the best procedure for simultaneous estimation of the anterior pituitary hormones, extraction efficiencies of various media, additives such as urea and triton X-100, and physical treatments such as freezing-thawing (F-T) and sonication, were examined by measuring prolactin (PRL), growth hormone (GH), lutropin (LH), follitropin (FSH), and thyrotropin (TSH) in the extracts. Ethanolic media (60% EtOH) gave high yields of PRL at neutral to alkaline pH, but poor extraction of GH accompanied by a marked loss of its immunoat high pH. Aqueous media like PBS at various pH, 0.1 M acetic acid and distilled water were considerably effective in the extraction of GH, LH, FSH and TSH if they were coupled with F-T and sonication. However, high yields of PRL could not be obtained with these aqueous media even with F-T and sonication. Hartree's 40% EtOH-6% ammonium acetate, pH 5

Inflammatory carotid artery aneurysm is a rare complication of acute paranasal sinusitis. A 50-year-old female presented with a ruptured giant carotid artery aneurysm secondary to infection of the sphenoid sinus and cavernous sinus. She had been healthy until 5 days before admission, when she developed orbital phlegmon and meningitis. She received antibiotic therapy for 10 days. Computed tomography (CT) of the brain 2 days after admission showed no abnormality. However, repeat CT on day 6 showed a round isodense mass in the suprasellar cistern suggesting a cerebral aneurysm. Twelve days after admission, she suffered a fatal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Cerebral angiography revealed a giant left cavernous carotid artery aneurysm with a very irregular shape. Autopsy found sphenoid sinusitis and osteomyelitis extending into the cavernous sinuses. Diagnosis of bacterial inflammatory aneurysms before rupture is very important. Appropriate surgical intervention should be considered if there is enlargement of the original aneurysm or appearance of a new aneurysm indicating a potentially dangerous situation.