167
CORRESPONDENCE
be taken of them ever afterwards (e.g. in the cataloguing of the animal group to which they pertain, if for no other reason). I therefore ask you, Sir, to ensure that the correspondence initiated by Professor Gillett is still-born, lest we have rival proposals for the naming of these species published in your journal: a fluorescence of suggested names could only be a grave disservice to the painstaking efforts being made by the mosquito taxonomists to resolve the gambiae complex and its nomenclature. I am, etc., R. W. CROSSKEY Head, Diptera Section, Department of Entomology, British Museum (Natural History), London 26th September, 1975
Reference Gillett, J. D. (1975). The Anopheles gambiae complex; naming the sibling species. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 69, 366.
Custom and anaemia in infants SIR-The article by Dr. Fleischer (1975) in a recent issue of the Transactions was very much to the point. Correctly, it took the focus from the laboratory to the community, and in particular to the customs and practices which exist in all human societies. In relation to the practice of cutting the umbilical cord with a razor blade rather than with the sharp end of a corn stalk as in the old days, the difference in trauma produced by the two procedures needs emphasis. Placental mammals, including man until very recently, have not made a practice of putting a ligature on their offspring’s umbilical cord. However, biting through the cord or sawing through it with a not-too-sharp instrument presumably sent the blood vessels into spasm, thus minimizing haemorrhage. While smoothly efficient to use, the modern razor blade may have the disadvantage of being too atraumatic and thereby making it mandatory that the cord be securely tied. We are, etc., DERRICK B. JELLIFFE PATRICE JELLIFFE
E. F. Division of Population, Family and International Health, School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. 9th September, 1975
Reference Fleischer, N. K. F. (1975). A study of traditional practices and early childhood anaemia in Northern Nigeria. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 69,198200.
Antibodies to neurons in chronic Cbagas’ disease %+-Severe qualitative and quantitative alterations of the autonomic nervous system of the heart and other organs have been demonstrated in Chagas’ disease (K~BERLE, 1958, 1968, 1970 and 1974). A possibility worthy of consideration is that damage to nerve cells could occur as a consequence of an immuno-
logical reaction. In order to check this hypothesis 129 human sera of chagasic patients were searched for antibodies to neurons. Fifty normal sera were used as controls. The immunofluorescent technique was used in cryostat sections (-20°C) of new-born rat cerebellum using fluorescein-conjugated anti-IgG, anti-IgE, and anti-IgM. The sera were diluted to l/l0 in PBS, pH 72. Our results showed that 98 % of the chagasic patients presented IgG antibodies and 7% IgM antibodies to neurons. All control sera were negatives. These facts are in accordance with the hypothesis that immunological mechanisms might be involved in neuronal destruction in Chagas’disease. It is clear that further investigations are needed before these observations can be fully understood. We remain very grateful Sincerely yours, J.
R. RIBEIRO DOS SANTOS C. RAMPS DE OLIVEIRA M. A. ROSSI
Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, 14.100 - RibeirZo Preto - SP Brasil 5th September 1975
References Koberle, F. (1958). Megaesophagus. Gastroenterology, 34,460-465. Koberle, F. Chagas’ disease and Chagas’syndromes: the pathology of American trypanosomiasis. Advances in Parasitology, 6, 63-l 16. Kiiberle, F. (1970). The causation and importance of nervous lesions in American trypanosomiasis. Bulletin of the World Health Organization,
42,739-743.
Kiiberle, F. (1974). Pathogenesis of Chagas’ disease, in Trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis (with special reference to Chagas’ disease), Ciba Foundation Symposium 20 (new serie). Amsterdam. Associated Scientific Publishers. pp. 137-158. Plasmodium vivax tissue stage iu Saguinus geoffroyi SIR--Aotus, Ateles and Saimiri monkeys, and Saguinus marmosets (family Callithricidae), will support Plasmodium vivax infections induced by sporozoites (BAERG,
and YOUNG, 1969; YOUNG, BAERG and ROSSAN, 1971‘1. Exoervthrocvtic (EE) development of vivax malaria has been observed in the adove New World primates with the exception of Saguinus (DRAPER et al, 1971; COLLINS et al, 1973; BAERG et al, 1974; ROSSAN and BAERG, in press). We now have demonstrated an EE form in the marmoset and herein report this finding. A total of seven Saguinus was inoculated intrahepatically with vivax sporozoite suspensions derived separately from Anopheles albimanus after feeding on Aotus donors. The Achiote and Darien parasite lines of Panamanian origin were used, the former in six of the seven tests. Fourteen biopsies were taken from the marmosets between seven and 33 days after introduction of the mosquito stages. Comparative specimens also were obtained in three of the experiments, from four co-recipients (one Aotus, one Saimiri, two Ateles). An average of 300 sections, at 5~ each, were cut per animal. Upon examination of the Saguinus material, a single schizont (Achiote strain) was identified from a seven-day biopsy; a nine-day sample from the same host, the only PORTER
CORRESPONDENCE
be taken of them ever afterwards (e.g. in the cataloguing of the animal group to which they pertain, if for no other reason). I therefore ask you, Sir, to ensure that the correspondence initiated by Professor Gillett is still-born, lest we have rival proposals for the naming of these species published in your journal: a fluorescence of suggested names could only be a grave disservice to the painstaking efforts being made by the mosquito taxonomists to resolve the gambiae complex and its nomenclature. I am, etc., R. W. CROSSKEY Head, Diptera Section, Department of Entomology, British Museum (Natural History), London 26th September, 1975
Reference Gillett, J. D. (1975). The Anopheles gambiae complex; naming the sibling species. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 69, 366.
Custom and anaemia in infants SIR-The article by Dr. Fleischer (1975) in a recent issue of the Transactions was very much to the point. Correctly, it took the focus from the laboratory to the community, and in particular to the customs and practices which exist in all human societies. In relation to the practice of cutting the umbilical cord with a razor blade rather than with the sharp end of a corn stalk as in the old days, the difference in trauma produced by the two procedures needs emphasis. Placental mammals, including man until very recently, have not made a practice of putting a ligature on their offspring’s umbilical cord. However, biting through the cord or sawing through it with a not-too-sharp instrument presumably sent the blood vessels into spasm, thus minimizing haemorrhage. While smoothly efficient to use, the modern razor blade may have the disadvantage of being too atraumatic and thereby making it mandatory that the cord be securely tied. We are, etc., DERRICK B. JELLIFFE PATRICE JELLIFFE
E. F. Division of Population, Family and International Health, School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. 9th September, 1975
Reference Fleischer, N. K. F. (1975). A study of traditional practices and early childhood anaemia in Northern Nigeria. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 69,198200.
Antibodies to neurons in chronic Cbagas’ disease %+-Severe qualitative and quantitative alterations of the autonomic nervous system of the heart and other organs have been demonstrated in Chagas’ disease (K~BERLE, 1958, 1968, 1970 and 1974). A possibility worthy of consideration is that damage to nerve cells could occur as a consequence of an immuno-
logical reaction. In order to check this hypothesis 129 human sera of chagasic patients were searched for antibodies to neurons. Fifty normal sera were used as controls. The immunofluorescent technique was used in cryostat sections (-20°C) of new-born rat cerebellum using fluorescein-conjugated anti-IgG, anti-IgE, and anti-IgM. The sera were diluted to l/l0 in PBS, pH 72. Our results showed that 98 % of the chagasic patients presented IgG antibodies and 7% IgM antibodies to neurons. All control sera were negatives. These facts are in accordance with the hypothesis that immunological mechanisms might be involved in neuronal destruction in Chagas’disease. It is clear that further investigations are needed before these observations can be fully understood. We remain very grateful Sincerely yours, J.
R. RIBEIRO DOS SANTOS C. RAMPS DE OLIVEIRA M. A. ROSSI
Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, 14.100 - RibeirZo Preto - SP Brasil 5th September 1975
References Koberle, F. (1958). Megaesophagus. Gastroenterology, 34,460-465. Koberle, F. Chagas’ disease and Chagas’syndromes: the pathology of American trypanosomiasis. Advances in Parasitology, 6, 63-l 16. Kiiberle, F. (1970). The causation and importance of nervous lesions in American trypanosomiasis. Bulletin of the World Health Organization,
42,739-743.
Kiiberle, F. (1974). Pathogenesis of Chagas’ disease, in Trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis (with special reference to Chagas’ disease), Ciba Foundation Symposium 20 (new serie). Amsterdam. Associated Scientific Publishers. pp. 137-158. Plasmodium vivax tissue stage iu Saguinus geoffroyi SIR--Aotus, Ateles and Saimiri monkeys, and Saguinus marmosets (family Callithricidae), will support Plasmodium vivax infections induced by sporozoites (BAERG,
and YOUNG, 1969; YOUNG, BAERG and ROSSAN, 1971‘1. Exoervthrocvtic (EE) development of vivax malaria has been observed in the adove New World primates with the exception of Saguinus (DRAPER et al, 1971; COLLINS et al, 1973; BAERG et al, 1974; ROSSAN and BAERG, in press). We now have demonstrated an EE form in the marmoset and herein report this finding. A total of seven Saguinus was inoculated intrahepatically with vivax sporozoite suspensions derived separately from Anopheles albimanus after feeding on Aotus donors. The Achiote and Darien parasite lines of Panamanian origin were used, the former in six of the seven tests. Fourteen biopsies were taken from the marmosets between seven and 33 days after introduction of the mosquito stages. Comparative specimens also were obtained in three of the experiments, from four co-recipients (one Aotus, one Saimiri, two Ateles). An average of 300 sections, at 5~ each, were cut per animal. Upon examination of the Saguinus material, a single schizont (Achiote strain) was identified from a seven-day biopsy; a nine-day sample from the same host, the only PORTER
