Abstract: Amorphous piretanide having the following characteristics a) exothermic peaks at about 136.degree. C. and about 209.degree. C., b) an endothermic peak at about 207.degree. C., and c) a melting peak at about 225.degree. C. in differential thermal curves; d) a halopattern without diffraction peak in X-ray powder diffraction analysis; and e) characteristic absorptions at around 1700 cm.sup.-1 and 3200-3500 cm.sup.-1 in infra-red absorption spectrum, and having a superior solubility around neutrality and a high bioavailability effective in the manner of oral or injection administration. Methods of preparing amorphous piretanide are also described.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a peptide having the following amino acid sequence:Ala-Xaa1-Leu-Xaa2-Phe-Xaa3-Xaa4-Xaa5-(Xaa6)n(wherein Xaa1 and Xaa4 each independently represents an amino acid residue which may have an alkyl or heteroalkyl side chain which may be substituted by a hydroxy, amino or guanidyl group;Xaa2 and Xaa6 each independently represents an amino acid residue which may have an alkyl or heteroalkyl side chain which may be substituted by a hydroxyl group;Xaa3 and Xaa5 each independently represents an amino acid residue which may have a hydrophobic side chain; andn stands for 1 or 0), or derivatives thereof; and a modification thereof.The peptide or derivatives thereof according to the present invention is useful as a pharmaceutical composition for the prevention and treatment of autoimmune diseases, rejection reaction attendant on the organ transplantation, inflammation or the like.

Abstract: A reagent for immunologically detecting rheumatism containing as an antigen at least one mammalian protein selected from among ezrin, radixin and moesin and/or a peptide composed of at least nine consecutive amino acid residues found in the amino acid sequences of ezrin, radixin and moesin; and a method of detecting autoantibodies present in the serum of a rheumatic. An immunological reaction using this reagent enables precritical or early diagnosis of rheumatism. An immunological detection using the above autoantigenic proteins is convenient and reliable as an early serodiagnostic method based on rheumatism-specific antigens.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical composition for prophylaxis or treatment of Type I allergic diseases which comprises as an active ingredient an anilide compound represented by the general formula (I) ##STR1## ?wherein R.sub.1 is a trifluoromethyl group, a halogen atom or a cyano group, R.sub.2 is a hydrogen atom or a straight or branched C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl group and R.sub.3 is a group of the formula (II) or (III) ##STR2## (wherein R.sub.4 is a straight or branched C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl group, a straight or branched C.sub.2 -C.sub.6 alkenyl group, a straight or branched C.sub.2 -C.sub.6 alkynyl group or a C.sub.2 -C.sub.6 cycloalkyl group) or a stereoisomer thereof or a physiologically acceptable salt thereof.The present composition remarkably inhibits the production of IgE, which is the direct cause of Type I allergic diseases, and it can radically prevent or cure Type I allergic diseases.