Familial Sneddon's syndrome

We report the familial occurrence and apparent autosomal dominant inheritance of Sneddon's syndrome with variable clinical expression. The proband, a 40-year-old woman, presented with livedo reticularis and progressive neurological deterioration following a stroke. The diagnosis was confirmed by cerebral angiogram and skin biopsy, both showing the characteristic findings. Two of the patient's sisters were reported to have been similarly affected in the past. Her mother, two additional siblings and five of her seven children exhibited various vasospastic skin phenomena. Familial aggregation of this disorder may be common and a genetic basis may be involved in its pathogenesis.     

中西医结合治疗缺血性脑血管病临床疗效观察

目的 回顾性分析中西医结合治疗缺血性脑血管病的疗效。方法 对126例缺血性脑血管病患者，在早期西医溶栓、抗凝、降低血液粘度、扩张血管和促进脑细胞代谢等治疗基础上，结合中医辩证施治治疗。结果 42例瘫肢肌力恢复达V级；48例肌力≥Ⅳ级，言语流畅；27例生活能基本自理，可依杖散步，肌力≥Ⅲ级：9例与治疗前对比肌力提高Ⅰ～Ⅱ级，但生活仍不能自理。结论 在西药治疗基础上，结合益气活血中药调理可显著提高患者的疗效。     

Gastro-duodenal digestion products of the major peanut allergen Ara h 1 retain an allergenic potential

BACKGROUND: The process of gastro-duodenal digestion may play a role in determining the allergenic properties of food proteins. The sensitizing and allergenic potential of digestion products of highly degraded allergens, such as the major peanut allergen Ara h 1, is currently under debate. We evaluated the effect of in vitro gastro-duodenal digestion of Ara h 1 on T cell reactivity and basophil histamine release. METHODS: An in vitro model of gastro-duodenal digestion was used to investigate changes in the allergenic properties of Ara h 1 using in vitro assays monitoring T cell reactivity (proliferation, cytokine production) and histamine release of basophils from peanut allergic individuals. The digestion process was monitored using an SDS-PAGE gel. RESULTS: In vitro gastric digestion led to rapid degradation of Ara h 1 into small fragments M(r) L5600. Gastric digestion did not affect the ability of Ara h 1 to stimulate cellular proliferation. Gastro-duodenal digestion significantly reduced its ability to stimulate clonal expansion (P<0,05; Wilxocon's signed rank test). The Th-2 type cytokine polarization of T cells from peanut allergic donors (IFN-gamma/IL-13 ratio and IFN-gamma/IL-4 ratio of CFSE(low) CD4(+) T cells) remained unchanged regardless of the level of digestion. Histamine release of basophils from peanut allergic individuals was induced to the same extent by native Ara h 1 and its digestion products. CONCLUSION: Gastro-duodenal digestion fragments of Ara h 1 retain T cell stimulatory and IgE-binding and cross-linking properties of the intact protein.     

急性缺血性脑血管疾病的药物序贯治疗

目的:探讨药物的序贯治疗对急性缺血性脑血管病的治疗效果。方法:随机分成去纤酶、奥扎格雷钠、盐酸丁格地尔序贯治疗组和使用肠溶阿斯匹林、复方丹参针对照组,治疗组和对照组在治疗前后作神经功能评估,患者的生活能力状态评价及脑循环血流变化的测定。结果:治疗组显效率76.1%,有效率8.7%,总有效率84.8%,对照组显效率23.5%,有效率14.7%,总有效率38.2%(P<0.05)。结论:药物序贯治疗急性缺血性脑血管病比常规治疗疗效显著。     

Use of an aortic connector system for vein grafting

OBJECTIVE: The aortic connector system was used to minimize cerebrovascular complications when performing the proximal anastomosis of vein grafts during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The goal of this study was to investigate the intermediate outcomes of patients undergoing CABG with the aortic connector system. METHODS: The aortic connector was used on nine patients undergoing CABG between November 2002 and July 2003. Intermediate outcomes of the patients were examined, and the results of coronary angiography, which were performed before patient discharge and at least 6 months after discharge, were evaluated. RESULTS: There were no operative deaths or cerebrovascular accidents. One patient died 9 months after discharge, one patient had angina, and the remaining seven patients were asymptomatic. When evaluating the results of angiography performed before patient discharge, two of the 21 distal vein graft anastomoses were occluded (patency rate, 90.5%), but there was no stenosis or occlusion at the proximal anastomoses sites that were performed using the aortic connector. When evaluating the results of the second angiography performed after patient discharge, four of the eight proximal anastomoses were patent, one was completely occluded, two had 90% stenosis and one had 75% stenosis. Further, four of the 18 distal anastomoses were occluded (patency rate, 77.8%). There was no significant difference in graft flow or device size when comparing patients with patent vein grafts and those with stenotic or occluded vein grafts. CONCLUSION: Intermediate outcomes of vein grafting using the aortic connector were suboptimal. Long-term outcome data are forthcoming.     

Secretory immunoglobulin‐A reactivity following increases in workload intensity using the Defined Intensity Stressor Simulation (DISS)

Previous work suggests that secretory immunoglobulin‐A (S‐IgA) reactivity is inversely related to the perceived demands of the stressor. The Defined Intensity Stressor Simulation (DISS) comprises eight stressor modules, and allows for the manipulation of stress either through increasing the number of modules, or increasing the workload of the modules. The current study assessed the effect of increasing the workload of four modules upon S‐IgA reactivity and perceived demands. Participants (N = 14) attended three sessions on consecutive days where they provided a timed saliva sample immediately before and after 5 min on the DISS at low, medium and high workload. Following each session participants recorded their perceptions of the task with regard to workload and levels of stress and arousal. Perceived workload and stress, but not arousal, increased in accordance with increases in workload, however, differential S‐IgA reactivity was observed. Low workload resulted in a slight increase in S‐IgA secretion; medium workload elicited significant up‐regulation, while down‐regulation of S‐IgA occurred following high workload. As DISS is analogous to a variety of working environments it is suggested that the observed S‐IgA reactivity is indicative of how individuals react to multi‐tasking environments when faced with increases in objective or perceived workload demands. As S‐IgA levels are related to protection from illness, down‐regulation of S‐IgA in those who perceive greater demands may lead to greater vulnerability to ill‐health. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Channges in regional cerebral blood flow after hyperventilation in the pig with an induced focal cerebral contusion

Summary Changes in regional cerebral blood flow in anaesthetized pigs with an induced focal cerebral contusion were studied before and after two grades of hyperventilation. A reduction in arterial tension of CO₂ with 0.70mmHg and a further reduction of 0.55mmHg did not change the CO₂ reactivity. Reactivity in both injured and macroscopically normal regions was the same, revealing an average of 39.3% flow change per kPa change in CO₂ tension. Regions with low flow after the contusion had an equally big reduction apparently leading to hypoxia because global metabolic rate was unchanged.     

2-甲基-7-亚甲基-1,4,6-三氧螺[4,4]壬烷与丙烯腈、丙烯酸甲酯的共聚合反应及竞聚率的测定

用高效液相色谱跟踪2-甲基-7-亚甲基-1,4,6-三氧螺[4,4]壬烷(MMTN)与丙烯腈(AN),丙烯酸甲酯(MA)的共聚合反应。根据Lowry-Meyer共聚积分方程式,采用插值法进行数据拟合测定单体的竞聚率。对于体系MMTN(M_1)-AN(M_2),r_1=0.048;r_2=0.213;MMTN(M_1)-MA(M_2)r_1=0.025,r_2=0.764。说明两组共聚体系均有较强的交替共聚趋势。     

Pronounced bronchial hyper-responsiveness and asthma severity

Summary. Fifty-six asthmatics from an asthma ward or from an asthma out-patient clinic were challenged with two low concentrations (0–03 and 0–012 mg) of metacholine chloride in order to assess the relationship between pronounced hyper-responsiveness and asthma severity in a clinical setting. Only inhaled bronchodilators were stopped before challenge. Asthma severity was assessed retrospectively and prospectively on the basis of treatment, number of days in hospital, intensive care, number of emergency visits and days on sick-leave. The results show that pronounced hyper-responsiveness (n= 28) is not associated with asthma severity. It is concluded that a single simplified test of pronounced bronchial hyper-responsiveness, performed without taking into consideration the actual state of the disease and without stopping all medication, is of no help in identifying the patients with the clinically most severe asthma and worst prognosis.,