Marked hypodiploidy in blast phase chronic myelogenous leukemia: report of a case and review of the literature

The emergence of a near-haploid clone of cells in blast phase chronic myelogenous leukemia is an unusual event. We report such a case and review eight other cases described in the English literature. The significance of the substantial loss of genetic material is discussed as is the phenotypic and genotypic heterogeneity observed in this group of patients.     

慢性肺心病左心功能探讨

通过42例重型肺心病、7例轻型肺心病、16例肺心病伴发冠心病患者和30例正常人在静息状态下的左右心脏射血分数及其临床资料的分析表明,重型肺心病患者在病情的急性发作期,存在有不同程度的左心功能不全,而轻型肺心病患者则无左心功能不全的表现。表明慢性肺心病仅在病程晚期,才由以右心为主的疾病发展成为全心病。本文还对重型肺心病与肺心病伴发冠心病患者的左心功能进行比较,结果表明,肺心病伴发冠心病患者左室功能受损程度更为明显,双重病因导致的左室功能减退,常造成心肌更严重的损害而且不容易恢复。     

硝基胍的毒性研究

目的对硝基胍的毒性进行研究,为制订卫生标准提供依据.方法包括急性毒性试验、蓄积毒性试验及亚慢性毒性试验.结果硝基胍大鼠经口LD50为8 066 mg/kg,小鼠经口LD50为10 044 mg/kg,蓄积系数大于5.3.亚慢性毒性试验中,高剂量组雄性大鼠在染毒第3周和第8周,体重有明显的负增长(P＜0.05);高剂量组雄性大鼠睾丸脏器系数明显高于对照组(P＜0.05);红细胞免疫功能测定结果显示,中、高剂量组大鼠红细胞受体花环率分别为10.00±2.37和7.50±2.66,明显低于对照组(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).其余各项指标未见明显改变.结论硝基胍属于微毒级毒物,轻度蓄积,亚慢性毒性试验对动物有一定的影响.     

Detection of hepatocellular carcinoma after interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis C: Clinical study of 26 cases

The clinical findings in 26 patients in whom hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was detected after the start of interferon (IFN) therapy for chronic hepatitis C were analysed. Histological study before IFN therapy showed that 34.6% of patients were categorized as stage 3 (septal fibrosis with architectural distortion; the 0–4 scale) and 80.8% demonstrated at least some evidence of septal fibrosis or more advanced features. The AFP levels examined before IFN therapy were more than 20 ng/mL in 13 patients (84.6% of those studied). One of 26 patients had a complete response to IFN therapy, while six of 26 patients had only a partial response. HCC was detected within 1 year after the start of IFN therapy in 76.9% of patients. Thus, the possibility of the early occurrence of HCC or its existence at the time of therapy should be seriously considered when IFN therapy is contemplated. Patients with stage 3 or 3–4 histology may already have a small undetectable HCC before IFN therapy. Thus, for this reason, every patient treated with IFN should be examined at short regular intervals for the development of HCC during and after IFN therapy.     

Carbon dioxide recruitment threshold as a predictor of successful weaning in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients: A pilot study

Abstract Several methods have been used to predict successful weaning and extubation among chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. The objective of this study is to determine whether carbon dioxide recruitment threshold (PCO₂RT) can be used as adjunct to conventional weaning parameters to predict early weaning and successful extubation. Twelve COPD patients who were ready to be extubated based on conventional weaning parameters were divided into group A ( n = 7) and group B ( n = 5). Group A were those patients with better weaning parameters and hence a higher probability of successful extubation as compared to group B. Carbon dioxide apnoeic threshold (PCO₂AT) was obtained by hyperventilating the patient using an increment of two breaths per min until apnoea occurs. At this point, the PCO₂AT or the PaCO₂ during said apnoeic period was recorded. A dead space of 150 cc is then added to the circuit until the patient starts to breathe as evidenced by the sensitivity trigger indicator. The PCO₂ obtained at this period is termed PCO₂RT. After weaning for 30 min on a T-tube, another arterial blood gas is determined and this is called the PCO₂SB or the CO₂ level after 30 min on spontaneous breathing. If the PCO₂SB-PCO₂RT difference is high with a sensitivity of 85.71% and specificity of 100% vs sensitivity of 57.14% and specificity of 60% using the conventional weaning parameters. Thus an increase in PCO₂SB at 30 min T-tube is indicative of impending respiratory pump failure and that other causes of failure to wean must be investigated.     

Asymptomatic autoimmune chronic active hepatitis in a male adolescent

We report a 12-year-old boy presenting with smooth muscle antibody-positive auto-immune chronic active hepatitis. Suspicion of the diagnosis arose after a routine blood test which revealed abnormal liver function tests. In spite of the presence of cirrhosis and patchy necrosis on liver biopsy, our patient never showed any clinical feature of impaired liver function. This observation demonstrates that auto-immune hepatitis may exist for a long time before clinical symptoms appear and probably explains why some cases of auto-immune hepatitis finally present as fulminant liver failure.     

环形电刀切除术治疗慢性宫颈炎的临床研究

目的 探讨环形电刀切除术治疗慢性宫颈炎的临床价值。方法 回顾性分析经环形电刀切除术治疗的慢性宫颈炎病人1632例，其中958例行宫颈炎性病灶消融术，511例行宫颈环切术。163例行宫颈锥切术。比较不同术式的术中出血量、手术时间、疗效以及手术并发症发生情况。结果 环形电刀切除术对各种类型慢性宫颈炎的总治愈率达95．8％，总有效率为100％，各术组间治疗效果无明显差异。手术时间及术中、术后出血量最大的为宫颈锥切组，其次是宫颈环切组，再次为病灶消融术组。术后有4．4％的患者出血量超过月经量。需再次止血。结论 环形电刀切除术是治疗慢性宫颈炎的一种安全而有效的方法，适当的操作方法可减少并发症的发生。宫颈病灶消融术效果好而并发症更少。     

Accumulation of cyanide and thiocyanate in haemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: Cyanide is a toxic agent, and its detoxification product, thiocyanate, may be a major pathogenetic substance in uraemia. Recent studies examining the myeloperoxidase(MPO)/thiocyanate system have suggested a link between thiocyanate and atherosclerosis. However, inaccuracies in conventional assays for cyanide and thiocyanate have limited the understanding of their metabolism in haemodialysis (HD) patients. METHODS: We used high-performance liquid chromatography to measure cyanide in erythrocytes and thiocyanate in plasma in 43 HD patients and in a group of 46 healthy controls that included 15 current smokers. To clarify the metabolic conversion of cyanide to thiocyanate in uraemic patients, we also measured cysteine and sulfate. We then used stepwise regression analysis to analyse factors that determine erythrocyte cyanide and plasma thiocyanate. RESULTS: Mean cyanide and thiocyanate were significantly greater in HD patients than in non-smoking controls. However, cyanide was far below lethal concentrations in dialysis patients. Thiocyanate was six to seven times greater in HD patients than in non-smoking controls, and decreases in thiocyanate following dialysis were only 19.3+/-3.5%. Multiple regression analysis showed a positive correlation between cyanide and thiocyanate in controls, but a negative correlation in HD patients. In patients, an inverse relationship between thiocyanate and BUN was also observed. CONCLUSIONS: The elevation of thiocyanate in patients undergoing dialysis probably is secondary to both limited efficiency of HD and deranged metabolism of cyanide and thiocyanate. Because thiocyanate is a preferred substrate for MPO, it may play a role in uraemic complications including cardiovascular events.