Morphologic evaluation of the liver in hereditary angioedema patients on long-term treatment with androgen derivatives

17 alpha-Alkylated androgens are highly effective in preventing attacks in HAE patients. These drugs, however, seem to be implicated in the development of cholestatic jaundice, peliosis hepatis, and liver tumors. In order to assess the risk-benefit balance of the long-term therapy with androgen derivatives, a follow-up investigation was performed in 13 HAE patients. The results of this study indicate that long-term treatment (15 to 47 mo) with low doses of danazol or stanozolol does not induce significant hepatic damage detectable by laboratory tests or liver biopsy. However, the limited number of patients, although in a rather long period of observation, still suggests a careful control and the use of minimal effective doses.     

Genomic instability occurs in colorectal carcinomas but not in adenomas

Genomic instability, as demonstrated by the presence of additional alleles at short tandemly repeated (STR) loci, has recently been observed in colorectal tumours from individuals with hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), and in some sporadic tumours. These neoplasms have been called replication error positive (RER⁺). In this study, we confirm the presence of genomic instability in a proportion of unselected colorectal carcinomas but find no evidence of instability in adenomas. We further report replication errors in a tetranucleotide sequence, and in STRs within two tumour suppressor genes. 108 colorectal adenocarcinomas and 46 adenomas were analysed for the presence of variant bands at 4–15 microsatellite markers. Seven (6.5%) of carcinomas were RER⁺, four of which originated from the proximal colon. Analysis of the adenomas and of matched adenoma-carcinoma and carcinoma-metastatic samples from four patients suggests that the replication errors may occur during the development of carcinomas but are rare in adenomas. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Hereditary uroporphyrinogen-decarboxylase deficiency predisposing porphyria cutanea tarda (chronic hepatic porphyria) in females after oral contraceptive medication

Summary Porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) was diagnosed in 27 women aged 23–48 years (mean, 35 years) who had been under oral-hormonal-contraceptive medication for 1–18 years, in 3 women under substitutional estrogen treatment in the menopause, and in 2 men aged 65 and 76 years after estrogen treatment of prostatic carcinoma. In all patients, total urinary porphyrin excretion was elevated, with an average uro-and heptacarboxyporphyrin predominance of 88%, thus proving PCT. On the patients, 84% showed a significant decrease of erythrocyte uroporphyrinogen-decarboxylase (UD; EC 4.1.1.37) activity to 50% of control levels suggesting a hereditary predisposition for the development of a chronic hepatic porphyria. Estrogens and alcohol are capable of reducing hepatic UD activity. Women with hereditary red cell UD deficiency may be regarded as predisposed to PCT when under estrogen intake, especially in combination with the potentiating influence of alcohol and chronic liver disease. Normal erythrocyte UD values in patients with additive alcohol consumption may implicate a stronger inhibitory effect for alcohol on UD, suggesting a merely toxic form of chronic hepatic porphyria.     

Leber遗传性视神经病变24例临床分析

回顾分析了 2 4例 ( 4 8眼 )Leber遗传性视神经病变的临床特征。患者年龄从 1 2岁到 44岁 ,平均 ( 2 0 3± 7 2 )岁 ,男性占 83%。发病典型者多为 1眼无痛性视力下降。视力下降程度从眼前手动到 1 2 ,其中 40眼 ( 83% )≤ 0 1。视野缺损主要为中心暗点或旁中心暗点 ,色觉障碍严重。本组部分病例发病早期有特征性眼底改变 ,包括视盘明显充血 ,视盘周围小血管扩张迂曲 ,神经纤维层水肿。眼底荧光血管造影视盘及盘缘血管无荧光素渗漏。     

用组织多普勒技术评价扩张型心肌病室壁运动

目的　用组织多普勒技术分析扩张型心肌病 (DCM)室壁运动。方法　选择 DCM患者和正常对照各 30例 ,用组织多普勒技术于胸骨旁长轴检测室间隔及左室后壁中间段短轴方向心肌运动速度 (MV) ,并计算心肌运动速度阶差 (MVG) ;经心尖窗检测左室前、后、下、侧壁和前、后室间隔中间段长轴方向 MV。结果　 DCM组患者有 4种 MV频谱异常表现 ,且 MV明显低于对照组 (P<0 .0 5 ) ,并以长轴为甚 ;MVG明显减低 (P<0 .0 5 ) ;室壁各种速度差异消失。结论　组织多普勒技术可定量反映 DCM患者室壁运动异常     

黄芪多糖对糖尿病大鼠心肌超微结构的影响

目的 观察黄芪多糖（APS）对链脲左菌素（STZ）糖尿病大鼠物质代谢、心肌超微结构的影响。方法 SD大鼠腹腔注射STZ以建立糖尿病模型（DM）,成模后分组,APS组每日给予黄芪多糖灌胃,DM组每日给予生理盐水灌胃作为对照。另设一正常对照组。实验6周后采血,测血糖、血脂,电镜观察心肌超微结构,原子吸收光谱测心肌钙含量。结果 APS组的血糖、三酰甘油水平和心肌钙含量较DM组明显降低,电镜下心肌超微结构的异常明显减轻。结论 APS可以改善STZ糖尿病大鼠的物质代谢,对其心肌超微结构也有保护作用。     

扩张性心肌病患者骨代谢指标状况及其临床意义

目的探究扩张性心肌病(dilated cardiomyopathy,DCM)患者骨代谢指标水平状况及其临床意义。方法选取2016年3月至2018年3月在我院诊治的DCM患者48例作为研究对象并归入DCM组,选择同期在我院接受健康体检的成年人30名归入健康组,测定和比较两组的血清骨钙素(BGP)、钙(ICa)、骨特异性碱性磷酸酶(BALP)、甲状旁腺激素(PTH)、25羟基维生素D_3[25(OH) D_3]等骨代谢指标水平,以及大粗隆、股骨颈、腰椎等部位的骨密度(BMD),分析骨代谢指标BGP、ICa、BALP、PTH和25(OH) D_3分别与患者年龄、DCM病程、BMI、肌酸激酶同工酶、肌钙蛋白I和心功能分级等因素的相关性。结果(1) DCM组的BGP、ICa、25(OH) D_3等水平均低于健康组,BALP、PTH水平均高于健康组,差异均有统计学意义(P均0.05)。(2) DCM组大粗隆部位的BMD与健康组比较,差异无统计学意义(P0.05); DCM组的股骨颈及腰椎部位的BMD均低于健康组,差异均有统计学意义(P均0.05)。(3) BGP、ICa和25(OH) D_3分别与年龄、DCM病程及心功能分级呈负相关,BGP与肌酸激酶同工酶、肌钙蛋白Ⅰ呈负相关; BALP与年龄、DCM病程、肌酸激酶同工酶、肌钙蛋白Ⅰ及心功能分级呈正相关,PTH与心功能分级呈正相关(P均0.05)。结论 DCM患者的血清BGP、ICa、BALP、PTH、25(OH) D_3等骨代谢相关指标水平有明显波动,且骨代谢相关指标水平与DCM患者年龄、病程、肌酸激酶同工酶、肌钙蛋白Ⅰ及心功能分级等相关,DCM可能是造成骨代谢指标水平发生异常的重要原因。     

五种免疫相关性心血管疾病的免疫学研究

对扩张型心肌病、风湿性心脏病，原发性高血压，冠心病及肥厚型心肌病进行外周血清可溶性白细胞介素２受体，Ｔ淋巴细胞亚群及自然杀伤细胞活性的检测，并与健康对照组比较，结果显示：ＤＣＭ组，ＲＨＤ组及ＥＨＴ组的ｓＩＬ－２Ｒ明显高于ＮＣ组，而ＤＣＭ、ＲＨＤ风湿活动组的ＮＫ活性低于ＮＣ组，ＥＨＴ组ＮＫ活性高于ＮＣ组。     

Altered gating and conductance of Na+ channels in hyperkalemic periodic paralysis

Electrophysiological studies on muscle fibres from patients with hyperkalemic periodic paralysis with myotonia have shown that the episodes of weakness are caused by a sustained depolarization of the sarcolemma to potentials between -40 and -60 mV. In muscle fibre segments from three such patients this sustained depolarization was caused by noninactivating Na⁺ channels with reduced single-channel conductance blocked by TTX and procainamide. As the chloride conductance was normal, myotonia may be best explained with the abnormal reopenings of the Na⁺ channels. The recently described genetic linkage between hyperkalemic periodic paralysis with myotonia and the gene coding for the TTX-sensitive Na⁺ channel suggests an altered primary structure of this channel causing its abnormal function.