Risk Factors for a First Febrile Seizure: A Matched Case-Control Study

Summary We conducted a matched casecontrol study to identify risk factors for first febrile seizures, with special emphasis on characteristics of the acute illness episode. Cases were identified through hospital emergency departments; controls were identified through outpatient clinics and emergency departments. Sixtynine children with first febrile seizures and no history of previous unprovoked seizures were matched for age (±6 months), site of routine pediatric care, and date of visit (±weeks) with 1 or 2 febrile controls who had no history of previous febrile or unprovoked seizures. Medical records for the index visit were reviewed, and parents were interviewed by telephone. Illness characteristics examined included height of temperature, type of underlying illness, contact with a physician during the illness but before the index visit, and use of acetaminophen or decongestants. Family history of febrile and of unprovoked seizures, sociodemographic characteristics, daycare use, and selected preand perinatal variables were also studied. On multivariable analysis, significant independent risk factors were height of temperature, history of febrile seizures in a firstor in a higher degree relative. Gastroenteritis as the underlying illness had a significant inverse (i.e., protective) association with febrile seizures. Maternal smoking during pregnancy was a marginally significant predictor of febrile seizures.     

Localization of mRNA for inflammatory cytokines in radicular cyst tissue by in situ hybridization, and induction of inflammatory cytokines by human gingival fibroblasts in response to radicular cyst contents

The expression of mRNA encoding the inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1α (IL-1α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) have been examined in radicular cysts by in situ hybridization. Furthermore, the biological activity of the contents of radicular cysts (RCC) has been assayed by adding extracts of RCC to cultured human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) and analyzing the culture medium for the release of inflammatory cytokines. In the epithelial layer, keratinocytes expressed all cytokine mRNAs examined at various levels. Basal layer cells expressed mRNA for each cytokine. In the subepithelial granulation tissue of the cysts, fibroblasts and macrophages expressed mRNA for IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β and TNF-α mRNA at varying levels; especially clear expression of TNF-α and IL-1β mRNA was detected on macrophages. The infiltrating lymphoid cells, largely composed of T cells and plasma cells, expressed these cytokine mRNAs, especially those encoding IL-6 and IL-8, at various levels. In vitro analysis indicated dose-dependent release of both IL-6 and IL-8 by HGFs in response to RCC. After heating to 100°C for 10 min, RCC almost completely failed to stimulate IL-6 release from HGFs. Furthermore, anti-IL-1β antibody (neutralization test) did not prevent the stimulation of IL-6 release by RCC. Significant amounts of IL-6 and IL-8 were detected in RCC in two cases, and a trace amount of IL-1β was detected in one case. This study demonstrated the wide expression of mRNA encoding inflammatory cytokines in radicular cyst tissues, and RCC itself was capable of stimulating 1L-6 and 1L-8 production from HGFs.     

外伤性急性颈椎间盘突出症(附19例报告)

本文旨在阐明MRI对急性颈椎间盘突出的诊断价值。19例均有明显的外伤史,X线片无骨折脱位者12例。其中C_(5～6),髓核突出7例,C_(5～6)、C_(1～5),突出5例。有小关节绞锁半脱位者7例,MRI均示损伤间隙有髓核突出。19例均为不全瘫。全部病例经前路椎间盘切除、植骨融合。平均随访15个月,植骨块平均于12周愈合。除1例骨块退出4～5mm外,余位置良好。脊髓功能均有明显恢复。结论:外伤是急性颈椎间盘突出的主要原因,而颈椎间盘突出又是SCIWORA综合征的主要原因。对小关节绞锁半脱位者应考虑同时有椎间盘突出的可能。手术治疗一般效果良好。     

63例重症急性胆管炎的救治体会

作者报道15年间由胆石症导致的重症急性胆管炎（ACST）63例的救治，指出胆石症导致的重症急性胆管炎（ACST）并发多器官功能衰竭（MSOF）是良性胆道疾病最重要、最直接的死亡原因，强调一旦发生多器官功能衰竭，要给予强有力的“四大一支持”综合疗法。该疗法有助于ACST病人渡过手术关，在致死性的触发病因去除后，促进器官功能发生逆转，最终使患者获得痊愈。     

急性脑梗塞患者血清肿瘤坏死因子水平变化的观察

采用双抗体夹心ＥＬＩＳＡ法对３０例正常对照和３６例急性脑梗塞患者血清肿瘤坏死因子（ＴＮＦ）水平进行了检测。结果显示：急性脑梗塞组血清ＴＮＦ水平显著高于正常对照组，血清ＴＮＦ水平变化与脑梗塞容积大小密切相关，恢复期血清ＴＮＦ水平显著降低。结果提示，ＴＮＦ参与了脑梗塞发生后病理变化过程，检测血清ＴＮＦ对判定脑梗塞容积大小有一定的临床意义。     

Oral and subcutaneous sumatriptan in the acute treatment of migraine: an open randomized cress-over study

In an open, randomized cross-over study in 124 patients, we compared the efficacy, safety and patient preference of oral and subcutaneous sum triptan in the acute treatment of migraine. Patients were treated for 3 attacks or 3 months and then crossed over. Primary clinical efficacy was defined as a reduction in headache severity on a four-point self-rating scale from severe (3) or moderate (2) to mild (1) or none (0), or mild (1) to none (0). Efficacy was evaluated 2 h after the administration of subcutaneous and 4h after the administration of oral sumatriptan. Subcutaneous sumatriptan was significantly more effective than oral sumatriptan in relieving headache (over all three attacks 78% vs 61% improvement), improving clinical disability (55% vs 41 % improvement) and relieving nausea (69% vs 53%), vomiting (72% vs 32%) and phono- or photophobia (67% vs 49%). Median time to recurrence was shorter after subcutaneous (12.5 h) than after oral sumatriptan (18 h); the number of patients experiencing a recurrence was similar Patients reported more adverse events after subcutaneous sumatriptan (1.32 per attack) than after the oral form (0.85 per attack), but all adverse events were mild to moderate in intensity and of short duration. Patient opinion was more often positive after subcutaneous sumatriptan. These results may be useful in counselling patients to choose between the available marketed formulations of sumatriptan.     

Regeneration of kidney tubular epithelial cells

Conclusion The mechanisms that regulate regeneration of kidney epithelial cells after acute tubular necrosis are poorly understood. Repair of the nephron can take place in the adverse systemic metabolic setting caused by failure of renal function. This clinical observation suggests that factors released at the site of the tubular insult can mediate repair. Studies carried out in this and other laboratories show that kidney epithelial cells can release and respond to polypeptide growth factors which may thereby contribute to renal regeneration by autocrine and paracrine mechanisms. Specific growth factors secreted by cells and deposited in the tubular basement membrane prior to injury may subsequently participate in nephron repair. In addition, adenine nucleotides released from injured or dying cells at the injury site or provided exogenously could stimulate surviving renal epithelial cells at the edges of the wound to migrate along the basement membrane to rapidly reepithelialize the nephron and subsequently initiate mitogenesis to replace cells lost by necrosis.The nephrotoxic effect of many agents used in cancer chemotherapy and the older age of patients undergoing complicated surgical procedures has increased the incidence of ARF, whereas the mortality rate has not changed since the early 1950s [22]. Thus there is considerable need for innovative therapeutic strategies. An important goal of future research efforts is to identify new growth factors that facilitate migration, differentiation, and proliferation of renal epithelial cells at sites of tubular necrosis. Isolation and use of these agents in combination with dialysis and nutritional support could speed renal regeneration and thereby improve the outcome in patients with this condition.Abbreviations ARF acute renal failure - ECM extracellular matrix - EGF epidermal growth factor - FGF fibroblast growth factor - IGF insulin-like growth factor - MGSA melanocyte growth-stimulating activity - PDGF platelet-derived growth factor - IGF transforming growth factor     

急性中风中脏腑证型与垂体-肾上腺轴激素关系的研究

目的 :探讨急性中风中脏腑证型与垂体—肾上腺轴激素的促肾上腺皮质激素 (ACTH)、皮质醇 (CS)的关系。方法 :对 78例中脏腑患者进行辨证分型 ,同时利用放射免疫分析 (RIA)法测定血中 ACTH、CS含量 ,按证型分为四组 ,对比不同证型间 ACTH、CS的水平 ,并与健康人组 (60例 )作对照。结果 :ACTH、CS含量水平比较 :1四种证型的 ACTH、CS均比正常健康人组高 (P <0 .0 0 1 ) ;2四种证型间比较有明显差异 (P<0 .0 1 ) ,从高到低为 :痰热内闭心窍证 >风火上扰清窍证 >痰湿蒙塞心神证 >元气败脱、心神散乱证。结论 :ACTH、CS含量水平可作为判别中脏腑不同证型间的微观指标     

Experience with 1904 laparoscopic cholecystectomies at a private hospital

The purpose of this paper is to describe our recent experience in performing laparoscopic cholecystectomies of which we performed 1904, from January 1991 to May 1997, at our private hospital, mainly to treat cholecystolithiasis. The patients included 1563 with gallbladder stones (82.0%), 82 with cholecystocholedocholithiasis (4.3%), 104 with adenomyomatosis (5.5%), 132 with polyps (6.9%), and 23 with gallbladder cancer (1.3%). A difficult pericholecystic dissection led to conversion to open surgery in 61 patients. The average operation time was 63 min. Bile duct injury or cystic artery bleeding occurred in 3 patients with acute cholecystitis, and small intestine injury occurred in 1 patient, while bile leakage or a right subphrenic abscess occurred in 6 patients postoperatively. Although this series included 69 patients with previous upper abdominal surgery, 14 with liver cirrhosis, 267 with a nonvisualized gallbladder, and 148 with acute cholecystitis, the overall conversion rate was only 3.2% and morbidity only 0.5%. Although almost all patients with cholelithiasis are now considered potential candidates for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, difficulties during cholecystectomy have been encountered in patients with acute cholecystitis. Surgeons should thus be fully prepared to convert to open surgery whenever difficulties are encountered, in order to avoid complication.