Ubiquitin and heat shock protein expression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

The expression of two heat shock proteins, HSP72 and p57, in addition to ubiquitin, has been studied immunocytochemically in nine amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cases and 10 age-matched controls. HSP72 and p57 antibodies did not identify the characteristic ubiquitin-immunoreactive inclusions present in anterior horn cells in ALS spinal cord. Antibodies to HSP72, but not to p57 or ubiquitin, strongly labelled structures corresponding to polyglucosan bodies in spinal grey matter. Such immunoreactive profiles were more abundant in ALS cases, although they were also present in control material. They were sometimes identified by haematoxylin and eosin and periodic acid Schiff reaction, but were not labeled by phosphotungstic acid haematoxylin or by antibodies to glial fibrillary acidic protein. Although ubiquitin, HSP72 and p57 are stress-induced proteins, they are expressed differently and might therefore have different significance in neuronal degeneration.     

奥兰扎平治疗精神分裂症58例临床观察

目的观察奥兰扎平治疗精神分裂症的临床疗效与安全性.方法选择58例精神分裂症病人,开始给予奥兰扎平5mg*d-1,3d后根据临床疗效、副反应情况酌情增加剂量,最大剂量不超过20mg*d-1,治疗8周.治疗前及治疗后每2周用PANSS、CGI、TESS量表评定1次.结果治疗后PANSS总分、各因子分较治疗前显著下降(P<0.01),副反应主要有抗胆碱症状、过度镇静、体重增加、一过性丙氨酸氨基转移酶升高.结论奥兰扎平是一种安全、有效、副作用较轻的抗精神病药.     

Management of pediatric pontine gliomas

We present 36 consecutive patients with intrinsic glioma of the pons. Tumors with exophytic expansion were excluded. There were 16 females and 20 males, ranging in age from 2 to 13 years, median 6 years. The most common presenting symptoms were cranial nerve dysfunction. unsteadiness of gait, and hemiparesis. Computed tomography (CT) showed a hypodense (17/21) or isodense (4/21) expansion of the pons. Five tumors had areas of contrast enhancement. Following information about prognosis and possible types of management, parents decided for or against radiation therapy: twentyfour children underwent irradiation and 12 did not. Median survival among children receiving a full course of irradiation was 280 days, compared to 140 days in an equivalent group of non-irradiated children. Hemiparesis presenting without cranial nerve symptoms and contrast enhancement on CT scan were poor prognostic factors, whereas sex, age, and duration of symptoms at diagnosis were unrelated to prognosis.     

TRH、EGF及地塞米松促进未成熟胎肺组织分化及表面活性物质合成的研究

目的 比较TRH、EGF与地塞米松对未成熟胎肺形态发育及表面活性物质水平的影响。方法 在兔妊娠第22－24d或第24－26d分别用TRH、EGF或地塞米松母体静脉注射治病，通过光镜、图像分析及电镜等技术观察胎肺的形态结构，并检测胎肺的磷脂水平。结果 光镜下，TRH、EGF与地塞米松治疗组第25d及27d胎肺肺泡腔、肺泡间隔发育均明显好于对照组；EGF、TRH与地塞米松治疗组第27d胎肺的肺泡腔与肺泡间隔的面积比无明显差异。但EGF和TRH治疗组第25d胎肺的肺泡腔与肺泡间隔之比明显小于地塞米松治疗组。电镜下，三个治疗组第27d胎肺内含有板层体的Ⅱ型上皮细胞数量明显多于对照组，但各治疗组及对照组第25d的胎肺Ⅱ型上皮细胞胞浆内几乎未见明显板层体，相反胞浆内糖原含量却非常丰富。此外，三个治疗组27d胎肺的磷脂水平均明显高于对照组。结论 EGF、TRH及地塞米松在兔妊娠第24－26d母体治疗均能促进胎肺的形态发育和表面活性物质的合成，三种治疗方法对胎肺的影响程序无明显不同；在妊娠第22－24d治疗，地塞米松对胎肺形态结构的促进作用较EGF和TRH更明显，但三者对Ⅱ型上皮细胞分化及表面活性物质的合成均无明显影响。     

Primary papillary serous cystadenocarcinoma of broad ligament

A rare case of an advanced primary broad ligament carcinoma is discussed, with a review of the literature regarding its incidence, presentation and management. This patient showed a complete response to adjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy following panhysterectomy and is presently without any evidence of disease, 15 months after completion of her treatment.     

Laparoscopic Local Resection Based on Sentinel Node Evaluation for Early Gastric Cancer: A Preliminary Report

We previously reported that lymphatic mapping using isosulfan blue can be used to identify sentinel nodes (SNs). This study was undertaken to evaluate the feasibility of using the SN technique in treating early gastric cancer and to explore its usefulness for minimal invasive surgery. Twenty-three patients with early gastric cancer who underwent SN biopsy were retrospectively evaluated. Based on SN evaluation, individualized surgery was performed in five patients with T1N0M0 gastric cancer. When pathological examination of frozen sections revealed metastasis in SNs, we performed a standard D2 gastrectomy. Laparoscopic local resection was applied when the SN biopsy was negative. Our results showed that the success rate with SN biopsy in early gastric cancer was 100%, as were the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. All five patients with early gastric cancer had SNs negative for metastases both by frozen section and by postoperative pathology. Thus, all these patients underwent laparoscopic local resection without extended lymphadenectomy. We conclude that SN biopsy is a useful tool to individualize the operative procedure, and laparoscopic local resection can be safely performed using SN guidance in selected patients with early gastric cancer.     

Prevalence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy and relation to glycemic control therapies at baseline in the BARI 2D cohort

Abstract   We evaluated the associations between glycemic therapies and prevalence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) at baseline among participants in the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes (BARI 2D) trial on medical and revascularization therapies for coronary artery disease (CAD) and on insulin-sensitizing vs. insulin-providing treatments for diabetes. A total of 2,368 patients with type 2 diabetes and CAD was evaluated. DPN was defined as clinical examination score >2 using the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI). DPN odds ratios across different groups of glycemic therapy were evaluated by multiple logistic regression adjusted for multiple covariates including age, sex, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and diabetes duration. Fifty-one percent of BARI 2D subjects with valid baseline characteristics and MNSI scores had DPN. After adjusting for all variables, use of insulin was significantly associated with DPN (OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.15–2.13). Patients on sulfonylurea (SU) or combination of SU/metformin (Met)/thiazolidinediones (TZD) had marginally higher rates of DPN than the Met/TZD group. This cross-sectional study in a cohort of patients with type 2 diabetes and CAD showed association of insulin use with higher DPN prevalence, independent of disease duration, glycemic control, and other characteristics. The causality between a glycemic control strategy and DPN cannot be evaluated in this cross-sectional study, but continued assessment of DPN and randomized therapies in BARI 2D trial may provide further explanations on the development of DPN.     

Long‐term efficacy of biologics in the treatment of psoriasis: what do we really know?

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory condition that often requires life-long treatment. Conventional therapies have not fully met the needs of psoriatic patients, because of limited efficacy, adverse effects with cumulative use, and patient inconvenience. In the past decade, biologic immunotherapies have become accepted treatments for psoriasis as a result of perceived efficacy and safety on the part of patients and practitioners. However, most data on these medications come from relatively limited short-term trials. In this review, we will focus on the available long-term data on the efficacy of the biologic agents. We will emphasize the strengths and weakness of the available data of the biologic agents that are Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved for the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis (alefacept, efalizumab, * etanercept, infliximab, and adalimumab), with the inclusion of a newer agent currently under FDA evaluation (ustekinumab).