Three different pathogenic mechanisms for paraparesis in association with bacterial infections

Three different pathogenic mechanisms are apparent for paraparesis in association with a bacterial infection: a spinal cord compression caused by either an epidural abscess or a vertebral collapse due to spondylitis, an ischaemic spinal cord lesion as a result of septic thromboembolus in abdominal aorta, and a nonspecific, probably immunological, cause in association with reactive polyarthritis. An example of each of these mechanisms is described by means of case histories.     

Terminal deletion of chromosome 4p (4p16.3) shows a breakpoint between loci linked to Huntington disease

A 15-year-old boy with a terminal deletion of the short arm of chromosome 4 is described. The patient has a mild clinical phenotype that is incompatible with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome. Careful neurological examination including CT scan did not show any signs of Huntington disease. The chromosomal breakpoint was analyzed by means of polymorphic DNA probes localized close to the tentative Huntington (HD) locus. The breakage has occurred between D4S43 and D4S90 loci and thus deletes part of the chromosomal candidate regions for the HD locus. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Closed cervicocranial trauma, "false aneurysm" of the internal carotid artery and brain infarction

A 17-year-old man developed acute hemiparesis 6 months after a motor cycle accident. In the accident he had a closed trauma on the contralateral side of the head and the neck, with multiple bone fractures. Aortocervical angiography, performed after the infarction, revealed a 2.5 cm long aneurysmatic dilatation in the internal carotid artery, the presumably source of embolic infarction. This and the 24 other cases gathered from the literature support the notion that closed neck trauma may create "false aneurysm" which again may cause neurological deficits.     

In vitro andin vivo inhibition of virus multiplication by microwave hyperthermia

Summary The effects of microwave hyperthermia (41° and 43° C) on virus multiplication have been exploredin vitro (HSV-1 infected primary rabbit kidney cultures) andin vivo (mice infected with HSV-1 or vaccinia). In vitro the cells were inoculated with HSV-1 and heated to 41° or 43° C either before or after infection. Virus yields were significantly decreased when the cells were exposed to hyperthermia within the first few hours after infection, while hyperthermia was without effect when applied before infection or with several hours delay after infection.In mice inoculated intranasally with HSV-1, mortality due to herpes encephalitis was significantly reduced upon daily exposure to microwave hyperthermia from the day of infection onward.In mice inoculated intravenously with vaccinia, a significant decrease in the number of specific tail lesions was observed if the animals were exposed to microwave hyperthermia within the first three days after infection, while irradiation prior to infection or delayed until several days after infection did not exhibit an appreciable effect.Our data suggest that microwave hyperthermia interferes directly with the virus multiplication cycle bothin vitro andin vivo.With 3 Figures     

X linked neonatal myotubular myopathy: one recombination detected with four polymorphic DNA markers from Xq28.

A three generation family with X linked myotubular myopathy (MTM1) was studied with several polymorphic markers from the distal long arm of the X chromosome. A recombination between the disease gene and four markers (loci DXS52, DXS134, DXS15, F8C) from the Xq28 cluster was detected. A new polymorphic marker (U6.2) defining the locus DXS304 in the Xq27-28 region proximal to the Xq28 cluster did not show any recombination with MTM1. These results suggest the following order of loci in distal Xq: cen-DXS42-DXS105-(DXS304, MTM1)-(DXS52, DXS134, DXS15, F8C)-tel.     

Evaluation of genetic counselling: recall of information, post-counselling reproduction, and attitude of the counsellees

Of the families who had received genetic counselling between 1972 and 1981, 791 replied to a questionnaire which covered recall of information, post-counselling reproduction and attitudes towards counselling and prenatal diagnosis. Eighty percent had adequate knowledge of mode of inheritance and 74% of recurrence risk. Knowledge of mode of inheritance was poorest in multifactorial transmission (63%) and knowledge of recurrence risk in X-chromosomal disorders (61%). Forty-five per cent of the families had started a pregnancy after the counselling. 25%). Early lethality of the disorder and feasibility of a prenatal study contributed to positive reproductive decisions. Nine per cent of the children born after the counselling were affected by the disorder in question. The observed risks tended to match well with the expected ones. Sixty-two per cent of the respondents felt that the counselling had had a great or moderate impact on their reproductive plans. Forty-two per cent expressed a wish to hear the counsellor's opinion in addition to the facts. This was more common when the disorder was severe. Although most couples (53%) wished to have a prenatal study, if feasible, and abort an affected foetus, 16% were against abortion in such a case and 31% wished to have the study but were ambiguous about an abortion.     

Further studies of the ethanol-induced changes in pancreatic lipid metabolism

Previous in vitro studies have shown that ethanol increased de novo triglyceride synthesis in the rat pancreas. The present study extends these observations on the effects of ethanol on pancreatic lipid metabolism. Ethanol significantly stimulated [1-¹⁴C]acetate incorporation into pancreatic lipids at concentrations as low as 0.068 mM, as well as at 3.4 and 34 mM. This suggests that known metabolic pathways of ethanol oxidation are not involved in these changes. Ethanol also stimulated the incorporation of [1-¹⁴C]oleate into pancreatic triglyceride and cholesteryl ester, but not into phospholipids. These changes were less marked than those obtained with [1-¹⁴C]acetate. Furthermore, incorporation of [1-¹⁴C]palmitate into pancreatic lipid was affected even less by ethanol. Thus, ethanol-induced changes in pancreatic lipid metabolism are unlikely to be due to fatty acid esterification alone.     

Interferon in experimental viral infections in mice: tissue interferon levels resulting from the virus infection and from exogenous interferon therapy.

In mice given single intraperitoneal doses of interferon, serum interferon levels peaked at 1 h postinjection and were reduced to zero at about 8 h. The interferon concentrations in spleen, liver, and lungs were about 100-fold higher than could be expected from the amount of serum contained in these organs. In the brain only low levels of antiviral activity were detected. In mice infected intraperitoneally with Mengo virus, viral replication in the brain occurred around day 4 and was accompanied by the appearance of large amounts of interferon (approximately 10(3.25) U/g). This was preceded, however, by viral replication in the spleen and by the appearance of modest amounts of interferon in spleen and serum. In these mice protection could be obtained with relatively small doses of interferon, provided protection could be obtained with relatively small doses of interferon, provided they were given before the time of maximal levels of endogenous serum interferon. In mice infected intranasally with vesicular stomatitis virus, virus replication in the brain started within 24 to 48 h and increased with time; also, small amounts of interferon (10(2) to 10(2.5) U/g) were already detectable on days 1 and 2. The major peak of virus replication in the brain occurred on days 5 to 6 and was accompanied by the appearance of large amounts of interferon (approximately 10(3.25) U/g). In this model early treatment with interferon also provided protection, but only if given in larger doses than in the Mengo virus system. Athymic (nu/nu) mice developed a chronic systemic infection when inoculated with a demotropic strain of vaccinia virus. No interferon was detected in sera, livers, spleens, or lungs of these animals; some mice had low levels of interferon-like antiviral activity in the brain, but no attempt was made to characterize this material. Daily administration of large doses of interferon failed to exert an effect on the development of this chronic disease. Yet, normal (NMRI) mice were protected against acute infection with dermotropic or neurotropic strains of vaccinia virus, and athymic mice were partially protected against acute lethal infection with neurotropic vaccinia virus.     

Significance of extrapancreatic findings in computed tomography (CT) of acute pancreatitis

Computed tomography (CT) has proven reliable in the early detection of acute haemorrhagic pancreatitis. In the present study the extrapancreatic changes at CT were studied in 60 patients with acute pancreatitis. The CT findings were correlated to the early "prognostic signs" by Ranson and the clinical course of the disease. All the patients with minor extrapancreatic changes recovered without complications. When moderate to severe extrapancreatic changes were seen the incidence of haemorrhagic pancreatitis and the risk of development of pseudocyst or abscess was high. In these patients a dynamic contrast enhanced CT should be done in order to select the patients with haemorrhagic pancreatitis.