MR imaging of the knee. Part I. Traumatic disorders

One hundred thirty patients with a diversity of knee joint injuries were evaluated with a high-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) imaging technique. The authors report the accuracy of this technique in the evaluation of 105 patients with suspected meniscal tears, 26 patients with suspected cruciate ligament tears, and eight patients with suspected patellar tendon injuries. Of those menisci rated as definitely or probably torn on MR imaging, 80% were found to be torn at subsequent arthroscopy. The predictive value of negative MR imaging results was 100%. MR imaging was 92% accurate in predicting the clinical outcome in patients with suspected meniscal tears who did not undergo surgery. MR permitted complete disruption of the patellar tendon to be differentiated from partial tears, ligamentous inflammation, and localized effusion of the infrapatellar bursa. Injuries to the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments were identified on MR images, and the status of synthetic grafts of the anterior cruciate ligament was ascertained.     

Effect of platelet-activating factor (PAF) on human platelets

The effect of pure synthetic PAF (1-0-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3- phosphorylcholine) was studied in human platelets. PAF (0.2--2.0 micrograms/ml) produced a dose-dependent aggregation in human platelet- rich plasma (PRP) or platelet suspension obtained by gel-filtration (GFP). In addition, PAF (0.8 microgram/ml) induced secretion of 14C- serotonin (45% +/- 10%; mean +/- SD, n = 9) and platelet factor 4 (PF4) (12.89 +/- 3.81 micrograms/10(9) platelets; n = 9) in PRP. Similar results were obtained in GFP. Aggregation and release of 14C-serotonin and PF4 were inhibited by the metabolic inhibitors 2-deoxyglucose (16.7 mM) and antimycin-A (8.3 micrograms/ml), by the membrane-active drugs mepacrine (10 microM) and chlorpromazine (0.025 mM), by PGI2 (5.34 nM), which elevates intracellular c-AMP, by indomethacin (10 microM) or aspirin (100 microM). The ADP scavengers, creatine phosphate and creatine phosphokinase (CP/CPK), inhibited the second wave of aggregation but not secretion. These data suggest that the major effect of PAF on human platelets is mediated through the cyclo-oxygenase pathway and not through a third pathway.     

Z-DNA immunoreactivity in fixed metaphase chromosomes of primates.

Antibodies against Z-DNA bind to fixed metaphase chromosomes of man and Cebus albifrons (Platyrrhini, Primate). By indirect immunofluorescence and indirect immunoperoxidase techniques, a heavy staining is detected in some segments of chromosomes of C. albifrons. These segments correspond to R-band-positive heterochromatin, which has a high G + C-base content. Euchromatin of human and Cebus chromosomes show a weak and heterogeneous staining that consistently reproduces an R- and T-banding pattern in both species. Because chromosome homologies previously were demonstrated between these distantly related species by chromosome banding, our results suggest that Z-DNA has been conserved during the course of primate evolution.