Determination of the level of antibodies to CD4 in serum of patients with malignant lymphomas and of HIV-infected individuals

Hardphase ELISA was used to compare the blood sera of patients with malignant skin lymphomas and HIV infection and of healthy volunteers for autoimmune antibodies to CD4. Antibodies to CD4 were not detected in the volunteers (30 sera) and in the patients with malignant skin lymphomas (52 patients with different disease stages). The antibodies were found in 4 of 11 HIV cases.     

Should patients with a pre-operative prostatespecific antigen greater than 15ng/ml be offered radical prostatectomy?

Background Patients with prostate cancer with a pre-operative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) τ;15ng/ml who undergo radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) generally do not have a good outcome, yet may have organ-confined cancer and should be offered the option of surgery. Aim To assess the outcome of patients who underwent RRP with a pre-operative PSA ≥ 15ng/ml. Methods Thirty-four patients, mean pre-operative PSA: 25.46ng/ml (15.03–76.6) and mean Gleason score: 6.4 (5–9) were assessed. Results Two groups were identified. Group I: 41% (14/34) have no biochemical recurrence to mean follow up of 58 months (30–106). Mean PSA: 18.8ng/ml (15.03–25.84). Mean Gleason score: 6.1 (5–7). Clinical stage: T1c in 80%. No patient had seminal vesicle or lymph node involvement. Group II: 59% (20/34) have biochemical recurrence or died (3) from their disease to mean follow up of 66 months (36–98). Mean PSA: 28.9ng/ml (15.28–76.6). Mean Gleason score: 6.7 (5–9). Clinical stage: T1c in 25%. Eleven patients had seminal vesicle (8) involvement or positive lymph nodes (3) or both (2). Conclusion RRP seems feasible in patients whose pre-operative PSA is between 15 and 25ng/ml with stage T1c, Gleason score ≤ 7 and negative lymph node frozen section.     

Effects of inhaled corticosteroids on growth in asthmatic children

This article presents a brief review of the effects of inhaled corticosteroids on growth in children with asthma. All currently available inhaled corticosteroids, where there is adequate data, have been shown to cause significant growth suppression in children in a dose-dependent manner. It is now apparent that there are differences in the growthsuppressive effects of different corticosteroids. Recent evidence confirms that the growth-suppressive effects are short lived and that, at conventional doses, inhaled corticosteroids do not affect final attained adult height.     

Congenital right coronary artery aneurysm with fistula to right ventricle associated with isolated pulmonary valvular stenosis

Congenital aneurysmal dilatation of coronary artery with coronary cameral fistula is rare in childhood. We report an even rarer association of congenital right coronary artery aneurysm and right coronary artery to right ventricle fistula with bicuspid pulmonary valve stenosis and an intact ventricular septum in a 3-year-old child.