Measurement of short-term 11C-thymidine activity in human head and neck tumours using positron emission tomography (PET).

Tumour uptake of 11C-thymidine labeled in the methyl position was assessed after intravenous injection in 13 patients with head and neck tumours. This activity was compared to other tracers such as C15O, 13NH3 and C15O2. In every single case a 'positive' tumour image after injection of 11C-thymidine was obtained. Time-activity curves showed the initial activity to be followed by a rapid decrease over the first 10-15 min with an apparent plateau thereafter. A similar level of uptake was found in normal salivary gland regions and myocardium, while higher activities were noted in liver and kidney parenchyma. It is suggested that both blood flow and cellular metabolism can influence 11C-thymidine imaging in this class of human tumours.     

Pestivirus infections in ruminants in Norway.

Serological surveys in Norway have demonstrated neutralising antibodies against bovine virus diarrhoea (BVD) virus in cattle, sheep and goats. The prevalences were 18.5%, 4.5% and 3.6%, respectively. Occurrence of pestivirus-induced disease in Norway is described. Outbreaks of reproductive failure and mucosal disease have been reported, and the number of persistently-infected animals detected has increased considerably in recent years. Acute BVD occurs rarely. Border disease (BD) in sheep, first diagnosed in 1981, has subsequently been demonstrated sporadically. In goats, typical BD was diagnosed in 1982, with three later occurrences of reproductive failure. Experimental infections in pregnant goats induced a high rate of severe foetopathogenic effect. Signs and lesions in offspring were comparable to ovine BD. Similar findings were demonstrated in goats given a pestivirus-contaminated vaccine. In newborn kids, experimental infection had an adverse influence on growth and health. Persistent infection in goats is probably rare.     

Cigarette smoking increases thromboxane A2 formation without affecting platelet survival in young healthy females.

Smoking is a risk factor for the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, in men as well as in women. An increased urinary excretion of the thromboxane metabolite 2,3-dinorthromboxane B2 (Tx-M) has been observed in smokers of both genders, suggesting that cigarette smoking may facilitate cardiovascular disease via an action on the platelets. The present study addressed the hypothesis that the increased Tx-M excretion in female smokers reflects a true facilitation of platelet reactivity in vivo, rather than an increased destruction of the platelets. In healthy female volunteers (aged 20-46 years, 18 smokers and 17 non-smokers) platelet life-span and indices of platelet activity were determined, together with plasma levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), fibrinogen, peripheral blood cell counts and hematocrit. The urinary excretion of Tx-M was higher in smokers than in non-smokers (361 vs. 204 pg/mg creatinine, respectively, p < 0.05), while plasma and urinary beta-thromboglobulin, plasma platelet factor 4, platelet mean life-span and platelet production rate did not differ between the groups. PAI-1 activity, white blood cell count and hematocrit were higher in smokers than in non-smokers (p < 0.05). These data indicate that smoking facilitates platelet formation of thromboxane A2 without affecting platelet survival; i.e. it increases the activity of platelets without affecting their viability to a measurable extent. Such an increase in platelet activity, operating in parallel to a reduced fibrinolytic activity and a higher hematocrit and white blood cell count, may play an etiological role in smoking-induced cardiovascular disease in women.     

Hb-M "Hyde Park": a de novo mutation, identified by mass spectrometry and DNA analysis.

BACKGROUND. Structural hemoglobinopathies usually are inherited as autosomic dominant traits; de novo mutations are uncommon. Analytical and preparative procedures for the characterization of an abnormal hemoglobin are complex and time-consuming. Mass spectrometer analysis allows a rapid identification of the amino acid substitution. METHODS AND RESULTS. A cyanotic 7-year-old girl was found to have 16% methemoglobin. Laboratory data showed the presence of an abnormal hemoglobin, which was isolated by collecting the abnormal peak from DEAE and globin chains from CM52. The amino acid substitution was rapidly identified by FAB mass spectroscopic analysis, leading to the recognition of HbM Hyde Park. These data were confirmed by molecular analysis (Southern blot and DNA sequencing). Neither the parents nor a sister showed any abnormality; non-paternity was excluded by blood group serology and HLA typing. CONCLUSIONS. This is a case of HbM Hyde-Park arising as a de novo mutation. FAB mass spectroscopic analysis is a rapid and useful analytical method for identifying aminoacid substitution.     

Prevalence of primary late-onset focal dystonia in the Belgrade population.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to estimate the prevalence of different subtypes of idiopathic focal dystonia in the population of Belgrade (Serbia), Yugoslavia. On December 31, 2001, the crude prevalence of all studied types of dystonia (focal, segmental, and multifocal) in Belgrade was 13.6 per 100,000 population (11.8 per 100,000 for men and 15.2 per 100,000 for women). Type-specific prevalence for focal dystonia was 11.2 per 100,000. The prevalence for cervical dystonia, blepharospasm, writer's cramp and laryngeal dystonia were 5.9 per 100,000, 1.9 per 100,000, 1.9 per 100,000, and 1.1 per 100,000, respectively.     

Automatic assessment of levodopa-induced dyskinesias in daily life by neural networks.

We developed an objective and automatic procedure to assess the severity of levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) in patients with Parkinson's disease during daily life activities. Thirteen patients were continuously monitored in a home-like situation for a period of approximately 2.5 hours. During this time period, the patients performed approximately 35 functional daily life activities. Behavior of the patients was measured using triaxial accelerometers, which were placed at six different positions on the body. A neural network was trained to assess the severity of LID using various variables of the accelerometer signals. Neural network scores were compared with the assessment by physicians, who evaluated the continuously videotaped behavior of the patients off-line. The neural network correctly classified dyskinesia or the absence of dyskinesia in 15-minute intervals in 93.7, 99.7, and 97.0% for the arm, trunk, and leg, respectively. In the few cases of misclassification, the rating by the neural network was in the class next to that indicated by the physicians using the AIMS score (scale 0-4). Analysis of the neural networks revealed several new variables, which are relevant for assessing the severity of LID. The results indicate that the neural network can accurately assess the severity of LID and could distinguish LID from voluntary movements in daily life situations.     

Hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic-uremic syndrome--E. coli as the etiologic agent. I. Bacteriology and pathogenesis

Since 1983 when the connection between haemorrhagic colitis (HC), haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), and intestinal infections by verotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC, EHEC) was demonstrated, a lot of arguments has been accumulated showing verotoxins (Shiga-like toxins, SLT) and adhesive fimbria to play a key role in the pathogenicity of the respective E. coli group. The toxins bind via Gb3 receptors to the target cells and after internalization inhibit the protein synthesis. Due to the particular clustering of receptors at cell surfaces, vascular endothelial cells, intestinal epithelial cells as well as kidney and nerve tissues are especially affected. The severity of illness is obviously dependent on the relation between release of toxins and the actual level of anti-toxin-IgG in the blood.     

Intrahepatic hematoma: a rare complication of exchange transfusion

A four-day-old male neonate who underwent three exchange transfusions for jaundice owing to ABO incompatibility on three consecutive days is presented. A large intrahepatic hematoma developed as a complication of the third exchange transfusion. The baby fully recovered.