Growth velocity, growth hormone therapy, and serum concentrations of the amino-terminal propeptide of type III procollagen

The relationship between serum concentrations of the amino-terminal propeptide of type III procollagen (PIIINP) and growth was assessed in 307 healthy subjects and 82 children with disorders of growth (41 with insufficient growth hormone, 23 with short stature and normal endocrinologic studies, 18 with tall stature) by means of a recently developed, simplified PIIINP radioimmunoassay. The PIIINP value appeared to be related to height velocity; in healthy children of each sex, the pattern of change with age mirrored the shape of the standard height velocity curve; in children with disorders of growth, there was a statistical correlation (p less than 0.001) between PIIINP concentration and height velocity. However, measurement of serum PIIINP alone had no diagnostic value because there was considerable overlap of PIIINP values in children with growth hormone insufficiency, short stature, normal stature, and tall stature. The most appropriate application of PIIINP may be in the monitoring of prepubertal children receiving exogenous growth hormone therapy; in these patients, increases in height velocity were reflected by increases in PIIINP, and early increases in PIIINP may have predictive value.     

Radiotherapy for melanotic freckles

Five patients who received radiotherapy (RT) for 7 melanotic freckles (MF, also known as Hutchinson's freckles, lentigo maligna) were reviewed 8 to 37 months after their treatment by RT. Local control and a favourable cosmetic result occurred in all patients. Treatment toxicity was minimal. Few reports about the use of RT for MF exist. Many other treatments including observation alone have been associated with high rates of recurrence, and in some cases conversion to invasive melanoma has occurred. RT appears to be a safe and effective treatment for this condition, providing that doses equivalent to 44 Gy in 11 fractions or more are given.     

Medicinal chemistry in the development of societies. Biodiversity and natural products

This document has been elaborated by the IUPAC Medicinal Chemistry section and is backed by a large number of scientists, many of whom have had direct involvement and whose names appear at the end of the article. This work discusses the role that the discovery of new medicinal agents has in the development of societies as well as in the conservation of biodiversity in terms of work carried out on natural products. Also included are several recommendations for countries which are presently in search of their own scientific and technological development in medicinal agents. The IUPAC Medicinal Chemistry section would appreciate the collaboration of the scientific societies in every country to aid in the diffusion of this document.     

A study of perinatal mortality rate from rural based Medical College Hospital

The present study conducted in a rural medical college aimed at analysing the perinatal mortality and its determinants in a rural set up. Fiftyeight still births and sixty two early neonatal deaths among 1107 consecutive deliveries gave a perinatal mortality rate of 108.4 per 1000 deliveries. Fifty percent of the total deliveries were unbooked. The perinatal mortality was higher in unbooked cases (16.3%), twins (33.2%) and preterms (33.9%) as compared to that in booked cases (5.3%), singletons (9.6%) and term deliveries (6.7%). Sixty nine percent of the still births were due to causes like obstructed labour, toxemia of pregnancy, antepartum hemorrhage, hand prolapse, and cord prolapse where timely intervention would have reduced the perinatal mortality significantly. Early neonatal deaths were mainly associated with prematurity and were largely due to birth anoxia, intraventricular hemorrhage, aspiration and infections.     

Analysis of elements of interlenticular opacification

PURPOSE: To report the histopathologic and ultrastructural features of three cases of interlenticular opacification (ILO) between piggyback intraocular lenses. DESIGN: Interventional case series with clinicopathologic correlation. METHODS: Three pairs of acrylic piggyback lenses were explanted due to decrease in visual acuity associated with ILO. Lenses were evaluated with gross and light microscopic examinations in all cases. The anterior lens in one case was examined with scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. RESULTS: The material opacifying the interlenticular space was composed mostly of retained/regenerative cortical material in all cases. From the peripheral interface towards the central interface, the opacifying material changed as the interlenticular space was progressively narrower. The material attached to the peripheral interface, where the interlenticular space was wider, was very thick. At the midperipheral interface, the thick cortical material was broken into multiple globules due to liquefactive degeneration. At the paracentral zone, compression of the globules formed a flat, compact layer of an amorphous material. At the central interface (contact zone), almost no material could be found between the piggyback lenses. CONCLUSIONS: Analyses of ILO cases where all the components of the opacifying material were in situ allowed us to confirm that the pathogenesis of this complication is similar to that of posterior capsule opacification; thus, careful removal of lens epithelial cells and cortical material is mandatory in piggyback implantation.     

Pyruvate inhibits galactosemic changes in cultured cat lens epithelial cells

An attempt was made to maintain cat lens epithelial cells (CLEC) in culture and study the morphology, growth and survival of these cells in vitro. The influence of incorporation of galactose (30 mM) into the culture medium on the morphology and biochemistry of CLEC in the primary culture was then investigated. To establish the effect of galactose on CLEC, various biochemical parameters associated with galactosemic cataract such as aldose reductase (AR), Na+K+ATPase, glutathione, polyol and soluble/insoluble proteins were estimated after 24 h of incubation. The effect of pyruvate (5 mM), a 'physiological antioxidant', on the changes induced by galactose in CLEC was studied. CLEC in culture showed regular hexagonal cells with prominent nuclei. The CLEC culture attained confluency in 11 days during primary culture and semiconfluency in 14 days in two subsequent passages. Vacuolization and significantly raised AR activity, polyol levels and insoluble protein contents were observed; they had no effect on Na+K+ATPase and soluble protein after 24 h of incubation in the culture medium with galactose. Supplementation of pyruvate (5 mM) resulted in a lesser number of vacuoles together with a positive modulation of these parameters.     

Effect of hydrodissection on intraoperative performance: randomized study

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of hydrodissection on intraoperative performance during phacoemulsification of age-related nuclear cataracts. SETTING: Iladevi Cataract & IOL Research Centre, Ahmedabad, India, and Center for Research on Ocular Therapeutics and Biodevices, Storm Eye Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA. METHODS: In a prospective study, 86 eyes were randomly assigned to have multiquadrant hydrodissection (+HD, n = 48) or no hydrodissection (-HD, n = 38) during phacoemulsification of a grade 1 to 3 nuclear cataract. Excluded were patients with grade 4 or 5 nuclear sclerosis, a poorly dilating pupil, or associated ocular/systemic disease. Parameters assessed were nucleus and cortex removal time, the amount of fluid used for cortex removal, and the total amount of fluid used. The ease of nucleus rotation and cortical cleanup was also evaluated and graded subjectively as very easy, difficult, or very difficult. Data were analyzed using the Student t test and the chi-square test. RESULTS: The mean nucleus removal time was 355 seconds +/- 237 (SD) and 474 +/- 212 seconds in the +HD and -HD groups, respectively (P =.09). The mean cortex removal time was significantly less in the +HD group than in the -HD group (79 +/- 51 seconds and 220 +/- 222 seconds, respectively) (P =.007). Significantly less fluid (43%) was used for cortex removal in the +HD group than in the -HD group (mean 70 +/- 45 mL and 123 +/- 82 mL, respectively) (P =.013), and significantly less total fluid (35%) was used in the +HD group (312 +/- 132 mL and 422 +/- 80 mL, respectively) (P =.002). Nucleus rotation was easy in all eyes in the +HD group; 68.43% of eyes in the -HD group failed to achieve rotation (P =.001). Cortex removal was very easy in 52.08% of eyes in the +HD group and easy in 47.90%; it was easy in 52.63% in the -HD group, difficult in 36.84%, and very difficult in 10.52%. CONCLUSION: The use of multiquadrant cortical-cleaving hydrodissection made removal of the lens nucleus and cortex easier and faster during phacoemulsification of age-related nuclear cataracts.