Effects of Sex Hormones on Some T and B Cell Functions,Evidenced by Differential Immune Expression Between Male and Female Mice and Cyclic Pattern of Immune Responsiveness During the Estrous Cycle in Female Mice*

ABSTRACT: The responses of spleen cells from male and female BALB/c mice were evaluated to determine if sex-related variations in immune expression could be found. The immunologic assays used included blastogenic responses to mitogens, and direct and indirect measurement of plaque-forming cells against particulate antigens. The results indicated that responses of spleen cells from young adult female mice were higher than those of males in all comparative tests. Newborn mice did not demonstrate the sex-associated immune differences; and among the weanling mice slight differences between male and female spleen cells responsiveness to mitogenic agents were observed. The blastogenic responsiveness of spleens from female BALB/c was greater at proestrus and metestrus, as compared to estrus and diestrus. The peaks of responsiveness corresponded to reported elevated levels of estrogen and pregnenolone during these phases of the cycle. Similar results were obtained with the IgM plaque-forming cell responses, which were also increased at proestrus and metestrus. This study supports a role of sex hormones in modulation of immune expression.     

Plasma Calprotectin Predicts Mortality in Patients with ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Treated with Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Background: We investigated the predictive value of plasma calprotectin levels for mortality in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) successfully treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). Methods and Results: Plasma calprotectin levels were measured in 141 STEMI patients with acute occlusion of the left anterior descending artery and treated with pPCI. The plasma calprotectin levels were significantly higher in the STEMI patients compared with the 42 healthy controls (P < 0.001). Furthermore, plasma calprotectin levels were higher in the 13 STEMI patients who died after a median follow‐up period of 12 months compared to the STEMI patients who survived: 209 μg/L versus 174 μg/L (P < 0.001). After adjustment for age, sex, complex lesions, and peak creatine kinase MB in a multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, the relative risk of mortality was 1.26 (95% CI: 1.1–1.4) per 10 μg/L increase in calprotectin (P = 0.001). Furthermore, for patients with plasma calprotectin >177 μg/L the relative risk of mortality was 11.11 (95% CI: 2.2–56.0) (P = 0.004). Conclusion: Plasma calprotectin levels, determined at admission in STEMI patients successfully treated with pPCI, predict mortality over a period of 12 months, indicating that plasma calprotectin may be a new important prognostic biomarker in acute ischemic heart disease. (J Interven Cardiol 2010;23:123‐129)     

The Response of New Zealand Boys to Corporate and Sponsorship Alcohol Advertising on Television

A survey of a random sample of 302 New Zealand boys aged 9–14 years investigated responses to two recent television advertisements featuring alcohol companies. Alcohol product advertising is not allowed on New Zealand television but a corporate advertisement which was allowed was perceived by most of the children to be advertising beer and to be encouraging drinking. A corporate sports sponsorship advertisement had lower association with alcohol, which may have been because of children's limited understanding of the concept of sponsorship. Most of the children remembered both advertisements and many expected their peers to take notice of them. There was strong support for both advertisements being broadcast on television. Overall, the survey suggested that this television advertising was creating strong positive associations between the companies' products and significant cultural and emotional elements, thus contributing to a climate that was not supportive of alcohol education.     

Reversibility of Cerebral Symptoms in Severe Hypertension in Relation to Acute Antihypertensive Therapy

ABSTRACT Cerebral symptoms were registered in a multicenter study including 64 patients with severe hypertension, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥135 mmHg, and more or less pronounced hypertensive encephalopathy. The symptoms were: headache (70%), dizziness (35%), consciousness disturbances (28%), nausea (27%), paresis (23%), blurred vision (22%), para-esthesia (21%) and vomiting (14%). None had convulsions or coma. Initial treatment was furosemide i.v., and if DBP was ≥125 mmHg after one hour, patients were randomized to treatment with either i.v. diazoxide (bolus injections of 75-150 mg) or i.m. dihydralazine (bolus injections of 6-12.5 mg). A gradual fall in blood pressure (BP) was obtained in all three groups. Along with BP reduction a substantial regression of neurological symptoms was registered. After 5 hours only minor cerebral symptoms were present without significant difference between diazoxide and dihydralazine. None developed cerebral complications. The study failed to show a significant correlation between BP reduction and regression of neurological symptoms graded semiquantitatively. Reduction of BP by titration using small repeated bolus injections is recommended, but oral treatment should be considered in the patients who are able to ingest peroral medication in spite of neurological symptoms     

Cryoablation:

The use of cryoablation in the electrophysiology lab provides some distinct advantages not seen with conventional radiofrequency ablation. Ice mapping allows a functional assessment of a putative ablation site prior to the formation of a permanent lesion. This provides a distinct advantage adjacent to the AV node for para-hisian pathways and difficult cases of AVNRT. Cryoablation also produces minimal endothelial disruption and thrombus formation and causes no collagen shrinkage. This is likely advantageous when ablation is required within venous structures. There is also mounting experimental evidence that cryoablation is safe adjacent to the arterial system, especially within the middle cardiac vein or distal coronary sinus. As the technology evolves and further iterations of the catheter proceed, the role for this new but well-established technology is likely to grow.     

Comparison of six alcohol consumption measures from survey data

Data were collected from a national sample of 1680 New Zealanders that allowed comparison of six different alcohol consumption measures. A measure based on reports of typical frequency and the amount typically consumed in 15 specified drinking locations produced the highest estimate of consumption. This measure and three others showed a particularly high degree of correlation, these being: a measure based on typical frequency and typical occasion amount; a variation of the Finnish period estimate; and a New Zealand variation of the period estimate that incorporated a typical frequency measure. The four measures just described, together with a last 7 days measure, showed generally consistent results when data were examined at the level of the total population and age, gender and socio-economic sub-groups. A measure based on the last two drinking occasions showed the hast consistency with the other measures. The high degree of consistency found in the present study is similar to that found in a previous Finnish study and gives confidence that different ways of obtaining information about alcohol consumption, including relatively quick methods, can lead to similar conclusions about the comparative drinking of population sub-groups.     

PROLACTIN SECRETION IN WOMEN DURING THE OESTRADIOL-INDUCED LUTEINIZING HORMONE SURGE WITH OR WITHOUT PROGESTERONE

To study the role of progesterone (P4) in the control of PRL increase during the midcycle LH surge, eight normally ovulating women were treated with i.m. injections of oestradiol benzoate (E2B) every 12 h during the early follicular phase of two different cycles (from cycle days 2 to 4). In the second cycle P4 injections were also given to the women every 12 h starting at the end of the E2B treatment (from cycle days 4 to 6). Circadian periodicity of serum PRL levels during the E2-induced LH surge did not differ significantly between the E2B and the E2B + P4 experiments. Evening PRL levels increased significantly in both experiments with a peak during the LH surge and no significant difference between them. We conclude that administration of P4 to normal women does not alter the increase in PRL secretion during the LH surge induced by exogenous oestrogen. It is suggested that P4 is not involved in the mechanism controlling midcycle PRL secretion.