Abnormalities of thirst regulation in patients with chronic renal failure on hemodialysis.

To determine whether thirst mechanisms are altered in nondiabetic patients with chronic renal failure on hemodialysis, 4 patients with an average weight gain between dialysis sessions of more than 5% of dry body weight (group I), 5 patients with less than 3% weight gain (group II), and a group of 6 healthy subjects (group III) were submitted to infusion of hypertonic saline. After infusion the subjects had free access to water. Thirst was evaluated by visual analogue rating scales. Despite similar increments of effective plasma osmolality during saline infusion, patients of group I were thirstier than groups II and III (p less than 0.005 and p less than 0.01, respectively). Changes in thirst ratings were similar in groups II and III. Osmotic thresholds for thirst onset were similar in groups II and III (288.9 +/- 8.5 and 289.8 +/- 3.4 mosm/kg, respectively), but lower in group I (277.6 +/- 7.6 mosm/kg). Nevertheless, great variations were observed in the latter group. Thus, 2 patients showed thresholds for thirst within the normal range, whereas the others had low osmolar thresholds for thirst and baseline plasma osmolalities and high basal thirst scores. During the drinking period, the patients of group I drank more (14.2 +/- 2.8 ml/kg) than those of groups II (5.3 +/- 1.6 ml/kg; p less than 0.02) and III (10.2 +/- 1.6 ml/kg; n.s.) The plasma levels of angiotensin II in uremic patients were higher than in healthy subjects, although there were no differences between groups I and II and no correlation between basal angiotensin II levels and the interdialytic weight gain.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Blue nevus of the prostate: report of two new cases with immunohistochemical and electron-microscopic studies.

Two new cases of prostatic blue nevus are studied with routine histological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural methods. Both cases showed a chronic lower urinary tract obstruction due to a benign prostatic hyperplasia with spindle-shaped stromal cells loaded with melanin pigment. These cells were positive for S-100 and negative for HMB-45 antibodies, being, to the best of our knowledge, the first time that this antibody has been tested in prostatic pigmented lesions. The electron-microscopy study was performed in the first case, confirming the nature of these pigmented cells as melanocytes derived from the neural crest showing melanosomes in all the stages of differentiation and without complete basal cell membrane. The histogenesis of pigmented lesions of the prostate and the differences between blue nevus and melanosis are discussed, and the literature is reviewed.     

Rapid production of Candida albicans chlamydospores in liquid media under various incubation conditions.

The production of chlamydospores is a diagnostic tool used to identify Candida albicans; these structures also represent a model for morphogenetic research. The time required to produce them with standard methods is 48-72 hours in rice meal agar and tensoactive agents. This time can be shorted using liquid media such as cornmeal broth (CMB) and dairy supplements. Five media were tested: CMB plus 1% Tween-80, CMB plus 5% milk, CMB plus 5% milk serum, milk serum, and milk serum plus 1% Tween-80, under different incubation conditions: at 28 degrees C and 37 degrees C in a metabolic bath stirring at 150 rpm, and at 28 degrees C in a culture stove. The reading time points were established at 8 and 16 hours. The best results were obtained at 16 hours with CMB plus 5% milk under incubation at 28 degrees C and stirring at 150 rpm. The next most efficient methods were CMB plus 5% milk serum and CMB plus 1% Tween-80, under the same incubation conditions. The other media were ineffective in producing chlamydospores. The absence of stirring at 28 degrees C prevented the formation of chlamydospores within the set time points, and incubation at 37 degrees C decreased their production. This paper reports that the time to form C. albicans chlamydospores can be reduced.     

Long-term improvement of metabolic control without increased risk of hypoglycaemia by intensive insulin regimens in type 1 diabetes patients treated in a regular clinical setting.

AIM: To evaluate if intensive insulin regimen with multiple daily injections (MDI) is successful for treating type 1 diabetes patients over a long period of time in a regular clinical setting. METHOD: This is a prospective, observational seven-year study. Fifty-nine (35 male) type 1 diabetic patients with bad metabolic control (HbA1c> or =9%), aged 31.9 years, range 18-47 were included in the present study. All of them had had at least 5 years of diabetes duration after diagnosis and showed negative responses of serum C-peptide to a standard breakfast. The main control variables are: Metabolic control measured by serum HbA1c values (values < 6.2 % was the treatment objective) and the frequency of hypoglycaemic episodes (episodes/patient-month). RESULTS: Significant decreases in mean+/-SD HbA1c values in this group of patients were observed from the first year of follow-up, with the mean values being: 7.5+/-1.5%, 7.2+/-1.8%, 7.6+/-1.6%, 7.1+/-1.7%, 7+/-1.4, 6.6+/-1.6% and 6.8+/-1.4% for the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh years of follow-up respectively. Sixteen %, 27.5%, 15.7%, 33.3%, 28.6%, 42% and 33% of the patients reached the treatment objective (HbA1c values<6.2%) for each year of follow-up. Throughout the study period the rate of severe hypoglycaemia (episodes/patient-year) was 0.32+/-0.2 which was not significantly different compared with the value of 0.28+/-0.1 observed the year before the study began. Similarly frequencies of mild/moderate hypoglycaemia episodes (episodes/patient-month) varies between 16.5+/-4 and 21.7+/-5, which are not significantly different from the value of 17.7+/-6 observed the year before the study began. CONCLUSION: Long-term improvement in metabolic control was observed in this group of type 1 diabetes patients with previous bad control, during treatment in a regular clinical setting. A considerable percentage of type 1 diabetic patients with MDI reached the treatment objective in every year of follow-up. Furthermore improvement in metabolic control is not associated with significantly increased frequency of hypoglycaemia episodes.     

Utility of the sural fasciocutaneous flap for the treatment of chronic osteomyelitis of the distal tibia

Treatment of chronic osteomyelitis of distal tibia is complex. It often requires the association of antibiotic therapy and a surgical procedure. This consists of exhaustive debridement of infected bone and soft tissue which must have adequate cutaneous coverage and vascular supply which enables creating a barrier to microorganisms and greater resistance to infection. Free or pedicled muscular flaps have been the techniques most often used for this type of lesions. Free flaps require a precise microsurgical technique and prolonged surgery. Pedicled muscular flaps do not provide sufficient coverage and vascularisation of the distal tibia for large size defects. The fasciocutaneous flap has been used for the treatment of coverage defects in the perimalleolar area and the heel. We report the utility of this flap as management of chronic osteomyelitis of the distal third of the tibia with complete healing of the infection and correct cutaneous coverage without complications.     

Right frontal event related EEG coherence (ERCoh) differentiates good from bad performers of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST).

AIM: To investigate changes in Event-Related Coherence (ERCoh) associated to good and bad resolution of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). METHODS: Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) were recorded from a sample of 30 university students while they performed a computerized version of the WCST. ERCoh was calculated for frontal and parietal electrodes for two specific moments: immediately before the response and after the feedback cues. RESULTS: Bad performers presented significantly reduced ERCoh at the right frontal region (in alpha, beta-1 and beta-2 bands), while no consistent group differences emerged for parietal ERCoh. Furthermore, the strength of functional coupling (ERCoh) between midfrontal and right-frontal electrodes was a good predictor of WCST behavioural parameters, such as the percentage of perseverative errors or the number of categories achieved. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the right prefrontal cortex is specifically involved in executive functions, such as planning and foresight, tapped by the WCST. Although the specificity of the WCST to explore frontal lesions has been recently questioned, the present findings support that prefrontal areas are specifically involved in the successful resolution of the test by healthy subjects.     

18F-FDG PET/CT delayed images after diuretic for restaging invasive bladder cancer.

PET with (18)F-FDG has been considered of limited value for detection of bladder cancer because of the urinary excretion of the tracer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of PET/CT in the detection and restaging of bladder cancer using furosemide and oral hydration to remove the excreted (18)F-FDG from the bladder. METHODS: Seventeen patients with bladder cancer (11 without cystectomy, 6 with total cystectomy and urinary diversion) underwent (18)F-FDG PET/CT from head to the upper thighs 60 min after the intravenous injection of 370 MBq of (18)F-FDG. Additional pelvic images were acquired 1 h after the intravenous injection of furosemide and oral hydration. PET/CT findings were confirmed by MRI, cystoscopy, or biopsy. RESULTS: PET/CT was able to detect bladder lesions in 6 of 11 patients who had not undergone cystectomy. These images changed the PET/CT final reading in 7 patients: Recurrent bladder lesions were detected in 6 patients, pelvic lymph node metastases in 2 patients, and prostate metastasis in 1. This technique overcame the difficulties posed by the urinary excretion of (18)F-FDG. Hypermetabolic lesions could be easily detected by PET and precisely localized in the bladder wall, pelvic lymph nodes, or prostate by CT. Seven of 17 patients (41%) were upstaged only after delayed pelvic images. CONCLUSION: Detection of locally recurrent or residual bladder tumors can be dramatically improved using (18)F-FDG PET/CT with delayed images after a diuretic and oral hydration.