Effect of Implanon and Norplant subdermal contraceptive implants on serum lipids--a randomized comparative study

The objective of this study was to assess the possible differences in effects of Implanon (etonogestrel 68 mg, single-rod) and Norplant (levonorgestrel 36 mg, six capsules) implants on serum lipids over 2 years of use. In this 2-year open randomized study of 80 implant acceptors, selected serum lipids were tested before implant insertion and at 6, 12 and 24 months after implant insertion. The lipid parameters evaluated were: total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides, apolipoprotein A-I and apolipoprotein B. During the 2 years, the serum lipid pattern in the Implanon users was not significantly different from that of the Norplant users. There was slight decrease in HDL-C levels in both the groups but there were no significant changes in the HDL/TC ratio and the HDL/LDL ratio. Although it was statistically significant, the magnitude of decrease in HDL-C from preinsertion levels in Implanon users was only 5.8% at the end of 2 years.     

Favorable response to treatment of a child with T-cell-rich large B-cell lymphoma presenting with liver failure

The authors describe the successful management of a child with T-cell-rich large B-cell lymphoma (TCRBCL) involving the lymph nodes and liver, causing severe hepatic dysfunction. After immunohistochemical confirmation of the diagnosis, the patient was treated initially with low-dose, non-hepatotoxic chemotherapy and irradiation to the porta hepatis. Chemotherapy was gradually escalated to intensified B cell-lymphoma treatment regimens (CHOP, CYVE, COPAdM) as liver function improved. Despite prompt and notable response in the lymph nodes, the intrahepatic nodular lesions persisted radiologically. Liver function tests normalized during the course of treatment. However, radiologic studies of the liver showed abnormal regeneration with a predominant left lobe overshadowing a tiny right lobe. The patient remains in remission more than a year after completion of treatment. Judicious use of chemotherapeutic agents with or without local radiotherapy may influence the outcome and survival in children with TCRBCL involving the liver and causing abnormal hepatic function.     

The detection of stage I ovarian cancer by three-dimensional sonography and power Doppler

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of three-dimensional (3D) sonography and 3D power Doppler imaging, used together with standard 2D transvaginal grayscale and color/power Doppler modalities, for preoperative sonographic assessment of suspected ovarian lesions. METHODS: Five-year retrospective analysis was performed by our experts on ultrasonography and surgery on the reports from 43 referred patients with suspected stage I ovarian cancer. All patients were evaluated during the week prior to surgery at our department. Preoperative sonographic assessment included careful examination of ovarian volume, morphology, and vascularity by four complementary sonographic methods. Scoring systems combining morphological and Doppler parameters were adopted for 2D and 3D sonographic examinations. Final diagnosis was confirmed by a histopathologist. RESULTS: Out of the 43 stage I ovarian cancers, 42 cases were successfully detected preoperatively by four complementary sonographic methods. Only 30 (69.8%) and 37 (86.1%) cases of stage I ovarian cancer were detected by 2D grayscale and combined 2D grayscale and color Doppler sonography, respectively. Morphological analysis obtained by 3D sonography alone detected 32 of 43 ovarian malignancies, reaching a diagnostic rate of 74.4%. Qualitative analysis of tumor vascularity architecture by 3D power Doppler significantly improved the sonographic management process and successfully detected 41 cases of stage I ovarian cancer (95.4%). When morphological features obtained by 3D sonography were added to 3D power Doppler findings, we achieved an even higher diagnostic accuracy of 97.7%. We found a statistically significant difference (P 相似文献   

Antibacterial activity of proteolytic enzymes

Single clinical isolates of 5 species of bacteria were individually incubated in saline solutions of two proteolytic enzymes at 3 different concentrations for one hour to determine the possible antibacterial activity of these enzymes. The enzymes tested showed higher killing effect against the Gram-negative bacteria than the Gram-positive bacteria. The lethal activity of the enzymes was concentration dependent.     

Pentoxifylline at clinically achievable levels inhibits FMLP-induced neutrophil responses,but not priming,upregulation of cell-adhesion molecules,or migration induced by GM-CSF

Abstract: Pentoxifylline (PTX) administered after bone-marrow transplantation reduces procedure-related organ damage mediated by TNFα. GM-CSF is also given post-transplant to stimulate earlier neutrophil recovery. Because PTX has been shown to inhibit neutrophil function, we sought to determine whether it also inhibited the effects of GM-CSF on neutrophil activity. The study confirmed that PTX at clinically achievable concentration (5–10 μmol/l) attenuated the responses of human neutrophils to chemotactic peptide, whereas it did not inhibit the effect of GM-CSF on neutrophil function even at high concentrations. In experiments with human neutrophils, neither the direct effects of GM-CSF such as stimulation of migration and increased expression of CD11b, nor the priming effects of GM-CSF on the respiratory burst, were inhibited by PTX. In experiments with monkeys, intravenous administration of PTX did not block subsequent GM-CSF-induced neutrophil CD11b upregulation or phagocyte margination, even when near millimolar plasma levels of pentoxifylline were obtained. The retention of cytokine-stimulated activities suggests that PTX will not compromise the response of neutrophils to stimuli from infectious foci.     

The carpenter syndrome phenotype

Carpenter syndrome (Acrocephalopolysyndactyly type II), first described in 1901, consists of acrocephaly, syndactyly, polydactyly, congenital heart disease, mental retardation, hypogenitalism, cryptorchidism, obesity, umbilical hernia and bony abnormalities. We report a 6 years old boy presenting as a union of these malformations and also having bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. Auditory disturbances are not common among Carpenter syndrome patients. According to our knowledge, this is the first Carpenter syndrome case whose hearing loss is demonstrated by auditory brainstem response (ABR) test.     

A novel assay to identify entry inhibitors that block binding of HIV-1 gp120 to CCR5

HIV-1 infection is initiated by the interaction of the envelope glycoprotein gp120 with the cellular receptor CD4 that triggers conformational changes in gp120 necessary for subsequent interaction with a coreceptor CCR5 (or CXCR4). The CD4-induced (CD4i) conformation of gp120 can be mimicked by a full-length single chain (FLSC) protein consisting of gp120 linked with the D1D2 domains of CD4 by a 20-amino-acid linker. We have used this protein to establish a flow cytometry-based assay and an ELISA-based assay to identify inhibitors that block the binding of gp120 to CCR5. Both assays are specific for detecting the known CCR5 antagonist TAK-779, but the ELISA-based assay was more sensitive, simple, inexpensive, and rapid; thus, it can be adapted to high throughput screening (HTS). The ELISA-based method was validated with a diverse set of known antagonists, for example, TAK-779, AOP-RANTES, PSC-RANTES, and several mAbs.     

Uteroglobin represses allergen-induced inflammatory response by blocking PGD2 receptor-mediated functions

Uteroglobin (UG) is an antiinflammatory protein secreted by the epithelial lining of all organs communicating with the external environment. We reported previously that UG-knockout mice manifest exaggerated inflammatory response to allergen, characterized by increased eotaxin and Th2 cytokine gene expression, and eosinophil infiltration in the lungs. In this study, we uncovered that the airway epithelia of these mice also express high levels of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, a key enzyme for the production of proinflammatory lipid mediators, and the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) contain elevated levels of prostaglandin D2. These effects are abrogated by recombinant UG treatment. Although it has been reported that prostaglandin D2 mediates allergic inflammation via its receptor, DP, neither the molecular mechanism(s) of DP signaling nor the mechanism by which UG suppresses DP-mediated inflammatory response are clearly understood. Here we report that DP signaling is mediated via p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase, and protein kinase C pathways in a cell type-specific manner leading to nuclear factor-kappaB activation stimulating COX-2 gene expression. Further, we found that recombinant UG blocks DP-mediated nuclear factor-kappaB activation and suppresses COX-2 gene expression. We propose that UG is an essential component of a novel innate homeostatic mechanism in the mammalian airways to repress allergen-induced inflammatory responses.     

Sockeye: a 3D environment for comparative genomics

Comparative genomics techniques are used in bioinformatics analyses to identify the structural and functional properties of DNA sequences. As the amount of available sequence data steadily increases, the ability to perform large-scale comparative analyses has become increasingly relevant. In addition, the growing complexity of genomic feature annotation means that new approaches to genomic visualization need to be explored. We have developed a Java-based application called Sockeye that uses three-dimensional (3D) graphics technology to facilitate the visualization of annotation and conservation across multiple sequences. This software uses the Ensembl database project to import sequence and annotation information from several eukaryotic species. A user can additionally import their own custom sequence and annotation data. Individual annotation objects are displayed in Sockeye by using custom 3D models. Ensembl-derived and imported sequences can be analyzed by using a suite of multiple and pair-wise alignment algorithms. The results of these comparative analyses are also displayed in the 3D environment of Sockeye. By using the Java3D API to visualize genomic data in a 3D environment, we are able to compactly display cross-sequence comparisons. This provides the user with a novel platform for visualizing and comparing genomic feature organization.