Frequency of seroreactors to Legionella among the patients with pulmonary infections

A prospective study was conducted with patients with pulmonary infections who were consecutively admitted to the three community hospitals in Benghu from July 1986 to May 1987, and to the children's hospital in Nanjing from September 1986 to January 1987. Antibodies to Lpi-8, Lm, Ld, and Lg were measured by the micro-agglutination test. During the study period, 150 adult patients (100 pairs sera) and 212 control healthy people and 110 pairs sera of childhood patients and 173 children without respiratory tract infections were investigated. The diagnosis of legionellosis was based on seroconversion (fourfold rise in titer to greater than 1:32 or static titer of greater than 1:32) and clinical and radiographic features of legionnaires' disease. About 11% legionella infection in hospitalized adult patients with pulmonary infections, and about 5.45% in children with atypical pneumonias.     

Functional renal insufficiency during long-term therapy with captopril and enalapril in severe chronic heart failure

Renal function was evaluated in 104 patients with severe chronic heart failure whom we treated with captopril or enalapril. Seventy patients showed no change or an improvement in renal function (group A), and 34 patients developed functional renal insufficiency (group B). Before converting-enzyme inhibition, group B patients received higher doses of furosemide (p less than 0.02) and had lower central venous pressures (p less than 0.05) than group A patients. After 1 to 3 months of converting-enzyme inhibition, an excessive reduction in left ventricular filling pressure (to less than 15 mm Hg) or mean arterial pressure (to less than 60 mm Hg) was noted in 28 of 34 (82%) patients in group B but in only 22 of 70 patients in group A (31%) (p less than 0.001). At the end of the study, drug-induced azotemia resolved after a reduction in the dosage of diuretics, despite unaltered treatment with captopril and enalapril. Hence, the deterioration of renal function after converting-enzyme inhibition in heart failure is not a toxic or immunologic reaction to therapy but results from specific hemodynamic events that can be ameliorated by sodium repletion.     

Plasma levels of amino acids correlate with motor fluctuations in parkinsonism

Seven patients with Parkinson's disease who experienced severe motor fluctuations in response to levodopa were studied in detail with relation to the effect of dietary protein on their motor function. The levodopa dose for each patient was not changed during the period of study, and no other antiparkinsonian drugs were used. Regular and high-protein diets resulted in a marked elevation in the plasma concentrations of large neutral amino acids (LNAAs) that are known to compete with levodopa for transport across the blood-brain barrier. Despite elevated plasma levodopa levels, all patients with elevated LNAA levels experienced parkinsonian symptoms. When the amino acid level dropped while plasma levodopa levels were elevated, patients experienced relief of these symptoms. On a low-protein diet, LNAA levels remained low and all patients were consistently dyskinetic throughout the day, even though the mean plasma levodopa levels were somewhat lower than when the patients consumed a high-protein diet. A redistribution diet that is virtually protein free until supper and then unrestricted until bedtime is tolerated by patients because this simple manipulation permits near-normal daytime motor function.     

CT scan and threshold vibrometry in the diagnosis of spinocerebellar degenerations

45 patients with spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD) underwent through quantitative investigation of the ventricular and cisternal systems by CT scanning and threshold vibrometry in the limbs to find out whether these parameters could be used for distinguishing mainly spinal from cerebellar forms or from olivopontoce-rebellar atrophy. The increase in the vibration sense threshold and the mild atrophy in the posterior cranial fossa proved typical of spinal forms and the reverse for cerebellar forms. In olivopontocerebellar atrophy enlargement of the cisterns and dilatation of the ventricles always exceeded 85% of normal values.

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Sommario 45 pazienti affetti da degenerazione spinocerebellare (SCD) sono stati sottoposti ad uno studio approfondito di esplorazione quantitativa del sistema ventricolare e cisternale alla TAC e della soglia di percezione vibratoria agli arti per valutare la possibilità di distinguere con questi parametri le forme prevalentemente spinali da quelle cerebellari o delle atrofie olivopontocerebellari. L'aumento della soglia vibratoria e la modesta atrofia in fossa posteriore è risultata tipica delle forme spinali, mentre l'inverso si verifica per le forme cerebellari. Nelle atrofie olivopontocerebellari l'allargamento delle cisterne e la dilatazione dei ventricoli supera quasi sempre l'85% rispetto ai casi normali.

     

Intense immunoreactivity for Mn-superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) in cholinergic and non-cholinergic neurons in the rat basal forebrain

The immunohistochemical localization of manganese (Mn)-superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) was studied in the rat basal forebrain using polyclonal antibodies to Mn-SOD. Neurons of the basal forebrain exhibit a high density of Mn-SOD immunoreactivity. Double immunostaining with a monoclonal antibody to choline acetyltransferase demonstrated that both cholinergic and non-cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain are intensely immunoreactive for Mn-SOD.     

Significance of the studies of urinary syndrome in clinical practice]

The study of urinary sediment is essential in laboratory diagnosis. Conventional clinical methods are now used in line with computer-aided techniques and additional microscopy of the sediment elements. The paper provides a brief analysis of clinical situations characterized by appearance in the urine of abnormal numbers of leukocytes, erythrocytes, casts; provides clinical assessment of additional microscopic methods able to accentuate qualitative characteristics of the urinary syndrome; considers possibilities of application of the urinary sediment data in follow-up to improve diagnosis and control on-going treatment.