A prosthetic contact lens in the treatment of ocular manifestations of albinism

A patient with severe ocular albinism was fitted with a prosthetic soft contact lens which improved both photophobic symptoms and facial cosmesis.     

Normal deposition of brain iron in childhood and adolescence: MR imaging at 1.5 T

Magnetic resonance (MR) images of the brain in 285 patients between the ages of 2 and 25 years were retrospectively studied to determine the appearance of brain iron accumulation. The globus pallidus, red nucleus, substantia nigra, and dentate nucleus were evaluated with long TR/TE (repetition time/echo time) spin-echo sequences and staged. All four regions in most patients were initially hyperintense compared with white matter (stage I) before becoming isointense (stage II) and subsequently hypointense (stage III). The globus pallidus was the first to reach stage III, the red nucleus and substantia nigra were next, and the dentate nucleus was last. In general, decreased signal intensity (stage III) was not seen in these regions in patients less than 10 years old; in most patients it was seen by age 25 years. The dentate nucleus decreased in signal intensity more slowly and inconsistently; only one-third of patients had reached stage III by age 25 years. The temporal sequence of normal iron deposition as detected with MR imaging is helpful not only in the diagnosis of known iron-deposition diseases but also in the detection of iron-related pathologic changes.     

The use of lasers in the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma

Summary Six of seven patients were treated with external beam radiation, iridium-192 internal radiation and neodymium-YAG laser therapy via a percutaneous transhepatic tract for relief of biliary obstruction. After laser therapy, the transhepatic catheters were removed and patients remained tube-free and non-jaundiced for periods ranging from 1 to 20 months.Presented at the International Congress on Surgical Endoscopy, Ultrasound and Interventional Techniques, Berlin 1988     

Hypertension control in two Canadian communities: evidence for better treatment and overlabelling

We evaluated the prevalence and control of hypertension in two Canadian cities without university medical centre facilities. A stratified multistage probability sample was selected, and we interviewed 6258 adults between the ages of 30 and 69 inclusive. Blood pressure measurements were obtained during home interviews. Up to two further visits were made to people with untreated blood pressure elevation. By a diagnostic criterion of 90 mmHg, the hypertension prevalence was 114/1000. Six per cent of the hypertensives were undetected, 6% detected but untreated, 17% treated but uncontrolled and 70% were being treated and controlled. Control was better in females and older subjects. These findings show no disadvantages to hypertensives living away from university medical centres. We found a hypertension prevalence of 143/1000 among people who reported being diagnosed as hypertensive but who had normal blood pressure while not on medication. These results suggest a problem with over-labelling of hypertensives.     

IMMUNOCHEMICAL AND CATALYTICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THE HUMAN LIVER NADPH-CYTOCHROME P450 REDUCTASE

1. The NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductases (EC 1.6.2.4) from human and rabbit liver have been purified to electrophoretic homogeneity. The human reductase had an apparent monomeric molecular weight of 77,500 and the rabbit enzyme of 76,500. 2. Both flavoproteins exhibited typical flavoprotein spectra and contained equimolar quantities of FAD and FMN. The two reductases were catalytically active in reducing cytochrome c, ferricyanide and dichlorophenolindophenol, and in supporting rabbit liver cytochrome P450 Form 4 metabolism of 2-acetylaminofluorene. 3. An antibody raised in the goat against the human enzyme formed a precipitin line with the human reductase in a double-diffusion assay, but did not react with the rabbit reductase. Similarly, an antibody raised in the goat against the rabbit reductase formed a precipitin line with the rabbit enzyme, but did not cross-react with the human reductase. 4. Both antibodies inhibited cytochrome c reduction by the two reductases suggesting some immunochemical recognition. 5. Immunochemical cross-reactivity was confirmed when both reductases were subjected to the more sensitive immunoblot technique using either anti-human or anti-rabbit reductase IgG. 6. The human and rabbit reductases are essentially similar in amino acid composition, except that the former has larger amounts of serine and glycine.     

Specificity of the inhibitory effect of dextropropoxyphene on oxidative drug metabolism in man: effects on theophylline and tolbutamide disposition.

Two groups of six healthy male volunteers were studied to assess the possibility of an interaction between dextropropoxyphene and theophylline or tolbutamide using a randomised, crossover design. Subjects received theophylline 125 mg 8 hourly or tolbutamide 500 mg i.v. with and without dextropropoxyphene hydrochloride 65 mg 8 hourly. Theophylline 8-hydroxylation was reduced by a mean of 17% but there were no changes in theophylline 1-demethylation, theophylline 3-demethylation or tolbutamide hydroxylation.