Low-grade vulvar and vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia: correlation of histologic features with human papillomavirus DNA detection and MIB-1 immunostaining.

Histologic criteria of low-grade vulvar/vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN1/VAIN1) are well established; however, a significant interobserver variability in diagnosing VIN1/VAIN1 has been reported. The goal of this study was to evaluate the utility of MIB-1 immunostaining as an adjunct test to increase the diagnostic accuracy in equivocal cases of VIN1/VAIN1. The second goal was to examine the distribution of low- and high-oncogenic risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) in VIN1/VAIN1 lesions. Consecutive vulvar/vaginal biopsies originally diagnosed as VIN1/VAIN1 (n = 43) or benign (n = 20) were reviewed by two pathologists to obtain a consensus diagnosis. The diagnosis was further confirmed with HPV testing using Short PCR Fragment 10 and Line Probe Assay. MIB-1 immunostaining was performed, and positive staining was defined as a cluster of two or more stained nuclei in the upper two thirds of the epithelial thickness. After verification of the diagnosis using the consensus histologic review and HPV detection as an objective confirmatory test, 31% of cases originally diagnosed as VIN1/VAIN1 were identified as being overdiagnosed. The sensitivity and the specificity of MIB-1 staining for identifying VIN1/VAIN1 were 0.96 and 0.90, respectively. Seventy percent of VIN1 cases were associated with low-risk viral types. In contrast, the majority (84%) of VAIN1 cases were associated with high-risk HPVs. In conclusion, MIB-1 staining is sensitive and specific for identifying VIN1/VAIN1, helpful in verifying the diagnosis in equivocal cases.     

配戴眼镜与眼镜破损致眼外伤：附76例报告

本文报告５年间，在８２４例眼外伤中，对各种原因引起的眼镜破损致眼组织损伤７６例。以作业工人、中小学生高于其他职业。其中中小学生体育活动中引起眼镜破损致眼伤１７例，占体育运动时眼镜破损致伤１８例的９４．４４％。同时特别强调学生应正确配戴眼镜，以防在体育活动中，因不应或不需戴眼镜情况下发生眼镜破损致眼伤。     

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of the effects of PLA microparticle crystallinity on cellular response.

Previous research suggests that crystallinity of poly(L-lactide) P(L)LA microparticles can influence surface free energy, which in turn might influence biocompatibility. This work studies the cellular response to P(L)LA microparticles of different crystallinity both in vitro and in vivo. Following incubation with P(L)LA microparticles, the in vitro production of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) was measured as a marker of cellular response. In both fluorescence and chemiluminescence experiments to measure ROI, a small effect of microparticle crystallinity on NR8383 AM response was observed. Microparticles of higher crystallinity elicited a smaller inflammatory response compared to lower crystallinity particles. Compared to the elevated inflammatory response induced by zymosan, the response to all P(L)LA microparticles tested was practically negligible. Results from in vivo experiments further supported conclusions that P(L)LA microparticles elicit minimal inflammatory response. Following acute exposure to P(L)LA microparticles in guinea-pig lungs, the inflammatory response was not significantly different from the response observed when sterile saline was administered. In contrast to the in vitro experiments, there were not apparent differences in cellular responses to microparticles of different crystallinity.     

Working memory and processing speed deficits in systemic lupus erythematosus as measured by the paced auditory serial addition test.

As many as 66% of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients have been reported to have cognitive deficits. These deficits are often associated with information processing speed and working memory. Similarly, processing speed and working memory impairments are the hallmark of cognitive dysfunction in multiple sclerosis (MS). The Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT) places high demands on processing speed and working memory. Fisk and Archibald, however, demonstrated that the total score of the PASAT does not accurately reflect impairments in these cognitive processes. They found that MS patients used a chunking strategy to obtain correct responses and reduce the cognitive demands of the task. In the present study, PASAT performance was examined for 45 SLE patients and 27 controls using alternative scoring procedures. Although the total number of correct responses did not differ between SLE and controls at the 2.4 or 2.0 s presentation rates, SLE patients had fewer dyads (correct consecutive responses) than controls at the faster rate, and more chunking responses than controls at both rates. Disease activity, disease duration, depression, fatigue, and corticosteroids could not account for these differences. The findings suggest that SLE patients, like MS patients, chunk responses more often than controls, and that this scoring procedure may better reflect the working memory and processing speed deficits present in SLE.     

Plasmid-mediated TEM-3 extended-spectrum beta-lactamase production in Salmonella typhimurium in Casablanca.

Isolates of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Salmonella typhimurium were recovered from children admitted to the IbnRochd University Hospital of Casablanca in 1994. These isolates produced TEM-3 as shown by PCR, isoelectric focusing and sequencing. Production of TEM-3 and resistance to gentamicin were encoded by a 10 kb plasmid that could be transferred by conjugation and transformation. This report extends the list of ESBLs produced by S. typhimurium and stresses the need for continuous surveillance of non-typhoidal Salmonella to adapt antibiotic treatment and preventive measures.     

Effects of chlorpromazine and lorazepam on explicit memory,repetition priming and cognitive skill learning in healthy volunteers

To assess the influence of neuroleptics on explicit memory and two forms of implicit memory, repetition priming and cognitive skill learning, the effects of two low doses of chlorpromazine (12.5 and 25 mg orally) were contrasted to those of lorazepam (2.5 mg orally) and of a placebo using a free-recall task, a word-completion task and repeated testing on the Tower of Toronto puzzle, a version of the Tower of Hanoi puzzle. Seventy-two healthy volunteers took part in this double-blind study. Chlorpromazine spared free-recall and word-completion performance, but impaired the acquisition of a cognitive routine in the subjects who completed the first trials of the Tower of Toronto puzzle efficiently. Lorazepam induced an opposite pattern of memory disruption. These preliminary results suggest that chlorpromazine and lorazepam induced a double dissociation between priming and the acquisition of a cognitive routine. They provide evidence that the two forms of implicit memory rely upon distinct neurochemical systems, the latter, but not the former, being dependent upon dopaminergic systems.