A study of capillary morphology in the digits of patients with acquired clubbing

We sought to determine the capillary morphology in patients with clubbing to compare it with that in subjects without clubbing. Subjects were placed in the clubbed or nonclubbed groups on the basis of caliper measurements of their index fingers. In each subject, photomicrographs of eight fingers were done focusing on the dorsal skin just proximal to the base of the nail. Each photomicrograph was randomly graded with respect to the presence and extent of plexus formation, the presence of arborized loops, and the presence of splayed loops. Comparison of the plexus score, presence of arborized loops, and presence of splayed loops were significantly different between the clubbed and nonclubbed groups (p less than 0.001 in all three analyses). Only a plexus score of 2 or greater demonstrated a useful degree of sensitivity and specificity (89 and 90%, respectively). We concluded that a significant difference in the morphologic features of the capillaries existed between nonclubbed subjects and those with acquired clubbing.     

Escape from tension induced by noradrenaline or electrical stimulation in isolated mesenteric arteries

Isolated mesenteric arteries, studied under 25-30 mg resting tension, responded to prolonged noradrenaline or electrical stimulation with a 50-500 mg increase in tension from which they subsequently escaped towards resting tension levels.     

Comparison of in vivo and in vitro responses to sulfated and non-sulfated ceruletide

Responses of guinea pig gall bladder to sulfated and non-sulfated ceruletide were compared in vitro and vivo. Tested in vivo, sulfated ceruletide was 75 times more potent than non-sulfated. In vitro, sulfated was 150 times more potent. Thus, differences in potency are substantially less when tested in vivo, and reported differences in relative potency reflect not only chemical structure but also the method used for testing.     

Problems in the assessment of human exposure to tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD): The marker chloracne

An epidemiological study, aiming to assess the extent of the exposure to tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD) of the population involved in the Seveso accident, needs an effective information system, able to answer the questions usually asked — such as: why? what? who? where? when? how long? — and therefore concerning the wide range of the expected events, from the early cases till the ones expected in the long term. The paper is concerned with evaluation of possible use of chloracne as indicator of human exposure to TCDD, taking into account from one hand chloracne itself (i.e. its latency period, sensitivity, specificity, predictive value of diagnosis, etc) and, from the other, the development of the observational process. Moreover, the paper points out the role of the dermatological findings as representative — more than and before the other clinical findings — of the exposure conditions in the polluted area. The group of subjects classified as ? chloracne ? by the end of the second screening (May, 1977) included 187 cases, 164 of which were children 0-14 yrs old by the 10th of July 1976; 34 out of 164 were diagnosed in September–December 1976, the other 13,0 were diagnosed within the screening program. The results of a survey concerning their exposure data, clinical and laboratory findings are detailed. Finally, some remarks are made related to the quality of data. The Authors emphasize that the reliability of assessment of health status of the exposed population depends not only upon a comprehensive a posteriori analysis of the different sets of clinical findings, but also upon the degree of integration of the professional staffs involved at operational levels. This statement has the obvious consequence that the assessment of human exposure to TCDD, using chloracne as a reliable marker, needs a multidimensional approach.     

Plasmid-dependent co-mutation in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)

Summary A spontaneous chromosomalmutation(plc A^–) in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) made the inborn plasmid SCP1 susceptible to curing by UV irradiation. Lack of the SCP1 plasmid (in SCP1^– strains) prevented the occurrence of the co-mutation process after MNNG treatment, although it left the susceptibility to the lethal effect of the mutagen virtually unaffected. SCP1^– strains were, however, ultrasensitive to the lethal effect of UV. Curing a plc A^– strain of its SCPI plasmid made it refractory to co-mutation by MNNG and sensitive to the lethal effect of UV; reinfected by the plasmid, the strain resumed both the co-mutation proficiency and the UV-resistance. The occurrence on the SCP1 plasmid of a gene comparable to the uvrE gene of E. coli (Nevers and Spatz 1975) was assumed.     

High number of circulating CD34+ cells in patients with myelophthisis

Six patients with bone marrow micrometastases from solid cancers presented with increased numbers of circulating CD34+ cells; the CD34+ cell counts were very high in some cases. By contrast, no patient with metastatic cancer without bone marrow involvement showed raised numbers of circulating hemopoietic progenitors.