The salivary microbiota as a diagnostic indicator of oral cancer: A descriptive,non-randomized study of cancer-free and oral squamous cell carcinoma subjects

Background  

The purpose of the present investigation was to determine if the salivary counts of 40 common oral bacteria in subjects with an oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) lesion would differ from those found in cancer-free (OSCC-free) controls.     

Enhanced resistance of mice to Mycoplasma pulmonis-induced arthritis by administration of killed Corynebacterium parvum.

Inoculation of mice with Corynebacterium parvum 14 days before intraperitoneal inoculation of Mycoplasma pulmonis resulted in arthritis of significantly lesser magnitude than in control mice as measured both clinically and histologically. Mycoplasmas were isolated from the joints of mice inoculated with C. parvum less frequently than from control mice when the arthritis was maximal. Mycoplasmas were also isolated in smaller numbers from the blood and joints of mice pretreated with C. parvum within 2 hr after M. pulmonis inoculation. Complement-fixing antibody to M. pulmonis did not account for the differences observed. C. parvum given during an established mycoplasmal infection, although capable of enhancing elimination of M. pulmonis from the joints of infected mice, had no effect upon the arthritis as measured clinically or histologically. The results provide evidence that immunomodulators such as C. parvum are capable of enhancing elimination of mycoplasmas from the joints of infected mice prior to or after the induction of arthritis.     

Iron and zinc supplementation improves indicators of vitamin A status of Mexican preschoolers

BACKGROUND: The coexistence of multiple micronutrient deficiencies is a widespread public health problem in many regions of the world. Interactions between zinc deficiency and vitamin A metabolism have been reported but no longitudinal studies have evaluated the effect of iron deficiency on vitamin A. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of supplementation with iron, zinc, or both on vitamin A and its metabolically related proteins retinol binding protein (RBP) and transthyretin. DESIGN: The study was a longitudinal, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in which 219 rural Mexican children aged 18-36 mo were randomly assigned to receive 20 mg Zn/d, 20 mg Fe/d, 20 mg Zn/d plus 20 mg Fe/d, or placebo. RESULTS: Six months after supplementation, plasma retinol increased in all supplemented groups. Compared with placebo, zinc supplementation was associated with significantly higher plasma retinol and transthyretin but the increase in RBP was not significant. Iron supplementation significantly increased plasma retinol, RBP, and transthyretin. Supplementation with zinc plus iron significantly increased plasma retinol but not RBP or transthyretin. Children deficient in zinc, iron, or vitamin A (as indicated by nutrient plasma concentration) at the beginning of the study had a significantly greater increase in retinol than did children with adequate nutrient status. CONCLUSIONS: Supplementation with zinc, iron, or both improved indicators of vitamin A status. The results of this study agree with previous observations of a metabolic interaction between zinc and vitamin A and suggest an interaction between iron and vitamin A metabolism.     

Toxic cardiogenic shock in a patient receiving weekly 24-h infusion of high-dose 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin

A 54-year-old man was treated with weekly 24-h infusion of high-dose 5-fluorouracil (2600 mg/m2) and leucovorin (100 mg/m2) for metastatic colon cancer. At first, he tolerated the treatment well and no significant toxicity was identified. After a total of eight courses of treatment, a stable disease was observed, but mild shortness of breath was found on occasion. The patient had no previous history of cardiac disease and the heart performance assessed by left ventricular ejection fraction before treatment was normal. Unfortunately, acute pulmonary edema with lethal cardiogenic shock occurred during the ninth course of treatment, in spite of intensive medical treatment. The chest X-ray showed extreme cardiomegaly. Repeated assessment of his heart function by echocardiogram and ventricular ejection fraction revealed a very poor cardiac performance. Toxic cardiogenic shock during weekly 24-h infusion of high-dose 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin is extremely rare. To the best of our knowledge, no case has been reported in the English literature. We report a case and the relevant literature about the incidence, clinical picture and possible pathophysiology on 5-fluorouracil-related cardioxicity is reviewed.      

Heterogeneous phenotypes of platelet and plasma von Willebrand factor in obligatory heterozygotes for severe von Willebrand disease

To characterize the heterogeneity of severe (type III) von Willebrand disease (vWD), plasma and platelet von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF:Ag) and ristocetin cofactor activity (Ricof) were measured in 28 obligatory heterozygotes (ie, parents or children of probands from 15 different kindreds with severe vWD). On the average, heterozygotes had low levels of vWF in both platelets and plasma. There was, however, considerable heterogeneity, with four distinct patterns. Eleven heterozygotes had concordant reduction of vWF:Ag and Ricof in both plasma and platelets; five had low levels of vWF:Ag and Ricof in plasma contrasting with normal levels in platelets; eight had a peculiar pattern, the reverse of the above (ie, low levels in platelets and normal levels in plasma); and in one, both vWF measurements were normal in plasma and platelets. These patterns were genetically determined: they were consistent in four couples of consanguineous heterozygotes and in two couples carrying the same gene deletion. Only the remaining three heterozygotes had no clearly identifiable pattern. Other findings of this study were that although most of the heterozygotes had normal bleeding times, the 7 of 28 who had prolonged bleeding times had concordantly low levels of vWF measurements in both plasma and platelets. In conclusion, this large series of obligatory heterozygotes provides evidence for phenotypic and genotypic heterogeneity of severe vWD.     

Carrier detection in hemophilia A: a cooperative international study. I. The carrier phenotype

Eight laboratories in six countries cooperated to clarify several issues concerning the phenotypes of heterozygous carriers of hemophilia "A." Plasma levels of factor VIII (F.VIII:C, formerly VIII:C) and von Willebrand factor (VWF:Ag, formerly VIIIR:Ag) of carriers and normal women were determined by various "in-house" methods; a single lyophilized plasma standard was used for all assays. Analysis of the collated data from 336 carriers (296 obligatory carriers and 40 sporadic carriers) and 137 normal women showed that there was no difference in the F.VIII:C levels of "paternal" carriers (women who had obtained the abnormal gene from their fathers) and "maternal" carriers. Neither was there a difference in the VWF:Ag levels of normal women and either type of carrier. Age was found to have a significant effect on both F.VIII:C and VWF:Ag, values being higher at very young and very old ages, the minima occurring in the 25- to 30-year range. ABO blood type had a striking effect. Women of types A, B, and AB (designated non- O in the study), both normals and carriers, had significantly higher levels of both factors than did women of type O. Analysis by laboratories showed that differences in mean levels of both factors between laboratories were highly significant. It was concluded that age, ABO blood type, and laboratory variation should be taken into account in carrier detection.