Gamma-interferon in aplastic anemia: inability to detect significant levels in sera or demonstrate hematopoietic suppressing activity

A radioimmunoassay (RIA) was used to quantitate biologically active gamma interferon (INF-gamma) in sera and in supernatants of cultured mononuclear cells obtained from 50 patients with aplastic anemia. Only five of the 50 serum samples had INF-gamma levels above background (greater than 0 less than 0.5 units per mL). Detectable levels of spontaneous INF-gamma (0.3 to 868 U/mL) were found in 18 of the 50 mononuclear cell supernatants tested. The addition of patient sera or INF-gamma positive supernatants to cultures of normal hematopoietic colonies did not result in reduced colony growth. Flow cytofluorimetric analysis of mononuclear cells failed to establish a correlation between the presence of INF-gamma in supernatants and the number of activated T cells or natural killer (NK) cells in the mononuclear cell population. However, a significant correlation did exist between the presence of monocytes and the production of INF-gamma. Contrary to previous reports, our data suggest that patients with aplastic anemia do not have high circulating levels of INF-gamma. Unstimulated mononuclear cells from some patients will produce significant levels of INF-gamma, but this does not result in decreased in vitro hematopoiesis.     

Excessive anteriorisation of the superior vena cava associated with an azygos lobe

Summary A wide variety of congenital vascular anomalies of the superior mediastinum exist. Being clinically silent, most of these anomalies are detected incidentally on plain radiographs or CT scans where they could be mistaken for mediastinal masses. Familiarity with these anomalies is very important for correct interpretation and avoidance of confusion. We present a case of a mediastinal mass detected accidentally on plain radiography which on further radiological investigation was found to be an unreported normal variant of the superior vena cava (SVC). CT scans of the thorax and superior vena cavograms showed excessive anteriorisation of the SVC in the presence of an azygos lobe. After reviewing the literature and the embryology of the SVC and azygos lobe, we postulate that the variation in the location of the SVC was possibly due to the presence of the azygos lobe.

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Ventralisation excessive de la veine cave supérieure associée à un lobe azygos

Résumé Il existe une grande variété d'anomalies vasculaires congénitales du médiastin supérieur. Le plus souvent cliniquement silencieuses, ces anomalies sont alors détectées incidemment sur des radiographies ou des scanners où elles peuvent être prises pour des masses médiastinales. La connaissance de ces anomalies est très importante pour une interprétation correcte des documents et éviter toute confusion. Nous présentons le cas d'une masse médiastinale détectée fortuitement sur une radiographie qui s'avéra être, sur des investigations radiologiques complémentaires, une variation non rapportée de la v. cave supérieure (VCS). Le scanner thoracique et la phlébographie cave supérieure ont montré une ventralisation excessive de la VCS et la présence d'un lobe azygos. Après avoir relu la littérature et revu l'embryologie de la VCS et du lobe azygos, nous pensons que cette variation de l'emplacement de la VCS peut être due à la présence du lobe azygos.

     

A Study on Consciousness of Adolescent Girls About Their Body Image

Background:

Perceived body image is an important potential predictor of nutritional status. Body image misconception during adolescence is unexplored field in Indian girls.

Objectives:

To study the consciousness of adolescent girls about their body image.

Materials and Methods:

This multistage observational study was conducted on 586 adolescent girls of age 10–19 years in Lucknow district (151 from rural, 150 from slum, and 286 from urban area) of Uttar Pradesh, India. Information on desired and actual body size was collected with the help of predesigned questionnaire.

Results:

20.5% of studied girls show aspiration to become thin, who already perceived their body image as too thin. 73.4% adolescent girls were satisfied with their body image, while 26.6% were dissatisfied. The dissatisfaction was higher among girls of urban (30.2%) and slum (40.0%) areas in comparison to rural (22.5%) area. Percentage of satisfied girls was less in the 13–15 years (69.9%) age groups in comparison to 10–12 years (76.5%) and 16–19 years (76.4%). Among girls satisfied with their body image, 32.8% girls were found underweight, and 38.4% were stunted. Underweight girls (42.1%) and stunted girls (64.9%) were higher in number within satisfied girls of slum area. Among all of these adolescent girls, 32.8% of girls had overestimated their weight, while only 4.9% of girls had underestimated their weight.

Conclusions:

This study concludes that desire to become thin is higher in adolescent girls, even in those who already perceived their body image as too thin.     

Exosomes from human saliva as a source of microRNA biomarkers

Objective:  The aim of this study was to examine the presence of microRNAs (miRNAs) within exosomes isolated from human saliva and to optimize and test methods for successful downstream applications.
Design:  Exosomes isolated from fresh and frozen glandular and whole human saliva were used as a source of miRNAs. The presence of miRNAs was validated with TaqMan quantitative PCR and miRNA microarrays.
Results:  We successfully isolated exosomes from human saliva from healthy controls and a patient with Sjögren's syndrome. microRNAs extracted from the exosomal fraction were sufficient for quantitative PCR and microarray profiling.
Conclusions:  The isolation of miRNAs from easily and non-invasively obtained salivary exosomes with subsequent characterization of the miRNA expression patterns is promising for the development of future biomarkers of the diagnosis and prognosis of various salivary gland pathologies.     

Intraarterial digital subtraction arteriographic evaluation of extremity tumors: comparison with conventional arteriography

Conventional arteriography and intraarterial digital subtraction arteriography (IADSA) were compared in 36 patients with primary bone or soft-tissue tumors of the extremities. The sensitivity of IADSA was at least equal to conventional arteriography for demonstrating normal or abnormal major arteries and feeding arteries, equal to or superior for depicting tumor stains or draining veins, but slightly inferior for revealing minute tumor vessels. An increase of the matrix size from 256 X 256 to 512 X 512 improved these sensitivities. IADSA with 15% diatrizoate contrast material eliminated the contrast material-induced pain in all patients. With a computer-controlled iris setting, an average of 5 minutes of procedure time and 1.7 R of radiation (0.44 mC kg) per examination could be saved. IADSA reduced the cost of an examination by an average of $67. The results indicate that IADSA was diagnostic in all instances and can replace conventional arteriography for the evaluation of extremity tumors.     

The origin of IgG production and homogeneous IgG components after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

Pediatric recipients (n = 25) of an allogeneic bone marrow (BM) graft were selected on the basis of informative IgG allotype (Gm) differences between the BM donor and the recipient. To investigate the kinetics of the appearance of IgG of donor origin and the disappearance of IgG of recipient origin, G1m and G2m allotype levels were quantified in sera obtained at regular intervals between 3 months and 5 years after BM transplantation (BMT). For this quantification, a dot immunobinding assay (DIBA) has been developed. In 19 of 22 informative recipients, the Gm allotype distribution had reached the range of values expected on the basis of the Gm phenotype of the donor within 6 months after BMT. Remarkably, IgG of recipient origin persisted in 15 of 18 informative recipients until last follow up, ie, for several years after BMT. In addition to the origin of total IgG production, the origin of homogeneous IgG components (H-IgG) appearing after BMT was investigated. H-IgG of donor origin could be detected as early as 3 weeks after BMT, but also H-IgG of recipient origin were present in 8 of 13 informative recipients for a period of up to 1 year after BMT. We conclude that host-type IgG-producing cells were not eradicated by the (myeloablative) conditioning regimen and persisted in a high number of graft recipients. It is our hypothesis that lack of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in the majority of these recipients results in the persistence of IgG-producing cells of host origin. These observations may be relevant for the evaluation of patients who received allogeneic BMT for the treatment of multiple myeloma.