HIV reporting in western Europe : national systems and first European data

AIDS case reporting has been an essential tool for monitoring HIV infection in western Europe. Recent trends in AIDS have been affected by improved antiretroviral treatments that delay HIV disease progression, however, and no longer serve as indicators of     

The anatomy lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp by Rembrandt (1632): a comparison of the painting with a dissected left forearm of a Dutch male cadaver

Rembrandt's The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp (1632) is considered a masterpiece and is a group portrait of the Amsterdam Guild of Surgeons in the form of an anatomy lesson. Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, Doctor of Medicine and Praelector Anatomiae to the Amsterdam Guild of Surgeons, showed an anatomic dissection of a forearm on the corpse of an executed criminal. The anatomic accuracy in Rembrandt's famous painting has been discussed in the literature for decades without any general consensus. In 2006, on the 400th anniversary of Rembrandt's birth, a forearm dissection of a cadaver and a comparison with the anatomy in the painting are presented to analyze the anatomic accuracy of Rembrandt's famous painting.     

“Anatomy Lesson of Frederik Ruysch” of 1670: A Tribute to Ruysch’s Contributions to Lymphatic Anatomy

Background

Frederick Ruysch was one of the most prominent Dutch physicians of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. For more than 65 years, he was the Praelector Anatomiae (Lecturer of Anatomy) of the Amsterdam Guild of Surgeons. During his career, he conducted many dissections at the guild’s theatre to teach anatomy. Ruysch was internationally renowned for his great dissection skills and his innovative techniques for preserving anatomical specimens. The “Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Frederik Ruysch” painted in 1670, is thought to be a group portrait undertaken to commemorate the officials of the Guild of Surgeons. Ruysch was portrayed performing an anatomical dissection of inguinal lymph nodes on the corpse of an executed criminal. This portrait is one of the earliest paintings focusing on the “lymphatic system.”

Methods

We investigated the medical background of the painting by revisiting Ruysch’s original work from the mid-seventeenth century. His contributions to the early history of “lymphatic anatomy” are assessed and interpreted from the perspective of the renewed interest in “lymphatic imaging” today.

Results and conclusions

Frederik Ruysch should be considered one of the pioneers contributing to the early knowledge of the lymphatic system. He succeeded in dissecting the lymphatic vessels and valves with the aid of his innovative dissection and preservation techniques. The famous group portrait of the Amsterdam Guild of Surgeons with Ruysch demonstrating the lymph nodes pays tribute to his work on which we still rely today.     

盐酸普鲁卡因胺渗透泵片剂的研究

本文研究了盐酸普鲁卡因胺(PA·HCl)渗透泵片的处方组成、制备工艺、体外溶出;建立了PA·HCl的紫外双波长分光光度法及血清和唾液中PA及其活性代谢物N-乙酰普鲁卡因胺(NAPA)共存下的高效液相色谱法,体内PA实验数据按双室模型,用电子计算机处理求得药动学参数。药动学—药效学数据显示血药浓度和唾药浓度均与药效变化规律相关。     

Gastric adenocarcinoma: CT versus surgical staging

Seventy-five patients with gastric carcinoma underwent preoperative staging with computed tomography (CT). In 14 patients, CT failed to demonstrate lymphadenopathy despite the presence of malignant lymph nodes at surgery. In 13 patients, CT demonstrated enlarged nodes, but no malignant involvement was found at surgery. Although spread to the pancreas was correctly predicted in three patients with lack of fat plane between tumor and pancreas, five patients lacking a fat plane had no invasion, whereas eight patients with an intact fat plane had invasion. Thirty-five patients (47%) were incorrectly staged with CT:23 (31%) were understaged and 12 (16%) were overstaged. CT does not accurately display the true extent of disease in patients with gastric carcinoma and therefore should not be used routinely for staging.     

Percutaneous dilation of benign biliary strictures

Percutaneous balloon dilation of benign biliary strictures was successful in 15 of 18 patients in whom the procedure was attempted. Successful dilation was achieved in nine of 11 patients who had biliary enteric strictures, with follow-up of 22-55 months (mean, 35.4 months) after catheter removal in seven patients. Five of six strictures in the biliary tree that developed after surgery were successfully dilated, with long-term follow-up available in two patients (58 and 42 months). A patient with an inflammatory common bile duct stricture that was successfully dilated was followed up for 18 months. Percutaneous dilation of biliary tract strictures is a promising technique with good long-term results and may be the initial treatment of choice in biliary stricture management.     

RHD/CE typing by polymerase chain reaction using sequence-specific primers

BACKGROUND: Current DNA-based Rh system typing strategies may detect the two RH genes and their prevalent alleles, but they are known to fail sometimes, when rare RH alleles (e.g., D category phenotypes) are encountered. It is almost impossible to find a single DNA-based method that can accommodate the great heterogeneity within the human Rh system. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: An easy-to-perform DNA-based method for the detection of the two RH genes and their alleles, including variant RHD alleles, was developed. By the use of one RHD/C-, seven RHD-, and four RHCE-specific polymerase chain reactions, all triggered to work at identical thermocycling conditions, the DNA of 77 blood donors carrying weak D and that of 200 random donors with common D phenotype was investigated. In addition, 77 selected samples of ccDee and rare Rh system phenotypes were examined. RESULTS: Among 77 samples of weak D, one Rh33 and six DVI categories were detected, one of which showed new RHD-specific nucleotide patterns. In DFR and CCee samples, novel variant RHD alleles were found. RHD DNA types of 200 random donors were found to be concordant with their D phenotype. For RHE and RHe genotyping, a full correlation with serologic phenotypes was found. Our method for genotyping RHC and RHc failed in some cases, because of an already published RHc allelic variation, which we have called RHc(cyt48). An estimate of the frequency of this RHc(cyt48) allele in a white population was made. CONCLUSION: The presented exon-scanning RHD/CE polymerase chain reaction using sequence-specific primers complements current DNA-based Rh system typing strategies and is superior in the detection of variant RHD alleles.     

p63在皮肤发生发育及损伤修复中的作用

目的:皮肤的发生发育及损伤修复受到各种生长因子和细胞因子的综合调控。p63是近年发现的癌基因p53的同源基因,研究证实,p63在发育和肿瘤发生中都具有重要作用。文章对p63在皮肤发生发育和损伤修复中的作用及其研究进展作一综述。资料来源:应用计算机检索Pubmed数据库1999-01/2007-08期间的相关文章,检索词"p63,skin or cutis,development,epidermal ste m cells,healing or repair",限定文章语言种类为English。同时计算机检索中国期刊全文数据库、万方数据库1999-01/2007-08期间的相关文章,检索词"p63,皮肤,发生发育,表皮干细胞,修复",限定文章语言种类为中文。资料选择:对资料进行初审,选取符合研究要求的有关文章并查看每篇文献后的引文。纳入标准:有关p63在皮肤发生发育中作用的研究;有关p63在皮肤损伤修复中作用的研究。排除标准:重复或类似的研究、综述文献。资料提炼:共收集到61篇相关文献,28篇文献符合纳入标准,排除的33篇重复或类似的研究文献,其中25篇为p63与皮肤发生发育相关的研究,3篇为p63与皮肤创伤修复方面的研究。资料综合:①p63与皮肤发生发育相关的研究:p63为胚胎发育过程中最初上皮分层所必需,单层体表外胚层上皮层化的程序发动和执行需要不同p63异构体的有序激活,p63的异构体蛋白均来自于同一个基因,由于在转录水平有不同的启动子参与和剪切的不同形成,不同的异构体蛋白作用不同并有相互作用;p63可能激活人类角质形成细胞中的各种分化基因启动子,从而最终调控角质细胞的分化方向;p63基因在角质形成细胞增殖和凋亡过程中具有重要的平衡作用;p63在发育过程中的主要作用在于促使外胚层分化和增生;p63在成熟上皮中维持表皮干细胞的潜在增殖力,是首个能明确将表皮干细胞同短暂扩充细胞区别的基因。②p63与皮肤创伤修复方面的研究:p63在皮肤的发育和损伤愈合中时间上有规律,部位上有选择性地表达;p63是皮肤损伤修复过程中高增殖潜能角质形成细胞的标志并对皮肤损伤病理进程进行调控。结论:p63为胚胎发育过程中最初的上皮分层所必需,在成熟上皮中有维持表皮干细胞的潜在增殖力的作用,是皮肤损伤修复过程中高增殖潜能角质形成细胞的标志并对皮肤损伤病理进程进行调控。