INVASIVE MUCORMYCOSIS WITH GASTRIC INVOLVEMENT IN A PATIENT WITH SEVERE ATHEROMATOUS VASCULAR DISEASE

Gastric mucormycosis involvement is a rare condition that usually occurs in inmunocompromised patients and frequently has a fatal outcome. We report the case of a 73‐year‐old woman admitted to the intensive care unit with severe bleeding after an acute pulmonary disease. Upper endoscopy disclosed wide and deep necrotic ulcers in the body and fundus of the stomach and greenish exudates with the antrum and the duodenum undamaged. Autopsy revealed an invasive mucormycosis and a severe atheromatosis. Several predisposing factors for mucormycosis infection have been reported until now. We postulate that ischemic gastritis could be a predisposing factor for colonization of zygomycete.     

The immunomodulatory effects of 3-monochloro-1,2-propanediol on murine splenocyte and peritoneal macrophage function in vitro.

3-Monochloro-1,2-propanediol (MCPD) is a well-known by-product of acid-hydrolyzed soy sauce during its manufacturing process. MCPD has been reported genotoxic in vitro, and reproductive toxicity and carcinogenicity in rats. To evaluate the immunomodulatory effect of MCPD on murine splenocyte and macrophage in vitro, we investigated splenocyte blastogenesis by concanavalin A (Con A), anti-CD3, and lipopolyssacharide (LPS), the production of cytokines from splenocyte, and the activity of mouse peritoneal macrophages. There was a significant decrease in lymphocyte blastogenesis to Con A or anti-CD3 at subtoxic dose of MCPD. A significant decrease in splenocyte blastogenesis to LPS was also observed. The production level of interferon (IFN)-gamma on splenocyte culture with Con A was significantly reduced at the higher concentration than 1.0mM of MCPD. The levels of interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-10 were also decreased at high concentrations of MCPD. There was a significant decrease in production of nitric oxide (NO) by peritoneal macrophages treated with MCPD. MCPD also inhibits tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha production of stimulated macrophages. These results indicate that MCPD might be able to reduce the functionality of lymphocytes and peritoneal macrophages in vitro.     

双炔失碳酯或丙睾配伍dl-15甲基PGF_(2α)抗早孕的临床比较

本文报告65例双炔失碳酯配伍d1-15甲基PGF_(2α)(以下简称PG)抗早孕结果并与33例丙睾配伍PG抗早孕结果进行比较。结果显示,双炔失碳酯组完全流产59例,占90%;不全流产3例,占5%;失败3例,占5%;总有效率95%。丙睾组完全流产27例,占82%;不全流产6例,占18%;总有效率100%。两组总有效率无显著差异;完全流产率无显著差异;但不全流产率有明显差异(P<0.05)。药流后点滴出血天数,双炔失碳酯组平均为8.1±5.0天;丙睾组平均为18.9±19.1天;两组有明显差别(P<0.05)。双炔失碳酯经阴道给药后无一例发生心、肝、肾功能变化。     

Mediating effects of social support on firefighters' sense of community and perceptions of care

This study examined the relationship between psychological sense of community, social‐support networks, and care‐giver stress and satisfaction among firefighters. No significant gender differences were obtained, but zero‐order correlates demonstrated significant relationships among all four variables. In examining the mediating effects of social‐support satisfaction, partial mediation for psychological sense of community on care‐giver satisfaction was determined, as well as full mediation for psychological sense of community on care‐giver stress. Therefore, firefighters who are satisfied with the support they receive may experience less stress with their care giving than those who experience low levels of support satisfaction. Future studies should assess these relationships more extensively in other areas of civic responsibility among public‐service employees to delineate effective support avenues. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 32: 121–126, 2004.     

Chronic Progressive Autonomic Dysfunction in a Dog

A 3.5‐year‐old intact male American Pit Bull was presented because of urinary incontinence and dysuria. Constipation, followed by diarrhoea, ocular disturbances and finally regurgitation developed over the next 4 years. Autonomic dysfunction was evidenced by clinical presentation, as well as positive ophthalmic pilocarpine test and subnormal Schirmer tear test. Diagnosis, however, was established through histopathological and immunohistochemical examination. Lesions attributable to inflammatory degenerative neuropathy of the autonomic ganglia, which represents one of the various types of human autonomic failure, were detected.     

A -243A-->G polymorphism upstream of the gene encoding GAD65 associates with lower levels of body mass index and glycaemia in a population-based sample of 5857 middle-aged White subjects.

AIMS: The glutamate decarboxylase gene (GAD2) encodes GAD65, an enzyme catalysing the production of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) which interacts with neuropeptide Y to stimulate food intake. It has been suggested that in pancreatic islets, GABA serves as a functional regulator of pancreatic hormone release. Conflicting results have been reported concerning the potential impact of GAD2 variation on estimates of energy metabolism. The aim of this study was to elucidate potential associations between the GAD2-243A-->G polymorphism and levels of body mass index (BMI) and estimates of glycaemia. METHODS: Using high-throughput chip-based matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, the GAD2-243A-->G (rs2236418) polymorphism was genotyped in a population-based sample (Inter99) of 5857 middle-aged, unrelated Danish White subjects. RESULTS: The G-allele was associated with modestly lower BMI (P = 0.01). In a case-control study of obesity, the G-allele frequency in 2582 participants with BMI < 25 kg/m2 was 19.5% (18.4-20.6) compared with 17.1% (15.5-18.8) in 968 participants having BMI > or = 30 kg/m2 (P = 0.03), odds ratio 0.9 (0.7-1.0). Of the 5857 subjects, GG carriers had lower fasting plasma glucose levels (mmol/l) [AA (n = 3859) 5.6 +/- 0.8; AG (n = 1792) 5.5 +/- 0.8; GG (n = 206) 5.5 +/- 0.8, P = 0.008] and lower 30-min oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)-related plasma glucose levels (AA 8.7 +/- 1.9; AG 8.6 +/- 1.9; GG 8.6 +/- 2.0, P = 0.04), adjusted for sex, age and BMI. Analysing subjects who were both normoglycaemic and glucose tolerant (n = 4431) GG carriers still had lower fasting plasma glucose concentrations: AA (n = 2895) 5.3 +/- 0.4; AG (n = 1383) 5.3 +/- 0.4; GG (n = 153) 5.2 +/- 0.4 (P = 9.10(-5)). CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that the GAD2-243A-->G polymorphism in a population of middle-aged White people associates with a modest reduction in BMI and fasting and OGTT-related plasma glucose levels.     

糖皮质激素依赖性皮炎的治疗进展

糖皮质激素依赖性皮炎临床报道中,中医、中西医结合的治疗方法最多,显示出了其优势所在,其中中药疗效优于西药,且在改善和治愈面部潮红、毛细血管扩张、色素变化、病情反跳等症状方面优势明显,对于面部痤疮样皮疹、痒及不适等症状,中、西药治疗疗效相近。目前糖皮质激素依赖性皮炎最好的治疗方法应该是中西医结合疗法。