Placental p,p''-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene and cord blood immune markers

Placental p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE) concentration and cord blood atopic markers were determined in 19 neonates. Increased placental p,p'-DDE was associated with a statistically significant increase in cord plasma interleukin (IL)-13. Furthermore, both cord plasma IL-4/interferon (IFN)-gamma and IL-13/IFN-gamma ratios were significantly positively associated with placental p,p'-DDE concentration.     

Regular ingestion of tea does not inhibit in vivo lipid peroxidation in humans.

Prospective studies suggest that tea may protect against cardiovascular disease. A potential mechanism for such an effect involves inhibition of lipid peroxidation by polyphenolic antioxidants derived from tea. Our objective was to determine whether regular ingestion of tea could inhibit in vivo lipid peroxidation. Two controlled intervention studies assessed the effects of regular ingestion of tea on lipid peroxidation determined by measurement of urinary F(2)-isoprostane excretion. Study 1: The effects of 1000 mL/d of green tea and black tea were compared with hot water containing caffeine in 13 subjects with elevated blood pressure using a randomized 3-period (7 d each) crossover design. Study 2: The effects of 1250 mL/d of black tea were compared with hot water in 22 subjects with mildly raised serum total cholesterol concentrations using a randomized 2-period (4 wk each) crossover design. F(2)-isoprostane excretion was not altered after regular ingestion of green tea (273 +/- 48 pmol/mmol creatinine) or black tea (274 +/- 39 pmol/mmol creatinine) in comparison with hot water (263 +/- 47 pmol/mmol creatinine; Study 1), or by regular ingestion of black tea (334 +/- 71 pmol/mmol creatinine) in comparison with hot water (355 +/- 75 pmol/mmol creatinine; Study 2). These results do not support the suggestion that polyphenolic antioxidants derived from tea inhibit in vivo lipid peroxidation.     

Dual Exposure to Sevoflurane Improves Anesthetic Preconditioning in Intact Hearts

Background: Anesthetic preconditioning (APC) with sevoflurane reduces myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. The authors tested whether two brief exposures to sevoflurane would lead to a better preconditioning state than would a single longer exposure and whether dual exposure to a lower (L) concentration of sevoflurane would achieve an outcome similar to that associated with a single exposure to a higher (H) concentration.

Methods: Langendorff-prepared guinea pig hearts were exposed to 0.4 mm sevoflurane once for 15 min (H1-15; n = 8) or 0.4 mm (H2-5; n = 8) or 0.2 mm sevoflurane (L2-5; n = 8) twice for 5 min, with a 5-min washout period interspersed. Sevoflurane was then washed out for 20 min before 30 min of global no-flow ischemia and 120 min of reperfusion. Control hearts (n = 8) were not subjected to APC. Left ventricular pressure was measured isovolumetrically. Ventricular infarct size was determined by tetrazolium staining and cumulative planimetry. Values are expressed as mean +/- SD.

Results: The authors found a better functional return and a lesser percentage of infarction on reperfusion in H2-5 (28 +/- 9%) than in H1-15 (36 +/- 8%; P < 0.05), L2-5 (43 +/- 6%; P < 0.05), or control hearts (52 +/- 7%; P < 0.05).     

The Effect of Cuts in Medicare Reimbursement on Hospital Mortality

Objective. To determine if patients treated at hospitals under different levels of financial strain from the Balanced Budget Act (BBA) of 1997 had differential changes in 30-day mortality, and whether vulnerable patient populations such as the uninsured were disproportionately affected.
Data Source. Hospital discharge data from all general acute care hospitals in Pennsylvania from 1997 to 2001.
Study Design. A multivariate regression analysis was performed retrospectively on 30-day mortality rates, using hospital discharge data, hospital financial data, and death certificate information from Pennsylvania.
Data Collection. We used 370,017 hospital episodes with one of four conditions identified by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality as inpatient quality indicators were extracted.
Principal Findings. The average magnitude of Medicare payment reduction on overall net revenues was estimated at 1.8 percent for hospitals with low BBA impact and 3.6 percent for hospitals with a high impact in 1998, worsening to 2 and 4.8 percent, respectively, by 2001. Operating margins decreased significantly over the time period for all hospitals ( p <.05). While unadjusted mortality rates demonstrated a disproportionate rise in mortality for patients from high impact hospitals from 1997 to 2000, adjusted analyses show no consistent, significant difference in the rate of change in mortality between high-impact and low-impact hospitals ( p =.04–.94). Similarly, uninsured patients did not experience greater increases in mortality in high-impact hospitals relative to low-impact hospitals.
Conclusions. An analysis of hospitalizations in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania did not find an adverse impact of increased financial strain from the BBA on patient mortality either among all patients or among the uninsured.     

Should the Retention trial of the Test of Memory Malingering be optional?

The present study examined the false negative error rate associated with the optional use of the Retention trial the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM). TOMM scores from 150 traumatic brain injury and 150 chronic pain patients were examined. Results indicated that early termination of the TOMM resulted in 3% of patients going undetected by the TOMM. The practical cost of this error was minimized by the inclusion of at least one other SVT. Clinical implications are discussed.     

Dealing with dying patients: Difficulties and strategies in final-year medical students

The study reports on a questionnaire study of final-year medical students' self-reported attitudes to dealing with dying patients. All respondents had some direct clinical experience with dying patients, and reported that such encounters were largely unproblematic. Alleviating patient anxiety and counseling relatives were seen as important aspects of the doctor's role, along with diagnosis, and management of symptoms. “High fear” respondents were more likely to report difficulty in discussing the prognosis with the dying and to experience minor psychological problems.     

Biochemical evidence that cytokeratins are present in smooth muscle

Recent immunocytochemical studies have revealed that cytokeratin intermediate filaments, previously thought to be restricted to epithelial tissues, are present in muscle. In view of the implications of these reports for diagnostic pathology it is important to investigate by biochemical means whether these findings represent the presence of true cytokeratin proteins or an unexpected antigenic cross-reaction. In the present study intermediate filament proteins have been extracted from samples of human myometrium and identified by immunoblotting techniques using well characterized monoclonal antibodies, two against cytokeratins and two against desmin. The results show that the proteins of the appropriate molecular weight for cytokeratin were labelled by anti-cytokeratin antibodies and were quite distinct from those recognized by anti-desmin antibodies. This study therefore confirms previous immunocytochemical findings and emphasizes the need for caution when using anti-intermediate filament antibodies for diagnostic purposes.