Gastrointestinal myiasis. Apropos of 1 Moroccan case

This observation relates an exceptional case of gastrointestinal myiasis in a 15 year-old rural Moroccan girl. She was admitted for abdominal pain, hematemesis, and worm vomitting. The parasitologic identification revealed Sarcophaga hemorrhoidalis. Through this observation, the authors underline the epidemiological, clinical and evolutive aspects of this parasitosis in Morocco.     

Serum lipoprotein (a) levels in chronic renal failure and liver cirrhosis patients. Relationship with atherosclerosis

This study was carried out to investigate the relationship between lipoprotein (a) levels and the development of atherosclerosis in chronic renal failure (CRF) patients with the possible role of the liver. Serum Lp (a) levels were measured in samples from 20 CRF patients on hemodialysis (HD), 20 liver cirrhosis (LC) patients, 20 patients having both CRF and LC and undergoing HD, and 20 normal control subjects. Renal function (blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine), hepatic function (transaminases (ALT and AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total bilirubin) investigations and serum cholesterol were carried out for all the subjects enrolled in this study. Serum Lp (a) concentration in CRF patients without LC was 87.25 +/- 6.17 mg/dl, which was significantly higher than all the investigated groups (P < 0.001). Lp (a) concentration in patients with both CRF and LC was 24.65 +/- 1.98 mg/dl, which was not significantly different from the controls, but was significantly higher than that in the subjects with LC only (P < 0.001) where the latter group had significantly low Lp (a) values (11.1 +/- 0.99) relative to all the other groups (P < 0.001). Lp (a) correlated positively with cholesterol in all groups except the LC subjects, but did not correlate with age, or renal function in both CRF groups.     

Proceedings of the Symposium ‘Angiotensin AT1 Receptors: From Molecular Physiology to Therapeutics’: PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTIONS OF ANGIOTENSIN II MEDIATED BY AT1 AND AT2 RECEPTORS IN THE BRAIN

• 1 Autoradiographic binding studies have shown that the AT₁ receptor is the predominant angiotensin II (AngII) receptor subtype in the central nervous system (CNS). Major sites of AT₁ receptors are the lamina terminalis, hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, the lateral parabrachial nucleus, rostral and caudal ventrolateral medulla, nucleus of the solitary tract and the intermediolateral cell column of the thoraco-lumbar spinal cord.
• 2 While there are differences between species, AT₂ receptors are found mainly in the cerebellum, inferior olive and locus coeruleus of the rat.
• 3 Circulating AngII acts on AT₁ receptors in the subfornical organ and organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis (OVLT) to stimulate neurons that may have a role in initiating water drinking.
• 4 Centrally administered AngII may act on AT₁ receptors in the median preoptic nucleus and elsewhere to induce drinking, sodium appetite, a sympathetic vasoconstrictor response and vasopressin secretion.
• 5 Recent evidence shows that centrally administered AT₁ antagonists inhibit dipsogenic, natriuretic, pressor and vasopressin secretory responses to intracerebroventricular infusion of hypertonic saline. This suggests that an angiotensinergic neural pathway has a role in osmoregulatory responses.
• 6 Central angiotensinergic pathways which include neural inputs to the rostral ventrolateral medulla may use AT₁ receptors and play a role in the function of sympathetic pathways maintaining arterial pressure.

     

Associations between both genetic and environmental biomarkers and lung cancer: evidence of a greater risk of lung cancer in women smokers

This molecular epidemiologic case-control study of lung cancer incorporated three complementary biomarkers: the glutathione S- transferase M1 (GSTM1) null genotype, a potential marker of susceptibility, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts (PAH- DNA) and sister chromatid exchanges (SCE), both indicators of environmentally induced genetic damage. Associations between biomarkers and lung cancer were investigated, as were possible gene-environment interactions between the GSTM1 null genotype and tobacco smoke exposure. Subjects included 136 primary non-small cell lung cancer surgical patients and 115 controls at the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. Questionnaire and Tumor Registry data, pre-treatment blood samples and biomarker measurements on blood were obtained. Overall, GSTM1 null genotype was significantly associated with lung cancer [odds ratio (OR) = 2.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.13-3.68]. ORs for GSTM1 and lung cancer were significant in females (2.50, 1.09-5.72) and smokers (2.25, 1.11-4.54) and not significant in males (1.4, 0.58-3.38) and non-smokers (0.88, 0.18-4.33). However, ORs for males versus females and smokers versus non-smokers did not differ significantly. The OR for GSTM1 and lung cancer in female smokers was 3.03 (1.09- 8.40), compared with 1.42 (0.53-4.06) in male smokers. In contrast to PAH-DNA adducts in leukocytes, SCE did not differ between cases and controls. Neither biomarker differed significantly between the two GSTM1 genotypes. The combined effect of elevated PAH-DNA adducts and GSTM1 genotype on case-control status (16.19, 1.2-115) appeared multiplicative. Results suggest that the effect of the GSTM1 null genotype is greatest in female smokers, which is consistent with other evidence that indicates that women are at higher risk of lung cancer than males, given equal smoking. Persons with both the GSTM1 deletion and elevated PAH-DNA adducts may represent a sensitive subpopulation with respect to carcinogens in tobacco smoke and other environmental media.      

Exploring the decision-making preferences of people with colorectal cancer

OBJECTIVES: To explore patient views on participation in treatment, physical care and psychological care decisions and factors that facilitate and hinder patients from making decisions. DESIGN: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with patients. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Three NHS Trusts in the north-west of England. Theoretical sampling including 41 patients who had been treated for colorectal cancer. RESULTS: For patients, participation in the decision-making process was about being informed and feeling involved in the consultation process, whether patients actually made decisions or not. The perceived availability of treatment choices (surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy) was related to type of treatment. Factors that impacted on whether patients wanted to make decisions included a lack of information, a lack of medical knowledge and trust in medical expertise. Patients perceived that they could have a more participatory role in decisions related to physical and psychological care. CONCLUSION: This study has implications for health professionals aiming to implement policy guidelines that promote patient participation and shared partnerships. Patients in this study wanted to be well informed and involved in the consultation process but did not necessarily want to use the information they received to make decisions. The presentation of choices and preferences for participation may be context specific and it cannot be assumed that patients who do not want to make decisions about one aspect of their care and treatment do not want to make decisions about other aspects of their care and treatment.