Tumor irrigation fluid enhances diagnostic efficacy in endoscopic biopsies of intracranial space-occupying lesions

Purpose  

Intraventricular neuroendoscopic CNS biopsies are small, fragmented, and tissue is frequently inadequate for diagnosis. We have attempted to increase cellular yield using tumor irrigation fluid (TIF) and a cyto-histological approach for diagnosis of intracranial tumors, cysts, and infections.     

A socioeconomic survey of kidney vendors in Pakistan

In recent years, Pakistan has emerged as one of the largest centres for commerce and tourism in renal transplantation. Kidney vendors belong to Punjab in eastern Pakistan, the agricultural heartland, where 34% people live below poverty line. We report results of a socioeconomic and health survey of 239 kidney vendors. The mean age was 33.6 +/- 7.2 years (M:F 3.5:1). Mean nephrectomy period was 4.8 +/- 2.3 years. Ninety per cent of the vendors were illiterate. Sixty-nine per cent were bonded labourers who were virtual slaves to landlords, labourers 12%, housewives 8.5% and unemployed 11%. Monthly income was $US15.4 +/- 8.9 with 2-11 dependents per family. Majority (93%), vended for debt repayment with mean debt of $1311.4 +/- 819. The mean agreed sale price was $1737 +/- 262. However, they received $1377 +/- 196 after deduction for hospital and travel expenses. Postvending 88% had no economic improvement in their lives and 98% reported deterioration in general health status. Future vending was encouraged by 35% to pay off debts and freedom from bondage. This study gives a snapshot of kidney vendors from Pakistan. These impoverished people, many in bondage, are examples of modern day slavery. They will remain exploited until law against bondage is implemented and new laws are introduced to ban commerce and transplant tourism in Pakistan.     

Octylcyanoacrylate for the Treatment of Contaminated Partial-thickness Burns in Swine A Randomized Controlled Experiment

OBJECTIVE: To compare infection and reepithelialization rates of contaminated second-degree burns treated with octylcyanoacrylate (OCA), silver sulfadiazine (SSD), polyurethane (PU) film, and dry gauze (control; C) in swine. METHODS: Eighty standardized burns were created by applying an aluminum bar preheated to 80 degrees C to the backs and flanks of young pigs for 20 seconds. All burns were immediately contaminated with 0.1 mL of Staphylococcus aureus 10(5)/mL and randomly treated with OCA spray, SSD, PU, or dry gauze (C). Full-thickness biopsies were taken at 3, 7, and 14 days for blinded histopathologic evaluation using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained slides. Burns were considered infected in the presence of interstitial reticular dermal neutrophils containing bacteria (intraobserver agreement, kappa = 1.00). Quantitative wound cultures were performed on a second day-3 specimen. RESULTS: At day 3, wound infection rates were 30% (OCA), 50% (SSD), 55% (PU), and 50% (C); p = 0.40 (Kruskal-Wallis test). At day 7, infection rates were 35% (OCA), 85% (SSD), 70% (PU), and 65% (C); p = 0.01. Median bacterial counts at day 3 were 6,500 (OCA), 20,000 (SSD), 1,000,000 (PU), and 650,000 (C); p = 0.29. The proportion of completely reepithelialized wounds at day 14 were 75% (OCA), 90% (SSD), 85% (PU), and 90% (C); p = 0.50. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of contaminated partial-thickness burns with OCA spray resulted in fewer infections at one week than with the other three treatments.     

In vitro larvicidal potential against Anopheles stephensi and antioxidative enzyme activities of Ginkgo biloba, Stevia rebaudiana and Parthenium hysterophorous

ObjectiveTo investigate in vitro larvicidal and antioxidant enzymes potential of the medicinal plants Ginkgo biloba (G. biloba), Stevia rebaudiana (S. rebaudiana) and Parthenium hysterophorous (P. hysterophorous) against Anopheles stephensi (An. stephensi) 4th instars larvae.MethodsFor evaluation of larvicidal potential, the ethanolic, methanolic and dichloromethane leaves extracts of three different plants were used in dose-dependent experiments in two media, while the antioxidant enzymes activities were investigated using four different methods viz., superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, ascorbate and catalase.ResultsAn. stephensi has developed resistance to various synthetic insecticides, making its control increasingly difficult. The comparative performance of ethanolic extracts (65%-90%) was found better than the methanolic extract (70%-87%) and dichloromethane extract (60%-70%). Among the three plants extracts tested in two media, S. rebaudiana exhibited higher larvicidal activity with LC₅₀ (24 h) in methanolic extract than P. hysterophorous and G. biloba. G. biloba and P. hysterophorous exhibited the strongest antioxidative enzymes activity and S. rebaudiana were less active and no significant difference was observed.ConclusionsThese three plants exhibit larvicidal potential and can be further used for vector control alternative to synthetic insecticide due to eco-friendly and diseases control, furthermore these plant species have potent antioxidative enzyme activities, therefore, making them strong natural candidate particularly for diseases which are caused due to free radicals.     

Fetal membrane collagens: identification of two new collagen alpha chains.

Human fetal membranes contain two new genetically distinct collagen polypeptide chains which are subunits of one (or two) new molecular species of collagen. These new polypeptide chains, which we have tentatively named alphaA and alphaB, have been directly compared with the polypeptide chain subunits of Types I, II, and III human collagen and Type IV collagen from bovine lens capsule. Both alphaA and alphaB exhibit characteristic profiles on carboxymethyl-cellulose chromatography and sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The distribution of methionine residues along both new chains is different from known collagen chains as manifest by distinctly different cyanogen bromide peptide profiles on carboxymethyl-cellulose chromatography and/or sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Both alphaA and alphaB exhibit contents of amino acids and glycine typical of collagens, and comparison with the observed and reported compositions of collagen chains of Types I-IV collagens reveals notable differences, particularly in the content of alanine, leucine, isoleucine, and the basic amino acids, lysine, hydroxylysine, and arginine. The new collagen species containing both alphaA and alphaB may be separated in the native (triple-helical) state from other native collagen species by differential salt precipitation. The observations that both chains coprecipitate in the same narrow NaCl range, and that the ratio of alphaA:alphaB is constant, suggest the possibility of a single new species of collagen with a subunit structure alphaA [alphaB]2.