Association of fatal Coxsackie B2 viral infection and necrotizing enterocolitis

A case of fatal Coxsackie B2 viral infection and coexisting neonatal necrotizing entercolitis occurred. We suggest that this virus may have a role in the development of NEC.     

岩筋菜中三萜的研究

从岩筋菜(Bemevxia thibetica Decne)地上部分的乙醇提取物中分得四个三萜,经光谱解析鉴定了一个新化合物,16α,21β,22α,28-四羟基齐墩果-12-烯-3-酮,命名为岩筋菜素(bemeuxin,Ⅰ)。其余三个是已知物,即21-惕各酰基玉蕊皂甙元C(Ⅱ),2α,3α-二羟基乌苏酸(Ⅲ)和2α,3β-二羟基乌苏酸(Ⅳ)。     

Expression of murine CD38 defines a population of long-term reconstituting hematopoietic stem cells

Using a monoclonal antibody to murine CD38, we showed that a population of adult bone marrow cells that expressed the markers Sca-1 and c-kit but lacked the lineage markers Mac-1, GR-1, B220, IgM, CD3, CD4, CD8 and CD5 could be subdivided by the expression of CD38. We showed that CD38high c-kit+ Sca-1+, linlow/-cells sorted from adult bone marrow cultured with interleukin-3 (IL-3), IL-6, and kit-L produced much larger colonies in liquid culture at a greater frequency than their CD38low/- counterparts. In addition, we found that CD36low/ - cells contained most of the day-12 colony-forming units-spleen (CFU-S) but were not long-term reconstituting cells, whereas the population that expressed higher levels of CD38 contained few, but significant, day-12 CFU-S and virtually all the long-term reconstituting stem cells. Interestingly, the CD38high Sca-1+ c-kit+ linlow/- cells isolated from day-E14.5 fetal liver were also found to be long-term reconstituting stem cells. This is in striking contrast to human hematopoietic progenitors in which the most primitive hematopoietic cells from fetal tissues lack the expression of CD38. Furthermore, because antibodies to CD38 could functionally replace antibodies to Thy-1.1 in a stem cell purification procedure, the use of anti-CD38 may be more generally applicable to the purification of hematopoietic stem cells from mouse strains that do not express the Thy-1.1 allele.     

Predictive markers of chronic liver disease in hemophilia

In an attempt to predict progressive liver damage in hemophiliac patients by noninvasive means, we conducted a retrospective analysis of clinical and laboratory data from 44 liver biopsies taken from 35 hemophiliac patients. This showed that serum IgG was normal in patients with chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH) but significantly elevated in those with chronic active hepatitis (CAH) or cirrhosis (CIR) (P less than .001). Relationships were less significant between liver histology and IgM (P less than .01), IgA (P less than .05), and globulin (P less than .05). This was unaffected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody status in asymptomatic individuals. Although patients with progressive liver disease were also older than those with CPH (P less than .001), the immunoglobulin abnormalities were independent of this. Neither clinical examination nor liver biochemistry at the time of biopsy were of significant diagnostic value. Our results indicate that in the absence of AIDS an elevated IgG level is a reliable indicator of progressive hemophilic liver disease.     

Serologic evidence that Scianna null (Sc:-1,-2) red cells lack multiple high-frequency antigens

Sera from three unrelated persons whose red cells (RBC) had the common Scianna phenotype (Sc:1,-2) contained IgG alloantibodies directed against high-frequency RBC antigens. In each case, sera or eluates or both failed to react only with Scianna null (Sc:-1,-2) cells, although an eluate from one person was compatible with a sibling's Sc:1,-2 cells. Cross-testing cells with sera or eluates, or both, from the three persons revealed no mutual compatibility. These studies show the existence of three additional RBC antigens phenotypically related to the Scianna blood group system. Sc:-1,-2 cells lack these antigens, which indicates that Scianna null cells lack multiple high-frequency antigens.     

Impassable urethral strictures: percutaneous transvesical catheterization and balloon dilatation

Urethral strictures that are impassable in retrograde fashion present a special problem to the urologist because they cannot be managed by standard dilatation techniques or direct-vision internal urethrotomy. Open urethroplasty is usually required. We describe a technique to catheterize the urethra in an antegrade fashion and dilate the strictures. Our study involved six patients with impassable urethral strictures that were successfully traversed and dilated. Percutaneous transvesical antegrade catheterization and balloon dilatation are beneficial for patients with bladder outlet obstruction.     

Information on Center Characteristics as Costs' Determinants in Multicenter Clinical Trials: Is Modeling Center Effect Worth the Effort?

Objectives:  Several methodological problems arise when health outcomes and resource utilization are collected at different sites. To avoid misleading conclusions in multi-center economic evaluations the center effect needs to be taken into adequate consideration. The aim of this article is to compare several models, which make use of a different amount of information about the enrolling center.
Methods:  To model the association of total medical costs with the levels of two sets of covariates, one at patient and one at center level, we considered four statistical models, based on the Gamma model in the class of the Generalized Linear Models with a log link, which use different amount of information on the enrolling centers. Models were applied to Cost of Strategies after Myocardial Infarction data, an international randomized trial on costs of uncomplicated acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
Results:  The simple center effect adjustment based on a single random effect results in a more conservative estimation of the parameters as compared with approaches which make use of deeper information on the centers characteristics.
Conclusions:  This study shows, with reference to a real multicenter trial, that center information cannot be neglected and should be collected and inserted in the analysis, better in combination with one or more random effect, taking into account in this way also the heterogeneity among centers because of unobserved centers characteristics.