鼠肺门剥脱后肺淋巴引流中断对抗体反应的影响

肺移植后肺感染的发生率比其它器官移植后明显增高，这提示移植肺的免疫反应可能受损。为了研究肺淋巴引流中断对抗体反应的影响，我们用肺门剥脱鼠作为模型，设计了３个实验：（１）用着色淋巴造影术目视检查肺门淋巴管的再生；（２）在支气管内滴注碳粒子后观察粒子从肺到肺引流淋巴结的运输；（３）用羊红细胞使肺免疫后测定抗体反应。结果显示肺门淋巴管被肺门剥脱术所中断，在术后７天开始再生；在术后第１周粒子运输到肺引流淋巴结受阻，此后逐渐恢复正常；在肺门剥脱后７天和１０天免疫的鼠血清抗体反应缺如或低下，其后１月内恢复。由此得出结论，只要抗原不能经淋巴管从肺运送到肺引流淋巴结，肺门剥脱肺内的抗原抗体反应就受到损害。该发现可部分地解释为什么在肺移植后最初几周内经常发生肺感染。     

CSF diazepam-binding inhibitor concentrations in panic disorder.

Diazepam-binding inhibitor (DBI) is a neuropeptide that has been detected in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Previous studies have suggested the possible role of DBI as a potential endogenous anxiogenic ligand modulating GABAergic transmission at the benzodiazepine-GABA receptor complex. The measurement of DBI immunoreactivity (DBI-IR) in CSF of panic-disorder patients and normal controls was undertaken to assess whether there were differences in the CSF concentration of this peptide to assess possible relationships with other monoamines and peptides. Lumbar CSF was obtained from 18 panic patients (4 men, 14 women) and 9 controls (5 men, 4 women). As a group, no significant differences were found between panic patients' CSF concentration of DBI-IR (1.12 +/- 0.27 pmol/mL) and normal volunteers (1.23 +/- 0.27 pmol/mL). No gender differences were demonstrated. However, we did find a positive correlation between CSF levels of DBI and CSF corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) in our panic patients.     

What did the doctor say--what did the patient hear? Operational knowledge in clinical communication

OBJECTIVES: We aim to introduce Piaget's concept of 'operational knowledge' from the cognitive theory of learning--as a contribution to the broader understanding of clinical interaction. METHOD: Our study involves a theoretical presentation of different kinds and levels of human understanding, illustrated by a case story in which the difference between operational and figurative knowledge was demonstrated. This study used the case story of a male patient aged 80, who was suffering from ulcerative colitis. We appealed to the reader's perceived relevance of these perspectives, in order to understand what was going on between doctor and patient. RESULTS: The case story demonstrates the phenomenon of operational knowledge in the patient, the close links between communicative action and cognitive understanding, and the importance for the doctor of reflecting upon this level of interaction. CONCLUSION: According to the patient-centred clinical method, the doctor should explore the social and emotional context of the patient in order to understand the meaning of the illness. We suggest that a cognitive dimension should also be added, and that the concept of 'operational knowledge' might be useful for such investigations.      

Diagnosis of ocular toxoplasmosis by the ELISA method applied to the determination of immunoglobulins of the aqueous humor

The toxoplasmosic origin of focal chorioretinitis can be detected on the basis of certain clinical signs in the fundus. However, this must be biologically confirmed by studying the local production of specific antibodies. For that purpose, the rate of intraocular specific Immunoglobulins is compared to the serum rate. The ELISA method is well adapted to quantitative determination of microamounts in aqueous humors. The authors report a study of 103 patients of whom, 28 were suffering from uveitis, and have studied the correlation between clinical lesions and results of the ELISA test. There was no false positive in the first group reference series, and in the positive cases there was a very high correlation with the clinical indicators.     

Work in progress: radioprotection of human breast cancer cells by elevation of intracellular cyclic AMP

MCF-7 human breast cancer cells that were treated for one hour prior to X irradiation with the cyclic AMP-inducing agent 1-methyl-3-isobutylxanthine displayed a slight but significant increase in surviving fraction over untreated controls at each radiation dose level. This was accompanied by a two-fold increase in the level of intracellular cyclic AMP.