Calorie restriction increases serum parathyroid hormone and decreases serum calcitonin levels in patients with maturity onset diabetes mellitus

Calorie restriction is important in managing patients with maturity onset diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). The effect of such restriction on calcium metabolism is not known. The objective of this study was to determine whether patients on calorie restricted diets would show any modification of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and calcitonin (CTN). The serum levels of PTH and CTN were measured by radioimmunoassays in 269 patients with NIDDM. The patients were divided into two groups depending on the intake of calorie, and PTH and CTN were monitored for 2 years. Plasma levels of vitamin D were measured by competitive protein binding assays before and after each program. The level of PTH (520.8±266.0 pg/ml) (mean±S.D.) was significantly (P<0.01) higher in 109 diabetic patients whose calorie intake was restricted for 2 years (diet (D) group) as compared with that (256.6±103.8 pg/ml) of 160 diabetic patients whose calorie intake was not restricted (non-diet (ND) group). The daily oral calcium intake of the two groups did not differ significantly. We found no significant difference in the serum PTH level in the ND groupVS. normal control subjects (248.8±98.4, N=78). The serum calcium concentration and the amount of calcium excreted in urine were slightly but significantly (P<0.01) lower in the D than in the ND group. The rate of tubular reabsorption of phosphate (% TRP) was significantly lower in the D group than that in the ND group (P<0.01). The serum CTN level was significantly (P<0.01) lower in the D group (33.9±11.3 pg/ml) than in the ND group (64.9±21.2 pg/ml) 2 years after each treatment. The plasma 1,25-(OH)₂-vitamin D level was significantly (P<0.01) lower in the D group (22.2±6.6 pg/ml) than in the ND group (50.6±4.2 pg/ml). When the restriction of calorie intake in the D group was canceled, their PTH levels decreased, which was accompanied by increase in the 1,25-(OH)₂-vitamin D levels, whereas their CTN levels were unchanged. These observations suggested that a restricted calorie intake is a risk factor for secondary hyperparathyroidism as well as for a low serum level of CTN in patients with NIDDM.     

c-fms is present in primary tumours as well as in their metastases in bone marrow.

The expression of c-fms oncoprotein in different primary tumours as well as in their metastases in bone marrow, was shown. All the samples were fixed and processed by the acetone, methyl benzoate, xylene procedure (AMeX), which was suitable for studying oncoprotein expression not only in primary tumours but also in bone marrow (BM) biopsies. Among the patients suffering from acute myeloid leukaemia (AMeL), positive c-fms cells were found in 55% cases. On the contrary, patients with lymphocytic cell disorders have not had detectable c-fms oncogene product in BM biopsies.c-fms oncoprotein was also detected in some primary tumour specimens (lung carcinoma, cervical carcinoma, gastric carcinoma, breast carcinoma and melanoma) and their metastases in BM, while it was not present in normal uterine tissue. There was a positive correlation between c-fms oncoprotein expression in primary and metastatic tumours. Our results showed that c-fms product is confined, not only to some normal, but also to the variety of malignant cells of different origin.     

An exploration of the role of the nurses'' uniform through a period of non-uniform wear on an acute medical ward

The nursing staff on an acute medical hospital ward elected to wear their own clothes to work for a period of 2 months. The trial was evaluated using a variety of research methods and it raised a number of issues about the role of uniform, about patients' perceptions of nurses and nurses' perceptions of their role. The study has led to questions being raised about the assumptions that are made if uniform is worn and the appropriateness of a uniform dress.     

起搏器更换时原起搏电极导线参数及更换指标分析

目的:分析74例更换起搏器时电极导线的各项参数的变化并探讨导线更换指标。方法:本组年龄12~87(62.8±18.4)岁,其中病窦综合征45例,房室传导阻滞29例,均为单腔VVI起搏。结果:至测量时原心室起搏电极导线的埋置时间60~148(97.4±22.8)月,首次埋置时起搏阈值为(0.48±0.24)V,更换时为(1.29±0.64)V(P(0.01),增加0.81V,增幅为168%,首次植入时R波幅为(7.8±3.6)mV,更换时为(5.9±3.4)mV(P(0.05)。植入时电极导线阻抗为(664±122)Ω,更换时阻抗为(726±148)Ω,增幅9.3%(P(0.05)。7例因起搏阈值大于2.0 V或阻抗大于1 250Ω而重新植入电极导线。原电极导线使用率为90.5%。结论:埋置起搏电极导线8~9年后,90.5%原电极导线仍在可使用的范围内,能否支持到再次更换需进一步随访。     

The vascular plasminogen activator as source of the fibrinolytic potential observed during cardiopulmonary bypass.

Increased fibrinolytic activity is a well recognized constant finding observed during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The purpose of the present work was to study and estimate the factors involved in the plasminogen activation and prekallikrein-kallikrein systems in a population of adult patients undergoing open heart surgery with CPB. Plasminogen activator activity determinations with a fibrinolytic method as well as plasminogen activation and prekallikrein-kallikrein determinations with synthetic substrates were carried out. Our results indicate that no active fibrinolysis but a fibrinolytic potential, similar to that observed in blood obtained after venous occlusion, can be demonstrated in circulating plasma during CPB. This fibrinolytic potential is related to the presence of vascular plasminogen activator released from endothelial cells by the CPB stimulus.     

Ocular symptoms in internal carotid artery occlusion]

The internal carotid artery occlusion causing an insufficiency of the cerebral circulation manifests itself--besides the neurological symptoms--by disorders of the visual organ. One can distinguish among them early, functional symptoms in the form of transient unilateral hemianopia on the side opposite to the occluded carotid artery and the attacks of transient amblyopia. Signs of fixed ischaemia of the eye ball appear afterwards in the form of oculomotor and pupillary disturbances, neovascularization of the iris, disturbances of the IOP, central retinal artery occlusion, ischaemic optic atrophy. The authors emphasize the value of Doppler's diagnostic ultrasonography, a fast and non-invasive method of direct evaluation of the blood flow in the internal carotid artery system.     

Use of long catheters for multipatient anesthetic monitoring at high respiratory frequencies

Anesthetic gases from several patients can be monitored simultaneously with a centrally located mass spectrometer. Such monitoring requires catheters from patient to spectrometer that are several meters long. Scamman (J Clin Monit 1988;4:227–229) found that when the respiratory frequency is high, as with infants, the CO₂ signal from the patient is unacceptably distorted during passage down the catheter. This is due to Taylor dispersion of the input signal. An outline of the theory of Taylor dispersion is given. The equations describe the interaction between the velocity distribution (which, in laminar flow, is parabolic) and the radial diffusion of CO₂. This interaction keeps a tracer signal together in a pulse, as it moves down the tube with themean velocity, spreading somewhat as it proceeds. How much does an initially sharp signal become blurred? The spread of such a signal when it reaches the detector, measured in time, can be expressed in various ways. Measurement is complicated, however, by the fact that the gas pressure may fall by as much as a factor of 10 along the line. The resultant expansion and acceleration of the gas cannot be ignored. A full treatment of this complication is given elsewhere, but the following simple equation is described: {ie237-1} Typically, the spread time is up to a quarter of a second for catheters of 50 m, such as used by Scamman. This is comparable with the period of CO₂ rise and fall for infants and explains the serious distortion in wave form that Scamman found. Some distortion can be eliminated by reducing R to 0.1 or less, but the extent of this improvement is small. Ideally, for fast-breathing patients, the catheter length should be reduced to 20 m or less, if possible.     

Chemotherapy-induced nausea

The rubric complementary medicine covers a variety of approaches that may seem alike only in their being outside conventional care and training. We have asked experienced practitioners to present their own pieces of this jigsaw, realising that these clinical fragments, when seen together, create excitement but also confusion. Of course, this forum is not intended to be a comprehensive review of relevant complementary treatments, and often the individual apporaches to clinical problems will appear totally unrelated, while their apparent effectiveness stretches the biomedical model and conventional research methodology beyond their capacity. With this in mind, we intend that forthcoming articles and reviews will expand on the therapies themselves, and discuss the evidence supporting them.