Blood and tissue zinc levels in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Zinc (Zn) determinations were performed on blood plasma and red cells, liver, heart, adrenals, and spleen of spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and control normotensive (WKY) male rats, 20 weeks of age. SHR revealed higher red cell (p = 2 x 10(-5)) and heart (p = 0.007) Zn levels than WKY rats. The water content of organs was the same in the two strains. When compared with published data, these results suggest an association between high cell Zn levels and hypertension, the meaning of which is briefly discussed.     

Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. Manifestation in a 3-year-old child by Raynaud's phenomenon

The authors report the case of a 3 year-old boy with mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. The presenting sign was Raynaud's phenomenon with cryoglobulinemia and cryofibrinogenemia. To their knowledge this is the first reported case presenting with such an association.     

Lipid and lysosomal enzymes in human fibroblasts cultured with perhexiline maleate

Summary To understand the mechanism of the lysosomal lipid storage induced by perhexiline maleate, we performed simultaneous lipid analysis and lysosomal enzymes determinations. Human libroblasts were cultured for 5 days in the presence of perhexiline maleate at a concentration of 2 g/ml of culture medium. Lipid analysis showed that those non toxic levels determined the same changes as seen with higher concentrations of the drug (Hauw et al. 1980) i. e. increase of cholesterol and of all major phospholipids. Qualitative phsopholipid pattern was not markedly changed. Lysosomal enzymes activities were not modified with the exception of sphingomyelinase which was reduced to 12% of its normal level.     

Rapid detection of vancomycin-resistant enterococci from rectal swabs by the Cepheid Xpert vanA/vanB assay

The detection of vancomycin-resistant enterococci using a novel commercial multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction assay (Xpert™ vanA/vanB, Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA) was evaluated on 804 rectal swab specimens. Compared to enriched culture, sensitivity and negative predictive value of this method were 100%. Many false-positive results were recovered (sensitivity, 85.4%; positive predictive value, 8.7%), especially for the vanB gene.