Human leucocyte interferon-alpha in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C

AIM: To assess the efficacy of different schedules of human leucocyte interferon alpha in chronic hepatitis C. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 213 naive patients with chronic hepatitis C were treated with 4 different schedules of human leucocyte interferon alpha. Sustained response was defined as persistently normal alanine amino transferase values with negative serum hepatitis C virus-RNA up to 12 months after therapy withdrawal. RESULTS: Rates of sustained response were 16% with 3 MU tiw for 6 months, 33% with 6 MU tiw for 5 months after a priming dose of 9 MU tiw for a month, 32% with 3 MU tiw for 12 months and 20% with 3 MU daily for 6 months. The major factors affecting the response rate were age and the hepatitis C virus genotype, as a sustained response was significantly higher in patients under 45 years and infected by hepatitis C virus types other than hepatitis C virus-1. Treatment was well tolerated and side-effects and drop-out events were similar to those described with other types of alpha-interferons. CONCLUSIONS: Human leucocyte interferon alpha appears to be equivalent to recombinant interferon-alpha in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.     

从贮存骨髓涂片提取RNA检测骨髓增生异常综合征病人的WT1基因表达

从贮存骨髓涂片提取RNA,用巢式RT-PCR检测61例骨髓增生异常综合征（MDS）病人的WT1基因表达,结果显示各类型MDS病人均高表达WT1基因,难治性贫血伴原始细胞增多（RAEB）和转变中的RAEB（RAEB-t)的表达率高于难治性贫血（RA）和环形铁粒幼细胞性难治性的贫血（RAS）,WT1基因的表达与MDS病人的疾病进展呈正相关关系。WT1基因表达的RT-PCR检测可作为判断疾病进展的一个有用指标。     

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy

There have been major advances in recent years in the clinical setting of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, including new diagnostic criteria, a changing spectrum of the disease with even left dominant forms, the role of cardiac magnetic resonance and electroanatomic mapping, the expanding use of genetic screening and the existence of overlapping phenotypes. Moreover, early diagnosis at pre-participation screening with sports disqualification and risk stratification for the indication of ICD have been shown to be life-saving. In addition to traditional therapies targeting arrhythmias and congestive heart failure, an effective treatment of the disease could be based on the discovery of the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathobiology of the disease in order to block the onset and progression of cell death.     

Lipopolysaccharide-cell interaction and induced cellular activation in whole blood of septic patients

We used biotinylated LPS (LPSb) and flow cytometry to study LPS-monocyte interaction and LPS-induced cellular activation in whole blood from septic patients (SP). Expression of surface activation markers was evaluated on monocytes (HLA-DR) and T lymphocytes (CD69 and CD95), and intracellular TNF-alpha on monocytes. Saturating curve and kinetics of LPSb detection on monocytes were similar in SP and healthy volunteers (HV). LPSb bound to monocytes was detected after 5 min of incubation in both groups, with a more pronounced decay in SP. Monocytes from SP had a lower expression of HLA-DR as compared to HV, both constitutive and upon LPS stimulation. The proportion of monocytes producing TNF-alpha after LPS stimulus was higher in HV than SP (mean +/- SD = 25.2 +/- 14.2% and 2.2 +/- 2.6%, respectively, P < 0.001). LPS-induced CD69 on T CD8+ and CD8- lymphocytes was similar for patients and controls. Expression of CD95 on T lymphocytes was higher in SP as compared to HV on T CD8+ cells (GMFI, mean +/- SD = 22.3 +/- 14.6 and 8.6 +/- 5.0, respectively, P = 0.01) and CD8- cells (GMFI, mean +/- SD = 28.3 +/- 7.7 and 14 +/- 4.3 respectively, P < 0.001). Thus, monocytes and lymphocytes seem to respond differently to LPS in septic patients. Monocyte hyporesponsiveness appears not to be related to a decreased binding capacity of LPS, but rather to an impaired signal transduction.     

Role of chest radiography in predicting the extent of airway disease in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism

An independent evaluation of the chest radiographs and ventilation-perfusion (VP) scintigrams of 119 patients (121 studies) was performed to assess the ability of radiographic findings to indicate the extent of ventilation abnormalities in patients suspected of having pulmonary embolism (PE). VP scans were obtained with krypton-81m in 72 cases and with xenon-133 in 49. All scintigrams showing ventilation abnormalities in greater than 50% of the lung were considered indeterminate for PE, owing to an increased likelihood of false-negative interpretations, as reported in previous studies. Indeterminate VP studies were found in all 21 patients who had radiographic findings of widespread obstructive pulmonary disease (OPD), in 35% with radiographic findings of focal OPD (P less than .001), and in only 18% with no OPD seen radiographically (P less than .001). VP scintigraphy is likely to be indeterminate for PE when widespread OPD is seen by chest radiography and ventilation imaging may not be warranted in these patients.     

Pulsed magnetic fields. Observations in 353 patients suffering from chronic pain

Three hundred-fifty-three patients with chronic pain have been treated with pulsed electromagnetic fields. In this work the Authors show the result obtained in the unsteady follow-up (2-60 months). The eventual progressive reduction of benefits is valued by Spearman's test. We noted the better results in the group of patients with post-herpetic pain (deafferentation) and in patients simultaneously suffering from neck and low back pain.