An evaluation of the Kodak Ektachem clinical chemistry slide for theophylline

We evaluated the Kodak Ektachem clinical chemistry slide for assay of theophylline. Assay precision and accuracy were acceptable in the therapeutic range although precision was poor at low levels of theophylline. The assay performed well with patients' samples using the Abbott TDx as the reference procedure but, as indicated by the manufacturer, uremic samples gave a positive bias, particularly in the therapeutic range. Finally, the significant bias observed with Quality Control material, probably due to matrix sensitivity, is a possible drawback.     

An ultrastructural and histochemical study of the prominent inflammatory response in D(+)-galactosamine hepatotoxicity.

The biochemical basis of the hepatitis-like liver injury produced by D(+)-galactosamine in rats is well-established and is linked to depletion of uridine nucleotides within parenchymal cells. However, the prominent inflammatory response that accompanies this lesion in vivo has been largely overlooked as a component of the hepatic damage. This study examines the cellular components of the inflammatory infiltrate of galactosamine-induced liver injury over time using histochemical and ultrastructural techniques. By 12 h after toxin administration, the infiltrate consisted largely of neutrophils and recently-mobilized monocytes. By 24 to 48 h after the toxin, when hepatocellular necrosis was maximal, few neutrophils were found in the infiltrate. At these times, the infiltrate consisted almost exclusively of large phagocytic cells, histochemically and morphologically consistent with active tissue macrophages apparently derived from circulating monocytes. The extent of the inflammatory response to this experimental hepatotoxin suggests that effects on the generation and development of the inflammatory response should be considered for treatments reported to alter the intrinsic hepatotoxicity of galactosamine.     

Lyme disease. A neuro-ophthalmologic view

Lyme borreliosis is a spirochetal infection with a potential to produce a clinical disease in the human host with protean manifestations as diverse as the spectrum of disease caused by Treponema pallidum. Neuro-ophthalmologic manifestations of Lyme borreliosis are emphasized in this short review. A brief historical chronicle of Lyme disease is offered. Potential pitfalls in the diagnosis of Lyme disease with an emphasis on false negative serology and currently available diagnostic modalities are presented. Therapeutic options for Lyme borreliosis are briefly reviewed.     

Recurrent and residual renal calculi in children

One hundred and thirteen children with non-metabolic urinary tract calculi were operated on between 1960 and 1983. One hundred were followed up for 3 to 17 years (mean 8.2). Seventeen children (15%) developed recurrent calculi after complete clearance at the initial operation and in 13 of these the stones recurred within 5 years. Proteus urinary infection was a constant feature of stone recurrence. Five patients required re-operation for removal of the recurrent calculus. Small residual caliceal fragments were left behind in 17 children but only 3 required surgical removal.     

Methodological issues in music interventions in oncology settings: A systematic literature review

This paper is part of a systematic literature review and presents methodological issues within studies, investigating therapeutic applications of music in cancer patients. This review focuses on published international research from the USA, Canada, Australia and European countries using four electronic databases: PSYCHINFO, WEB OF SCIENCE, MEDLINE and SCIENCEDIRECT. Thirty-two papers were identified and each paper was coded in terms of sample type, basic research question, research design and methodological details, results and implications for future research. This paper addresses questions related to study design and methodology. It explores and discusses the relative advantages and disadvantages of various approaches.     

Food intolerance: our practice

This paper describes the clinical presentation of food allergy and/or intolerance (F.A.I.). The role of a diagnostic dietary trial is reviewed. Finally dietary management is discussed.     

In vivo MRI of cancer cell fate at the single-cell level in a mouse model of breast cancer metastasis to the brain.

Metastasis (the spread of cancer from a primary tumor to secondary organs) is responsible for most cancer deaths. The ability to follow the fate of a population of tumor cells over time in an experimental animal would provide a powerful new way to monitor the metastatic process. Here we describe a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique that permits the tracking of breast cancer cells in a mouse model of brain metastasis at the single-cell level. Cancer cells that were injected into the left ventricle of the mouse heart and then delivered to the brain were detectable on MR images. This allowed the visualization of the initial delivery and distribution of cells, as well as the growth of tumors from a subset of these cells within the whole intact brain volume. The ability to follow the metastatic process from the single-cell stage through metastatic growth, and to quantify and monitor the presence of solitary undivided cells will facilitate progress in understanding the mechanisms of brain metastasis and tumor dormancy, and the development of therapeutics to treat this disease.