Collagenous colitis: A disease of pericryptal fibroblast sheath?

Mucosal biopsies from four women with collagenous colitis and ten controls were studied. By light microscopy the cells of the pericryptal fibroblast sheath appeared diminished in number but increased in size in collagenous colitis. Electron optically in the controls the pericryptal fibroblasts were in intimate contact with the epithelial basal lamina in the crypts. On the free surface the fibroblasts maintained contact with the epithelial cells by attenuated cell processes. In collagenous colitis, in the middle and upper thirds of the crypts the fibroblasts sheath was separated from the epithelium and the fibroblasts assumed the characteristics of myofibroblasts. The separation was accentuated towards the mouths of the crypts. Beneath the surface epithelium the attenuated fibroblast cell processes seen in normal colon were grossly deficient. The basal lamina was also deficient focally and the surface epithelial cells were resting directly on a thickened collagen table. In collagenous colitis the excess collagen appeared to be secreted by the activated myofibroblasts of the pericryptal sheath.     

De novo proximal interstitial deletions of 14q: Cytogenetic and molecular investigations

We report on 2 unrelated patients who had chromosome analysis performed because of psychomotor delay, Failure to thrive, and minor anomalies. Each patient had a novel proximal 14q deletion (q11.2 to q21.1 in patient 737 and q12 to q22 in patient 777). Polymorphic (C-A)_n microsatellite markers distributed along the length of chromosome 14q were examined in both patients and their parents in order to determine which marker loci were deleted. The deletion in patient 737 was found to be paternal in origin, based on the analysis of 2 marker loci (D14S54 and D14S70), thus assigning these loci to the deleted interval q11.2 q21.1. Furthermore, 3 loci were not deleted (TCRD, D14S50, and D14S80), suggesting that they are within or proximal to 14q11.2. In the other family (patient 777), none of the markers were fully informative, but the deleted chromosome was determined to be paternally derived based on cytogenetic heteromorphisms. Despite having overlapping proximal 14q deletions, these 2 patients shared few phenotypic similarities except for failure to thrive, micrognathia, and hypoplasia of the corpus callosum. Therefore, a distinct proximal 14q deletion syndrome is not yet apparent. However, the molecular analyses facilitated the localization of several 14q DNA markers to the deletion regions in these 2 patients, while excluding other markers from each deletion. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Antibody response to epitopes of chlamydial major outer membrane proteins on infectious elementary bodies and of the reduced polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis-separated form.

Approximately 60% of the outer membrane of chlamydial elementary bodies (EBs) consists of the major outer membrane protein (MOMP) that has structural and metabolic functions. The antigenic properties of MOMPs from mammalian strains of serovars 1 and 2 and an avian strain of Chlamydia psittaci were analyzed. Polyclonal-monospecific antisera (PMAs), one monoclonal antibody (MAb), and polyclonal antisera (PAs) were produced against reduced polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis-separated MOMPs and against infectious EBs. Three PMAs and the MAb, which were induced by reduced polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis-separated MOMPs, reacted strongly in Western blot (immunoblot) assays with MOMPs of serovar 1 and 2 strains as well as with that of the avian strain 6BC, and two of these PMAs reacted weakly (dilution, 1:20) with the MOMP of strain LGV-2. The third PMA and the MAb against the MOMP of the serovar 2 strain did not react with the MOMP of LGV-2. Four PAs were produced against infectious EBs of the serovar 1 strain. One of these PAs reacted with the homologous MOMP and that of the avian strain 6BC but did not recognize MOMPs of other chlamydial strains. Three of the PAs reacted with MOMPs of homologous strains only and failed to recognize MOMPs of avian, serovar 2, and LGV-2 strains. Five PAs induced against infectious EBs of the serovar strain 2 reacted only with the MOMPs of the homologous strains and failed to recognize MOMPs of other strains of chlamydiae. Consequently, MOMPs of C. psittaci strains possess genus-, species-, and serovar-specific epitopes whereby the immune response to serovar-specific epitopes of MOMP predominate when infectious EBs are used for immunization.     

Fine-needle aspiration biopsy of multiple myeloma in a patient with renal-cell carcinoma: A case report

A case of multiple myeloma diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy and confirmed by laboratory studies in a patient with a history of renal-cell carcinoma is presented. The patient was diagnosed with renal-cell carcinoma of the right kidney and a radical nephrectomy was performed. Eighteen months after this diagnosis was made, the patient developed chest wall pain and was found to have osteolytic bone lesions of the ribs and vertebral bodies. FNA of an osteolytic rib lesion disclosed multiple myeloma. Additional laboratory studies confirmed the diagnosis of multiple myeloma. This case report demonstrates the value of FNA as a diagnostic tool for the follow-up of cancer patients, the subsequent discrimination between metatastic lesions and a second primary malignancy, and the cytology of multiple myeloma.     

Behavioral control of abnormal breathing in sleep

Behavioral control of abnormal breathing in sleep was studied to determine if an intervention procedure could reduce apnea duration and also SaO ₂ (blood oxygen) desaturation levels. Sleep apnea patients (n=11) were instructed while awake that tones would be presented in sleep whenever an apnea event occurred. They were told to breathe deeply to the tones and were given practice in doing so. Intervention and nonintervention hours alternated across 2 nights following 2 baseline nights. As expected, during the intervention hours, the duration but not the frequency of apneic events was reduced. The procedure also resulted in higher SaO ₂ levels during the intervention hours. Daytime sleepiness was not greater following intervention but sleep staging effects were observed. The results are sufficiently promising to warrant additional research.This research was supported by NIH Grants 2 HL 27149-84 and HL 34125 entitled Behavioral Control of Respiration in Sleep.     

Functional polymers and sequential copolymers by phase transfer catalysis, 27. Synthesis of aromatic-aliphatic polyformals by polyetherification of 1,4-bis(chloromethoxy)butane with 4,4′-isopropylidenediphenol

The first examples of aromatic-aliphatic polyformals were synthesized from 4,4′-isopropylidenediphenol ( 2 ) and 1,4-bis(chloromethoxy)butane ( 1 ) by a two-phase (aqueous NaOH/toluene), phase transfer catalyzed (PTC) polyetherification. The influence of the reaction conditions upon the polymerization was studied by varying the phase transfer catalyst concentration, NaOH concentration and nucleophile to electrophile ratio. Changes in these parameters and their effects upon the microstructure of these polymers were also examined by ¹H NMR (200 MHz) spectroscopy. The reactivity of 1 has permitted, according to our knowledge, the first examples of interfacial polyetherification. Further, this reactivity has also permitted the homopolymerization of 1 through its hydrolysis byproducts under PTC conditions.     

Cost effectiveness of individual vs. group cognitive behavior therapy for problems of depression and anxiety in an HMO population

Randomly assigned 44 outpatient Ss, enrollees of the George Washington University Health Plan, a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), to one of three treatment modalities: (1) a cognitive behavior therapy group; (2) a traditional process-oriented interpersonal group; and (3) cognitive behavior therapy in an individual format. All Ss were referred by their physicians to the HMO Mental Health Practice for treatment for anxiety and/or depression. Beck's Depression Inventory, Speilberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Gay and Galassi's Adult Self-Expression Scale (an assertion measure) were administered pre- and post-treatment to all Ss. A subsample of these Ss also were rated pre- and post-treatment on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression by experienced clinicians blind to the treatment groups. All three experimental groups significantly improved on all dependent measures from pre- to post-treatment, and no differential treatment effects were found.     

Intraparenchymal pulmonary lymph node: case report and literature review

Summary A case of a 44-year-old woman with a solitary pulmonary coin lesion is presented. Histologic study of this nodule revealed a normal intraparenchymal pulmonary lymph node. A review of the literature discusses the incidence and characteristics of this entity.

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Nud lymphatique intrapulmonaire: revue de la littérature. A propos d'un cas

Résumé L'observation d'un cas de lésion nodulaire du poumon est rapportée chez une femme de 44 ans. L'étude histologique du nodule a révélé un nud lymphatique intrapulmonaire normal. La revue de la littérature apprécie l'incidence et les caractéristiques de cette localisation.

     

Functional polymers and sequential copolymers by phase transfer catalysis, 21. Thermotropic aromatic poly(ether sulfone)s: A new class of thermotropic aromatic main-chain liquid crystalline polymers

Thermotropic aromatic poly(ether sulfone)s ( 3a — e ) were prepared by phase transfer catalyzed (PTC) polyetherification of bis(4-chloro-3-nitrophenyl) sulfone ( 1 ) with mesogenic aromatic diols. The synthesized polymers were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and optical polarization microscopy to determine their phase behavior. All polymers appear to be amorphous. Only the polyethers based on 2,6-dihydroxyanthraquinone ( 2a ) and 1 exhibit enantiotropic liquid crystalline behavior. This demonstrates that fully aromatic polyethers can be prepared as thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers.