Lifetime diagnoses in patients with somatoform disorders: Which came first?

Thirty inpatients with somatoform disorders were examined with the structured clinical interview SCID for psychiatric lifetime diagnosis. In the present diagnoses, we found a concordance of 63% for somatoform and affective disorders and the lifetime comorbidity of both disorders was 87%. Additionally, patients with somatoform disorders frequently had a history of other psychiatric disorders (for example, anxiety disorders, 40%). For 73% of patients with somatoform disorders and a history of affective disorders, the onset of the somatoform disorder was prior to the onset of another psychiatric disorder. The time interval between the onsets of somatoform disorders and affective disorders was greater than 1 year for most patients; for 46% of the patients with a history of both disorders, the time interval between the two disorders was more than 5 years. The course of illness for somatoform and affective disorders was quite different; while affective disorders tended to episodic periods with interim remissions, the somatoform disorders usually showed long, chronic courses (mean duration of the current somatoform disorder was 11.9 years). Finally, the Symptom Check List SCL-90R demonstrated good discrimination between patients with affective and anxiety disorders. However, the SCL-90R failed to discriminate patients with somatoform disorders from affective- and anxiety-disordered subjects. Therefore, the development of other psychometric scales is necessary for the evaluation of patients with somatoform disorders.     

Hämatologische Störungen bei Intensivpatienten

This final issue of the series "Emergency and intensive care therapy for hematooncological diseases" reviews cytopenias in intensive care patients who do not offer any oncological or haematological problems in their medical history. Anaemia is a very common problem in the intensive care setting. We highlight aetiological aspects of anaemia in critically ill patients and discuss therapeutical options like substitution of blood and application of erythropoietin, respectively. The second paragraph focuses on leukocytopenia and agranulocytosis, their causation and therapy and among other things the application of G-CSF (Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor). Last but not least, we deal with thrombocytopenia, especially heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.     

Case Report: Corroboration of the lower extremity counterpart of the Poland sequence

Gluteal and lower extremity hypoplasia with ipsilateral toe brachysyndactyly were noted in a 23-year-old woman similarly affected to the only previously reported case of the lower extremity counterpart of Poland sequence. Since no neurological deficit was found, and electromyographic and nerve conduction studies in the affected limb were normal, we propose a vascular origin which would involve the external iliac artery supply analogous to the subclavian artery supply disruption in the upper extremity Poland sequence.     

A phase II study of sulofenur,a novel sulfonylurea,in recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer

Summary A total of 16 patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer were treated with sulofenur (LY 186641), a novel oral sulfonylurea. All subjects had received previous chemotherapy. Anaemia occurred in all 16 patients, 14 of whom required a blood transfusion, and 2/16 patients received methylene blue for breathlessness due to methaemaglobinaemia. Treatment was discontinued in 2/16 cases due to rising liver enzyme values, which reverted to normal on cessation of the drug. There was no nausea or alopecia. Only two minor responses were seen. Plasma drug levels were insufficient to result in antitumour activity as extrapolated from animal data. Further studies that attempt to increase the bioavailability and improve the therapeutic index are warranted.     

Central processing of sex pheromone,host odour,and oviposition deterrent information by interneurons in the antennal lobe of female Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Physiological and anatomical characteristics of antennal lobe interneurons in female Spodoptera littoralis (Boisd.) were investigated using intracellular recording and staining techniques. Responses of local interneurons and projection neurons to female sex pheromone components, host plant odours, and behaviourally active oviposition deterrents were recorded. We found local interneurons and projection neurons that responded specifically to only one or two of the tested odours, but we also found less specific cells, and neurons that responded to most of the tested odourants. These findings show that there are not only specific olfactory pathways in female moths up to the protocerebral level, but also that integration can begin in the antennal lobe. No correlation was found between the degree of specificity of either local interneurons or projection neurons and their respective morphological characteristics. Specialized and unspecialized local interneurons arborized throughout the antennal lobe. Specialized and unspecialized projection neurons had uniglomerular arborizations in the antennal lobe and sent their axons to the calyces of the mushroom body, and to the lateral horn of the protocerebrum. One specific projection neuron had multiglomerular arborizations and projected only to the lateral horn of the protocerebrum. Projection neurons arborizing in the glomeruli closest to the entrance of the antennal nerve always responded to pheromone components. No other correlations were found between the arborization pattern of projection neurons in the antennal lobe or in the protocerebrum and their response characteristics. The sensitivity of local interneurons and projection neurons was in the same range as that of receptor neurons in olfactory sensilla on the antennae, suggesting a much lower convergence in the central nervous system in females than in the pheromone-processing pathway in males. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Activation of a Ca2+-dependent K+ current by the oncogenic receptor protein tyrosine kinase v-Fms in mouse fibroblasts

We investigated the effects of the receptor-coupled protein tyrosine kinase (RTK) v-Fms on the membrane current properties of NIH3T3 mouse fibroblasts. We found that v-Fms, the oncogenic variant of the macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor c-Fms, activates a K⁺ current that is absent in control cells. The activation of the K⁺ current was Ca²⁺-dependent, voltage-independent, and was completely blocked by the K⁺ channel blockers charybdotoxin, margatoxin and iberiotoxin with IC₅₀ values of 3nM, 18 nM and 76nM, respectively. To identify signalling components that mediate the activation of this K⁺ current, NIH3T3 cells that express different mutants of the wildtype v-Fms receptor were examined. Mutation of the binding site for the Ras-GTPase-activating protein led to a complete abolishment of the K⁺ current. A reduction of 76% and 63%, respectively, was observed upon mutation of either of the two binding sites for the growth factor receptor binding protein 2. Mutation of the ATP binding lobe, which disrupts the protein tyrosine kinase activity of v-Fms, led to a 55% reduction of the K⁺ current. Treatment of wild-type v-Fms cells with Clostridium sordellii lethal toxin or a farnesyl protein transferase inhibitor, both known to inhibit the biological function of Ras, reduced the K⁺ current amplitude to 17% and 6% of the control value, respectively. This is the first report showing that an oncogenic RTK can modulate K⁺ channel activity. Our results indicate that this effect is dependent on the binding of certain Ras-regulating proteins to the v-Fms receptor and is not abolished by disruption of its intrinsic protein tyrosine kinase activity. Furthermore, our data suggest that Ras plays a key role for K⁺ channel activation by the oncogenic RTK v-Fms. Received: 19 November 1997 / Accepted: 21 January 1998     

New copolymethacrylates with azo-chromophores in the side chain

The synthesis and characterization of new poly({6-[4-(4-cyanophenylcarbamoyl)phenoxy]hexyl methacrylate}-co-{6-[4-(4- cyanophenylazo)phenoxy]hexyl methacrylate}) are reported. Their liquid-crystalline properties are investigated using differential scanning calorimetry, polarizing microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. The glass transition temperatures and the clearing points can be influenced by variation of the copolymer composition. The substances offer a relatively broad temperature range of mesomorphic properties suitable for photochemical studies.