Psychiatric aspects of Cushing's syndrome

Patients with Cushing's syndrome were studied (n=209, 78% females). Control patients had pituitary adenomas secreting growth hormone or prolactin. Age at diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome was 8-74 (mean 39) years. Duration of symptoms was 0.2-9 (median 2.0) years. Adverse life events within the 2 years preceding the onset of Cushing's syndrome were not significantly commoner than in controls. Depressive illnesses were associated with the presence of adverse life events (p<0.001). Depressive illness was more common in females (p<0.01). There were no significant differences in the severity of depression in the different types of Cushing's syndrome. Pathological anxiety had been diagnosed in 26 patients (12%), mania or hypomania in six patients (3%) and confusion in three patients (1%). Psychotic illness had been diagnosed in 16 patients (8%) and was more common in adrenal carcinomas (p<0.01). Significant psychiatric illness, usually depressive preceded the onset of all symptoms and signs of Cushing's syndrome in 25 patients (12%); 23 of these developed pituitary Cushing's disease, and two adrenal adenomas. When Cushing's syndrome was diagnosed, significant psychiatric illness, usually depression, was present or had been a feature of Cushing's syndrome in 120 (57%) patients.      

Preparation of white cell-reduced platelet concentrates from whole blood during component preparation

This article introduces a new method of component preparation that is capable of producing white cell (WBC)-reduced platelet concentrates (PCs) from whole blood. Whole blood is separated into packed red cells (RBCs) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) by centrifugation, and the PRP is expressed through a newly designed WBC removal filter into the platelet storage bag. The filtered PRP is then centrifuged and yields WBC-reduced PCs and plasma for freezing as fresh-frozen plasma (FFP). The method uses standard triple-pack blood bags and centrifugation protocols. Fifteen WBC-reduced PCs prepared with this technique had an average volume of 56.7 mL, an average Day 5 platelet content of 8.6 x 10(10) per unit, and an average Day 5 WBC content of 0.83 +/- 0.7 x 10(4) per unit (0.14 WBCs/microL). This represents WBC removal equal to at least 99.9 percent (3 log10) of the WBCs found in standard PCs prepared in our laboratory by an identical centrifugation protocol. Paired studies documented a 4.5-percent platelet loss by filtration. Filtration had no effect on the plasma prepared for FFP as measured by prothrombin time; activated partial thromboplastin time; factors I, V, VIII:C, and VIII:von Willebrand factor; antithrombin-III; albumin; globulin; or total protein. This method holds promise as a simple and highly effective technique for the production of WBC-reduced PCs by filtration during component preparation.     

Reliability of an illness severity measure for headache in a population sample of migraine sufferers

Objectives: To examine the reliability and related measurement properties of an illness severity measure for headache derived from responses to a 16-item self-administered questionnaire, the Headache Impact Questionnaire (HImQ), and to determine if there is support for combining measures of pain and disability into a single scaled measure of severity. Methods: A population-based sample of migraine headache sufferers completed the HImQ twice, an average of 38 days apart. The HImQ included questions about number of headaches in the last 3 months, headache duration, last headache, pain intensity (two questions), need for bedrest (two questions), disability in specific domains of activity (seven questions about interference with ability to work, do household chores, and engage in non-work activity), and symptoms (two questions). Results: Test-retest correlations of individual questions ranged from 0.65 to 0.93. In principal components analysis, a single factor with significant loading emerged. One measure of pain intensity (average pain score from 0 to 10) and items related to disability (i.e., missed days due to headache, and reduced effectiveness because of headache) in defined activity domains (work for pay housework, nonwork activities) had the greatest weights on this single factor, supporting prior work on combining measures of pain and disability into a single scale. The HImQ score was derived as the sum of average pain intensity and total lost time in each of the three domains of activity, expressed as lost days. The latter was derived as the sum of actual missed days in each activity domain and reduced effectiveness day equivalents in each activity with a headache. The test-retest correlation was 0.77 for all eligible subjects and 0.85 when one influential outlier was removed. Cronbach's alpha was 0.83. Conclusions: The HImQ score, based on eight items, is a highly reliable and internally consistent measure of headache severity.     

Chronic prenatal exposure to phenobarbital and long-term behavior effects on mice offspring

Objective: To assess the impact of chronic prenatal exposure to phenobarbital on long-term behavior in mice offspring.

Methods: Twenty-eight C3H/He mice were randomized to receive diet chow containing either a daily therapeutic dose of phenobarbital (2.5?mg in 10-g chow) or a placebo for 1 week before mating and throughout gestation. Offspring from eight litters of each treatment group were evaluated using motor function, arousal/motivation, anxiety-provoking and cognition tasks.

Results: No significant differences between groups were found in duration of gestation, litter size and birth weights. Fewer counts in a locomotor chamber were observed in phenobarbital-exposed offspring (524?±?31 vs. 688?±?54 for 60?min, p <?0.02; 4174?±?229 vs. 5230?±?406 for 22?h, p <?0.05). Initial reactions to a startle were more apparent among phenobarbital-exposed offspring (p <?0.03). Impaired co-ordination of hindlimbs was observed in the phenobarbital-exposed offspring during the wire maneuver (p <?0.001). Fewer entries into the mirrored chamber were observed after phenobarbital exposure (2.1 vs. 4.5; p <?0.05). Exposure to phenobarbital was not found to affect responses to learning and memory tasks (homing, tube runway, water runway, Morris maze).

Conclusion: Although cognition was unaffected by prenatal exposure to phenobarbital, subtle effects on locomotor activity, hindlimb co-ordination and responses to anxiety-provoking conditions require human correlation.     

脐血间充质干细胞与骨髓间充质干细胞对淋巴细胞增殖的抑制效果比较

目的:比较脐血间充质干细胞和骨髓间充质干细胞对植物血凝素诱导的淋巴细胞增殖的抑制作用。方法:实验于2005-07/2006-03在南昌大学第二附属医院血液病研究所及江西省医学分子重点实验室完成。①实验材料:脐带血9份,由南昌大学第二附属医院妇产科提供,产妇及其家属均知情同意。正常骨髓9份,由南昌大学第二附属医院血液科门诊及住院患者提供,均附有捐赠同意书。外周血9份,取自正常自愿者。本实验经医学伦理委员会批准。②实验方法:无菌条件下采集脐血、骨髓和正常人外周血,分离单个核细胞。脐血及骨髓单个核细胞以1×109 L-1接种于培养瓶中,加入含体积分数为0.1的小牛血清、1×10-3mol/L氢化可的松的IMDM培养液,7d后换液,去除悬浮细胞,以后每3～4d换液1次,待细胞90%融合后,胰蛋白酶 乙二胺四乙酸混合消化,传代培养,取第3代细胞用于实验。正常人外周血单个核细胞以1×109 L-1接种于培养瓶中,加入含体积分数为0.1的小牛血清、10mg/L植物血凝素的IMDM液,培养3d后收集细胞用于实验。③实验评估:采用流式细胞术检测脐血间充质干细胞及淋巴细胞表面分子。取第3代的脐血和骨髓间充质干细胞,体外诱导培养后以脂肪染色液鉴定其向脂肪细胞的分化情况。将不同细胞浓度的脐血和骨髓间充质干细胞分别加入到植物血凝素诱导的外周血淋巴细胞增殖体系中,比较两种不同来源的间充质干细胞对淋巴细胞增殖的调控作用。结果:①脐血间充质干细胞和骨髓间充质干细胞的培养及鉴定:第3代脐血间充质干细胞表面分子标记率CD29为85.18%,CD166为72.52%,CD54为33.70%,CD45为6.70%,CD13为1.51%,CD34为0.23%。正常人外周血单个核细胞中的CD3 T细胞为60%～70%,CD20 B细胞为3.5%～4.5%。脐血间充质干细胞诱导培养3周,可见呈桔黄色的脂肪细胞。②脐血间充质干细胞及骨髓间充质干细胞对淋巴细胞增殖的抑制:淋巴细胞:间充质干细胞为1∶1,1∶0.5,1∶0.1,1∶0.05,1∶0.02,1∶0.01时,脐血间充质干细胞对淋巴细胞增殖的抑制率分别为(49.5±4.8)%,(58.4±6.0)%,(38.1±4.0)%,(31.4±3.2)%,(24.3±3.2)%,(12.6±6.7)%,而骨髓间充质干细胞对淋巴细胞增殖的抑制率分别为(52.4±8.4)%,(65.1±9.7)%,(34.7±4.5)%,(13.0±6.4)%,(-10.7±12.6)%,(-43.9±9.4)%。后3种细胞浓度比例脐血间充质干细胞对淋巴细胞的抑制作用明显强于骨髓间充质干细胞(t=7.72,8.14,14.68,P均<0.05)。结论:脐血间充质干细胞与骨髓间充质干细胞一样,也具有抑制植物血凝素诱导淋巴细胞增殖的作用,抑制效果与间充质干细胞数量有关。低浓度的脐血间充质干细胞对淋巴细胞的抑制作用明显强于骨髓间充质干细胞。     

单剂量巴利昔单抗对肾移植受者外周血Foxp3mRNA、CD4+CD25+调节性T细胞、白细胞介素2及其受体的影响

目的观察单剂量巴利昔单抗对肾移植受者外周血Foxp3mRNA、CD4+CD25+调节性T细胞、白细胞介素2及可溶性白细胞介素2受体的影响,分析其预防移植肾急性排斥反应的作用途径.方法选择2005-10,2006-12在上海解放军第四五五医院行同种异体肾移植的患者66例,移植前均行维持性血液透析治疗.按随机数字表法分为2组,常规组接受常规免疫抑制剂治疗,巴利昔单抗组在常规免疫抑制剂治疗的基础上加用巴利昔单抗(商品名舒莱,诺华制药公司,批号S20040059,20 mg/瓶),每组33例.另外选择年龄性别相配的健康体检者30例作为对照组.以上所有观察对象均知情同意,且得到医院伦理道德委员会批准.两组肾移植患者分别于移植前(手术当天)和移植后1,2,4,8周清晨采静脉血肝素抗凝,以流式细胞仪检测外周血中CD4+CD25+调节性T细胞含量,应用荧光定量PCR检测Foxp3mRNA的表达,应用双抗体夹心酶联免疫吸附法检测血浆中自细胞介素2及其受体,采用生化仪检测血肌酐及尿素氮水平,必要时行移植肾多普勒超声检查和病理活检,观察其急性排斥反应发生情况.结果66患者全部进入结果分析,无脱落.①常规组患者急性排斥反应的发生率21.12%(7/33)显著高于巴利昔单抗组6.1%(2/33)(p＜0.05).②移植后第1,2,4和8周巴利昔单抗组Foxp3、CD4+CD25+调节性T细胞和白细胞介素2水平均高于常规组(P＜0.05～0.01),可溶性白细胞介素2受体水平均低于常规组[(306.31±98.43,327.60±109.74,316.71±104.54,388.33±13242;410.14+112.04,442.82±118.94,450.80±123.63,445.61±115.24)U/mL(p＜0.05～0.01)].③两组肾移植患者无论移植前还是移植后,其血浆CD4+CD25+调节性T细胞百分率与Foxp3mRNA表达水平均呈明显正相关(r=0.892～0.932,P＜0.01).结论单剂量巴利昔单抗可以有效地减少移植肾急性排斥反应的发生率,作用途径可能与其增加外周血中Foxp3mRNA、CD4+CD25+调节性T细胞和白细胞介素2表达,减少血浆可溶性白细胞介素2受体水平有关.     

Work-related disability: results from the American migraine study

Migraine headache is a highly prevalent, often severely painful and frequently disabling disorder. The indirect costs related to disability greatly exceed the direct cost of medical care. The objective of this paper is to describe work-related disability associated with migraine headache and predictors of disability. In a two-stage survey of the US population, we estimate missed workdays and impairment at work in a sample of 1663 migraine sufferers, age 18 years and older. Lost workday equivalents (LWDE) was derived as the sum of actual missed workdays and the product of percentage effectiveness at work and days at work with the most severe headache. Overall, reported actual lost workdays and reduced effectiveness at work contributed approximately equally to total LWDE. A total of 51.1% of females and 38.1% of male migraineurs experienced six or more LWDE per year. This subgroup of migraine sufferers accounted for about 90% of the total LWDE experienced by all respondents. Among women, headache duration was the strongest predictor of LWDE followed by less significant associations with number of symptoms and pain level. Among men, only pain level was significantly associated with LWDE. Among sociodemographic factors, disability was more likely among older (40+) subjects and less likely among individuals with higher education and higher income (females only), even after adjusting for headache features. Health-care interventions may yield the greatest individual benefit (by reducing pain and disability) and the greatest societal benefit (by reducing indirect costs) if they are directed to those who account for the greatest proportion of disability.     

Densitometric analysis of the paranasal sinuses

Summary The knowledge of weak points in the osseous structure of the skull is of great importance for endonasal operations. For this reason the anatomy of the skull is accurately described in serial sections. Serial sections of 1.5 mm thickness are evaluated by a computerized image analyzing system, which allows qualitative as well as quantitative statements on the structure of the paranasal sinuses and their neighbourhood. The bone density in the frontobasal area of the skull as well as of the ethmoid cells is presented separately. The anatomy of the sphenoid sinus is described by densitometric and gross techniques.

---

Analyse densitométrique des sinus paranasaux

Résumé La connaissance des points forts dans la structure osseuse du crâne est d'une grande importance pour les interventions endonasales. Pour cette raison, l'anatomie du crâne est décrite avec précision sur des coupes sériées. Les coupes sériées de 1,5 mm d'épaisseur sont étudiées par un système d'analyse d'images computérisées, qui permet l'étude à la fois qualitative et quantitative de la structure des sinus paranasaux et de leur environnement. La densité osseuse dans l'aire fronto-basale du crâne et celle des cellules éthmoïdales sont présentées séparément. L'anatomie du sinus sphénoïdal est décrite à partir de la tomodensitométrie et de cette technique macroscopique.