In vitro binding of the very potent and selective D-2 dopamine agonist, [3H]N-0437 to calf caudate membranes

N-0437, a non-catecholic aminotetralin has recently been described as a very potent and selective dopamine D-2 agonist. In this study the in vitro binding of [3H]N-0437 (specific activity 80.6 Ci/mmol) to calf caudate membranes is described. It was found that [3H]N-0437 binds with a high affinity (KD = 0.17 nM) and a low proportion of non-specific binding. Moreover the binding was saturable with a high number of binding sites (Bmax = 703 +/- 28 fmol/mg protein) and reversible (dissociation half-time = 68 min). Pharmacological analysis of [3H]N-0437 binding showed that it was selective for dopamine receptors and that it was also stereoselective for D-2 receptors. Non-dopaminergic drugs were without exception very poor displacers. Taken together the results suggest that [3H]N-0437 labels dopamine D-2 receptors with a high selectivity in the calf brain, and thus, that it should be a useful tool in studies of central dopamine receptors.     

Pulmonary manifestations of AIDS: review of 106 episodes

We reviewed the clinical records and chest radiographs of all patients admitted to our institution between 1982 and 1984 who had pulmonary disease and who were later proved to have acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (95 patients). Diffuse parenchymal lung disease was the most common finding. These infiltrates were usually interstitial and caused by Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia or P. carinii combined with cytomegalovirus infection. Focal, multilobar, interstitial infiltrates were also often seen and usually caused by P. carinii or P. carinii and cytomegalovirus infections. Rarely, well-defined, multiple, interstitial nodules less than 10 mm in diameter were the only or predominant characteristic and were seen only in association with Mycobacterium tuberculosis or Cryptococcus neoformans infections or Kaposi sarcoma. Hilar or mediastinal adenopathy occurred in 17 of the 21 patients with M. tuberculosis or C. neoformans infections. In contrast, only 4% of patients with P. carinii infections presented with these findings. We also found that hilar or mediastinal adenopathy was not significantly associated with peripheral adenopathy. Lung cavitation, pleural effusion, or a normal chest radiograph was uncommon.     

Precise intraoperative location of gastrointestinal bleeding with a hand-held counter. Work in progress

The nuclear medicine bleeding scan is frequently insufficient to locate sites of bleeding precisely, in spite of its great sensitivity. A small, hand-held Geiger-Müller counter, placed directly on exposed intestine in the operating room, enables precise location of the probable bleeding site. In three patients, the technique allowed a minimal amount of intestine to be resected, distinguished between large- and small-intestinal hemorrhage, and eliminated other foci as sites of bleeding.     

Development and evaluation of a quality assessment instrument for occupational physicians

OBJECTIVES: To develop and apply a method for assessing the quality of the process of occupational health care for individual patients. METHODS: The scientific literature was studied to develop a method to assess the quality of the process of occupational rehabilitation for workers with low back pain. The method was applied to health care and university workers with low back pain who were rehabilitated by their occupational physicians. RESULTS: Assessment of quality of care is regarded as a four step approach. Firstly, guidelines should be developed and implemented. Secondly, indicators for quality and criteria to demarcate good and deviant quality were derived from the guidelines. Thirdly, a method for data collection was chosen. Finally, quality was scored. For occupational rehabilitation, there was some deviance from the guidelines for most cases, especially in continuity of care with a deviant rate of 47%. Other indicators deviated from 1.4%- 17.4%. Occupational physicians agreed on the relevance of the indicators and criteria, but for three indicators they evaluated the criteria as too rigid. They did not agree with their own performance scores in 66% of the deviant cases. CONCLUSION: Assessing the quality of the process of occupational health care with this method is an asset to present methods, but more specific criteria are needed for a more sensitive assessment.

 

     

Anti-Sc1 in pregnancy

Anti-Sc1 was detected in a gravida-2 patient at 12 weeks' gestation. At 29 weeks, the antibody was found to be of the IgG3 subclass with a titer of 16, score 36, by the indirect antiglobulin test, and it produced 7 percent lysis by antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) assay, a finding that suggested an unaffected fetus. The titer remained constant throughout the pregnancy, as did the IgG subclass and activity in the ADCC assay. At delivery of the full-term infant, the cord hemoglobin was 13.5 g per dL and the direct antiglobulin test was positive (3+) with anti-IgG. The infant did not require transfusion. A sample taken 9 weeks after delivery showed 44 percent lysis in the ADCC assay. The anti-Sc1 titer was 32, score 65.     

Inactive and active mutants of rab1b are not tightly integrated into target membranes.

The rab1b GTPase is localized on the ER and cis-Golgi membranes and involved in early exocytotic membrane traffic processes. To analyze the influence of rab1b conformation on specific membrane targeting processes three point mutants simulating permanently inactive or active rab1b proteins were constructed and expressed in BHK cells. To increase the expression of the growth inhibiting rab1b S22N and rab1b N121I mutants we co-expressed the Mss4 protein and observed an elevated expression of the inactive rab1b mutants. Surprisingly, only the rab1b wild-type protein shows the correct intracellular localization, and a tight membrane association. We conclude that the targeting process of rab1b depends predominantly on GDP/GTP exchange.     

Anti-desmoglein 1 antibodies in healthy related and unrelated subjects and patients with pemphigus foliaceus in endemic and non-endemic areas from Tunisia

Background  Pemphigus foliaceus is an autoimmune blistering skin disease characterized by the production of pathogenic IgG autoantibodies directed against desmoglein 1.
Aim  To determine the prevalence of anti-desmoglein 1 antibodies in healthy subjects and their distribution in the different regions of Tunisia and to better identify endemic areas of pemphigus foliaceus.
Methods  We tested, by enzyme-linked immunoserbent assay, sera of 270 normal subjects recruited from different Tunisian areas and 203 related healthy relatives to 90 Tunisian pemphigus foliaceus patients.
Results  Seventy-six patients (84.4%), 20 healthy controls (7.4%), and 32 relatives (15.76%) had anti-desmoglein 1 antibodies. In southern regions where pemphigus foliaceus is associated with a significant sex ratio imbalance (9 female : 1 male in the south vs. 2.3 : 1 in the north) and a lower mean age of disease onset (33.5 in the south vs. 45 years in the north), a higher prevalence of anti-desmoglein 1 antibodies in healthy controls was observed (9.23% vs. 5.71% in the north). Interestingly, the highest prevalence of anti-desmoglein 1 antibodies in healthy relatives (up to 22%) was observed in the most rural southern localities. More than half anti-desmoglein 1–positive healthy controls were living in rural conditions with farming as occupation, which suggests that this activity may expose the subjects to particular environmental conditions.
Conclusion  These results show that the endemic features of Tunisian pemphigus foliaceus are focused in these southern areas more than in other areas and that both environmental and genetic factors contribute to the disease.

Conflicts of interest

None declared.     

Ha-ras mRNA与端粒酶在人膀胱肿瘤组织中的表达

目的　探讨人膀胱癌中Ha rasmRNA及端粒酶的表达与肿瘤临床指标的关系。方法采用原位杂交及银染端粒重复序扩增程序 (TRAP)反应的方法对 91例膀胱癌标本进行Ha rasmRNA及端粒酶活性的表达检测。结果　 91例膀胱癌标本中Ha rasmRNA与端粒酶活性检出率为 73 %与 92 % ,两者阳性率及阳性强度与肿瘤的恶性程度呈正相关 ,在不同临床分期中两者表达差异无显著性 (P >0 .0 5 )。结论　Ha ras癌基因与端粒酶是参与肿瘤的发生并影响肿瘤发展的重要因素 ,有望成为判断肿瘤恶性程度、自然病程及预后的评估指标。     

阿尔采末病28例临床分析

目的：分析２８例住院阿尔采末病的临床特征、家族遗传史、诊断及治疗。方法：按照ＩＣＤ－１０精神与行为障碍分类临床描述与诊断要点及ＣＣＭＤ－２－Ｒ进行严格筛选确定病例。结果：确诊晚发性洋采末病１２便，早发性６例，混合型１０例；具阳性家族史者３便，初诊误诊１０例；定向障碍２４便，意志减退２４例，伴幻沈或妄想者１９例，性格改变１７例，情感欣快１０例，行为怪异或紊乱１１例。结论：提示该的发病与遗传因素有关，