Amyloidosis of the breast mimicking recurrence in a previously treated early breast cancer

Amyloid involvement of the breast is infrequently reported and may have clinical and radiological features suspicious for a primary breast malignancy. We describe a case of amyloid of the breast in which asymptomatic mammographic findings were suspicious for locally recurrent disease in a patient with previously treated breast cancer.     

Binding of mannose-functionalized dendrimers with pea (Pisum sativum) lectin

Lectins are invaluable tools for chemical biology because they recognize carbohydrate arrays. Multivalent carbohydrate binding by lectins is important for processes such as bacterial and viral adhesion and cancer metastasis. A better understanding of mammalian lectin binding to carbohydrate arrays is critical for controlling these and other cellular recognition processes. Plant lectins are excellent model systems for the study of multivalent protein-carbohydrate interactions because of their robustness and ready availability. Here, we describe binding studies of mannose-functionalized poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers to a mitogenic lectin from Pisum sativum (pea lectin). Hemagglutination and precipitation assays were performed, and results were compared to those obtained from concanavalin A (Con A), a lectin that has been studied in more detail. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) experiments are also described.     

Bipolar disorder. III: Harm avoidance a risk factor for suicide attempts

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to examine whether personality, i.e. temperament and character influence suicide attempts in bipolar patients. METHODS: Bipolar patients were recruited from lithium dispensaries. Temperament and character inventory (TCI) was administered to 100 euthymic bipolar patients and 100 controls. RESULTS: Age of onset was significantly lower in patients with suicide attempts in the total bipolar group (I and II) and bipolar I patients compared with patients without suicide attempts. Bipolar (I and II) and bipolar I patients with suicide attempts were significantly higher in harm avoidance (HA) and reward dependence compared with patients without suicide attempts. Patients (I and II) with suicide attempts had significantly more anticipatory worry, fatigability and asthenia than patients without suicide attempts. Bipolar I patients with suicide attempts had significantly more fatigability and asthenia and were more dependent than patients without suicide attempts. HA was lowest in patients with no suicide attempts and no family history of suicide, higher in patients with family history of suicide or patients with suicide attempts, and significantly highest in patients with suicide attempts and family history of suicide. Patients with suicide attempts and family history of suicide had more anticipatory worry, fatigability and asthenia. Bipolar disorder was significantly correlated to HA and suicide attempts to HA and PS. Family history of suicide and gender were significantly correlated to suicide attempts. CONCLUSIONS: Age of onset, HA, PS, gender and family history of suicide had a moderate to very strong effect on suicide attempts in bipolar patients.     

Active site-blocked factor Xa prevents thrombus formation in the coronary vasculature in parallel with inhibition of extravascular coagulation in a canine thrombosis model

Factor Xa is a central procoagulant enzyme, linking the intrinsic and extrinsic activation mechanisms to the final common pathway of coagulation. To assess its contribution to pathologic thrombosis, studies were performed in a canine coronary thrombosis model. Thrombus formation was initiated by the application of electric current via a needle electrode placed in the lumen of the left circumflex coronary artery. When 50% occlusion of the vessel developed, the current was stopped and animals received an intravenous bolus of either saline, bovine glutamyl-glycinyl-arginyl-factor Xa (Xai), a competitive inhibitor of factor Xa assembly into the prothrombinase complex, Factor X, or heparin. Animals infused with saline or factor X (300 micrograms/kg) developed total occlusion of the vessel due to a fibrin/platelet thrombus in 70 +/- 11 minutes (36 of 36 animals) and 74 +/- 13 minutes (8 of 8 animals), respectively. In contrast, infusion of Xai prevented thrombus formation completely at a dose of 300 micrograms/kg (8 of 8 animals). As the dose of Xai was decreased, its antithrombotic effect was diminished, with a patency rate of only 2 of 6 animals at a dose of 90 micrograms/kg. Xai at 300 micrograms/kg prevented the accumulation of 125I-fibrinogen/fibrin at the site of the coronary thrombus by approximately 63% and decreased deposition of 111In-labeled platelets by approximately 57%. Hemostatic parameters of animals infused with Xai demonstrated prolongation of the PT and dose- dependent increased extravascular bleeding tendency. These data indicate that factor Xa has a comparably important role in thrombus formation and extravascular hemostasis, and contrast with previous results in this same animal model in which IXai selectively prevented clotting in the coronary vasculature.     

The role of pancreatic venous sampling in the localization of occult insulinomas

The palpation and enucleation of occult insulinomas (less than 15 mm) can be a difficult surgical problem even with good arteriographic localization. In the authors' limited experience, confirmation of arteriographic findings by pancreatic venous sampling provided little additional localizing information. However, if arteriography is negative or equivocal, venous sampling can indicate the segment of pancreas to be "blindly" resected if the adenoma is not palpable. Venous sampling may be misleading in polyendocrine syndromes because of the frequency of multiple adenomas and variable hormone production.