Psychological treatment of phobic anxiety associated with adjuvant chemotherapy

A 50-year-old patient with breast cancer was about to withdraw from her adjuvant chemotherapy regimen because of a long-standing phobia about being injected, which had been compounded by anxieties that were associated with the severe side-effects of adjuvant chemotherapy. She experienced a conditioned nausea response to hospital and medical situations. A psychological programme that incorporated relaxation training, systematic desensitization by way of the patient's visual imagination and videotape modelling, allowed her to complete the course of chemotherapy and to feel less anxious in hospital and medical settings.     

Inward rectifying potassium channels in human malignant glioma cells

Human glioma cells obtained from established cell lines (Tp-276MG, Tp-301MG, Tp-378MG, Tp-483MG and U-251MG) were analyzed for the presence of ion channels with the tight-seal voltage clamp technique. The current-voltage relation revealed a marked inward rectification at hyperpolarizing voltages, due to the presence of inward rectifying K-channels in cells from all studied cell lines. These channels were conducting when the membrane potential was more negative than the K-equilibrium potential. The slope conductance for the inward K-currents (g_Ki) was affected both by [K⁺]_i and [K⁺]₀. g_Ki was proportional to [K⁺]₀ raised to 0.35 or 0.50, of which the larger value was measured in the presence of low [K⁺]_i (25mM). The rectification was not significantly different in cells perfused with Mg-free EDTA-buffered internal solution. Tl⁺ was 3.5 times more permaant than K⁺. g_ki was blocked by Cs⁺ (1 mM) in a voltage-dependent way (more effective in the hyperpolarized membrane), and by Na⁺ (154 mM) depending on voltage and time. From measurements of unitary current events in membrane patches (outside out or cell attached) the conductance of the single inward rectifying channel was estimated to be 27 ± 7 pS. This type of ion channel may be important for K-uptake by glial cells and hence for the K-homeostasis in the brain.     

Lack of spontaneous activity of cutaneous spinal dorsal horn neurons in awake, drug-free, spinally transected cats

Extracellular single-unit activity was recorded from neurons with cutaneous input in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord (L4-L6) of awake, drug-free cats before (for several weeks) and after (day 1 through day 7) cord transection (T12). The spontaneous activity of the neurons was minimal or nonexistent in both recording conditions. The lack of spontaneous activity following spinal cord transection contrasts sharply with activity recorded in acute spinal-cord transected preparations in which high rates of spontaneous activity have been reported. This discrepancy may reflect an important difference between the chronic, awake, drug-free and acute preparations.     

Influence of TNFalpha and LTalpha single nucleotide polymorphisms on susceptibility to and prognosis in cutaneous malignant melanoma in the British population.

Cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) is a potentially fatal malignancy in which exposure to UV light is the most important risk factor. Several lines of evidence suggest that increased expression of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) alpha, upregulated by UV exposure, may contribute to tumour escape from the immune response. In this study, we addressed whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TNFalpha promoter and lymphotoxin (LT) alpha gene are associated with susceptibility to or known prognostic indicators (e.g. initial tumour growth phase, Breslow thickness, mitotic count in vertical growth phase tumours, and tumour regression) in CMM. One hundred and forty-six British Caucasian CMM patients and 220 controls were typed for TNFalpha-376, -308 and -238 and LTalpha+252 SNPs by ARMS-PCR. Only the TNFalpha -238 GG (P = 0.05) and GA (P = 0.03) genotypes showed slight, but significant, associations with CMM, while LTalpha+252 AA was associated with a higher mitotic count in vertical growth phase tumours (P = 0.02). Both TNFalpha-238 and LTalpha+252 SNPs showed linkage disequilibrium with HLA-DQB1*0303 and *0301 alleles, variably implicated in CMM susceptibility/prognosis. In addition, TNFalpha-238, -308, LTalpha+252 haplotypes were assigned and compared. The GGA haplotype showed a modest association with CMM (P = 0.04) and with stage of disease (P = 0.03) and initial growth phase in CMM (P = 0.02), but these associations were only significant when P-values were uncorrected. Unlike basal cell carcinoma, these preliminary findings suggest that genetic variation associated with differential TNFalpha and LTalpha production is unlikely to play a major, independent role in susceptibility to, and perhaps prognosis in, CMM.     

Children with Haemophilus influenzae bacteremia initially treated as outpatients: outcome in 85 American Indian children.

Eighty-five American Indian children less than 16 years of age with Haemophilus influenzae bacteremia were retrospectively determined to have been treated as outpatients after their initial evaluation. We hoped to determine the proportion that developed new foci, the time interval to this development and whether age or temperature at presentation predicted outcome. Fifty-one (60%) presented with nonfocal findings. Seventy-two (85%) were treated with antibiotics at the initial visit. Although 49 (58%) of the patients were never hospitalized, a new focus was identified in 25 (29%), including 13 (15%) with a final diagnosis of meningitis. The new foci were identified within 6 days of presentation (median, 2 days). An additional 15 (18%) patients had no new focus but were febrile and/or ill at follow-up. All patients with meningitis or a second positive culture were hospitalized at the first follow-up visit. Age and temperature at presentation did not help predict outcome. All patients with H. influenzae bacteremia require prompt reevaluation and close follow-up by an experienced physician.     

A randomized comparison of umbilical vein and intravenous oxytocin during the puerperium

Oxytocin was administered in a randomized fashion via either the umbilical or maternal intravenous route. Women who received intraumbilical oxytocin had significantly greater calculated blood loss compared with those who received peripheral administration (P = .01). This greater blood loss was confirmed by a decrease in hematocrit and hemoglobin concentrations after delivery. There was no difference between the groups in the length of the third stage of labor. The incidence of fetomaternal transfusion was higher in the intraumbilical group (P = .07). We conclude that intraumbilical oxytocin is no more beneficial than peripheral administration.     

A flexible, efficient, checkerboard immunoblot system for the detection and semiquantitation of specific antinuclear antibodies.

In this paper an uncomplicated method for the simultaneous detection and semiquantitation of 11 of the 12 commonly studied antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in a single run is described. This new application of checkerboard immunoblotting (CBIB) is based upon available technology and employs purified antigens which can be either purchased or produced in-house. CBIB requires no electronic instrument, can be formatted to meet the needs of the user, is rapidly performed, and has acceptable labor and materials costs. Data on the use of the method to examine available reference antisera is presented. CBIB has also proven practical for the clinical study of 18 sera, at two dilutions per membrane, for each set of specific antinuclear antibodies, also at two or more dilutions.