Colonic wall thickness measured by ultrasound: striking differences in patients with cystic fibrosis versus healthy controls.

BACKGROUND: Colonic strictures represent an advanced stage of fibrosing colonopathy in patients with cystic fibrosis. AIMS: To clarify whether ultrasonography can identify patients with an early stage of fibrosing colonopathy and to determine clinical factors that influence bowel wall thickening. PATIENTS: Ninety patients with cystic fibrosis, median age 10 years, and 46 healthy controls, median age 13 years, were investigated. METHODS: Bowel wall thickness was measured by ultrasound in a prospective study. RESULTS: In cystic fibrosis, wall thickness of both small intestine and colon was significantly (p < 0.0001) higher than in controls; 81% of patients with cystic fibrosis had a maximum colon wall thickness at any site of 2 mm or more, a value that was never reached by controls. The maximum colon wall thickness was 6.5 mm. Bowel wall thickness was unchanged at re-examination after one year. There was no progression even with high dose pancreatic supplements. There was no association between bowel wall thickness and clinical features such as previous meconium ileus, intestinal resection, distal intestinal obstruction syndrome, abdominal pain, or pancreatic enzyme dose. CONCLUSIONS: There is genuine intestinal involvement in cystic fibrosis; in a few cases this could lead to fibrosing colonopathy.     

Alcohol consumption and impaired glycoregulation results in a population of 6665 salaried employees

Alcohol consumption and glycosuria were found to be associated (p < 0.001) in a population of 6571 salaried employees who underwent a systematic examination. The prevalence of glycosuria was found to range from 1.3% among 2609 non-drinkers to 5% among 816 heavy drinkers (six glasses or more of alcoholic beverage daily). This association was still significant after adjustement for age, sex and body mass index. Similarly, a positive association was observed between fasting glycemia and alcoholic intake in a subgroup of 998 subjects when such a result was available (p < 0.05).     

Differential cytotoxicity of an ether lipid on lymphoma and bone marrow cells and its role in purging malignant lymphoid cells from remission bone marrow contaminated with tumor cells.

Four human clonogenic malignant lymphoid cell lines (CEM, Su-DHL-4, Li-A, and Raji) as well as normal human bone marrow stem cell progenitor cells were investigated for clonal in vitro growth before and after incubation with the ether lipid ET-18-OCH3 for various times (1, 4, and 18 h) and at increasing concentrations of the drug (25, 50, 75, and 100 micrograms/ml). The clonal growth of the malignant lymphoid cell lines was inversely correlated with concentrations and times of drug incubation. The antineoplastic effect of ET-18-OCH3 was further amplified by subsequent cryopreservation. In a situation of 4-h exposure to less than or equal to 50 micrograms/ml ET-18-OCH3 and subsequent cryopreservation, in which greater than 50% of the normal human bone marrow progenitor cells survived, 1-3 logs of the malignant lymphoblastoid cells were killed, indicating a potential value of this drug for bone marrow purging in lymphoid malignancy. In order to simulate the situation of autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) in complete remission of the disease, we contaminated normal human bone marrow cells with malignant CEM or Su-DHL-4 lymphoid cells at a ratio of 100:1. Results show that 4 h of incubation with 75 micrograms/ml ET-18-OCH3 and subsequent cryopreservation can eliminate 2-3 logs of clonogenic cells of the malignant lymphoblastoid cell lines under conditions that allow recovery of greater than 50% of the normal human hematopoietic progenitors.     

Pulmonale Thrombendarterektomie: Die Therapie der chronisch thromboembolischen pulmonalen Hypertension— Initiale chirurgische Erfahrung

Zusammenfassung Grundlagen Die pulmonale Thrombendarterektomie stellt eine effektive Therapie zur Behandlung von Patienten mit chronisch thromboembolischer pulmonalar Hypertonie dar. Wir berichten über unsere Erfahrungen mit dieser Operationstechnik bei den ersten 9 Patienten. Methodik Zwischen 1992 und Oktober 1994 wurde bei 9 Patienten eine pulmonale Thrombendarterektomie durchgeführt. über eine mediane Sternotomie wurden die Pulmonalarterien beider Seiten bis in ihre subsegmentalen Aufzweigungen im Sinne einer echten Endarterektomie vom organisierten thromboembolischen Material befreit. Zumeist waren Perioden des totalen Kreislaufstillstandes in tiefer Hypothermie notwendig, wobei diese zunehmend verkürzt werden konnten und 3 Patienten vollst?ndig ohne Kreislaufstopp operiert wurden. Ergebnisse Die perioperative Mortalit?t betrug 11%, wobei der 1. Patient am 14. postoperativen Tag an den Folgen eines Reperfusions?dems verstarb. Alle anderen Patienten sind 4 bis 22 Monate (im Mittel 13 Monate) nach dem Eingriff am Leben und zeigen eine Hochsignifikante Verbesserung ihrer h?modynamischen Situation (mean PAP pr?operativ: 62 mm Hg, postoperativ: 30 mm Hg p<0,001; Cardiac Index pr?operativ: 2,1 1/min/m², postoperativ: 3,6 l/min/m² p=0,001). W?hrend pr?operativ alle Patienten in NYHA-Klasse III oder IV waren, sind die 8 überlebenden jetzt alle in Klasse I oder II. Schlu?folgerungen Die pulmonale Thrombendarterektomie bietet eine erfolgreiche Therapiem?glichkeit für Patienten mit chronisch thromboembolischer pulmonaler Hypertonie mit einer in Anbetracht fehlender konservativer Altermativen akzeptablen Mortalit?t und ausgezeichneten funktionellen Langzeitergebnissen.      

Incidence of cancer in a cohort of magnesium production workers

The results from a cohort study on the incidence of cancer and the mortality in a cohort of 2391 male workers producing magnesium metal are presented. The study population was restricted to employees with more than one year of work experience in the study plant between 1951 and 1974 and the cohort was observed from 1953 to 1984. Altogether 152 new cases of cancer were observed versus 132.6 expected. Six cases of cancer of the lip were found against 2.3 expected, 21 of stomach cancer against 12.8 expected, and 32 of lung cancer against 18.2 expected. A possible causal relation between exposure to factors in the work environment and the development of cancer is discussed.