Risk factors associated with diabetic foot ulcer-free survival in patients with diabetes

Aims

This study was done to assess the risk factors associated with diabetic foot ulcer-free survival in patients with diabetes.

Superficial and deep sternal wound infection after more than 9000 coronary artery bypass graft (CABG): incidence,risk factors and mortality

Background  

Sternal wound infection (SWI) is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening complication of cardiac surgery. Predisposing factors for SWI are multiple with varied frequencies in different studies. The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence, risk factors, and mortality of SWI after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) at Tehran Heart Center.     

The β-GLobin Gene Haplotypes Associated With Hb D-Los Angeles [β121(GH4)Glu→Gln] in Western Iran

Hb D-Los Angeles is characterized by the substitution of glutamine for glutamic acid at position 121 of the β-globin chain. The present investigation is the first study on the β-globin gene haplotypes associated with β-D-Los Angeles in Western Iran. Thirty two individuals from 11 unrelated families from Western Iran were studied. The Hb D-Los Angeles status of all cases was confirmed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by digestion with EcoRI. The haplotype of the β‐globin gene cluster was determined by a PCR-RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) procedure. The haplotype background of the β^A chromosomes was also determined in 35 normal subjects from the same geographic region. The β-globin gene haplotype analysis demonstrated that all β-D-Los Angeles genes (23 genes) were in linkage disequilibrium with haplotype I [+????++]. Among the 70 β^A chromosomes, 30 chromosomes (42.9%) were associated with haplotype I. The present study indicates the unicentric origin of the β-D-Los Angeles gene in Western Iran. It seems that this mutation may have occurred at the same chromosomal background common in the local population.     

Fertilization and early embryology: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection of mouse oocytes with 5 mM Ca2+ at different intervals

The objective of this investigation was to determine whetherintracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) can be performed inthe mouse. Metaphase II oocytes were obtained from F1 hybridmice (C57BLx CBA) by i.p. injections of 10 IU pregnant mare'sserum gonadotrophin (PMSG) and human chorionic gonadotrophin(HCG) administered 48 h apart. Oocytes with cumulus oophoruswere retrieved 13–14 h post HCG. Cumulus was dispersedwith 0.1% hyaluronidase. Mouse spermatozoa were obtained fromthe cauda epididymides of males of the same strain. The spermatozoawere processed by the standard swim-up procedure. The harvestedspermatozoa were then incubated for 1.5 h to allow capacitation.Healthy oocytes were injected with 3–4 pi 5 mM Ca²⁺, followedby one live morphologically normal spermatozoon into the cytoplasmat intervals of 0, 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 h. The proportion of 2-cellembryos that developed from oocytes injected with Ca²⁺ and spermatozoaranged between 29.5 and 36.5% in all groups, with no statisticaldifference between treatments. Chromosomal analysis showed thattwo-thirds of the ICSI-derived 2-cell embryos were diploid.The proportion of parthenogenetically activated embryos in theICSI groups was similar to that in the control group (8–10%)which was injected with Ca²⁺ and polyvinyl pyrrolidone only.The proportion of blastocysts that developed in culture fromthe ICSI-derived 2-cell embryos was of the order of 36–42%.Some blastocysts were used for cell number counts. There wasa significant increase in total and inner cell mass counts ofblastocysts in which the spermatozoon was injected at 2 and3 h following Ca²⁺. The remaining blastocysts were transferredto day 3 pseudopregnant mice, of which 33% subsequently becamepregnant. Of the blastocysts transferred, 16–25% developedto term in vivo. No deformities were observed in the pups. Webelieve this is the first report of live-birth following mouseICSI.     

Macroreplantation of the upper extremity. Report of experiences based on 4 cases

Amputation of an extremity frequently represents a life-threatening injury and is accompanied by volume deficiency shock through loss of blood. The loss of an arm leads to diability and thus impairs the physical and psychic integrity of the person concerned. This contribution presents 4 cases with macroamputation at the upper extremity, 3 of them involving successfully performed reimplantations. After a historic survey, these cases are used as a basis for discussing the establishment of the indication, the procedure, the complications and the results of the reimplantation.