Multiple bilateral spinal nerve root calcifications in Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease

We present a patient with Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease with multiple bilateral symmetrical cervical nerve root calcifications. To our knowledge, such a finding has not been described in the literature in association with this disease. We propose that multiple bilateral symmetrical spinal nerve root calcifications may be an additional imaging feature, possibly diagnostic, in this hereditary motor and spinal neuropathy.     

Evidence that several high-frequency human blood group antigens reside on phosphatidylinositol-linked erythrocyte membrane proteins

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is an acquired disorder associated with absence of expression of phosphatidylinositol (PI)- linked membrane proteins from circulating hematopoietic cells of multiple lineages. Recent work demonstrated that decay accelerating factor, one such PI-linked protein, bears the Cromer-related blood group antigens. This study demonstrated that other high incidence antigens, including Cartwright (Yta/Ytb), Holley-Gregory (Hy/Gya), John Milton Hagen (JMH), and Dombrock (Doa/Dob), are absent from the complement-sensitive (PNH III) erythrocytes of patients with PNH. The relatively normal, complement-insensitive erythrocytes from the same patients express these antigens normally. Therefore, these antigens most likely reside on PI-linked proteins absent from PNH III, but not PNH I, erythrocytes.     

The use of radiolabeled and fluorescein-labeled antiglobulins in assays to predict platelet transfusion outcome

We used both radiolabeled and fluorescein-labeled antiglobulins in assays to detect antibodies against platelets in multiply transfused patients to determine the value of these tests in predicting the outcome of platelet transfusion in such patients. In 15 allosensitized patients, we studied 68 single-donor platelet transfusions, 43 (63%) of which had a poor outcome, defined as a corrected count increment (CCI), less than 10,000. The results obtained with either test were significantly correlated with the CCI following transfusion (p less than 0.001), but the assay using the radiolabeled antiglobulin had slightly better sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value. When the assays were used in combination, there was again significant correlation with the CCI of the transfusion, p less than 0.001. When both assays predicted failure of the transfusions, 31/31 (100%) such transfusions resulted in a CCI of less than 10,000, and when both assays predicted success of the transfusions, 14/15 (93%) such transfusions resulted in a CCI of greater than 10,000. Both assays are useful in predicting the outcome of the platelet transfusions; when the assay results were concordant, almost total predictive accuracy was obtained.     

FoxD3在胚胎发育和维持胚胎干细胞多能性的作用

学术背景：胚胎干细胞无论对转基因动物的制备还是对疾病的治疗都具有巨大的潜能，但前提是用于治疗的胚胎干细胞具有其特有的多能性和全能性，而FoxD3在胚胎发育和维持胚胎干细胞多能性都具有重要作用。目的：了解FoxD3在胚胎发育和维持胚胎干细胞多能性的作用。检索策略：应用计算机检索Pubmed1996—09／2007—05期间的相关文章，检索词为“FoxD3”，限定语言种类为英文。检索到67篇文章，排除重复的和与胚胎发育和胚胎干细胞相关性不大的文章，共纳入32篇文献。文献评价：32篇文献中分别涉及胚胎干细胞转录调节、FoxD3在胚胎发育和维持胚胎干细胞多能性的作用及其Foxd3在其他细胞中（骨髓细胞、神经嵴细胞、色素细胞）的功能等方面的内容,资料综合：胚胎干细胞具有其他细胞不可比拟的特性使胚胎干细胞应用广泛，要合理控制胚胎干细胞在体内和体外的分化，关键要了解那些控制胚胎干细胞命运的基因。FoxD3是叉头框（Forkheadbox，Fox）家族中的一个转录调控因子，它对胚胎上胚层及其衍生物的形成和建立多潜能胚胎干细胞系具有重要作用，并与控制胚胎发育和胚胎干细胞多能性的其他转录调控因子有一定的联系。结论：FoxD3是维持胚胎上胚层细胞多潜能性和在体外建立胚胎干细胞系所必需的。     

Temporomandibular joint motion: efficacy of fast low-angle shot MR imaging

One hundred temporomandibular joints (TMJs) in 62 symptomatic patients and two healthy volunteers were prospectively examined with T1-weighted spin-echo and fast low-angle shot (FLASH) gradient-echo sequences. FLASH sequences were performed during opening of the mouth and provided a pseudodynamic depiction of TMJ motion. In 49 joints, FLASH sequences provided information that potentially influenced the therapeutic approach to the patient. This information was not available from standard T1-weighted images. The additional information fell into four general categories: (a) determination of the exact time of disk recapture, (b) distinction of normal variants from pathologically displaced disks, (c) clarification of discrepancies found between clinical examination results and T1-weighted images, and (d) elimination of motion degradation of images.     

Carpal avascular necrosis: MR imaging

The authors evaluated the use of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in diagnosis of avascular necrosis (AVN) of carpal bones by examining 21 patients with wrist pain and two healthy volunteers. MR images were compared with conventional radiographs in every case and with bone scintigrams in 18 cases. MR imaging was slightly less sensitive than bone scintigraphy in depicting AVN, but in patients who were imaged with long repetition time (TR)/long echo time (TE) sequences in addition to short TR/short TE sequences, MR imaging was found to be more specific. While the authors believe that bone scintigraphy remains the screening test of choice for patients with wrist pain and normal plain radiographs, MR imaging promises to add significant diagnostic information in cases in which bone scans are abnormal.