Kidney involvement in cryoglobulinemia

The authors provide the reported data on renal impairment in mixed cryoglobulinemia (CGE) and 3 own CGE case reports. Renal impairment by the type of rapid-progressing nephritis with episodes of acute renal failure was the major sign in the clinical picture of those cases.     

Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis therapy for patients with end stage renal disease

CAPD is a method of dialysis that uses the patient's own peritoneal membrane. The semipermeable membrane that lines the abdominal organs and cavity selectively allows the passage of waste products, electrolytes, and fluids. Hemodialysis is an extracorporeal process whereby the patient's blood is withdrawn through a percutaneous needle inserted into a blood vessel. In hemodialysis, the operating principle is a cellophane membrane placed between the patient's blood and wash solution.     

Ergonomische Probleme der Kassenarbeit in Selbstbedienungsl?den

Zusammenfassung Anhand der Befragung des Kassenpersonals (n=469) und ergonomischer Beurteilung verschiedener Kassenarbeitsplätze von grossen und kleineren Selbstbedienungsläden in mehreren Kantonen wurde eine Reihe von Arbeitserschwernissen (Durchzug = 62%, beschwerliches Hantieren mit der Ware = 31%, eingeschränkter Bewegungsraum=30%, ungeeigneter Arbeitsstuhl = 23% usw.) und zum Teil vom Kassensystem abhängiger Gestaltungsmängel festgestellt, die offensichtlich zu einer Häufung körperlicher Beschwerden (Schmerzen im Rücken=55%, im linken Arm=43%, Augenbeschwerden=42% usw.) führen. Aus den Ergebnissen wurden Schlussfolgerungen für die Praxis gezogen.

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Ergonomic problems in cash register jobs of self-service shops

Summary By means of inquiry and work place inspection health and ergonomic problems of jobs on diverse cash register systems were investigated, taking into account larger shoping centers as well as smaller self-service shops in various parts of Switzerland.A lot of work place inconveniencies, e.g. current of air = 62%, tiresome goods handling = 31%, limited scope for movement = 30%, unsuitable seat = 23%, etc., as also construction and arrangement short comings related to definite types of cash register boxes, obviously resulting in an increased incidence of bodily aliments (back pain = 55%, arm pain = 43% visual troubles = 42%, etc.) were identified.Based on this investigation and on ergonomic analysis of different types of work place arrangements, recommandations were made on the planning and construction of cash register set-ups and on the organisation of work.

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Problèmes ergonomiques liés au travail de caissier et de caissière dans les magasins à self-service

Résumé L'enquÊte effectuée auprès du personnel occupé à la caisse (n=469) et l'appréciation ergonomique de divers postes de travail à la caisse dans de grands et petits magasins à self-service situés dans plusieurs cantons ont révélé de nombreuses entraves au travail (courant d'air =62%, manutention pénible des marchandises=31%, espace restreint pour se mouvoir = 30%, siège de travail inadéquat = 23 %, etc.) et des lacunes dans l'aménagement du poste de travail partiellement imputables au système des caisses, qui entraÎnent manifestement bon nombre de troubles physiques (douleurs dorsales = 53%, douleurs au bras gauche = 43%, affections des yeux = 42%). Les résultats de cette étude ont permis de tirer des conclusions pour la pratique.

     

Terbinafine inhibits the mitogenic response to platelet-derived growth factor in vitro and neointimal proliferation in vivo

Terbinafine [(E)-N(6,6-dimethyl-2-hepten-4-ynyl)-N-methyl-1-naphthale nemethanamine], an antimycotic agent that inhibits fungal squalene epoxidase activity, was examined for its effects on platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-stimulated aortic smooth muscle cell DNA synthesis in vitro and neointimal proliferation in vivo. Exposure of bovine aortic smooth muscle cells to 0.25 to 25 microM terbinafine resulted in a concentration-dependent inhibition of PDGF-induced mitogenesis as determined by [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA or cell number. The IC50 for inhibition of PDGF-stimulated smooth muscle cell DNA synthesis was approximately 5 microM. Micromolar concentrations of terbinafine also suppressed the mitogenic response to PDGF in fibroblasts. Neither the binding of [125I]PDGF to its plasma membrane receptors nor the uptake of [3H]thymidine or [3H]uridine was affected significantly by terbinafine. Oral administration of terbinafine (200 mg/kg/day) to rats for 2 days before and 14 days after balloon catheter injury to the carotid artery was associated with a 40% decrease in the area of the neointimal lesion. These observations indicate that terbinafine is both a potent in vitro antagonist of the smooth muscle cell mitogenic response to PDGF and an effective, well-tolerated p.o. active inhibitor of neointimal proliferation in vivo.     

Performance of TechLab C. DIFF QUIK CHEK and TechLab C. DIFFICILE TOX A/B II for the detection of Clostridium difficile in stool samples

Two membrane-bound enzyme immunoassays by TechLab, Blacksburg, VA, were evaluated and compared with the Triage Micro C. difficile Panel (Biosite Diagnostics, San Diego, CA), with culture, and with cytotoxic assay. The TechLab panels were C. DIFF QUIK CHEK (QC-GDH) and C. DIFFICILE TOX A/B II (QC-toxinA/B), which detect glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) and Clostridium difficile toxins A and B, respectively. The Triage Panel detects GDH (TR-GDH) and toxin A (TR-toxinA). METHODS: Stool samples were inoculated onto CCFA plates (Q-Labs, Quebec, Canada) after alcohol shock, and suspected colonies were identified by the MicroScreen C. difficile latex slide agglutination test (Microgen Bioproducts, Surrey, UK). TR-GDH, TR-toxinA, QC-GDH, and QC-toxinA/B tests were performed according to the manufacturers' instructions on all the samples. Samples positive for GDH or culture but negative for TR-toxinA and QC-toxinA/B were further tested by cytotoxin assay (CTA). CTA was also performed on samples that caused blackening of the Triage Micro C. difficile Panel. RESULTS: A total of 313 of 401 stool samples were negative for GDH and toxins (78%). Eighty-eight samples were positive either for GDH or culture or both. Thirteen of these could not be evaluated for C. difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) because CTA test was not performed. Toxin/s was detected at least by one method in 46 (11.8%) of 388 samples that were positive for culture or GDH and were considered diagnostic of CDAD. The QC-GDH was more sensitive than culture and TR-GDH for the detection of C. difficile. However, in 18GDH-positive samples positive for either of the Triage or TechLab immunoassays, the culture remained negative. Ten (2%) results of the Triage immunoassays could not be evaluated because of discoloration of the panels. QC-GDH (93.5%) was more sensitive for detecting the presence of toxin-producing C. difficile than TR-GDH (79.5%). TR-toxinA was more specific for detecting the presence of toxin-producing C. difficile than QC-toxinA/B (100% and 96.9%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The GDH tests had a faster turnaround time than the traditional culture methods. QC-GDH was most sensitive for the detection C. difficile-positive stools and was easy to use.     

Detection of angiographically significant coronary obstruction using resting transthoracic coronary Doppler echocardiography

Background

Transesophageal Doppler echocardiography has shown that significant stenosis can be detected based on the presence of aliasing with color Doppler in the stenotic area. The study aimed to assess the detection of angiographically significant coronary stenosis (ASCS) by analyzing the characteristics and velocities of resting coronary artery flow (RCF) using transthoracic coronary Doppler echocardiography (TCDE).

Methods

TCDE was performed before diagnostic coronary angiography (CA). The following velocities were measured: peak systolic velocity (PSV), peak diastolic velocity (PDV), mean diastolic velocity (MDV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), and distal to proximal velocity ratios.

Results

Twenty-five patients were included, and CA revealed ASCS in 14 patients. With TCDE, the proximal and distal portions of the left anterior descending artery (LAD) could be measured in 84% of cases. Among 12 patients with ASCS in the distal left main coronary artery (LMCA) or proximal or mid LAD, proximal and distal flow could be measured in ten patients. Proximal diastolic velocities were higher in patients with ASCS in the LAD, and a distal MDV/proximal MDV ratio < 0.5 had a 60% sensitivity and a 92% specificity for the detection of ASCS (AUC 0.77, 95% CI 0.56–0.92). For the detection of ASCS limited to the LMCA and/or proximal LAD, the distal MDV/proximal MDV ratio had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 89% (AUC 0.98, 95% CI 0.81–0.99).

Conclusions

Resting TCDE can detect ASCS in the LAD, particularly at the proximal level, analyzing the ratio between distal and proximal flow velocities. These results could not be demonstrated in the RCA and CX arteries.

     

Antiangiogenic drugs for chemotherapy of bladder tumours

BACKGROUND: Bladder cancers have different angiogenic pathways distinguishing not only papillary from solid tumours, but even papillary superficial from papillary invasive ones, thus representing selective targets for antiangiogenic drugs. METHODS: The bacterial wall component tecogalan, inhibiting basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), the fumagillin derivative TNP-470, inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the distamycin A derivative PNU153429, and the tetracycline minocycline were administered to nude mice injected with the human bladder cancer cell lines 639V, causing bFGF-expressing papillary superficial tumours, or T24, causing VEGF-expressing papillary invasive tumours. RESULTS: Tecogalan had no effect even on 639V tumour growth, where bFGF was unaffected. TNP-470 only had an effect on T24 tumours, delaying tumour appearance and growth and lowering VEGF; these effects were augmented by adding minocycline. PNU153429 had no effect on 639V tumours, and a slight effect on T24 tumours. CONCLUSION: TNP-470 may represent a selective drug for the treatment of VEGF-expressing invasive papillary bladder tumours.     

IL-17A/F enable cholangiocytes to restrict T cell-driven experimental cholangitis by upregulating PD-L1 expression

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Changes in hippocampal arc protein expression and synaptic plasticity by the presentation of contextual cues linked to drug experience

Contextual cues linked to drug experience have been frequently associated to craving and relapse, with this phenomenon being described in human and experimental animals. Hippocampal synaptic plasticity has been related to learning, memory, and adaptive processes developed during chronic administration of drug abuse. In this study, we investigated if the environmental context associated with withdrawal experience was able to evoke the same behavioral alteration observed after chronic benzodiazepine administration. Furthermore, we studied the hippocampal synaptic plasticity and anatomical expression of Arc protein during withdrawal and the re‐exposure to the context associated with anxiety expression (characteristic sign of benzodiazepines withdrawal). It was demonstrated that re‐exposure evoked on days 15 and 25 after the first exposure the same behavior. An increased hippocampal synaptic plasticity, expressed as a lower threshold to induce long‐term potentiation on dentate gyrus, was observed in animals dependent on diazepam and during retrieval, in the same group, until day 15. This plastic change disappeared 25 days after the first exposure. An overexpression of Arc protein in the dorsal dentate gyrus and CA1 on the first day of withdrawal in the dependent animals was observed. Synapse 64:39–46, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.