Colophony-induced asthma in a poultry vender

A vender developed an immediate asthmatic reaction while removing feathers from poultry using a heated colophony-based mixture. Occupational-type provocation tests confirmed that he reacted to fumes of colophony alone.     

Effect of calcium antagonists on allergen-induced asthma

The protective effect of inhaled verapamil (estimated dose 2-4 mg) and sub-lingual nifedipine (20 mg) against allergen-induced asthma were each assessed by the administration of calcium antagonists 30 min before bronchial provocation tests using Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus extracts on eight young perennial asthmatics. Neither drug changed the basal forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁) or the provocation dose of allergen required to cause a 20% fall in FEV₁ (PD₂₀ FEV₁). That calcium antagonists are ineffective in preventing allergen-induced asthma suggest indirectly that mechanism other than mediator release from mast cells may also be involved.     

Assessing Sexual Function amongst Hong Kong Chinese Patients with Gynecological Cancer: Translation and Validation of the Sexual Function-Vaginal Changes Questionnaire (SVQ)

OBJECTIVE The study aims to translate the Sexual FunctionVaginal Changes Questionnaire (SVQ) into Chinese and to establish its psychometric properties.METHODS A Chinese SVQ was developed by the use of the Brislin model of translation. The content validity and semantic equivalence were assessed by an expert panel. The translated version of SVQ was administered to 75 Hong Kong Chinese women who were suffered from gynecological cancer to test its psychometric properties.RESULTS The Chinese version of SVQ was compared to the original study for factor analysis. Internal consistency, itemtoscale correlations and test-retest reliability were high. The convergent and divergent validities supported the Chinese SVQ to CONCLUSION We conclude that the Chinese SVQ appears to be a valid, reliable and feasible disease-specific tool for the assessment of sexual function among Chinese patients.     

先天性心脏病并肺动脉高压患儿血清一氧化氮和血浆内皮素变化的意义

目的　探讨血清一氧化氮 (NO)和血浆内皮素 1(ET 1)对先天性心脏病 (CHD)患儿肺动脉高压 (PH)形成的影响。方法　选择健康儿童 3 0例为对照组 (A组 ) ;3 0例肺动脉压正常的CHD患儿为B组 ;3 0例CHD并PH患儿为C组。采用硝酸还原法对其血清NO 2 /NO 3 、放免法对其血浆ET 1浓度进行测定。结果　B组血清NO 2 /NO 3 浓度较A组明显增高 ;C组血清NO 2 /NO 3 浓度较A组低 ;无论是否并PH ,A、B两组与对照组相比 ,其血浆ET 1浓度均增高。结论　血清NO 2 /NO 3 浓度和血浆ET 1浓度及其间平衡关系共同影响PH的形成及其程度     

Deletion of CD4 and CD8 coreceptors permits generation of alphabetaT cells that recognize antigens independently of the MHC

The thymus generates major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted alphabetaT cells that only recognize antigenic ligands in association with MHC or MHC-like molecules. We hypothesized that MHC specificity might be imposed on a broader alphabetaTCR repertoire during thymic selection by CD4 and CD8 coreceptors that bind and effectively sequester the tyrosine kinase Lck, thereby preventing T cell receptor (TCR) signaling by non-MHC ligands that do not engage either coreceptor. This hypothesis predicts that, in coreceptor-deficient mice, alphabeta thymocytes would be signaled by non-MHC ligands to differentiate into alphabetaT cells lacking MHC specificity. We now report that MHC-independent alphabetaT cells were indeed generated in mice deficient in both coreceptors as well as MHC ("quad-deficient" mice) and that such mice contained a diverse alphabetaT cell repertoire whose MHC independence was confirmed at the clonal level. We conclude that CD4 and CD8 coreceptors impose MHC specificity on a broader alphabetaTCR repertoire during thymic selection by preventing thymocytes from being signaled by non-MHC ligands.     

单侧延髓梗死伴发Ondine’s curse综合征一例

<正> Ondine's curse综合征是中枢性睡眠呼吸暂停综合征(central sleep apneasyndrome)的一种特殊类型,主要表现为睡眠状态时出现的二氧化碳潴留、低氧血症及呼吸暂停"。该命名来源于德国的一个古老传说,女神Ondine的惩罚会在夜间降临到那些犯了错误的人身上。该综合征分为先天性和获得性两种类型,先天性Ondine's curse综合征又称为先天性中枢性低通气综合征(Congenital