Timing of pubertal maturation and heterosexual behavior among Hong Kong Chinese adolescents

This study presents a cross-sectional examination of the independent contribution of pubertal maturation timing to heterosexual activity among Chinese adolescents. A standardized self-administered questionnaire was designed to obtain information on a spectrum of physical heterosexual behaviors from dating to sexual intercourse, age at first nocturnal ejaculation in boys, age at menarche in girls, and several psychosocial variables that might be associated with sexual behavior in adolescents. A total of 4,116 students aged from 14 to 18 years (2,175 boys and 1,941 girls) were recruited in the Youth Sexuality Survey of the Hong Kong Family Planning Association in 1996–97. When groups were defined as early, average, and late maturers, among boys, early maturers were youngest to report dating and to have sexual intercourse, followed by average and late maturers. Among girls, late maturers were slower to date and have sexual intercourse, but early maturers showed no difference from average maturers. Age of maturation was significantly lower for those reporting all heterosexual behaviors for both sexes. Our findings illustrate culture's moderation of the expression of biological differences.     

Paternal alcohol exposure and Turner syndrome

- AIMS: Turner syndrome (TS) is a sex chromosome aneuploidy that occurs as a result of a non-disjunctional error in meiosis I or anaphase lag; however, the aetiology of this disorder remains unknown. Anecdotal evidence suggests that paternal alcoholism may play an unidentified role in the aetiology of TS. Accordingly, the primary objective of this study was to determine the potential association between paternal alcohol exposure and TS. METHODS: The questionnaire was designed to solicit information about the parents' health and lifestyle habits occurring 1 year prior to and throughout the pregnancy of their daughter with TS. Alcohol dependence was assessed by the Brief Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (BMAST). The study population was solicited from the Turner's Syndrome Society of Canada and included any parent(s) having a child with TS who was of any age. Two hundred and twelve families completed and returned the survey. RESULTS: This provided a response rate of 86.5%. Six of the fathers (3.6%; n = 166) and six of the mothers (3.6%; n = 165) had scores of 5 or more on the BMAST (scores of 5+ are considered to be in the 'alcoholic range'). This is considerably lower than the population norm of 9.5%. CONCLUSIONS: Our study has suggested there is no association between paternal or maternal alcohol consumption and TS.     

Association of the AMPA receptor-related postsynaptic density proteins GRIP and ABP with subsets of glutamate-sensitive neurons in the rat retina

We used specific antibodies against two postsynaptic density proteins, GRIP (glutamate receptor interacting protein) and ABP (AMPA receptor-binding protein), to study their distribution in the rat retina. In the central nervous system, it has been shown that both proteins bind strongly to the AMPA glutamate receptor (GluR) 2/3 subunits, but not other GluRs, through a set of three PDZ domains. Western blots detected a single GRIP protein that was virtually identical in retina and brain, whereas retinal ABP corresponded to only one of three ABP peptides found in brain. The retinal distributions of GluR2/3, GRIP, and ABP immunoreactivity (IR) were similar but not identical. GluR2/3 immunoreactivity (IR) was abundant in both plexiform layers and in large perikarya. ABP IR was concentrated in large perikarya but was sparse in the plexiform layers, whereas GRIP IR was relatively more abundant in the plexiform layers than in perikarya. Immunolabel for these three antibodies consisted of puncta < or = 0.2 microm in diameter. The cellular localization of GRIP and ABP IR was examined by double labeling subclasses of retinal neuron with characteristic marker proteins, e.g., calbindin. GRIP, ABP, and GluR2/3 IR were detected in horizontal cells, dopaminergic and glycinergic AII amacrine cells and large ganglion cells. Immunolabel was absent in rod bipolar and weak or absent in cholinergic amacrine cells. By using the tyramide method of signal amplification, a colocalization of GluR2/3 was found with either GRIP or ABP in horizontal cell terminals, and perikarya of amacrine and ganglion cells. Our results show that ABP and GRIP colocalize with GluR2/3 in particular subsets of retinal neuron, as was previously established for certain neurons in the brain.     

Voice prosthesis — Our experience

Malignancy of the larynx is a large group of malignancies in our country. The advanced stage of laryngeal carcinoma requires total laryngectomy which results in loss of speech along with other psychological and functional damages. Following total laryngectomy, tracheo-oesophageal voice prosthesis offers the most reliable form of voice rehabilitation. At S.M.S. Medical College and Hospital, Jaipur 25 patient underwent speech rehabilitation with voice prosthesis between Dec. 2001 to Dec. 2003. Speech rehabilitation was successful in all patients with few problem associated with indwelling prosthesis.     

Isolated Splenic Metastasis from Colorectal Mucinous Carcinoma

Metastatic tumors of the spleen are rare and occur in the presence of disseminated visceral metastasis. Isolated splenic metastases from colorectal carcinoma are rare and only 19 cases have been reported in English literature. We report a case of isolated splenic metastasis in a 52-year-old man, occurring 9 years after the primary colorectal mucinous carcinoma was treated by anterior resection. The patient underwent splenectomy along with adjuvant chemotherapy and is alive and asymptomatic at 22 months follow-up.     

Morphologic Studies of the Placenta and Autopsy Findings in Neonatal-onset Glutaric Acidemia Type II

A case of neonatal-onset glutaric acidemia type II with electron-transfer flavoprotein (ETF) deficiency is presented. The morphological pattern of disease in the male infant included hypospadias, cryptorchidism, bilateral 13 ribs, nuclear cataract, cystic dysplasia of kidneys, lipid accumulation in the liver and renal tubular epithelium, and immature brain with white matter gliosis. The morphologic examination of the placenta revealed features of delayed maturation, including large-for-gestational-age size and abundant immature intermediate villi with cellular syncytiotrophoblast, persistent villous cytotrophoblast, and decreased syncytial knots. In addition, immature intermediate villi showed exaggeration of lacunar interstitial spaces consistent with nonhydropic villous edema. Marked lipid accumulation was seen within extravillous trophoblasts of placental septa and cell islands. Light lipid accumulation was also noted within fibroblasts of stem villi. These findings suggest that in glutaric acidemia type II, fatty acid oxidation could also be affected in the placenta.     

Use of CEPH and non-CEPH lymphoblast cell lines in pharmacogenetic studies

A long-term goal of pharmacogenomic research is the design of individualized therapy based on the genomic sequence of the patient in order to maximize response and minimize adverse drug reactions. Identifying genetic variants that predict drug response is challenging because drug responses reflect not only properties intrinsic to the target cell, but also host metabolic factors. One model that is currently being employed to study genotype-phenotype correlations involves the use of lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs). These cell lines have been used to identify genetic variation that influences response or susceptibility to cancer, radiation, transport, cytotoxicity, and variation in global gene expression. LCLs, particularly those derived from large pedigrees, are a valuable resource for identifying candidate genes and have potential for studies of many relevant phenotypes. This paper highlights studies that have utilized Centre d' Etude du Polymorphisme Humain (CEPH) and non-CEPH cell lines derived from humans for pharmacogenetic studies, and the advantages and disadvantages associated with this approach.     

Detecting polio through surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP)

Accurate surveillance for polio is essential for eradication. Surveillance systems for polio has been developed under the guidance of the global polio eradication initiative. Surveillance of cases of acute flaccid paralysis among children less than 15 years of age is a key component for a well functioning polio surveillance system. The surveillance system works through a network of surveillance medical officers, the responsibility of them lies in assisting the health services departments of all states and maintaining a network of acute flaccid paralysis reporting sites and rapidly investigating the cases. Surveillance activities begin when a child comes in contact with a healthcare provider who in turn informs the officer in charge of acute flaccid paralysis surveillance. The goal of the polio network laboratories is to provide accurate and timely results of wild poliovirus detection in stool samples of cases of acute flaccid paralysis. Strong linkages have been established between the acute flaccid paralysis surveillance system and the laboratory network. Laboratories complete poliovirus isolation and if poliovirus is isolated, these are submitted for intratypic differentiations. Acute flaccid paralysis surveillance in India has demonstrated that the eradication activities implemented in India led to dramatic reduction and restriction in the number of cases and geographic spread of poliovirus transmission.