Post-traumatic headache: from classification challenges to biological underpinnings

The ICHD-II criteria for post-traumatic headache (PTH) are strictly outlined. PTH can be subdivided into an acute and a chronic forms, the former likely nociceptive in nature, the latter likely neuropathic. The time of transition between the acute and the chronic forms is artificial and in the future should be better based on clear clinical or rather biological data. Chronic PTH often presents as one of the primary headache syndromes, e.g. migraine or tension-type headache. Its biology is poorly understood and whether it merely represents the expression of the primary headache or it has a distinct pathogenesis remains unclear. The frontal lobe is often affected in traumatic head injury. Its dysfunction can cause an array of clinical consequences that have an impact on the patient's symptomatology and therapeutic outcome. Its recognition is likely to improve patient management quality.     

Histamine levels in stored platelet concentrates. Relationship to white cell content

The histamine levels in samples from platelet concentrates (PC) were measured at various storage times by a radioenzymatic assay. Elevated histamine levels were detected in 5 of 14 PC after 3 days of storage (range, less than 1 to 13.3 ng/ml) and in 9 of 14 PC after 5 days (range, less than 1 to 22.2 ng/ml). A very good linear correlation (r = 0.913) was found between the initial white cell content of the PC and the histamine level at 5 days of storage. The rise in histamine content was not influenced by the type of plastic container. The results indicate a process of histamine release by the white cells during storage. Although histamine is metabolized rapidly in vivo, a critical histamine threshold could be reached in man by the rapid infusion of stored PC containing high levels of histamine. This could explain some unexpected transfusion reactions in patients receiving PC.     

Model for the physics and physiology of fluid administration

This article describes a model designed to provide an understanding of fluid flow in intravenous systems and human subjects. Experiments were developed which demonstrate that the model can represent common clinical situations. The model depicts physical devices as ideal resistors, pressure sources, and flow sources. The patient's venous system is depicted as a combination of ordinary and Starling resistors. For flows between 0 and 300 ml/hr, both physical devices and patients are adequately represented by a straight line representing the pressure-flow relationship (PFR): pressure = opening pressure + flow × resistance, where the slope is the resistance to fluid flow and the intercept is the opening pressure. The PFR for a normal vein is characterized by a flat slope (vein resistance =22±20 mm Hg/L/hr, mean ± SD) and a low intercept (opening pressure =15±8 mm Hg). The PFR for a partially obstructed vein has a resistance equal to that of an unobstructed vein and an opening pressure elevated approximately equal to the pressure obstructing the vein. For perivascular tissue, the PFR has a steep slope (tissue resistance =1,125±1,376 mm Hg/L/hr), while tissue opening pressure depends on the amount of fluid infused. At the onset of fluid extravasation (infiltration), tissue pressure usually is lower than venous pressure (8±8 versus 15±8 mm Hg), until fluid fills the distensible tissue compartment. In clinical practice, when infiltration or obstruction occurs, flow decreases and the clinician adjusts the roller clamp until correct flow resumes; no problem is obvious. The combined model for the intravenous tubing and venous systems explains the behavior of current clinical infusion devices.Presented in part at the Sixth Medical Monitoring Technology Conference, Vail, CO, March 1986; at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, Las Vegas, NV, October 1986; at the Seventh Medical Monitoring Technology Conference, Vail, CO, March 1987; at a meeting on Computers in Critical Care and Pulmonary Medicine, San Diego, CA, June 1987; at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, Atlanta, GA, October 1987; at the Regional Meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, Cincinnati, OH, October 1987; at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Ninth Annual Conference of the Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, Boston, MA, November 1987; and at a meeting of the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists, Atlanta, GA, December 1987.Supported in part by grants from IVAC Corp.The author thanks the following individuals for important intellectual and/or technical assistance: Peter Basser, PhD, Avital Cnaan, PhD, Adriane Concus, MD, John Fox, MD, David Gissen, MD, David Joseph, MD, Anne Kamara, David Leith, MD, Leonard Lind, MD, Richard Morris, MB, BS, Barbara Orlowitz, MEE, Mary Anne Palleiko, RN, Beverly Philip, MD, Daniel Raemer, PhD, David Scott, MB, BS, John Stelling, MPH, and Marie vanRensberg, MB. At IVAC Corp: Walter Bochenko, BSEE, MBA, Robert Butterfield, BSEE, Douglas Christian, RPh, MBA, Alan Davison, BS, David Doan, PhD, Alan Somerville, BSEE, MS, Robin Wernick, BSEE, MS.     

Autoantibodies against bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein in patients with cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF), a genetic disorder, is characterized by chronic pulmonary infection/inflammation which leads to respiratory failure. The presence of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCA) has previously been observed in the sera of patients with CF. In view of the known relationship of ANCA with primary vasculitis and of their putative pathogenetic role in these disorders, we studied the presence, specificity and isotype of ANCA and their clinical associations in 66 adult CF patients. None of the 66 CF samples had autoantibodies to the major ANCA antigens, proteinase 3 or myeloperoxidase. However, 60/66 (91%) CF samples contained IgG and 55/66 (83%) IgA, autoantibodies to bactericidal/permeability increasing protein (BPI), a recently characterized ANCA specificity. All the IgA anti-BPI-positive samples were also IgG anti-BPI-positive. The autoantibody specificity was confirmed by inhibition assay and immunoblotting of CF sera against a neutrophil granule preparation. Furthermore, in this cross-sectional study, anti-BPI levels were inversely correlated with the observed reductions in FEV1 and FVC (IgA anti-BPI and FEV1: r = 0.508, <it>p</it> &lt; 0.0001), and both IgG and IgA anti-BPI levels were higher in CF patients with secondary vasculitis (<it>n</it> = 6) than in those without (<it>p</it> &lt; 0.05). ANCA with specificity for BPI were present in the majority of CF sera in this study and autoimmune processes may be associated with the development of pulmonary injury in CF.      

The effect of cuff pressure deflation rate on accuracy in indirect measurement of blood pressure with the auscultatory method

The importance of cuff deflation rate in the auscultatory method of measuring blood pressure was investigated using a computer-based model. To determine the relationship between the cuff deflation rate and the measurement error, two cuff deflation protocols were used, one based on heart rate (mm Hg per heartbeat), the other on a constant rate (mm Hg per second). The different deflation protocols and rates were tested using a constant blood pressure of 120/80 mm Hg and heart rates ranging from 40 to 120 beats/min. It was confirmed that a cuff deflation rate that is time based will introduce larger errors at low heart rates. Using heart rate as a basis for cuff deflation rate yields a constant error that is independent of heart rate. The currently used standard of 3 mm Hg/s could result in a maximum error of 2.5 mm Hg in both systolic and diastolic pressures at a heart rate of 72 beats/min. The maximum systolic and diastolic errors increase to more than 4 mm Hg at 40 beats/min. A deflation rate of 2 mm Hg/beat, however, yields a maximum error of 2 mm Hg for both systolic and diastolic pressures, independent of heart rate. A cuff deflation rate based on heart rate is recommended to help minimize changes in measurement error when measuring blood pressure if a wide range of heart rates will be encountered.Supported by grants from IVAC, San Diego, CA, and Physio Control, Redmond, WA.     

Factors influencing capnography in the bain circuit

The Bain circuit provides continuous fresh gas flow near the airway. The potential mixing of this fresh gas with expired gas may prevent reliable analysis of expired gas. We therefore investigated the interaction of sampling site, fresh gas flow rate, expiratory flow rate, and sampling flow rate on expiratory capnography. Sampling near the fresh gas outlet yielded inaccurate results under several of these conditions. The magnitude of the error was related to the fresh gas and expiratory flow rates. A reliable sampling region near the endotracheal tube was identified.     

A new variant of the ATP13A2 gene in Chinese patients with early-onset parkinsonism

Parkinson＇s disease （PD） is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a selective loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. Clinical manifestations of this complex disease include resting tremor, bradykinesia, postural instability, gait difficulty and rigidity. Approximately 5%-10% of patients have genetic factors, yet etiology of PD remains unclear. Genetic deficits, environmental exposure, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction,     

The pivotal role of Bifida Ferment Lysate on reinforcing the skin barrier function and maintaining homeostasis of skin defenses in vitro

Background

The semiactive or inactive probiotics or their extracts used in dermatology have interesting properties to ameliorate signs of irritated skin and enhance the skin barrier. Bifidobacterium, as the most common probiotics, which has been found to be effective in reducing acne and improving the skin barrier function of atopic dermatitis. Bifida Ferment Lysate (BFL) can be obtained from Bifidobacterium by fermentation and extraction.

Purpose

In this study, we investigated the effect of a topically used BFL on the skin using in vitro evaluation methods.

Results

The results showed that upregulation of skin physical barrier gene (FLG, LOR, IVL, TGM1, and AQP3) and antimicrobial peptide gene (CAMP and hBD-2) in HaCaT cells by BFL might be responsible for skin barrier resistance. In addition, BFL had strong antioxidant properties representing a dose-dependent increasing of the scavenging capacity of DPPH, ABTS, hydroxyl, and superoxide radicals. BFL treatment also fundamentally inhibited the intracellular ROS and MDA production and improved the activities of antioxidant enzymes (CAT and GSH-Px) in H₂O₂-stimulated HaCaT cells. As a good immunomodulatory factor, BFL efficiently decreased the secretion of IL-8 and TNF-α cytokines, and COX-2 mRNA expression in LPS-induced THP-1 macrophages.

Conclusion

BFL can strengthen the skin barrier function and stimulate skin barrier resistance, to reinforce the skin against oxidative stress and inflammatory stimuli.