Serum levels of 8-methoxypsoralen 2 hours after oral administration.

Serum levels of 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) were determined 2 hours after oral administration and found to vary considerably among psoriatic patients. There was no definite correlation between the 8-MOP serum level, the dose of 8-MOP/kg body weight ingested, and the minimal phototoxic UVA dose.     

Bone marrow transplantation for refractory acute leukemia in 34 patients with identical twins

Thirty-four patients aged 4-67 yr (median 17) with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) (18 patients) or acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANL) (16 patients) who failed to enter complete remission (CR) or relapsed on conventional chemotherapy were treated with cyclophosphamide (CY), 60 mg/kg/day for 2 days, 1000 rad total body irradiation, and a marrow transplant from a genotypically identical normal twin. Sixteen of the patients received additional chemotherapy within the week before CY. After the transplant, 23 patients received immunotherapy consisting of killed autologous leukemic cells and/or normal twin peripheral blood lymphocytes, 16 as part of a prospectively randomized study. One moribund patient died before engraftment. Nine patients (6 ALL, 3 ANL) continued to have detectable leukemic cells. Twenty-four patients (70%) achieved CR. One of them died of viral hepatitis at 1 mo and another of viral interstitial pneumonitis at 4 mo in CR. Fourteen patients (7 ALL, 7 ANL) relapsed 2-16 mo (median 4) after transplantation. However, 8 patients (24%) (3 ALL, 5 ANL) remain in CR without any maintenance chemotherapy at 29-103 mo (median 80) after the transplant. The end results were not signficantly influenced by the type of leukemia, the immediated pre-CY chemotherapy, or the immunotherapy. The results show that this approach, even when applied to endstage patients with acute leukemia in relapse, causes tolerable morbidity, rare nonleukemic deaths, and frequent remissions, some of which represent cures.     

Use of anti-craving agents in soldiers with alcohol dependence syndrome

Background: In a search for an effective ‘anti-alcohol pill’, three modern anti-craving agents have been studied in alcoholics of Army/DSC, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard.     

Use of Anti-Craving Agents in Soldiers with Alcohol Dependence Syndrome

Background

In a search for an effective ‘anti-alcohol pill’, three modern anti-craving agents have been studied in alcoholics of Army/ DSC, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard.

Methods

129 patients of alcohol dependence syndrome were randomly assigned to three groups where topiramate, acamprosate and naltrexone were used as anti-craving agents in a year long prospective study. Of these 92 patients completed the study.

Result and Conclusion

Topiramate (76.3%) appears to be significantly more effective (p<0.01) in sustaining abstinence, though naltrexone (57.7%) and acamprosate (60.70%) offer moderate relapse-prevention efficacy. Side effects of all the three agents have been mild, transient and self-limiting. We recommend a trial of topiramate, before invaliding out of any alcoholic soldier.Key Words: Topiramate, Naltrexone, Acamprosate, Alcohol dependence syndrome     

Detection of bacterial pathogens in cerebrospinal fluid using restriction fragment length polymorphism

Background: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is useful for rapid microbial detection in body fluids with low microbial load. It is easier to use universal or broad range primers for the amplification of conserved stretches of DNA common to all bacteria like 16S rRNA gene, followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of PCR products.