EVALUATION OF INDOCYANINE GREEN RETENTION AND AMINOPYRINE BREATH TESTS IN PATIENTS WITH MALIGNANT BILIARY OBSTRUCTION

Impaired hepatic function is a major contributory factor to the high incidence of postoperative morbidity and mortality in patients with malignant biliary obstruction. Dynamic hepatic function tests such as indocyanine green (ICG) retention and aminopyrine breath tests were evaluated in such patients to define whether they were clinically useful for prediction of postoperative morbidity and mortality. Forty-four patients with malignant biliary obstruction undergoing surgery for relief of obstructive jaundice were recruited into the study. Indocyanine green retention and aminopyrine breath tests were carried out in all patients pre-operatively and repeated in 36 patients postoperatively. The ICG retention was abnormal in all patients before surgery and there was significant improvement 2 weeks after surgery (32.8 ± 2.5%vs 18.3 ± 2.8%, P= 0.001). The change in ICG retention levels correlated with the serum bilirubin levels but the pre-operative ICG retention value could not predict postoperative morbidity and mortality. The aminopyrine breath test was abnormal in all but one patient. It correlated with pre-operative prothrombin time of the patients before surgery but it did not improve significantly after surgery and was not predictive of postoperative outcome. It is concluded that both ICG retention and aminopyrine breath tests have limited clinical value in the pre-operative evaluation of patients with malignant biliary obstruction.     

Alpha thalassaemia hydrops fetalis in the UK: the importance of screening pregnant women of Chinese, other South East Asian and Mediterranean extraction for alpha thalassaemia trait.

OBJECTIVE: Alpha zero (alpha 0 or alpha-1) thalassaemia is an important genetic risk for women originating from Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines or South China. Cypriots are also at risk. Carriers of alpha zero thalassaemia trait can be detected by routine haemoglobinopathy screening. When a couple are both carriers, in each pregnancy there is a 25% risk that the fetus will have alpha thalassaemia hydrops fetalis; this is fatal for the fetus and carries serious obstetric and psychological risks for the mother. Most informed couples at risk request prenatal diagnosis and selective abortion. This study investigates the effectiveness of screening, counselling and prenatal diagnosis for alpha thalassaemia hydrops fetalis in the UK. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of the notes. SUBJECTS: 18 couples attending University College Hospital London for prenatal diagnosis of alpha thalassaemia hydrops fetalis since 1982. RESULTS: The study shows underdiagnosis of both alpha zero thalassaemia trait and alpha thalassaemia hydrops fetalis leading to avoidable stillbirths and complications in pregnancy. CONCLUSION: We recommend early screening for alpha zero thalassaemia trait for all women of Southeast Asian or eastern Mediterranean origin and the offer of prenatal diagnosis when indicated. The diagnosis of alpha thalassaemia hydrops fetalis should be considered in women of the relevant ethnic origin who have a stillbirth, neonatal death, abnormal ultrasound findings at fetal anomaly scanning (especially a large placenta), or who develop pre-eclampsia.     

Effect of a single dose of the selectin inhibitor TBC1269 on early and late asthmatic responses

BACKGROUND : Selectins participate in the initial phase of leucocyte migration from circulation to inflamed tissues and may play a role in inflammatory cellular influx into airways in asthma. In the sheep asthma model, TBC1269, a pan-selectin antagonist, reduced late allergen response by 74%. OBJECTIVE : To determine whether a single dose of TBC1269 inhibits early (EAR) and late (LAR) asthmatic responses, and whether it inhibits sputum leucocyte influx after inhalation allergen challenge in atopic asthmatic subjects treated with bronchodilators only. METHODS : Twenty-one asthmatic subjects (mean+/-SD, age=32.5+/-6.7 years, 8 males, FEV1 percent predicted=84+/-15%) with known late asthmatic response based on a screening inhalation allergen challenge were randomly assigned to receive intravenous treatment with either placebo (n=11) or TBC1269 (n=10, 30 mg/kg) infused over 15 min immediately prior to a second (post-treatment) allergen challenge at least 4 weeks after the screening challenge. After each challenge, EAR and LAR were monitored for 7 h. In addition, sputum was induced 1 day before and 1 day after each allergen challenge. RESULTS : TBC1269 did not attenuate the EAR compared with placebo (largest fall in FEV1 within 1 h of 34.1+/-13.9% vs. 31.8+/-12.2% for TBC1269 and placebo groups respectively, P=0.61) or the LAR (largest fall in FEV1 between 3 and 7 h of 39.3+/-15.3% vs. 32.6+/-13.8%, P=0.24). TBC1269 had only minor effects on allergen-induced sputum eosinophilia. CONCLUSION : We conclude that TBC1269 administered before allergen challenge as a single intravenous dose does not attenuate early or late asthmatic responses to allergen in asthmatic subjects.     

Multifocal calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor.

The calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor (CEOT), or Pindborg tumor, is a rare and benign odontogenic neoplasm that affects the jaw. The most common manifestation of CEOT is a unifocal or localized lesion of the involved jaw, which may appear clinically as a hard tissue swelling and radiographically as a mixed radiolucent-radiopaque mass. In this article, we present a unique case of CEOT affecting multiple sites in the maxilla and mandible of a 51-year-old white man. Though biopsy samples from all involved sites revealed similar histopathologic features consistent with CEOT, the fact that there was a multifocal presentation is an unusual phenomenon for CEOT and has never been reported. Multifocal odontogenic lesions are not typical but have been observed in conditions associated with known genetic mutations. For example, multiple odontogenic keratocysts are the most common feature of the inherited condition known as nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome. This case, however, is the first one to demonstrate that there may be a multifocal variant of CEOT that has not been previously recognized.     

Suicide and unemployment: what are the missing links?

The suicide rate has been paralleled by an upward trend of unemployment in Hong Kong since 1997. This study aims to explore the unknown suicide-related factors among the unemployed. This information is useful in developing culturally specific suicide prevention initiatives related to unemployment. Seventy-six suicide deceased and 15 life subjects who were unemployed were selected from a previous psychological autopsy study. Logistic regression models were employed to estimate the relative suicide risks among the unemployed people. Among the unemployed, the suicide deceased were more likely to be male, had suffered from psychiatric illness, and had attempted suicide before. They also had acquired less competent social problem solving skills. Comparison with a small control group creates a generalizability problem. Suicide prevention for the unemployed could be done through mental health awareness programs; problem-solving skills training for attempters and males; and vocational training and job opportunities for discharged psychiatric patients and rehabilitees.     

Generation of platelet activating factor (PAF) by a human lung epithelial cell line

A human lung epithelial cell line (ATC-CCL-185) was cultured in nutrient Ham-F12 medium. Cells in monolayers were stimulated with either ionophore A23187 (1 microM) or phorbol myristate acetate (PMA, 0.2 microM) for various periods of time. Samples were analysed by HPLC and the presence of platelet activating factor (PAF) was detected by bioassay of the release of [3H]serotonin from rabbit platelets undergoing aggregation. The ATC-CCL 185 cells were found to synthesize PAF following activation with either PMA or ionophore. Ionophore at 1 microM was found to be more potent than PMA at 0.2 microM in the induction of PAF synthesis (congruent to 80 ng/mg protein). The synthesis of PAF through ionophore stimulation reached a maximum at 5 min, whereas PMA stimulation peaked at 15-20 min. PMA induced approximately one third the level of PAF synthesis by the ionophore. The PAF synthesized by these CCL185 cells was found to be mainly associated with the cell membrane with less than 10% released into the medium. Release of PAF into cell supernatant was dependent on the presence of bovine serum albumin (BSA). In the absence of BSA, a large portion (approximately 90%) of PAF was found to be cell associated, and only 60% when BSA concentration reached greater than or equal to 0.2%. These results demonstrate the ability of this lung epithelial cell line to synthesis PAF thus, suggesting that epithelial cells might participate in the process of inflammatory lung diseases, through the generation of this important mediator.     

High molecular weight aggregate from cataractous and normal human lenses: characterization by antisera to lens crystallins

High molecular weight and low molecular weight fractions were obtained from total soluble proteins of human cataractous and normal lens nuclei. These fractions were analyzed using a solid phase radioimmunoassay that employed monospecific antisera to alpha, beta and gamma crystallins. Relative to the high molecular weight fraction from normal lens nuclei, the high molecular weight fraction from cataractous lens nuclei showed decreased binding to antisera specific for beta and gamma crystallins. These results demonstrate that the polypeptides of the high molecular weight fraction comprise a special class of polypeptides that have preferentially undergone covalent and/or structural changes during the process of human cataractogenesis.     

B-cell and T-regulatory cell dysfunction in six Chinese children with hypogammaglobulinaemia

We report six Chinese boys with hypogammaglobulinaemia. All but one had very low or undetectable circulating B-lymphocytes, two had reversed CD4/CD8 ratios (in one of whom this later became normal), one had reduced lymphocyte proliferative responses to concanavalin A and pokeweed mitogen and three had deficient responses to OKT3. Generation of antibody-secreting cells in response to pokeweed mitogen was markedly defective in all patients. Co-cultures of purified lymphocyte subsets from the patients with those of normal donors revealed that in addition to B-cell deficiency seen in all patients, two had T-helper cell deficiency and two had T-suppressor cell hyperactivity. One of the latter patients was treated with cimetidine in an attempt to ablate histamine type 2 receptor-bearing suppressor cells: the absolute number of such cells was temporarily reduced but there was no concurrent correction of the functional hyperactivity. These studies point to the variable nature of T-regulatory cell deficiencies in hypogammaglobulinaemia.