Significance of nested PCR and quantitative real time PCR for cytomegalovirus detection in renal transplant recipients

Immunocompromised renal transplant recipients are susceptible to severe cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection that makes its detection important in clinical practice. A total of 536 blood and 536 serum samples from 67 renal transplant recipients who had previously been diagnosed with terminal renal insufficiency were studied for CMV infection. In all samples, serology, shell vial culture, antigenaemia and nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in blood and serum were tested, and a real-time quantitative PCR was run on 90 specimens. Sixty-seven blood donors were used as controls. The results show that the quantitative real-time PCR assay could be of great interest for predicting CMV disease, and to monitor the onset of pre-emptive therapy.     

Fibrillolysis and electrophoretic determination of actin and myosin in hypertrophied human myocardium

Summary Destructive myofibrillar lesions, particularly degenerative fibrillolysis in hypertrophied hearts, were studied with the electron microscope in left ventricular myocardium samples obtained from autopsies with post mortem periods not exceeding 195 min. The contractile protein composition of these samples was determined electrophoretically. 18 cases were studied, grouped as follows: Group I, composed of 5 cases showing normal hearts which were employed in the determination of normal electrophoretic values. Group II: 10 cases with hypertrophic hearts, 1 of them showing contraction bands and decreased myosin, 6 others with fibrillolytic lesions of which 3 presented a decrease in myosin and 3 possesed normal myosin values. None of the cases showed a decrease in actin values. Group III was composed of 3 cases of hearts with normal weights that showed ultrastructural alterations of the myofibrils: 1 with myofibrillar disarray and normal electrophoretic values, 1 with incomplete contraction bands and normal protein values and 1 with focal myofibrillar disgregation and myosin decrease.It is concluded that in some cases of degenerative fibrillolytic lessions a decrease of myosin occurs. The method employed does not rule out that apparently normal actin and myosin values might be due to the pressence of contractile proteins in a denatured state that does not affect their electrophoretic mobility.Supported by Dirección de Investigaciones, grant No 65/78, Catholic University of ChileFormerly Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation     

Aneurysmal bone cyst of the ischium

Summary The treatment of a patient with an aneurysmal bone cyst involving the pelvis by selective arterial embolism is described. After one year pain relief is complete and radiologically the lesion is healing with increased density of the cyst wall and intracystic trabecular bone formation.

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Résumé Présentation de l'évolution clinique et radiologique d'un cas de kyste osseux anévrysmal localisé au bassin, traité par embolisation artérielle sélective. Radiologiquement la lésion paraît stabilisée, avec densification des parois et apparition de travées d'os nouveau à l'intérieur du kyste.Avec un an de recul, les douleurs ont complètement disparu.

     

Bioequivalence study of two different coated tablet formulations of finasteride in healthy volunteers

This study was conducted in order to assess the bioequivalence of two different coated tablet formulations containing 5 mg finasteride (CAS 98319-26-7). Twenty-six healthy volunteers were enrolled in an open, randomised, crossover single dose study with 2 periods x 2 sequences and a minimum washout period of 7 days. Plasma samples were obtained over 24 h (at baseline, +0.5 h, +1 h, +1.5 h, +2 h, +2.5 h, +3 h, 3.5 h, +4 h, +4.5 h, +5 h, +6 h, +8 h, +10 h, +12 h, +16 h and +24 h after administration). Finasteride levels were determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography with tandem mass detection, HPLC-MS/ MS, (LOQ 0.50 ng/mL). Pharmacokinetic parameters used for bioequivalence assessment (AUClast and Cmax were main evaluation criteria, however, AUCinf was also analysed) were determined from the finasteride concentration data using non-compartmental analysis. The 90 % confidence intervals (obtained by ANOVA) were 86.31-98.69 for Cmax, 95.40-104.88 for AUClast and 96.20-105.81 for AUCinf that is, they were all within the predefined ranges. It may be therefore concluded that the evaluated formulations are bioequivalent in terms of rate and extent of absorption.     

Lupenpräparatorische Darstellung der Ausbreitungszüge des Sinusknotens

Zusammenfassung An 10 in Formalin fixierten menschlichen Herzen wurde der Sinusknoten und seine Ausbreitungszüge lupenpräparatorisch untersucht. Schnitte erfolgten als mikroskopische Kontrolle. 4 Gruppen spezifischer Fasern ließen sich darstellen: Vom oberen Knotenrand die sinucavalen Fasern, vom Knotenkopf das vordere sinuauriculäre Bündel, vom Knotenschwanz das hintere sinuauriculäre Bündel und vom unteren Knotenrand die lateralen sinuauriculären Fasern. Diese letzten verliefen teils subepicardial, teils intramuskulär.Als Verbindungsbündel zum linken Vorhof waren 3 Gruppen nicht spezifischer Fasern darstellbar: Vom Knotenkopf das Bachmannsche Bündel, von der Ringmuskulatur der Cava superior der akzessorische Faserzug vorn und die Tandlerschen Fasern hinten. Das Wenckebachsche Bündel erwies sich als ein breites Verbindungsbündel zwischen der Cava superior und dem rechten Vorhof. Anhand des angewandten Untersuchungsverfahrens ließ sich kein Verbindungsbündel zwischen dem Sinus- und dem AV-Knoten darstellen.

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Stereomicroscopic demonstration of the extensions of the sinus node

Summary With the aid of the stereomicroscope we studied the sinus node and its extensions in ten formalin-fixed human hearts. To check the validity of these studies we then examined histologic sections. We were able to demonstrate four groups of specific fibers: the sinu-caval fibers from the upper margin of the node, the anterior sinu-auricular fibers from the head of the node, the posterior sinu-auricular fibers from the tail of the node, and from the inferior margin of the node the lateral sinu-auricular fibers, which coursed in part subepicardially, in part intramuscularly. Three groups of nonspecific fibers served as a connecting bundle with the left atrium: Bachmann's bundle from the head of the node, the accessory bundle from the anterior ring musculature of the superior vena cava, and Tandler's fibers posteriorly. Wenckebach's bundle proved to be a broad bundle connecting the superior vena cava and the right atrium. With the method of study employed we could demonstrate no bundle connecting the sinus node with the A-V node.

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Derzeit Humboldt-Stipendiat.     

Priapism as an initial presentation of chronic myeloid leukaemia

We report the case of a 29 years old patient who presented, in the last three moths, four episodes of priapism without any other symptoms and any previous traumatism. An hemogram reveled that the repeted episodes of priapism were caused by a chronic myeloid leukaemia.     

Public health and public health systems sustainability

Public health and healthcare originally started out separately from one another in the past, having later further developed taking different paths in modern times. The major development the health systems underwent in the last half of the 20th century entailed a heightening of the individual standpoint and a division of these two approaches despite the attempts made to bring them together as of the WHO Alma-Ata Conference in 1978. The waning of rationalism and other social phenomena had a hand the collective or population-oriented focus being focused on to a lesser degree in Public Health, but these trends also gave rise to a growing problem of rationality in individual healthcare and sustainability in the public health systems. The debate on the current scene stands to set out the sustainability-related problems mediated by internal and external agents and to revise Public Health's possible contribution to the improvement thereof by advocating yet a further attempt at bringing together and integrating these two diverging standpoints.     

Effect of purified collagen on lipograft survival: experimental basis for periurethral lipoinjections

PURPOSE: To assess whether the use of collagens with lipografts improves graft survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty isogenic New Zealand rabbits were injected in the auricular area with either autologous fat alone or autologous fat associated with collagen. The animals were evaluated at 7, 30, and 90 days by histologic and morphometric methods together with measurements of the graft area and the number of adipocytes. RESULTS: Addition of collagen to the lipoinjection reduced the local inflammatory reaction and improved the graft's survival; e.g., for stress urinary incontinence. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that it is possible to increase the survival rate of the lipografts and improve their clinical applicability.