Progressive motor syndrome in a welder with pallidal T1 hyperintensity on MRI: A two-year follow-up.

Chronic exposure to manganese (Mn) fume during welding may lead to mainly extrapyramidal syndrome that is resistant to treatment. We present a 32-year-old patient who developed severe postural instability, Parkinsonism, dystonia, and pyramidal signs in the 10th year of welding. The neurological condition of the patient worsened markedly in the following 3 years, resulting in severe disability rendering him to be assisted in all his daily activities and he did not benefit from any dopaminergic agent. T1 sequences of the MRI of the brain showed pallidal hyperintensity symmetrically. Welders in our country often protect their eyes but ignore to use tools that protect them from inhalation of the fume. Since chronic Mn toxicity may cause serious disability and irreversible neurological disturbances, we strongly believe that it is necessary to inform welders and their employers about this potential hazard.     

Strecker stent in stenotic hemodialysis Brescia-Cimino arteriovenous fistulas

Flexible tantalum stents (Strecker) were used as an adjunct to percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) in the treatment of stenotic arterial or venous limbs of Brescia-Cimino hemodialysis fistulas. The diagnostic procedure was performed using retrograde fistulography. After PTA with unsatisfactory results, stents were placed in 5 patients with significant residual stenoses and poor fistula function. Within the mean follow-up period of 6.4 months (range 3–10 months) all fistulas were functioning. We conclude that Strecker stent is useful in the treatment of stenotic hemodialysis arteriovenous fistulas as an adjunct to PTA.     

Anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity: Overview of studies examining the roles of oxidative stress and free cellular iron

The risk of cardiotoxicity is the most serious drawback to the clinical usefulness of anthracycline antineoplastic antibiotics, which include doxorubicin (adriamycin), daunorubicin or epirubicin. Nevertheless, these compounds remain among the most widely used anticancer drugs. The molecular pathogenesis of anthracycline cardiotoxicity remains highly controversial, although the oxidative stress-based hypothesis involving intramyocardial production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has gained the widest acceptance. Anthracyclines may promote the formation of ROS through redox cycling of their aglycones as well as their anthracycline-iron complexes. This proposed mechanism has become particularly popular in light of the high cardioprotective efficacy of dexrazoxane (ICRF-187). The mechanism of action of this drug has been attributed to its hydrolytic transformation into the iron-chelating metabolite ADR-925, which may act by displacing iron from anthracycline-iron complexes or by chelating free or loosely bound cellular iron, thus preventing site-specific iron-catalyzed ROS damage. However, during the last decade, calls for the critical reassessment of this “ROS and iron” hypothesis have emerged. Numerous antioxidants, although efficient in cellular or acute animal experiments, have failed to alleviate anthracycline cardiotoxicity in clinically relevant chronic animal models or clinical trials. In addition, studies with chelators that are stronger and more selective for iron than ADR-925 have also yielded negative or, at best, mixed outcomes. Hence, several lines of evidence suggest that mechanisms other than the traditionally emphasized “ROS and iron” hypothesis are involved in anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity and that these alternative mechanisms may be better bases for designing approaches to achieve efficient and safe cardioprotection.     

Comparison of three dosage regimens of ciprofloxacin in urinary tract infections

Fifty-four patients with complicated UTI were administered ciprofloxacin in doses of 500 mg (30 subjects) and 250 mg (24 subjects) at 12-hour intervals. While a positive effect was noted in 96–100% upon termination of therapy, the effect was still present 3 weeks later in 90% of the high-dose, but only in 71% of the low-dose group. In 23 patients with uncomplicated UTI, a positive effect of the three-day therapy with 100 mg of ciprofloxacin at 12-hour intervals was observed in 91% of subjects. Intolerance to the agent was found in one case only. Development of resistance to ciprofloxacin was not observed.     

胆汁反流性胃炎的胃运动功能研究

目的:探讨胃排空改变以及胃窦平滑肌电节律紊乱在胆汁反流性胃炎发病中的可能机制。方法:对59例有慢性上消化道症状的慢性胃炎病人,根据胃镜下可见显著胆汁反流,胃液呈深黄色或深绿色,胃液pH≥3.0,甘胆酸浓度>58μg/ml,胃粘膜病理积分>9,判断为病理性胆汁反流(部分病人经:显象进一步证实)。胃镜下未见胆汁反流,胃液清亮,其余指标均未达上述标准者判断为非胆汁反流性。选出18例胆汁反流性胃炎病人(BRG组)和17例非胆汁反流性胃炎病人(NRG组),上述检查正常的10名健康志愿者(HC组)作为对照受检者进食一份双核素标记的标准餐,用照相机以1帧/2分钟连续动态照相120分钟,部分受试者又在空腹时检测胃窦肌电。结果:BRG组有明显的固、液体双相排空延迟,以固相延滞期(SLP)延长较为突出,而固体半排空时间(HSET)延长在很大程度上受到SLP延长的影响:NRG组仅有HSET显著延长。进一步胃电检测结果表明,各组间平均慢渡频率(MSWF)无显著性差异,出现胃电节律失常(DRM)在各组的分布为HC组1/7、NRG组3/10和BRG组7/13,严重程度BRG>NRG>HC。结论:胆汁反流性胃炎者有较严重的胃窦功能不良,且胃肌电可予进一步证实,胃底和十二指肠动力异常也可能与胆汁反流性胃炎的发病有关。