A sequential study of visual evoked potential in patients with vitamin B12 deficiency neurological syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Visual pathways are vulnerable to vitamin B(12) deficiency but there is paucity of studies evaluating visual evoked potential (VEP) changes following vitamin B(12) supplementation. Our aim was to evaluate the visual evoked potential changes in patients with vitamin B(12) deficiency neurological syndrome and their changes after vitamin B(12) therapy. METHODS: Seventeen patients with vitamin B(12) deficiency neurological syndromes diagnosed on the basis of megaloblastic bone marrow or low serum vitamin B(12) level or both were subjected to testing of visual acuity, field of vision, colour vision and neurological examination. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging was done in 9 patients and pattern reversal VEP was carried out on admission. P(100) latency and amplitude were measured. Visual function and VEP studies were repeated at 3 and 6 months after vitamin B(12) therapy. RESULTS: The patients' age ranged between 17 and 69 years; 7 were females and 16 were lactovegetarians. The duration of symptoms ranged between 10 days and 10 years. Visual acuity, colour vision, field of vision and fundus oculi were normal. VEP revealed prolongation of P(100) latency in 10 patients (17 eyes) which was mild in 2, moderate in 10 and marked in 5 eyes. Six months after treatment, P(100) latency improved to normal in all except 4 eyes. VEP abnormality was related to duration of illness and antiparietal cell antibodies. CONCLUSIONS: VEP is frequently prolonged in patients with vitamin B(12) deficiency neurological syndrome although asymptomatic. It usually returns to normal after treatment.     

Levels, Complement Activity and Polymorphisms of Mannan-Binding Lectin in Patients of Bronchial Asthma with Allergic Rhinitis

Activation of complement pathways, leading to production of C3a and C5a anaphylatoxins, has been postulated in the pathogenesis of asthma and allergic airway inflammation. The present study was undertaken to investigate the role of mannan-binding lectin (MBL), an initiator of the lectin pathway of complement, in asthma and allergic rhinitis. MBL levels and MBL-induced complement activity were determined in 19 patients of bronchial asthma with allergic rhinitis and 20 unrelated, age-matched controls of Indian origin. MBL levels and activity were correlated with percent eosinophilia and percent predicted FEV1 values of the patients. Association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in exon 1 and intron 1 of the MBL with the disease, clinical markers, MBL levels and MBL-induced complement activity was analysed using standard statistical tools. Significantly higher MBL levels and activity were observed in patients of bronchial asthma with allergic rhinitis as compared to the controls. We identified five SNPs, of which two, A816G in exon 1 and G1011A in intron 1 of the MBL, were novel. SNP G1011A was significantly associated with the disease ( P =  0.0024, OR = 5.8696, 95% CI: 1.7316 < OR < 19.8963). Individuals with 'A' allele at position 1011 showed increased MBL levels, activity and disease severity. Our results suggest that 'A' allele at position 1011 leading to high MBL levels and complement activity may be contributing to the severity of bronchial asthma and allergic airway inflammation.     

Influence of finishing time on marginal sealing ability of new generation composite bonding systems

Although variation in finishing techniques has been shown to affect microleakage, little research has been published on the influence of finishing time on the marginal sealing ability of new generation composite bonding systems. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the influence of finishing time on the enamel and dentine marginal sealing ability of four new generation composite systems. Two class V preparations, which were solely in enamel or dentine, were made on the buccal surfaces of 96 freshly extracted molar teeth. The teeth were randomly divided into four groups of 24 and restored with composite resin (Silux Plus^®) utilizing the following bonding systems: Scotchbond Multi-purpose^®, Fuji Bond LC^®, Prime & Bond 2·0^® and Bisco One-step^®. Half of the restorations in each group were finished immediately after light polymerization and stored for 1 week. For the remaining restorations, finishing was delayed for 1 week. The storage medium was isotonic saline at 37°C throughout the experiment. All restorations were then thermocycled, subjected to dye penetration testing, sectioned and scored. The results suggest that the finishing of composite restorations, bonded with the bonding systems evaluated, should be carried out immediately after light polymerization. Delayed finishing does not improve but instead can be detrimental to the marginal seal of the restorations. The effects of delayed finishing are, however, both bonding system and tissue specific.     

Laryngeal pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma

A case of an extremely unusual tumor of the larynx, pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma, is presented with a review of literature. This is the fifth case of this malignancy described in the larynx in the English language literature. A histopathological diagnosis was made with immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. In contrast to other reported cases, the tumor in the present case had a very aggressive behavior. Despite radical surgery involving total laryngectomy and neck dissection followed by radiation therapy, the patient died of disease 8 months following treatment. Received: 14 March 1997 / Accepted: 23 January 1998     

Differential Immunological Aberrations in Patients with Primary and Secondary Sjögren's Syndrome

The aim of the present study was to analyse possible differences in immunological features between patients with primary and secondary Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Ten patients with primary SS and 10 patients with secondary SS also suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, were identified according to established criteria for SS. Ten healthy, age-matched women served as controls. The authors analysed the phenotypic characteristics of lymphocytes in peripheral blood as well as in focal inflammatory infiltrates of minor salivary gland biopsies. Functional analyses of T lymphocytes were performed after stimulation with mitogens and antigen. B cell activity was determined at the single cell level by spontaneous and mitogen induced immunoglobulin production. Serum levels of IL-4, IL-6 and IFN-γ were also analysed. Patients with primary SS displayed a significantly higher degree of salivary gland inflammation and reduced salivary flow than did patients with secondary SS. Decreased in vitro T cell responses to antigen and mitogens were evident in both patient groups. The CD4/CD8 ratios in both peripheral blood and salivary gland lesions were significantly lower in primary SS compared with secondary SS patients. Polyclonal B cell activation, measured as the frequency of spontaneous immunoglobulin producing cells, was most prominent in primary SS, whereas a diminished response to poke-weed mitogen (PWM), a T cell dependent B cell mitogen, was more pronounced in secondary SS. The results reveal certain immunological aberrations in the whole group of patients with SS. In addition, the authors demonstrated distinct differences in immune dysfunction between patients with primary and secondary SS, indicating that they may constitute separate entities.     

Changes in the mechanical properties of human and amphibian muscle after eccentric exercise

Following a series of eccentric contractions, that is stretching of the muscle while generating active tension, the length-tension relationship of isolated amphibian muscle has been shown to shift towards longer muscle lengths (Katz 1939; Wood et al. 1993). Here we report observations of electrically stimulated ankle extensor muscles of nine human subjects, demonstrating a similar shift in optimum angle for torque generation [3.9 (1.5)°] following exercise on an inclined treadmill that involved eccentric contractions in one leg. (All values are means with the SEMs in parentheses.) The shift in the unexercised, control leg was significantly less [mean 0.4 (0.7)°P?P?Bufo marinus) sartorius muscles subjected to 25 eccentric contractions. Isometrically contracted control muscles showed a smaller shift [3.5 (1.6)%, n?=?5]. Accompanying the shift was a drop in tension of 46 (3)% after the eccentric contractions [control isometric, 23 (6)%, P?相似文献   

Myokardiales Pumpversagen bei dilatativer Kardiomyopathie und Phäochromozytom

Zusammenfassung Bei einer 37 j?hrigen, bisher gesunden Patientin entwickelte sich eine über 2 Monate progrediente Dyspnoe. Radiologisch und echokardiographisch zeigte sich eine massive Dilatation s?mtlicher Herzh?hlen mit biventrikul?ren Thromben und eine stark herabgesetzte Kontraktilit?t. Die Endomyokardbiopsien wurden von 2 Instituten als Myokarditis eingestuft. Im weiteren Verlauf entwickelten sich thrombembolische Komplikationen und ein therapierefrakt?res Pumpversagen, in dem die Patientin schlie?lich verstarb. Bei der Obduktion fand sich au?er einem dilatierten 600 g schweren Herzen mit biventrikul?ren Thromben ein klinisch bisher unbekanntes Ph?ochromozytom der linken Nebenniere. Die eingehende histologische und immunhistologische Aufarbeitung des Herzmuskelgewebes einschlie?lich Reevaluierung der Endomyokardbiopsien führte zur Revision der ursprünglichen Diagnose: Das Krankheitsbild der 37 j?hrigen Patientin war durch eine katecholamininduzierte dilatative Kardiomyopathie verursacht worden.