Carbohydrate antigen profiles of human erythroleukemia cell lines HEL and K562

The expression of major carbohydrate antigens carried by polylactosaminyl chains in human erythroleukemia cell lines, K562 and HEL, was investigated by applying monoclonal antibodies recognizing specific carbohydrate determinants. The two cell lines showed common differences in their glycolipid compositions: (1) the presence of significant amounts of ganglio-series glycolipids, which are absent in normal erythrocytes; and (2) a remarkable reduction in the amount of globo-series glycolipids, which are the major glycolipids in normal human erythrocytes. A variety of differences were also detected in the carbohydrate antigens carried by lacto-series glycolipids and glycoproteins having related carbohydrate chains. K562 cells were i+H- X+, with a minor population of I+ cells. HEL cells were I-i+H+X-. The presence of the I+ population in K562 cells is particularly noteworthy, since I-antigen is characteristic of adult mature erythrocytes and is absent in most human leukemic cell lines. Several clones showing I+, I+/-i+/-, or I-i+ specificities were isolated from K562 cells by cloning in either methylcellulose media or limiting dilution, and I+ and I- cells were sorted by FACS fluorometer. HEL cells and these K562 clones provide a useful experimental model for studying the biologic significance and enzymatic control in expression of cell surface polylactosamines.     

Therapeutic relevance of penicillin-induced hypersensitivity of Staphylococcus aureus to killing by polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

There is an overwhelming body of evidence that certain Staphylococcus aureus strains become more sensitive to killing by polymorphonuclear leukocytes after their growth in media containing subinhibitory concentrations of penicillin. However, it is not clear to what extent this phenomenon contributes to the curative effect of penicillin in vivo. To explore its therapeutic relevance, we evaluated the interaction of staphylococci pretreated with penicillin in vitro with leukocytes in cell-proof diffusion chambers (porosity, 0.22 micron) implanted subcutaneously in rabbits. Under this in vivo environment, staphylococci pretreated with penicillin remained hypersensitive to leukocyte killing as under in vitro conditions. Furthermore, when the staphylococci were mixed with the leukocytes in chambers implanted intraperitoneally in mice which subsequently received intravenously a suboptimal dose of penicillin, they also became hypersensitive to leukocytic killing. However, because the staphylococcal growth rate was considerably reduced in vivo, the degree of penicillin-induced sensitivity to leukocytic killing was smaller than that obtained in test tube cultures; nevertheless, the enhanced killing was significant. Additional support that the curative effect of penicillin partly depends on its synergistic action with the leukocytes was provided by the relative decrease in virulence of staphylococci pretreated with penicillin in mice in which the cellular host defenses were already recruited at the focus of inoculation. These observations indicate that penicillin-induced hypersensitivity of staphylococci to leukocytic killing is not only an in vitro phenomenon, but an effect which has therapeutic relevance.     

Effect of intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin®) in neovascular age‐related macular degeneration using a treatment regimen based on optical coherence tomography: 6‐ and 12‐month results

Purpose: To study the effect of intravitreal bevacizumab therapy on visual and anatomical outcomes in patients with neovascular age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) within a follow‐up period of 6 and 12 months. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 102 eyes of 102 consecutive patients with neovascular AMD evaluated repeated intravitreal bevacizumab (1 or 2.5 mg) injections. Retreatment was performed following an optical coherence tomography (OCT)‐based regimen. Ophthalmic examination included best‐corrected visual acuity (BCVA), dilated fundus examination and OCT imaging. Data were analysed at baseline, 6 months (24 weeks) and 12 months (48 weeks) after treatment initiation. Results: BCVA remained stable at 6 months (mean: 0.00 ± 0.41 logMAR; p = 0.95) and 12 months (mean: +0.02 ± 0.43 logMAR; loss of ～ 1 letter; p = 0.70) after the first treatment. OCT retinal thickness decreased by a mean of ?37.8 ± 101.6 μm (p < 0.05) compared to baseline at month 6 and ?38.6 ± 93.3 μm (p < 0.05) at month 12. A mean of 2.6 ± 1.2 injections were needed to obtain absence of fluid by OCT, and the time to recurrence was 23 ± 11 weeks thereafter. There was no difference in BCVA and OCT outcomes between treatment‐naive eyes and eyes that had undergone prior treatment. Conclusion: The 6‐ and 12‐month follow‐up of repeated intravitreal bevacizumab therapy in eyes with neovascular AMD demonstrated stabilization of vision and no safety concerns. An OCT‐based retreatment strategy appears appropriate in the management of patients treated with intravitreal bevacizumab.     

Metastatic tumors to the ovaries: a study of 170 cases in northern Thailand

Abstract.   Khunamornpong S, Suprasert P, Na Chiangmai W, Siriaunkgul S. Metastatic tumors to the ovaries: a study of 170 cases in northern Thailand. Int J Gynecol Cancer 2006; 16(Suppl. 1): 132–138.
The cases of malignant ovarian tumors treated at Chiang Mai University hospital between 1992 and 2003 were histologically reviewed. The medical records, the radiologic findings, and the follow-up outcome in the cases suspicious or diagnostic of metastases were reviewed to confirm the diagnosis and to determine the primary sites. Metastatic tumors accounted for 30% of malignant ovarian tumors. A total of 170 cases of metastatic tumors included 117 cases with nongynecologic origin and 53 cases with gynecologic origin. Nongynecologic metastatic tumors were from large intestine (31%), stomach (14%), intrahepatic bile duct (10%), breast (9%), extrahepatic bile duct/gallbladder (7%), appendix (5%), hematologic tumors (3%), others (4%), and unknown primary site (16%). Metastatic gynecologic tumors were from cervix (53%), corpus (34%), fallopian tube (11%), and gestational trophoblastic disease (2%). The proportion of metastatic tumors to malignant ovarian tumors in northern Thailand was comparable to those of the Western or Japanese studies. However, the distribution of the primary sites was different and was correlated with the cancer incidence in Thai women. The majority of mucin-producing adenocarcinomas involving the ovaries were metastatic tumors.     

小儿肺炎常见病原菌及其耐药性分析

对天津市儿童医院2005年1月2006年12月间489例住院肺炎患儿送检痰标本中分离出的242株病原菌种类及药敏结果进行统计分析，以了解小儿肺炎常见病原菌种类及其耐药现状。分离的242株病原菌中，革兰阴性菌203株（83．89％），革兰阳性菌23株（9．50％），真菌16株（6．61％）；检出产超广谱β-内酰胺酶（ESBLs）菌株23株，其中大肠埃希菌6株，肺炎克雷伯菌17株，分别占各自分离菌株数的42．86%（6／14）与40．48％（17／42）。革兰阴性菌对氨苄西林耐药率较高，对亚胺培南普遍敏感。     

After-cataract in adults with primary posterior capsulorhexis: comparison of hydrogel and silicone intraocular lenses with round edges after 2 years

PURPOSE: To evaluate the potential of primary posterior continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (PCCC) to prevent after-cataract 2 years after surgery and perform a bilateral comparison of 2 intraocular lens (IOL) materials, silicone and hydrogel. SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Vienna, Medical School, Vienna, Austria. METHODS: In this randomized patient- and examiner-masked study, 37 patients (74 eyes) with age-related cataract had bilateral small-incision cataract surgery with PCCC. Randomly, 1 eye received a hydrogel IOL and the contralateral eye, a silicone IOL. Both IOLs had open-loop haptics and a round-edged optic. Standardized digital retroillumination photographs were taken 1 day and 1, 6, 12, and 24 months after surgery to evaluate development of after-cataract on the anterior and posterior capsules by subjective grading. Opacification of the PCCC area was also objectively evaluated using new software. RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients (58 eyes) completed the 2-year follow-up. Partial closure with ongrowth at the edge of the PCCC was found in 55% in the hydrogel group and 28% in the silicone group. Total closure of the PCCC was observed in 3 eyes, 2 in the hydrogel group and 1 in the silicone group. CONCLUSION: Ongrowth onto the PCCC area was dependent on IOL material. Because of less ongrowth and more fibrotic after-cataract with silicone IOLs, the efficacy of the PCCC was higher in this group.     

Comparison of 4 methods for quantifying posterior capsule opacification

PURPOSE: To compare the results of posterior capsule opacification (PCO) quantification and the repeatability of a fully automated analysis system (Automated Quantification of After-Cataract [AQUA]) with that of 2 other quantification methods and subjective grading of PCO. A test set of digital retroillumination images of 100 eyes with PCO of varying degrees was used. SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. METHODS: One hundred digital retroillumination images of eyes (100 patients) with PCO were selected to attain an even distribution from mild to severe cases. The images were evaluated by 4 methods: subjective grading by 4 experienced and 4 inexperienced examiners, the subjective Evaluation of Posterior Capsular Opacification (EPCO) system, posterior capsule opacification (POCO) software, and the AQUA system. Ten images were presented twice to assess the reproducibility of the analysis systems. RESULTS: Subjective grading correlated best with the subjective EPCO system and the objective AQUA system (r = 0.94 and r = 0.93, respectively). The POCO system showed very early saturation and therefore a much weaker correlation (r = 0.73). The POCO scores reached the maximum of 100% in several minimal to mild PCO cases. The reproducibility of the AQUA software was perfect and that of the other analysis systems, comparably satisfactory. CONCLUSION: The objective AQUA score correlated well with subjective methods including the EPCO system. The POCO system, which assesses PCO area, did not adequately describe PCO intensity and includes a subjective step in the analysis process. The AQUA system could become an important tool for randomized masked trials of PCO inhibition.     

Intraocular lens movement caused by ciliary muscle contraction

PURPOSE: To investigate intraocular lens (IOL) movement, measured as a change in anterior chamber depth (ACD) caused by pilocarpine-induced ciliary muscle contraction. SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. METHODS: In this prospective study, the ACD was measured using high-precision, high-resolution, dual-beam partial coherence interferometry in 62 pseudophakic eyes of 55 patients under pilocarpine- and cyclopentolate-induced ciliary muscle contraction and relaxation. The following were studied: 2 models of a ring-haptic IOL (designed to accommodate), a plate-haptic IOL, and 3 types of 3-piece IOLs. Measurements were performed 3 months after surgery. RESULTS: The ring-haptic IOLs and plate-haptic IOL showed a forward movement (ring haptic 43A, -116 microm; ring haptic 43E, -222 microm; plate haptic -162 microm). The 3-piece IOLs showed no change in ACD except in 1 IOL type in which there was backward movement (156 microm). CONCLUSIONS: Pilocarpine-induced ciliary muscle contraction caused forward movement of ring- and plate-haptic IOLs that resulted in an estimated accommodative amplitude of less than 0.50 diopter in most cases. The accommodating ring-haptic IOLs did not perform better than the conventional plate-haptic IOL.     

A diffusion chamber technique for measuring concentrations of antibiotics in interstitial fluid

Summary A method for collecting soft tissue interstitial fluid in experimental animals for the measurement of antibiotic concentrations is described. Diffusion chambers with permeable membranes of 0.45 µ porosity were implanted subcutaneously for four days in order to determine simultaneous concentrations of ampicillin and clindamycin in serum and chamber fluid after peroral administration in rabbits and of oxytetracycline after intravenous injection in dogs. The results are discussed in view of findings from other investigators using different types of tissue cages.

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Eine Diffusionskammer-Methode zur Bestimmung von Antibiotika-Konzentrationen in interstitieller Flüssigkeit

Zusammenfassung Es wird eine Methode zur Bestimmung von Antibiotikakonzentrationen in interstitieller Flüssigkeit beschrieben. Nach subkutaner Implantation von Diffusionskammern mit permeablen Membranen (Millipore Filter 0.45 µ) wurden die Konzentrationen von Ampicillin und Clindamycin nach peroraler Applikation bei Kaninchen sowie von Oxytetracyclin nach intravenöser Verabreichung bei Hunden gleichzeitig in Serum und Kammerflüssigkeit bestimmt. Die Ergebnisse werden im Vergleich zu den Resultaten anderer Untersucher, die verschiedene Arten von tissue cages zur Gewinnung interstitieller Flüssigkeit verwendeten, diskutiert.

     

自制溃疡散含漱液治疗放射性口腔炎的效果观察

目的 探讨自制溃疡散含漱液治疗头颈部肿瘤患者放射性口腔炎的效果.方法 随机将80例头颈部放射治疗的肿瘤患者分为两组各40例.观察组使用自制溃疡散含漱液于3餐饭前30min、3餐饭后和睡前7个时间点口腔含漱;对照组采用口泰漱口液、温盐水(0.9%氯化钠),于3餐饭前30 min、3餐饭后、睡前7个时间点交替含漱.两组患者治疗过程中不采用其他药物性漱口液,坚持使用漱口液至放疗结束.两组疼痛严重患者均予静脉补充能量、抗炎治疗.观察比较两组患者放疗第3周末、第7周末口腔黏膜炎损伤及疼痛程度.结果 放疗后第3周末、第7周末,两组口腔黏膜炎损伤及疼痛程度比较,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.01),观察组口腔黏膜炎损伤及疼痛程度明显轻于对照组.结论 使用自制溃疡散进行口腔含漱可以减轻放射性口腔黏膜炎的损伤及疼痛程度.