Connation of permanent incisors: a report of two cases

Presented here are two uncommon cases of connation of permanent incisors. The term connation is being used in this paper instead of fusion, gemination etc., as it ideally describes the anomaly. Various treatment modalities have also been recommended for such cases.     

The metabolic activation of dibenz[a,c]anthracene

In rat liver microsomal preparations, the 10, 11-dihydro-diolof dibenz[a, c]anthracene (DBA) is metabolized to r-10, t-11-dihydroxy-t-12,13-oxy-10, 11, 12, 13-tetrahydro-dibenz[a, c]anthracene (anti-DBA10, 11-diol 12, 13-oxide), the anti isomer of a non-bay-regiondiol-epoxide of DBA. When ³-labelled DBA or trans-10, 11-di-hydro-10,ll-dihydroxydibenz[a, c]anthracene were metabolized in thissystem in the presence of DNA or when ³H-labelled DBA was addedto primary cultures of hamster embryo cells, covalent reactionsof hydrocarbon metabolites with DNA occurred. The chromato-graphiccharacteristics of the radioactive hydrocarbon — deoxyribonucleosideadducts formed in these reactions were examined using SephadexLH20 column chromatography and high pressure liquid chromato-graphy.The results showed that whilst some of the radioactive hydrocarbon— deoxyribonucleoside adducts formed were indistinguishablefrom adducts that were formed when anti-DBA 10, 11-diol 12,13-oxide reacted with DNA, other, unidentified adducts, whichdid not apparently arise from reactions of this diol-epoxidewith DNA, were also present. Hydrocarbon — nucleosideadducts were not detected in hydrolysates of nucleic acids thatwere isolated from mouse skin that had been treated in vivowith DBA.     

Cancer incidence in the U.S. Air Force: 1989-2002

BACKGROUND: Cancer incidence in U.S. Air Force active duty (AFAD) personnel is unknown. Defining the epidemiology may support more effective prevention and clinical services. METHODS: Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for invasive cancer in AFAD personnel during 1989-2002 were determined using U.S. national incidence rates as the reference. SIRs were adjusted for age and race. Cutaneous squamous and basal cell carcinomas (CAs) were excluded. RESULTS: There were 2750 cases: 1986 in men and 764 in women. The all-cancers SIRs were for men, 0.50 (95% CI: 0.48-0.53), and for women, 0.96 (95% CI: 0.89-1.03). Among men, the 10 most frequent cancers (77.6% of total) were, in descending order: melanoma; testicular CA; prostate CA; non-Hodgkin lymphoma; follicular/papillary thyroid CA; Hodgkin's Disease; colorectal CA; brain neuroepithelial CA; and (tied) bladder CA and oral squamous cell CA. Among women, the 10 most frequent cancers (88.1% of total) were, in descending order: breast CA; cervical CA; follicular/papillary thyroid CA; melanoma; Hodgkin's Disease; colorectal CA; (tied) non-Hodgkin lymphoma and ovarian epithelial CA; vulvar CA; and (tied) brain neuroepithelial CA and oral squamous cell CA. Compared with the U.S. population, cancer type-specific SIRs were significantly increased for cervical CA, prostate CA, and vulvar CA (range, 1.44-3.54). SIRs were significantly decreased for bladder CA (men), brain neuroepithelial CA, colorectal CA (men), Hodgkin's Disease (men), non-Hodgkin lymphoma, oral squamous cell CA (men), and testicular CA (range, 0.31-0.68). The remaining SIRs were not significantly different from unity. CONCLUSIONS: The cancer experience of the AFAD population differs substantially from that of the U.S. population.     

Development of in vitro methods to predict induction of CYP1A2 and CYP3A4 in humans

The important role of cytochrome P450 (CYP) drug-metabolizing enzymes has been studied for many years, and the potential liabilities of inducing these enzymes are well understood. Though several mechanisms of induction have been studied, a growing consensus is developing that the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and the pregnane X receptor (PXR) have evolved as the primary mechanisms responsible for clinically relevant drug-drug interactions caused by induction of drug-metabolizing factors. AHR and PXR have been identified as inducers of a variety of Phase I and Phase II drug-metabolizing enzymes, drug transporters, and other factors involved in drug metabolism. Though many genes are induced through these regulating factors, CYP1A2 and CYP3A4 have been the most reliable biomarkers to identify compounds with potential induction liabilities through AHR and PXR, respectively. Here are presented several in vitro methods to detect AHR- and PXR-mediated induction of CYP1A2 and CYP3A4 in fresh and cryopreserved primary human hepatocytes, stable transfectants, and transiently transfected immortalized cells.     

Max brödel: illustrating healed valve ring abscesses

A 14-year-old adolescent girl presented with severe congestive heart failure, progressive throughout 3 months. A precordial thrill, machinery-like murmur, and right bundle branch block were noted. Death occurred despite digitalis and diuretic therapy and removal of pleural and ascitic fluid. The autopsy revealed 2 multilocular cystic structures in the interventricular septum consistent with being spontaneously drained valve ring abscesses. One of these lesions formed a fistulous communication that penetrated through the interventricular septum between the right aortic sinus of Valsalva and the crista supraventricularis that connected to the right ventricle. Another lesion, an adjacent separate but similar cystlike structure, communicated only with the left ventricular cavity. Although the cause of these lesions is uncertain, it seems probable that they are the residue of spontaneously drained and healed valve ring abscesses. Max Br?del, a medical illustrator and the first director of the Department of Art as Applied to Medicine at The Johns Hopkins University, drew previously unpublished figures of this patient's cardiac lesions. These illustrations exhibit Br?del's superb command of both art and medicine essential to his ability to make complex anatomic relationships demonstrable. We discuss Br?del's career and his influence on both the art and science of medicine.     

The "<Emphasis Type="Italic">Statinth</Emphasis>" wonder of the world: a panacea for all illnesses or a bubble about to burst

After the introduction of statins in the market as effective lipid lowering agents, they were shown to have effects other than lipid lowering. These actions were collectively referred to as 'pleiotropic actions of statins.' Pleiotropism of statins formed the basis for evaluating statins for several indications other than lipid lowering. Evidence both in favour and against is available for several of these indications. The current review attempts to critically summarise the available data for each of these indications.     

On the construction of clinical life table for studying the survivability of diagnosed AIDS cases

In this paper, an attempt has been made to estimate the various survival functions of clinically diagnosed AIDS cases by the life table method. The actuarial life table method has already been applied to clinical data for many decades. To exhibit computations for the clinical life table, we have used the clinical data gathered on diagnosed 731 male and female AIDS patients recorded from Dec.1993 up to Dec.2002 in Delhi. The method is also used to study the nature of the survival functions for the AIDS patients with different causes of death. The comparisons among various survival functions are shown with the help of the graphs.