Diagnoses of chronic beryllium disease within cohorts of sarcoidosis patients.

An increase in chronic beryllium disease (CBD) has been suggested due to higher industrial use of beryllium alloys. Since occupational CBD is a perfect phenocopy of sarcoidosis, it might be misdiagnosed as sarcoidosis. In the current it was hypothesised that CBD exists in cohorts of sarcoidosis patients. In a prospective case study, sarcoidosis patients were evaluated for potential beryllium exposure. In those patients in whom beryllium exposure was confirmed and beryllium hypersensitivity demonstrated, the diagnosis of sarcoidosis was rejected and corrected to CBD. In 84 patients seen for re-evaluation or making a diagnosis of sarcoidosis, beryllium exposure was recognised and a diagnosis of CBD was made in 34 out of 84 patients. The time lag between clinical diagnosis of sarcoidosis and the final diagnosis of CBD ranged 0-18 yrs (median 3 yrs) and the mean (range) age at time of diagnosis of CBD was 43.9(25-80) yrs. Beryllium-contaminated workplaces causing disease encompassed a wide spectrum of industries and technical trades in which beryllium-exposure is generally not perceived as a health hazard. In conclusion, chronic beryllium disease still belongs to the spectrum of differential diagnoses of granulomatous disorders.     

Volume et profil de consommation d’alcool des élèves et des camarades scolaires comme prédicteurs de l’agression et de la victimisation: une analyse multiniveaux auprès d’adolescents suisses

Volume and profile of alcohol consumption among students and classmates as predictors of aggression and victimization: a multilevel analysis among Swiss adolescents

Objective:  

To test the effects of the volume of alcohol consumption and drinking patterns on alcohol-related aggression and victimization, both at the individual and class levels.     

Mechanismen der arteriellen Restenose und Therapieansätze zur Prävention

Both vascular surgery and endovascular interventions traumatise the arterial wall, especially the endothelium. The vessel responds with neointimal hyperplasia and/or constrictive remodelling, and this is still the limiting factor in curative interventions. Stent placement prevents constrictive remodelling but is the main trigger for in-stent restenosis. Hyperproliferation of neointimal tissue is the main response to arterial thrombosis, local inflammation or medio-intimal injury such as occurs, for example, after balloon dilatation in the region of arterial anastomoses or of a thrombectomy (Fogarty-manoeuvre). At present, research on prevention of restenosis is focused on inhibiting neointimal hyperproliferation by using drug-eluting stents, and especially sirolimus- or paclitaxel-eluting stents. In addition, further experimental research work is in progress, with the aim of esablishing new treatment regimens and solving the problem of neointimal formation, thrombosis and constrictive remodelling. These include both local and systemic pharmacological therapy, brachy- and laser therapy, and many genetic treatment options, some of which are currently the subjects of experimental studies and early-stage clinical trials. Gene therapy seems like a promising way of preventing restenosis, but has not yet been tested in clinical trials. In the near future, selective, simultaneous, and perhaps even polyphasic regulation for gene silencing of two or more genes involved in the development of restenosis could improve the long-term patency rate.     

Incidence of asthma and net change in symptoms in relation to changes in obesity.

The incidence of asthma has been reported to be associated with obesity. An alternative analysis, of net change in prevalence, does not require exclusion of those with asthma at baseline. Follow-up data were obtained from 9,552 participants in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey and the Swiss cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung Disease in Adults. Incidence of asthma was analysed by proportional hazards regression, and net changes in symptoms and asthma status by generalised estimating equations, by obesity group. Incidence and net change in ever having had asthma were greater in females than in males, and in participants who remained obese compared with those who were never obese (hazard ratio 2.00, 95% confidence interval 1.25-3.20; excess net change 2.8%, 0.4-5.3% per 10 yrs). The effect of being obese on net change in diagnosed asthma was greater in females than in males, but for net change in wheeze without a cold it was greater in males. The present results are consistent with asthma being more frequently diagnosed in females, especially obese females. These findings may help to explain the reports of a stronger association between asthma and obesity in females than in males.     

Effects of intranasal 17beta-estradiol and raloxifene on lipid profile and fibrinogen in hypercholesterolemic postmenopausal women: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

AIM: To compare the effects of 17beta-estradiol given intranasally (intranasal E2) and raloxifene on serum lipid profile and fibrinogen in hypercholesterolemic postmenopausal women. METHODS: The study population consisted of 46 women after menopause. The placebo group (n = 11) was given calcium, while the intervention groups were given intranasal E2 (Aerodiol; Servier, Chambray-les-Tours, France) (n = 16) or raloxifene (Evista; Lilly SA, Madrid, Spain) (n = 19). Blood lipids and fibrinogen were compared between groups at baseline and after 3 months of treatment. RESULTS: The group receiving intranasal E2 showed a significant decrease in triglyceride levels (p<0.05) and a marked increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (p<0.05). No changes in lipid profile were observed in the raloxifene and placebo groups. Raloxifene caused a significant decrease in fibrinogen levels (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Intranasal E2 exerts significant effects on lipid profile in hypercholesterolemic postmenopausal women. Raloxifene has a greater impact on fibrinogen than intranasal E2 application.     

Rehabilitative Maßnahmen bei Patienten mit Pankreaskarzinom

Rehabilitative and palliative measures in the follow-up care of pancreatic cancer patients will remain the dominant medical focus as long as potentially curative measures (recurrence prophylaxis, early detection and therapy of recurrence) have failed to show a significant survival benefit. Rehabilitative measures are possible for patients undergoing potentially curative as well as palliative treatment. Their aim is to alleviate the negative effects of the cancer and its therapy, not only physically, but also psychologically, socially and vocationally. The spectrum of possible somatic handicaps ranges from metabolic disorders, malnutrition and under-nutrition, as well as gastrointestinal symptoms to pain. Assistance in coping with illness, alleviating fears and depression and strengthening compliance are the main areas which are dealt with in psycho-oncology. Assessment of vocational fitness and the capacity to work depends on tumor location, whether R0 or R1 resection has taken place, the extent of pancreas resection, accompanying illnesses, whether or not adjuvant therapy has been given, and the physical condition of the patient     

Freezing of gait in postmortem-confirmed atypical parkinsonism.

The frequency and pathophysiology of freezing of gait (FoG) in atypical parkinsonism is unknown. We analysed the frequency of FoG in postmortem-confirmed atypical parkinsonian disorders (APD) comprising corticobasal degeneration (CBD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), multiple system atrophy (MSA), and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Sixty-six patients with pathologically confirmed APD (CBD, n = 13; DLB, n = 14; MSA, n = 15; PSP, n = 24) formed the basis for a multicenter clinicopathological study. Clinical features at first and last clinical visit were abstracted from patient records on standardized forms following strict instructions. At the first visit (median 36 months after symptom onset), 24% of APD had FoG (CBD, 8%; DLB, 21%; PSP, 25%; MSA, 40%). Logistic regression analysis showed a significant association of FoG and urinary incontinence (P = 0.04) at first visit. At last visit, 47% of APD had FoG (CBD, 25%; PSP, 53%; DLB, 54%; MSA, 54%). Clinicopathological correlation based on routine postmortem examination failed to identify a consistent neuropathological substrate of FoG. This study demonstrates that (1) FoG is common in APD, and (2) urinary incontinence is significantly associated with FoG in these disorders. Whether FoG and urinary incontinence share similar neuropathological substrates remains to be determined by future studies.     

Uses and risks of drainage following elective colon resection. A prospective, randomized and controlled clinical study

The results of a controlled randomized and prospective clinical study including 113 patients from March 1987 until August 1988 showed that prophylactic drainage in elective resection for cancer of the colon was not necessary. 60 patients received a drain, 53 patients were not drained. The drain turned out to be ineffective even concerning its expected function of draining intraabdominal fluid: its diagnostic and therapeutic value failed in clinical practice. The rate of surgical complications--i.e. anastomotic leakage, impaired wound healing and relaparotomy--was significantly higher in the drained group. In elective colon resection the use of a drain as a routine procedure cannot be recommended.     

Ultrastructural reversible changes in fish neuromuscular junctions after chronic exercise

Neuromuscular junctions (NJs) of fin muscles of teleostean fishes, Lebistes reticulatus, were ultrastructurally analyzed during 60 min of chronic exercise and a subsequent period of 90 min of induced recovery. NJs from 30-min-exercised fishes showed an almost complete depletion of synaptic vesicles (SVs), corresponding to 83% of SV consumption; 76% of axon terminals were branched at the end of this period. During the recovery period, it was possible to observe the reversibility of the changes induced by the exercise and the transitory events that lead to the reacquirement of the normal NJ morphology. After 15 min of rest, SV population increased to a value of 54.6 SVs/micron2 and the percentage of branched axons was 66.5%. At 60 min of recovery the number of SVs reached a value of 84.6 SVs/micron2. The SV population was fully reestablished at 80 min of rest, while the percentage of branched axons was found within normal ranges after 90 min of recovery. These results demonstrate that chronic exercise induced physiological depletion of NJ SVs and other axon terminal morphological changes, as well as that postexercise rest induces the reestablishment of the normal NJ morphology.