The biography of Mary E. O'Sullivan: an early American headache specialist

The aim of this study was to review the life of Mary E. O'Sullivan and to summarize her important contributions to the study of migraine. Mary E. O'Sullivan underwent extensive training to become a neurologist at a time when only 5% of women in America were physicians. She published five papers on migraine. In a 1936 Journal of the American Medical Association article, she described a patient with ergotamine overuse headache and recommended that daily doses of oral ergotamine should be avoided. Three years later she described migraine as a 'complex' syndrome with multiple causes and multiple cures. Mary E. O'Sullivan, an ambitious female headache specialist of the 1930s, was an early advocate of the use of ergotamine to treat migraine, yet she was one of the first to report ergotamine overuse headache. Although her life was short, her research, knowledge and ambition at a time when women had limited opportunities in medicine have left a mark.     

Measurement of CEA, TPA, neopterin, CA125, CA153 and CA199 in sera of pregnant women, umbilical cord blood and amniotic fluid

The following tumor markers were determined in body fluids associated with pregnancy: carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA), neopterin, CA125, CA153 and CA199. CEA levels (cut-off 5.0 ng/ml) were not elevated during gestation, whereas TPA was above cut-off (85 U/l) in 98 out of 107 cases (range 40-408 U/l). TPA was significantly higher during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy than during the 1st and 2nd trimesters. 38.3% of CA125 measurements were slightly above the chosen cut-off of 35 U/ml, and the mean concentration was 33.5 +/- 16.2 U/ml. During delivery, 14 out of 21 values (67%) were elevated. Only 9.4% of CA153 values were elevated. CA199 and neopterin were also hardly ever above cut-off. In general, there was a wide scattering of individual values. With the exception of CA153 (neopterin not determined), high concentrations of CEA (maximum: 207 ng/ml), TPA (maximum: 1,565 U/ml), CA125 (maximum: 2,371 U/ml) and also CA199 (maximum: 1,533 U/ml) were found in amniotic fluid. The distribution in mixed cord blood was similar but with more moderate elevations and a lower incidence of levels above cut-off. Thus, none of these antigens is tumor specific. The term 'tumor-associated antigen' instead of 'tumor marker' is more appropriate. CEA, TPA, CA125 and CA199, but not CA153, are oncofetal antigens.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM): are polyphenols and saponins the key ingredients triggering biological activities?

The number of herbal formulae considered to be clinically effective and recorded in the Chinese medical literature is huge. The scientific basis for the remedial effects of these herbal formulae is not yet understood, nor has a clear need been given as to how to make use and combine traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine in an effective way. In this context, it is of interest to ascertain what individual constituents are responsible for the bioactive properties, and thus to extract the common characters of composition of huge formulae to provide a scientific explanation for their modes of action. We consider polyphenols and saponins as the key ingredients in TCM remedies responsible for most of the observed biological effects, reflecting the specific requirements within the TCM philosophy of treatment based on the investigation of its chemical composition.     

Emerging therapeutic targets in chronic heart failure: part I

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a life threatening disease with an enormous medical requirement. Approximately 15 million people worldwide suffer from CHF. The prevalence will inevitably increase due to the ageing population. Nevertheless, current treatment options based on angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists merely slow progression of the disease. Novel treatment concepts based on new therapeutic targets must have the capability to reverse the severity of this disease. This review, focusing on the emerging targets in the most promising therapeutic areas for the treatment of CHF, will be divided into two parts. In Part I, disease concepts such as altered calcium handling and ion channel activity, pathophysiological hypertrophy and inefficient cardiac metabolism are discussed. Validation status and potential therapeutic value for new targets in each research field is given by summarising the results of in vitro and in vivo studies.     

Patch-clamp capacitance measurements: new insights into the endocytic uptake of transferrin

Since its introduction by Neher and Sakmann in 1976 the patch-clamp technique has been extensively used to study processes such as signalling and synaptic transmission, but also for monitoring endo- and exocytosis. Since biological membranes behave like electrical capacitors high-resolution measurements of membrane capacitance allow detection of small changes in membrane surface area that accompany exocytosis and endocytosis. We here describe our recent work on patch-clamp capacitance measurements in stably transfected HeLa cells expressing HFE, the hereditary hemochromatosis gene product, under the control of a tetracycline-sensitive promotor. By means of whole-cell and cell-attached techniques we were able to reveal transferrin-induced decreases in membrane capacitance reflecting increased endocytosis at the single cell level. Moreover, cell-attached recordings revealed significant alterations in the formation of single endocytic vesicles. Time-resolved measurements of cell membrane capacitance provide a new methodological approach to study the endocytic uptake of transferrin and its regulation by HFE, the hereditary hemochromatosis protein.     

Zur Honorarminderung gem. § 6a GOÄ bei extern erbrachten Wahlleistungen

Ohne Zusammenfassung RID="*" ID="*"Zugleich Besprechung der Entscheidung des BGH v. 13.6.2002 – III ZR 186/01 –, MedR 2002, S.582 (in diesem Heft); dieses wird im folgenden nach dem Urteilsumdruck zitiert. Rechtsanwalt Markus P. Henkel, Gottfried-Keller-Stra?e 20, D-81245 München     

老年性骨质疏松所致骨折患者血清钙磷和TGF-β 1分析

1临床资料2003-06／2004—12收治髋部骨质疏松性骨折患20(男14，女6)例，年龄58—80(平均68．5)岁，股骨颈骨折13例，粗隆间骨折7例．对照组为老年性骨关节病或颈腰椎病患20例．均抽空腹静脉血4mL，3000r／min离心5min分离血清，4h内测定血清钙、磷，留血清-20℃保存备用，测定TGF-β1．用Au-2700全自动生化分析仪测定血清钙、磷，试剂由日本欧林巴斯公司提供．血清TGF-β1检测采用ELISA法，     

Assessment of handedness using a digitizing tablet: a new method

The assessment of handedness is of interest in some psychiatric populations, above all in schizophrenic patients, because there may be a relationship between neurodevelopmental, hemispheric damage and psychiatric disease processes (Crow TJ. Schizophrenia Bulletin 1990;16:433-443; Tyler M, Diamond J, Lewis S. Schizophrenia Research 1995;18:37-41). Various methods to assess handedness have been proposed. In order to detect the most precise instrument for the assessment of handedness, two different measures, a questionnaire and a computational procedure for movement analysis, were compared in a group of healthy subjects. The ability of the methods to discriminate not only between the groups of right-handers (n=12) and left-handers (n=23), but also between left-handers trained in school to use the non-dominant right hand ('inconsistent' left-handers; n=11) and those allowed to use their left hand for writing ('consistent' left-handers; n=12) was investigated. For future investigations, our main concern was to determine if one method had superiority over the other. The results revealed that the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory (EHI) distinguishes just as well as the computational method between right-handers and non-right-handers. However, more precise discrimination between the subgroups of 'consistent' and 'inconsistent' left-handers is possible using digitized analysis of hand-motor performance. According to our results handedness should be assessed not only with the EHI, but also with the computer-aided analysis of hand-movements.     

The monoclonal antibody GZS-1 detects a maturation-associated antigen of human spermatozoa that is also present on the surface of human mononuclear blood cells

A monoclonal antibody (GZS-1) has been generated by fusion of mouse myeloma cells with spleen cells from BALB/c mice immunised with human sperm cells. The antibody was determined to be an IgG₁. The corresponding antigen is present on the whole surface of ejaculated human spermatozoa. It is not detectable on spermatozoa of other mammalian species (rabbit, cat, dog, sheep, boar, bull, horse). In human male genital organs, immunostaining with GZS-1 is observed on sperm cells in the epididymis and the ductus deferens together with the lining epithelium of those organs. No reactivity of sperm cells or germ cell precursors in the testis has been detected. Functional tests using the antibody show a strong inhibitory effect on human sperm in the hamster egg penetration assay. Furthermore, the GZS-1 antigen is detectable on the surface of human lymphocytes and monocytes by immunogold electron microscopy and FACS analysis. By Western blotting of human sperm and seminal plasma performed under reducing conditions immunostaining was detected at 21–25, 31, 51–54, and 62 kDa. The reaction with human lymphocytes shows one major band at 62 kDa and additional bands at 31 and 54 kDa. The results suggest that the monoclonal antibody GZS-1 may recognise an antigen which is secreted from the epithelial cells of the epididymis and binds to ejaculated spermatozoa as a sperm coating antigen. This component may be involved in the capacitation of the sperm and the acrosome reaction. Molecules that are expressed both on sperm and on immunocompetent cells may be relevant for the regulation of immunological processes or for the development of the related immunological tolerance of sperm in the female reproductive tract.     

Secondary thrombocytosis

To estimate the incidence and causes of secondary thrombocytosis in children, a 12 month study of all patients attending a children's hospital and discovered to have a platelet count over two times the upper normal limit (> 800 x 10(9)/l) was undertaken. Data so obtained were analysed both separately and together with those from two previous studies to gain as broad a perspective as possible. Of 7916 children who had platelet counts during the study period, 36 (0.5%) produced a value > 800 x 10(9)/l; there were 19 boys and 17 girls. There was a preponderance of young infants (median age 13 months). Twenty seven of the 36 had some sort of associated infection, bacterial in 18 and viral in nine. The other nine were either recovering from anti-neoplastic chemotherapy (n = 6), were post-operative (n = 2), or simply iron deficient (n = 1). Combining these patients with those described in previous studies allowed a review of 139 unselected children with very high platelet counts. Fifty three (38%) had infections, 29 (20%) had traumatic or surgical tissue damage, 16 (11%) had malignant disease undergoing chemotherapy or surgery, and 13 (9%) had connective tissue or autoimmune disorders. Secondary thrombocytosis is not rare and is most frequently seen in very young infants after infection. It can arise in a wide variety of other circumstances including rebound from myelosuppression, iron lack, or as part of an acute phase response. It is clinically unimportant in terms of morbidity and requires no treatment other than that for the primary condition.