Intra-observer and inter-observer agreement of the manual examination of the lumbar spine in chronic low-back pain

Examination is a cornerstone in the manual procedures leading to mobilisation/manipulation of the low back. The observer variation of the more specific segmental tests remains to be investigated. Two skilled specialists in manual medicine examined the segmental changes in the lumbar spine. The patients were unknown to the examiners and no information of the case history was given. All test results were recorded by an observer present in the room who ensured that no conversation was allowed during the examination. The primary outcome measures were the kappa values for each test. The matching was defined as acceptable (acc) within two neighbouring levels and perfect (per) on the same level. Intra-observer variation (tested in 33 patients and 10 subjects without low-back pain): The agreement between first and second segmental diagnosis examination was 70% (per) and 82% (per + acc). Kappa values were: segmental diagnosis 0.60 (per) and 0.70 (per + acc), multifidus test 0.51 (per) and 0.60 (per + acc), sideflexion 0.57 (per) and 0.69 (per + acc), and ventral flexion 0.31 (per) and 0.45 (per + acc). Inter-observer variation (tested in 60 patients): The agreement for segmental diagnosis between the examiner A and B was 42% (per) and 75% (per + acc). Kappa values were: segmental diagnosis 0.21 (per) and 0.57 (acc), multifidus test 0.12 (per) and 0.48 (acc), sideflexion 0.22 (per) and 0.45 (acc), and ventralflexion 0.22 (per) and 0.44 (acc). By manual tests, skilled examiners seem to be able to diagnose segmental dysfunctions in the low back. The clinical implication of these dysfunctions remains to be clarified.     

Cancer immunotherapy using local interleukin 2 administration

Peri-tumoural administration of human recombinant interleukin-2 (RIL-2) into C57BL/10ScSnPh (B10) mice carrying subcutaneous transplants of syngeneic methylcholanthrene (MC)-induced sarcomas substantially inhibited tumour growth. Experiments were designed to compare the tumour-inhibitory effect of highly purified RIL-2 with that of unpurified human and rat lymphoid interleukin-2 (IL-2) preparations. It was found that the effect of RIL-2 was significantly lower than that of the lymphoid IL-2 preparations. These findings indicate that other lymphokines may participate in the positive results of local IL-2 immunotherapy using unpurified lymphoid IL-2 preparations. However, the admixture of human recombinant interleukin-1 (RIL-1) did not potentiate the immunotherapeutic effects of RIL-2. Sensitivity of MC-induced sarcomas to local RIL-2 immunotherapy was a general phenomenon. The growth of approximately eighty percent (5/6) of the MC-induced sarcomas could be inhibited with local RIL-2 administration. Moreover, direct correlation between the sensitivity of tumours to the tumour-inhibitory effect of RIL-2 in vivo and their susceptibility to the cytolytic effect of RIL-2-activated syngeneic killer spleen (LAK) cells in vitro was observed. This correlation indicates that LAK cells represent the effector cell mechanism responsible for the anti-tumour efficacy of local RIL-2 immunotherapy and that in vitro testing of sensitivity to the LAK cell-mediated cytolysis may be used to detect tumours responding to the local RIL-2 immunotherapy in vivo.     

In vivo gene transfer: focus on the kidney

Renal gene transfer techniques are being developed as a novelexperimental approach to understand the pathogenesis of renaldisease and to potentially develop new therapeutic tools. Wereview the currently available technology to introduce foreigngenetic material into renal tissue, i.e., retroviral, adenoviral,and liposomal transfer systems with their respective advantagesand caveats. Today, the transfer efficiency of these methodsappears to be sufficiently high to study the effects of transducedgenes on renal function and morphology in rat kidney. This willallow (i) the elucidation of the function of genes on the courseof renal disease in experimental animal models and (ii) themodulation of local expression of endogenous genes which presumptivelycontribute to renal pathology in these models. One strategyto accomplish this aim is the use of recombinant DNA technologyto design antisense DNA constructs or oligonucleotides, whichinterfere with the renal expression of target genes. We willalso discuss some of the shortcomings of the currently usedtechniques with respect to potential therapeutic use of genetransfer systems and gene modulation.     

Funktionelle Schluckaktuntersuchungen mit der Elektronenstrahl- computertomographie

Zusammenfassung Videofluorographie und Kinematographie gelten derzeit als Goldstandard für die Abkl?rung von Schluckst?rungen. Methodisch bedingt ist jedoch keine überlagerungsfreie Darstellung der anatomisch wichtigen Strukturen des Pharynx m?glich, so da? bei manchen St?rungen nicht unterschieden werden kann, ob diese pathoanatomisch oder funktionell-neurogen bedingt sind. Anhand von 3 Fallbeispielen wird dargelegt, ob und in welchem Umfang die Elektronenstrahlcomputertomographie mit ihrem hohen r?umlichen und zeitlichen Aufl?sungsverm?gen (Millisekundenbereich) diese Nachteile kompensiert. Es ist uns gelungen zu zeigen, da? die vollst?ndige und symmetrische nasopharyngeale Abdichtung durch den Passavantschen Wulst und den weichen Gaumen gew?hrleistet wird. Durch die EBT konnte die genaue anatomische Lokalisation und Ausbreitung eines lateralen hypopharyngealen Pouches dargestellt werden. Durch den Nachweis einer Kompression des oberen ?sophagussphinkters durch einen kleinen zervikalen Spondylophyten konnte eine scheinbar nur funktionell bedingte Dysfunktion weiter abgekl?rt werden. Diese Beispiele zeigen, da? die Elektronenstrahlcomputertomographie die sich funktionell ?ndernde Anatomie w?hrend des Schluckens in der Transversalschicht darstellen kann, und legen es nahe, ihre Wertigkeit auf der Basis systemischer interdisziplin?rer Untersuchungen zu evaluieren.      

Profound increase ofHelicobacter pylori urease activity in gastric antral mucosa at low pH

The effect of pH onH. pylori urease activity in its ecological niche was studied in gastric antral biopsy specimens. Specimens were incubated in 10 mmol/liter urea solutions at pH range 3.3–8.2. Activity of urease was studied by measuring production of ammonia and change in pH of the solutions. Urease activity was reduced at pH 8.2 (1424 ± 218 µmol/liter) but decreasing initial pH to neutral and acidic values resulted in significant maximal 6.5-fold increase in ammonia production (9491 ± 1073 µmol/liter,P<0.0005), which considerably raised the pH of the test solutions. Peak urease activity was between pH 5.0 and 7.0. In contrast to specimens incubated initially at pH 8.0, reincubation of washed specimens from solutions with initial pH 7.0 showed eightfold decreased urease activity. It is concluded that urease activity is markedly pH dependent with pH optima below the physiological mucosal surface pH. Furthermore, availability of urease is limited. Thus, an impaired gastric mucosal integrity allowing back diffusion of hydrogen ions may release urease activity, which might further weaken the mucus barrier and damage the gastric epithelium.This study was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Mi 190/3).     

Abdominal zygomycotic thromboangiitis in a patient with AML and t(1;13;14)

 The case report of a 61 year-old man with AML M2 FAB, t(1; 13; 14) and zygomycotic mesenterial thromboangiitis is presented. Two induction cycles of chemotherapy were administered due to primary drug resistance. They were complicated by pneumonia, colonic pseudo-obstruction and perforation with peritonitis. The patient died on the 40th day of therapy, 4 days after undergoing palliative surgery. Zygomycotic thromboangiitis, which very probably contributed to the intestinal perforation, was confirmed morphologically at necropsy. The novel complex chromosomal translocation t(1; 13; 14) (q31; q32; q24) and the problems connected with the diagnosis of invasive fungal infections are discussed. Received: 26 January 1996 / Accepted: 12 June 1996