Long-term engraftment of normal and post-5-fluorouracil murine marrow into normal nonmyeloablated mice [see comments]

We report the successful long-term engraftment of normal male donor bone marrow (BM) transfused into noncytoablated female mice, challenging the assumption that "niches" need to be created for marrow to engraft. We have used chromosomal banding and Southern blot analysis to identify transplanted male marrow cells, and shown the long-term stability of the chimeric marrows. Balb/C, BDF1, or CBA-J female hosts (no irradiation) received for 5 consecutive days 40 x 10(6) male cells (per day) of the same strain, and repopulation patterns were observed. Parallel studies were performed using tibia/femur equivalents of normal marrow or marrow from Balb/C mice pretreated 6 days previously with 150 mg/kg 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Chromosome banding techniques showed that 5% to 46% of marrow cells were male 3 to 9 months posttransplant with normal donor marrow. Southern blot analysis, using the pY2 probe, showed continued engraftment at 21 to 25 months posttransplant, ranging from 15% to 42% male engrafted cells in marrow. Normal donor male marrow engrafted significantly better than 5-FU-pretreated male marrow as shown 1 to 12 months posttransplant in non-cytoablated female recipients. Percentages of male engrafted cells in BM ranged from 23% to 78% for recipients of normal donor marrow and from 0.1% to 39% for recipients of 5-FU marrow. Mean engraftment for 6 mice receiving normal marrow was 38%, whereas that for 6 mice receiving post-5-FU marrow was 8%, as assayed 1 to 3 months posttransplant. At 10 to 12 months, mean engraftment for the normal donor group was 46%, compared with 16% for the 5-FU group. The patterns of engraftment with normal and 5-FU marrow were similar for spleen and thymus. These results show that long-term chimerism can be established after transplantation of normal donor marrow to normal nonirradiated host mice and indicate that marrow spaces do not have to be created for successful engraftment. They suggest that transplanted marrow competes equally with host marrow for marrow space. Finally, these data show that post-5-FU Balb/C male marrow is markedly inferior in the repopulation of Balb/C female host marrow, spleen, and thymus, and suggest that this population of cells may not be the ideal population for gene transfer studies.     

Temporomandibular joint arthrography following surgical treatment of internal derangements

Arthrograms of the temporomandibular joint were obtained in 20 symptomatic joints that had previous reconstructive arthroplasty with disk repositioning because of internal derangements. Preoperative arthrograms were available for comparison in 18 joints. Symptoms resulting in a postoperative arthrogram included pain, limited ability to open the mouth, and clicking of the joints. Postoperative arthrographic findings included limited anterior translation of the condyle (90%), irregularity in outline of the intraarticular contrast agent (60%), a conical configuration of the posterior recess (25%), decreased size of the joint (28%), anterior displacement of the meniscus (25%), and perforated meniscus (15%). Many of these findings may have resulted from fibrosis and scarring, which may be a response to intraarticular bleeding. The mechanism by which the fibrosis causes the postsurgical arthrographic features is discussed.     

大孔树脂吸附法富集野菊花总黄酮的工艺研究

目的研究大孔树脂吸附法富集野菊花总黄酮的工艺条件及参数。方法以野菊花总黄酮为考察指标,考察大孔树脂富集野菊花总黄酮的最佳工艺条件。结果野菊花提取液(50mg生药/mL)5mL上大孔树脂柱(150mm×10mm),吸附30min后,先用100mL蒸馏水洗脱除去杂质,然后用70%乙醇100mL洗脱,洗脱速度为2mg/mL,洗脱剂用量为9倍量树脂,树脂可重复使用3次,采用此条件为最佳工艺。结论AB-8型大孔树脂在所确定的工艺条件下,可较好的吸附分离野菊花总黄酮。其70%乙醇洗脱物中总黄酮质量分数达4.34%以上,总黄酮收率为84.47%以上。采用此法可以较好的富集野菊花中的有效成分。     

Blood loss and replacement in total hip arthroplasty: a multicenter study. The Preoperative Autologous Blood Donation Study Group

To determine blood loss, the number of transfusions, and the hemoglobin levels achieved in patients via transfusion in the course of total hip arthroplasty, 324 patient records from 1987 through 1989 were reviewed at three university and three community hospitals. Calculated blood loss was 3.2 +/- 1.3 units in primary procedures and 4.0 +/- 2.1 units in revision procedures (mean +/- SD). Of 777 red cell units transfused, 455 (59%) were autologous units. Transfused patients received 2.0 +/- 1.8 units for primary procedures and 2.9 +/- 2.3 units for revision procedures (mean +/- SD). The maximum number of units given to 95 percent of the transfused patients was 4 for primary procedures and 6 for revision procedures. The mean postoperative hemoglobin level after all transfusions was 103 to 110 g per L, regardless of patient age group of physical status, autologous donor status, or hospital. No difference in length of hospital stay was observed for patients less than 65 years old with hemoglobin concentrations of 80 to 139 g per L at discharge.     

急性冠状动脉综合征置入支架患者使用替罗非班和阿司匹林时泮托拉唑对消化道保护作用的评价

目的:急性冠状动脉综合征(ACS)置入支架患者使用盐酸替罗非班、阿司匹林、氯吡格雷、低分子肝素(四联)时,评价泮托拉唑对消化道的保护作用.方法:选择ACS置入支架治疗的患者266例,随机分入观察组134例,对照组132例,所有患者均服用阿司匹林、氯吡格雷、低分子肝素和盐酸替罗非班.观察组患者静脉注射泮托拉唑40 mg/d 4～5天,之后改为泮托拉唑片剂40 mg/次,2次/天,服用30天.观察两组间30天全因死亡、再次心肌梗死、再次经皮冠状动脉介入治疗(PCI)、再次住院、颅内出血和消化道出血状况.结果:观察组134例患者30天内全因死亡5例、再次心肌梗死4例、再次PCI4例和再次住院8例;对照组132例患者分别为8例、6例、5例和13例,两组相比差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05);两组均无颅内出血发生.观察组消化道大出血0和总消化道出血事件3例,对照组分别为5例和15例,两组比较观察组消化道大出血和总消化道出血事件少于对照组(P<0.05),差异均有统计学意义.结论:ACS置入支架治疗的患者,盐酸替罗非班治疗是安全有效的,未见颅内出血发生.静脉注射和口服泮托拉唑并不增加30天全因死亡、再次心肌梗死、再次PCI和再次住院发生,同时可以减少30天内消化道出血发生率特别是消化道大出血事件的发生,具有良好的消化道保护作用和安全性.     

Breast Surgery Outcomes as Quality Measures According to the NSQIP Database

Background

The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) is a risk-adjusted database designed to benchmark quality initiatives. NSQIP captures uniform morbidity variables for all operations and calculates expected morbidity probabilities. Given the frequent need for reoperation following breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and mastectomy, we hypothesized that NSQIP may inaccurately reflect surgical morbidity after breast cancer operations.

Methods

Using the 2008 NSQIP database, we identified 24,447 breast surgery patients. We calculated the observed versus expected (O/E) morbidity ratios, compared them to other general surgery procedures, and analyzed the O/E morbidity ratios among benign and malignant breast diagnoses.

Results

The NSQIP database shows that breast surgery has an O/E morbidity ratio of 3.11, which is higher than other general surgery procedures. Additionally, breast operations for malignancy have higher O/E morbidity ratios (3.22) than those performed for benign disease (2.59). Analysis of malignant patients by CPT code revealed that BCS patients had an O/E morbidity ratio of 7.75 and attributed 89?% of morbidity to reoperation, whereas mastectomy patients had an O/E morbidity ratio of only 1.7. Elimination of the reoperation variable from morbidity calculations in breast surgery reduces the O/E morbidity ratio to less than expected in all breast procedures.

Discussion

Breast surgery has a higher O/E morbidity ratio than other general surgery procedures. Reoperations are expected in BCS for positive margins and in mastectomy for completion ALND. Breast surgeons should advocate for benchmarking by surgical site-specific metrics, because current NSQIP criteria may negatively affect the quality assessment of high-volume breast centers.     

Dissociation of lung function and airway inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is defined by progressive, irreversible airflow limitation and an inflammatory response of the lungs, usually to cigarette smoke. However, COPD is a heterogeneous disease in terms of clinical, physiologic, and pathologic presentation. We aimed to evaluate whether airflow limitation, airway responsiveness, and airway inflammation are separate entities underlying the pathophysiology of COPD by using factor analysis. A total of 114 patients (99 males/15 females, age 62 +/- 8 years, 42 pack-years smoking, no inhaled or oral steroids > 6 months) with irreversible airflow limitation (postbronchodilator FEV(1) 63 +/- 9% predicted, FEV(1)/inspiratory vital capacity [IVC] 48 +/- 9%) and symptoms of chronic bronchitis or dyspnea were studied in a cross-sectional design. Postbronchodilator FEV(1) and FEV(1)/IVC, reversibility to inhaled beta(2)-agonists, diffusing capacity, provocative concentration of methacholine required to produce a 20% drop in FEV(1), total serum IgE, exhaled nitric oxide, and induced sputum cell counts (% eosinophils, % neutrophils) were collected. Factor analysis yielded 4 separate factors that accounted for 63.6% of the total variance. Factor 1 was comprised of FEV(1), FEV(1)/IVC, and residual volume/total lung capacity. Factor 2 included reversibility, IgE, provocative concentration of methacholine required to produce a 20% drop in FEV(1,) and diffusing capacity. Factor 3 contained exhaled nitric oxide and factor 4 included sputum % neutrophils and % eosinophils. We conclude that airflow limitation, airway inflammation, and features commonly associated with asthma are separate and largely independent factors in the pathophysiology of COPD.     

Iotrol versus metrizamide in lumbar myelography: a double-blind study

In a prospective, randomized, double-blind study, 49 patients underwent lumbar myelography using iotrol (24 patients) or metrizamide (25 patients). The diagnostic imaging adequacy of iotrol was comparable with that of metrizamide. After iotrol myelography, adverse reactions were fewer, less severe, and of shorter duration than were those following metrizamide myelography. Thirteen of 24 patients (54%) receiving iotrol reported some adverse reactions compared with 24 of 25 patients (96%) receiving metrizamide. Five moderate and one severe adverse reaction occurred in the group receiving iotrol. Fourteen moderate and eight severe adverse reactions occurred in the group receiving metrizamide. Thirty-eight patients underwent electroencephalography both before and after myelography (19 iotrol and 19 metrizamide). None of the EEGs obtained after iotrol myelography changed from baseline, while seven of the EEGs obtained after metrizamide myelography showed changes from baseline. Iotrol was judged superior to metrizamide as a contrast medium in this patient population.     

Safety of sputum induction during exacerbations of COPD

Sputum induction (SI) is considered to be a safe tool for assessing airway inflammation in stable patients with COPD, but little is known about its safety during exacerbations. We therefore assessed the safety of SI during COPD exacerbations. SI data from 44 COPD patients were assessed both in the stable phase and during exacerbation. The median FEV1 for the stable phase and exacerbation were 61% predicted (interquartile range [IQR], 49 to 74% predicted) and 51% predicted (IQR, 45 to 60% predicted), respectively. The median decrease in FEV(1) with SI during an exacerbation was 0.27 L (IQR, 0.17 to 0.40 L) vs 0.28 L (IQR, 0.22 to 0.44 L) during the stable phase (p = 0.03). The patients experienced the associated dyspnea well; no other adverse events occurred. All FEV1 values returned to within 90% of their initial value within 30 min. A larger decrease in FEV1 due to SI during an exacerbation was associated with the following parameters in the stable phase of disease: lower total sputum cell count (r = -0.37; p = 0.01); higher percentage of eosinophils (r = 0.33; p = 0.04); and a larger decrease in FEV1 after SI (r = 0.39; p = 0.03). In a multivariate analysis, the only independent association was with the larger decrease in FEV1 in the stable phase. We concluded that SI can be safely carried out in patients with mild-to-moderate COPD who experience an exacerbation, and this occurs with no greater risk than in stable patients with COPD.