HLA Associations with Hashimoto''s thyroiditis

There is disagreement over the HLA-DR associations of Hashimoto's (goitrous) thyroiditis. We have studied 86 English Caucasian patients with this condition whose DR types were determined by restriction fragment polymorphism analysis. HLA-DR3 was significantly more frequent in these patients than in 100 controls (chi 2 = 7.09; P less than 0.01). The relative risk was 2.23 and aetiological fraction 0.29. HLA-DPB and DQB alleles were analysed in a proportion of these subjects by enzymatic DNA amplification and oligonucleotide probing. The only significant finding was an excess of HLA-DQw2 (in linkage disequilibrium with DR3) in the Hashimoto group (chi 2 = 7.43, P less than 0.007). These results do not support a difference between goitrous and atrophic thyroiditis based on respective associations with HLA-DR5 and DR3, but confirm a recent study in which HLA-DR3 was associated with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. However, it is possible that genes telomeric to DR3 may be involved in determining which type of thyroiditis a patient with autoimmune hypothyroidism develops.     

Microvascular corrosion casting of normal tissue, transitional mucosa and adenocarcinoma in the human colon.

The microcirculatory architecture of normal tissue, transitional mucosa and adenocarcinoma of the human colon was investigated with microvascular corrosion casting (MVCC) combined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The study showed that the capillaries within the normal mucosa were arranged in a regular hexagonal pattern around the mucosal glands and that the microvessels of transitional mucosa mostly had lost the typical hexagonal pattern and become slightly wider in diameter. The microvessels in the tumor periphery were increased in number and disorganized, and presented large variation in morphology with claw-like formations, widened sinuses, diverticula and appendixoid patterns. Microvessels were lacking in the central areas of tumors. These morphological alterations may serve as additional indicators of tumor development.     

Orbital and muscular relapse of Burkitt's lymphoma

We report the case of a child presenting with abdominal Burkitt's lymphoma in whom a relapse presented as orbital and muscle involvement. This clinical feature is extremely rare. Two muscle and one orbital biopsies were necessary to obtain proper diagnosis. A new extension check-up showed bone marrow invasion and normal cerebrospinal fluid. This relapse was successfully treated by conventional chemotherapy and consolidated with high-dose chemotherapy, total body irradiation and autologous bone marrow transplantation. Eighteen months after transplantation, the child may be considered as definitively cured.     

The role of condylectomy in the treatment of mandibular laterognathism in children

In 7 cases of mandibular laterognathia caused by condylar hypertrophy, the authors specify the clinical and teleradiological features in adolescents. They emphasize the inadequacy of lateral teleradiography and of its measurements, and the need for three-dimensional investigation. In adolescents, secondary deformations, either spontaneous or therapeutic, are rare, and the treatment preferred is condylectomy based on the study of casts. The immediate results of this techniques are satisfactory. The long-term consequences on growth and temporomandibular pathology have been studied.     

Resolution of otitis media with effusion with the use of a stepped treatment regimen of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and prednisone

This double blind, placebo-controlled trial was designed to determine whether intervention with a stepped regimen of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) and prednisone would prevent high risk children from developing chronic otitis media with effusion (OME) and recurrent acute otitis media. Forty-two children were enrolled, assigned to treatment with active drug or placebo and then examined at 2-week intervals. They received TMP-SMX (or placebo) during the first 2 weeks, TMP-SMX and prednisone (or placebo) during Weeks 3 and 4 for persistent OME and TMP-SMX (or placebo) for Weeks 5 and 6 if OME was still unresolved. After treatment 48% of active drug and 14% of placebo subjects resolved OME bilaterally (P less than 0.05). Active drug subjects also had fewer acute otitis media episodes than placebo subjects while receiving study treatment (P less than 0.01). Although this treatment regimen produced short term OME resolution, long term benefits were not demonstrated.     

单侧鼻前庭切口经蝶切除垂体腺瘤

对１６例垂体腺瘤采用单侧鼻前庭切口经蝶切除，效果满意，既可减少手术创伤，又缩短了手术距离，且避免了美容缺陷，是一种设计巧妙，较为实用的手术方法，尤其适用于生长激素腺瘤。     

Measurement of brain perfusion by volume-localized NMR spectroscopy using inversion of arterial water spins: accounting for transit time and cross-relaxation.

The theoretical model for perfusion measurement by NMR using arterial labeling of endogenous water is extended to include the effects of transit time and cross-relaxation of tissue water with macromolecules. Water magnetization in rat brain is monitored using the STEAM method to simultaneously determine the transit time, magnetization transfer rate constant, and perfusion. The results show that the transit time in rat brain is quite short, and thus its effect on perfusion measurement is small. It is also demonstrated both theoretically and experimentally that the steady-state effects of cross-relaxation with macromolecules on perfusion measurement are accounted for by a proper control experiment.     

Activation of phospholipase D by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) in rat C6 glioma cells: possible role in mitogenic signal transduction.

The effects of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) on phospholipase D (PLD) activity and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis in rat C6 glioma cells have been investigated. Pretreatment of serum-starved C6 cells with PDGF results in enhanced choline production and the phosphatidylethanol (PEt) formation in the presence of ethanol, indicating the activation of PLD acting on phosphatidylcholine (PC). The dose-response curve for choline generation and DNA synthesis were comparable. In addition, the effects of PDGF on both PEt formation and [3H]thymidine incorporation into acid-precipitable material was blocked by the potent protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor 1-(5-isoquinolinesulphonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7) but not by N-(2-guanidinoethyl)-5-isoquinolinesulphonamide (HA1004), a relatively weak inhibitor of PKC, suggesting that PDGF plays an important role as a positive regulator of glioma cell growth via a PLD-mediated mitogenic signal transduction cascades, which depends largely on the activation of PKC.