Complement activation, circulating protease inhibitors and pregnancy-associated proteins in severe pre-eclampsia

Circulating protease inhibitors, pregnancy-associated proteins and the split product of complement factor 3 (C3d) were measured in 14 women with severe pre-eclampsia and their matched controls. Only the mean levels of antithrombin III were observed to be significantly lower in pre-eclampsia (P less than 0.02).     

Intermittent cryptorchidism: a sign of occult inguinal hernia in pubescent boys

Intermittent cryptorchidism is reported in 4 pubescent boys. Subsequent exploration revealed indirect inguinal hernias. When a pubescent boy observes the testicle to reside intermittently but primarily in a position cranial to the scrotum, a high probability of a concomitant indirect inguinal hernia is suggested.     

Inadvertent transcervical catheterization of the uterus in an infant with intraperitoneal injection of a contrast medium

A case is presented in which attempted catheterization of the urethral meatus resulted in the inadvertent catheterization of the cervical os. Visualization of the urethral meatus is a requisite for successful catheterization of infant females and young girls.     

Psychiatric side effects of interferon therapy: prevalence, proposed mechanisms, and future directions.

The increasing use of interferon (IFN) in treating a variety of disorders including, malignant melanoma and hepatitis C, has resulted in the identification and increasing concern about the psychiatric side effects that can result from treatment. These effects can occur either shortly after beginning IFN therapy or later as a result of continued treatment. Studies have reported the incidence of later side effects, which include symptoms of depression, anxiety, and occasional suicidal ideation, to be from 0% to 70%. Case studies have demonstrated that pharmacologic interventions are beneficial in reducing iatrogenic psychiatric symptoms while allowing patients to maintain IFN therapy. The present article provides an overview of the psychiatric effects of IFN therapy, the proposed mechanisms of these side effects, and case studies that provide mechanistic support. In addition, limitations of the current literature are provided with suggestions for treating physicians and a discussion of possible future research directions.     

Transverse testicular ectopia

Transverse testicular ectopia has been previously reported fifty-five times. A case report, review of the embryology, differential diagnosis, recognition, and suggested management are detailed and previous cases are summarized.     

Synthesis and characterisation of phosphorylcholine-based polymers useful for coating blood filtration devices

Copolymers of 2-methacryloyloxyethylphosphorylcholine (MPC) and lauryl methacrylate (LMA) of molar ratios MPC: LMAX where x = 1, 2 or 4, have been synthesised by two different free-radical polymerisation techniques. The solubility characteristics of the resulting materials were investigated in a variety of water: alcohol solvent mixtures and found to be influenced not only by the molar ratio of MPC: LMA, but also the method of synthesis. A window of solubility was observed for certain copolymers and the alcohol used in the solvent mixture was also found to have a profound influence on the solubility profile of the polymers. These materials were soluble in a wider range of aqueous methanol mixtures compared to aqueous mixtures of higher aliphatic alcohols, such as ethanol or isopropyl alcohol, which was rationalised in terms of the affinity of the phosphorylcholine headgroup for the various alcohols relative to water. 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to further examine the solution properties of the copolymers in various solvents. The copolymer MPC: LMA2 was coated onto a variety of substrates from both alcohol-only and water: alcohol solvent systems and the surface properties of the films compared by static and dynamic contact angle, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and attenuated internal reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR). The coating formed from the water: alcohol solvent was found to be hydrophilic in nature, possessing spontaneous wettability, whereas films formed from alcohol-only solvents were hydrophobic, and only on conditioning with water were more wettable surfaces attained. This phenomenon was applied in the coating of leukocyte filtration material, where the aqueous-based systems demonstrated lower critical wetting surface tension (CWST) and shorter wetting times relative to both uncoated filters and those coated from alcohol-only systems. The haemocompatibility of the coated filters was equivalent for both coating solvent systems. employed, and far superior when compared to the uncoated control.     

Adhesion molecules of syncytiotrophoblast microvillous membranes inhibit proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells

It has been shown previously that syncytiotrophoblast microvillous membranes (STBM), isolated from normal or pre-eclampsia placentae, specifically inhibit the proliferation of cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and disrupt the cell monolayer without causing cell death. We have previously shown that this anti-proliferative activity resides in a self-aggregating complex in which eight proteins, namely integrins alpha(5)(CD49e) and alpha(V)(CD51), dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV, CD26), alpha-actinin, transferrin receptor (TfR, CD71), transferrin, placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP) and monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) were identified. In the present study, we investigated which of these components causes the anti-proliferative activity of STBM. Antibodies against integrin alpha(5)and alpha(V)and DPP IV all reduced the STBM-induced inhibition of proliferation of HUVEC, which was also reversed by added fibronectin. A preparation of PLAP inhibited endothelial proliferation, but this was not due to enzymatic activity. The preparation was shown to be impure with more than 12 bands present on Coomassie blue stained SDS-PAGE gels. These included integrins alpha(5)and alpha(V), which could account, at least in part, for the inhibitory activity. We could not exclude, however, the possibility of other unidentified factors being involved. We conclude that adhesion molecules account for a major part of the anti-proliferative activity of STBM; these appear to compete for ligands in the extracellular matrix or serum with the appropriate receptors on HUVEC.