Human chorionic gonadotrophin-beta gene sequences in women with disorders of HCG production

Women with recurrent abortion, primary unexplained infertility, and gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) manifest disordered human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) secretion. Mutations in the HCG beta/luteinizing hormone (LH) beta gene complex could cause aberrant HCG production in these disorders. The purpose of this study was to determine whether HCG beta gene deletions occur in women with recurrent abortion or primary unexplained infertility, and whether HCG beta gene duplications are present in women with GTN. DNA was extracted from 10 patients with unexplained recurrent abortion, 10 patients with unexplained primary infertility, 12 patients with GTN, three partners of women with GTN, and 30 controls. Southern blots were constructed and hybridized with DNA probes for HCG beta-5 and the LH beta gene. No gene deletions were identified in patients with recurrent abortion or primary unexplained infertility. Likewise, no gene duplications were identified in women with GTN. A previously described Mbol restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) was identified in both patients and controls. A new Pstl RFLP was also characterized, but was present in patients and controls. Deletion/duplication mutations in the HCG beta/LH beta gene complex do not appear to be common causes of aberrant HCG production in humans with these disorders.      

Severe cervical dysplasia and nasal cartilage calcification following prenatal warfarin exposure

We present an infant who was exposed to warfarin throughout pregnancy and has warfarin embryopathy. When the child was examined radiologically at 20 months areas of calcification were visible in the septal and alar cartilages of the small external part of the nose. The location of this ectopic calcification is consistent with that seen in an animal model of the warfarin embryopathy. It supports the hypothesis that warfarin interferes with the prenatal growth of the cartilaginous nasal septum by inhibiting the normal formation of a vitamin K-dependent protein that prevents calcification of cartilage. The child also had severe abnormalities of the cervical vertebrae and secondary damage to the spinal cord. Cervical vertebral anomalies are a relatively common finding in the warfarin embryopathy and in the related Binder syndrome. Am. J. Med. Genet. 71:391–396, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

High capacity screening of pooled compounds: Identification of the active compound without re-assay of pool members

A matrix-based compound pooling and deconvolution method has been developed that significantly increased the efficiency of a high-capacity screening program. This method is based on screening pools of 10 compounds. The matrix used to assemble the pools resulted in each compound being assayed twice—each time with a completely different set of pooled compounds. The active compound in an active pool was accurately predicted by determining which compound was present in an active pool both times that a pool containing that compound was tested. This has eliminated the need to re-assay each individual member of active pools. This approach has been tested with a set of 6,680 compounds in three different assays: inhibition of Factor Xa, inhibition of gastrin-releasing peptide receptor binding, and inhibition of nitric oxide synthase (isoform II). Thus significant time is saved not only by pooling the compounds for the initial assay but also by avoiding the need to re-assay all compounds in active pools. Moreover, no false negatives occurred in these assays—an important consideration from a drug discovery perspective. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Tension pneumoperitoneum associated with a pleural-peritoneal shunt.

The differential diagnosis of pneumoperitoneum is broad. We report a case of tension pneumoperitoneum in a patient on mechanical ventilation with initially unrecognized pneumothorax who had an indwelling pleural-peritoneal shunt. The patient developed ventilatory and hemodynamic collapse as air was diverted from the pleural space into the peritoneal cavity. Subsequent abdominal exploration revealed the source of the intra-abdominal air. Placement of a chest thoracostomy tube and removal of the pleural-peritoneal catheter resulted in significant clinical improvement. We suggest that it is important to recognize that pleural-peritoneal catheters may cause tension pneumoperitoneum without obvious concurrent pneumothorax.     

Trisomy 16鼠结肠和人先天性巨结肠蛋白基因产物9.5的表达

目的：研究Ｄｏｗｎ’ｓ 综合征动物模型ｔｒｉｓｏｍｙ １６ 结肠神经系发育和先天性巨结肠（ＨＤ） 病变肠管蛋白基因产物９－５（ｐｒｏｔｅｉｎ ｇｅｎｅ ｐｒｏｄｕｃｔ９ ．５ ,ＰＧＰ９－５） 的神经表达。方法：Ｔｒｉｓｏｍｙ １６ 鼠培育;细胞遗传学分析;Ｔｒｉｓｏｍｙ １６ 鼠结肠和ＨＤＰＧＰ９－５ 免疫组织化学。结果：（１）Ｔｒｉｓｏｍｙ １６ 鼠结肠神经系发育异常,肌间神经丛发育迟缓,粘膜下神经丛缺失,结肠末端有５ ｍｍ 的无神经节区,但结肠系膜神经发育良好;（２）ＨＤ狭窄段肠管ＰＧＰ９－５ 阳性神经纤维大量增生,神经节细胞缺如。结论：（１）Ｔｒｉｓｏｍｙ １６ 鼠具有稳定的遗传学特征,可能伴先天性巨结肠。（２） 由于ＨＤ 狭窄段肠管神经节细胞缺失,增生的ＰＧＰ９－５ 阳性神经纤维是肠道外源性神经的代偿,对其神经元的性质尚有待确定。（３）ＨＤ有遗传倾向     

Upper aerodigestive tract frostbite complicating volatile substance abuse.

Volatile substance abuse has become increasingly popular among today's youth. It has reportedly been used by up to 13% of teenage populations. Physicians need to be aware of the potential complications which may arise from this form of substance abuse. We describe the case of a young male who presented with massive edema affecting his lips, oral cavity, oropharynx and trachea. It was later discovered that his injury was secondary to thermal trauma related to the abuse of a fluorinated hydrocarbon propellant. This presentation may easily be confused with allergic or angioneurotic edema. Denial by the patient can lead to a further delay in diagnosis. This case is especially notable since frostbite injury involving the upper aerodigestive tract is extremely rare. We discuss the differential diagnosis and the management principals required in the care of this patient. We also present a pertinent review of the literature related to both volatile substance abuse and its complications involving the airway.     

Vertebral osteophyte formation in experimental disc degeneration

Experimental intervertebral disc degeneration produced in rabbits by ventral nuclear herniation reliably produces vertebral osteophytes. Osteophytes arise from proliferating inner annular fibers which undergo metaplasia into cartilage, calcify, and proceed through an endochondral ossification sequence. Proteoglycans extracted from the osteophytes reveal that the degree of aggregation, molecular size of the monomer, and the chondroitin sulfate/keratin sulfate ratio are directly related to the cartilage state of the tissue.     

Comparative immunolocalization studies of collagenase 1 and collagenase 3 production in the rheumatoid lesion, and by human chondrocytes and synoviocytes in vitro

The degradation of fibrillar type II collagen is a major feature of cartilage destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Since collagenase 3 is produced by chondrocytes and preferentially degrades type II cartilage collagen, it seemed likely that this enzyme would have a prominent role in the destruction of rheumatoid joints. Using immunolocalization techniques, we have examined and compared the production and distributions of collagenase 1 and collagenase 3 in cells and tissues derived from rheumatoid knee arthroplasties. Primary cultures of chondrocytes stimulated with interleukin-1 beta showed that most of the cells produced collagenase 1, whereas only a minority (approximately 5-10%) produced collagenase 3; a few chondrocytes demonstrated the co-ordinate production of both enzymes. Primary cultures of rheumatoid synoviocytes produced collagenase 1, but not collagenase 3. Both enzymes were demonstrated in the rheumatoid lesion. Collagenase 1 was more commonly observed in both synovium and cartilage (22 of the 28 specimens), was especially prominent at cartilage erosion sites, and most of the positive specimens demonstrated extracellular enzyme. By contrast, collagenase 3 was observed less frequently (7/28 specimens) and was produced by relatively few chondrocytes and synovial cells, this usually being much less than that observed for chondrocytes of osteoarthritic cartilage. These observations suggest different regulatory mechanisms for the production of collagenases 1 and 3 in the rheumatoid lesion, and demonstrate that the distribution and production of collagenase 1 are far more prevalent than those for collagenase 3.