AN EPIDEMIC OF PLEURISY AMONGST MILITARY RECRUITS

An epidemic amongst recruits who presented with acute viral exudative pleural effusion with lymphocytic pleocytosis is analysed. Histologic and bacteriologic proof of tuberculosis was lacking in majority. Most of them recovered without pleural thickening. Overcrowding, inadequate clothing protection, stress and strain of vigorous recruit training could be important precipitating factors. None reported with parenchymal tuberculosis in two year follow up.KEY WORDS: Pleural effussion, Viral     

Acute myocardial ischemia: MR imaging with Mn-TP

Cardiac-gated magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was performed in rats to determine the effects of manganese ethylenediaminetetraphosphonate (TP). Ten normal rats received Mn-TP in a dose of 50 mumol/kg through a tail-vein injection. Spin-echo MR images were obtained before and every 10 minutes after Mn-TP injection for 1 hour. Cardiac signal intensity (SI) increased more than 70% after Mn-TP injection and remained nearly unchanged 1 hour after injection. Myocardial T1 was 517 +/- 49 msec in eight control rats and 282 +/- 61 msec (P less than .001) in six rats 81 +/- 0 minutes after injection. Nine rats underwent occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery prior to MR imaging. Images were obtained before and 15, 30, and 60 minutes after Mn-TP injection. In normal myocardium, SI increased up to 82% and remained elevated for 1 hour. In ischemic myocardium, SI rose 11%, leading to a marked contrast between the two tissue zones. T1 was also different in the two regions: In normal tissue, it was 206 msec +/- 54; in ischemic tissue, 338 +/- 82 (P less than .001). With T1-weighted MR imaging, Mn-TP showed a potential for delineating the jeopardized area after acute myocardial ischemia.     

5-Methoxy Psoralen, Etretinate, and UVA for Psoriasis

This first Australasian randomized trial of 5-methoxy psoralen (5-MOP) PUVA for psoriasis shows, conclusively, less acute side effects than 8-MOP PUVA. Daily addition of oral etretinate to the PUVA regimen (Re-PUVA) produces a valuable reduction in total joules and more so with 5-MOP than with 8-MOP. The clearing phase with 5-MOP Re-PUVA is quicker than with 8-MOP Re-PUVA in skin types 1, 2, and 3 (most Anglo-Saxon-Celtic Australians). Doses, when adapted to total body surface rather than mg/kg, allow superior control of therapy. Emollient creams, tar gels, nonsteroidal scalp applications, etc. allow more patient comfort.     

Interleukin-6 enhances growth factor-dependent proliferation of the blast cells of acute myeloblastic leukemia

The effects of recombinant interleukin-6 (IL-6) on the proliferation of blast precursors present in the peripheral blood of patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) was investigated. IL-6 had little effect by itself; however, it synergized with granulocyte macrophage colony- stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin-3 (IL-3) in the stimulation of AML blast colony formation. Responsiveness of blast progenitors to IL-6 was heterogeneous. On normal bone marrow cells the same synergy was observed on granulocyte and monocyte precursors (GM-CFC), while there was no significant effect on erythroid and multipotential precursors.