The effects of chondroitinase ABC on the rabbit intervertebral disc. A roentgenographic and histologic study

A series of intradiscal injections of chondroitinase ABC was performed in 31 young adult rabbits. Roentgenograms were taken immediately postinjection and were repeated at two, three, five, six, seven, or nine days after injection. All had roentgenographic evidence of disc space narrowing at all stages after the injection. Histologic evaluation of safranin-O fast green-stained sections indicated degradation of proteoglycans in the annulus fibrosus of chondroitinase ABC-injected discs. The cells of the chondroitinase ABC-injected discs, the end plates, and the growth-plate areas of adjacent vertebral bodies appeared unaffected.     

Traumatic aneurysm of the internal carotid artery: a late finding presenting as a mass in the sphenoid sinus.

We describe a case of a traumatic aneurysm of the cavernous portion of the internal carotid artery in a patient who had had craniofacial trauma 12 years before. MR and CT revealed a mass in the sphenoid sinus thought to be unrelated to the patient''s symptoms. Carotid angiography gave the correct diagnosis.     

Hereditary protein C deficiency and portal-vein thrombosis

Inherited defects of the natural coagulation inhibitors predispose patients to thrombosis. These disorders have similar clinical presentations with a strong family history of thrombosis, episodes of recurrent venous thromboembolism, beginning in early adulthood. We report a case of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in a patient with portal hypertension due to portal-vein thrombosis secondary to hereditary protein C deficiency, an association that has seldom been reported.     

Detection of HIV1 proviral DNA by PCR and hybridization with digoxigenin labelled probes.

One of the main obstacles for the introduction of PCR method to identify HIV1 proviral DNA in routine diagnostic laboratories is the use of radiolabelled oligodeoxynucleotide probes. Nonradioactive labelled probes have several advantages over radioactive labelling: they are stable for over 1 year, they can be produced easily in large amounts and they are safe. Polymerase chain reaction is an efficient and simple method to produce vector free inserts to use as probes. In this paper we describe a procedure for labelling DNA probes with digoxigenin-11-dUTP using the polymerase chain reaction. This non-radioactive labelling system was applied to detect HIV proviral sequences, amplified in vitro by PCR, from peripheral blood mononuclear cells DNA of infected subjects. We found identical sensitivities and specificities for probes synthesized with the non-radioactive and radioactive labelling procedures. The digoxigenin-11-dUTP can be efficiently incorporated during amplification of a DNA fragment using the polymerase chain reaction. This labelling and detection method proved to be specific, sensible and simple enough to be used in routine diagnostic laboratories for the detection of HIV1 infected individuals.     

Congenital oesophagobronchial fistula in an adult involving left main bronchus.

Congenital fistulae between the tracheobronchial tree and oesophagus usually originate from the lower end of the trachea or right main bronchus. The case history is presented of a man in whom a fistula between the oesophagus and left main bronchus was not diagnosed until the age of 48.     

Short stature, abdominal obesity, insulin resistance and alterations in lipid profile in very low-income women living in Maceió, north-eastern Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that short stature is associated with abdominal obesity, insulin resistance and lipid profile changes. METHODS: Anthropometric data were collected from 237 women (18-60 years old), residents of a shantytown in Maceió. Biochemical profiles of 60 individuals drawn from this population were determined. RESULTS: Total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels and insulin resistance rose with increasing waist : hip circumference ratio, particularly in women. Short, overweight individuals exhibited larger biochemical alterations than overweight individuals of average stature. CONCLUSION: Short stature, when associated with overweight, is a risk factor for increased insulin resistance and alterations in lipid profile.     

A rare polymorphism affects a mitogen-activated protein kinase site in synapsin III: possible relationship to schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Synapsin III plays a role in neuronal plasticity and maps to chromosome 22q12-13, a region suggested to be linked to schizophrenia. To determine if synapsin III plays a role in this disease, we searched for polymorphisms in this gene in patients with schizophrenia and controls. METHODS: The synapsin III gene was initially sequenced from 10 individuals with schizophrenia to identify polymorphisms. Association analysis was then performed using 118 individuals with schizophrenia and 330 population controls. Synapsin III expression was studied by immunoblot analyses, and phosphorylation sites were mapped by sequencing trypsin-digested synapsin III fragments phosphorylated with phosphorus-32. RESULTS: A rare, missense polymorphism, S470N, was identified in the synapsin III gene and appeared more frequently in individuals with schizophrenia than in controls (p =.0048). The site affected by the polymorphism, Ser470, was determined to be a substrate for mitogen-activated protein kinase, a downstream effector of neurotrophin action. Phosphorylation at Ser470 was increased during neonatal development and in response to neurotrophin-3 in cultured hippocampal neurons. CONCLUSIONS: Our observations suggest an association of a rare polymorphism in synapsin III with schizophrenia, but further studies will be required to clarify its role in this disease.     

Facial Nerve Neuroma: Surgical Concept and Functional Results

This study reviewed the management and outcomes of 11 facial nerve neuromas treated in our institution during the past two decades with particular emphasis on surgical concepts and functional outcomes. All patients underwent complete surgical resection of their tumor. Eight patients (73%) were followed on an outpatient basis. A retrospective chart review for pre- and postoperative clinical and radiological data was performed. All facial neuromas were multi-segment tumors. All segments of the facial nerve were represented, but 54% involved the geniculate ganglion and 45% involved the labyrinthine or tympanic portions of the nerve, or both. Depending on the extent of sensorineural hearing loss, surgical removal was performed through the middle cranial fossa or translabyrinthine approach. To obtain adequate nerve reconstruction, we combined intra- and extracranial approaches (e.g., the transmastoidal and transtemporal routes). Regardless of the type of nerve reconstruction, the best recovery achieved was moderate facial weakness (House-Brackmann Grade III) in 75% of the patients, even in a patient who was Grade IV preoperatively. The choice of treatment for facial neuromas and surgical approach depends on the extent of tumor, grade of facial palsy, and hearing function. When facial palsy is present, complete resection is clearly indicated. In patients without facial dysfunction, a conservative strategy consisting of clinical and radiological observation should be considered as a treatment option.