Clinical diagnosis and course of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease can be accurately diagnosed by clinical methods alone in about 90% of cases. The adoption of uniform diagnostic criteria and assessment procedures, such as those developed by the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD), will likely improve the characterization of the disease across a variety of clinical settings. In general, Alzheimer's disease is a relentlessly progressive disorder; however, it also is clinically heterogeneous. This is underscored by its diverse cognitive deficits, neurologic features, behavioral pathology, and rates of progression.     

Antibody to a 145-kilodalton outer membrane protein has bactericidal activity and protective activity against experimental bacteremia caused by a Brazilian purpuric fever isolate of Haemophilus influenzae biogroup aegyptius. The Brazilian Purpuric Fever Study Group.

The immunologic basis for protection against Brazilian purpuric fever, a septicemic infection associated with Haemophilus influenzae biogroup aegyptius bacteremia, is unknown. Passive immunization of infant rats with antiserum to whole bacterial cells of the homologous strain protects them from experimental bacteremia following bacterial challenge. In immunoblotting, antibody to a 145-kDa protein (P145) was present in protective antisera but not in nonprotective antisera. As judged by analysis of the antibodies eluted from whole bacterial cells and the agglutination of bacteria by antisera to P145, this protein is surface exposed. We prepared monospecific rat antisera to this protein by three methods: (i) immunization with whole bacterial cells and absorption with a Brazilian purpuric fever strain not expressing P145, (ii) immunization with gel-purified P145, and (iii) immunization with a P145-expressing transformant of a laboratory H. influenzae strain expressing this protein and absorption of the antiserum with the laboratory H. influenzae strain. These antisera had low antilipooligosaccharide antibody titers, were reactive only with P145, and had bactericidal activity in vitro. Following passive immunization, these antisera partially protected infant rats from bacteremia resulting from intraperitoneal challenge with bacteria. As assessed by immunoblotting, pooled adult human sera contained antibodies reactive with P145. Antibody to P145 may contribute to protection against Brazilian purpuric fever.     

Phase II trial of high-dose cisplatin with sodium thiosulfate nephroprotection in patients with advanced carcinoma of the uterine cervix previously untreated with chemotherapy.

Cisplatin is one of the most active single agents in the treatment of advanced cancer of the cervix. The concurrent administration of the nephroprotective agent, sodium thiosulfate, has enabled exploitation of the therapeutic potential of cisplatin. To explore the role of cisplatin dose intensity in the treatment of patients with cancer of the uterine cervix, patients with persistent/recurrent measurable disease were treated with cisplatin at 200 mg/m2 as a 2-hr infusion with sodium thiosulfate given at 3.3 g/m2 1 hr prior to cisplatin and 6.6 g/m2 during the cisplatin infusion. Treatment was repeated monthly. Due to the known cumulative toxicity of cisplatin, treatment beyond two cycles (400 mg/m2) was given only to those patients who had at least demonstrated a PR. Audiologic evaluation was done prior to each cycle of treatment. Eleven patients were entered with a median age of 43 years (range, 25-57), a median KPS of 80% (range, 60-90%), and nine epidermoid and two adenocarcinoma, and all patients had received previous pelvic irradiation. Twenty-eight cycles of treatment were given: 1, five cycles; 3, three cycles; 7, two cycles. No greater than or equal to 3+ hematologic, neurologic, or renal toxicity was demonstrated. Ototoxicity was demonstrated in the mild to moderate hearing loss range (3000-8000 Hz). The greatest threshold shift occurred after the first course of cisplatin. There were three PRs with a maximum duration of 4 months. Due to the significant toxicities encountered, the low response rate, and the limited duration of responses, this trial was closed early to accrual.     

Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy for Acute Cholecystitis: Prospective Trial

p < 0.00001) and for hydrops (28.5%) and empyema of the gallbladder (28.5%) ( p = 0.004). The difference in conversion between the group with acute necrotizing (gangrenous) cholecystitis and the two groups with hydrops and empyema of the gallbladder was not statistically significant ( p = 0.07). The complication rates of acute cholecystitis, hydrops, empyema of the gallbladder, and gangrenous cholecystitis were 9.0%, 9.5%, 14.0%, and 20.0%, respectively ( p = NS). Patients with an operative delay of 96 hours or less from the onset of acute cholecystitis had a conversion rate of 23%, whereas a delay of more than 96 hours was associated with a conversion rate of 47% ( p = 0.022). The complication rate was 8.5% in the laparoscopic group and 27% in the converted group ( p = 0.013). Patients over 65 years of age, with a history of biliary disease, a nonpalpable gallbladder, WBC count over 13,000/cc, and acute gangrenous cholecystitis were independently associated with a high LC conversion rate; male patients, finding large bile stones, serum bilirubin over 0.8 mg/dl, and WBC count over 13,000/cc were independently associated with a high complication rate following laparoscopic surgery with or without conversion. Generally, LC can be performed safely for acute cholecystitis, with acceptably low conversion and complication rates. Different forms of cholecystitis carry various conversion and complication rates in selected cases. LC for acute cholecystitis should be performed within 96 hours of the onset of disease. Predictors of conversion and complications may be helpful when planning the laparoscopic approach to acute cholecystitis.      

Serum ionic fluoride levels in haemodialysis and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients

High serum fluoride (F-) in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is associated with risk of renal osteodystrophy and other bone changes. This study was done to determine F- in normal healthy controls and patients with ESRD on haemodialysis (HD) or peritoneal dialysis (PD). Seventeen healthy controls (12 males, 5 females) and 39 ESRD patients on dialysis (17 males, 22 females) were recruited in the study in a community with 47.4 +/- 3.28 microM/l (range 44-51 microM/l) of F- content in drinking water. Control subjects showed a mean serum F- concentration of 1.08 +/- 0.350 microM/l. Males in control group showed slightly higher F- levels (1.15 +/- 0.334, range 0.55-1.9 microM/l) than females (0.92 +/- 0.370, range 0.6-1.5 microM/l). Mean serum F- concentration did not correlate significantly with age and sex among control subjects, whereas such correlation was observed in patients with ESRD on dialysis. Mean serum F- concentration was significantly higher in patients on dialysis (2.67 +/- 1.09, range 0.8-5.2 microM/l) than normal controls. When grouped according to sex, the mean serum F- concentration in males (3.05 +/- 1.04, range 1.8-5.2 microM/l) was significantly higher than females (2.38 +/- 1.08, range 0.8-5.2 microM/l). When patients were grouped according to age, it was observed that F- concentration was significantly higher in patients with age groups 21-70 (2.86 +/- 1.05) than those with age group 13-20 years (1.42 +/- 0.531). Thus F- concentration correlated with age and sex, being higher in males and above 20 years. Despite appreciable clearance of F- (39-90%) across the peritoneum, patients on CAPD showed higher serum F- concentration than those on HD (3.1 +/- 1.97 vs 2.5 +/- 1.137 microM/l). Of the total 39 patients on dialysis 39% had their serum F- concentration above 3.0 microM/l, posing the risk of renal osteodystrophy.      

Familial fixed subaortic stenosis

In this report, we give details of two families in which fixed subaortic stenosis was found in more than one member. It is rare for this entity to show familial incidence.