Budd-Chiari syndrome secondary to carcinoma: Report of two cases

In two patients who had Budd-Chiari syndrome secondary to carcinoma, the diagnosis was made intraoperatively at the time of emergency right atrial clearance required for severe cardiovascular distress. Curative resection was not possible and both patients died. As previously noted in the literature, it is extremely difficult to relate carcinoma to the origin of Budd-Chiari syndrome. Retro- and suprahepatic involvement of the vena cava is associated with a very poor prognosis. Complete resection of these tumors is the only potentially curative treatment. We suggest ways to obtain a simple and early histologic diagnosis before initiating appropriate and radical surgical treatment.     

Magnetization transfer on in vitro circulating blood: Implications for time-of-flight MR angiography

Effects of magnetization transfer were evaluated In vitro on circulating blood. Various velocities were tested from 0 to 72 cm/second. Decrease signal intensity caused by magnetization transfer effects was inversely proportional to inflow velocity. It reached 10% at very low velocities and disappeared at velocities higher than 30 cm/second.     

Impact of antireflux surgery on Barrett's esophagus

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The rising incidence of Barrett's carcinoma is a matter of major concern in Western societies. We realized a review of the literature to evaluate the impact of antireflux surgery on prevention of Barrett's carcinoma. METHODS: We used MedLine- and PubMed-based review of the literature published since 1970 on surgical treatment of Barrett's esophagus. RESULTS: There is no report in the literature that describes de novo development of Barrett's metaplasia after successful antireflux surgery. Compared with medical therapy, the risk for malignant degeneration of Barrett's metaplasia is reduced in surgical patients according to some studies. On the other hand, regression of Barrett's metaplasia after antireflux surgery is rare and Barrett's carcinoma after surgery has been observed repeatedly. The combination of antireflux surgery and ablation of metaplastic mucosa in order to obtain regression has led to encouraging preliminary results; however, experience is still limited and numerous studies currently are underway. Dysplastic Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a precancerosis and should not be treated as BE without dysplasia; strategies other than antireflux surgery need to be discussed. CONCLUSION: A prophylactic effect of early antireflux surgery upon de novo development of Barrett's metaplasia is probable. The impact of surgery on malignant degeneration of Barrett's epithelium remains uncertain. Data currently available show no clear benefit of antireflux surgery on cancerogenesis in patients with Barrett's metaplasia.     

Platelet serotonergic markers as endophenotypes for obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Although compelling evidence has shown that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has a strong genetic component, its genetic basis remains to be elucidated. Identifying biological abnormalities in nonaffected relatives is one of the strategies advocated to isolate genetic vulnerability factors in complex disorders. Since peripheral serotonergic disturbances are frequently observed in OCD patients, the aim of this study was to investigate if they could represent endophenotypes, by searching for similar abnormalities in the unaffected parents of OCD patients. We assessed whole blood serotonin (5-HT) concentration, platelet 5-HT transporter (5-HTT) and 5-HT2A receptor-binding characteristics, and platelet inositol trisphosphate (IP3) content in a sample of OCD probands (n = 48) and their unaffected parents (n = 65), and compared them with sex- and age-matched controls (n = 113). Lower whole blood 5-HT concentration, fewer platelet 5-HTT-binding sites, and higher platelet IP3 content were found in OCD probands and their unaffected parents compared to controls. Whole blood 5-HT concentration showed a strong correlation within families (p < 0.001). The only parameter that appeared to discriminate affected and unaffected subjects was 5-HT2A receptor-binding characteristics, with increased receptor number and affinity in parents and no change in OCD probands. The presence of peripheral serotonergic abnormalities in OCD patients and their unaffected parents supports a familial origin of these disturbances. These alterations may serve as endophenotypic markers in OCD, and could contribute to the study of the biological mechanisms and genetic underpinnings of the disorder.     

Irreversible labelling of δ-opioid receptors in rat brain and neuroblastoma cells by [H]azido-DTLET: Characterization of subunits and autoradiographic visualization of the covalent binding

[³H]Az-DTLET (Tyr-D-Thr-Gly-Phe(pN₃)-Leu-Thr), a photoaffinity probe for δ opioid receptors binds to a single class of sites in rat brain membranes with a high affinity (K_D = 1.66 nM). The selectivity index of Az-DTLET ( ) is better than that of its precursor DTLET (0.053). Rat brain or neuroblastoma glioma cells membranes were incubated with 10 nM [³H]Az-DTLET, washed and irradiated with U.V. After irradiation a fraction (20–30%) of specific binding was found to remain indissociable after 10 min at 60°C and was considered as irreversible. This fraction increased as a function of the irradiation time. The radioactivity irreversibly bound to rat brain membranes, solubilized by sodium cholate, was associated with high molecular weight species (200,000 daltons). In denaturing conditions (SDS 2%), the [³H]Az-DTLET specific binding was associated with molecular components of 45–50 K and 90–100 K daltons. In contrast, when opioid receptors were prelabelled by [³H]Az-DTLET, solubilized by Na-cholate and irradiated, the radioactivity was only recovered with subunits of 45–50 K daltons. The autoradiographic localization of the irreversibly bound [³H]Az-DTLET in rat brain was identical to that of reversibly bound [³H]DTLET or [³H]Az-DTLET. These results suggest that [³H]Az-DTLET represents an adequate specific probe for studies on the structure, function and anatomical distribution at light and even electron microscopic level of δ-opioid receptors.     

Erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activities in coal miners from three French regions

This study investigated whether differences in the prevalence and severity of coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) between three coal mines could be related to differences in oxidative stress exposure as evaluated in vivo through red-blood-cell antioxidant enzyme activities. Blood samples were obtained from 229 miners selected according to their occupation and their pneumoconiotic status. The following biomarkers were evaluated: erythrocyte catalase, Cu²⁺/Zn²⁺ superoxide dismutase (Cu²⁺/Zn²⁺ SOD), and glutathione peroxidase activities. Antioxidant enzyme activities did not differ significantly between the group of surface workers in Lorraine and the group of underground miners without CWP in Lorraine and in the other coal mines. Erythrocyte Cu²⁺/Zn²⁺ SOD activity was slightly decreased in the group of active underground miners with simple pneumoconiosis as compared with the group of miners without CWP in Nord/Pas-de-Calais. No effect was seen between retired miners at different stages of CWP. Our findings indicate that differences in the prevalence and severity of CWP do not seem to be related to various oxidative activities of coal dust particles, at least as reflected by measurements of antioxidant enzyme activities in circulating erythrocytes in this study. Received: 3 March 1997 / Accepted: 14 October 1997