Antisera to alpha crystallin as probes to study changes in lens proteins during human cataractogenesis

Antisera have been made to synthetic peptides that correspond to eight different regions of the alpha A molecule. Together with a solid phase radioimmunoassay, these antisera have been used to quantitatively assess binding to enriched alpha crystallin preparations from six different cataractous and six different normal lenses. Seven of the eight antisera show no difference in binding to alpha crystallin from cataractous versus normal lenses, whereas the antiserum directed against the alpha A sequence 120-130 shows a statistically significant decrease in binding to the alpha crystallin from cataractous lenses. Together, these studies demonstrate the feasibility of using antipeptide sera as probes of polypeptide changes during cataractogenesis and suggest that the region of the alpha A crystallin molecule encompassing residues 120-300 may undergo covalent and/or noncovalent structural modification during the process of opacification in the human senile lens.     

The neutrophil oxidative burst in diarrhoea – associated haemolytic uraemic syndrome

. Neutrophil-mediated tissue damage has been implicated in the pathogenesis of diarrhoea-associated haemolytic uraemic syndrome (D+ HUS). This study evaluates priming and activation of the neutrophil oxidative burst in D+ HUS using chemiluminescent techniques. Peripheral blood neutrophils from 11 children with acute D+ HUS were examined. No difference was found in the oxidative burst of neutrophils from patients and controls. Serum elastase levels were measured in 8 patients and found to be significantly elevated. Although elastase results suggest neutrophil activation, chemiluminescence studies do not confirm this in the peripheral blood neutrophil. This does not support a significant role for circulating agents in priming and activating the peripheral blood neutrophil. Received August 17, 1995; received in revised form and accepted November 27, 1995     

Study on the lymphatic flow of the lower gastric region for radical lymphadenectomy in advanced lower gastric cancer

A prognosis of patients with a curative resected advanced cancer of the lower gastric region was worse than that of the other region of the stomach. The 5 year survival rate was only 47.3%. One of the main reasons was that a rate of lymph node recurrence was higher. In this point of view, we studied on lymphatic flow of the lower gastric region using an activated carbon particle (CH40). Lymph nodes were stained black soon after the injection of CH40 into the lower gastric wall at laparotomy. The black stained rate of an each regional lymph node was as follows. 3. 58%, 4. 17%, 5. 50%, 6. 25%, 1. 21%, 7. 58%, 8. 83%, 9. 58%, 11. 17% and 12. 33% in case of injection into the greater curvature and and 4. 31%, 6. 100%, 8. 25%, 9. 25%, 14V and 56% in case of injection into the lesser curvature. The stained rate was relatively high in 12 and 14V lymph node which we had not routinely dissected. The rates of lymph nodes stained black were related to those of cancer metastasis. The results suggest that lymphadenectomy of 12 for the cancer at the lesser curvature and that of 14V for the cancer at the greater curvature might make a prognosis of lower gastric cancer better.     

Patient-proxy response comparability on measures of patient health and functional status

The present study evaluates the response comparability between 361 elderly hip fracture patients admitted from the community to seven Baltimore area hospitals between 1984 and 1986 and interviewer selected proxies on items pertaining to patients' pre-fracture health and functional status. Agreement across items ranges from very poor to good and varies with respect to the health or functional area assessed. Proxies tend to overestimate patient disability relative to the patients themselves, especially with regard to capacity to perform instrumental activities of daily living. Although proxies who report the greatest contact with patients respond most comparably to the patients, when they do disagree, proxies with the greatest patient contact tend to overestimate patient disability. The authors suggest that attention to item construction and phrasing may improve response comparability.     

Relating food composition data to iron availability from plant foods

Correlation studies were performed relating iron availability estimated in vitro using a simulated digestion system to the concentration of protein, sugar, fibre, phytate, ascorbate and citrate in 33 different plant foods. Protein, sugar and fibre showed no significant correlation with iron availability. Phytate was significantly negatively correlated with diffusible iron in cereals, legumes and nuts. Both ascorbate and citrate were highly positively correlated with diffusible iron in vegetables and fruits. It is concluded that iron availability may be related on a quantitative basis to certain components of plant foods.     

Laser-induced fluorescence studies of the biodistribution of carotenoporphyrins in mice.

The biodistribution of two recently developed tumour markers, trimethylated (CP(Me)3) and trimethoxylated (CP(OMe)3) carotenoporphyrin, was investigated by means of laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) after i.v. injection into 38 tumour-bearing (MS-2 fibrosarcoma) female Balb/c mice. At 3, 24, 48 or 96 h after administration, the carotenoporphyrin fluorescence was measured in tumoral and peritumoral tissue, as well as in the abdominal, thoracic and cranial cavities. The fluorescence was induced by a nitrogen laser-pumped dye laser, emitting light at 425 nm, and analysed by a polychromator equipped with an image-intensified CCD camera. The fluorescence was evaluated at 490, 655 and 720 nm: the second and third wavelengths represent the carotenoporphyrin (CP)-related peaks, whereas the first one is close to the peak of the tissue autofluorescence. The tumour and the liver were the two tissue types showing the strongest carotenoporphyrin-related fluorescence, whereas the cerebral cortex and muscle consistently exhibited weak substance-related fluorescence. In most tissue types, the fluorescence intensities decreased over time. A few exceptions were observed, notably the liver, in which the intensity remained remarkably constant over the time period investigated.     

Measurement properties of quantitative urine benzoylecgonine in clinical trials research

Psychometric data are presented which examine the validity of using the concentration of benzoylecgonine in urine, a major metabolite of cocaine, as a measure of drug use, in studies of drug abuse treatments. In such research the standard biological indicator of drug use is usually a qualitative urine drug test, which merely indicates the presence or absence of a drug or its metabolite. A quantitative (i.e. continuous) outcome measure, such as the concentration of a drug or its metabolite in a biological fluid, has substantially more statistical power than a dichotomous measure and should, therefore, prove a more sensitive measure of drug use when viewed from a measurement perspective. Data from two placebo-controlled clinical trials of fluoxetine as an adjunct to treatment for cocaine abuse are analyzed to address this issue. Results indicate that urine benzoylecgonine level is closely related to self-reports of drug use and is independent of levels of anxiety, depression and hopelessness.     

The in vitro fertilisation programme at Tygerberg Hospital and the University of Stellenbosch. Five years' experience, April 1983-January 1988

The results of the in vitro fertilisation programme at Tygerberg Hospital for the period April 1983 to January 1988 are presented. Of the 1117 laparoscopies performed, 825 patients reached the transfer stage. A live-birth rate of 9.3% was achieved. The pregnancy rate after transfer of 4 embryos was 25.9% compared with 15.4% after 2 embryos and 10.8% after 3 embryos (P = less than 0.0001). The multiple pregnancy rate was 2.8% in the group receiving 2 embryos and 11.7% and 10.4% in those receiving 3 and 4 embryos, respectively. Of the 77 successful pregnancies (90 babies), 1 baby died at 34 weeks' gestation as the result of abruptio placentae due to preeclampsia and 1 cot death occurred. The only congenital abnormality encountered was a cleft palate.     

Isolated cavernous bodies

Corpus cavernosography in a patient with erectile dysfunction revealed absence of communication between the 2 cavernous bodies. No similar case was found in a review of 100 consecutive cavernosograms or in the literature. The abnormality may be a source of error in pressure recordings or in intravenous injection of pharmaceutical agents.     

Gallstone dissolution

Many methods are available for gallstone dissolution, including oral bile salts; cholesterol solvents such as mono-octanoin or methyl tert-butyl either; and calcium or pigment solvents such as EDTA and polysorbate. Which of these approaches will be appropriate for an individual patient depends on the type of stones; whether they are in the gallbladder or the bile ducts; whether access to the biliary tree is available; the patient's age and general medical condition; and the availability of necessary expertise. In the US, both chenodeoxycholate and ursodeoxycholate are now available. Ursodeoxycholate is more expensive but appears to produce fewer side effects and may be more efficacious. These agents are most effective in thin women with small floating, radiolucent cholesterol stones in a functioning gallbladder. Only about half of the small subset of patients will experience partial or complete dissolution of stones within a year. Stone recurrence and the potential toxicity of long-term therapy are problems with this approach. Therefore, for most patients, cholecystectomy, either in the traditional fashion or using a laparoscopic approach (see article later in this issue by Gadacz et al), is the most cost-effective and perhaps the safest option. Intragallbladder instillation of methyl tert-butyl ether probably will be applicable only to a small subset of patients, and treatment is likely to be followed by a high recurrence rate. In patients with retained common duct cholesterol stones and access to the biliary tree, mono-octanoin therapy is advantageous in that it can be initiated as soon as cholangiography demonstrates no extravasation. In properly selected patients, a 90% success rate with this technique can be expected within 7 days.