Neurofibromatosis type 1: brain stem tumours

We describe the clinical and imaging findings of brain stem tumours in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). The NF1 patients imaged between January 1984 and January 1996 were reviewed and 25 patients were identified with a brain stem tumour. Clinical, radiographical and pathological results were obtained by review of records and images. Brain stem tumour identification occurred much later than the clinical diagnosis of NF1. Medullary enlargement was most frequent (68 %), followed by pontine (52 %) and midbrain enlargement (44 %). Patients were further subdivided into those with diffuse (12 patients) and those with focal (13 patients) tumours. Treatment for hydrocephalus was required in 67 % of the first group and only 15 % of the second group. Surgery was performed in four patients and revealed fibrillary astrocytomas, one of which progressed to an anaplastic astrocytoma. In 40 % of patients both brain stem and optic pathway tumours were present. The biological behaviour of brain stem tumours in NF1 is unknown. Diffuse tumours in the patients with NF1 appear to have a much more favourable prognosis than patients with similar tumours without neurofibromatosis type 1. Received: 21 November 1996 Accepted: 22 December 1996     

药物浓度和病因对三磷酸腺苷治疗阵发性室上性心动过速的影响

本文报告23例次ATP治疗PSVT的效果,总有效率56.5％,9例次高浓度快速注射者8例转复。器质性心脏病者副作用较多,1例冠心速注高浓度ATP后,发生心室颤动和阿-斯氏综合征。这一结果提示:药物浓度和注射速度是影响疗效的主要因素,PSVT伴AVB者疗效也很低;病因和药物浓度是决定副作用的因素。因此,对于器质性心脏病者,尤其冠心病人,应避免高浓度快速静脉注射ATP。     

The role of oxygen free radicals in craniocerebral injury

Serum LPO content was measured by means of TBA in 41 patients suffering from craniocerebral injury in present study. The relationships between OFR and progressing course of craniocerebral injury, level of LPO and patient condition of an injury and prognosis were analysed. Results showed that serum LPO increased obviously in 24 hours after injury. The more severe the condition of an injury was, the higher the serum LPO content was, the worse prognosis would be. Serum LPO content increased statistically in group of death in 24 to 72 hours after injury, while it didn't change significantly in group of survival. The author suggest that the reaction of OFR enhanced after craniocerebral injury, and which was an important factor giving rise to secondary brain injury. Measurement of serum LPO content plays an important role in estimating the patients condition of injury and their prognosis.     

免疫调节剂对小鼠实验性单纯疱疹性角膜炎发病的影响

实验组小鼠腹腔分别注射免疫调节剂胸腺五肽(TP5)或环孢霉素(CsA),对照组注射生理盐水(NS),尔后角膜感染单纯疱疹病毒(HSV),造成小鼠实验性单纯疱疹性角膜炎模型。用裂隙灯显微镜观察小鼠角膜上皮、角膜实质、角膜新生血管、结膜和眼睑的病变变化情况。结果:种毒唇4～6天,TP5组角膜上皮和角膜实质病变比NS组严重,差异有显著性,而CsA无此作用。三组小鼠新生血管形成程度差异无显著性。且均在第8天出现高峰。TP5组和CsA组的结膜和眼睑病变,比NS组严重。因此,在临床上,应根据不同病种和不同情况,慎重使用免疫调节剂。     

Immunology

A selection of interesting papers that were published in the two months before our press date in major journals most likely to report significant results in immunology.     

白细胞介素—2新的功能位点及其中枢镇痛作用

白细胞介素－２（ＩＬ－２）不仅是重要的免疫调节因子，而且还具有重要的中枢调节作用。本实验以钾离子透入引起大鼠甩尾反应为指标，发现侧脑室注射ＩＬ—２能显著提高动物痛阈，并能被纳洛酮所阻断，表示ＩＬ－２的中枢镇痛作用可能与阿片受体有关。利用基因定位突变技术获得的无免疫活性ＩＬ－２实查体仍具有中枢镇痛作用，表明ＩＬ—２分子上发挥镇痛和免疫调节作用的功能位点是相互独立的。纳洛酮能够阻断ＩＬ—２的中枢镇痛作用，而不能影响ＩＬ—２增殖ＣＴＬＬ－２细胞的作用，提示ＩＬ－２发挥镇痛和免疫调节作用可能通过不同的受体途径。ＩＬ－２分子中第４５位Ｔｙｒ残基突变为Ｖａｌ后，虽仍保留了免疫活性，但丧失了镇痛功能，表示４５位Ｔｙｒ残基是ＩＬ—２发挥中枢镇痛功能的关键残基之一。我们推测ＩＬ—２的镇痛功能位点可能在ＩＬ—２分子中第４５位Ｔｙｒ残基附近区域。     

Detection of mutations in the p53 gene in human head and neck carcinomas by single strand conformation polymorphism analysis.

Using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis, we have examined the highly conserved regions of the p53 gene in 58 biopsy samples of head and neck tumors. Mutations were found in 13/58 (23%) tumor specimens, but not in 6 normal tissues. Ten of 13 mutations were due to single base changes and the remaining 3 were 1- or 8-base deletion mutants. These mutations were clustered in exons 5 and 7 and resulted in amino acid changes. Our results seem to indicate that mutations in the p53 gene contribute to a significant number of cases of the head and neck tumors including 20% of nasopharyngeal carcinoma biopsies. The relationship of Epstein-Barr virus or human papillomavirus and p53 gene mutations in this group of cancers was also analyzed and discussed.     

Adenoid cystic carcinoma: DNA as a prognostic indicator

A retrospective study was performed on 20 patients with adenoid cystic carcinomas of major salivary glands to see if DNA. patterns correlated with their prognoses. Fourteen tumors were found to be DNA. diploid; 6 were DNA aneuploid. Histologically, all DNA-aneu-ploid tumors had solid components, compared with only 5 of the DNA-diploid tumors. All of the DNA-aneuploid tumors recurred, in contrast to only 2 of the DNA-diploid tumors; the difference was highly significant (P<0.001). All of the patients with no recurrences had DNA-diploid tumors. In our study, DNA measurements of adenoid cystic carcinomas gave statistically significant information about prognosis and correlated to histological grading. We propose that evaluation of DNA content may be performed before planning the treatment of adenoid cystic carcinomas.