Stage of palate closure as one indication of “liability” to cleft palate

A new inbred mouse strain, SW/Fr, developed from a random-bred SW stock has a 6% incidence of spontaneous cleft palate without cleft lip. SW/Fr mice close their palates comparatively late in development. After cortisone treatment, the mean of the distribution (mean time to reach palate stage 5) is shifted towards later gestational ages. There is no change in the variance of the distribution. These data lend further support to the hypothesis that cleft palate in mice may fit a model where a continuous distribution is separated into discontinuous parts by a developmental threshold, and that time of palate closure is an important component of liability to cleft palate.     

Haemophilus influenzae meningitis. A national study of secondary spread in household contacts.

To determine the risk of severe Haemophilus influenzae illness among household contacts of patients with H. influenzae meningitis, we studied prospective data obtained in 19 states from January 1, 1977, to June 30, 1978. H. influenzae meningitis was reported in 1403 patients, and 1147 (82 per cent) of the exposed families were investigated for the occurrence of H. influenzae disease within 30 days after its onset in the index patient. During this interval, nine of 1687 household contacts (0.5 per cent) under the age of six years had systemic disease confirmed to be caused by H. influenzae Type b. The risk in children less than one year of age was 6 per cent, and the risk in those less than four years of age was 2.1 per cent. None of 2624 contacts above the age of five was affected. In the 30 days after onset of meningitis, the risk of this infection alone, aside from other types of serious H. influenzae disease, is 585 times greater in household contacts than the age-adjusted risk in the general population. The risk of H. influenzae disease in household contacts under six years of age is similar to the risk of secondary meningococcal disease in all household contacts--indicating a need for effective antimicrobial prophylaxis.     

Relationship of internalized racism to abdominal obesity and blood pressure in Afro-Caribbean women

Racism is associated with increased psychosocial stress and blood pressure in blacks. However, little is known of the relationship of racism to other features of insulin resistance syndrome. This study examined the relationship of internalized racism to abdominal obesity and elevated blood pressure in a population of black Caribbean women aged 20-55 years. One hundred thirty-three randomly selected women from the island of Barbados comprised the study sample. Data collected included anthropometric and blood pressure measurements, and information about internalized racism, anxiety, and depression. The stress measures including anxiety, depression, and internalized racism were significantly correlated with waist circumference (r = .25, r = .21, and r = .25). After adjusting for age, education, anxiety, and depression, internalized racism remained significantly correlated with waist circumference. The odds ratio associated with development of abdominal obesity among those with high internalized racism (OR = 2.4 [95% CI, 1.1,5.3]) was significant (P < .05) after adjusting for age, education, and body mass index. Blood pressure was not independently related to internalized racism. Studies comparing black-white differences in diseases for which abdominal obesity is a risk factor (eg, diabetes and cardiovascular disease) should take into account the potential role of internalized racism in defining the differences between ethnic groups.     

APC mutation and tumour budding in colorectal cancer

AIM: To determine the frequency of tumour budding and somatic APC mutation in a series of colorectal cancers stratified according to DNA microsatellite instability (MSI) status. Material/Methods: Ninety five colorectal cancers were genotyped for APC mutation in the mutation cluster region (exon 15) and scored for the presence of tumour budding at the invasive margin in haematoxylin and eosin stained sections. A subset was immunostained for beta catenin and p16. RESULTS: The frequency of both somatic APC mutation and tumour budding increased pari passu in cancers stratified as sporadic MSI high (MSI-H), hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), MSI low (MSI-L), and microsatellite stable (MSS). Both budding and APC mutation were significantly less frequent in sporadic MSI-H cancers than in MSI-L or MSS cancers. Tumour buds were characterised by increased immunostaining for both beta catenin and p16. CONCLUSION: Tumour budding is associated with an adverse prognosis. The lack of budding in MSI-H colorectal cancer may account for the improved prognosis of this subset and may be explained by an intact WNT signalling pathway and/or inactivated p16(INK4a).     

Inhibition of sodium transport by angiotensin II in the main duct of the rabbit mandibular gland isolated and perfused in vitro

Summary The effect of angiotensin II on nett electrolyte transport by the main duct of the rabbit mandibular gland was investigated in vitro using a perfused duct preparation bathed in a Haemaccel^®-nutrient salt solution. In a bath concentration of 4×10^–10 M, angiotensin reduced nett absorption of Na⁺ and Cl^– by about 8% and depolarized the transepithelial electrical potential difference (P.D.) by about 13%; the drug had no effect on ductal transport of K⁺ and HCO ₃ ^– . In both lower (4×10^–11 M) and higher (4×10^–9 M) concentrations, angiotensin had qualitatively similar effects. After exposure to the hormone for about 30 min, Na⁺ transport and P.D. became unstable and gradually fell away towards zero. It is concluded that angiotensin in physiological concentrations has a specific inhibitory effect on Na⁺ absorption by salivary duct cells which could arise either from a change in the Na⁺ pump rate or from a conductance change in the apical or basal membrane of the epithelial cell.