The effect of lithium on growth factor production in long-term bone marrow cultures

We have previously reported that lithium chloride (LiCl) stimulates the production of granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming cells (GM-CFC), pluripotent stem cells (CFU-S), and differentiated granulocytes, macrophages and megakaryocytes in murine Dexter marrow cultures and that this effect appears to be mediated indirectly by a radioresistant adherent marrow cell. In this study we have established that exposure of murine Dexter cultures to LiCl (4 mEq/L) causes an increase of colony-forming cell megakaryocytes (CFU-meg) over 1 to 6 weeks of culture in both supernatant (188% to 611%) and stromal phases (123% to 246%). Moreover, we have shown that lithium treatment of either irradiated (1,100 rad) or unirradiated stromal cells increased production of activities stimulating formation of megakaryocyte, granulocyte, macrophage, and mixed lineage colonies and proliferation of the factor-dependent cell line, FDC-P1. This FDC-P1 stimulatory activity was completely blocked by an antibody to purified recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (rGM-CSF). The baseline or lithium-induced--stromal-derived bone marrow colony stimulating activity was partially blocked by the antibody to rGM-CSF and by an antibody to purified colony stimulating factor I (CSF-1); the two antibodies combined resulted in greater than 90% inhibition of the lithium-induced marrow stimulatory activity. In addition, radioimmunoassay (RIA) showed that although CSF-1 was detectable in supernatants of these cultures, exposure to lithium did not increase CSF-1 levels. These data indicate that Dexter stromal cells produce CSF- 1 and GM-CSF and that lithium appears to exert its stimulatory effects on in vitro myelopoiesis by inducing production of GM-CSF.     

三维电解剖系统指导房性心律失常射频导管消融的价值

目的探讨电解剖系统指导在房性心律失常射频导管消融中的作用和优势。方法对25例心房颤动（阵发性15例、持续性10例）在电解剖系统指导下进行重建左心房后行线性消融，7例持续性房性心动过速（右心房性4例、左心房性3例）在电解剖系统指导下重建左／右心房标测激动顺序后行消融。结果25例心房颤动均完成预定的线性消融，其中14例阵发性者在窦性心律下电学隔离成功，10例持续性和1例阵发性者在心房颤动时电学隔离成功。7例持续性房性心动过速均在消融过程中转为窦性心律。电解剖系统指导下平均手术时间心房颤动为220min，房性心动过速为86min；平均X线透视时间心房颤动为48min，房性心动过速为20min。所有患者手术过程中均无并发症。结论在电解剖系统指引下，环肺静脉电隔离治疗心房颤动安全有效；有助于设计房性心动过速消融径线，缩短手术时间，提高成功率。     

Factors affecting the transduction of pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells: long-term expression of a human adenosine deaminase gene in mice

An amphotropic retroviral vector, LgAL(delta Mo + PyF101) containing a human adenosine deaminase (ADA) cDNA was used to optimize procedures for the lasting genetic modification of the hematopoietic system of mice. The highest number of retrovirally infected cells in the hematopoietic tissues of long-term reconstituted mice was observed after transplantation of bone marrow (BM) cells that had been cocultured in the presence of both interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) and IL-3. A significantly lower number was detected when IL-1 alpha was omitted from such cocultures. The yield of cells that generate spleen colony-forming cells (CFU-S) in the BM of lethally irradiated recipients (MRA-CFU-S) significantly improved on inclusion of the adherent cell fraction of cocultures in the transplant. Retroviral integration patterns in MRA-CFU-S-derived spleen colonies showed that an MRA-CFU-S can produce many CFU-S during BM regeneration. Expression of hADA was detected in the circulating white blood cells of long-term reconstituted animals, demonstrating that the LgAL(delta Mo + PyF101) vector is capable of directing the sustained expression of hADA, and in approximately 35% of the transduced MRA-CFU-S-derived spleen colonies. These results should facilitate the development of gene therapy protocols for the treatment of severe combined immunodeficiency caused by a lack of functional ADA.     

Oral fungal and bacterial infections in HIV-infected individuals: an overview in Africa

Oral opportunistic infections developing secondary to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection have been reported from the early days of the epidemic and have been classified by both the EC-Clearinghouse and the World Health Organisation (WHO). Among the fungal infections, oral candidiasis, presenting in African HIV-infected patients has been sporadically documented. We review the literature with respect to candidal carriage, oral candidiasis prevalence and the predictive value of oral candidiasis for a diagnosis of underlying HIV disease in African HIV-infected patients. The use of oral candidiasis as a marker of disease progression, the species of yeasts isolated from the oral cavity in Africa and the resistance of the yeasts to antifungal agents and treatment regimens are discussed. Orofacial lesions as manifestations of the systemic mycoses are rarely seen in isolation and few cases are reported in the literature from Africa. In spite of the high incidence of noma, tuberculosis, chronic osteomyelitis and syphilis in Africa, surprisingly there have been very few reported cases of the oral manifestations of these diseases in HIV-positive individuals. Orofacial disease in HIV-infected patients is associated with marked morbidity, which is compounded by malnutrition. The authors indicate specific research areas, initially directed at the most effective management strategies, which would complete data in this important area.     

Case mix measures and diagnosis-related groups: opportunities and threats for inpatient dermatology

OBJECTIVE: The changing healthcare environment world-wide is leading to extensive use of per case payment systems based on diagnosis-related groups (DRG). The aim of this study was to examine the impact of application of different DRG systems used in the German healthcare system. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed 2334 clinical data sets of inpatients discharged from an academic dermatological inpatient unit in 2003. Data were regarded as providing high coding quality in compliance with the diagnosis and procedure classifications as well as coding standards. The application of the Australian AR-DRG version 4.1, the German G-DRG version 1.0, and the German G-DRG version 2004 was considered in detail. To evaluate more specific aspects, data were broken down into 11 groups based on the principle diagnosis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: DRG cost weights and case mix index were used to compare coverage of inpatient dermatological services. Economic impacts were illustrated by case mix volumes and calculation of DRG payments. RESULTS: Case mix index results and the pending prospective revenues vary tremendously from the application of one or another of the DRG systems. The G-DRG version 2004 provides increased levels of case mix index that encourages, in particular, medical dermatology. CONCLUSIONS: The AR-DRG version 4.1 and the first German DRG version 1.0 appear to be less suitable to adequately cover inpatient dermatology. The G-DRG version 2004 has been greatly improved, probably due to proceeding calculation standards and DRG adjustments. The future of inpatient dermatology is subject to appropriate depiction of well-established treatment standards.     

T-cell receptor gene rearrangement in T-cell large granular leukocyte leukemia: preferential V alpha but diverse J alpha usage in one of five patients

T-gamma lymphoproliferative disease (T-gamma LPD) is a chronic disorder of mature T cells that is associated with neutropenia and autoimmune phenomena. Although the progression of the lymphoproliferation is indolent, it is often associated with a monoclonal proliferation of T- cell-type large granular lymphocytes (LGL) that manifest multiple in vitro suppressor and cytotoxic activities. We considered the possibility that the granulocytopenia or anemia might represent an autoimmune disorder mediated by the monoclonal LGL via T-cell receptor (TCR) recognition of an antigen involved in hematopoiesis. Therefore, in an effort to characterize the usage of the TCR alpha- and beta-chain genes in patients with T-gamma LPD, we cloned and sequenced TCR alpha- and beta-chain mRNAs derived from the T-cell type LGL of five patients. The five patients studied did not use a common V alpha nor a common J alpha segment. However, an unusual finding was observed in one of the patients where the occurrence of a single variable-diversity-junctional (VDJ) rearrangement of the beta chain confirmed the monoclonal origin of the LGL proliferation. In accord with this evidence for monoclonality, many of the cells studied used a common V alpha (V alpha 19.1). In contrast to this common V alpha usage, there was a marked diversity of the J alpha segments and N-region addition that were associated with the V alpha 19.1 segment. This pattern of common V alpha usage associated with different N and J alpha segments suggests an immune-mediated selection process affecting the TCR alpha chain occurring after the transformation event that established the clone. We suggest that the T-cell-type LGL malignant clone might have developed autoreactivity conferred by the selected TCR alpha chain and that this autoreactivity might be implicated in this patient's anemia.     

Prolonged Atrium Electromechanical Interval Is Associated with Stroke in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation After Catheter Ablation

Electromechanical Interval and Strokes After Ablations of AF . Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with increased risk of embolic stroke. Catheter ablation of AF provides an effective therapy for patients with symptomatic and drug‐refractory AF. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the atrial electromechanical interval is useful in identifying patients at risk of stroke after successful catheter ablation. Methods and Results: A total of 279 AF patients who received catheter ablation and showed no evidence of recurrences were enrolled. Electromechanical interval (PA–PDI) was determined as the time interval from the initiation of P wave deflection to the peak of mitral inflow A wave on pulse wave Doppler imaging. The PA–PDI interval was measured for each patient after the 3‐month blanking period of catheter ablation. The clinical endpoint was the occurrence of ischemic stroke. During the follow‐up of 46.5 ± 17.2 months, 6 patients suffered from ischemic strokes. Patients with strokes had higher CHA₂DS₂–VASc scores and longer PA–PDI intervals (138.7 ± 12.4 ms vs 161.2 ± 7.7 ms, P value < 0.001) compared to those without strokes. At a cutoff point of 150 ms identified by ROC curve, the positive and negative predictive values of the PA–PDI interval to predict stroke were 86.7% and 100%, respectively. The PA–PDI interval improved the predictive performance of the CHA₂DS₂–VASc score, and the area under the ROC curve increased from 0.75 to 0.85. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the PA–PDI interval is a useful tool to identify patients with high risk of stroke after successful catheter ablation of AF. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 24, pp. 375‐380, April 2013)     

PCI-32765和Bortezomib对B细胞肿瘤细胞系细胞增殖、凋亡的影响及其机制的研究

本研究旨在探讨Btk抑制剂PCI-32765和蛋白酶体抑制剂bortezomib对Raji、Ramos细胞的增殖、凋亡的影响及其作用机制.PCI-32765和bortezomib单药及联合用药处理Raji和Ramos细胞后,分别运用CCK-8法及流式细胞术检测细胞的增殖与凋亡,Western blot法检测Btk、NFκB、c-IAP1、Bcl-xL、caspase-3等蛋白的表达.结果表明：①PCI-32765（0.5、1.0、2.0、3.0、4.0、5.0、6.0μmol/L）和bortezomib（10、20、30、40、50、60、80 nmol/L）处理Raji和Ramos细胞48 h,均可抑制细胞增殖,抑制率呈剂量依赖性,且两药具有协同作用;②PCI-32765（2.0μmol/L）、bortezomib（20 nmol/L）单药及联合用药处理Raji和Ramos细胞不同时间（8、12、24、36、48、72 h）,均可抑制细胞存活率,抑制率呈时间依赖性,且两药具有协同作用;③PCI-32765（2μmol/L）和bortezomib（20 nmol/L）单药及联合用药处理Raji和Ramos细胞48 h,可明显促进Raji及Ramos细胞的凋亡.Raji细胞实验结果,空白对照组、PCI-32765和bonezomib单药组、联合用药组的细胞凋亡率分别为10.34±0.53％、24.26±0.91％、43.66±1.08％与74.06±0.72％,各组间有统计学差异（P＜0.05）;Ramos细胞实验结果,空白对照组、PCI-32765和bortezomib单药组、联合用药组的细胞凋亡率分别为15.16±1.49％、71.36±0.82％、75.32±2.36％与84.30±0.91％,各组间有统计学差异（P＜0.05）;④PCI-32765和bonezomib单药处理Raji、Ramos细胞后,细胞内Btk、NFκB、Bcl-xl及c-.IAP1的表达水平较对照组降低,Caspase-3的表达水平升高,两药联用后,作用增强.结论：PCI-32765和bonezomib可以协同抑制Raji与Ramos细胞的增殖,促进其凋亡,其机制可能与抑制Btk、NFκB的活性,下调Bcl-xl及c-IAP1等抗凋亡蛋白,同时上调Caspase-3等凋亡蛋白的表达而发挥作用.     

New England Medical Center Posterior Circulation Stroke Registry: I. Methods, Data Base, Distribution of Brain Lesions, Stroke Mechanisms, and Outcomes

Among 407 New England Medical Center Posterior Circulation Registry (NEMC-PCR) patients, 59% had strokes without transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), 24% had TIAs before strokes, and 16% had only posterior circulation TIAs. Embolism was the commonest stroke mechanism accounting for 40% of cases (24% cardiac origin, 14% arterial origin, 2% had potential cardiac and arterial sources). In 32%, large artery occlusive lesions caused hemodynamic brain infarction. Stroke mechanisms in the posterior and anterior circulation are very similar. Infarcts most often included the distal posterior circulation territory (rostral brainstem, superior cerebellum and occipital and temporal lobes), while the proximal (medulla and posterior inferior cerebellum) and middle (pons and anterior inferior cerebellum) territories were equally involved. Infarcts that included the distal territory were twice as common as those that included the proximal or middle territories. Most distal territory infarcts were attributable to embolism. Thirty day mortality was low (3.6%). Embolic stroke mechanism, distal territory location, and basilar artery occlusive disease conveyed the worst prognosis.