Polyploidization and centrosome hyperamplification in inflammatory bronchi

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: Inflammatory and tumorous bronchi were screened in order to obtain new tumor relevant cytogenetic parameters. MATERIAL OR SUBJECTS: Bronchial cells of 32 patients were cultivated by standard cell culture procedures. METHODS: Tetraploidy and aneuploidy was determined by enumeration of chromosome 7 and 8 versus the number of centrosomes. The resulting data were correlated with histopathological data. RESULTS: Tetra- and aneuploidy of epithelial cells were detectable in 76% of tumor cell cultures, 75% of high grade inflammatory tissues and 40% of non- and low grade-inflammatory tissues. Additionally, we observed centrosome hyper-amplification and multipolar mitoses not only in the tumor but also in the early stages of inflammation. CONCLUSION: Inflammatory bronchi already show tumor-specific features and may consequently represent the preliminary genetic stage of cancer development in bronchi.     

Vibrio cholerae Bacteremia in a Neutropenic Patient with Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma

Vibrio cholerae was isolated from the blood cultures of a neutropenic patient treated with chemotherapy for non-small-cell lung cancer. Attempts to isolate Vibrio spp. from a rectal swab and stool were unsuccessful. Piperacillin/tazobactam treatment resulted in eradication of the microorganism from the patient's blood. Although Vibrio spp. have occasionally been the source of infection in immunocompromised patients, this report describes the first case of non-0:1 Vibrio cholerae bacteremia in a neutropenic patient with a solid tumour. Electronic Publication     

Antiseptic Compounds Still Active Against Bacterial Strains Isolated from Surgical Wound Infections Despite Increasing Antibiotic Resistance

The in vitro activities of povidone iodine, potassium peroxymonosulfate, and dimethyldidecylammonium chloride were investigated against 379 nosocomial isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa responsible for surgical wound infections in patients operated on between July 1995 and June 2001. Overall, the isolates were inhibited by the antiseptics at concentrations below those used routinely. In spite of increasing resistance to the various antibiotics used to treat surgical wound infections, no significant variation in the susceptibility to antiseptics was demonstrated during this 6-year study. Electronic Publication     

CNS access of selected H3-antagonists: ex vivo binding study in rats

Inflammation Research -     

Rapid adenosine release in the nucleus tractus solitarii during defence response in rats: real-time measurement in vivo

We have measured the release of adenosine and inosine from the dorsal surface of the brainstem and from within the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) during the defence response evoked by hypothalamic stimulation in the anaesthetised rat. At the surface of the brainstem, only release of inosine was detected on hypothalamic defence area stimulation. This inosine signal was greatly reduced by addition of the ecto-5'-nucleotidase inhibitor α,β-methylene ADP (200 μM), suggesting that the inosine arose from adenosine that was produced in the extracellular space by the prior release of ATP. By placing a microelectrode biosensor into the NTS under stereotaxic control we have recorded release of adenosine within this nucleus. By contrast to the brainstem surface, a fast increase in adenosine, accompanied only by a much smaller change in inosine levels, was seen following stimulation of the hypothalamic defence area. The release of adenosine following hypothalamic stimulation was mainly confined to a narrow region of the NTS some 500 μm in length around the level of the obex. Interestingly the release of adenosine was depletable: when the defence reaction was evoked at short time intervals, much less adenosine was released on the second stimulus. Our novel techniques have given unprecedented real-time measurement and localisation of adenosine release in vivo and demonstrate that adenosine is released at the right time and in sufficient quantities to contribute to the cardiovascular components of the defence reaction.     

Ein Fragebogen zur infertilitätsbedingten Belastung andrologischer Patienten

The infertility distress scale (IBS) has been designed to assess the stress perceived by andrological patients resulting from infertility. This review presents findings from different studies with a total of 769 patients. The scale consists of eight items. The stability of scores is very high even for a mean follow-up of 2 years. The scale correlates highly with an already validated measure of infertility distress. Correlations with measures of depressiveness are in the low to medium range. All in all, the psychometric results indicate that the IBS is a factor-stable, reliable and valid instrument for assessing chronic infertility distress in andrological patients. After the presentation of normative data, the usefulness of the IBS as a screening instrument for identifying highly distressed patients is discussed. Findings supporting the scale's sensitivity to change are also presented. The scale is a useful tool in clinical practice as well as in research.     

Kardiale Manifestationen der HIV-Infektion

Zusammenfassung. Die Infektion mit dem humanen Immundefizienzvirus (HIV) betrifft nicht nur das Immunsystem des menschlichen Organismus, sondern schließt vielmehr eine Reihe weiterer Organsysteme mit ein. Es wird angenommen, dass bei 5-15% der HIV-positiven Patienten kardiale Manifestationen auftreten. Zu den häufigsten HIV-assoziierten kardialen Manifestationen gehören der Perikarderguss und die chronisch aktive, fokale oder diffuse Myokarditis. Endokardiale Manifestationen bei HIV-positiven Patienten treten in Form der infektiösen Endokarditis und der nichtbakteriellen thrombotischen Endokarditis auf. In der Regel weisen HIV-assoziierte kardiale Manifestationen einen langsam progredienten Krankheitsverlauf auf. Komplikationen sind Folge eines langfristig unentdeckten Fortschreitens der Erkrankung, aber auch schnell progredienter Verlaufsformen. Aufgrund der Vielzahl HIV-assoziierter kardialer Manifestationen und deren möglicher Komplikationen ist daher neben der Früherkennung ein effektives diagnostisches und therapeutisches Vorgehen erforderlich. Seit Einführung der Proteaseinhibitoren in den 90er Jahren und der Anwendung der hochaktiven antiretroviralen Kombinationstherapie (HAART) konnten sowohl Mortalität als auch Morbidität der HIV-Infektion deutlich gesenkt werden. Die Auswirkungen der HAART auf das kardiovaskuläre System sind bisher nur in Ansätzen bekannt. Als Nebenwirkungen wurden metabolische Veränderungen in Form von Hyperlipoproteinämie und Insulinresistenz bei einer Vielzahl HIV-positiver Patienten beobachtet. Es kann davon ausgegangen werden, dass durch den Anstieg der kardiovaskulären Risikofaktoren unter der HAART in den nächsten Jahren eine erhöhte Rate kardialer Erkrankungen bei HIV-positiven Patienten auftreten wird. In dem vorliegenden Übersichtsartikel wird ein Überblick über die häufigsten kardialen Erkrankungen bei HIV-Infektionen gegeben. Zusätzlich werden Vorschläge zu Diagnostik und Therapie unterbreitet und eine Einschätzung über Veränderungen der HIV-assoziierten kardialen Manifestationen nach Einführung der HAART vorgenommen. Abstract. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) does not only affect the immune system. Other organs including the cardiovascular system are influenced by the HIV as well. Most common HIV-associated cardiac manifestations are pericardial effusion and chronic active, focal or diffuse myocarditis. In addition to peri- and myocardial disease, endocardiac manifestations occur as infective endocarditis and nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis in HIV-infected patients. Although most of the cardiac manifestations associated with HIV-infection exhibit a slow progression, rapid courses may lead to fatal complications. Early screening of HIV-infected patients will identify the potentially fatal complications of HIV disease and permit efficient treatment. The use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) significantly reduced the mortality and morbidity of HIV-infected patients. However, the impact that HAART will have on the incidence and prevalence of cardiac complications in HIV-infected patients is still unknown. It can be predicted, that the long-term viral infection and the increase of cardiovascular risk factors by HAART will probably lead to an increased prevalence of HIV-infected individuals with cardiac complications in the next decade. The present review describes the most frequent HIV-associated cardiac manifestations including diagnostic and therapeutic perspectives.     

Scholarly productivity: are nurse academics catching up?

The aim of this study was to document the amount of recent change in Australian nurse academics' scholarly productivity and to investigate the influence of demographic factors such as gender, academic rank, qualifications, increase in qualifications, state of residence, university and university size. Scholarly productivity was calculated from an audit of journal articles. The findings of this study indicate that, while there has been a slight increase in scholarly productivity in the last five years, nursing still lags behind other disciplines. Scholarly productivity was found to be positively associated with highest academic qualification, academic rank and promotion. The study indicates the continuing need for senior nurse academics to provide mentoring to colleagues and foster the development of skills associated with scholarly productivity.     

Characterization of the cross-bridge force-generating step using inorganic phosphate and BDM in myofibrils from rabbit skeletal muscles

The inhibitory effects of inorganic phosphate (P_i) on isometric force in striated muscle suggest that in the ATPase reaction P_i release is coupled to force generation. Whether P_i release and the power stroke are synchronous events or force is generated by an isomerization of the quaternary complex of actomyosin and ATPase products (AM.ADP.P_i) prior to the following release of P_i is still controversial. Examination of the dependence of isometric force on [P_i] in rabbit fast (psoas; 5-15 °C) and slow (soleus; 15-20 °C) myofibrils was used to test the two-step hypothesis of force generation and P_i release. Hyperbolic fits of force-[P_i] relations obtained in fast and slow myofibrils at 15 °C produced an apparent asymptote as [P_i]∞ of 0.07 and 0.44 maximal isometric force (i.e. force in the absence of P_i) in psoas and soleus myofibrils, respectively, with an apparent K _d of 4.3 m m in both. In each muscle type, the force-[P_i] relation was independent of temperature. However, 2,3-butanedione 2-monoxime (BDM) decreased the apparent asymptote of force in both muscle types, as expected from its inhibition of the force-generating isomerization. These data lend strong support to models of cross-bridge action in which force is produced by an isomerization of the AM.ADP.P_i complex immediately preceding the P_i release step.