Indoor 222Rn levels in New York State, North Carolina, and South Carolina

Results are presented from approximately 9000 Rn measurements made in New York state, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The estimated statewide geometric mean concentrations were 28.1 Bq m-3 and 55.8 Bq m-3 for basements in New York state, 27.5 Bq m-3 for living rooms and 108.9 Bq m-3 for basements in North Carolina, and 25.0 Bq m-3 for living rooms in South Carolina.     

Localization of acetylcholine receptors and cholinesterase on nerve-contacted and noncontacted muscle cells grown in the presence of agents that block action potentials

The possible role of nerve activity in triggering changes in the localization of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) and cholinesterase (ChE) on nerve-contacted Xenopus muscle cells has been assessed. The localization of these molecules was examined on nerve-contacted and noncontacted muscle cells in cultures of spinal cord and myotomal muscle derived from Xenopus embryos. Sites of high AChR density were revealed by staining with fluorescent alpha-bungarotoxin and sites of ChE localization were revealed histochemically. Localization of AChRs and ChE at sites of nerve-muscle contact occurred when the culture medium contained 1.2 micron tetrodotoxin (TTX), 1.2 micron TTX, 10 mM magnesium, and no calcium salts, 1.2 micron TTX and 2 mM manganese, or 106 mM potassium methyl sulfate instead of sodium chloride. The nerve-contacted muscle cells in each of these modified culture media also exhibited a reduced incidence of AChR and ChE patches away from the site of contact. It is concluded that the neural factor(s) that triggers the local and remote changes in AChR and ChE distribution can be supplied to the neurites and externalized in the absence of nerve impulses, and that the nerve and muscle cells can interact even when they are largely depolarized.     

Management of iron overload in the pediatric patient

Iron overload is a major complication of long-term transfusion therapy. In the absence of treatment, the excessive iron causes diffuse organ damage, usually culminating in death from heart disease. Deferoxamine, an iron-chelating drug, removes tissue iron, prevents iron-induced organ dysfunction, and prolongs life. Proper administration of deferoxamine requires careful attention to dose, route and duration of administration, and compliance. Better chelators are needed but are unlikely to be available soon. Other methods for preventing or reducing iron accumulation involve alterations in the transfusion program or the blood product. Prevention of iron overload should improve the lives of patients with transfusion-dependent anemias and extend the usefulness of transfusion in chronic hematologic disorders.     

Isolation and characterization of a distinct immunoregulatory isoform of alpha-fetoprotein produced by the normal fetus

In this report, we examine the functional significance of the molecular microheterogeneity of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). In doing so, we have taken the direct approach of purifying the naturally occurring isomeric forms of fetal-derived AFP using a preparative anion exchange column linked to an automated fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) system followed by parallel testing of each isolated molecular variant for in vitro immunoregulatory activity. The data obtained demonstrate the presence of seven distinct variants of AFP as defined by their retention volumes on FPLC elution profiles, by their pIs on analytical IEF gels, and by Western blot analysis. Molecular mass determination by SDS-PAGE showed each isomer to be equivalent in size to 69,000-dalton native unfractionated AFP molecules. All the immunosuppressive activity of AFP was localized to a single variant representing only 6% of the total composition of native AFP. The immunoregulating isomer termed AFP-1 was the least acidic of the seven isolated variants with a pI of 5.1 and displayed a sialic acid content of 1 mol/mol of protein. The inhibitory activity of AFP-1 could be readily measured on T cell-dependent antibody synthesis, Con A-induced stimulation of Lyt-1+23- thymocyte DNA synthesis, and lymphokine-activated NK cell activity. All other isomers were without effect in these test systems. The immunosuppressive AFP-1 isomer also displayed the strongest growth-promoting influence on cultured bone marrow lymphocytes. There was no correlation between functional activity and degree of expression of sialic acid residues on the AFP molecules. These findings demonstrate that the immunoregulating function of AFP is confined to a distinct and relatively small subpopulation of native AFP molecules and should therefore contribute to the resolution of outstanding questions regarding the structure/function relationship of this onco-fetal glycoprotein.     

The use of pelvic ultrasonography in the evaluation of adolescents with pelvic inflammatory disease

To evaluate the use of pelvic ultrasonography in the diagnosis and management of female adolescents with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), sonograms of 60 patients with PID were compared with those of 40 age-matched controls. Sonograms were evaluated for adnexal volume, adnexal adherence, uterine size, and the presence of cul-de-sac fluid. Eleven (19.3%) of the 57 patients with PID, in whom adequate sonograms were obtained, had tubo-ovarian abscesses; in seven of these patients, the abscesses were diagnosed ultrasonographically before suspected clinically. Even in those patients without tubo-ovarian abscesses, the mean (+/- SD) adnexal volume in the PID group was significantly larger than that of the control group (11.0 +/- 6.8 cm3 vs 5.2 +/- 2.7 cm,3 respectively). Adnexal adherence, uterine size, and the presence of cul-de-sac fluid were not useful in differentiating patients with PID from normal controls. Pelvic ultrasonography can be a useful adjunct in the diagnosis and management of PID in adolescents and may, in some instances, provide diagnoses in the absence of clinical findings.     

Educational level as a modulator of cognitive performance and neuropsychyatric features in Parkinson disease.

OBJECTIVES: To test a possible association between the educational level (EL), cognitive performance, and neuropsychiatric features in Parkinson disease (PD). BACKGROUND: An inverse association has been reported between EL and cognitive dysfunction in patients with senile dementia of Alzheimer type but it is yet unsettled whether education has a similar effect on cognition in PD. METHODS: Seventy-two PD patients (45 males, mean age 68.7+/-11.6 y) underwent a detailed neurologic examination, a battery of neuropsychologic tests, and questionnaires for the evaluation of psychosis, sleep disturbances, and depression. According to the number of educational years, patients were divided into 3 groups: low EL (0 to 8 y), (15 patients), intermediate EL (9 to 12 y) (28 patients), and high EL (>/=13 y) (29 patients). RESULTS: Patients with a higher EL had a better cognitive function and an association was found between the patients' EL and their scores in various neuropsychologic tests mainly those sensitive to frontal lobe dysfunction. Low education was associated with an increased risk for hallucinations and a trend for more depression, delusions, and sleep disturbances. CONCLUSIONS: The association between high educational attainment and the lower risk of cognitive dysfunction suggest that education might modulate cognitive performance in PD.