The characteristics of cardiomyopathy in different geographical regions]

Region-specific characteristics of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DC) were compared for 108 relevant patients living in Dubai (United Arab Emirates) and Moscow (Russia). Out of 49 citizens of Dubai 17 had HC, 32 DC, and 59 Moscow patients had HC in 23, DC in 36 cases. It was found that HC in Dubai tends to run a silent latent course, involving mainly basal septum and right ventricle. Apical lesions were more typical for Moscow citizens who also display more severe myocardial impairment. DC in Dubai produces weaker cardiac insufficiency and arrhythmia. Incidence of idiopathic and periportal DC proved higher in Dubai, while alcohol and virus infection underlie DC more frequently in Moscow.     

Corpus callosum: interactive effects of infantile handling and testosterone in the rat

Previous research found that the corpus callosum of male rats is larger than that of females; handling rats in infancy enhances this sex difference; and female rat pups, when handled in infancy and given 1 injection of testosterone propionate (TP) on Day 4 of life, will have callosa as large as those of males. In 2 experiments, male pups were castrated on Day 1 or received sham surgery; female pups were injected with TP on Day 4 or received an oil injection. Litters were handled or nonhandled. The previous finding that females, when handled and given TP in infancy, have a larger callosum was confirmed; however, a TP effect when administered to nonhandled females was not found. Because handling is known to cause a corticosterone release, these findings were interpreted as evidence of a developmental interaction between adrenal and gonadal hormones at the cortical level.     

Use of ass' milk in multiple food allergy.

We report a study of realimentation techniques in 9 unweaned infants with multiple food hypersensitivity. The patients had presented severe symptoms of cow's milk allergy and successive attempts using milk containing soy protein and/or a semielemental formula in their alimentation did not improve their clinical condition, due to the onset of hypersensitivity to these allergens as well. After a short period of parenteral alimentation the infants were refed per os with ass' milk (250 ml/kg/day) + medium chain triglycerides (40 ml/L milk). This food was well tolerated by all patients. No negative clinical reactions were recorded and during hospitalisation average weight increase was 39.8 g/day. The follow-up of the patients showed that ass' milk was tolerated without any problems up to an age ranging from 15 to 20 months, when cow's milk was reintroduced in some patients.     

Articulation rate in 3- and 5-year-old children.

The major purposes of this study were to provide normative data on articulation rate in preschool children and to examine the influence on articulation rate of age, gender, context, and utterance length. The subjects were twenty 3-year-old children and twenty 5-year-old children, equally balanced for gender. Durational measures of utterances were analyzed in syllables and phones per second in both spontaneous and imitated speech contexts. The articulation rate of the 5-year-old subjects was significantly faster than that of the 3-year-olds. Spontaneous speech was significantly faster and more variable than imitated speech. Some gender differences were found. Measures in syllables per second and phones per second, although not always yielding identical results, were found to be highly correlated.     

Spectrum analysis of gastrointestinal potentials from the body surface

Spectral analysis was employed to assess the electric activity of the stomach and intestine from the body surface. Equipment including a microcomputer and a specially designed program were used. Examinations of 134 normal subjects and patients with various gastrointestinal conditions have demonstrated a sufficient accuracy of the method in the detection of gastrointestinal dyskinesia and in assessment of gastrointestinal function, as well as in presentation of individual elements of regular gastrointestinal activity.     

The clinico-diagnostic significance of determining creatine kinase activity and isoenzymes in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Creatine kinase (CK) activity was assessed in the direct and reverse tests and CK isoenzymes in agar gel for 41 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). With growing activity of the process, there was a decline of CK activity in the reverse test though in the direct test this activity was scarcely changeable allowing a shift to predominance of the direct response. Significant differences were found in CK reverse reaction which correlated with SLE activity and pattern. The more active the disease, the less content of CK-1 and CK-3 isoenzymes. Investigations of CK activity and isoenzymes during SLE treatment help objectivize the clinical control.     

Mortality among female manual workers.

STUDY OBJECTIVE--The aim was to determine whether female manual workers have higher mortality than other women. DESIGN--This was a retrospective cohort study in which mortality was compared with that of the general female population. Main outcome measures were standardised mortality ratio (SMR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). SETTING--Reykjavík region. PARTICIPANTS--Participants were 18,878 women, the cumulated members of a pension fund for manual workers between 1970 and 1986. MAIN RESULTS--A healthy worker effect was observed in the total cohort. The study was then restricted to those who had contributed to the pension fund any time after reaching 20 years of age, and a 10 year latency period was instituted. When analysing subcohorts by duration of employment the standardised mortality ratios for all causes of death and all cancers increased with longer employment time up to 10 years. However, the ratios were low in the group with over 10 years of employment. Those who began contributing to the fund in 1977 or later had higher mortality than those who began earlier. There was an excess of lung and bladder cancer in the total cohort and in all the subcohorts except in the group with over 10 years' employment. Mortality from accidents and suicides was in excess in all the groups. CONCLUSIONS--Mortality is high among some groups of female manual workers. A deficit was found among those with the longest employment. Differences in mortality have widened in recent years. An excess of suicides shows that women in this group have, for some reason, less will to live than other women.     

Isolation of species-specific Mycobacterium bovis antigen and testing of its cutaneous tuberculin activity]

Polyclonal rabbit antibodies specific to a species-specific M. bovis antigen were used to isolate a species-specific antigen from the PPD. The preparation obtained was active and possessed a higher specificity than the PPD in skin reactions in sensitized guinea pigs.     

The local immunity status of breast cancer patients depending on the level of estrogen receptors in the tumor

Studies of local immunity in breast cancer patients were performed in relation to its dependence on tumor levels of estrogen receptors. They demonstrated that progression of breast cancer depends much on the presence of estrogen receptors which occur in 33% of premenopausal and in 68.3% of postmenopausal women; local humoral immunity depends on hormonal presentation of the tumor. When the latter contains estrogen receptors, synthesis of IgSA (stage I-IIa) and of IgSA, A, IgG, IgM (stage IIb-IIIb) appears inhibited; less affected is local immunity with negative estrogen receptors in the tumor as evidenced by the reduction or absence of IgSA in a half (stage I-IIa) or all cases (stage IIb-IIIb) in unchanged levels of the other immunoglobulins.     

Apparently new MCA/MR syndrome in sibs with cleft lip and palate and other facial, eye, heart, and intestinal anomalies.

We report on a sister and brother with severe mental retardation, bulbous tip of the nose, long columella, cleft lip and palate, heart and intestinal anomalies, and growth retardation. This appears to be a previously unreported, autosomal recessive condition, given high resolution prometaphase chromosomes are normal.