Vein of Galen and sinus thrombosis with bilateral thalamic infarcts in sickle cell anaemia: CT follow-up and angiographic demonstration

A 2-year-old boy with known sickle cell disease presented in acute coma. CT revealed bilateral thalamic infarcts and incomplete sinus thrombosis. Angiography confirmed thrombosis of the straight sinus and vein of Galen.     

Symptomatic cystic dilatation of V ventricle: Case report and review of the literature

We report a case of V ventricular cystic dilatation, presenting with specific neurological symptoms including low back pain, bilateral sciatica, weakness of dorsiflexion, and urinary retention. MRI showed a large cystic dilatation of the ventriculus terminalis. Surgical fenestration of the cyst allowed complete relief from symptoms and remission of the neurological deficit.     

Thrombocyte function in children with Type I diabetes mellitus. Cross-sectional study]

Platelet count, spontaneous platelet aggregation, ADP- and collagen-induced platelet aggregation platelet adhesion, platelet volume, shape change, beta-thromboglobulin and von-Willebrand-factor have been investigated in 51 insulin dependent diabetic children without clinical signs of diabetic angiopathy. Compared to an age matched healthy control group diabetic children showed a significant enhancement of spontaneous platelet aggregation, elevated plasma levels of von-Willebrand-factor, increased platelet shape change and adhesion. No alterations could be found in ADP--and collagen--induced platelet aggregation and in beta-thromboglobulin levels. Significant correlations could be found between the total glycosylated haemoglobin concentrations (Hb A1) and spontaneous platelet aggregation, as well as between duration of diabetes Hb A1, and platelet volume. In this study we could demonstrate changes in platelet function in diabetic children without clinical signs of diabetic angiopathy. However these changes could be due to metabolic adjustment and may precede diabetic vasculopathy.     

Stimulation of skin sympathetic nerve discharge by central command. Differential control of sympathetic outflow to skin and skeletal muscle during static exercise

Microneurographic measurements of muscle sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) have suggested that, during static exercise, central command is much less important than skeletal muscle afferents in causing sympathetic neural activation. The possibility remains, however, that the sympathetic discharge produced by central command is targeted mainly to tissues other than skeletal muscle. To examine this possibility, we recorded SNA with microelectrodes placed selectively in skin, as well as in muscle, nerve fascicles of the peroneal nerve during static handgrip maneuvers designed to separate the effects of central command from those of muscle afferents. To study the relative effects of cutaneous sympathetic activation on sudomotor versus vasomotor function, we simultaneously estimated changes in skin blood flow (laser Doppler velocimetry) and in sudomotor (electrodermal) activation in the region of skin innervated by the impaled nerve fascicle. Two minutes of static handgrip at 10%, 20%, and 30% of maximal voluntary contraction caused large and intensity-dependent increases in skin SNA. These increases in SNA immediately preceded the onset of muscle tension, accelerated progressively during sustained handgrip, and resolved promptly with the cessation of motor effort. The handgrip-induced increases in skin SNA were not maintained when handgrip was followed by arrest of the forearm circulation, a maneuver that maintains the stimulation of chemically sensitive muscle afferents while eliminating the influences of central command and mechanically sensitive muscle afferents. During normothermia, static handgrip at 30% maximal voluntary contraction caused sustained increases in skin SNA (+400 +/- 83%, mean +/- SEM, p less than 0.05) and in electrodermal activity (+276 +/- 56%, p less than 0.05) but only transient increases in estimated skin vascular resistance (+11 +/- 2%, p less than 0.05). When skin temperature was increased or decreased to a new stable baseline level, subsequent increases in skin SNA during handgrip were accompanied by sustained but directionally opposite changes in estimated skin vascular resistance, with exercise-induced vasodilation during hyperthermia but exercise-induced vasoconstriction during hypothermia. From these observations, we conclude the following: 1) static exercise markedly increases sympathetic outflow to skin as well as to skeletal muscle; 2) the increases in skin SNA, unlike muscle SNA, appear to be caused mainly by central command rather than by muscle afferent reflexes; and 3) this cutaneous sympathetic activation appears to be targeted both to sweat glands and to vascular smooth muscle, with the relative targeting being temperature dependent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Two superficially spreading malignant melanomas on nevus spilus]

A case of a 49-year-old patient with two superficial spreading melanomas arising from a naevus spilus is presented. Although opinions differ on the potential for malignant transformation in naevi spili, they should be carefully watched, and if changes are found these lesions should be subjected to histopathologic examination.     

Expression of S14-mRNA and its translational product in differentiating 3T3-L1 cells

During adipogenic conversion of 3T3-L1 cells S14-mRNA increased from undetectable levels in preadipocytes to high levels in differentiated adipocytes (adipocyte-like cells). In vitro translation of hybrid-selected S14-mRNA revealed an identical protein in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and in rat liver with regard to migration properties in two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. No translation product was found in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. In conclusion, protein-S14 is very similar or even identical in rat lipogenic tissues and in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Therefore, this cell line can be employed to elucidate further physiological aspects of protein-S14.     

Psychoneuroendocrinoimmunology: the basis for a novel therapeutic approach in aging.

Along with the nervous and the endocrine systems, the immune system is one of the three major integrative systems in higher organisms. Growing evidence demonstrates an intimate relationship between the immune system and the endocrine and nervous systems: The psychoneuroendocrine system can influence the immune response and thereby the capacity of the organism to cope with illness, and the immune system can have an impact on neuroendocrine function. Such cross-talk among systems is dependent upon feedback loops working to maintain homeostatic equilibrium.     

The presence of an HLA-identical sibling donor has no impact on outcome of patients with high-risk MDS or secondary AML (sAML) treated with intensive chemotherapy followed by transplantation: results of a prospective study of the EORTC, EBMT, SAKK and GIMEMA Leukemia Groups (EORTC study 06921).

This report used the framework of a large European study to investigate the outcome of patients with and without an HLA-identical sibling donor on an intention-to-treat basis. After a common remission-induction and consolidation course, patients with an HLA-identical sibling donor were scheduled for allogeneic transplantation and patients lacking a donor for autologous transplantation. In all, 159 patients alive at 8 weeks from the start of treatment were included in the present analysis. In total, 52 patients had a donor, 65 patients did not have a donor and in 42 patients the availability of a donor was not assessed. Out of 52 patients, 36 (69%) with a donor underwent allogeneic transplantation (28 in CR1). Out of 65 patients, 33 (49%) received an autograft (27 in CR1). The actuarial survival rates at 4 years were 33.3% (s.e. = 6.7%) for patients with a donor and 39.0% (s.e. = 6.5%) for patients without a donor (P = 0.18). Event-free survival rates were 23.1% (s.e. = 6.2%) and 21.5% (s.e. = 5.3%), respectively (P = 0.66). Correction for alternative donor transplants did not substantially alter the survival of the group without a donor. Also, the survival in the various cytogenetic risk groups was not significantly different when comparing the donor vs the no-donor group. This analysis shows that patients with high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome and secondary acute myeloid leukemia may benefit from both allogeneic and autologous transplantation. We were unable to demonstrate a survival advantage for patients with a donor compared to patients without a donor.     

子宫肌瘤与细胞凋亡的研究

目的:探讨子宫平滑肌瘤的发生与细胞凋亡的关系.方法:采用凝胶电泳技术对子宫平滑肌瘤患者的肌瘤核组织(实验组)及其周围的正常肌组织(对照组)进行DNA片段分析;采用碘化丙啶(PI)对DNA染色,流式细胞仪检测两组细胞的凋亡率,进行细胞凋亡的定量分析.结果:实验组有9例出现DNA断裂的梯形条带(9/30,30.0%),对照组有20例出现DNA梯形条带(20/30,66.7%),二者比较有明显差异;实验组凋亡率明显低于对照组.结论:子宫肌瘤的发生与细胞凋亡异常有关.