Growth and nutrition in 10 girls with Rett syndrome

Cross-sectional and retrospective data on growth and anthropometric outcome, feeding problems and dietary intake are presented for 10 girls between three and 16 years of age with Rett syndrome. All girls had birth weight and length within the normal range for gestational age and development was considered normal until six to 24 months of age. The girls presented a fall off in linear growth during the first two years of life and at the time of study, all but one had height and/or weight for height below the 2.5th percentile of healthy children. The girls had good appetite but could not eat by themselves and oral-motor dysfunctions were common. The mean energy intake was 66.9% of the US recommendations according to age and 107.8% of the recommendations according to body weight. The intakes of thiamin, vitamin D, calcium and iron were considered low. None was anaemic. Different nutritional intervention strategies should be investigated to reduce and, if possible, prevent malnutrition and wasting in girls with Rett syndrome.     

Immunoexpression of MMPs-1, -2, and -9 in ameloblastoma and odontogenic adenomatoid tumor

Objective:  The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the expression of metalloproteinases-1, -2, and -9 in solid ameloblastoma and adenomatoid odontogenic tumor.
Methods:  A total of 20 cases of solid ameloblastoma and 10 cases of adenomatoid odontogenic tumors were selected and immunohistochemically assessed. Metalloproteinases-1, -2, and -9 immunoexpression and their distribution pattern were noted and semiquantitatively scored. The scores obtained were statistically analyzed.
Results:  Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1 showed a predominant expression in both tumors and was found in stroma and parenchyma. For MMP-2, there was a varied expression, with 80% and 60% of immunoreactive tumor cells in ameloblastoma and adenomatoid odontogenic tumor respectively. Regarding stromal cells, 65% of ameloblastomas and 80% of adenomatoid odontogenic tumors showed positivity. There was immunoexpression of the MMP-9 in parenchymal and stromal cells in all cases of both tumors analyzed. A statistically significant difference in the expression of MMP-1 in relation to the expression of MMP-2 and -9 in ameloblastomas ( P  < 0.001) was observed.
Conclusion:  The results suggest that these metalloproteinases are related to growth and progression of tumors analyzed, and particularly in ameloblastoma, its highest aggressiveness may be, in part, a result of the active participation of the stromal cells and their products, such as the MMPs studied.     

Effects of a short individually tailored counselling session for HIV prevention in gay and bisexual men receiving Hepatitis B vaccination

Background  

There is currently a trend towards unsafe unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) among men who have sex with men. We evaluated a short individual counselling session on reducing UAI among gay and bisexual men.     

The effect of folate analogues and vitamin B12 on provision of thymine nucleotides for DNA synthesis in megaloblastic anemia

The role of vitamin B12 in the folate dependent biosynthesis of thymidine nucleotides is controversial. In an attempt to clarify this, three methods have been used to assess the relative efficacy of vitamin B12 (hydroxocobalamin) and various folate analogues in titrated concentrations at correcting 'de novo' thymidylate synthesis by megaloblastic human marrow cells: (1) The deoxyuridine (dU) suppression test which analyses the reduction in (3H)-thymidine labeling of DNA by unlabeled dU. Marrow cells were also labeled with (6-3H)-dU with assessment of (2) its incorporation into DNA and (3) the accumulation of (6-3H)-deoxyuridine monophosphate (3H-dUMP). The three methods gave similar results. In both, N6-formyl tetrahydrofolate (formyl-FH4) was the most effective agent at correcting thymidylate synthesis in megaloblastic anemia due to vitamin B12 or folate deficiency. Vitamin B12 corrected the lesion in vitamin B12 deficiency but not in folate deficiency. Tetrahydrofolate (FH4) and folic acid were effective in deficiency of vitamin B12 or folate, although in both deficiencies they were less effective than formyl-FH4. Methyl-FH4 was effective in folate deficiency but not in vitamin B12 deficiency. These results confirm the failure of methyl-FH4 utilisation in vitamin B12 deficiency. They suggest that if vitamin B12 is needed in the formylation of FH4, this is a minor role in provision of the correct coenzyme for thymidylate synthesis compared with its major role of provision of FH4 from methyl- FH4.     

慢病毒介导碱性成纤维细胞生长因子基因转染促进半月板纤维软骨细胞的增殖与基质合成

目的:碱性成纤维细胞生长因子是一种作用广泛的修复始动因子,能有效地促进多种细胞的增殖和基质合成功能。借助慢病毒载体进行碱性成纤维细胞生长因子基因转染半月板纤维软骨细胞,观察半月板纤维软骨细胞的增殖与基质合成情况。方法:实验于2004-05/2005-11在上海市四肢显微外科实验室完成。①实验材料:ViraPower慢病毒载体系统;3个月龄新西兰大白兔3只。②实验过程和分组:分离培养兔半月板纤维软骨细胞,待培养的第1代细胞生长至60%融合时,将细胞与克隆有碱性成纤维细胞生长因子基因的重组慢病毒载体悬液共培养,定义为实验组细胞;同时设立对照组细胞,与不携带任何基因的慢病毒悬液共培养;空白组细胞,未接受外加处理。③转染后48h用酶联接免疫吸附剂测定方法检测3组半月板细胞培养液中碱性成纤维细胞生长因子的表达;激光流式细胞仪检测细胞周期,3H-脯氨酸摄入法检测胶原合成;转染后第2,4,6,8天用四甲基偶氮唑盐法检测细胞增殖。结果:①与重组慢病毒共培养48h后,在实验组细胞培养液中检测到碱性成纤维细胞生长因子的表达,而对照组和空白组细胞的培养液中未能检测到碱性成纤维细胞生长因子的表达;共培养6d后实验组细胞吸光度高于对照组和空白组(P<0.01)。②实验组细胞DNA合成前期、DNA合成期、分裂前期及分裂期的时间较对照组和空白组缩短(P<0.05)。③实验组细胞胶原高于对照组和空白组。结论:利用慢病毒转基因技术能有效地将碱性成纤维细胞生长因子基因转染入半月板纤维软骨细胞,继而促进半月板细胞的增殖和基质合成,有可能为治疗半月板损伤提供新的方法。     

Deletions within the LMP1 oncogene of Epstein-Barr virus are clustered in Hodgkin's disease and identical to those observed in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

This study of 52 European patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD) expressing the latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) oncogene within diagnostic Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells was performed to detect LMP1 isolates carrying deletions and to characterize them at a molecular and histologic level. Deletions were identified in 5 cases, clustered near the 3' end of the LMP1 gene, and histologically associated with numerous HRS cells. DNA sequencing showed homology with the deletions seen in the Asian nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) isolates CAO and 1510. Our findings suggest that partial deletions of the LMP1 oncogene, associated with aggressive behavior in NPC CAO and NPC 1510, occur at a particular localization and confer a proliferative phenotype to lymphoid cells in HD.