Erectile Impotence in Chronic Alcoholics

Erectile impotence is a common complaint in alcoholics, but its mechanism is unknown. We have studied nocturnal penile erection in 13 alcoholics who complained of impotence. Seven had normal erections and their impotence was therefore psychogenic. Six were found to have diminished or absent nocturnal erections. Plasma concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) were elevated in this latter group, with the exception of one patient who had only raised FSH. They also had more evidence of neurological damage than the other seven alcoholics, and two had evidence of damage to the parasympathetic nervous system. Investigation of erection during sleep in alcoholic patients with impotence may be useful in differentiating clinically between patients with psychogenic causes and patients with organic causes of impotence.     

Serum IgG and IgA antibodies to Chlamydia pneumoniae and severity of emphysema

OBJECTIVE: Chronic Chlamydia pneumoniae infection has been identified serologically in patients with COPD. The aim of this study was to examine whether the severity of emphysema is related to elevated antibody titres against C. pneumoniae. METHODOLOGY: We measured antibody titres against C. pneumoniae using ELISA, and assessed the severity of emphysema by the percentage of low attenuation area (%LAA) using high resolution (HR) CT in patients with COPD and in non-smoking control subjects. RESULTS: The mean %LAA was 2.2% in non-smoking controls (n = 28) and 13.3% in COPD patients (n = 94). COPD patients with a high IgG antibody index to C. pneumoniae (> or =2.0, n = 42) had a significantly higher %LAA (16.8%) than those with a low IgG index (<2.0, n = 52) (10.6%, P = 0.01). In addition, COPD patients with a high IgA antibody index (> or =2.0, n = 46) had a significantly higher %LAA (15.9%) than those with a low IgA index (<2.0, n = 48) (10.9%, P = 0.048). COPD patients with a high IgA antibody index also had a significantly lower %DLco than that associated with a low IgA index (68.1% and 80.3%, respectively, P = 0.007). There were no significant differences in age, smoking index or FEV(1)/FVC between these groups. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that high antibody titres against C. pneumoniae are linked with the severity of emphysema on high resolution CT and decreased diffusing capacity to carbon monoxide.     

A screening test for assessing iron status

Intervention strategies to combat iron deficiency anemia in developing countries may hasten the development of iron overload in patients with an inherited defect in hemoglobin synthesis. This risk could be diminished if there was a rapid and simple method available for detecting iron overload in population screening programs. We have developed such a method, which is in effect a semiquantitative ferritin measurement based on a modification of a two-site enzyme-linked immunoassay. The assay requires only 2 drops of whole blood and a total incubation time of 90 min. The procedure, which can readily distinguish iron deficiency from even a modest increase in storage iron, has a potentially wide application in settings where a prompt assessment of iron status is required.     

Changes in vascular wall production of prostacyclin and thromboxane A2 in spontaneously hypertensive rats during maturation and the concomitant development of hypertension

The purpose of this study was to clarify how the metabolism of vascular prostacyclin (PGI2) and thromboxane (TX) A2 in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) is involved in aging and development of hypertension. We removed the aortic walls from 5-week-old and 20 to 25-week-old SHR and age-matched Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY). At 5 weeks of age, there was no significant difference in basal and maximal (arachidonic acid 0.1 mM) 6-keto-PGF1 alpha production between SHR and WKY, but the TXB2 generation in the SHR aortic wall was markedly enhanced as compared with that in WKY. At 20 to 25 weeks of age, the SHR aortic wall synthesized about 1.5 times more 6-keto-PGF1 alpha in the basal condition and twice as much as in the maximal condition as did the WKY wall. However there was no significant difference in TXB2 production between SHR and WKY. Age-dependent increase of vascular 6-keto-PGF1 alpha was greater in SHR than in WKY. Moreover, the maximal/basal 6-keto-PGF1 alpha production ratio increased with age in SHR, but not in WKY. The synthesis of vascular TXB2 was enhanced with age in WKY, but did not change with age in SHR. These data suggest that not only the enhanced basal generation of vascular 6-keto PGF1 alpha but also a much greater reservoir of 6-keto-PGF 1 alpha synthesis in SHR was induced by both hypertension and maturity. The increased production of vascular TXB2 in young SHR may affect the development of hypertension.