Parathyroid adenomas evaluated by Tl-201/Tc-99m pertechnetate subtraction scintigraphy and high-resolution ultrasonography

Thallium-201/technetium-99m pertechnetate subtraction scintigraphy of the parathyroid glands was performed in a prospective study of 33 patients who had undergone bilateral neck exploration for elevated serum calcium and serum parathyroid hormone levels. In 31 cases, the Tl-201/Tc-99m subtraction technique yielded an overall sensitivity of 81%, specificity of 99%, and accuracy of 94% for identifying solitary parathyroid adenomas. Tl-201/Tc-99m subtraction scintigraphy correctly identified 73% of parathyroid adenomas weighing less than 499 mg, 79% of those weighing 500-1,499 mg, and 100% of adenomas weighing more than 1,500 mg. In a subgroup of 24 patients with solitary parathyroid adenomas who underwent both scintigraphy and high-resolution sonography, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of both procedures were similar.     

Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis: Mass Drug Administration in Endemic Areas of (Bidar District) Karnataka-2008

Background:

Lymphatic Filariasis is a mosquito transmitted disease, caused by parasitic worm Wuchereria bancrofti. Global Programme for Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis was established in early 2000. The strategy recommended by the World Health Organization is annual Mass Drug Administration (MDA) of single-dose of Diethylcarbamazine 6 mg/kg (DEC), distributed to inhabitants of Filariasis endemic areas, excluding children below 2 years of age, pregnant women, and seriously ill persons, and Morbidity Management. The health system distributes the drugs by a door-to-door strategy.

Objective:

To assess the coverage and compliance of MDA in Bidar district during the campaign in November 2008.

Materials and Methods:

Cross-sectional population-based house-to-house visit. Outcome is assessed as actual coverage and compliance, in Percentage and proportions.

Results:

Eight clusters, total eligible population of 1 131 individuals were interviewed. The coverage rate was 78% with variation across different areas. The compliance with drug ingestion was 68%.

Conclusion:

The effective coverage was below the target (85%). Side effects of DEC were minimum, the overall coverage was better in rural areas compared with urban areas.     

Immunoblotting characterization of neutrophil antigenic targets in autoimmune neutropenia

We characterized neutrophil autoantigens using an immunoblotting technique with antibodies obtained from patients with autoimmune neutropenia. These results were correlated with serologic characterization of the antibodies, using indirect immunofluorescence and leukoagglutination. Of the 17 sera immunoblotted, 16 showed discrete bands in the molecular weight range of 30 to 112. Three patients with Felty's syndrome reacted with an antigenic target of 80 to 84 Kd molecular mass, a finding not seen in any of the other patients studied. By serologic testing, none of the autoimmune sera showed serologic specificity for any known neutrophil-specific alloantigen. Using an anti-NA-1 serum, we identified antigenic targets at 40, 50, and 101 Kd in both NA-1-positive and NA-1-negative neutrophils. Ten of 17 autoimmune sera showed reactivity in this corresponding range. These studies demonstrate that immunoblotting may be used to identify antigenic targets in autoimmune neutropenia and may suggest a specificity of these antibodies not definable by serologic techniques. Correlation of immunoblot reactivity with disease states associated with immune neutropenia may be useful in the study of the pathogenesis of the different forms of autoimmune neutropenia.     

心肌坏死标记物在检测心肌坏死中的应用与地位

目的:评估各种心肌坏死标记物对判断心肌坏死的价值。资料来源:应用计算机检索LWW全文英文数据库1994-01/2006-08与心肌坏死标记物相关的文献,检索词“Myocardial damage,myocardiolysis,marker”,并限定文章语言种类为“English”。资料选择:对资料进行初审,选对于临床有意义的心肌坏死物进行较详细的总结。选择临床研究的文章,无论有无对照组、是否为随机对照文献均纳入;排除观察对象为动物的基础研究和综述类文献。资料提炼:对收集到的文献进一步查找全文,凡是对于心肌坏死检测快速且可靠的心肌坏死物优先选择,研究内容相似的,以近3年且发表在较权威杂志者优先,最后纳入30篇关于心肌坏死标记物的文章进行综述。资料综合:急性血栓形成及其随后的心肌损伤、坏死是急性心肌梗死的最主要特征,准确、快速、可靠地检测血栓形成和心肌坏死标志物对内科医生诊断急性心肌梗死极具价值。研究表明缺血修饰白蛋白、心肌型脂肪酸结合蛋白、髓过氧化物酶、CK-MB和心肌肌钙蛋白对急性心肌梗死的诊断各具特点,而联合检测更有助于早期、准确诊断急性心肌梗死,为尽早抢救急性心肌梗死创造时机。结论:缺血修饰白蛋白、心肌型脂肪酸结合蛋白、髓过氧化物酶、CK-MB和心肌肌钙蛋白是较敏感的心肌坏死标记物,联合应用诊断价值更大。