Prevalence of Eikenella corrodens in dental plaque.

The prevalence of Eikenella corrodens in dental plaque and saliva samples of 282 volunteers was determined by a semiquantitative method with a selective medium. E. corrodens was recovered in 58.9% of plaque samples and 0.3% of saliva samples. This prevalence rate was not significantly altered (P greater than 0.05) by variables of sex, race, smoking habits, clinic attended by the patient, general health status, or age; however, patients 7 to 14 years old had a significantly higher prevalence rate (90.5%; P less than 0.05). E. corrodens should be considered as a potential pathogen in infections associated with and wounds inoculated by the human gingival flora.     

Effect of statins combined with estradiol on the proliferation of human receptor-positive and receptor-negative breast cancer cells

OBJECTIVE: Combination of a statin plus estrogen may reveal benefits on the cardiovascular system in postmenopausal women by additively ameliorating both the lipid profile and vascular function. Long-term therapy with estrogens, however, is associated with an increase of breast cancer risk. In contrast, evidence is accumulating that statins may inhibit carcinogenesis because of their central action on important cellular functions. It is of special clinical interest whether a statin/estrogen combination may reduce the most undesired side effect of estrogen therapy, that is, an increase in breast cancer risk. Therefore, in the present in vitro study, for the first time we have compared the effect of five statins on the proliferation of human breast cancer cells alone and in the presence of stimulatory estradiol (E(2)). DESIGN: As cell models, the receptor-positive cell line MCF-7 and the receptor-negative cell line MDA-MB 231 were used. The statins atorvastatin, fluvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, and simvastatin were tested in the concentration range of 1.6 microm to 50 microm alone and in the range of 0.01 nm to 10 microm in combination with E(2). Cell proliferation was measured after 4 days by the adenosinetriphosphate-chemosensitivity test. RESULTS: All statins except pravastatin were able to significantly inhibit dose dependently the cell proliferation of both cell lines. The inhibitory values were between 10% and 90%, whereby the potency was greater in the case of receptor-negative cancer cells. A significant difference in the efficacy of the statins was observed for MCF-7 cells, in which atorvastatin was less effective than the other statins. In contrast, in the presence of E(2), the statins showed similar antiproliferative actions in MCF-7 cells when tested in the concentration range of 0.01 nm to 10 microm. A reduction of cell proliferation of less than 10% was observed at the lower concentrations and between 15% and 25% at the highest concentration of 10 microm. CONCLUSIONS: The present data indicate that statins can inhibit the proliferation of receptor-positive and -negative human breast cancer cells but failed to completely abrogate the E(2)-induced proliferation of receptor-positive breast cancer cells. Clinical trials, however, are necessary to prove this anticarcinogenic action of statins.     

The bingo model of survivorship. V. The problems of conformation to the empirical evidence

We discuss the statistical and biological problems of adapting the theoretical bingo model to the analysis of empirical data. A distinction is made between an idealized pathogenetic model, which aims to represent the disease in as much authentic detail as the present state of knowledge allows and in components that have literal interpretation, and an empirical model, which deals with those effects of the pathogenetic model that one may hope to observe clinically. We review a variety of empirical models distinguishable by the amount of data available on intermediate degrees of damage short of total destruction. The relationship of damage to time is explored, and we consider the criteria and usefulness of linearization of this relationship where the diachronic ("longitudinal") data are few and extend over a comparatively short time. Every time a patient is examined, the degree of cumulative damage is assessed in each of the body systems of interest. Thus the examination will furnish a set of measurements, which is obtained on each of several examinations, taken over a period that for preference is long relative to the survival of the system. Specific disorders discussed include dentition and enlargement of the aorta with age in the Marfan syndrome.     

Alternate Pathway Activation in Sickle Cell Disease and ��-Thalassemia Major

Total hemolytic complement activity (CH50), immuno-electrophoretic conversion of Factor B (C3PA), and of C3 were studied in 16 patients with sickle cell disease in a steady state, eight patients in crisis, and ten patients with β-thalassemia major anemia maintained on a constant transfusion regimen. Patients with sickle cell disease in a steady state have moderatley 56 (percent) depressed conversion of Factor B in addition to markedly decreased conversion of C3 in four of ten patients. One of the three sickle cell patients and two of the four thalassemia patients with low C3 conversion levels have died subsequent to the studies. The combination of chronically decreased Factor B conversion in the face of markedly decreased C3 conversion may make these patients occasionally vulnerable to overwhelming infection analagous to the situation seen in postsplenectomy cases.     

Gestosis and the psychosomatic phenomenon--an empirical investigation.

Patients suffering from psychosomatic diseases in the strict sense of the term (asthma, ulcers, colitis etc.) have characteristic object relations which we call the 'relation blanche'. The present investigation aims at finding out whether similar features can be observed in patients suffering from early and late gestosis. The results indicate that there is a definite connection between gestosis and the group of strictly psychosomatic diseases, thus confirming our hypothesis that gestosis does not primarily represent a neurotic conflict situation nor a psychotic breakdown.     

Contours and distribution of sites that react with antiacetylcholinesterase in chicken intrafusal fibers

Serial cross and longitudinal sections of intrafusal fibers from the intracapsular portions of chicken tibialis anterior muscle spindles were incubated with a monoclonal antibody specific for chicken acetylcholinesterase (AchE) and examined by immunofluorescence for the presence of the enzyme on presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes of neuromuscular junctions. The midequatorial sensory region which lacks organized sarcomeres was negative, but immediately distal to it faintly staining regions of AchE localization were observed on intrafusal fibers. In cross sections at the juxtaequator, the outlines of areas that were positive for AchE were either thin and crescentlike or thick and compact. The distribution of both types of localization continued into the polar region. Toward the more distal polar region, the intensity of sites on the postsynaptic membrane that reacted with the anti-AchE progressively increased. In longitudinal sections, AchE localization was largely limited to two configurations. One was elongate, while the other was more round or oval and often also smaller. Both types might occur on the same, or on different, intrafusal fibers. Examination of silver-impregnated sections revealed the presence of platelike and of traillike axon terminals. The variety of shapes observed on presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes warrants further study to determine whether chicken muscle spindles are innervated by more than one type of motor neuron.     

Fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy in a rat model: comparison of fluorouracil metabolite profiles determined by high-field 19F-NMR spectroscopy of tissues ex vivo with therapy response and toxicity for locoregional vs systemic infusion protocols

A Sprague-Dawley rat model with DS sarcoma transplanted in the thigh was used to compare transcatheter locoregional i.a. and systemic i.v. administration of 5-fluorouracil (FU) at 12 dose-rate schedules: 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg; bolus, 1, 5 and 24 h infusions. In experiment A tumor (62/67 animals) as well as liver and kidney (56/67 animals) were excised 1 h after a single bolus or 1 h infusion or at the end of 5 and 24 h infusions. (19)F-NMR spectroscopy at 11.7 T was used to quantitate FU and its metabolites in ca. 1 g of tissue at 4 degrees C. In experiment B analogous FU treatments were repeated for 5 days (rats 80+11 controls). Tumor volumes vs time, various blood parameters and survival times were recorded, and a log growth rate parameter log GR, a response index RI, and a toxicity index TI were calculated. The i.a. vs i.v. ratios for tumor concentrations of FU and total anabolites (F-Nucl) were >1 for nearly all treatments and increased with infusion time at the higher doses. F-Nucl in tumor correlated linearly with total fluorine concentration (Tot. F range 30-1100 nmol/g) over all treatments (r=0.92, slope=0.45, p<0.0001). For non-bolus i.v. treatments [FU+F-Nucl] decreased linearly with decreasing FU dose rate (r(2)=0.74, zero intercept), while i.a. treatments showed non-linear behavior. For non-bolus treatments the mean log GR per treatment group showed a negative correlation (r=-0.87) with log[F-Nucl]. The most effective non-toxic treatments were 25 mg/kg over 5 or 24 h; the i.a. route was superior to i.v. on the basis of [FU+F-Nucl], RI, the reduction in log GR, and Kaplan-Meier survival statistics. For liver and kidney Tot. F (>83% FU catabolites) reached ca. 3-4 and 6-7 micromol/g, respectively, at the highest dose rates for either route; F-Nucl were detected only for Tot. F>500 nmol/g and increased exponentially as Tot. F increased (toxic treatments). The concentrations of the main catabolite (alpha-fluoro-beta-alanine, FBAL) in tumor did not correlate with Tot. F but rather with FBAL levels in kidney (r=0.90, all treatments), indicating that uptake of liver-derived FBAL from the circulation is the major source of FBAL in tumor.