Nocardia choroidal abscess in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus

Purpose: Nocardia asteroides, a respiratory saprophyte in humans, may cause localized infection of the lungs in debilitated or immunosuppressed individuals. Haematogenous spread to the eye via the choroidal circulation may result in choroidal abscess formation. Method: We report the development of a choroidal abscess in the left eye of a woman treated with steroids and cyclophosphamide for systemic lupus erythematosus. Haematogenous spread of N. asteroides from a localized infection of the lung (empyema) is thought to have been the cause of the choroidal abscess. Results: Surgical drainage of the empyema combined with intravenously administered antibiotics resulted in resolution of the choroidal abscess and improvement of vision. Conclusions: A choroidal abscess, caused by haematogenous spread of N. asteroides, may respond to appropriate systemic antibiotic treatment alone and not require ocular treatment.     

A1, a Bcl-2 family member, prolongs cell survival and permits myeloid differentiation

A1, a bcl-2 family member, has been identified as a hematopoietic- specific, early inducible gene. In this study it is shown that stable transfection of A1 into an interleukin-3 (IL-3)-dependent myeloid precursor cell line, 32D c13, leads to a retardation of IL-3 withdrawal- induced cell death similar to that observed with transfection of bcl-2. However, unlike bcl-2. A1 expression permits the accumulation of differentiated myeloid cells both before and after IL-3 withdrawal. Total cell accumulation, on the other hand, is considerably greater after IL-3 deprivation in the bcl-2 transfectant than in A1-expressing cells. Cells cotransfected with the two genes behave similarly to cells singly transfected with bcl-2, except that viability following IL-3 withdrawal is somewhat further enhanced. These results suggest that these two proteins have distinct roles that may be related to the divergent regulation of their expression during myeloid differentiation.     

Psychiatric Morbidity and Depressive Symptomatology in Patients with Permanent Pacemakers

Implantation of a permanent pacemaker requires a psychological effort on the patient's part for adaptation in the acute term, and chronically, it restricts activities of the patient and may cause some psychiatric disturbances. To investigate psychiatric morbidity and depressive symptomatology of the patients with permanent pacemakers, 84 pacemaker patients were diagnosed using the DSM-III-R criteria and depressive symptoms were determined by modified Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (mHDRS). Sixteen (19.1 %) patients had been given a psychiatric diagnosis. The most frequent diagnoses were adjustment disorder (5.9%) and major depressive episode (4.7%). Nine patients (10.7%) were diagnosed as having clinical depression (mHDRS ≥ 17). The mean score of mHDRS was 7.57 ± 7.46, and the severity of depression was significantly higher in females. The most frequent symptoms are difficulties in work and activities (53.6%), psychic anxiety (48.8%), loss of energy (42.9%), and hypochondriasis and insomnia (39.3%). Depressed mood, psychic anxiety, loss of energy, loss of interest, insomnia, and hypochondriasis were significantly more frequent in females. Uneducated patients had a more significant loss of energy than educated patients. Depressed mood, psychic anxiety, and somatic concerns and symptoms were more frequent in patients with permanent pacemakers than in the general population. These symptoms, resembling mixed anxiety-depression disorder, were related to fears of having a permanent pacemaker, since our series were composed of uneducated patients who did not have enough knowledge about the device.     

丰富环境刺激对缺氧缺血性脑损伤大鼠脑超微结构改变及神经丝蛋白表达的影响

目的:观察丰富环境刺激对缺氧缺血性脑损伤大鼠脑超微结构及神经丝蛋白(NF)的影响。方法:实验于2005-03/2006-06在新桥医院中心实验室完成。取7日龄健康SD大鼠52只随机分为3组:①丰富环境干预组:20只,采用Rice法建立缺氧缺血性脑损伤模型,予早期抚触(15min/次,2次/d)和丰富环境(2h/次,1次/d)刺激共28d。②缺氧缺血非干预组:20只,同前造模,造模后不干预。③正常对照组:12只,不造模,不干预。饲养至1月龄时各组随机选10只进行Morris水迷宫测试学习记忆功能;行为学测定后处死大鼠取脑,免疫组织化学方法观察海马神经丝蛋白的染色情况,借助自动图像分析系统对其进行定量分析;利用透射电镜观察海马神经元超微结构、神经丝蛋白及突触情况。结果:52只进入结果分析。①隐匿平台逃避潜伏期(学习能力):缺氧缺血非干预组较正常对照组明显延长[(39.98±7.86),(26.12±4.03)s,P<0.001],丰富环境干预组较缺氧缺血非干预组缩短[(29.06±5.11)s,P<0.01],与正常对照组无差异。②跨越平台次数(记忆能力):缺氧缺血非干预组明显少于正常对照组[(2.13±1.33),(4.91±2.01)次,P<0.001],丰富环境干预组多于缺氧缺血非干预组[(4.45±1.59)次,P<0.01],与正常对照组无差异。③缺氧缺血非干预组左侧与右侧脑组织NF-H积分吸光度值之比值明显小于正常对照组和丰富环境干预组(0.398±0.110,0.975±0.011,0.821±0.138,P<0.01),后2组比较无差异。④超微结构显示缺氧缺血非干预组海马神经细胞固缩改变,线粒体肿胀,神经丝数量减少,排列稀疏,突触数量减少;丰富环境干预组海马神经元和突触无明显异常。结论:早期抚触及丰富环境刺激可以促进缺血缺氧的脑损伤恢复,脑组织神经网络重建及脑的可塑性增加是其可能的机制之一。