URINARY HOMOVANILLIC ACID LEVELS OF AUTISTIC CHILDREN

Anomalies in dopamine metabolism were investigated by assaying total homovanillic acid, and its free and conjugated fractions, in the urine of 34 autistic, 34 normal and 34 mentally retarded children. An increase in total homovanillic acid in autistic and retarded children is apparently due to an increase of free homovanillic acid in the autistic group and to an increase of conjugated homovanillic acid in the retarded group. Further research needs to be carried out into the central origin of homovanillic acid and to establish its relevance to autistic children.     

Electrocardiagraphic changes of Prinzmetal's angina type in the acute phase of myocardial infarct]

The authors have studied the frequency and severity of anginal attacks of the Prinzmetal type coming on during the acute phase of a myocardial infarction in 13 patients. They have occurred in 5.50% of cases (anginal attacks of all types occurring in 18.34% of cases). The severity of these attacks is shown by their clinical features: the multiplicity of the attacks, the high incidence of arrhythmias, the difficulties encountered with medical treatment. This also confirmed by the enzyme studies: when the curve of myocardial creatinine kinase release is drawn, there is seen to be an extension of the lesion in 2/3 cases, whereas the electrocardiograph does not show this up.     

The effect of blue light exposure and use of intraocular lenses on human uveal melanoma cell lines

Little is known about the effect of blue light on inducing melanocytic malignant transformation. We chose to investigate the effect of blue light (475 nm wavelength) on the proliferation rates of uveal melanoma cells. In addition, we tested two different intraocular lenses to determine the possible effects of ultraviolet absorbing and blue light filtering intraocular lenses on the changes in proliferation. Four human uveal melanoma cell lines (92.1, MKT-BR, OCM-1, SP6.5) were exposed to blue light with and without the presence of ultraviolet absorbing and blue light filtering intraocular lenses. Cells covered by aluminum foil were used as a control. The proliferation rate of the cells compared with the control was then assessed using the Sulforhodamine-B proliferation assay. Cells exposed to blue light showed a statistically significant (P<0.05) increase in proliferation. Those exposed to blue light through a standard ultraviolet absorbing intraocular lens showed a smaller increase in proliferation, whereas those exposed with a blue light filtering intraocular lens showed no increase in proliferation than the control in all four cell lines. The exposure of cells to blue light led to an increase in proliferation in all cell lines compared with the control. The use of blue light filtering intraocular lenses abolished these increases in proliferation in the four cell lines. These results indicate that blue light filtering intraocular lenses may have a protective effect on the proliferation rates of uveal melanoma cells exposed to blue light.     

The surgical management of Graves' disease

BACKGROUND: The historical aspects of the pathophysiology and treatment of Graves' disease are briefly discussed in this paper. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The three treatment modalities of Graves' disease are anti-thyroid drug therapy, radioactive iodine therapy, and surgery. Although the majority of patients with Graves' disease in the U.S. are treated with radioactive iodine, surgery still plays an important role when patients cannot tolerate anti-thyroid drug therapy, when medical treatment is rejected by patients, or when surgery is deemed the fastest and safest route in managing the patient. CONCLUSIONS: The indications for surgical management of Graves' disease are discussed with emphasis on available data supporting the extent of thyroid resection based on the incidences of hypothyroidism, recurrence of hyperthyroidism, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury and hypoparathyroidism.     

Plasma thromboxane B2 and capacity of the aorta to produce prostacyclin in arteriopathies of the lower extremities

Plasma levels of thromboxane B2, and 6-Keto-PGF1 alpha, stable metabolites of thromboxane and of prostacyclin were determined by radioimmunoassay in 17 patients with arterial disease and 10 control subjects. The production of prostacyclin from incubates of aortic microsomal fractions of patients was also studied. There was a significant elevation of thromboxane B2 in the peripheral venous blood of patients with arterial lesions (142 +/- 152 pg/ml vs 22 +/- 2 pg/ml, p less than 0.005); levels of 6-KetoPGF1 alpha were equally low in controls and patients. Rate of production of prostacyclin, which was 450 +/- 24 pmol/50 mg of proteins in 10 minutes in controls, was reduced to 97 +/- 86 pmol/50 mg prot. 10 min (p less than 0.01) in patients. Co-existence of raised plasma thromboxane levels and a reduced capacity for prostacyclin synthesis in the same patients is supportive evidence of the thrombogenic theory of arterial disease.