Hyperprolactinemia inhibits natural killer (NK) cell functionin vivo and its bromocriptine treatment not only corrects it but makes it more efficient

We studied NK cell function in eight patients with pathological hyperprolactinemia by measuring⁵¹Cr release by K562 cells exposed to their mononuclear cells and found it decreased compared to normal controls (P<0.01). Bromocriptine (BrC) treatment corrected NK function but also made it more efficient at 12:1 than at 25:1 or 50:1 effector:target ratios (ANOVA;P=0.01). The study of NK cell function in agarose revealed that its decrease in hyperprolactinemia is due to their low active binding to target cells, active killing, and recycling capacity. BrC tended to correct them but also increased recycling capacity to levels higher than those of controls (P<0.05). Sequential studies in three hyperprolactinemic patients before and after BrC showed correction of NK function within 1 week but its increased efficiency at the 12:1 effector:target ratio required 8 weeks. We conclude that hyperprolactinemia decreases NK cell function. BrC corrects this by decreasing prolactin levels but also makes NK function more efficient by increasing the capacity of NK cells to recycle after killing.     

Antioxidant and glutathione-related enzymatic activities in rat sciatic nerve

The present work tries to establish the antioxidant capacity of the peripheral nervous tissue of the rat, in terms of the enzymatic activities present in this tissue that either prevent the formation of activated species as the semiquinone radical (DT-diaphorase), protect against activated oxygen species (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase), conjugate natural toxic products or xenobiotics (glutathione S-transferases, especially the activity conjugating 4-hydroxy-nonenal), or complete the glutathione system metabolism (glutathione disulfide reductase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase). All the activities studied are lower in this tissue than they are in liver, except for γ-glutamyl transpeptidase. The relevance of the results obtained and its possible relationship with different neuropathies is discussed. It is concluded that the peripheral nervous tissue is by far less protected than the liver against oxidative damage.     

Immunization of Adolescents: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the Amerii Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Medical Association

SUMMARY: This report concerning the immunization of adolescents (ie, persons 11–21 years of age, as defined by the American Medical Association [AMA] and the American Academy of Pediatrics [AAP]) is a supplement to previous publications (ie, MMWR 1994;43[No. RR-1] 1–38; the AAP 1994 Red Book: Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases; Summary of Policy Recommendations for Periodic Health Examination, August 1996 from the American Academy of Family Physicians [AAFP]; and AMA Guidelines for Adolescent Preventive Services [GAPS]: Recommendations and Rationale). This report presents a new strategy to improve the delivery of vaccination services to adolescents and to integrate recommendations for vaccination with other preventive services provided to adolescents. This new strategy emphasizes vaccination of adolescents 11–12 years of age by establishing a routine visit to their health-care providers. Specifically, the purposes of this visit are to a) vaccinate adolescents who have not been previously vaccinated with varicella virus vaccine, hepatitis B vaccine, or the second dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine; b) provide a booster dose of tetanus and diphtheria toxoids; c) administer other vaccines that may be recommended for certain adolescents; and d) provide other recommended preventive services. The recommendations for vaccination of adolescents are based on new or current information for each vaccine. The most recent recommendations from AC1P, AAP, AAFP, and AMA concerning specific vaccines and delivery of preventive services should be consulted for details.     

Giant splenic metastasis due to lung adenocarcinoma

Lung cancer is the most prevalent malignancy in western countries and most of the patients present at advanced stages, but single splenic metastasis is exceptional instead. We report on a case of a seventy-three-year old male presenting with non-hemoptoic productive cough, constitutional syndrome and pain in the left lower quadrant. Physical examination and complementary radiological and hystologycal procedures revealed the presence of an adenocarcinoma of the left lung with probable splenic metastasis. The patient underwent splenectomy, which confirmed the diagnose of splenic metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma and, secondly, lung resection was performed. Topics about lung cancer metastasis are discussed.     

Pulmonary embolism.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is an important health problem and often a major clinical challenge, not only because of the low specificity of its clinical manifestations but also because of the increasing number of medical circumstances that are risk factors for this illness and the importance of early identification, since prompt and appropriate treatment can decrease mortality from this disease by about 25%. In recent years research on PE has been extensive, directed mainly at trying to determine and characterize its risk factors, establish new clinical probability algorithms, develop new diagnostic methods and put existing ones into perspective, seek new therapeutic approaches (pharmacological and non-pharmacological), and above all establish protocols that can guide the clinician from the stage of clinical suspicion to measures to prevent recurrence. It was the authors' aim to review the most significant literature on this subject, in order to produce a text that reflects the state of the art concerning PE and that can be used as a guide in the clinical approach to this pathology.     

Evidence that peroxynitrite affects human osteoblast proliferation and differentiation.

Peroxynitrite (PN), a nitric oxide (NO*)-derived anion, has been associated with NO* damage in various cell types. We examined the effects of adding PN to cultured human osteoblast-like (hOB) cells obtained after hip arthroplasty. Exposure to PN (0.1-0.4 mM) decreased both hOB proliferation and differentiation, measured by [3H]thymidine uptake and alkaline phosphatase production, respectively. Incubation with 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1; 0.25-1 mM), an NO* and O2- donor that leads to PN release, also reduced both hOB proliferation and differentiation. Coincubation with both superoxide dismutase (SOD; 100 U/ml) and catalase (CAT; 50 U/ml), rendering SIN-1 a pure NO* donor, reversed its effects on hOB proliferation and differentiation. However, SIN-1-induced NO* production, measured by nitrite release to the hOB medium, was not altered by cotreatment with SOD and CAT. Expression of nitrotyrosine by hOB, a marker of PN action, was significantly increased after SIN-1 addition, as compared with untreated cells, as revealed by Western blot analysis. Interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha) and interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) but not tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) also significantly increased nitrotyrosine expression in these cells. These data show that PN is at least partially responsible for osteoblast derangement by NO* and that cytokines released during inflammatory arthropathies can induce PN production in hOB cells.     

Structural analysis of poly(3-alkylthiophene)s

Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (PT6), poly(3-octylthiophene) (PT8), poly(3-decylthiophene) (PT10) and poly(3-dodecylthiophene) (PT12) were synthesized by electrochemical and chemical polymerization. Investigation of these polymers by means of gel permeation chromatography indicates that the polymers prepared from the different monomers under similar conditions do not differ substantially considering molecular weight and molecular weight distribution. Bimodal distributions were found for electropolymerized polymers, and with increasing polymerization time, the high-molecular-weight and probably highly branched fraction increased relatively to the low-molecular-weight fraction. The microstructure of the polymers was investigated by nuclear magnetic resonance, and it has been found that the polymers exhibit more types of structural units than expected from a simple coupling of adjacent thiophene moieties in 2,5′-positions. Chemical oxidation with iron trichloride in chloroform gave soluble, high-molecular-weight poly(3-alkyl-thiophene)s with a rather low amount of irregular couplings, and these more regular polymers exhibited a higher degree of crytallinity. Room temperature conductivities of the oxidized polymers were between 0,1 and 30 S/cm depending on the polymerization conditions, but these values were rather independent of the length of the alkyl substituent.     

Efficacy evaluation of gadoteridol for MR angiography of intracranial vascular lesions

A phase III multicenter study was conducted in 89 patients with known intracranial vascular lesions to evaluate an extracellular gadolinium contrast agent, gadoteridol, for intracranial magnetic resonance (MR) angiography. The pre- and postcontrast MR angiograms of 82 patients were evaluated by the unblinded investigators and by two blinded readers (A and B) for visualization of lesions; arterial and venous anatomy; extent, size, and number of lesions; and disease classification. The unblinded readers indicated that lesions were visualized better on postcontrast images in the following categories: venous anatomy, 87 (81%) of 107 lesions; arterial anatomy, 43 lesions (40%); and extent or size of lesions, 38 lesions (36%). In 29 (35%) of 82 patients, the unblinded readers determined that enhanced MR angiography provided more diagnostic information than unenhanced MR angiography. The blinded readers determined that enhanced MR angiography provided more information for visualization of vascular anatomy in more than 60% of cases. The additional information provided with gadoteridol would have changed the diagnosis in nine (8%) of 107 lesions seen by the unblinded readers, 11 (12%) of 90 lesions seen by reader A, and three (3%) of 93 lesions seen by reader B. The results confirm that the use of gadoteridol improves the visualization of intracranial vascular lesions with MR angiography. The authors conclude that development of new postprocessing algorithms will improve the utility of contrast-enhanced MR angiography.