Estrogen-progestogen once-a-month injectable contraceptives and serum prolactin

To assess the effect of hormonal monthly injectable contraceptives upon the serum values of immunoreactive prolactin (Prl), three groups of women of reproductive age exposed to different estrogen-progestogen injectable formulation for a minimum of one year were studied. The first group (n = 10) received dihydroxyprogesterone acetophenide 150 mg and estradiol enanthate 10 mg (DHPA/E2-EN), Group 2 (n = 21) received medroxyprogesterone acetate 25 mg and estradiol cypionate 5 mg (MPA/E2-C) and Group 3 (n = 19) was exposed to norethisterone enanthate 50 mg and estradiol valerate 5 mg (NET-EN/E2-V). A group of IUD users (n = 16) served as the control group. Serum Prl and 17 beta-estradiol (E2) concentration were determined in blood samples (0 and 15 min.) on days 0 (day of last injection), 10, 20 and 30 after last contraceptive injection. The results demonstrated a slight though not significant increase (p greater than 0.05) in serum Prl in the three experimental groups as compared with the IUD control group. This increase in Prl levels observed on day 10 post-last injection never exceeded the upper limits of the normal range (20 ng/ml). Overall, the data demonstrated that the chronic administration of these estrogen/progestogen once-a-month injectable contraceptives does not affect the Prl baseline secretion in women.     

Nutritional evaluation and functional class in hospitalized cardiopathy patients]

The nutritional state evaluation of any patient with heart disease must include the anthropometric measures, organic metabolic and cellular immunity test. We evaluated the nutritional state of 75 hospitalized patients with heart disease, and its correlation with New York Heart Association class and heart disease type. There was 36 patients (48%) with normal nutritional state, 24 (32%) with grade I malnutrition, 12 (16%) with grade II malnutrition, and 3 (4%) with grade III malnutrition. Of 23 patients with rheumatic valvular heart disease 83.4% have some degree of malnutrition, 37 patients with ischemic heart disease 25% was under nourished. Fifty percent of patients with hypertensive cardiopathy, 75% of the patients with cardiomyopathy and 83% of the 7 patients with other type of heart disease had some degree of malnourishment. There was a direct correlation between nutritional state and functional class, we found no patient in IV class functional with normal nutritional state, or grade I malnutrition.     

Colon cancer: p53 expression and DNA ploidy. Their relation to proximal or distal tumor site.

Overexpression of nuclear p53 and DNA ploidy were analyzed in a series of 65 colorectal adenocarcinomas and correlated with standard clinical and pathological variables (Dukes stage, tumor site, histological grade and type, and nature of the tumor margins). Immunohistochemical tests were done with the DO-7 monoclonal antibody, using formalin-fixed tissue samples and an antigen retrieval solution. Levels of p53 expression were evaluated using a semiquantitative grading system (CAS 200, BD). Nuclear staining of more than 15% of neoplastic cells was observed in 35 samples (53.8%), which were classified as p53-positive. DNA content was measured by flow cytometry in samples of fresh tissue. Tumor site had a significant direct relationship with DNA ploidy (p < 0.01) and p53 expression (p < 0.001). Proximal tumors were more frequently diploid than were distal tumors (78.6% vs 32%). Moreover, distal neoplasms showed more p53 expression than proximal tumors (64.6% vs 14.3%). However, there was no correlation between the other clinical or pathological variables and the pathological parameter p53 expression and DNA ploidy. Our data support the hypothesis that mechanisms of colorectal carcinogenesis may differ in proximal and distal neoplasms.     

Transthoracic aspiration biopsy of pulmonary and mediastinal lesions

Thoracic aspiration biopsy (TAB) constitutes a useful technique in establishing a diagnosis in diseases of the lungs and mediastinum. Results obtained from 1046 fluoroscopically-guided TABs are presented with review of the most important aspects of the technique. Diagnostic accuracy in malignancy detection was 93.8% in lung lesions (n = 984) and 74.5% in mediastinal lesions (n = 62). Sensitivity was higher in peripheral than in central lesions (96% vs. 87%, respectively). Specificity was 100% in both groups. Sensitivity in lesions smaller than 2 cm was 70% and 94% in larger lesions. Aspiration biopsies performed with Chiba and Franseen needles showed a similar sensitivity (95%) higher than with other types of needles. A pneumothorax developed in 138 patients (13.2%). Only eight of these required the use of an endothoracic tube (0.8% of all biopsies).     

A phase II study of days 1 and 8 cisplatin and recombinant alpha-2B interferon in advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Preclinical data from studies of human lung cancer xenografts suggest that the cytotoxic effects of cisplatin are enhanced by alpha-interferon. To verify the above observations, the authors initiated a Phase II trial in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Cisplatin was given at 100 mg/m2 during a 28-day cycle in a divided day 1 and day 8 schedule. Starting on day 1, alpha-2B interferon was administered intramuscularly at a dose of 5 million units three times a week continuously for a minimum of 2 months. Between January 1989 and September 1989, 30 patients were evaluated for response and toxicity. According to the staging system proposed by Mountain, 20 patients had Stage IV disease, 7 had Stage IIIB disease, and 3 had Stage IIIA disease. Expression of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and Leu-7 was immunohistochemically investigated to evaluate possible relationship to treatment response. The response rate was 13.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2% to 25%). The four responders showed positivity for NSE, and two of them were positive for Leu-7. An average of three cycles was given. The mean dose intensity administered was 83% of the projected dose for cisplatin and 92% of the projected dose for alpha-2B interferon. A standard scale was used to assess interferon toxicity. Hematologic, renal, and systemic side effects were not significant. In advanced NSCLC the addition of alpha-2B interferon did not increase the cisplatin-induced response rate. Further studies should be performed to determine the real value of chemotherapy response in tumors showing positive immunoreactivity for neural markers such as NSE and Leu-7.     

Blood lactate and mixed venous-arterial PCO2 gradient as indices of poor peripheral perfusion following cardiopulmonary bypass surgry

Conventional indices of tissue perfusion after surgery involving cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) may not accurately reflect disordered cell metabolism. Venous hypercarbia leading to an increased veno-arterial difference in CO₂ tensions (V-aCO₂ gradient) has been shown to reflect critical reductions in systemic and pulmonary blood flow that occur during cardiorespiratory arrest and septic shock. We therefore measured plasma lactate levels and V-aCO₂ gradients in 10 patients (mean age 57.2 years) following CPB and compared them with conventional indices of tissue perfusion. Plasma lactate levels, cardiac index (CI) and oxygen uptake all increased significantly (p<0.05 vs baseline levels) up to 3h following surgery. Oxygen delivery did not change. Plasma lactate levels correlated significantly with CI (r=0.47,p<0.01). V-aCO₂ fell significantly with time (p<0.01 vs baseline). There was an inverse relationship between V-aCO₂ and cardiac index and V-aCO₂ and lactate (r=–0.37,p<0.05;r=–0.3,p<0.05 respectively). We conclude that blood lactate, CI and increase progressively following CPB. An increase in lactate was associated with a decrease in V-aCO₂. An increase in V-aCO₂ was not therefore associated with evidence of inadequate tissue perfusion as indicated by an increased blood lactate concentration.     

Placental insulin and insulin-like growth factor I receptors in normal and preeclamptic pregnancies

OBJECTIVES: To assess the ligand binding characteristics of insulin and insulin-like growth factor I receptors in normal and preeclamptic placentas. DESIGN AND METHODS: This study was done cross sectionally in trophoblast membranes obtained from 10 normotensive and 9 preeclamptic pregnant women. The affinity and number of binding sites of insulin and insulin-like growth factor I receptors were assessed by binding assays and Scatchard plot analysis. RESULTS: Placental and newborn birth weights were significantly (P < 0.001) lower in the preeclamptic group. The K(d) values of placental insulin receptors (IR) were significantly higher in the preeclamptic group than in the normotensive group (1.08 +/- 0.24 x 10(-9) vs. 0.81 +/- 0.13 x 10(-9) M, P < 0.01), without differences in the number of receptors. In contrast, no differences were observed in the affinity and the number of insulin-like growth factor I receptors (IGF-1R) between groups. Placental weight was associated negatively with the K(d) values of IR (P < 0.05) and positively with the number of placental IGF-1R (P < 0.05); while newborn birth weight was associated positively with the number of IGF-1R (P < 0.05). In addition, both systolic and diastolic blood pressure correlated significantly with K(d) values of placental IR (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that preeclampsia is associated with low placental IR affinity. In addition, this study suggests an association between the affinity of IR and number of IGF-1R with placental and/or fetal growth. Furthermore, high blood pressure may affect the affinity of placental IR, but not the affinity or number of placental IGF-1 receptors.     

Efficacy of colistin versus beta-lactams,aminoglycosides, and rifampin as monotherapy in a mouse model of pneumonia caused by multiresistant Acinetobacter baumannii

The treatment of life-threatening infections due to carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii has become a serious challenge for physicians worldwide. Often, only colistin shows in general good in vitro activity against these carbapenem-resistant strains, but its antibacterial efficacy in comparison with the antibiotics most used in clinical practice is not well known. We studied the efficacy of colistin versus those of imipenem, sulbactam, tobramycin, and rifampin in an experimental pneumonia model with immunocompetent mice. We used three strains of A. baumannii corresponding to the main clones (A, D, and E) involved in the outbreaks of our hospital, with different grades of resistance to imipenem (imipenem MICs of 1, 8, and 512 microg/ml, respectively) and to the other antibiotics. The MIC of colistin was 0.5 microg/ml for the three strains. Reduction of log(10) CFU/g in lung bacterial counts, clearance of bacteremia, and survival versus results with controls were used as parameters of efficacy. Imipenem and sulbactam (Deltalung counts: -5.38 and -4.64 log(10) CFU/ml) showed the highest level of bactericidal efficacy in infections by susceptible and even intermediate strains. Tobramycin and rifampin (-4.16 and -5.15 log(10) CFU/ml) provided good results against intermediate or moderately resistant strains, in agreement with killing curves and pharmacodynamics. On the contrary, colistin showed the weakest antibacterial effect among the antibiotics tested, both in killing curves and in the in vivo model (-2.39 log(10) CFU/ml; P < 0.05). We conclude that colistin did not appear as a good option for treatment of patients with pneumonia due to carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii strains. Other alternatives, including combinations with rifampin, may offer better therapeutic profiles and thus should be studied.