荧光原位杂交技术在急性髓系白血病诊断中的应用

目的探讨荧光原位杂交技术（FISH）在急性髓系白血病（AML）的诊断中的意义。方法对初发的经骨髓常规形态学、细胞化学染色和免疫分型初步诊断的10例AML-M2、19例AML-M3，11例AML不能确定为M2或者M3的患者，进行FISH技术检测AML1／ETO和／或PML／RARα融合基因，进而协助诊断和指导治疗。结果10例AML-M2中AML1／ETO融合基因阳性率40％（4／10）；19例AML-M3中PML／RARα融合基因阳性率89％（17／19），1例AML1／ETO融合基因阳性，确诊为AML-M2；11例AML中AML1／ETO融合基因阳性率18％（2／11），PML／RARα融合基因阳性率45％（5／11），其余4例未检测到以上两种融合基因。结论FISH是一种敏感的分子遗传学的新技术，具有高效、快速、灵敏等优点。对AML的诊断分型具有重要帮助，进一步指导临床治疗。     

5-氨基水杨酸治疗溃疡性结肠炎多中心临床观察

溃疡性结肠炎 (ｕｌｃｅｒａｔｉｖｅｃｏｌｉｔｉｓ,ＵＣ)病因尚未完全明确 ,病程迁延 ,治疗缺乏特异措施 ,且有癌变危胁。本研究旨在探讨 5 氨基水杨酸 (5 ＡＳＡ ,商品名 :艾迪莎 ,Ｅｔｉａｓａ ,法国博福 益普生制药公司 )对比柳氮磺胺吡啶 (ｓａｌｉｃｙｌａｚｏｓｕｌ ｆａｐｙｒｉｄｉｎｅ,ＳＡＳＰ)治疗ＵＣ的临床疗效。一、材料与方法ＵＣ诊断按 1993年太原全国慢性非感染性肠道疾病学术研讨会标准 ,参照美、英临床试验报道质量标准[1,2 ] 。由 6家医院多中心、随机数字表法纳入轻、中度ＵＣ 116例 ,其中ＳＡＳＰ对照组 6 0例 ,…     

Genetic evidence for the presence of two distinct hantaviruses associated with Apodemus mice in Croatia and analysis of local strains

In Europe, Dobrava-Belgrade (DOBV), Saaremaa (SAAV), and Puumala (PUUV) viruses are known to cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). All three hantaviruses are now found in Croatia. Lung tissue samples of 315 Apodemus mice trapped in 2003-2004 were screened for the presence of hantaviral N-Ag and 20 mice (6.3%) were found either strongly positive or weak/suspected-positive. Partial sequences of hantavirus M and S segments were recovered by RT-PCR from six mice and subjected to (phylo)genetic analysis that revealed the presence of four novel strains of DOBV and one of SAAV. Curiously, one of the newly described DOBV strains was found in Apodemus agrarius mouse, that is, not in the traditional host, A. flavicollis mice, suggesting a spillover event. S segment sequences recovered previously from HFRS cases [Markoti? et al., 2002] were confirmed as DOBV sequences; one of which appeared particularly close to the prototype Slovenian DOBV isolate. Taken together with earlier data on PUUV in Croatia, these results show a co-circulation of three European hantavirus pathogens in this country. So far, not a single SAAV sequence has been recovered from HFRS patients either in Croatia or neighboring Slovenia and Hungary nor in Slovakia suggesting a somewhat lower fequency of acute SAAV infection in humans in this part of Europe than for example in the Baltics.     

Route-dependent effects of cadmium/cadmium and magnesium acute treatment on parameters of oxidative stress in rat liver

The study was designed to evaluate and compare the effects of single oral (or) and intraperitoneal (i.p.) cadmium (Cd) administration on parameters of oxidative stress in liver of rats. Furthermore, investigation on protective effects of magnesium (Mg) or and i.p. pretreatment on the same parameters was performed. Wistar rats were administrated oral dose of Cd (30 mg Cd/kg b.w.)/Cd+Mg (30 mg Cd/kg b.w., 50 mg Mg/kg b.w.) or i.p. dose of Cd (1.5 mg Cd/kg b.w.)/Cd+Mg (1.5 mg Cd/kg b.w., 3 mg Mg/kg b.w.) and sacrificed after 24 h. In liver homogenates superoxide anion, malondialdehyde, non-protein sulfhydryl groups, total sulfhydryl groups content, and superoxide dismutase activity were determined. Cadmium intoxication caused the increase of superoxide anion and malondialdehyde levels and had negative effect on investigated parameters of antioxidant defense system, except on total sulfhydryl groups. The negative effect was more emphasized after i.p. Cd administration. Oral Mg pretreatment induced more pronounced positive effect than Mg given intraperitoneally that can be attributed, at least partly, to Cd and Mg interactions on the level of GIT. On the basis of the obtained results it can be concluded that both Cd and Cd+Mg effects on parameters of oxidative stress in rats liver are route-dependent.     

Autonomic mechanisms underpinning the stress response in borderline hypertensive rats

This study investigates blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) short-term variability and spontaneous baroreflex functioning in adult borderline hypertensive rats and normotensive control animals kept on normal-salt diet. Arterial pulse pressure was recorded by radio telemetry. Systolic BP, diastolic BP and HR variabilities and baroreflex were assessed by spectral analysis and the sequence method, respectively. In all experimental conditions (baseline and stress), borderline hypertensive rats exhibited higher BP, increased baroreflex sensitivity and resetting, relative to control animals. Acute shaker stress (single exposure to 200 cycles min-1 shaking platform) increased BP in both strains, while chronic shaker stress (3-day exposure to shaking platform) increased systolic BP in borderline hypertensive rats alone. Low- and high-frequency HR variability increased only in control animals in response to acute and chronic shaker (single exposure to restrainer) stress. Acute restraint stress increased BP, HR, low- and high-frequency variability of BP and HR in both strains to a greater extent than acute shaker stress. Only normotensive rats exhibited a reduced ratio of low- to high-frequency HR variability, pointing to domination of vagal cardiac control. In borderline hypertensive rats, but not in control animals, chronic restraint stress (9-day exposure to restrainer) increased low- and high-frequency BP and HR variability and their ratio, indicating a shift towards sympathetic cardiovascular control. It is concluded that maintenance of BP in borderline hypertensive rats in basal conditions and during stress is associated with enhanced baroreflex sensitivity and resetting. Imbalance in sympathovagal control was evident only during exposure of borderline hypertensive rats to stressors.     

Capsule enteroscopy vs. other diagnostic procedures in diagnosing obscure gastrointestinal bleeding: a cost-effectiveness study

BACKGROUND: Capsule enteroscopy is considered the gold standard for evaluating patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. The costs of capsule enteroscopy examination, however, make it uncertain whether the clinically relevant diagnostic gain is also associated with cost savings. AIM: To evaluate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of capsule enteroscopy in patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. METHODS: Retrospective study was carried out in nine Italian gastroenterology units from 2003 to 2005. Data on 369 consecutive patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding were collected. The diagnostic yield of capsule enteroscopy vs. other imaging procedures was evaluated as a measure of efficacy. The values of Diagnosis Related Group 175 (euro 1884.00 for obscure-occult bleeding and euro 2141.00 for obscure-overt bleeding) were calculated as measures of economic outcomes in the cost analysis. RESULTS: Obscure and occult gastrointestinal bleeding was recorded in 177 patients (48%) with a mean duration of anemia history of 17.6+/-20.7 months. Among patients, 60.9% had had at least one hospital admission, 21.2% at least two, and 1.2% of obscure bleeders up to nine admissions. Overall, 58.4% of patients had positive findings with capsule enteroscopy compared with 28.0% with other imaging procedures (P<0.001). The mean cost of a positive diagnosis with capsule enteroscopy was euro 2090.76 and that of other procedures was euro 3828.83 with a mean cost saving of euro 1738.07 (P<0.001) for one positive diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Capsule enteroscopy is a cost-saving approach in the evaluation of patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding.     

Population pharmacokinetic analysisof lamivudine,stavudine and zidovudine in controlled HIV-infected patients on HAART

Objective This work aimed at building a population pharmacokinetic (PK) model for lamivudine (LMV), stavudine (STV) and zidovudine (ZDV), estimating their inter and intraindividual PK variability and investigating the influence of different covariates. Methods Population PK of LMV, STV and ZDV was separately evaluated from plasma concentrations obtained in 54, 39 and 27 HIV1-infected patients, respectively, enrolled in the COPHAR1-ANRS102 trial. The primary objective of this trial was to study the pharmacokinetics of indinavir (IDV) and nelfinavir (NFV) in treated patients with a sustained virological response. Concentrations of nucleoside analogs (NA) were measured in plasma as a secondary objective. A one-compartment model with first-order elimination was used, with zero-order absorption for LMV and first-order absorption for STV and ZDV. Results Mean parameters [interpatient variability in coefficient of variation (CV%)] of LMV, STV and ZDV were: oral volume of distribution (V/F) 145 l (52%), 24 l (81%) and 248 l (80%), oral clearance (Cl/F) 32 l/h, 16 l/h (74%) and 124 l/h (51%), respectively. For LMV, absorption duration (T _a ) was 1.46 h (64%). For STV and ZDV, k _a was 0.46 h⁻¹ and 2.9 h⁻¹, respectively. We found a systematic effect of combination with NFV vs. IDV. We found that intrapatient variability was greater than interpatient variability (except for STV) and greater than 55% for the three drugs. Conclusion This trial enabled the estimation of the population PK parameters of three NA in patients with a sustained virological response, and the median curves could be used as references for concentration-controlled strategies. We observed, as for the protease inhibitors, a great variability of PK parameters.