Ophthalmologic safety of long-term hydroxychloroquine treatment

Ocular toxicity of long-term hydroxychloroquine treatment was assessed by regular ophthalmologic examinations in 99 patients. No patient developed significant loss of vision or visual field constriction to a white test object. Three patients had evidence of toxicity, but the medication had to be permanently discontinued in only one who subsequently had regression of all abnormalities except visual field constriction to a red test object. Neither duration of treatment nor the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus predisposed patients to toxicity.     

Origins of cerebral palsy

Analyses were undertaken to determine the causes of cerebral palsy in a prospective study of 43,437 full-term children. Presumed causes were found for about 71% of the 34 quadriplegic and 40% of the 116 nonquadriplegic patients with cerebral palsy. Risk estimates based on predictive models, adjusted for multiple factors, suggest that 53% of the quadriplegic patients with cerebral palsy could be attributed to congenital disorders, 14% to birth asphyxia, and 8% to other identified disorders. Thirty-five percent of the nonquadriplegic patients with cerebral palsy could be attributed to congenital disorders and 6% to other disorders. In the victims of cerebral palsy, characteristic consequences of birth asphyxia were more often the result of nonasphyxial disorders. These included meconium in the amniotic fluid, low 10-minute Apgar scores, neonatal apnea spells, seizures, persisting neurologic abnormalities, and slow head growth after birth.     

Multi-chemothermoimmunotherapy for human colon adenocarcinoma in vitro

Effective adjunctive therapies for colorectal carcinoma are clearly needed. We evaluated the cytotoxic responses in vitro of human colon carcinoma cell lines to combined modalities: 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin (5-FU/LV), carboplatin (CP), tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and hyperthermia (HTX). Cytotoxicity was evaluated in a cell proliferation assay using crystal violet staining. 5-FU/LV was administered 2–3 days before TNF and CP, followed 1 h later by HTX. These cell lines were relatively resistant to HTX alone (42°C for 2 h), but were heterogeneous in their responses to various doses of the other single agents. This heterogeneity was also evident for combined modalities: the geneity was also evident for combined modalities: the HCT-15 cell line exhibited significant supra-additivity for selected doses of CP, TNF and 5-FU/LV, which was further enhanced by hyperthermia. In contrast, the HT-29 cell line did not demonstrate a strong pattern for supra-additivity, whereas the DLD-1 cell line had an intermediate response. Thus, our results suggest one approach to develop effective and dose-sparing multimodality therapeutic regimens for colon adenocarcinoma.     

Sexual abuse among women entering methadone treatment

Women who enter drug abuse treatment programs are likely to report histories of sexual abuse that may impact psychosocial functioning, retention, and outcomes. This study investigates differences at admission between women with and without sexual abuse histories who entered an outpatient methadone treatment program in Texas. In a sample of 137 women, 39% reported prior sexual abuse. Findings show that women with sexual abuse histories were more likely also to have experienced physical and emotional abuse, to report poorer family-of-origin relationships, and to report more drug-related problems. These clients also reported more depression, anxiety, thoughts of suicide, trouble concentrating, and trouble controlling violent behavior. Results are discussed in terms of the need for adequate assessment of abuse history at intake and the need for targeted outcome studies to better define the impact of past abuse on treatment participation and outcome.     

The image of God in old age

The image of God in old age was explored in a group of 32 probands over 65 years (18 women, 14 men; mean age 71.4) and a control group of youths between 20 and 29 years (15 women, 16 men; mean age 20.6) using different questionnaires -- the God concept, personal relationship to God and emotional inclinations and feelings towards God as well as 3 scales for the determination of mental health status. The findings show a tight relationship between the concepts (images) of an emotional, protecting God and feelings of being sheltered and being near to God. Also there was a highly positive correlation between self reflection, life affirmation and stable emotionality and the concepts of a guiding, shelter giving God, whose nearness can be directly experienced. The image of God of the older probands showed special characteristics like "a God who guides", "an empathetic God", and "a God, whose nearness can be experienced", but also "a strict and punishing God" and "a God who created everything". An interesting gender difference in the image of God was found dominantly in the old aged: while the old men stressed a strict law and order God, the old women emphasized the aspects of emotionality, care, and nearness. The results of this study show the necessity of emphasizing an age- and gender-specific pastoral health care, so that the religious dimension could be a constructive coping strategy for successful aging.     

Hepatic pseudocyst as the first presentation of squamous cell carcinoma of uterine cervix

We describe a patient with diffuse polycystic disease of the liver. The patient's polycystic liver disease was found to be due to liver metastases from squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. No evidence of discrete masses was found in the liver using abdominal CT scan. Pseudocystic formation in the liver secondary to squamous cell carcinoma is very rare and has not previously been reported as a first presentation of a cervical cancer. Metastatic neoplasms need to be considered in the differential diagnosis of hepatic cysts.     

Food availability affects behavior but not circulating gonadal hormones in maternal Belding's ground squirrels

We tested predictions of hypotheses suggesting that the steroid hormones, testosterone (T), progesterone (P), and estradiol (E2), contribute to the energetic regulation of behaviors associated with rearing young in free-living female Belding's ground squirrels (Spermophilus beldingi). We provisioned some female S. beldingi with food rich in fat and calories, and used unprovisioned females as controls. We observed the behavior of females throughout the reproductive cycle, and regularly collected blood samples to measure plasma hormone concentrations. Circulating concentrations of T, P, and E2 were similar in provisioned and unprovisioned females, as were temporal patterns of variation in these hormones. Peaks in rates of nest maintenance and aggressive behavior occurred during gestation and were associated with elevated concentrations of circulating T, P, and E2, raising the possibility that one or more of these hormones mediates behaviors that help females establish maternal nest sites and territories after mating. Temporal patterns of variation in behavior were similar among provisioned and unprovisioned females; however, rates of resting, vigilance, and aggression were higher among provisioned females, whereas unprovisioned females devoted significantly more time to feeding and locomotion. Thus, our data suggest that in maternal S. beldingi, gonadal steroids play a role in mediating behavior associated with raising offspring, but do not facilitate changes in rates of behavior associated with increased energy availability.