In vivo production of tumor necrosis factor for the treatment of mice bearing Ehrlich ascites tumor.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) was produced in mice bearing Ehrlich ascites tumor (EAT) by priming with zymosan and subsequently challenging with lipopolysaccharide. The optimal conditions for the in vivo production of TNF in treating EAT bearing mice were established. The endotoxin shock induced in mice during TNF production could be minimized by the combined administration of sulindac and mannoheptulose. The endogenous TNF produced could suppress proliferation of EAT cells as well as prolong the survival time of mice bearing small tumors.     

A comprehensive study of smoking in primary school children in Hong Kong: implications for prevention.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To identify factors associated with smoking behaviour in primary school children in Hong Kong. DESIGN: A cross sectional survey in which both children and parents completed questionnaires. The main outcome measure was the smoking status of the children; and risk factors (knowledge of and attitude to smoking and demographic and socioeconomic background) were identified as predictors of ever/never smoking. SETTING AND SUBJECTS: Altogether 9598 primary school children, aged 8-13 years, and attending 27 schools from two districts in Hong Kong participated. MAIN RESULTS: The prevalence of ever-smoking was 12% (1119)-15% (760) in boys and 7% (359) in girls. It ranged from 3% in 8 year old girls to 52% in 13 year old boys. The factors associated with ever-smoking included the following: being a boy (adjusted odds ratio 2.21; 95% confidence interval 1.89, 2.59), increasing age per year (1.48; 1.40, 1.57), living in Kwai Tsing district (1.29; 1.10, 1.50), having one or more smokers at home (2.07; 1.78, 2.39), and having a father who was not working (1.41; 1.19, 1.67). Children who were ever-smokers had both seen and approved of their friends' smoking (8.79; 5.33, 14.50), had a more positive attitude towards smoking (3.35; 2.21, 5.09), and were more successful in recognising cigarette brand names and logos (1.67; 1.42, 1.96), but they lacked confidence (1.78; 1.32, 2.39). CONCLUSIONS: The influences on child smoking are multifactorial and programmes in Hong Kong are falling to curb them. The control of these risk factors must be incorporated in the smoking prevention policy of Hong Kong and supported by future enforced legislation.     

The HIV prevalence among pregnant women in the Amsterdam region (1988–1991)

The objective of the study was to monitor the HIV prevalence in the years 1988–1991 among pregnant women in the Amsterdam region, visitors to an abortion clinic and 3 outpatient infertility clinics. All women attending these clinics were asked to participate in the study on a voluntary basis and were tested with informed consent. The women were questioned about risk-bearing behaviour of themselves and their sexual partner(s). In the period 1988–1991, of the 23,827 eligible pregnant women, 22,165 women participated (93.0%). Twenty-seven women were found to be positive for HIV antibodies (0.12%, 95% CI: 0.08%–0.17%), of whom twenty belonged to a known HIV risk group or had a partner who belonged to one of these groups and 7 women had no known HIV risk. Seventeen of the 27 women had a foreign nationality. The annual HIV prevalence among pregnant women was: 1988: 0.28%; 1989: 0.10%; 1990: 0.10%; 1991: 0.11%. In the years 1990 and 1991, of the 1,128 eligible women visiting the abortion clinic 953 (84.5%) were tested. Eleven women were HIV-seropositive (1.15%, 95% CI: 0.6%–2.0%), of whom 9 were from an AIDS endemic region, 1 woman had a partner from this region and 1 woman had no known HIV risk. Four African women had HIV-2 antibodies. At the 3 outpatient infertility clinics 1 woman was found to be HIV-positive (0.13%; 95% CI: 0.02–0.9). She had no other risk than a partner from an AIDS endemic area. In the Amsterdam region there was a steady and low HIV prevalence (0.1%) among pregnant women through the years 1988–1991. The prevalence in the abortion clinic was ten times higher. The program was able to detect possible high risk groups within the population. Migration and travelling can play an important role in the spread of HIV in the general heterosexual population.     

Stroke Caused by Small Vessel Occlusion in a Patient Taking Etoricoxib and Thalidomide

We report a 33-year-old man with seronegative arthritis who had an acute infarct at the left lentiform nucleus while taking etoricoxib and thalidomide regularly. Extensive investigations did not find any evidence of large artery atherosclerosis, vasculitis, cardioembolic source or anti-phospholipid antibodies. While it is possible that a short smoking history, hyperlipidemia, and the use of thalidomide could have contributed to the thrombosis of a small penetrator vessel, we postulated that the prolonged use of etoricoxib is another possible contributing factor.     

How does prosthesis head size affect vibration transmission in ossiculoplasty?

OBJECTIVES: The transmission of vibrations from the tympanic membrane to the stapes footplate by an ossicular reconstruction prosthesis is affected by the size of the prosthesis head. We sought to determine if augmenting or reducing the head size of prosthesis had a systematic effect on transmission of vibrations to the stapes. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a fresh cadaveric temporal bone middle ear study. METHODS: The incus was replaced with a prosthesis using a tympanic membrane to stapes head (TASH)-type hydroxyapatite prosthesis in nine fresh cadaveric temporal bones. Three prosthesis head sizes were created: unaltered, reduced, and augmented. Stapes vibrations were measured with a laser Doppler vibrometer in response to acoustic frequency chirps at 90 dB SPL. RESULTS: All three head size prostheses resulted in smaller stapes vibrations than the intact ear. There was no difference in the vibration transmission between the three different head sizes. All prostheses showed a vibration loss of 10 to 15 dB compared to the intact ear. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: Within the range of sizes tested, prosthesis head size had little impact on vibration transmission to the stapes footplate.     

Danazol in treatment of lupus thrombocytopenia.

Seven patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), persistent thrombocytopenia (TP), in whom it was considered undesirable to institute an increase in steroid or immunosuppressive agents, were treated with danazol. Five patients completed the minimum period of 8 weeks. Two patients showed early response to danazol but were switched over to cyclophosphamide or azathioprine after 4 weeks because of systemic disease. Of the remaining five patients, four had complete responses. In one patient who failed treatment the TP was considered to be related to another drug (ranitidine). Other manifestations of SLE also improved with treatment. Side effects included amenorrhea in one patient, and hypoglycemia and hyponatremia in another. Infections were absent. Danazol can be a useful alternative treatment of lupus TP.     

Complications associated with maxillary nerve block anaesthesia via the greater palatine canal

This paper documents the type, frequency and duration of complications associated with regional anaesthesia of the maxillary nerve via the greater palatine canal in a series of 101 patients treated in the Oral Surgery Department, United Dental Hospital of Sydney.     

Smooth muscle relaxant effect of dehydroindicolactone

Dehydroindicolactone, a novel linear furanocoumarin with an 8-substituted side chain carrying a 5-member ring lactone, showed spasmolytic activity in a number of smooth muscle preparations. The spasmolytic activity seems to lie in its ability to block the dihydropyridine-sensitive calcium channel.     

Syringomyelia with Arnold Chiari I malformation: a report of four cases

4 cases of syringomyelia with type I Arnold Chiari malformation was seen presenting mainly with dissociated sensory loss, weakness of hands and upper motor neurone signs in the lower limbs. The first patient improved with posterior fossa decompression. The second and fourth patient appeared not to have improved after surgery, and the third case refused operation. One patient showed cord atrophy on myelogram presumably due to a collapse of the syrinx. One of the patients was unusual in that the syrinx extended down to segment T11. Magnetic resonance imaging of the posterior fossa and the cervical cord, to date, is the most useful procedure for diagnosis.     

3,4-Dichlorobenzyloxyacetic acid is extensively metabolized to a taurine conjugate in rats

The metabolism of the antisickling agent 3,4-dichlorobenzyloxyacetic acid (3,4-DCBAA) was examined after ip administration to rats. Within 5 days after administration of radiolabeled 3,4-DCBAA, 77.4 +/- 4.6% of the dose was recovered in the urine and only 3.2 +/- 0.5% was recovered in the feces. Metabolites in the urine were isolated and characterized by HPLC, electron impact MS, and LC/MS, and their identities were confirmed by comparing their spectra with those of synthetic standards. Quantitation of these urinary metabolites revealed that the majority of the radioactive dose was excreted as a taurine conjugate (60.1 +/- 4.4%), while lesser amounts were excreted as 3,4-dichlorohippurate, unchanged 3,4-DCBAA, the glycine conjugate of 3,4-DCBAA, and a polar unknown which is believed to be glycolic acid. A pathway involving an initial O-dealkylation at the benzyl carbon of 3,4-DCBAA and proceeding through the glycine conjugation of 3,4-dichlorobenzoic acid has been proposed to explain the formation of 3,4-dichlorohippurate and the polar unknown. The extensive conjugation of 3,4-DCBAA with taurine is an unprecedented observation in rats, which usually utilize glycine for amino acid conjugation reactions. Further studies with 3,4-DCBAA may provide insight into the enzymatic mechanisms of taurine conjugation, which are not well defined at this time.