Traumatic aneurysms of the descending thoracic aorta

From July 1979 to December 1985 we observed 51 patients with traumatic lesions of the descending thoracic aorta. Twenty-nine had acute ruptures, mostly accompanied by multiple injuries, and 27 had to be operated upon immediately. Twenty-two patients (19 males, 3 females) had chronic traumatic aneurysms of the descending thoracic aorta (more than six weeks after trauma). Mean age at the time of trauma was 24 years. Mean age at time of surgery was 36.5 years. Twelve patients were symptomatic. All were treated surgically. At surgery, complete aortic disruption was found in 15 patients and partial rupture in seven. We did not use aortic shunting of any kind, only aortic cross-clamping. Hypertension was controlled by intravenous drug infusion. The ruptured aortic segment was replaced in all cases by prosthetic Dacron graft. There were no operative deaths. One patient (age 77) died 11 weeks after surgery from multiple organ failure. One case of postoperative paraplegia was observed. This patient recovered almost completely from his neurological deficit.     

HPLC analysis of valepotriates in the north american genera plectritis and valeriana

Reversed phase HPLC has been applied to the isolation and quantitative distribution of valepotriates in roots and aerial parts of species and subspecies of the North American Genus PLECTRITIS (Valerianaceae) and in VALERIANA SITCHENSIS ssp. SCOULERI (Valerianaceae). A semipreparative Ultrasphere ODS column was used for separation and detection of small quantities of valepotriates in crude plant extracts.     

Developing an educational program to meet the needs of the radiology administrator

This article describes a model for an interdisciplinary undergraduate program in radiologic sciences and administration. The article discusses the four major components of the program: the core, the professional discipline, the human competence area, and the project.     

Organophosphate polyneuropathy: pathogenesis and prevention

Organophosphorus-induced delayed polyneuropathy (OPIDP) is initiated by the phosphorylation of a protein neurotoxic esterase (NTE) in the nervous system. A second step, the "aging" of the phosphoryl-enzyme complex, is required to produce the toxic effect. The experimental evidence for this molecular target and the importance of the aging process are reviewed. The catalytic activity of NTE has been used to develop an in vitro screening test that may distinguish the organophosphorus compounds (OPs) that cause neuropathy from those that do not, thereby providing a means for prevention of OPIDP. Moreover, a biochemical screening test, the determination of NTE activity in blood lymphocytes, may predict the development of OPIDP after acute or chronic exposure to OPs, and requires evaluation by carefully designed studies of occupational exposure to OPs.     

Die Bedeutung der Bestimmung von Antikörpern gegen Acetylcholinreceptoren in der Diagnostik der Myasthenia gravis

Zusammenfassung Bei 65 Patienten mit Myasthenia gravis (MG) wurden Antikörper gegen Acetylcholin-Receptoren (ACh-R) in der IgG-Fraktion des Patienten-Serums bestimmt (Immunpräzipitations-Assay mit¹²⁵Jod--Bungarotoxin und menschlichem ACh-R als Antigen). Bei 91% der Patienten zeigte sich eine erhöhte Antikörper-Konzentration bis zum 500fachen des oberen Referenzbereichs. Eine Kontrollgruppe von 77 Patienten mit anderen gesicherten Autoimmunerkrankungen oder positiven Antikörpern gegen Muskulatur wies in keinem Fall erhöhte ACh-R-Antikörper-Konzentrationen auf. Damit ist der in-vitro Nachweis von ACh-R-Antikörpern ein empfindlicher und hochspezifischer Test für die Diagnostik der MG. Der Test eignet sich ebenfalls für die Verlaufskontrolle unter Therapie mit Immunsuppressiva oder Plasmapherese. Immunfluoreszenz-Untersuchung auf Antikörper gegen Muskelgewebe ist für die MG-Diagnostik weniger empfindlich und nicht spezifisch.Herrn Prof. Dr. A. Struppler zum 60. Geburtstag gewidmet     

Expression of bfgf and differential expression of fgf receptors in normal human myoblasts and rhabdomyosarcomas

In an attempt to investigate the expression and possible function(s) of bFGF and the four members of the fibroblast growth factor receptor family, FGFR-1 -4, in a mesenchymal-derived cell system, we analyzed normal human myoblasts and rhabdomyosarcomas. RT-PCR analysis revealed expression of both the ligand bFGF and the FGF receptors, FGFR-1, FGFR-2, FGFR-3 and FGFR-4, in myoblasts and rhabdomyosarcomas; with FGFR-3 at comparably lower levels of detection. Antisense oligodeoxynucleotides targeted against the translation start site and splice-donor acceptor sites of human bFGF and FGFR-1 did not exert proliferation-inhibitory effects in either cell type. Thus, unlike previous studies which demonstrated the importance of bFGF and FGFR-1 as major contributors in sustaining,the proliferation of normal and malignant cells of neuroectodermal origin, the data presented here, indicate that cells of mesenchymal origin may rely on additional, if not altogether different, growth factors and growth factor receptors for their proliferation.     

Survival of corneal grafts after severe burns of the eye

The authors investigated 32 human corneal buttons of patients suffering from severe eye burns. The keratoplasties were performed in different periods after the burn and collected within five years. Grafts were followed-up until they failed because of ulceration or until rehabilitating keratoplasties were performed. Early (up to six months after the burn) and late (more than 12 months after the burn) obtained corneas showed different cellular reactions in the corneal stroma. Inflammatory cells such as granulocytes and lymphocytes decreased with increasing periods after the burn. More than 12 months after the burn, minor inflammatory cellular reactions but increasing scar formation could be found. Four out of 19 early-, two out of eight intermediate- (between six and 12 months after the burn) and one of the late performed keratoplasties failed and had to be replaced by new corneal grafts. Due to the conditions in the graft beds the explanted corneal grafts showed a cellular reaction in the stroma comparable to the previously explanted burnt corneae. Further complications occurred because of problems concerning the ocular surface. After preliminary therapeutical keratoplasties rehabilitating keratoplasties could be successfully performed in four cases between 19 and 39 months.     

Expression of NK-associated surface-antigens cd-56 and cd-16 on aml-cells

Monoclonal antibodies Leu 11a (CD16) and Leu 19 (CD56) were tested for reactivity with cells from 36 patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) using two-colour flow cytometry. Blast cells were identified by a broad panel of monoclonal antibodies. In 33% (12/36) the monoclonal antibody Leu 19, which has been demonstrated to bind to the 140 kD isoform of the human neural cellular adhesion molecule N-CAM, found on peripheral natural killer (NK)-cells, neuroectodermal cells, activated T-cells, and myeloma cells, was shown to bind strongly to the leukemic cells. The monoclonal antibody Leu 11a, which recognizes a surface differentiation antigen associated with the low affinity FcRIII for IgG, expressed on NK-cells, granulocytes and macrophages were found to bind to leukemic cells of four of the 12 Leu-19 positive cases. 50% (6/12) of Leu-19 positive patients were classified as having M4 according to the French-American-British (FAB) morphology criteria. The potential diagnostic and clinical importance of CD 56 and/or CD 16 expression in acute myelogenous leukemia is presently under investigation.