Prevalence of polycystic ovaries in women with acne

Summary The prevalence of polycystic ovaries was determined by pelvic ultrasound imaging in 119 women (mean age, 23.6±6.06 years; range, 14–45 years) with acne but with no menstrual disorders, obesity, or hirsutism, and in 35 healthy controls (mean age, 25±5.8 years; range, 21–40 years). Polycystic ovaries were found in 54 out of 119 patients with acne (45.37%) and in 6 out of 35 controls (17.14%). The results of this study indicate that polycystic ovaries are common in women with acne and not necessarily associated with menstrual disorders, obesity, or hirsutism.     

Transmission pathways of vibratory stimulation as measured by subjective thresholds and distortion-product otoacoustic emissions

To clarify the contribution of the skull contents to the transmission of bone vibratory stimuli, and to examine the characteristics of such stimuli, we compared auditory thresholds and distortion-product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) levels with a bone vibrator placed on various sites of the head, including the eye. The best audiometric thresholds and the highest DPOAE levels were obtained with the vibrator placed on the mastoid of the measuring side, or on the "ultrasound-window" of the temple. The audiometric thresholds obtained with the bone vibrator on the eye were similar to those of the forehead, and about 10 dB higher than at the best sites. DPOAEs were clearly present when elicited by a combination of air-conducted stimuli presented through an insert earphone and with the bone vibrator placed on the eye. These results indicate that vibratory sounds can be transmitted through the skull contents to the inner ear. The intracranial transmission pathway of the vibratory stimuli may play a significant role, particularly at low frequencies, and possibly also when the vibratory stimuli are applied on the skull bone.     

Impaired in-vitro proliferation of hemopoietic precursors in HIV-1-infected subjects

Patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and persistent lymphadenopathy syndrome (LAS) display significant hematological abnormalities of one or more cell lineages. In order to understand the pathophysiologic mechanisms leading to these abnormalities we studied the proliferation capacity of pluripotent and committed hemopoietic precursors using in-vitro colony assays. Anemia, leukopenia and thrombopenia were relatively frequent findings in HIV-infected subjects irrespectively of the patients' clinical status. The colony growth capacity of AIDS patients' GM-CFU and BFU-E was significantly decreased whereas no GEMM-CFU colonies could be obtained. There was no correlation between the number of BFU-E and GM-CFU colony number and the hemoglobin or the absolute number of polynuclear cells, respectively. The plating efficiency of both committed and pluripotent hematopoietic precursors from HIV infected patients could not be enhanced when additional exogenous recombinant GM-CSF, human interleukin 3 or erythropoietin were added in contrast to normal patients' cells. In addition, the impaired colony growth of these precursors could not be restored after adherent or T-cell depletion or the addition of normal allogenic irradiated adherent or/and T cells. Since this colony growth abnormality was also detected in HIV seropositive asymptomatic subjects our findings strongly suggest that the in-vitro growth of hematopoietic precursors is affected early after HIV-1 infection.     

Bromocriptine treatment in patients with late onset acne and idiopathic hyperprolactinemia

Twenty female patients with late onset acne and idiopathic hyperprolactinemia--but without increased levels of androgens or decreased levels of SHBG--were treated with bromocriptine. All patients had a fall of basal prolactin levels to normal and a great improvement in or even disappearance of their acne.     

Toxicological evaluations of the benzodiazepine doxefazepam

1-(2-Hydroxyethyl)-3-hydroxyl-7-chloro-1,3-dihydro-5-(O-fluorophenyl)-2H - 1,4-benzodiazepin-2-one (doxefazepam, SAS 643, Doxans) was investigated in a series of toxicological studies. Oral LD50 values were greater than 2000 mg/kg in mice, rats and dogs, while endoperitoneal LD50 values were 746 and 544 mg/kg in the mice and rats, respectively, and greater than 1000 mg/kg in the dogs. Subacute and chronic studies in rats and dogs evidenced a transient ataxia after administration of the test compound, which was dose-dependent in the subacute experiment, and occurred only at the highest dose in the chronic studies. No pathological findings were registered at necropsy or in microscopic observations, except an increase of liver weight at the highest dosage in the chronic study in the rat. Doxefazepam did not exert any teratogenic effects in rats and rabbits. Moreover in rats it did not alter the reproductive performance. The mutagenic studies did not reveal any mutagenic potential. In the cancerogenicity study in rats doxefazepam did not show positive carcinogenic potential.     

Giant parathyroid adenoma demonstrated by dual tracer parathyroid imaging

Noninvasive diagnostic imaging modalities have played an increasingly important role in preoperative localization of parathyroid lesions. The radionuclide method using TI-201 and Tc-99m subtraction imaging is quite successful in detecting such lesions, with a reported sensitivity of 92%. A case of surgically proven primary hyperparathyroidism, caused by an unusually large parathyroid adenoma and detected by the dual tracer method, is presented.     

Normal B-lineage cells: their differentiation and identification

This article reviews the normal differentiation of B-lineage cells. The scheme of normal differentiation of the B lineage provides a context in which to analyze patients with immunodeficiencies and B-lymphoproliferative disorders.