Essential tremor

Essential tremor is a common disorder whose aetiology is unknown. Characteristically it is present on maintaining posture, absent at rest, and not made significantly worse with movement.     

Mouse antisera specific for desmosomal adhesion molecules of suprabasal skin cells, meninges, and meningioma.

Mouse polyclonal antisera were raised to the Mr 130,000 and Mr 115,000 cell surface glycoproteins, desmocollins, of desmosomes from bovine nasal epithelium. Immunoblotting confirmed that the antisera were specific for the desmocollins. An immunofluorescence study showed that the antisera distinguished between the basal and suprabasal layers of bovine and human epidermis. The antibodies reacted with cultured keratinocytes only after calcium-induced stratification. In epidermis, therefore, there appears to be a difference between the desmocollins of basal and suprabasal cells that may be important in relation to epidermal differentiation. Previous work has shown that polyclonal antisera raised in other animals (guinea pigs and rabbits) against desmocollins, as well as against other desmosomal components, react with all desmosome-containing epithelia. In contrast, an immunofluorescence survey of bovine, rat, and human tissues showed that the present mouse antisera stained only suprabasal skin cells and the arachnoid layer of the meninges, demonstrating that these have common determinants that distinguished their desmocollins from those of all other tissues. The antibodies also stained 11 of 12 meningiomas and, therefore, may be useful as a marker not only for the diagnosis of these tumors but also for investigation of their histogenesis.     

CEA and CA 19.9: an evaluation by new statistical technics on a group of elderly patients

New parametric and non parametric statistical methods have been compared in the evaluation of experimental data of CEA and CA 19.9 using a brief program in BASIC. We have found that the distribution of the two markers is the same of that described in literature except for both the means that we have found being slightly higher than that ones described by other authors.     

Acute hemodynamic effects of piroximone (MDL 19,205) in patients with moderate congestive heart failure: comparison with sodium nitroprusside

Piroximone (MDL 19,205), a new imidazolone derivative, was given intravenously to 14 patients with congestive heart failure (NYHA class II-III), while under constant daily doses of digitalis and diuretics. In the first 3 patients, we determined the dose safely eliciting a favorable hemodynamic response. The subsequent 11 patients received 1 mg/kg of piroximone intravenously, and the hemodynamic effects were compared with those of sodium nitroprusside (SN) at a dose-lowering mean blood pressure by 10-20 mm Hg. Piroximone increased heart rate (13.2 +/- 2.0 beats/min, mean +/- SEM) and lowered mean arterial pressure (9 +/- 2.3 mm Hg). Both agents reduced similarly wedge pressure (6.5 +/- 2.9 and 9 +/- 2.9 mm Hg, respectively, for SN and piroximone) and total peripheral resistance. Cardiac index was increased less by SN (15%) than piroximone (48%) (p less than 0.001), and stroke work index significantly enhanced only by piroximone (p less than 0.001). The changes in loading conditions induced by the two agents being similar, it is likely that piroximone not only acts by peripheral vasodilation, but also possesses positive inotropic properties. Myocardial oxygen demand, assessed indirectly by tension-time index, was not affected by piroximone. Thus, piroximone appears to combine well-balanced vasodilator and inotropic properties which make this new agent potentially very useful for the management of congestive heart failure.     

Is the driver drunk? Oculomotor sobriety testing

Recently a new test involving observation of ocular pursuit movements, end-point nystagmus and angle of lateral deviation at which nystagmoid movements begin has been used by law enforcement agencies to determine the blood alcohol level of suspected drunk drivers. When properly administered and scored, this test can correctly identify approximately 80% of drivers with alcohol levels of 0.10% or greater. The test is more accurate than the traditional coordination or mental computation tests previously used, but questions may be raised about the use of the test with suspects who have ocular problems such as high refractive errors, chronic nystagmus, etc.     

Immunohistochemical characterization of extracellular matrix in the developing human cornea

Collagen, fibronectin and laminin are important components of the extracellular matrix of the human cornea. We used the immunofluorescence technique with polyclonal antibodies directed against these proteins and to bullous pemphigoid antigen (BPA), in order to study their distribution in human corneas from 8 weeks of gestation to term and in adult corneas. Immunoreactivity was observed with antibodies to type I collagen in the limbus and the corneal stroma at 8 weeks of gestation. At 11 weeks of gestation it was found in epithelial basement membrane (EBM) and Descemet's membrane (DM) and continued thus throughout fetal and adult life. Type II collagen was not detected in fetal or adult cornea. Type III collagen was detected during 8-20th weeks of gestation in the EBM, DM and stroma. After 27th weeks of gestation, type III collagen could no longer be detected in the central cornea. Type IV collagen was detected in the EBM as early as 8 weeks of gestation and remained positive throughout fetal and adult life. Descemet's membrane was negative for type IV collagen at 8 weeks of gestation and became positive thereafter. Immunostaining for fibronectin in DM was negative at 8 weeks of gestation, followed by patchy staining of corneal stroma and EBM up to the age of 37 weeks of gestation. Staining in the EBM was negative or variable up to 70 years of age, and then became positive again in a 77 year old individual. Staining for LN was positive in the EBM after 8 weeks of gestation. Staining was negative in DM at that age, but became positive after 9 weeks of gestation. Staining for BPA was negative at 8-9 weeks of gestation, then gradually became positive.