Temporal relationship between cancers of the lung and upper aerodigestive tract

We retrospectively reviewed the chart records at the Veterans General Hospital-Taipei for the period between January 1985 and December 1994 to examine the temporal relationship between cancers of the lung and upper aerodigestive tract. A total of 56 patients (54 males, 2 females) with histocytologically proven double primary cancers, with either lung cancer or upper aerodigestive tract cancers appearing first, were found. Squamous cell carcinoma was the most frequent histologic type of lung cancer (squamous 57%, adenocarcinoma 27%, poorly differentiated carcinoma 9%, small cell lung cancer 7%). The incidence of lung cancer patients with upper aerodigestive tract cancer was 0.9% (56/6412). There was no significant difference in the occurrence of upper aerodigestive tract cancer between non-small cell and small cell lung cancer (P > 0.05). However, the incidence of squamous cell lung cancer with upper aerodigestive tract cancer was higher than that of non-squamous cell lung cancer (P < 0.05). With regard to the location of lung cancer, the right lung was more commonly affected than the left (P < 0.001). The locations of upper aerodigestive tract cancers in these lung cancer patients were as follows: larynx 24, nasopharynx 11, esophagus 10, hypopharynx 4, pharyngeal tonsils 2, oral cavity 5. Most upper aerodigestive tract cancers were diagnosed before lung cancer (36/56, 64%), and lung cancer was diagnosed within 3 years in more than half of cases after the diagnosis of upper aerodigestive tract cancer (58.3%). Most lung cancers that preceded upper aerodigestive tract cancer were at an early stage at diagnosis (stage I 4, stage Illa 1), whereas the others, appearing either synchronously or after the diagnosis of upper aerodigestive tract cancer, were mostly at the late stage. There was no difference in survival between lung cancer patients with upper aerodigestive tract cancer and those without (P > 0.05).      

The sartorius myocutaneous island flap

Summary The vascular supply to the distal part of sartorius m. was studied in 37 limbs by dissection under magnification and after black ink and latex injections. The muscle or myocutaneous island flap pedicled on the saphenous artery (SA) is supplied by a retrograde circulation through anastomoses of the SA with the perforating branches of the posterior tibial artery and the medial inferior genicular artery. Three different vascular patterns were defined. Retrograde injection also showed good perfusion of the SA. The flap is useful for covering around the knee, the proximal and middle thirds of the lower leg, and the end of the amputation stump. Raising of the flap has not resulted in any functional or cosmetic defect. Eighteen operations have so far been performed, six using the muscle island flap and twelve using the myocutaneous island flap, and all survived completely.

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Le lambeaux en îlot myo-cutané du muscle sartorius

Résumé L'apport artériel pour la partie distale du m. sartorius a été étudié sur 37 membres par dissection sous grossissement et après injection d'encre de Chine et de latex. Le lambeau en îlot, musculaire ou myo-cutané, pédiculé sur l'artère saphène (SA), est vascularisé par une circulation rétrograde à travers les anastomoses de la SA avec les branches perforantes de l'artère tibiale postérieure et l'artère inféro-médiale du genou. Trois schémas vasculaires différents ont été définis. L'injection rétrograde montrait aussi une bonne perfusion de la SA. Le lambeau est utile pour la couverture des régions proches du genou, des tiers proximal et moyen de la jambe et de l'extrémité des moignons d'amputation. La réalisation du lambeau n'a entraîné aucun dommage fonctionnel ou cosmétique. Dix-huit interventions ont été réalisées jusqu'ici, six utilisant le lambeau en îlot musculaire et douze utilisant le lambeau en îlot myocutané, sans aucune complication locale.

     

Origin of Allergy From In Utero Exposures to the Postnatal Environment

As the incidence of atopic conditions continues to increase, emphasis has been placed on understanding the origin of allergy with hope that prevention measures can be achieved. The perinatal environment is important for this understanding, given that both the immune system and microbiome start forming prenatally. Maternal exposure can greatly impact on fetal health. Additionally, the dysfunctional epithelial barrier is influential in allowing allergens and irritants to penetrate the skin or mucosa, leading to the release of proinflammatory cytokines and mediators to drive type 2 tissue inflammation and the onset of allergy. There are numerous factors related to skin, airway, and gut epithelial barriers dysfunction, and genetic predispositions are also present. Comprehensive birth cohort studies and further mechanistic studies will be keys to understanding the origin of allergy.     

用二维核磁共振法研究肿足蕨碱的结构

从金星蕨科植物山东肿足蕨(Hypodematium sinense Iwatsuki)的全草分得一种新化合物,通过¹H-¹H COSY谱,¹H-¹³C COSY谱和远程¹H-¹³C COSY谱确定其结构是一种具有苯基取代苯并氮杂环辛四烯新型骨架的生物碱,命名为肿足蕨碱(hypodematine)(Ⅰ)。     

康宁克通A治疗白内障术后迟发型急性前葡萄膜炎的临床观察

目的：报告康宁克通Ａ眼周注射,治疗白内障超声乳化吸出联合硅胶折叠式人工晶体植入术后,并发迟发型前葡萄膜炎的临床疗效总结和病机搪塞。方法：对２８例（２８眼）患者发病早期,给予本病２０ｍｇ球结膜下或后Ｔｅｎｏｎ囊下注射一次。     

Human <Emphasis Type="Italic">PTCHD3</Emphasis> nulls: rare copy number and sequence variants suggest a non-essential gene

Background  

Copy number variations (CNVs) can contribute to variable degrees of fitness and/or disease predisposition. Recent studies show that at least 1% of any given genome is copy number variable when compared to the human reference sequence assembly. Homozygous deletions (or CNV nulls) that are found in the normal population are of particular interest because they may serve to define non-essential genes in human biology.     

Impact of screening blood donors for hepatitis C antibody on posttransfusion hepatitis: a prospective study with a second-generation anti-hepatitis C virus assay

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C is the major cause of posttransfusion hepatitis. Blood components that are positive for antibody to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) can transmit posttransfusion hepatitis. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: To investigate the effect on posttransfusion hepatitis of screening blood donors with a second-generation test for anti-HCV, 249 transfusion recipients who underwent cardiovascular surgery were prospectively followed. Six recipients who were positive for anti-HCV before transfusion and 51 subjects with incomplete follow-up were excluded from this study. RESULTS: Eleven (13.8%) of 80 subjects who received unscreened blood had two successive serum alanine aminotransferase levels > 90 U per L. Seven (8.8% of total) developed anti-HCV and HCV RNA and two (2.5% of total) developed IgM antibody to cytomegalovirus (IgM anti-CMV). By contrast, 3 (2.7%) of the 112 subjects who received anti-HCV-screened blood had two successive serum alanine aminotransferase levels > 90 U per L. None of these three developed anti-HCV and HCV RNA, but two (1.8% of total) showed the development of IgM anti-CMV. The study shows that screening for anti- HCV in blood donors with a second-generation test almost abrogated posttransfusion viral hepatitis C. CONCLUSION: After anti-HCV screening, other body fluid-transmitted viruses such as CMV may become important in posttransfusion hepatitis.