Emerging new drugs for scar reduction

Hypertropic and keloid scars cause both functional and cosmetic problems for those afflicted. Although people of all ages suffer from these conditions, the patients are often young and otherwise healthy, and become burdened with an activity limiting lesion or psychosocial stresses associated with a perceived aesthetic defect. Currently available treatment modalities are often inconvenient, occasionally painful, and have unwanted side effects. Despite the highest standard of care, treatment protocols are prone to failure with high rates of scar recurrence. Hypertropic and keloid scars are the result of an abnormal healing response and may result from an extended inflammatory phase in the wound healing process. Regardless of the causes, which remain elusive, excessive collagen deposition occurs relative to normal wounds. This extracellular matrix collagen accumulation makes a logical target for pharmacological interventions, and researchers are attempting to modify collagen-synthetic and -degradative pathways. In addition, growth factors and cytokines have been implicated in scar formation, and these factors are targeted for potential therapeutic use in scar management. Cytotoxic agents are also being evaluated for their potential utility in the reduction of tissue bulk associated with these excessive scar states. Given the wide range of potential therapeutic agents, the future market for scar therapy remains highly promising.     

Explaining family caregiver role strain following autologous blood and marrow transplantation

This research project explores family caregiving processes during the first 100 days following autologous blood and marrow transplantation (ABMT). In this paper, we (1) explore patterns in caregiving, and ABMT recipient function early recovery from ABMT; (2) examine the relationships among caregiver demographics, relationship quality, preparedness, ABMT recipient function, predictability of caregiving, caregiver role strain and rewards of caregiving; and (3) examine the relative contribution of caregiver age, preparedness, relationship quality, and ABMT recipient function on caregiver role strain, and rewards of caregiving. Fifty-two family caregivers of ABMT recipients completed questionnaires about caregiving at hospital discharge, and again 2, 6, and 12 weeks following discharge. The amount of caregiving activities performed, and caregiver role strain, declined steadily from 2 weeks to 12 weeks of recovery. The caregiving situation was relatively predictable during recovery, and caregivers reported that caregiving was consistently rewarding. The caregiving activities rated as most difficult were those related to supporting recipients' emotional well-being. Strain from caregiving, although low, was explained by disruption in recipients' emotional and physical functioning, while caregiving rewards were explained by caregivers' preparedness for caregiving. Relationship quality, a significant predictor of strain in other samples, did not influence caregiving strain or rewards in this population. Caregiving processes delineated in studies of caregivers of persons with chronic illness are quite different from those described in this study. The acuity of the recipients' illness, the life threatening nature of the treatment, and the younger age of caregivers, and recipients, may underlie these differences.     

Obligately Anaerobic Strains of Corynebacterium vaginale (Haemophilus vaginalis)

Six obligately anaerobic strains of Corynebacterium vaginale (Haemophilus vaginalis) have been isolated and their characteristics studied. The reactions of the anaerobic strains, as well as of facultative strains tested under anaerobic conditions, are similar to the reactions previously reported for this species.     

Metastasis and morphology of transplanted BR6 mouse mammary tumours

BR6 mouse mammary tumours were maintained by serial s.c. transplantation into female or castrated male syngeneic hosts. The tumours could be broadly classified according to their structure, and usually remained stable through many passages. Occasionally, sarcomatous changes were seen (64 out of 800 cases).Pulmonary metastases were found in 5 per cent of mice bearing transplants of well-differentiated acinar tumours, in 34 per cent with tumours of the acinar/ductal type, and in 97 per cent with poorly differentiated tumours. There was a similar correlation between lymph node metastases and degree of primary tumour differentiation, the incidences being 0, 0·5 and 22 per cent respectively. Sarcomatous changes were associated with a reduced incidence of metastasis. Local invasion of muscle or peritoneum occurred in 32 per cent of mice with well-differentiated tumours, and in 59 per cent with less differentiated tumours.Selection for increased metastatic potential was not achieved by transplantation of lung nodules to a subcutaneous site.     

Trauma and anxious attachment influence the relationship between suggestibility and dissociation: a moderated-moderation analysis

Introduction: Hypnotic suggestibility is elevated in the dissociative disorders but the relationship between dissociative tendencies and suggestibility in the general population seems to be constrained by additional factors. The diathesis-stress (DS) model stipulates that suggestibility interacts with trauma exposure to augment the propensity for dissociative states whereas the dual pathway to suggestibility (DPS) model proposes two developmental routes involving either dissociation preceded by trauma, or a healthy cognitive profile characterised by superior imagination.

Methods: This study sought to discriminate between these partially competing accounts and further considered the moderating role of anxious attachment. 209 participants completed psychometric measures of dissociative tendencies, trauma, and attachment, and a behavioural measure of suggestibility.

Results: In support of the DS model, trauma moderated the relationship between suggestibility and dissociation and, as predicted by the DPS model, dissociation moderated the relationship between trauma and suggestibility. Anxious attachment additionally moderated both effects. Model comparisons indicated that the DS model consistently provided a superior fit to the data. Further analyses showed that secure attachment independently predicted suggestibility, thereby supporting the non-dissociative pathway in the DPS model.

Conclusions: These results suggest that high suggestibility confers vulnerability to dissociative states in individuals exposed to trauma and displaying an anxious attachment style.     

Three successive prenatal diagnoses of 47,XY,+21

Within 3 working days in September, 1974, we made three prenatal diagnoses of 47,XY,+21 from three women of advanced maternal age. Two were 37 and 38 years old, respectively, and nulliparous. One was 42 years old and had four normal children. The possibility of cell contamination arose when the second diagnosis of trisomy 21 and a male fetus was made. This suspicion increased when the third case was found within 3 working days. All three cases were then studied with both Q and G banding for identification of individual chromosome markers. Fortunately, the distinction was clear by Q-banding. Each case showed characteristic Q-banding polymorphisms in No. 3 and No. 21 chromosomes. It was evident that these were three separate cases. Problems relating to diagnosis of two or more successive identical trisomies of the same sex can be resolved by banding techniques. The response each family had to learning the diagnosis is presented and discussed.