Calorie restriction increases serum parathyroid hormone and decreases serum calcitonin levels in patients with maturity onset diabetes mellitus

Calorie restriction is important in managing patients with maturity onset diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). The effect of such restriction on calcium metabolism is not known. The objective of this study was to determine whether patients on calorie restricted diets would show any modification of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and calcitonin (CTN). The serum levels of PTH and CTN were measured by radioimmunoassays in 269 patients with NIDDM. The patients were divided into two groups depending on the intake of calorie, and PTH and CTN were monitored for 2 years. Plasma levels of vitamin D were measured by competitive protein binding assays before and after each program. The level of PTH (520.8±266.0 pg/ml) (mean±S.D.) was significantly (P<0.01) higher in 109 diabetic patients whose calorie intake was restricted for 2 years (diet (D) group) as compared with that (256.6±103.8 pg/ml) of 160 diabetic patients whose calorie intake was not restricted (non-diet (ND) group). The daily oral calcium intake of the two groups did not differ significantly. We found no significant difference in the serum PTH level in the ND groupVS. normal control subjects (248.8±98.4, N=78). The serum calcium concentration and the amount of calcium excreted in urine were slightly but significantly (P<0.01) lower in the D than in the ND group. The rate of tubular reabsorption of phosphate (% TRP) was significantly lower in the D group than that in the ND group (P<0.01). The serum CTN level was significantly (P<0.01) lower in the D group (33.9±11.3 pg/ml) than in the ND group (64.9±21.2 pg/ml) 2 years after each treatment. The plasma 1,25-(OH)₂-vitamin D level was significantly (P<0.01) lower in the D group (22.2±6.6 pg/ml) than in the ND group (50.6±4.2 pg/ml). When the restriction of calorie intake in the D group was canceled, their PTH levels decreased, which was accompanied by increase in the 1,25-(OH)₂-vitamin D levels, whereas their CTN levels were unchanged. These observations suggested that a restricted calorie intake is a risk factor for secondary hyperparathyroidism as well as for a low serum level of CTN in patients with NIDDM.     

An exploration of the role of the nurses'' uniform through a period of non-uniform wear on an acute medical ward

The nursing staff on an acute medical hospital ward elected to wear their own clothes to work for a period of 2 months. The trial was evaluated using a variety of research methods and it raised a number of issues about the role of uniform, about patients' perceptions of nurses and nurses' perceptions of their role. The study has led to questions being raised about the assumptions that are made if uniform is worn and the appropriateness of a uniform dress.     

起搏器更换时原起搏电极导线参数及更换指标分析

目的:分析74例更换起搏器时电极导线的各项参数的变化并探讨导线更换指标。方法:本组年龄12~87(62.8±18.4)岁,其中病窦综合征45例,房室传导阻滞29例,均为单腔VVI起搏。结果:至测量时原心室起搏电极导线的埋置时间60~148(97.4±22.8)月,首次埋置时起搏阈值为(0.48±0.24)V,更换时为(1.29±0.64)V(P(0.01),增加0.81V,增幅为168%,首次植入时R波幅为(7.8±3.6)mV,更换时为(5.9±3.4)mV(P(0.05)。植入时电极导线阻抗为(664±122)Ω,更换时阻抗为(726±148)Ω,增幅9.3%(P(0.05)。7例因起搏阈值大于2.0 V或阻抗大于1 250Ω而重新植入电极导线。原电极导线使用率为90.5%。结论:埋置起搏电极导线8~9年后,90.5%原电极导线仍在可使用的范围内,能否支持到再次更换需进一步随访。     

Phenotypic and genetic analyses of T-cell-mediated immunoregulation in patients with Type 1 diabetes.

AIMS: To investigate the contribution of regulatory T cells and co-stimulatory molecules in CD4(+) T cells to the development of Type 1 diabetes (T1D). METHODS: Twelve patients with T1D, nine patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and 12 age-matched healthy control subjects participated. We analysed the proportions of CD25(+)CD4(+) T cells and natural killer T cells (NKT cells), and the expression levels of Foxp3, CTLA-4, CD28, ICOS, PD-1 and BTLA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and purified CD4(+) T cells. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the proportions of CD25(+) CD4(+) T cells or NKT cells among the three groups. PD-1 expression levels of peripheral CD4(+) T cells from T1D patients were significantly lower than those from healthy control subjects (P = 0.00066). In contrast, PD-1 expression levels were similar in SLE patients and healthy control subjects. The expression levels of Foxp3, CTLA-4, CD28, ICOS and BTLA were similar in the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: Decreased expression of the PD-1 gene in CD4(+) T cells may contribute to the development and/or maintenance of autoimmune T1D. As the population studied was small and heterogeneous, further studies are required to confirm the findings.     

Use of long catheters for multipatient anesthetic monitoring at high respiratory frequencies

Anesthetic gases from several patients can be monitored simultaneously with a centrally located mass spectrometer. Such monitoring requires catheters from patient to spectrometer that are several meters long. Scamman (J Clin Monit 1988;4:227–229) found that when the respiratory frequency is high, as with infants, the CO₂ signal from the patient is unacceptably distorted during passage down the catheter. This is due to Taylor dispersion of the input signal. An outline of the theory of Taylor dispersion is given. The equations describe the interaction between the velocity distribution (which, in laminar flow, is parabolic) and the radial diffusion of CO₂. This interaction keeps a tracer signal together in a pulse, as it moves down the tube with themean velocity, spreading somewhat as it proceeds. How much does an initially sharp signal become blurred? The spread of such a signal when it reaches the detector, measured in time, can be expressed in various ways. Measurement is complicated, however, by the fact that the gas pressure may fall by as much as a factor of 10 along the line. The resultant expansion and acceleration of the gas cannot be ignored. A full treatment of this complication is given elsewhere, but the following simple equation is described: {ie237-1} Typically, the spread time is up to a quarter of a second for catheters of 50 m, such as used by Scamman. This is comparable with the period of CO₂ rise and fall for infants and explains the serious distortion in wave form that Scamman found. Some distortion can be eliminated by reducing R to 0.1 or less, but the extent of this improvement is small. Ideally, for fast-breathing patients, the catheter length should be reduced to 20 m or less, if possible.     

Chemotherapy-induced nausea

The rubric complementary medicine covers a variety of approaches that may seem alike only in their being outside conventional care and training. We have asked experienced practitioners to present their own pieces of this jigsaw, realising that these clinical fragments, when seen together, create excitement but also confusion. Of course, this forum is not intended to be a comprehensive review of relevant complementary treatments, and often the individual apporaches to clinical problems will appear totally unrelated, while their apparent effectiveness stretches the biomedical model and conventional research methodology beyond their capacity. With this in mind, we intend that forthcoming articles and reviews will expand on the therapies themselves, and discuss the evidence supporting them.     

胰岛素样生长因子-Ⅰ对软骨细胞凋亡的抑制

目的:探讨胰岛素样生长因子-Ⅰ(IGF-Ⅰ)对软骨细胞增殖及白细胞介素-1(IL-1)诱导软骨细胞凋亡的影响,揭示其抗损伤作用机制,为关节软骨损伤治疗提供理论依据。方法:分离培养人胚胎关节软骨细胞,采用四氮甲基唑蓝(MTT)法测定不同含量软骨细胞增殖活性的变化,利用光镜、电镜、DNA电泳及流式细胞仪测定作为凋亡检测指标。结果:IGF-Ⅰ呈剂量依赖式促软骨细胞增殖,当IGF-Ⅰ含量达50μg/L时,促软骨细胞增殖作用达最大值。IL-1组光镜、电镜下可见典型的细胞凋亡形态学改变,琼脂糖凝胶电泳示特征性的DNA梯状条带,IGF-Ⅰ处理组未见明显凋亡征象。流式细胞仪检测发现,IGF-Ⅰ处理后软骨细胞凋亡率显著降低。结论:IGF-Ⅰ能促进软骨细胞增殖,对IL-1诱导的软骨细胞凋亡具有保护作用。