降钙素防治骨质疏松模型兔的人工假体无菌性松动的实验研究

[目的]探讨降钙素对已行人工假体植入骨质疏松模型免的假体无菌性松动防治作用的实验研究。[方法]将30只假体植入模型的骨质疏松症兔随机分成实验组和对照组，各15只。实验组给予鲑鱼降钙素治疗（6U／kg，肌注，隔日1次），而对照组给予等量的生理盐水肌注，持续治疗半年。两组均分别于术前、术后4、8、12和24周检测假体周围感应区（ROI）骨密度（BMD）；于术前及术后4、12、24周行血清骨代谢指标检测：骨特异性碱性磷酸酶（BALP）、骨钙素（BGP）、抗酒石酸酸性磷酸酶-5b（TRAP-5b）；所有动物于术后24周处死，分别行假体拔出实验与扭转实验测定和假体周围骨组织形态计量学分析。[结果]术后24周，实验组假体周围局部感兴趣区BMD增加近5％，而对照组假体周围局部感兴趣区BMD下降了6％，两组比较有显著性差异（P〈0．01）；骨代谢指标中，术后24周实验组的BALP、BGP稍有下降，但组内无显著性差异（P〉0．05），而TRAP-5b有明显下降（P〈0．05），这些指标与对照组比较差异显著（P〈0．05或P〈0．01）；生物力学检测显示，实验组的假体拔出实验较对照组提高了约50％，扭转实验提高近1倍，且两组比较差异显著（P〈0．01）；骨组织形态计量学显示，实验组中反映骨吸收的Oc．No／Tb．Pm、ES／BS明显减少；反映骨量和微结构的％Tb．Ar、Tb．N明显增多，而Tb．Sp明显变窄：反映骨形成与骨矿化的OS／BS、MAR、BFR／TV及％L．Pm也均明显增多；这些指标与对照组比较差异显著（P〈0．01或P〈0．05）。[结论]鲑鱼降钙素能明显减少人工假体周围骨量的丢失和抑制骨溶解；并加快假体周围的骨形成，提高骨密度，促进生理性骨矿化；还能改善骨质量，促进骨微结构改变，提高骨的生物力学特性并增加假体四周的支撑力。其对骨质疏松症兔的假体松动有明显的预防和治疗作用。这对临床预防和治疗人工关节的无菌性松动有很好的指导意义。     

游离腓骨皮瓣移植Ⅰ期修复胫骨创伤性骨髓炎骨皮缺损

[目的]探讨游离腓骨皮瓣移植Ⅰ期修复胫骨创伤性骨髓炎合并骨皮缺损的方法和疗效。[方法]对156例胫骨创伤性慢性骨髓炎合并骨皮缺损患者，在行病灶清除的基础上行游离腓骨皮瓣移植，Ⅰ期修复骨皮缺损。[结果]经术后6—60个月的随访，皮瓣全部成活，发生静脉危象6例，再次吻合成功；伤口Ⅰ期愈合140例，Ⅱ期愈合13例，遗留窦道3例；骨髓炎复发2例。移植腓骨全部愈合，愈合时间2—6个月，平均3．2个月。[结论]慢性骨髓炎合并骨皮缺损可应用显微外科技术Ⅰ期修复。但是在感染的基础上进行手术，有一定的风险，严格掌握适应证。     

Sources of Variability in the Detection of Cerebral Emboli with Transcranial Doppler During Cardiac Surgery

OBJECTIVE: The application of intensity thresholds for embolus detection with transcranial Doppler (TCD) can exclude from analysis an unrecognized proportion of high-intensity transient signals (HITS))whose intensities are below the threshold. The lack of consistent threshold criteria between clinical trials may explain part of the discrepancy in the reported HITS counts. We investigated the effect of choosing different thresholds on the sensitivity and specificity of detecting HITS during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). METHODS: Two observers independently analyzed TCD recordings from 8 patients under CPB. Doppler signals were classified as true HITS, equivocal HITS, artifacts, and Doppler speckles according to preestablished criteria. The relative intensity of Doppler signals was measured by two different methods (TCD software vs manual). Receiver Operating Characteristic curves determined the optimal threshold for each of the two intensity methods. RESULTS: Reviewers achieved agreement in 96% of 2190 Doppler signals (kappa = 0.90). Relative intensities calculated with the TCD-software method were 3 dB (95% CI: 3.0-3.4) higher than the manual method. The optimal threshold was found at 10 dB (sensitivity: 99%; specificity: 90.8%) with the software method and at 7 dB with the manual method (sensitivity: 96%; specificity: 83%). The use of an intensity threshold 2 dB higher than the optimal increased the rejection of true HITS by 8% and 14%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Using intensity thresholds higher than the optimal for embolus detection decreases HITS counts. Choosing a threshold depends on the type of method used for measuring the signal intensity. Uniform threshold criteria and comparative studies between different Doppler devices are necessary for making clinical trials more comparable.     

The Evidence Base Supporting the Subtyping of Gamblers in Treatment

Introduction Recent reviews found problem gamblers are heterogeneous and recommended subtyping gamblers in treatment studies. Objective Review factors (stage of change, preferred gambling activity, co-occurring disorder, and temporal instability of symptoms) for subtyping by evaluating the evidence for their effects on gambling treatment. Methods Literature review, evidence grading. Results Evidence is limited that any of the reviewed factors affects gambling treatment. Substantial evidence from prospective studies and other evidence from cross-sectional studies and the strong placebo response among pathological gamblers support the temporal instability of gambling symptoms. Conclusions Multiple studies are needed to develop the evidence base needed to subtype gamblers in treatment. Changes in the diagnostic criteria of pathological gambling may be necessary, especially to specify the persistence of gambling-related symptoms.     

Acute myocardial infarction after sumatriptan administration for cluster headache

Abstract The pain of cluster headache attacks is severe, excruciating and selectively responsive to subcutaneous sumatriptan. Serious cardiovascular events attributed to sumatriptan are extremely rare and have most often been reported in patients at significant cardiovascular risk, or in overt cardiovascular disease. They also have occurred, however, in patients without evidence of cardiovascular disease. We describe a 42-year-old man with episodic cluster headache without history of coronary artery disease who was admitted to our coronary care unit for acute myocardial infarction after 3 h of subcutaneous injection of sumatriptan. During hospitalisation cluster headache attacks were successfully treated with e.v. indomethacin.     

A presenilin 1 mutation (L420R) in a family with early onset Alzheimer disease,seizures and cotton wool plaques,but not spastic paraparesis

Over 100 mutations in the presenilin‐1 gene (PSEN1) have been shown to result in familial early onset Alzheimer disease (EOAD), but only a relatively few give rise to plaques with an appearance like cotton wool (CWP) and/or spastic paraparesis (SP). A family with EOAD, seizures and CWP was investigated by neuropathological study and DNA sequencing of the PSEN1 gene. Aβ was identified in leptomeningeal vessels and in cerebral plaques. A single point mutation, p.L420R (g.1508T > G) that gives rise to a missense mutation in the eighth transmembrane (TM8) domain of PS1 was identified in two affected members of the family. p.L420R (g.1508T > G) is the mutation responsible for EOAD, seizures and CWP without SP in this family.     

Rostral anterior cingulate cortex activity in the theta band predicts response to antidepressive medication.

During the last 10 years the knowledge about rostral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) activity in major depression has substantially increased. Several groups have independently described a relationship between resting activity in this area and response to antidepressant treatment. We have recently confirmed a relationship between resting activity of rostral ACC activity and response in a group of 20 patients with major depression using resting theta activity. In this earlier study regions of interest (ROI) were defined in order to establish regional specificity. Differences between responders and nonresponders were only found in the ACC-ROI, but not in the posterior cingulate region. We have now reanalyzed our data using a whole brain voxelwise approach, in order not to miss any other relevant functional differences. In addition to major differences between responders and nonresponders in the rostral ACC, we have identified a nearby region in the midline orbito-frontal region.     

A profile of invasive cutaneous malignant melanoma in Malta: 1993–2002

BACKGROUND: The incidence of malignant melanoma of the skin has risen in every part of the world where reliable cancer registration data are found. OBJECTIVE: Our study aims to describe the changing incidence of and survival from invasive cutaneous malignant melanoma in Malta, by analysing the data from the 211 cases that were registered at the Malta National Cancer Registry between 1993 and 2002. RESULTS: The age standardized incidence rates for invasive cutaneous malignant melanoma rose from 3.7 per 100,000 population per year for males and 5.1 for females in the first 5-year period, to 8.0 per 100,000 population per year for males and 5.9 for females in the second 5-year period. In both sexes, numbers of thin (< or = 1.0 mm) invasive melanomas increased significantly between 1993 and 2002; males also registered a significant increase in intermediate-thickness (1.01-4.0 mm) melanomas. The increase in numbers of thin and intermediate-thickness melanomas between the two 5-year periods was greatest in patients aged 60 years and over. The overall absolute 5-year survival rate for the first period was 74% and for the second period 92%. CONCLUSION: Numbers of reported cases of invasive cutaneous malignant melanoma in Malta have more than doubled during the 10-year study period. This is mostly due to a marked rise in the diagnosis of thin melanomas in both sexes, occurring mainly in patients aged 60 years and over. As thin melanomas are of low metastasizing potential, this has resulted in an increase in survival between the two 5-year study periods.     

Right aortic arch detected in fetal life.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prenatal distribution, associated conditions and outcome of the different types of right aortic arch (RAA) detected in fetal life. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of all cases of RAA detected prenatally between 1998 and 2005 in two tertiary referral centers. RESULTS: In the study period 71 cases of RAA were detected; 26 (37%) had RAA with aberrant left subclavian artery, 23 (32%) had RAA with mirror-image branching, 20 (28%) had RAA of unknown type and two (3%) had double aortic arch. While 20/26 cases with RAA and aberrant left subclavian artery were isolated findings, all 23 cases with RAA and mirror-image branching were associated with cardiac defects, namely tetralogy of Fallot (43%) or pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect (22%). Of the 20 cases with RAA, 19 of unknown type were associated with heterotaxy syndromes and had additional cardiac malformations and ambiguities of the situs. The two cases with DAA were isolated findings. Seven cases in our series (10%) had a microdeletion 22q11 and these were significantly associated with extracardiac malformations. The outcome in our series depended solely on the associated cardiac and extracardiac malformations, with the exception of one infant with isolated DAA, in whom a surgical correction was warranted. CONCLUSIONS: RAA detected in fetal life is associated frequently with other cardiac/non-cardiac malformations, heterotaxy syndromes and microdeletions 22q11. The associated conditions vary depending on the branching type of the brachiocephalic vessels and the presence of extracardiac malformations.