Primary tumors of the small intestine

In our department of surgery 28 patients with malignant and 10 with benign tumors of the small intestine were treated from 1940 to 1974. Fifteen patients with malignant and 7 with benign tumors underwent surgery with the intention to cure. Palliative operations or explorations were carried out on 13 patients with malignant tumors. Three patients with benign tumors were not operated on. The initial symptoms were vague: abdominal pain, nausea, anemia or bleeding in 75 and 80 percent of patients with malignant and benign tumors, respectively. The indication for operation in the malignant cases was, however, stenosis of the intestine or biliary tract or a palpable mass in 60 percent of the cases. At operation the tumors were thus in an advanced stage. Because the initial symptoms are vague, early diagnosis is difficult.The overall 5 year survival rate was 21 percent after surgery for malignant tumors. Among the patients considered by the surgeons to have had radical operations excluding cancer patients, 40 percent survived 5 years. The surgeon's opinion regarding “radical” operation as well as the presence or absence of metastases at microscopy were of limited prognostic value.     

High serum leptin levels in depressive disorders with atypical features

Leptin is thought to be related to vegetative symptoms of depression such as alterations in food intake and weight. Fifty-seven drug-free patients and 26 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. We have found that the serum leptin levels were higher in patients with atypical depressive disorder than in controls, but not in patients with non-atypical depressive disorder, however, body mass index, age, and gender were not significantly different between these groups. Probably, these findings seem to be associated with some features of the atypical depressive disorders such as weight gain, a result of hyperphagia.     

Clock gene polymorphisms and narcolepsy in positive and negative HLA-DQB1*0602 patients

Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder. It is linked to the HLA-DQB1*0602 allele. A recent report established a genetic linkage between narcolepsy and the chromosomal region 4p13-q21 that contains the Clock gene. We studied two SNPs in the Clock gene aiming to find any association with narcolepsy. We did not find differences in genetic frequencies in the patients group. We concluded that these two SNPs are not associated with narcolepsy.     

Tuberculosis, a re-emergent disease

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In Western Europe, regions with a high incidence of TB usually also have a high incidence of HIV infection; TB and HIV co-infection have increased over the past decade and among HIV infected patients, nearly half also develop TB. In settings where HIV is prevalent, TB drug resistance has also increased and several reports of TB and multi-drug resistant TB outbreaks, especially in health care settings, raise serious concerns about nosocomial transmission. Further research and new developments into more rapid diagnostic methods and sensitivity testing as well as the development of new anti-TB drugs are important to fight the disease. In addition, public health infrastructures have to be strengthened in order to increase adherence to TB treatment, where directly observed treatment strategy is the cornerstone for a successful outcome.     

HIV Infection and non-tuberculous mycobacteria: how important in southern European countries?

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria are considered important opportunistic infections in HIV-infected patients. In a large south-European HIV centre only 10 patients had non-tuberculous mycobacterial infection over a 5-y period. The importance of these infections in some areas, the usefulness of prophylaxis or routine use of mycobacterial blood cultures, may have to be re-considered.     

Phytochemical investigations regarding the flavonoidic compounds of some species belonging to the Achillea millefolium L. group

In this study a qualitative and quantitative analysis of flavonoids from flower heads of Achillea species belonging to the A. millefolium L. group was achieved. Rutin, apigenin-7-O-glucoside, luteolin-7-O-glucoside in the methanolic extract of A. collina J. Becker ex Reichenb., A. pratensis Saukel et Langer, A. millefolium L. were determined by comparison of their Rf-TLC data with those obtained from reference flavonoids. Apart from flavonoid glycosides, the free aglycones, apigenin and luteolin were identified by TLC. Flavonoidic compounds have been detected by spectrophotometric method in concentrations of appr. 0.5-1.8% in plant materials.     

Trypanocidal activity of chemical constituents from Lychnophora salicifolia Mart

The ethyl acetate extract from leaves plus inflorescences of L. salicifolia showed significant trypanocidal activity against trypomastigote forms of T. cruzi, which was due to the flavonoid quercetin-7,3',4'-trimethyl ether and the sesquiterpenoid lychnopholic acid. Despite the use of some species of Lychnophora in folk medicine for pain relief, crude extracts from L. salicifolia Mart. showed no antinociceptive activity in the mouse writhing test.     

Zinc and copper biochemical indices of antioxidant status in elite athletes of different modalities

The purpose of this study was to compare zinc and copper biochemical indices of antioxidant status and their relationship in elite athletes of different modalities: aerobic with high-impact (triathletes, n = 10 and long-distance runners, n = 12), anaerobic with high-impact (short-distance runners, n = 9), and anaerobic with low-impact (short-distance swimmers, n = 13). The influence of recent dietary intake and body composition was also evaluated. A venous blood sample was drawn 16-20 hr after competition for the following measurements: packed-cell volume and hemoglobin in blood; copper and zinc in plasma and erythrocytes; ceruloplasmin in plasma; superoxide dismutase activity and metal-lothionein in erythrocytes; and erythrocyte osmotic fragility. Zinc and copper intakes were not different in the athlete groups and did not affect the biochemical indices measured. Athletes of the long-distance high-impact aerobic modalities had higher indices of antioxidant protection (erythrocyte zinc, superoxide dismutase activity, and metallothionein) than those of the short-distance low-impact modalities, suggesting that there is adaptation of the antioxidant capacity to the specific training. Significant correlations were observed in all athletes between erythrocyte zinc, superoxide dismutase activity, and metallothionein consistent with the importance of an adequate zinc status in the response of antioxidant mechanisms to intense exercise.