Manifestations of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in the periodontium of young Brazilian patients

The periodontal condition of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus was evaluated in terms of plaque, gingival indices, pocket depth, and alveolar bone loss. Thirty male and female diabetic patients aged 5 to 18 years were compared with 30 non-diabetic subjects and correlated with sex and age. Statistical analyses of the data showed that the mean plaque index was significantly higher (P less than 0.01) among the diabetic patients (1.23) than among the control subjects (0.81). The plaque index was significantly higher (P less than 0.01) among diabetic females (1.34) than among diabetic males (1.10), whereas no sex differences were observed in the control group. The arithmetic means obtained for gingival index were statistically higher (P less than 0.01) for the diabetics (0.58) when compared with the controls (0.15), but no significant differences were obtained when the values were correlated with sex and age. Pocket depth did not differ statistically between groups. When pocket depth was correlated with sex, a statistically significant difference (P less than 0.05) was observed only for the palatal region, with a depth of 2.1 mm in female patients and 1.92 mm in male patients. When pocket depth was correlated with age, a positive correlation (P less than 0.01) was detected in the diabetic group for all regions investigated, whereas the correlation was not significant in the control group. Mean alveolar bone loss was higher in the anterior upper (1.94 mm) and anterior lower (1.87 mm) regions of the diabetic group when compared to the controls (1.52 and 1.37 mm respectively), the difference being significant at the 5% level of probability.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Obstruction caused by colorectal cancer. Surgical development]

The evolution of surgery for obstructed colon started at the turn of the century, and was guided by 3 main therapeutic principles: decompression (colostomy or internal derivation); tumour resection; reestablishment of function. These objectives were attained with various solutions and can be summarized in 3 approaches: the 3 stage operation, the 2 stage operation with initial resection of the tumour and finally the colonic resection with immediate reestablishment of function. The analysis and comparison of our personnel experience (n = 655), and the review of the literature lead us to the following conclusions: 1) the 3 stage operation, with a global mortality in our series of 27.6%, has been abandoned and is rarely dependable today; 2) the primary resection of the tumour, which should be an important objective, reduces mortality (18.8% in our experience); 3) of the methods including the primary resection of the tumour, those with immediate reconstruction of the digestive integrity and sub-total colectomy should be favoured, using the ileon as the proximal limb of the anastomosis (8.5% mortality in our series).     

Relationship between digestive and killing abilities of neutrophils against Paracoccidioides brasiliensis.

Peripheral blood neutrophils (PMN) from patients with paracoccidioidomycosis killed and digested Paracoccidioides brasiliensis much less than did PMN from normal individuals or from patients with other diseases. However, deficiency in killing ability was less specific than digestive deficiency and correlated poorly with it. We conclude that the capacities of PMN to digest and kill P. brasiliensis are not intimately related phenomena, and that in paracoccidioidomycosis the key deficiency of neutrophil function is that of digestion of P. brasiliensis.     

Neuronal activity in the globus pallidus of multiple system atrophy patients.

The pathophysiological changes in neural activity that characterize multiple system atrophy (MSA) are largely unknown. We recorded the activity of pallidal neurons in 3 patients with clinical and radiological features of MSA who underwent unilateral microelectrode-guided pallidotomy for disabling parkinsonism. Findings in these patients were compared with 4 control patients with a clinical diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD). The position, firing rates, and firing patterns of single neurons in the pallidal complex were analyzed in both MSA and PD patients. The mean spontaneous firing rate of neurons in the internal segment of the globus pallidus internus (GPii) was significantly lower in MSA than in PD patients. There were no significant differences between MSA and PD patients, however, in firing rates of neurons in the external globus pallidus (GPe) or in the external segment of GPi (GPie). In addition, no significant differences in firing pattern were found between MSA and PD patients. In conclusion, this study has shown that firing rates of neurons in GPii but not in GPie and GPe are different in MSA patients compared with that in PD patients, a finding that may reflect the poor clinical results of pallidotomy reported in patients with MSA.     

bFGF、VEGF在大鼠创伤脑组织中的表达及关系

目的 研究碱性成纤维细胞生长因子(bFGF)、血管内皮细胞生长因子(VEGF)在大鼠创伤脑组织中不同时间的表达及其它们之间的关系，从分子水平探讨颅脑损伤后的病理机制，为临床治疗脑损伤的新途径提供实验基础。方法 改进Marmarou大鼠加速弥漫性脑损伤模型，制作成弥漫性轴索损伤同时合并局灶性脑挫伤的新的动物模型。SD雄性大鼠48只，随机分为8组。每组6只。取挫伤灶周围脑组织免疫组化染色观察bFGF、VEGF基因表达情况。结果 脑挫伤灶周围脑组织，bFGF基因表达在伤后1h明显增加。伤后12h达高峰；VEGF基因表达伤后逐渐增加，24h达高峰，12h恢复到对照水平。结论 bFGF、VEGF基因表达与脑损伤密切相关，作为生长因子，bFGF、VEGF可能参与颅脑损伤后神经元保护及损伤后修复过程。     

门静脉高压症的历史回顾

门静脉高压症名称的由来至今巳有100多年的历史.它的治疗则经历了一个逐步发展和完善的过程.回顾这一历史,有利于进一步完善门静脉高压症的治疗.