Apatite Determination and Distribution in an Early Stage of Gallbladder Calcification

This study is concerned with the nature and distribution of mineral in the gallbladder of a patient with chronic cholecystitis. Light and electron microscopic imaging revealed the mineral to be in the epithelial cells of the mucosa and fibroblasts of the submucosa. In the epithelial cells at the early stages of deposition, mineral was located in the nuclei and throughout the cytoplasm in association with interdigitating cell processes and apical microvilli but was absent in mitochondria. Elemental and electron diffraction analyses indicated the mineral inclusions to be apatite in nature.     

Declining blood lead levels in Victorian children

Abstract: To investigate the distribution of blood lead levels in a sample of Victorian children, and to compare current levels with those from a similar survey in 1979, blood was tested for lead in 252 children (123 under five years) attending Royal Children's Hospital as outpatients and having venepuncture blood samples for medical reasons. Blood lead levels were determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The mean blood lead level was 0.26 μmol/L (5.4 μg/dL). In the under-five age group, the mean was 0.28 μmol/L (5.7 μg/dL). Only 1.6 per cent of this group exceeded the National Health and Medical Research Council action level of 0.72 μmol/L (15 μg/dL). Levels in this age group have declined significantly since 1979, when the mean was 0.54 μmol/L (11.1 μg/dL) and 12.9 per cent exceeded 0.72 μmol/L (15 μg/dL). Average blood lead levels have halved since 1979, with likely contributing factors being reduced exposure from lead in diet, reduced access to lead in paint and reduced lead in ambient air. Children with elevated levels had identifiable risk factors such as pica or exposure to lead-based paint, suggesting the need for ongoing public health action to prevent exposure in these groups.     

Improved intracranial lesion characterization by tissue segmentation based on a 3D feature map

Our aim was to develop an accurate multispectral tissue segmentation method based on 3D feature maps. We utilized proton density (PD), T₂-weighted fast spin-echo (FSE), and T₁-weighted spin-echo images as inputs for segmentation. Phantom constructs, cadaver brains, an animal brain tumor model and both normal human brains and those from patients with either multiple sclerosis (MS) or primary brain tumors were analyzed with this technique. Initially, misregistration, RF inhomogeneity and image noise problems were addressed. Next, a qualified observer identified samples representing the tissues of interest. Finally, k-nearest neighbor algorithm (k-NN) was utilized to create a stack of color-coded segmented images. The inclusion of T₁ based images, as a third input, produced significant improvement in the delineation of tissues. In MS, our 3D technique was found to be far superior to that based on any combination of 2D feature maps (P < 0.001). We identified at least two distinctly different classes of lesions within the same MS plaque, representing different stages of the disease process. Further, we obtained the regional distribution of MS lesion burden and followed its changes over time. Neuropsychological aberrations were the clinical counterpart of the structural changes detected in segmentation. We could also delineate the margins of benign brain tumors. In malignant tumors, up to four abnormal tissues were identified: 1) a solid tumor core, 2) a cystic component, 3) edema in the white matter, and 4) areas of necrosis and hemorrhage. Subsequent neurosurgical exploration confirmed the distribution of tissues as predicted by this analysis.     

Executive cognitive deficits in primary dystonia.

Primary dystonia is a disorder of movement for which no consistent pathophysiology has been identified; in the absence of evidence to the contrary, it is assumed to be cognitively benign. We have studied a clinically heterogeneous group of 14 patients with primary dystonia on a battery of neuropsychological tests. Despite well-preserved speed of information processing, language, spatial, memory and general intellectual skills relative to normal controls, we have identified a constellation of attentional-executive cognitive deficits on the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). Specifically, patients demonstrated significant difficulties negotiating the extra-dimensional set-shifting phase of the IED task. The implications of these findings for the pathophysiology of primary dystonia are discussed. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first report of a significant cognitive deficit in patients with primary dystonia.     

Infectious complications of intrauterine insemination: a case report and literature review.

Intrauterine insemination is commonly performed in the treatment of infertility. Infectious complications associated with intrauterine insemination are frequently cited, though rarely reported. A review of the literature yields only five reported cases of pelvic infections subsequent to intrauterine insemination (IUI), and only two of these show firm evidence of infection, with none presenting bacteriologic confirmation. We report a case of Escherichia coli septicemia subsequent to an IUI performed on a patient with a large adenomyoma. Of 147 patients treated with IUI at Georgetown University from November 1987 through March 1990, this was the only infectious complication. The incidence of infectious complications in our series is thus 0.0068 (6.8 per 1,000 women). A review of infectious complications in 38 reported series on intrauterine inseminations reveals five infections in 3,129 patients. With the addition of our series to the literature, the prevalence of infectious complications is 1.83 per 1,000 women undergoing IUI. The rates were not significantly altered by semen washing with antibiotics, or the administration of prophylactic antibiotics to the woman (P = .81). We conclude that (1) the infection rate following IUI is small, (2) many of the infections subsequent to insemination were not associated with intrauterine insemination, (3) most reported cases of infection fail to show evidence for the actual presence of infection, and (4) the prevalence is unaltered by the administration of prophylactic antibiotics or washing the semen sample with antibiotics.     

Thrombin Inhibition in discordant xenograft rejection

Abstract: Microvascular thrombosis and the associated platelet and endothelial cell activation are prominent observations in xenograft rejection. This pathological picture could be related to the excessive generation of thrombin in the context of either inflammation or putative inter-species molecular incompatibilities between activated coagulation factors and their natural anticoagulants. Relatively selective thrombin Inhibition with the serine protease inhibitor SDZ MTH 958 (MTH-958) are independent of heparinoids and anti-thrombin III. MTH-958 has been shown to significantly prolong porcine cardiac function during perfusion with human blood in an ex vivo model. The aim of this study was to validate the role of thrombin generation in a rodent model of discordant xenograft rejection in vivo. The effect of thrombin inhibition with MTH-958 was tested in both hyperacute rejection (HAR) and delayed xenograft rejection (DXR) after decomplementation with cobra venom factor (CVF) in normal Lewis (Lew) rats and Intrinsic C6 deficiency In PVG (C6-/PVG) recipient rats. Recipient rats received heterotopic guinea pig cardiac xenografts and were treated with titrated doses of MTH-958 until the time of graft rejection. Plasma samples at selected time points were examined to confirm effective thrombin inhibition, and rejected grafts were analyzed by immunohistology. MTH-958 significantly improved graft survival in HAR albeit the extent of prolongation was not marked, but the agent failed to prolong survival In CVF-treated Lew rats. In C6-/PVG rats receiving MTH-958, a significantly reduced graft survival time was observed when compared with C6-/PVG controls. The grafts from MTH-958-treated animals showed dense deposits of C3, IgM, and IgG with fibrin levels similar to controls. The thrombin antagonist tested could prolong xenograft survival during HAR but had no benefit in DXR. The relative non-specificity of the serine protease inhibitor MTH-958 with the potential activation of alternative pathway of complement via the inhibition of factor I could account for the failure to prolong xenograft survival in DXR. The pathogenetic significance of thrombin generation in this situation remains to be determined by the use of more selective and pharmacologically acceptable I anti-thrombin agents.     

‘You have to learn to live with it’: a qualitative and quantitative study of older people with asthma

Introduction: Asthma mortality has declined overall because of a range of public health initiatives. In western countries, the majority of asthma deaths now occur in people over the age of 50. The reasons for the poorer response of older age groups to public health asthma initiatives are not known. Objectives: We undertook a study to investigate the disease perspectives of older people with asthma and barriers which may exist and prevent optimal asthma care. Methods: Fifty‐five participants (16 male and 39 female) aged over 50 from an inner city, suburban area and a rural region were recruited. Lung function was measured, and questionnaire data on asthma symptoms, knowledge and control, medication use and respiratory health were collected. Participants were also interviewed in‐depth, and the quantitative and qualitative data were triangulated. Results: Participants with a duration of asthma for >30 years reported significantly fewer symptoms and better quality of life irrespective of asthma severity, indicating less appreciation of symptoms in those with a long asthma duration. Interviews revealed this was related to previous asthma management strategies when treatment options were limited. Participants with a recent diagnosis sought understanding of asthma and the reason for their illness. Initiatives to improve asthma care in older people need to reflect these findings. Conclusions: Self‐management strategies for older people need to be tailored according to the time of disease onset and the duration of disease. Please cite this paper as: Goeman DP, O’Hehir RE, Jenkins C, Scharf SL and Douglass JA. ‘You have to learn to live with it’: a qualitative and quantitative study of older people with asthma. The Clinical Respiratory Journal 2007; 1:99–105.     

Continuous venous infusion of doxorubicin in advanced sarcomas

Seventeen patients with advanced sarcoma were treated with continuous venous infusion of doxorubicin for a mean of 118 days, achieving total doses up to 1097 mg/m2. Three partial responses and one minor response were obtained. Major toxic effects were stomatitis and hand-foot syndrome. There was a low incidence of leukopenia (18%) and clinical cardiotoxicity (11%). Continuous venous infusion is a safe means of administering doxorubicin, with a response rate similar to that observed with bolus doxorubicin in metastatic sarcoma.