The relationship between borderline personality disorder and anxiety disorders

Eleven "pure" borderlines, ten borderlines with depression, 16 "pure" depressives, and 31 normal subjects were compared on a number of standardized inventories of anxiety. While patient groups experienced more anxiety of all types than did normals, borderlines did not emerge as more anxious than other patient groups. Qualitative differences in the anxiety experienced by borderlines and nonborderlines are discussed.     

Effect of retinoic acid on human neuroblastoma: Correlation between morphological differentiation and changes in plasminogen activator and inhibitor activity

Summary The relationship between plasminogen activator (PA)/plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) activity and morphological differentiation was investigated in human neuroblastoma (NB) cells treated with retinoic acid (RA). Conditioned medium from nine NB cell lines and one closely related neuroepithelioma line was analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and zymography. All NB cell lines were shown to secrete urokinase (UK)-type PA (mol. wt., 52 kDa), and all except two produced tissue PA (mol. wt., 65 kDa). Identification of the PAs was made based on molecular weight and sensitivity to inhibition by anti-UK and anti-tPA antibodies. Several cell lines expressed PA inhibitory molecules; two molecular-weight forms were observed (35 and 40 kDa) in different cell lines. Complex formation with^[125]I-labelled proteases revealed specific binding with UK and trypsin but not thrombin, plasmin, or kallikrein. After treatment for 6 days with 1 M RA, six of the cell lines exhibited an increase in cell-associated and/or secreted tPA activity, corresponding to morphological differentiation of the cells as manifested by extensive neurite outgrowth. A decrease in UK and UK-complex secretion was observed in several of these cell lines. Three cell lines exhibiting no detectable morphological alterations with RA treatment also showed no dramatic changes in PA/PAI activity. These results suggest that morphological differentiation of NB cells may be associated with alterations in the regulation of PA activity.Abbreviations NB neuroblastoma - RA retinoic acid - PA plasminogen activator - PAI plasminogen activator inhibitor - SDS sodium dodecyl sulfate - UK urokinase - tPA tissue plasminogen activator     

Mosaic ring 12p and total anomalous pulmonary venous return

An infant born with total anomalous pulmonary venous return (TAPVR) was found to have an extra chromosome present as a small ring. Spectral karyotyping and FISH analysis identified the material as a duplication involving the short arm of chromosome 12. Previous cases describing a variety of cytogenetic abnormalities that have been associated with TAPVR are reviewed along with prior cases of duplication 12p with their associated findings. We believe ours is the first case to report the occurrence of mosaic ring 12p and its association with TAPVR.     

Developmental Progression in Children's Knowledge of AIDS: Implications for Education and Attitudinal Change

The effectiveness of curricula designed to enhance a child'sunderstanding of AIDS may hinge partially upon incorporatinginformation adjusted to the child's developmental status. Accordingly,we examined the developmental progression of children's understandingof illness transmission in general and AIDS in particular, aswell as explored the relation between a child's knowledge ofAIDS and his/her attitudes toward persons with AIDS. Knowledgeof AIDS was manipulated through use of a brief educational intervention.Results support a developmental progression in knowledge aboutAIDS that is consistent with progressions related to illnessesin general. Knowledge enhancement was associated with positivechanges in attitude.     

Managing pain: The Challenge in Underserved Populations: Appropriate Use Versus Abuse and Diversion

ISSUE: Inadequate pain management is a serious public health problem that affects a wide cross-section of Americans. Patients are often denied sufficient medication, because physicians lack training and fear scrutiny from federal and state regulatory agencies. In addition, even the state-financed system of care, Medicaid, has been increasingly denying payment for the best treatment for pain management. These factors are complicated by physician bias about various subgroups and poor physician-patient communication. Comprehensive patient assessment plays a crucial role in determining appropriate treatment and identifying potential abuse problems. Physicians must routinely document medications analgesic effects and screen for potential ill effects and drug abuse. OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of the undertreatment of pain, particularly among African Americans, and to recommend relevant proactive policy and practice changes to aid in eliminating this health problem. CONSENSUS PROCESS: In July 2002, the NMA convened the "Managing Pain: The Challenge in Underserved Populations: Appropriate Use versus Abuse and Diversion" Consensus Meeting in Washington, DC. The country's most renowned experts in the area of pain management and substance abuse reviewed substantial information regarding pain management and substance abuse including the following: --A draft summary paper on pain management and substance abuse that served as briefing material for consensus members; --Annotated bibliographies; --Articles on pain management and substance abuse; and --Key presentations on pain management and substance abuse.     

Expression microdissection: operator-independent retrieval of cells for molecular profiling.

Tissue microdissection is an important method for the study of disease states. However, it is difficult to perform high-throughput molecular analysis with current techniques. We describe here a prototype version of a novel technique (expression microdissection) that allows for the procurement of desired cells via molecular targeting. Expression microdissection (xMD) offers significant advantages over available methods, including an increase in dissection speed of several orders of magnitude. xMD may become a valuable tool for investigators studying cancer or other disease states in patient specimens and animal models.     

No evidence for involvement of the calpain-10 gene 'high-risk' haplotype combination for non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in early onset obesity

In light of evidence of linkage of obesity to chromosome 2q31-q37, we hypothesized that the calpain-10 gene 'high-risk' haplotype combination for non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is involved in early onset obesity. We screened the NIDDM 'high-risk'-haplotype combination formed by the alleles 112 and 121 of the polymorphisms UCSNP-43, -19, and -63 in 166 families consisting of an extremely obese child or adolescent (mean BMI percentile: 99.3+/-1.38), one or more obese sibs (mean BMI percentile: 97.42+/-2.88), and both of their parents. Genotyping for three calpain-10 gene polymorphisms was performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with (a) length polymorphism detection (UCSNP-19) or (b) allele-specific PCR (UCSNP-43 and -63). To allow for correct haplotype assignment all individuals were additionally genotyped for two microsatellite markers (D2S125 and D2S2338). We followed a hierarchical test procedure. As the first step, model-free linkage analysis was performed using maximum likelihood binomial statistics. The second stage consisted of a one-sided asymptotic pedigree disequilibrium test for the UCSNP-43 and on an exploratory level for the other SNP-markers and all haplotypes formed by the three SNPs. The final stage investigated the reported haplotype combination. We failed to detect an initial linkage of obesity to this region (LOD score <0.4). All subsequent exploratory analyses were negative. Our analysis of the relationship between the NIDDM 'high-risk' haplotype combination and extreme early onset obesity revealed no evidence for linkage and association.