Sustained-release theophylline-uniphyllin in nocturnal asthmatics

For a period of six months, we collected 12 cases of nocturnal asthmatics (7 males, 5 females); their ages ranged from 20 to 66 (the average age is 49). We found that administration of Uniphyllin (10 mg/kg) once a day at 6 PM could maintain the blood level of theophylline within therapeutic range at least 12 to 24 hrs. The peak expiratory flow rate of the 6 cases we collected, were significantly improved. The result of pharmokinetic parameters: 1) The average of a single dose (12 cases) is AUC (ug. hr/ml) 275.1 +/- 62. k; Kel (hr-1) 0.068 +/- 0.019; Ka (hr-1) 0.33 +/- 0.07); Tmax (hr) 6.3 +/- 1.4; T 1/2 (hr) 11.2 +/- 4.4; Clearance/F (ml/kg/hr) 37.9 +/- 9.0.2). The average of steady state (12 cases) is Css (mg/L) 5. 7 +/- 2.6; Cmax-Cmin (mg/L) 10.09 +/- 1.46.3). The average of relative bioavailability (3 cases) is 82%, 83%, 102%. However, the extent of absorption data is available for only 3 subjects. There are too few subjects to draw any meaningful conclusions about this relative bioavailability. Four cases show slight symptoms, including 1 case of dizziness, 2 cases of nausea, and 1 case gaseousness. It is suggested that the drug be administered at about 6-8 PM to coincide peak levels in the early morning in nocturnal asthmatics.     

Aprophit: an irreversible antagonist for muscarinic receptors

The development of selective irreversible ligands has proven to be an invaluable technique for the isolation, purification and characterization of many receptor proteins. An isothiocyanato-derivative of the muscarinic antagonist aprophen was synthesized and evaluated as a potential irreversible ligand for muscarinic receptors. This compound (aprophit) displaced [3H]N-methylscopolamine binding from rat cerebral cortex with a Ki of 3.1 x 10(-7) M. The inhibition was concentration-dependent and could not be reversed by extensive washing. Aprophit inhibited the acetylcholine-stimulated release of catecholamines from isolated, perfused guinea pig adrenal glands in a concentration-dependent manner. This inhibition was not reversed by perfusing the tissue with Locke's solution and was not due to a non-selective acylation by the isothiocyanate function. The data suggest that aprophit is selectively acylating muscarinic receptor proteins and thus may be useful in their further characterization.     

INVOLVEMENT OF PHOSPHOPROTEIN PHOSPHATASE 1 IN COLLAGEN-PLATELET INTERACTION

The binding of type I collagen to its receptor initiates platelet aggregation, but the relationship of the receptor to other signal transduction components is not yet established. Correlation of platelet aggregation and anti-type I collagen receptor antibody immunoprecipitation of type I collagen treated [³²PO4]-labeled platelets showed that there are two phosphoproteins (M_r 53 kDa and 21 kDa) that coprecipitated with the 65 kDa platelet type I collagen receptor. In the present investigation, we have identified one of the phosphoproteins. A soluble component the 100,000×g supernatant fraction of 53 kDa protein is recognized by polyclonal anti-PP1 antibody. The activity of the precipitated phosphatase is inhibited by okadaic acid and inhibitor 1, suggesting that it is protein phosphatase 1 (PP 1). Phosphorylation decreases PP 1 activity as was found with [³²PO4]-phosphorylase b as the substrate. The immunocoprecipitation of the type-1 collagen receptor and PP 1 inot the result of cross reactivity of the anti-type I collagen receptor antibody with the PP I protein. These results indicate that the platelet type I collagen receptor, PP 1, and unidentified 21 kDa protein are in close association with the platelet type I collagen receptor upon the binding of type I collagen by the receptor. Copyright © 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd     

The effects of vandellia cordifolia on renal functions and arterial blood pressure

Vandellia cordifolia (COLSM) G. DON of Scrophulariaceae (V. cordifolia) is an annual wild herb indigenous to Taiwan. It can be found in plains, low altitudes, swampy places, and paddy fields. Taiwanese folk physicians use it in "nephritis, uremia, furnucle, carbuncle." The LD50 (95% confidence limit) of the crude extract of V. codifolia given by the oral route was more than 10 g/kg in rats. By the intraperitoneal route, it was 4.6 g/kg (4.35-4.93). The extraction rate was 16.6%. We studied its effects on renal functions and blood pressure and found that (1) it had diuretic effect on normal rats, (2) it decreased glomerular filtration rate and renal blood flow on normal kidneys in rabbits, (3) it had no effects on glomerular filtration rate and renal blood flow on glycerin-induced insufficient kidneys in rabbits, (4) it had diuretic effects on both normal and glycerin-induced insufficient kidneys in rabbits, (5) it could inhibit Na+ and K+ reabsorption on normal and glycerin-induced insufficient kidneys in rabbits, (6) it had hypertensive effect and this effect could be blocked by phenoxybenzamine. From the above facts, we conclude that V. cordifolia has diuretic effect and it may act on renal tubules to inhibit Na+ and K+ reabsorption.     

A two decade survey of respiratory adenovirus in Taiwan: the reemergence of adenovirus types 7 and 4

From November 1999 to December 2001, three outbreaks of adenovirus (Ad) respiratory infection occurred in southern Taiwan. To determine the circulating serotypes and molecular epidemiology, a total of 524 virus strains were randomly selected from 1,064 strains isolated from 1981 to 2001, and were studied using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-RFLP. The major subgenus found was subgenus B (45%), followed by subgenus E (29%) and subgenus C (25%). Ad3 and Ad7 were the major types found during the 1st outbreak, which occurred from November 1999 to March 2000, while Ad4 was found mainly during the 2nd and 3rd outbreaks in October 2000 and September 2001, respectively. Both Ad7 and Ad4 were reemerged serotypes, whereas Ad3 was consistently isolated during the survey, although it declined drastically from 36 to 2% in 2001. Genotype analysis in this study showed that the only strain of Ad7 found in 1983 was Ad7a, but all randomly selected strains of Ad7 isolated during 1999-2000 were Ad7b. The clinical features of 217 patients were analyzed during the 1999-2000 outbreaks. About 79% of the total cases were less than 7 years old. The ratio of male to female was 2:1. Severe infections, such as pneumonia and acute bronchitis, accounted for nearly half of the cases (43%). These results show the reemergence and changing of serotypes, the clinical association of respiratory adenovirus infections, and the molecular epidemiology of Ad7 genotypes in Taiwan during the past two decades.     

Humoral and cellular immune response after measles vaccination in Taiwan.

Measles immunoglobulin G (IgG) seroepidemiologic studies have been widely used to monitor the effectiveness of measles immunization programs in Taiwan. However, studies about cellular immunity against the measles virus have been lacking. This study surveyed cellular immunity after measles, mumps and rubella combined vaccine (MMR) immunization in Taiwan. Seventy six people between 1 and 80 years of age were enrolled. All patients lived in northern Taiwan, and none of them had immunodeficient disease. Every enrolled patient donated a tube of heparinized blood between January 2004 and June 2004 for cross-sectional studies of IgG seroepidemiologic and MMR-specific lymphoproliferative response. The results showed that the current 3-dose (measles x 1 + MMR x 2) measles immunization program induced slightly higher IgG seroprevalence (100% vs 85%, p=0.244) and a higher frequency of significant (stimulation indices > or = 3) MMR-specific lymphoproliferative response (50% vs 15%, p=0.044) than a 2-dose (measles x 1 + MMR x 1) immunization program, although there was no difference in IgG titers and stimulation indices. Furthermore, the population aged older than 36 years (pre-immunization era) had higher IgG titers and seroprevalence, and similar MMR-specific lymphoproliferative responses to that of the population aged younger than 36 years (post-immunization era). In summary, with the limited data, the current 3-dose (measles x 1 + MMR x 2) measles immunization policy probably more effectively induces humoral and cellular immunity than the 2-dose (measles x 1 + MMR x 1) policy. Measles IgG seroprevalence in populations of different age groups exceeds nearly 90%. Measles has been eliminated temporarily in Taiwan. For a better understanding of the durability of vaccine-induced immunity and in order to establish the most appropriate immunization schedule, long-term and large-scale prospective studies of measles-specific seroepidemiology and cellular immunity will be needed.     

Plurihormonal pituitary adenomas: immunostaining of all pituitary hormones is mandatory for correct classification

AIMS: We studied the clinicopathological characteristics of plurihormonal pituitary adenomas. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study material included 167 plurihormonal adenomas, which consisted of 31% of the surgically removed pituitary adenomas that we collected during a 12-year period. The mean age of patients with plurihormonal adenoma was 45.7 years (range 13-75 years). There were 86 men and 81 women. All tumours were fully classified by immunohistochemical staining for seven pituitary hormones or subunits. Thirty immunohistochemical subtypes of plurihormonal adenomas were recognized. Hormonal symptoms were present in 70% of patients, while serum hormonal levels were increased in 89% of patients. Most patients had symptoms related to only one of the hormones and only 7% of patients had symptoms related to two hormones. The most common hormonal symptom was acromegaly (50%); symptoms related to hyperprolactinaemia ranked second (20%). Double immunostaining of all the possible combinations of the hormones was performed in 30 selected tumours, and they all showed mixtures of hormones in individual adenoma cells in any hormonal combinations studied. The latter finding supported the view that plurihormonal adenomas are monomorphous adenomas. CONCLUSIONS: Plurihormonal adenomas are common pituitary adenomas. Immunohistochemical staining of all pituitary hormones is mandatory for correct classification.     

Evaluation of fluorescent antinuclear antibody assays, Crithidia luciliae substrate, and single-stranded DNA-binding capacity in diagnosis of four rheumatic diseases.

Sera from groups of patient with systemic lupus erythematosus, mixed connective tissue disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and progressive systemic sclerosis and normal controls were compared, using different antinuclear antibody assays. Hep-II cells, used as a substrate for the detection of antinuclear antibodies, appeared to be more sensitive than rat liver substrate. In addition, the fluorescent patterns were easier to identify on Hep-II cells. All systemic lupus erythematosus sera with antibodies reactive with kinetoplasts of Crithidia luciliae had binding greater than 43% for single-stranded DNA. Based on the high sensitivity of the Hep-II substrate and the relative specificity of high (greater than 43%) binding for single stranded DNA by sera from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, it appears that these two tests are most useful in differential diagnosis and for the detection of systemic lupus erythematosus.     

Predominance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the residents and environments of long-term care facilities in Taiwan

Background/purpose

This study investigated the distribution and persistence of multidrug resistant organisms (MDROs) including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA), and multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDRAB) in six long-term care facilities (LTCFs).

Assessment of HBV persistent infection in an adult population in Taiwan

In order to study the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in the adult population of Taiwan, we screened for the presence of HBV DNA in 205 blood samples from adult (20-59-year-old) volunteers. According to the serological markers of HBV, samples were divided into three groups: group I (173 subjects) was negative for both HBsAg and HBeAg; group II (14 subjects) was positive for both HBsAg and HBeAg; and group III consisted of 18 subjects who were HBsAg-positive but HBeAg-negative. Plasma HBV DNA was not detected in group I, but it was found in 85.7% and 11.8% of samples in group II and group III, respectively. A free-form HBV DNA was found in 14.3% of the leukocyte samples in group II. Furthermore, an integrated form of HBV DNA was detected in the leukocytes of two cases of group I who remained healthy based on clinical data. HBV DNA was also detected in the spermatozoa and liver cells of one of the cases.