Sexual problems in rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis

In this study, scores on the sexual motivation scale (which measures the tendency to engage in sexual interaction versus the tendency to be averse to sexual interaction) were determined, by interview, in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and compared with the scores of healthy matched controls. AS patients did not score differently from the healthy population, but scores of men and women with RA were more in the direction of sexual aversion than those of healthy men and women. In female RA patients, some relationship was found between disease variables such as joint index and erythrocyte sedimentation rate and the score on the sexual motivation scale. In the second part of the interview, preference for certain coital positions was investigated, and the demand for help with sexual problems was explored. The percentage of RA patients expressing a need for advice was considerably greater than the percentage of AS patients.     

Use of aphids injected with virus-specific antiserum for study of plant viruses that circulate in vectors

When virus-specific antiserum was injected into the hemocoel of aphids before they acquired virus by feeding on infected leaves, transmission of the virus was consistently either reduced or prevented by the homologous antiserum when compared with heterologous or control antiserum. The procedure was useful for studying both the transmission of the RPV isolate of barley yellow dwarf virus by Rhopalosiphum padi and the transmission of the MAV isolate by Macrosiphum avenae.Tests with injected R. padi provided additional support for the role of transcapsidation (genomic masking) in the dependent transmission of the MAV isolate by R. padi from mixed infections of RPV and MAV. Although injection of MAV-antiserum prevented transmission of MAV by control aphids, R. padi injected with MAV-antiserum transmitted MAV from leaves infected by both MAV and RPV as readily as when injected with control serum.     

Elevated apolipoprotein(a) levels in cancer patients

Elevated plasma lipoprotein(a) has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. We report a significant elevation of total plasma apolipoprotein(a) levels in cancer patients compared with hospitalized control patients and normal healthy blood donors. Of the cancer patients studied, 48% had levels in excess of 350 mg/l compared to 20% in normal blood donors and 29% of hospitalized control patients. The elevation was more prevalent but less extreme than that reported in patients with cardiovascular disease. Density gradient centrifugation studies of plasma from cancer patients revealed the presence of apolipoprotein(a) at a density of 1.085 g/ml in the region where mRNA-containing proteolipids, neoproteolipids and malignancy-associated lipoproteins had previously been isolated.     

Sexual behaviour of Cape Town high-school students.

OBJECTIVES: To document prevalence rates for selected aspects of sexual behaviour among Cape Town high-school students and to conduct a survival analysis of age at first intercourse. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: State high schools in Cape Town. SUBJECTS: A multistage cluster sample of 2,740 grade 8 and 11 students at 39 schools. OUTCOME MEASURES: Ever having had sexual intercourse; for those who had, age at first intercourse, number of partners during the previous 12 months, time since last intercourse; and, at last intercourse, whether the partner had been known for more than 7 days, whether any method was used to prevent pregnancy or disease, and (if so) what was used. RESULTS: Overall, 29.9% had participated in sexual intercourse, with a higher proportion among males and those in grade 11. By the age of 14 years, 23.4% of males and 5.5% of females had participated in sexual intercourse. By the age of 19 years, these proportions were 71.8% and 58.2% respectively. The median time since last intercourse was 4 weeks, the median number of partners in the past year was 1, and 78.4% had known their most recent partner for more than 7 days. At their last coital episode, 65.4% had used contraception, and the most common methods were condoms and injectable steroids, which were used by 67.7% and 43.2% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of sexually active students has increased since 1990. Intervention programmes should commence in primary school. Large numbers of students are at risk for pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.     

Prognostic factors in nonunion of the tibia: an evaluation of 185 cases treated with constant direct current

The present series represents a retrospective clinical study of 185 cases of nonunion of the tibia. The severity of the injury was important in the development of the nonunion. Primary closure of open injuries was noted to be dangerous and resulted in high incidence of infection, 27 of 37 cases. The distal third of the tibia was the most frequent site of the nonunion. One of the most striking findings in this study was a high incidence (92.4%) of patients presenting with initial delay to weight bearing of greater than 6 weeks. The authors feel that this is a definite contributory factor in the development of nonunion of the tibia.     

Smooth muscle associated antigen in astrocytes and astrocytomata.

Four human and 4 rat astrocytomata and mammalian adult brain and spinal cord were examined by indirect immunofluorescence with human serum containing smooth muscle antibody. Cryostat sections of astrocytomata showed staining of the tumour cell cytoplasm and processes while in normal adult brain and spinal cord the entire astrocyte stained. Impression film and tissue culture monolayers of astrocytomata showed staining of cell processes and a fine, filamentous network in the cell body. The reaction with astrocytoma tumour cells was stronger than that with the corresponding normal astrocytes. Specificity of the staining reaction was established by its prevention on neutralization absorptions of the serum with extracts or homogeneous of smooth muscle. The presence of smooth muscle-associated antigen in astrocytes and astrocytomata is indicative of contractile protein providing a mechanism of cell movement in vivo.     

The nitric oxide donor molsidomine antagonizes age-related memory deficits in the rat

The effects of the nitric oxide (NO) donor molsidomine on aged rats' cognition were evaluated in two different behavioral tasks: the step-through passive avoidance paradigm and the object recognition test. Post-training injection of molsidomine (at 4 but not at 2 mg/kg) significantly counteracted the performance deficits displayed by old rats in both the behavioral paradigms. These results support and extend prior findings about the implication of NO in learning and memory mechanisms. In addition, for the first time, a NO donor was found to antagonize age-related memory impairments, suggesting that the integrity of the NO-ergic system may be important in brain aging processes.