Thoracic wall involvement by Hodgkin disease and non-Hodgkin lymphoma: CT evaluation

Thoracic computed tomographic (CT) scans of 250 patients with newly diagnosed or recurrent lymphoma revealed thoracic wall involvement in 24 patients (11 with Hodgkin disease, 13 with non-Hodgkin lymphoma). Thoracic wall involvement occurred without contiguous mediastinal or parenchymal involvement in 17 patients. Of these, 13 patients had masses beneath the pectoralis muscles or within the breast, and four had masses arising from the ribs. Five additional patients had mediastinal masses with thymic involvement and parasternal extension through the thoracic wall. Pulmonary parenchymal lymphoma with thoracic wall invasion was noted in the remaining two patients. In five of nine patients receiving radiation therapy, treatment plans were modified by CT demonstration of thoracic wall lymphoma.     

Lack of association between ACE and bradykinin B2 receptor gene polymorphisms and ACE inhibitor-induced coughing in hypertensive Koreans

Background & Objective:  Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are used widely in therapy for hypertension, congestive heart failure and myocardial infarction. However, coughing, one of their major adverse effects limits their use. It is documented that Asians are more liable to coughing than Europeans. The aim of this study was to investigate genetic polymorphism involved in ACE inhibitor-induced coughing.
Methods:  We monitored hypertensive subjects ( n  = 110) treated with ACE inhibitors, and tested for any associations between ACE inhibitor-induced coughing and polymorphisms in the genes for ACE and the bradykinin B2 receptor, which are suspected to be related to coughing.
Results & Discussion:  We found no significant differences between the groups with coughing and without coughing in the frequency of ACE I/D (Insertion/Deletion) polymorphisms. One single nucleotide polymorphism was discovered in the promoter (−58T/C) and, one in intron-exon junction upsteam of exon 2 (−59C/A), of the bradykinin B2 receptor gene. However, no significant correlation was found between those genotypes or allele distributions and ACE inhibitor-induced coughing.
Conclusion:  We found no significant links between polymorphisms of the ACE gene or bradykinin B2 receptor gene with ACE inhibitor-induced coughing in hypertensive Koreans. But, the topic remains controversial and requires more study.     

Creutzfeldt--Jakob Disease in Recipients of Human Growth Hormone in the United Kingdom: A Clinical and Radiographic Study

In the past 3 years there have been five further cases, in additionto one case reported in 1985, of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease inrecipients of human growth hormone in the United Kingdom. Theclinical findings of two of these cases are described, demonstratinga typical presentation with a predominantly cerebellar syndromeat onset which is not commonly a presenting feature of sporadicCreutzfeldt-Jakob disease. In one case a ^99mTc hexamethylpropylenaminesingle photon emission tomographic scan showed marked impairmentof tracer uptake in the basal ganglia and cerebral cortex ata time when the clinical picture was predominantly cerebellar.This technique may be useful in early diagnosis. In the othercase post mortem examination of the brain showed prominent amyloiddeposition in the cerebellum, which has not been described previouslyin pituitary-hormone related Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Thepreviously published cases of growth hormone-related Creutzfeldt-Jakobdisease are reviewed and reasons for the particular clinicalpattern seen are discussed.     

Development of specific receptors for N-formylated chemotactic peptides in a human monocyte cell line stimulated with lymphokines

A human monocyte-like cell line, U937, when grown in continuous culture, does not secrete lysosomal enzymes or migrate towards chemotactic factors. When the cells are stimulated by lymphokines, however, they develop the ability both to migrate directionally and to secrete enzymes in response to several types of chemoattractants. The development, by stimulated cells, of chemotactic and secretory responses to one class of chemoattractants, the N- formylated peptides, is accompanied by the appearance on the cells of specific binding sites for these substances. Using tritiated N-formyl- methionyl-leueyl-phenylalanine (fMet-Leu-[(3)H]Phe) as a ligand, it was determined that unstimulated U937 cells possess no detectable binding sites. However, after stimulation with lymphocyte culture supernates for 24, 48, and 72 h, they developed 4,505 (+/-) 1,138, 22,150(+/-) 4,030, and 37,200 (+/-) 8,000 sites/cell, respectively. The dissociation constants for the interaction of fMet-Leu-[SH]Phe with the binding sites were approximately the same regardless of stimulation time and ranged between 15 and 30 nM. The binding of fMet-Leu-[(3)H]Phe by stimulated U937 cells was rapid and readily reversed by the addition of a large excess of unlabeled peptide. The affinity of a series of N-formylated peptides for binding to U937 cells exactly reflected the potency of the peptides in inducing lysosomal enzyme secretion and chemotaxis. The availability of a continuous human monocytic cell line that can be induced to express receptors for N-formylated peptides will provide a useful tool not only for the characterization of such receptors but also for the delineation of regulatory mechanisms involved in cellular differentiation and the chemotactic response.     

不同相对分子质量玻璃酸钠对膝关节镜术后关节功能恢复的作用比较

目的:观察关节腔内留置不同相对分子质量玻璃酸钠对膝关节镜术后早期疼痛及功能恢复的影响。方法:于2005-11/2006-05选择北京大学人民医院骨关节科收治的行膝关节镜手术患者60例。关节镜手术中根据不同诊断分别行半月板成形术、游离体取出术以及软骨成形术。60例患者按随机数字表法分为3个实验组,分别为Mr1.5×106～2.5×106玻璃酸钠组,Mr3×106玻璃酸钠组,Mr6×106玻璃酸钠组。术后关节腔内注入不同相对分子质量玻璃酸钠2.0～2.5mL,并被动屈伸膝关节20次,使玻璃酸钠均匀分布于关节内。术后第1天开始股四头肌力量锻炼,坐在床边屈膝活动,并可下床。术后1周拆除缝线,术后6周门诊复查。分别于术前、术后1,2,3d,1,6周采用同一评分量表进行自觉疼痛程度、日常生活活动能力、膝关节屈曲角度测评,评分越高,功能恢复越好。结果:纳入患者60例,均进入结果分析。①自觉疼痛程度测定:术后6周Mr1.5×106～2.5×106,3×106,6×106玻璃酸钠组自觉疼痛程度评分均高于术前[分别为(8.5±1.3),(7.3±2.2)分;(8.5±1.3),(7.3±2.2)分;(8.5±1.3),(7.3±2.2)分]。②日常生活活动能力测定:术后6周Mr1.5×106～2.5×106,3×106,6×106玻璃酸钠组日常生活活动能力评分均高于术前[分别为(60.5±8.4),(59.3±7.0)分;(63.4±8.2),(59.4±8.3)分;(66.9±3.8),(53.8±19.0)分]。③膝关节屈曲角度评分:术后6周Mr1.5×106～2.5×106,3×106,6×106玻璃酸钠组膝关节屈曲角度评分均高于术前[分别为(9.1±1.4),(5.8±2.7)分;(8.1±3.1),(7.2±3.5)分;(6.3±3.8),(5.5±3.1)分]。④综合评分:术后6周Mr1.5×106～2.5×106,3×106,6×106玻璃酸钠组综合评分均高于术前[分别为(88.1±7.7),(79.8±11.1)分;(91.4±6.8),(84.9±13.7)分;(91.2±10.7),(73.5±23.7)分]。关节腔内留置3种不同相对分子质量玻璃酸钠在膝关节镜术后近期各项评分差异均无显著性意义(P>0.05)。结论:关节腔内留置不同相对分子质量玻璃酸钠在膝关节镜术后近期康复中具有相似的效果。