缺血性中风(中经络)证候分类与血脂、血压、血液流变学关系的研究

目的探讨缺血性中风证侯分类的客观量度。方法本研究对118例缺血性中风患者按中医证类进行分组,观察各证类组病例的血脂、血压及血液流变学改变。结果研究表明,风痰阻络证、痰热腑实证及气虚血瘀证组脂质变化较正常组明显升高(P<0.05～0.01),其中风痰阻络证、痰热腑实证与气虚血瘀证组存在显著差异(P<0.05);气虚血瘀证、风痰阻络证及痰热腑实证组血液流变学指标较正常组有显著差异(P<0.05～0.01);肝阳暴亢证、痰热腑实证组血压明显高于气虚血瘀证、风痰阻络证及阴虚风动证组(P<0.05～0.01)。结论血脂、血压及血液流变学指标可为缺血性中风证候分类提供客观量度。     

Factors predictive of response and survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer in Taiwan

5-Fluorouracil in combination with leucovorin has been shown to be active in therapeutic trials of metastatic colorectal carcinoma. In this study, we administered these drugs to 72 patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma. Thirty-six of them without previous exposure to 5-fluorouracil were treated with weekly bolus injections of 5-fluorouracil (425 mg/m2) and leucovorin (25 mg/m2) supplemented with oral levamisole. Another 36 patients with or without prior 5-fluorouracil treatment received 5-fluorouracil 3,000 mg/m2 and leucovorin 300 mg/m2 in a 48-hour continuous infusion every two weeks. Clinical efficacy and toxicity were assessed by WHO criteria. Variables were tested for relations to response and survival by univariate and multivariate analysis. The response rate was 19.4% in weekly bolus arm and 13.9% in biweekly high-dose infusion arm (P = 0.527). Median survivals in the two arms were 18.4 months (weekly) and 21 months (biweekly) respectively (P = 0.708). Gastrointestinal side effects including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and mucositia were the major toxicities of these regimens. By multivariate analysis, the only factor to influence response rate was the site of metastases (P = 0.009). The only factor to affect survival was performance status of the patient (P = 0.0001). We concluded that the two 5-fluorouracil based regimens are well-tolerated and shown to have a response rate comparable with previous reports of similar regimens in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Only liver metastases seemed to have a better response to therapy. Performance status is the most important prognostic factor in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.      

Paediatric adrenocortical neoplasia — a study of 25 cases

We reviewed our experience of 25 children with adrenocortical tumours from January 1980 to December 1994. Their ages ranged from 7 months to 15 years; there were 16 girls and 9 boys. Truncal obesity, moon facies, hypertension, and virilisation were the most common clinical features. Establishment of the diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome was accomplished by hormonal and radiological studies. Eighteen patients had adrenocortical carcinomas, but 2 of them refused operation; 7 had adrenocortical adenomas. Twenty-three patients were treated by surgery; 6 with carcinomas are still alive after periods of 6 months to 3 years. The results of treatment of adrenocortical carcinoma have been poor, but the prognosis is excellent for benign lesions.     

Immunostimulating agents against influenza virus infection in senescent rats

This study investigated the nonspecific immunomodulatory effects of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), muramyl dipeptide (MDP) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) on virus infection of the respiratory tract in Fischer-344 rats. Groups of young adult (12-16 months old) and aged (24-30 months old) rats were given BCG or MDP intranasally or vitamin C orally 6 weeks and again 3 days before an intranasal challenge with influenza virus A/Bangkok/H3N2 (10(6) 50% EID). Titers of hemagglutinin in lung homogenates and the presence of leukocytes in the respiratory tracts served as indices of infection. Lung macrophage functions of animals were determined by measuring random migration and phagocytic yeast cell killing in vitro. Clearance of Staphylococcus aureus from the respiratory tracts of the animals was also measured 4 hours after challenge. - Following BCG treatment, significantly fewer animals developed virus infection. MDP and vitamin C treatments also reduced the numbers of infected rats but did not differ significantly from the untreated control groups. BCG and MDP treatments significantly reduced the numbers of lung leukocytes in virus infected animals. Mean virus titers in the lung homogenates were significantly lower in all treatment groups by the third day of infection. Following all treatments, duration of virus infection was significantly shorter in the aged compared to the young adult groups. Lung macrophage functions increased in all treatment groups. The improvement of aged groups over their controls was greater than that of the young adults compared to their controls. BCG had the greatest protective effects in both the young adult and aged animals; MDP and vitamin C, in that order, were less effective.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Histological evolution of caecal lesions in experimental amoebiasis

Histopathological studies in guinea-pigs infected intracaecally with Entamoeba histolytica were carried out longitudinally on days 3, 7, 11, 15, 20 and 35 after infection. Three characteristic modes of development of caecal lesions were observed. These in order of their prevalence were the classical inflammatory cellular infiltration, lymphoid hypertrophy and necrotizing colitis. Occasional amoeboma formation was observed in progesterone-treated animals. This is the first time that histological lesions which mimic the human intestinal amoebiasis have been described in the experimental animal.     

Antibodies to respiratory syncytial virus in a normal community in Chandigarh area, northern India

A survey for the presence of respiratory syncytial (RS) virus antibodies has been carried out in 346 sera from a healthy community in northern India. The results showed that 19.6% of the sera were positive and had a titre of 16 or more. The higher titres were observed more frequently in the younger age groups. There is, therefore, serological evidence for the occurrence of RS virus infection in India.