Oral mucous membrane lesions in children treated with bone marrow transplantation

Abstract – Oral mucous membrane lesions were studied in 54 children below 12 yr of age treated with allogeneic bone marrow transplantation mainly because of hematological malignancies. Sixty-two percent of the children exhibited a wide range of oral side effects during therapy. Lesions observed during the first 2 wk prior to engraftment of the donor marrow were related to the chemo- and radiotherapy given. Oral ulcerations were seen in 34% of the children. Children given methotrexate as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis exhibited oral ulcerations significantly (P<0.05) more often than those given cyclsporin. Oral lesions related to acute GVHD were only observed in two patients. Reactivating herpes simplex virus infection was seen in 35% of the children who were seropositive prior to BMT. An extensive oral candidiasis was observed in 15% of the patients. All six children with a chronic GVHD exhibited changes in the oral mucosa 2–4 yr after transplantation such as erythma of the mucous membranes, tongue atrophy and also lichenoid changes in the buccal mucosa.     

A rare-event analysis model for quantifying white cells in white cell- depleted blood

An analysis model to detect and quantify white cells (WBCs) in red cell concentrates (RBCC) drawn from units of blood that are highly depleted of WBCs is described. WBC detection is performed by fluorescence analysis of 50 microL of RBCC labeled with propidium iodide, a DNA/RNA fluorophore. Quantification is performed by regression analysis of standard dilutions of RBCC in substantially WBC-free red cells. This RBCC diluent is obtained by filtration of blood through a new medium. The method proves to be precise (CV = 7%), efficient (+/- 30 min/aliquot), and linear (r = 0.99) to 6 log10 WBC depletion of the native product. The current technique is preferable to those suggested previously, such as ficoll concentration, which requires the sacrifice of the unit of blood for counting purposes, and to earlier fluorescence analysis techniques that do not employ WBC-free red cell diluents. The latter do not monitor extremely low concentrations of WBCs because they lack adequate signal-to-noise discrimination. The sensitivity of the described method allows for monitoring of WBC depletion procedures with greater efficiency than is currently available commercially.     

Aluminium, lead and cadmium concentrations in seminal plasma and spermatozoa, and semen quality in Finnish men

Aluminium, cadmium and lead concentrations in the spermatozoa and seminal plasma of 27 employees of two industrial companies, a refinery and a polyolefin factory, and 45 consecutive sperm donor candidates at a sperm bank were studied using atomic absorption measurements. The relationship between metal concentration and parameters of semen analysis was studied. A high concentration of aluminium in spermatozoa was correlated with decreased sperm motility. The concentrations of cadmium and lead were low and did not show any correlation with parameters of semen analysis. Aluminium may be one of the environmental pollutants causing impaired semen quality. The mean sperm concentrations were similar in the factory employees (96 x 10(6)/ml), in the sperm donor candidates of the comparison group (104 x 10(6)/ml) and in 352 donor candidates at the sperm bank of the Family Federation of Finland (107 x 10(6)/ml) between May 1993 and May 1995.      

Genotyping of strains of Yersinia pestis from Marmota baibacina-Spermophilus undulates Plague Focus of Tianshan Mountains in China

Themainreservoirsoftheplaguebaccilusare MarmotabaibacinaandCitellusundulatesin PlagueFocusofTianshanMountainsinChina.BotharepartofRodentiaSciuridae,butdonot belongtothesamegenus(MarmotaandSper mophilusrespectively).Themainvectorsare OropsyllasiantiewiandCallopsylladorablis.Threecounties,Wusu,JingheandNilekein NorthernTianshanMountainsareMarmotabaiba cina SpermophilusundulatesPlagueFocus.Five counties,Changji,HutubiandManasiinEasternTianshanMountainsandAheqiandAtushiin SouthernTia…     

27High dose ondansetron is not effective for reducing motion sickness in highly susceptible subjects

Background: Delayed nausea occurs in many cancer patients during the three days following administration of a cytotoxic agent. Meals high in protein content decrease the nausea of motion sickness and pregnancy, possibly by enhancing normal gastric myoelectrical activity and/or by reducing gastric dysrhythmias. Ginger may also have anti‐nausea properties. The aim of this study was to explore the use of a nutritional intervention consisting of high protein meals and ginger for the management of delayed nausea experienced by chemotherapy‐naïve cancer patients. Method: Twenty‐eight cancer patients receiving emetogenic cytotoxic agents were assigned to one of three groups. During the three day study period following their first chemotherapy session, Control Group patients (n = 9) continued with their normal diet, Protein Group patients (n = 9) were provided with a protein drink (ProSure^®; 15 g protein) and 1 g of dried ginger root to consume twice daily, and High Protein Group patients (n = 10) were provided with a protein drink with additional protein powder (ProSure^® and ProMod^®; 31 g protein) and 1 g of dried ginger root to consume twice daily. All patients were asked to complete a symptom diary over the three days to assess the severity, frequency, and bothersomeness of the nausea they experienced, as well as their use of antiemetic medication. Gastric myoelectrical activity was assessed by electrogastrography as five patients ingested a protein meal with ginger on the first morning of the study. Results: Reports of nausea, of nausea being experienced often, and of nausea being bothersome were significantly less frequent in the High Protein Group than in the Control and Protein Groups (ps < 0.05); the Control and Protein Groups were not significantly different from each other. Furthermore, significantly fewer patients in the High Protein Group elected to use antiemetic medication than patients in the other two groups (p < 0.05). A significant increase in normal gastric myoelectrical activity, and a significant decrease in gastric tachyarrhythmia, the gastric dysrhythmia that frequently accompanies nausea, occurred with ingestion of the protein meals and ginger (ps < 0.05). Conclusions: High protein meals with ginger reduced the delayed nausea of chemotherapy, and reduced the use of antiemetic medications. Anti‐nausea effects of high protein meals with ginger were associated with enhancement of normal gastric myoelectrical activity and decreased gastric dysrhythmias. High protein meals with ginger represent a novel, nutritionally based treatment for the delayed nausea.     

失功能高密度脂蛋白与心血管疾病研究进展

高密度脂蛋白胆固醇被认为是心血管疾病的重要保护因素,它在血清中的水平与心血管疾病风险呈负相关。然而在心血管疾病中,高密度脂蛋白的蛋白质、脂质或microRNAs等发生变化,使其转变为失功能高密度脂蛋白,失功能高密度脂蛋白具有促进动脉粥样硬化、促氧化、促炎等特性。本文对失功能高密度脂蛋白的结构和功能改变进行概括。     

糖类抗原检测在非小细胞肺癌诊疗中的应用

目的 探讨糖类抗原检测用于非小细胞肺癌（NSCLC）诊疗的临床意义。方法 采用血清糖类抗原多肿瘤标志物蛋白芯片检测系统对已确诊的60例NSCLC患者的血清CA19-9、CA242、CA125和CA153水平进行检测,并与肺良性病变对照组和健康对照组进行比较。结果 肺癌组血清CA19-9、CA242、CA125和CA153的阳性检出率高于肺良性病变对照组和健康对照组,且3组血清CA19-9、CA125和CA153的差异尤为显著（P＜0.05）。肺腺癌患者血清CA19-9和CA125的阳性检出率高于肺鳞癌患者（P＜0.05）。NSCLC患者分期越晚,4种糖类抗原的阳性检出率越高,其中CA125和CA153在Ⅰ～Ⅱ期的阳性检出率分别为38.5%和30.8%,高于CA19-9和CA242的7.7%和7.7%（P＜0.05）。结论 糖类抗原检测在NSCLC诊疗方面具有较好的临床应用价值,可以作为诊断、分期及病程监测等方面常规检测方法的辅助手段。