Anemia in lymphoma

Anaemia is frequently associated with lymphoma. Many causes are implicated and can sometimes be associated to each other so that the level of haemoglobin is often very low. In follicular lymphoma, the level of haemoglobin remains an independent predictive prognostic factor. Likewise, anaemia seems correlated to survival for both Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. However, therapeutic strategies to control anaemia remain somewhat unsatisfactory. Thus, recombinant erythropoietin might be an effective drug to increase the haemoglobin rate, limit the transfusional risk and improve patients' quality of life.     

Management of atrial fibrillation in patients with congestive heart failure

An increase in the prevalence of both atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure is occurring in part because of the demographic shift toward an aging population. These two clinical entities often coexist in the same patient, resulting in the worsening of symptoms and prognosis, rendering their management even more challenging. A large clinical trial is currently examining whether a rhythm-control strategy is superior to a rate-control strategy in patients with congestive heart failure. New nonpharmacologic therapies such as pulmonary vein isolation are undergoing clinical investigation and may also alter the management of these patients. At present, therapy for atrial fibrillation in patients with congestive heart failure should aim first at controlling heart rate to provide symptomatic relief; then sinus rhythm should be restored if symptoms persist or if congestive heart failure worsens. For a more definitive approach in managing these patients, the authors await further clinical trial data.     

Selective staining of a subset of Purkinje cells in the human cerebellum with monoclonal antibody mabQ113

MabQ113 is a monoclonal antibody raised against rat cerebellum which selectively stains Purkinje cells. Likewise, in mabQ113-immunoperoxidase stained sections of human cerebellum, deposits of reaction product are found only in the Purkinje cells. The dendritic arborizations, cell body, and axonal processes are immunoreactive. In rat, mabQ113 reveals a series of parasagittal antigenic bands which run throughout the cerebellar cortex. The staining distribution in human cerebellar cortex likewise reveals heterogenous staining but the pattern is a complex one and seems to be unlike the parasagittal banding found in the rat. In a number of human diseases Purkinje cell degeneration is not uniform throughout the vermis and cerebellar hemispheres. It is possible that mabQ113⁺ and mabQ113− subsets of Purkinje cells may respond differentially to various pathological conditions.     

Pharmacological aspects of pyrazoline derivatives from 2-hydroxy-butenolides.

A series of pyrazoline derivatives was synthetised and evaluated for toxicological and pharmacological effects; analgesic, hypnotic, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and cardiovascular properties were screened. Tested compounds were found to have a low toxicity; one of them showed a good analgesic activity without side effects.     

Increased poliovirus-specific intestinal antibody response coincides with promotion of Bifidobacterium longum-infantis and Bifidobacterium breve in infants: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

To determine whether the size of the intestinal bifidobacterial population can influence the immune response to poliovirus vaccination in infants, we set up a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. From birth to 4 mo, infants were given a fermented infant formula (FIF) or a standard formula (placebo). Bifidobacteria were quantified monthly in infant stools. Antipoliovirus IgA response to Pentacoq was assessed before and 1 mo after the second vaccine injection. Thirty infants were randomized, and 20 completed the study (nine in the placebo group and 11 in the FIF group). Fecal bifidobacterial level was significantly higher with the FIF group at 4 mo of age (p=0.0498). Furthermore, B. longum/B. infantis carriage was higher at 4 mo in the FIF group (p=0.0399). Antipoliovirus IgA titers increased after Pentacoq challenge (p <0.001), and the rise was significantly higher in the FIF group (p <0.02). Antibody titers correlated with bifidobacteria, especially with B. longum/B. infantis and B. breve levels (p <0.002). Infants who harbored B. longum/B. infantis also exhibited higher levels of antipoliovirus IgAs (p <0.002). In conclusion, the present results indicate that antipoliovirus response can be triggered with a fermented formula that is able to favor intestinal bifidobacteria. Whether this effect on the immune system is achieved through the bifidogenic effect of the formula (mainly through B. longum/B. infantis and B. breve stimulation) or directly linked to compounds (i.e. peptides) produced by milk fermentation remains to be investigated.     

Role of brain and peripheral angiotensin II in hypertension and altered arterial baroreflex programmed during fetal life in rat

Intrauterine programming of hypertension is associated with evidence of increased renin-angiotensin system (RAS) activity. The current study was undertaken to investigate whether arterial baroreflex and blood pressure variability are altered in a model of in utero programming of hypertension secondary to isocaloric protein deprivation and whether activation of the RAS plays a role in this alteration. Pregnant Wistar rats were fed a normal-protein (18%) or low-protein (9%) diet during gestation, which had no effect on litter size, birth weight, or pup survival. Mean arterial blood pressure (MABP; 126 +/- 3 mm Hg 9% versus 108 +/- 4 mm Hg 18%; p < 0.05) and blood pressure variability were significantly greater in the adult offspring of the 9% protein-fed mothers. Arterial baroreflex control of heart rate, generated by graded i.v. infusion of phenylephrine and nitroprusside, was significantly shifted toward higher pressure; i.v. angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor normalized MABP and shifted the arterial baroreflex curve of the 9% offspring toward lower pressure without affecting the 18% offspring. For examining whether brain RAS is also involved in programming of hypertension, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and losartan (specific AT(1) receptor antagonist) were administered intracerebroventricularly; both significantly reduced MABP of the 9% but not the 18% offspring. Autoradiographic receptor binding studies demonstrated an increase in brain AT(1) expression in the subfornical organ and the vascular organ of the lamina terminalis in the 9% offspring. These data demonstrate a major tonic role of brain and peripheral RAS on hypertension associated with antenatal nutrient deprivation.     

Digital detectors for mammography: the technical challenges

This paper reviews the different techniques available and competing for full-field digital mammography. The detectors are described in their principles: photostimulable storage phosphor plates inserted as a cassette in a conventional mammography unit, dedicated active matrix detectors (i.e., flat-panel, thin-film transistor-based detectors) and scanning systems, using indirect and direct X-ray conversion. The main parameters that characterize the performances of the current systems and influence the quality of digital images are briefly explained: spatial resolution, detective quantum efficiency and modulation transfer function. Overall performances are often the result of compromises in the choice of technology.