Treatment with combined oral contraceptives induces a rise in serum C-reactive protein in the absence of a general inflammatory response

BACKGROUND: The role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease is well established. C-reactive protein (CRP) is the strongest independent predictor of myocardial infarction and stroke in women. Recent studies have indicated that CRP levels are raised during use of combined oral contraceptives (COCs). OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of COCs on serum CRP levels and to indicate the underlying mechanisms of an expected increase. METHOD: In a prospective randomized cross over-study 35 women used two different preparations of COC, one second and one third generation. Serum levels of CRP, serum amyloid A (SAA), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), antibodies against oxidized LDL, insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) along with insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) and IGFBP-3 were analyzed before and during the two treatments. E-selectin, von Willebrand factor and factor VIII concentrations in plasma were also measured. RESULTS: A rise in serum CRP was observed during both treatments; the median level increased from 0.45 mg L(-1) at baseline to 1.48 mg L(-1) with second generation and to 2.02 mg L(-1) with third generation COC. The serum levels of SAA increased slightly during treatment with the third generation COC. IL-6 and TNFalpha were unaffected by treatment. Both preparations lowered IGF-I and raised IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-3 concentrations. CONCLUSION: The raised serum CRP concentration during treatment with COCs appears to be related to a direct effect on hepatocyte CRP synthesis and does not reflect IL-6 mediated inflammation, endothelial activation or induction of insulin resistance.     

Evaluation and Treatment of Children with Primary Immune Deficiency in the Emergency Department

The potential for morbidity and mortality in patients who have PID with febrile and nonfebrile illness is extremely high. Familiarity with the clinical manifestations of PID and collaboration with a pediatric immunologist are prerequisites for optimal short-term care of these complex patients. Conservative management with empiric broad-spectrum antimicrobials, early and aggressive surgical debridement of abscesses, and admission at a tertiary pediatric care center are often indicated.     

A Combination of Speckled Lentiginous Nevus with Patch-type Blue Nevus

A peculiar case of “nevus on nevus” was reported. A 67-year-old man had had a pigmented lesion in the left hypochondrial area since birth. The clinicopathologic findings of the pigmented lesion revealed a combination of speckled lentiginous nevus and patch-type blue nevus. This case of “nevus on nevus” is not described under the term of combined nevus as is current in the literature; it was considered to be a subtype of the type II atypical blue nevus described by Kawamura.     

维生素E、C和B_2联用对小鼠血糠的影响

本实验研究用四氧嘧啶造成小鼠糖尿病模型，灌胃给予小鼠按一定比例配伍的维生素Ｅ、Ｃ、Ｂ_２，观察其对小鼠血糖水平的影响。结果显示，维生素Ｅ、Ｃ和Ｂ_２联用能有效地降低小鼠的高血糖，其血糖值（３５．５１±６．０２ｍｍｏｌ／Ｌ）明显低于四氧嘧啶组（５２．５８±８．０３ｍｍｏｌ／Ｌ），两者之间差异有显著性意义（Ｐ＜０．０１）。     

眼内异物合并外伤性白内障的联合手术治疗：附88例分析

眼内异物合并外伤性白内障是眼外伤常见的致盲原因之一,各地报告的致盲率为20%～48.9%。本文对88例眼内异物合并外伤性白内障患者采用联合手术治疗,收到较好疗效,术前视力0.05以下占85.2%,术后矫正视力0.05以下占27.3%,矫正视力0.06～1.5占73.7%,其中矫正视力0.6～1.5者占22.8%。根据异物的性质、在眼内部位和晶体损伤情况选择不同的手术方式一次联合手术摘出异物和白内障,术后采用中西药配合治疗。联合手术可提高疗效,减少术后并发症.减少手术次数,减轻病人的痛苦,缩短病程,减少医疗费用.眼科学报1993;9:216—218.     

蒙古族验方北沙参四味汤研究进展及药效物质基础预测

蒙成药经典验方北沙参四味汤历史悠久,有清肺解热、止咳祛痰的功效,临床多用来治疗肺炎、支气管炎等疾病,疗效确切,具有潜在的开发价值。本文基于化学成分、药理作用、质量控制和临床研究,综述了北沙参四味汤的研究现状并预测分析其潜在的药效物质基础,为其后续相关研究提供参考。     

小陷胸汤加味含药血清对人脐静脉内皮细胞分泌NO/ET-1的调节作用

目的:探讨小陷胸汤加味中药方对血管内皮细胞的保护作用。方港:建立ox-LDL损伤人脐静脉内皮细胞株(ECV-304)模型,用小陷胸汤加味含药血清处理模型,并用放免和硝酸酶还原法在药物干预6h和24h后检测细胞上清液中ET-1和NO含量。结果:100 μg/ml的ox-LDL可损伤血管内皮细胞并导致其分泌NO和ET-1功能失调,小陷胸汤加味含药血清通过影响NO/ET-1的分泌而明显改善此失调状态。结论:小陷胸汤加味中药通过调节NO/ET-1水平显著拮抗ox-LDL对血管内皮细胞损害,具有防治AS的作用。     

Clonality analysis of different histological components in combined small cell and non-small cell carcinoma of the lung

Combined small cell and non-small cell carcinoma is relatively rare in the lung. Examination of the clonal relationship of different components in this type of tumor may give a clue to the rarity. We retrieved 6 such tumors; all 6 had small cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma components, and 3 had an additional squamous cell carcinoma component. We examined the point mutations in the p53 gene and allelic loss (ie, the loss of heterozygosity [LOH] pattern) of chromosome 3p in each component. p53 mutations were detected in the small cell carcinoma component of 5 tumors and in the non-small cell carcinoma components of 2 tumors. In 1 case, the squamous cell carcinoma component had a p53 mutation locus identical to that in the small cell carcinoma component, but in the other case, the adenocarcinoma component had a different mutation than that in the small cell carcinoma component. Chromosome 3p LOH loci in the squamous cell carcinoma component were present in the small cell carcinoma component in all 3 cases, but some LOH loci were not identical in the small cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma components in 3 cases. These results suggest that the small cell and squamous cell carcinoma components of combined small cell lung carcinomas have an intimate clonal relationship. On the other hand, the adenocarcinoma component often may be derived from a separate clone or, more likely, undergo a progressive process separate from the squamous cell-small cell carcinoma beginning in a very early stage, that is, before the appearance of p53 and chromosome 3p abnormalities. This tumorigenesis process may explain the relative rarity of combined small cell and non-small cell carcinoma, which occurs primarily in the peripheral lung, an infrequent site of squamous cell carcinoma.     

Implication of the common {gamma} chain of the IL-7 receptor in intrathymic development of pro-T cells

The effects of IL-7 on the growth and differentiation of thymocyteswere analyzed using murine fetal thymua organ cultures (FTOC)in the presence of mAbs specific for the conventional IL-7 receptor(1L-7R) and for the common (c) chain. In FTOC, the developmentof CD4^–CD8^– double-negative thymocytes to CD4+CD8+double-positive (DP) and CD4+ or CD8+ single-positive (SP) cellswas not completely blocked by adding these mAbs, although cellgrowth was reduced by the treatment. To define a developingstage sensitive to the mAbs, most immature thymocytes, Pgp-1⁺c-kit cells, were cultured in the 2-deoxyguartosine treatedfetal thymus. In the presence of both mAbs in the culture, neitherDP nor SP thymocytes developed whereas either of the mAbs partiallyblocked their development. These results indicate that the Cchain is involved in early T cell development as an indispensablesubunlt of the functional IL-7 receptor complex.     

Four new adenosine deaminase mutations,altering a zinc-binding histidine,two conserved alanines,and a 5′ splice site

Three new missense mutations (H15D, A83D, and A179D) and a new splicing defect (573 + 1G→A) in the 5′ splice site of intron 5 were among six mutant adenosine deaminase (ADA) alleles found in three unrelated patients with severe combined immunodeficiency disease, the most common phenotype associated with ADA deficiency. When expressed in vitro, the H15D, A83D, and A179D proteins lacked detectable ADA activity. The splicing defect caused skipping of exon 5, resulting in premature termination of translation and a reduced level of mRNA. H15D is the first naturally occurring mutation of a residue that coordinates directly with the enzyme-associated zinc ion. Molecular modeling based on the atomic coordinates of murine ADA suggests that the D15 mutation would create a cavity or gap between the zinc ion and the side chain carboxylate of D15. This could alter the ability of zinc to activate a water molecule postulated to play a role in the catalytic mechanism. A83 and A179 are not directly involved in the active site, but are conserved residues located respectively in a helix 4 and β strand 4 of the α/β barrel. Replacement of these small hydrophobic Ala residues with the charged, more bulky Asp side chain may distort ADA structure and affect enzyme stability or folding.© 1995 wiley-Liss, Inc.