Correlates of well-being in mothers of children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis

Fifty mothers and 44 well siblings of children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis (CF) participated in this study to identify correlates of maternal well-being. Participants completed postal questionnaires which assessed maternal well-being, problems experienced surrounding the illness and treatment and the nature of the sibling relationship. Due to the demanding nature of treatment and the fact that CF is both genetic and incurable at present we anticipate mothers of these children will experience higher levels of stress and consequently poorer well-being than the normal population. In addition, illness severity, problems with adherence to treatment, child communication, maternal support and the sibling relationship are expected to relate to maternal well-being. Mothers in this sample did not rate their well-being as any different to the normal population. Results suggest that mothers are likely to rate their own well-being as poor when they report more frequent problems surrounding the illness and treatment and well children rate their sibling relationship as having frequent disagreements and aggression. This study highlights factors that are related to maternal well-being in families where one child has CF. These mothers as a group do not appear to be experiencing more stress in their daily lives than the normal population but certain illness and family variables are related to their well-being when examining the mothers on certain dimensions.     

MR monitoring of MR-guided radiofrequency thermal ablation of normal liver in an animal model

The purpose of this study was to determine the suitability of MRI to accurately detect radiofrequency (RF) thermoablative lesions created under MR guidance. In vivo RF lesions were created in the livers of six New Zealand White rabbits using a 2-mm-diameter titanium alloy RF electrode with a 20-mm exposed tip and a 50-W RF generator. This was performed using a 0.2T clinical C-arm MR imager for guidance and monitoring. Each animal was sacrificed and gross evaluation was performed. Histologic correlation was performed on the first two animals. The MR-compatible RF electrode was easily identified on rapid gradient-echo images used to guide electrode placement. A single lesion was created in each rabbit liver. Lesions ranged from approximately 10 to 17 mm in diameter (mean, 13.5 mm). T2-weighted and short T1 inversion recovery (STIR) images demonstrated lesions ranging in diameter from 12 to 18 mm (mean, 14.6 mm). Lesion dimensions determined from images closely correlated with those determined at gross examination with the discrepancy never exceeding 2 mm, for an r² value of .87. MRI performed at the time of MR-guided RF ablation accurately demonstrated created lesions. This modality may provide a new option for the treatment of local and regional neoplastic disease.     

Idiopathic mediastinal fibrosis: Report of a case

(Received for publication on Nov. 14, 1996; accepted on May 12, 1997)     

Schistosoma mansoni infection in a recently exposed community in Senegal: lack of correlation between liver morphology in ultrasound and connective tissue metabolites in serum

Summary Four hundred and seventy villagers of Ndombo, a village with recently established intensive transmission of Schistosoma mansoni in the Senegal River Basin, were enrolled in a study with the intention to assess hepatosplenic morbidity. All patients were examined parasitologically and by ultrasound. Hepatic fibrosis serum markers were determined in 153 adult patients (aminoterminal propeptide of procollagen type III, hyaluronan and laminin). By ultrasound, about 60% of the patients showed early stages of hepatic involvement, 3% of the patients unequivocally showed severe hepatosplenic pathology (grade 3 according to the Managil classification), whereas in another study performed in the same village 3 years earlier, no patients with severe hepatosplenic pathology had been found. No correlation between the aminoterminal propeptide of procollagen type III, hyaluronan or laminin and the ultrasound findings could be established. These hepatic fibrosis serum markers do not seem to be a sensitive method to detect early hepatic fibrosis in schistosomiasis.     

An Autopsy Case of Dermatomyositis with Rapidly Progressive Diffuse Alveolar Damage

A 47-year-old woman visited a clinic with dyspnea which had continued for two months and was followed by general fatigue and fever. Antibiotics were not effective. Edematous erythema occurred on her face, elbows, knees and feet, and she entered our hospital. A skin biopsy revealed interface dermatitis with severe edema and mucinosis in dermis. Diffuse bilateral infiltration was observed in the chest X-ray, and laboratory findings showed increased LDH, GPT, GOT and CPK. No antinuclear factor was detected. Her respiratory condition rapidly worsened, and she died eight days after hospitalization in spite of corticosteroid pulse therapy. The autopsy revealed that the main cause of death was diffuse alveolar damage (DAD). Interstitial pneumonia related to dermatomyositis is not histologically uniform; the response to the therapy depends on its histological type. The patients with dermatomyositis who have poor prognosis are clinically characterized by acute onset with general symptoms and less pronounced muscle weakness; they generally show DAD in their lungs. We need to establish a simple method for distinguishing histological types of interstitial pneumonia and adequate therapy for each one.     

Substantiating hazardous exposure to asbestos by examination of pulmonary dust

Summary Substantiation of relevant asbestos risks by microscopic examination sets a lower detection limit at fibres longer than 5 to 10 m and thicker than 0.5 m Such microscopically detectable fibres are, of course, in respect to total quantity the insignificant part of the overall dust burden, but apparently a necessary part of the whole fraction when assessing the relevance of exposure. Until now, no epidemiologically conclusive asbestos risks resulting from occupational exposure have been made known solely with fibre fraction below the microscopic detection limit. Demands for supplementary electromicroscopic examination on the basis of case reports of lung parenchyma damage by fibres of a lower calibre than the microscopic detection limit are, therefore, presently without foundation. The subject examinations reveal that substantiation of asbestos risks with light-optical means, using different methods, provides comparable results. Initially, of course, it is surprising to obtain fluctuations in results of 100000 to 600000 asbestos particles for the same case. However, one must realize that calculations based on intermediate results are responsible for this range of fluctuation, due to the varying degree of asbestos fibre dispersion in the different sections of the lung and, depending on the method of detection used. Interest on the part of everyday occupational medicine and expert opinion is determined by the need to categorize individual cases into different basic classes of risk by referring to relevant morphological facts, such as substantiation of asbestosis or drawing a borderline between persons with occupational risk and those with a non-occupational risk. The subject examinations reveal, using different methods of analysis, equally significant results, which correspond with those published by other authors who used a method which, in terms of expenditure for material and manpower, is also suitable for routine analysis.     

从脂肪组织的内分泌功能角度探讨其在慢性阻塞性肺疾病中的作用机制研究

脂肪组织除了通过其力学特征或机械功能对周边组织器官产生影响以外,还可以凭借非物理性的内分泌功能通过脂肪因子输出信号方式有效地建立起与呼吸系统等远程器官的互作信息网络,进而参与多种肥胖相关疾病的发生与发展。作为内分泌领域的突破性进展之一,脂肪组织的内分泌功能受到生命科学领域的关注。近年来,多项流行病调查研究揭示了肥胖是造成慢性阻塞性肺疾病（COPD）等呼吸系统疾病肺功能损害重要的危险因素。基于此,本文将分别梳理脂联素、瘦素、内脂素等脂肪因子在COPD中的作用机制,从脂肪组织内分泌功能角度为COPD的防治研究提供新思路。     

慢性阻塞性肺疾病的新定义及临床诊疗建议——基于2022年《柳叶刀》文件解读

慢性阻塞性肺疾病(以下简称慢阻肺)是一种常见的慢性气道异质性疾病。近年来,尽管国内外慢阻肺相关研究不断深入,管理日趋完善,但仍有许多难点亟待解决。2022年9月,《柳叶刀》杂志发布《消除慢阻肺之路》,该文件针对慢阻肺的认识、诊断、评估和个体化治疗等方面提出了新理念并提供临床诊疗指导。本文重点对该文件中慢阻肺的分类、诊断标准及诊断建议、慢阻肺的急性加重和迈向消除慢阻肺5个方面进行介绍和解读,以期为我国临床工作者开展慢阻肺相关研究和管理提供一定的参考及启示。     

SNHG6靶向miR-101/TGFBR1促进AMI小鼠左心室心肌纤维化

目的探讨SNHG6对急性心肌梗死(AMI)小鼠左心室心肌的影响。 方法将30只雄性C57/BL6小鼠构建成AMI小鼠后随机均分为AMI组、AMI+SNHG6组、AMI+miR-101-3p组、AMI+SNHG6+miR-101-3p组、AMI+miR-101-3p+TGFBR1组,另设正常小鼠6只为假手术组。qRT-PCR检测AMI小鼠SNHG6、miR-101-3p表达水平。心脏彩超检测各组小鼠左室射血分数(LVEF);马松和天狼星红染色法以及免疫组化分析各组小鼠左心室心肌纤维化变化。将H9C2细胞株分为阴性对照组(转染空质粒)、SNHG6组(转染质粒SNHG6)、miR-101-3p组(转染质粒miR-101-3p)。Western blotting检测各组TGFBR1蛋白表达;采用双荧光素酶报告基因法预测并验证SNHG6/miR-101-3p/TGFBR1荧光素酶活性及调控机制。 结果AMI小鼠较假手术组SNHG6表达显著增加,miR-101-3p降低(P＜0.05)。与AMI组比较,AMI+SNHG6组小鼠LVEF降低,心肌纤维化程度加重(P＜0.05);AMI+miR-101-3p组LVEF升高,心肌纤维化程度减轻(P＜0.05)。AMI+SNHG6+miR-101-3p组较AMI+SNHG6组LVEF升高、心肌纤维化程度减轻(P＜0.05),而AMI+miR-101-3p+TGFBR1组较AMI+miR-101-3p组LVEF降低、心肌纤维化程度加重(P＜0.05)。双荧光素酶报告基因法验证显示,miR-101-3p组SNHG6、TGFBR1野生型质粒的荧光素酶活性较阴性对照组明显降低(P＜0.05)。 结论SNHG6抑制miR-101-3p上调TGFBR1加重AMI小鼠左心室心肌纤维化。     

Chloride current activated by cyclic AMP and parathyroid hormone in rat osteoblasts

In primary cultures of rat osteoblasts, studied with the whole-cell configuration of the patch-clamp technique, 8-bromo-cyclic AMP (8BrcAMP) forskolin (FS) and 1–34 parathyroid hormone (PTH) were shown to activate a Cl conductance. This conductance shows a pronounced outward rectification, even with symmetrical Cl concentrations. It is blocked partially and reversibly by 4,4-diisothiocyanatostilbene 2,2-disulfonic acid (DIDS) or diphenylcarboxylate (DPC). The blockade induced by DIDS is time-and voltage-dependent. The Cl responses to FS and PTH develop slowly, after a delay of several seconds and are very slowly reversible. These responses were observed only in a fraction of the cells tested and their detection was favoured by cell dialysis. This Cl current should be taken into account for studying possible modulations of the voltage-gated Ca currents of osteoblasts. It is suggested that its physiological role may be related to the well-known morphological changes induced by PTH in osteoblasts. The cyclic AMP-sensitivity, the outward rectification and the sensitivity to dialysis of this Cl current are reminiscent of the properties of the cystic fibrosis-sensitive Cl channels of epithelial cells.