Variation of therapeutic response in Parkinson''s disease: a retrospective study

A retrospective study of variations of therapeutic response (dyskinesia and on-off phenomenon) in Parkinson's disease was conducted on 278 patients treated with levodopa for at least 6 months and hospitalized at National Neurological Institute "C. Besta" of Milan between 1974 and 1984. Variations of therapeutic response (TRV) were present in 105 of 278 patients; in this group, age at illness onset was significantly lower, while duration of levodopa treatment and also duration of illness were longer than in the group of patients without TRV. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the most important variables were age at illness onset and duration of treatment, but they were only modestly predictive. Other factors connected with progression of disease must also contribute to the TRV.     

综合医院确诊的39例肺结核患者转诊结果随访调查

目的;了解并评价综合医院内科确诊的活动性肺结核病例转诊结果。方法：对我院呼吸内科１９９５年８月－１９９８年８月确认的３９例活动性肺结核患者（不包括结核性胸膜炎）转往结构防治专业机构的结果进行信访和电话随访。结果：仍的３９例活动性肺结核患者中有３５例在确诊后１周内结核病接受０．５ａ－１ａ的全地化疗,３３例获得良好效果,２例死亡,死因分别为肺间质纤维化合并感染肺心病及呼吸衰竭。３例慢性纤维空洞型肺结核     

Retrospective Study on the Efficacy and Safety of Quinacrine Sterilization

Objective To observe and evaluate the efficacy and safety of quinacrine sterilization.Methods A total of 572 cases of quinacrine sterilization preformed during the 4 years from 1993to 1997in Jiangsu and Guizhou Provinces were employed in this study. The efficacy and safety of quinacrine sterilization in those case were studied and evaluated, with 588 cases of surgical sterilization performed at the same time being the control group.Results Both groups were with identical demographic and gynecological characteristics. The result of multiple decrement life table analysis showed the 12th gross cumulative failure rates for quinacrine sterilization was 3. 13% and serious side effects occurred in only 2 cases accounting for O. 35%. One was ectopic pregnancy (20 months after treatment). The other was due to anaphylaxis in 10 minutes after the second insertion). No difference in the liver and nephic functions was detected and no suspected cancer cells or cancer cells were found in the two groups. 99. 6% of the 572 women interviewed accepted the quinacrine sterilization.Conclusions Quinacrine sterilization method is with high acceptability but comparatively low effectiveness. It has been proved to be a safe method of contraception in short-term. However, the safety of long-term still needs further study.     

Flow-mediated cell stress induction in adherent leukocytes is accompanied by modulation of morphology and phagocytic function

Leukocytes adherent to the surfaces of both vascular biomaterials and normal blood vessels experience blood flow induced shear stress. The goal of the reported studies was to investigate the effect of fluid flow on the morphology, phagocytic function and stress response induction in adherent immune cells. Shear approximating arterial, venous and intermediate levels were applied onto glass-adherent IC21 macrophages in a temperature-controlled parallel plate flow system. The results indicate that fluid flow induces a shear-dependent physiological stress response in adherent macrophages and that significant morphological changes accompany macrophage responses to shear stress. In addition, arterial flow conditions induce not only significant cell polarisation, but also enhanced phagocytic ingestion in glass-adherent IC21 macrophages. These findings suggest that blood flow induced shear stress may not only be consequent to adherent leukocyte activation, but may also be integral to the regulation of adherent leukocyte behaviour in vivo.     

国产房水引流物置入术治疗难治性青光眼远期疗效观察

１９９３年７月～１９９８年１月为１０３例（１０６只眼）难治性青光眼患者施行国产房水引流物（ＨＡＤ）置入术。术后平均随访３２８月。术后１年时平均眼压２２±１．４ｋＰａ。术后１～５年的手术成功率分别为８３８％,８０４％,７７１％,７１０％及６４３％。术中联合应用丝裂霉素Ｃ的病例,其术后１年时的成功率为８９５％。术后常见的并发症有持续性浅前房,局限性脉络膜脱离及眼压升高等。认为ＨＡＤ可用于治疗难治性青光眼。     

Time-resolved MR angiography of the upper abdomen: initial clinical experience

In this study, thirty-eight patients with a variety of upper abdominal diseases were examined with three-dimensional time-resolved MR angiography (7 sec/data set). Visualisation of arterial and venous anatomy was excellent in the majority of patients. Moreover, subtraction images could be calculated and organ perfusion could be assessed. It is concluded that this technique opens new perspectives for a comprehensive evaluation of vascular and parenchymal disease. Received: 14 April 1998; Revision received: 23 October 1998; Accepted: 9 November 1998     

An Unexpected Change in DXA Calibration not Detected by Routine Quality Control Checks

Since its commercial introduction a decade ago, the technique of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) has been widely recognized as a useful and sensitive method of measuring changes in bone mineral density (BMD) at selected sites in the skeleton such as the spine and proximal femur. Because of their high precision and stable calibration, DXA scanners are frequently used in clinical trials to evaluate new treatments for osteoporosis. Quality assurance procedures based on regular scanning of phantoms are widely adopted in such trials, and continuity of the phantom BMD measurements is generally believed to ensure continuity in the in-vivo calibration. We report a change in calibration of a DXA scanner that occurred during a clinical trial where the calibration shift was different for the spine and femur sites and was not predicted or explained by the standard quality control procedures using phantoms. However, we show that provided patients enrolled in studies are thoroughly randomized and the statistical analysis is confined to the differences between the treated and control groups, then the effects of such calibration shifts on conclusions regarding the efficacy of treatment are considerably smaller than the random statistical errors. Received: 12 February 1998 / Accepted: 20 May 1998     

Risk factors for mental disorder hospitalization after the Persian Gulf War: U.S. Armed Forces, June 1, 1991-September 30, 1993

Effects of Persian Gulf War (August 2, 1990–July 31, 1991) and Gulf War occupation on post-War hospitalization risk were evaluated through Cox proportional hazards modeling. Active-duty men (n = 1,775,236) and women (n = 209,760) in the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps had 30,539 initial postwar hospitalizations for mental disorders between June 1, 1991 and September 30, 1993. Principal diagnoses in the Defense Manpower Data Center hospitalization database were grouped into 10 categories of ICD-9-CM codes. Gulf War service was associated with significantly greater risk for acute reactions to stress and lower risk for personality disorders and adjustment reactions among men. Personnel who served in ground war support occupations (men and women) were at greater risk for postwar drug-related disorders. Men who served in ground war combat occupations were at higher risk for alcohol-related disorders. Longitudinal studies of health, hospitalization, and exposure beginning at recruitment, are needed to better understand how exposure to combat affects the mental health of military personnel.