Clinical application of transcutaneous oxygen measurements in replantation surgery and free tissue transfer

In 65 replantations and 18 free tissue transfers (6 toe-to-thumb and 12 free flaps) transcutaneous oxygen levels were used as a postoperative monitoring system of the microcirculation. In successful replants and successful free tissue transfers an identical pattern of oxygen levels was observed. In failing replants or free tissue transfer, PO2 levels react immediately to changes in microcirculation and these changes in PO2 appear several hours earlier than the clinical symptoms or changes in temperature. This enables salvage operations after circulatory failure caused by thrombosis to be performed before irreversible tissue damage occurs.     

Kerosene absorption in primates.

Kerosene, labeled with 3H-toluene or 14C-hexadecane, was given to baboons by nasogastric tube after a tracheostomy had been performed. Six hours later the animals were killed and samples of tissues taken for analysis. The radioactive label was recovered from all the tissues analyzed. 3H-toluene appeared to be absorbed and taken up by most tissues to a greater extent than was 14C-hexadecane. No abnormal neurologic signs or behavior was noted in the baboons which were conscious during the study period. It appears that primates absorb kerosene from the gastrointestinal tract, but the volumes are very small and do not cause gross neurologic signs.     

A micromethod for the emergency estimation of plasma paracetamol concentration using high performance liquid chromatography

A method has been developed for the emergency estimation of paracetamol using high performance liquid chromatography. The sample required is 100 microliters of plasma; the use of a micro-centrifuge reduces the total time for the estimation to 5 min from the receipt of the blood specimen. The method has been compared with a standard UV method.     

Is there an association between SV40 contaminated polio vaccine and lymphoproliferative disorders? An age–period–cohort analysis on Norwegian data from 1953 to 1997

Between 1955 and 1963, an estimated number of 150 million people in various parts of the world, including Norway, received poliomyelitis vaccine possibly contaminated with infectious simian virus 40 (SV40). Human studies have investigated the hypothesised association between SV40 and various cancers, but the results have so far been contradicting. The aim of the present study was to examine Norwegian cancer incidence data to assess a possible association between birth cohorts assumed to have been subjected to the vaccine and the incidence rate of lymphoproliferative disorders (excluding Hodgkin's lymphoma), further subdivided into non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), lymphocytic leukemia and plasma cell neoplasms. Between 1953 and 1997, the incidence rate of lymphoproliferative diseases combined increased about 3-fold in both males and females. Subgroup analysis showed that this increase was largely attributable to NHL. Age-period-cohort modelling of the subgroups, as well as of all groups combined, showed that the cohort effect was more prominent than the period effect. However, the variations in incidence patterns across the birth cohorts did not fit with the trends that would be expected if a SV40 contaminated vaccine did play a causative role. Thus, our data do not support the hypothesis of an association between the vaccine and any subgroup of lymphoproliferative diseases.     

Clinical data and the identification of special forms of multiple sclerosis in 1271 cases studied with a standardized documentation system

In a multicenter study the clinical data of 1271 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) were recorded in a standardized manner and analysed by a computer program.

Some of the retrospective data are compared with previous reports. The frequency of optic nerve involvement in the present series was close to the Japanese figures.

The development of signs and symptoms during the course of MS was given for the 1271 patients and differences in the reversibility of symptoms are presented.

In this study, one of the chief purposes was the selection of groups of MS patients with particular symptomatology and course of the disease for prospective, detailed study.

The following groups were selected and are under further investigation: 109 patients with an exclusively spinal symptomatology throughout the course of their disease; 441 patients with optic neuritis as initial symptom; 110 patients with early brain-stem involvement; 64 benign cases (duration of the disease more than 14 years and disability not more than 3 according to Kurtzke); 35 malignant cases (duration of the disease under 5 years and disability grade of 7 or more); 83 families with more than one member with MS; 289 females with a history of pregnancy, childbirth and/or use of oral contraceptives.

In 339 patients a lumbar puncture was performed at the present examination. The parameters determined constitute a pathognomonic pattern highly indicative of the diagnosis of MS.     

Heat shock proteins in retinal neurogenesis: identification of the PM1 antigen as the chick Hsc70 and its expression in comparison to that of other chaperones

While the role of heat shock proteins under experimental stress conditions is clearly characterized, their expression in unstressed cells and tissues and their functions in normal cell physiology, besides their chaperone action, remain largely undetermined. We report here the identification in chicken of the antigen recognized by the monoclonal antibody PM1 [Hernández‐Sánchez et al . (1994) Eur. J. Neurosci. 6, 1801–1810) as the non‐inducible chaperone heat‐shock cognate 70 (Hsc70). Its identity was determined by partial peptide sequencing, immuno‐crossreactivity & two‐dimensional gel‐electrophoresis. In addition, we examined its expression during chick embryo retinal neurogenesis. The early widespread Hsc70 immunostaining corresponding to most, if not all, of the neuroepithelial cells becomes restricted to a subpopulation of these cells in the peripheral retina as development proceeds. On the other hand, retinal ganglion cells, differentiating in the opposite central‐to‐peripheral gradient, retained Hsc70 immunostaining. Other molecular chaperones, the heat‐shock proteins Hsp40, Hsp60 & Hsp90, did not seem to compensate the loss of Hsc70. They also showed decreasing immunostaining patterns as neurogenesis proceeds, although distinctive from that of Hsc70, whereas Hsp70 was not detected in the embryonic retina. This precise cellular & developmental regulation of Hsc70, a generally considered constitutive molecular chaperone, in unstressed embryos, together with the expression of other chaperones, provides new tools & a further insight on neural precursor heterogeneity & suggests possible specific cellular roles of chaperone function during vertebrate neurogenesis.     

Increased beat-to-beat variability during uterine contractions: A common association in uncomplicated labor

A computerized system was used during labor to provide a quantitative and objective analysis of fetal heart rate, beat-to-beat variability, and uterine contractions. Twenty-nine healthy pregnant women at term participated in this study. Each woman was studied for a 40-minute period during the active phase of spontaneous labor. The results indicate that beat-to-beat variability rises from a value of 4.62 ± 1.11 (mean ± SD) between contractions to 6.86 ± 1.53 during contractions. This rise is significant (p < 0.01). At the same time, changes in fetal heart rate are small, inconsistent, and not significant. We conclude that an increased beat-to-beat variability is commonly associated with uterine contractions in normal fetuses. This increase is probably due to mild hypoxia caused by decreased perfusion of the placenta and to increased vagal tone caused by fetal head compression.     

Interleukin 12 mediated prevention of tumorigenicity in murine cell lines derived from CD40L transgenic mice

Cells derived from superficial and deep lymph nodes of transgenic mice in which CD40L expression was deregulated were grown in vitro. After 3 months of interleukin 3 or interleukin 12 stimulation, the cells remained interleukin-independent, showed the same in vitro growth characteristics, but LIL3+ cells were tumorigenic when reinoculated in vivo in nude mice, whereas interleukin-12-treated cells did not induce tumors. Our cell lines could provide a useful model to study the perturbation of the homeostasis allowing us to elucidate the role of cytokines as modulators of differentiation in the lymphoproliferative disorders.     

A crucial role for macrophages in the pathology of K/B x N serum-induced arthritis

Autoantibodies in the form of immune complexes are known to be crucial mediators in initiating inflammation in a variety of autoimmune diseases. This has been well documented in the anti-collagen II antibody-induced arthritis animal model for a long time now. Recently, in the K/B x N mouse model (the F1 of the TCR-transgenic KRN and the diabetic NOD mice), anti-glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI) autoantibodies have been shown to induce arthritis. Experimental work in the K/B x N model demonstrated key roles of autoantigenic immune complexes activating the alternative pathway of complement, the subsequent association with C5aR and Fc gammaRIII-mediated cell activation and production of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1 and TNF-alpha, finally leading to joint destruction. The presence of high amounts of inflammatory cytokines and matrix-degrading proteases at sites of inflammation obviously put the cytokine-producing macrophages as the next target for investigation in this model. Here, we show that mice depleted of macrophages by clodronate liposome treatment are completely resistant to K/B x N serum-induced arthritis. Reconstituting clodronate liposome-treated mice with macrophages from naive animals could reverse this resistance. Also, we found that deficiencies in the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein and CD40, which are both implicated in macrophage activation, chemotaxis and phagocytosis, are not essential in serum-induced arthritis. Mast cell degranulation was seen in arthritogenic serum-treated mice even in the absence of macrophages, possibly suggesting that mast cell degranulation/activation acts hierarchically before macrophages in the inflammatory cascade of anti-GPI antibody-induced arthritis.