Intrathecal phenol: an old treatment revisited

Purpose. Severe bilateral leg spasticity can cause severe symptoms and reduced quality of life in affected individuals. It is often unresponsive to treatment. The objective of this study was to review the effectiveness of intrathecal phenol in the treatment of severe bilateral leg spasticity.

Method. A retrospective case notes review of patients treated with intrathecal phenol by a rehabilitation service was performed. A simple rating scale based on comments in the case notes was used to identify changes in spasticity and treatment goals.

Results. Forty patients were identified as having been treated with intrathecal phenol over a 10-year period. All patients had improvements in their spasticity, 34 of which were rated as substantial or excellent. All patients (in whom the effect was documented), except one, had short-term improvement in the goals for treatment, 31 having substantial or excellent improvement. The effect was long lasting in many of the patients. Seven patients required repeat injections with similar outcomes. Seven patients experienced temporary side-effects.

Conclusion. Intrathecal phenol is a useful alternative in treating selected patients with chronic severe bilateral leg spasticity that is unresponsive to other treatments.     

Self-injection of intravenous carbolic acid and multiorgan failure

Intravenous self-injection of phenol resulting in multi-organ failure is reported. The case is discussed, because of the unique nature of exposure to phenol and rapid involvement of multiple organ systems including the central nervous,pulmonary, renal and hematological systems.     

Site‐oriented depigmentation in vitiligo patients using Q‐switched Nd:YAG laser (1,064/532 nm), cryotherapy and chemical peels: A comparative study

Depigmentation emerges as a feasible solution for vitiligo universalis and refractory cases of vitiligo vulgaris that hinder patients' quality of life. A range of depigmenting modalities has previously been developed. However, each has its own limitations. Based on skin sensitivity, this study sets out to compare the efficacy and tolerability of “trichloroacetic acid (TCA) peels 25% and 50% and Qs Nd:YAG laser (1,064/532 nm)” for facial depigmentation and “cryotherapy, phenol 88% and Qs Nd:YAG (1,064/532 nm)” for extrafacial skin depigmentation. Forty vitiligo patients were examined and equally divided into facial & extrafacial groups. Regular sessions were performed. Patients' responses were assessed after 3 months or when excellent/complete depigmentation was attained through assessing “depigmentation grade”, “extent of depigmented skin”, “patient satisfaction” and “overall response”. Patients were observed for a six‐month follow‐up period. In facial depigmentation, Qs Nd:YAG showed the highest significant response followed by TCA 50% and 25%. In extrafacial depigmentation cryotherapy, phenol 88% and Qs Nd:YAG laser displayed positive outcomes without significant difference. Among the modalities tested Qs Nd:YAG yielded superior results in facial residual pigmentation in vitiligo when compared to TCA 50% and 25%, whereas in extrafacial sites Qs Nd:YAG, cryotherapy and phenol were equally effective.     

Horseradish peroxidase‐catalysed in situ‐forming hydrogels for tissue‐engineering applications

In situ‐forming hydrogels are an attractive class of implantable biomaterials that are used for biomedical applications. These injectable hydrogels are versatile and provide a convenient platform for delivering cells and drugs via minimally invasive surgery. Although several crosslinking methods for preparing in situ forming hydrogels have been developed over the past two decades, most hydrogels are not sufficiently versatile for use in a wide variety of tissue‐engineering applications. In recent years, enzyme‐catalysed crosslinking approaches have been emerged as a new approach for developing in situ‐forming hydrogels. In particular, the horseradish peroxidase (HRP)‐catalysed crosslinking approach has received increasing interest, due to its highly improved and tunable capacity to obtain hydrogels with desirable properties. The HRP‐catalysed crosslinking reaction immediately occurs upon mixing phenol‐rich polymers with HRP and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in aqueous media. Based on this unique gel‐forming feature, recent studies have shown that various properties of formed hydrogels, such as gelation time, stiffness and degradation rate, can be easily manipulated by varying the concentrations of HRP and H₂O₂. In this review, we outline the versatile properties of HRP‐catalysed in situ‐forming hydrogels, with a brief introduction to the crosslinking mechanisms involved. In addition, the recent biomedical applications of HRP‐catalysed in situ‐forming hydrogels for tissue regeneration are described. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

斯氏按蚊血淋巴酚氧化酶与约氏疟原虫卵囊黑化的关系

[目的 ]探讨酚氧化酶 (phenoloxidase,PO)与疟原虫卵囊黑化的关系。 [方法 ]以斯氏按蚊 /约氏疟原虫为模型 ,对 4组斯氏按蚊 (不吸血组、吸正常血组、吸感染血组和硝喹组 )血淋巴进行聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳 (PAGE)和凝胶图像分析 ,检测单酚氧化酶 (monophenoloxidase ,MPO)和二酚氧化酶 (diphenoloxidase,DPO)活性。 [结果 ]吸正常血组和不吸血组蚊血淋巴中MPO及o DPO活性无明显差异 ;与吸正常血组或不吸血组相比 ,感染组MPO及o DPO活性无明显变化 ,但用药组d1 0 则显著增加 ,d1 5 显著降低。 [结论 ]斯氏按蚊血淋巴中PO活性变化与约氏疟原虫卵囊黑化在时间上一致。     

Magnetic Field-Assisted Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants over Bi1−xRxFeO3 (R = Ce,Tb; x = 0.00, 0.05, 0.10 and 0.15) Nanostructures

Magnetic-field-accelerated photocatalytic degradation of the phenol red (PR) as a model organic pollutant was studied using rare-earth elements modified BiFeO₃ (Bi_1−xR_xFeO₃ (R = Ce, Tb; x = 0.0, 0.05, 0.10 and 0.15); BFO: RE) nanostructures. The nanostructures were prepared via the hydrothermal process and their morphological, structural, functional, optical and magnetic features were investigated in detail. The effect of magnetic fields (MFs) on photocatalysis were examined by applying the different MFs under visible light irradiation. The enhanced photodegradation efficiencies were achieved by increasing the MF up to 0.5T and reduced at 0.7T for the compositions x = 0.10 in both Ce and Tb substituted BFO. Further, mineralization efficiencies of PR, reproducibility of MF-assisted photocatalysis, stability and recyclability of BFO: RE nanostructures were also tested.     

重组质粒的快速酚筛法的改进

介绍一种重组质粒的粗筛技术，该法简便，快速，经济、有效、特别适用于单酶切，钝端连接及T－载体连接的重组质粒。     

Pilonidal Sinus Treated With Crystallized Phenol:

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to determine the impact of crystallized phenol on the outpatient treatment of pilonidal disease.PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was undertaken of patients seen in the outpatient surgery clinic of the University Hospital, Elazg, Turkey. Age, gender, body mass index, characteristics of sinuses at initial presentation, and the recovery time of 41 patients were analyzed. The relationship between recovery time and the number of sinus openings, presence of abscess, and status of the sinuses (acute vs. chronic) were noted.RESULTS Crystallized phenol was applied a total of 107 times on 41 patients. Seventy percent of the patients had two to three applications. Mean recovery time was 42.7 (± standard deviation of 24) days with a range of 13 to 120 days. Recurrences were observed in only two patients at the fifth and eighth months following recovery. The success rate was 95.1 percent. Median follow-up was 24 (range, 6–98) months. The status of sinuses (acute vs. chronic and presence or absence of abscess) and the number of sinus opening had no effect on recovery time (P > 0.005).CONCLUSION Crystallized phenol treatment is a simple and inexpensive method that can be readily applied on an outpatient basis, decreasing both the recurrence rate and lost work time. We suggest that this method be considered the first-line treatment of any type of pilonidal sinus.     

The Distribution of Helicobacter pylori in Human Gastric Mucosa in vivo

Abstract: To estimate the distribution of Helicobacter pylori in human gastric mucosa in vivo, the phenol red dye spraying endoscopy lias been successfully developed and is performed after an oral and/or intravenous premedication of famotidine 20mg. This technique was conducted on 25 patients with chronic, atrophic gastritis, on 21 patients with a gastric ulcer and on 14 patients with duodenal ulcers. The red color changes which occurred on the gastric mucosa were classified into three types; the diffuse staining type, the regional staining type and the patchy staining type. In the chronic gastritis group, the diffuse staining type, the regional staining type and the patchy staining type occurred in 11 patients (44%), 7 patients (28%) and 2 patients (8%), respectively. The remainder of the patients' mucosa was unstained. In addition, the regional staining type occurred most frequently in the gastric ulcer group, while the diffuse staining type was dominant in the duodenal ulcer group. Notably, a recurrent and intractable ulcer was surrounded by regional staining fields in the stomach, and showed a diffuse staining at the antrum of the duodenum. These facts suggest that Helicobacter pylori prevented ulcer healing. This concurs with the results of our previous experimental study which found that the low concentration NH₃ solution, produced by Helicobacter pylori, prevented an acetic acid ulcer healing in rats and resulted from the suppression of the cell kinetics of the regenerative epithelial cells and the fibroblasts in the connective tissues at the ulcer margins.     

Skin reactions to primary irritants *

250 patients with dermatitis, and two groups of 70 and 30 healthy subjects were tested for their reactions to irritants following the procedures of Bjornberg. The same group of irritants was used. Although the test subjects were working in different conditions and the methods for evaluating the results were slightly different. Bjornberg's important conclusion “that it is not possible to predict the strength of the reaction to one irritant by knowing the strength of the reaction to another irritant” was confirmed.