Oral tuberculosis associated with a treatment with anti-rheumatic drugs

BACKGROUND: The use of immunosuppressive medication is a dominant risk factor for infection in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methotrexate (MTX) is one of the traditional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Adalimumab [a human anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (anti-TNF-alpha) monoclonal antibody] represent an important advance in the treatment of RA and has been recently come in use. TNF-alpha plays a role in the host defense against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and notably in granuloma formation. Infections occur at a high rate among those who use one or the combination of the two medications. METHOD: We examined a female patient that was referred to our department for evaluation and treatment of a granular lesion on the soft palate and uvula, complaining of mild dysphagia. The patient was treated for 4 months with MTX and adalimumab for RA before the oral lesion appeared. RESULTS: The histopathological examination of a specimen of the oral lesion, taken by biopsy, showed a chronic inflammation characterized by tuberculous granulomas. Polymerase chain reaction test and culture of a new specimen was positive for M. tuberculosis. CONCLUSIONS: The therapeutic use of MTX or/and adalimumab for the treatment of RA or few others diseases, can cause oral tuberculosis.     

Reperfused myocardial infarctions on T1- and susceptibility-enhanced MRI: Evidence for loss of compartmentalization of contrast media

The purpose of this study was to characterize the contrast caused by a susceptibility MRI contrast agents, on spin echo T₂-weighted imaging of reperfused myocardial infarction. Our interest in this model focused on the expected requirement that such agents be compartmentalized in the tissue to cause signal loss on spin echo images, a condition which may not be present in reperfused infarcted myocardium. Accordingly, nine rats were subjected to 2 h of left coronary artery occlusion followed by 3 ± 0.5 h of reperfusion prior to administration of contrast media. Three sets of MR images were acquired: (a) baseline axial images at the midventricle, both T₁-weighted (TR/TE = 300/20) and T₂-weighted (TR/TE = 1500/60); (b) T₁-weighted images after administering a T₁-enhancing agent, Gd-DTPA-BMA (0.2 mmol/kg), to document that contrast media is delivered to the reperfused infarction; and (c) T₂-weighted images after administering the susceptibility agent, Dy-DTPA-BMA (1.0 mmol/kg). Gadolinium-enhanced T₁ images depicted reperfused infarction as regions with greatly enhanced signal intensity compared with unin-farcted myocardium, indicating that contrast agent was delivered to the infarcted zone. Dysprosium-enhanced T₁ images depicted the injury as a region of persistent signal intensity relative to depletion of signal in normal myocardium, consistent with failure of the contrast agent to cause signal loss. Similar infarction sizes were observed for unenhanced T₂-weighted images (33 ± 5%), gadolinium-enhanced T₁ weighted images (36 ± 5%) and postmortem staining (30 ± 6%); strong correlations (r > 0.9) were noted in comparisons of these data. Dysprosium-enhanced images exhibited a smaller region of differential signal presumed to be infarction (20 ± 5%, P < 0.05) and weak correlations (r < 0.75) with the other measurements. We conclude that the smaller infarction depicted on dysprosium-enhanced images is a subregion of the true infarction in which myocardial necrosis is sufficiently advanced that the agent is homogeneously distributed throughout all tissue compartments, preventing T₂*-dependent phase loss on spin echo images.     

Epstein-Barr virus latent and replicative gene expression in oral hairy leukoplakia

Oral hairy leukoplakia is an epithelial lesion of the tongue associated with productive infection by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). However, no data concerning the pattern of EBV latent gene expression have been reported, and it remains unresolved whether true latent infection occurs in basal cell layers of oral hairy leukoplakia. We have studied six cases of oral hairy leukoplakia using monoclonal antibody immunohistology for EBV latent--EB nuclear antigen (EBNA) 1, EBNA 2 and latent membrane protein 1 (LMP 1); immediate-early (BZLF1); and replicative (EA, VCA, MA) proteins, and for the EBV-receptor (CD21 antigen). EBV DNA was demonstrated by nucleic acid in situ hybridization. Mid- to upper-zone keratinocytes contained EBV DNA and co-expressed EBNA 1, EBNA 2 (5 of 6 cases), LMP 1, BZLF1 protein, EA, VCA and MA. No EBV genome or gene expression could be demonstrated in basal or parabasal cells. Spinous keratinocytes were labelled by anti-CD21 antibodies HB5 and B2, but did not express the EBV-receptor as defined by reactivity with OKB7. The co-expression of latent and replicative infection-associated antigens is striking, indicating possible functional roles for latent proteins during the productive cycle. Our results suggest that oral hairy leukoplakia is caused by repeated direct infection of upper epithelial cells with virus from saliva or adjacent replicatively infected cells, rather than by a latent EBV infection of basal epithelial cells with a differentiation-dependent switch to productive infection as previously proposed.     

Oral function in patients wearing fixed prosthesis on osseointegrated implants in the maxilla: 3-year follow-up study

Seventeen consecutive selected patients rehabilitated by means of a full maxillary bridge on osseointegrated implants ad modem Brånemark were evaluated over a 3-yr period. Besides a subjective evaluation by means of a questionnaire an examination of the occlusal relationship, chewing force, chewing efficiency and interocclusal threshold level was performed before, immediately after, 3–6 months after, and finally 3 yr after bridge installation. All subjects were very pleased with the oral rehabilitation. The chewing force and the chewing efficiency development increased over time, while the threshold level for interocclusal detection remained unchanged. The clinical dysfunction index according to Helkimo indicated that there was no marked change in signs of dysfunction of the patients' masticatory systems during the observation period. From the present longitudinal investigation one can conclude that the replacement of a full maxillary denture with a fixed prosthesis on osseointegrated implants, facing a natural dentition or an osseointegrated implant supported bridge in the opposite jaw, leads to a progressive increase of chewing efficiency and chewing force, and a constant subjective improvement of jaw function, while no masticatory dysfunction seems to occur during the observation period.     

传染性非典型肺炎患者泪液和血液中特异性抗体检测的对比研究

目的：通过传染性非典型肺炎(SARS)患者泪液病毒特异性抗体的检测，寻找SARS病毒是否通过泪液或眼结膜传播的理论依据，了解泪液和血液中SARS病毒特异性抗体检测结果的一致性程度。方法：用酶联免疫吸附法(ELISA)检测18例不同病程的SARS患者泪波及血清SARS病毒特异性抗体。结果：18例SARS患者泪液中的特异性IgM类和IgG类抗体均为阴性，而同组患者有13例其血液中的特异性IgM类和IgG类抗体呈阳性。结论：SARS病毒可能不通过泪液或结膜传播。     

联合应用口服水剂和水灌肠肠道充盈法的MSCT研究

目的：评价口服水剂、水灌肠及两者联合应用充盈肠道后,使用MSCT显示成人正常肠道的能力。材料和方法：将43名非肠道病变志愿者分别采用口服水剂法(21例)、水灌肠法(12例)、双重法(口服水剂和水灌肠联合应用,10例)充盈肠道,然后行MSCT平扫和增强扫描并进行图像重建,对小肠和大肠各肠段充盈状态进行评价。结果：口服水剂法回肠充盈良好,水灌肠法大肠充盈良好,双重法回肠及大肠均充盈良好。口服水剂法小肠充盈优于水灌肠法,与双重法无显著差异,大肠充盈状态水灌肠法明显优于口服水剂法,与双重法无显著差异。结论：口服水剂和水灌肠联合应用可以在MSCT同时较好地充盈显示小肠和大肠,而两种方法单独使用则仅能分别充盈显示小肠和大肠,需要根据显示目的选择相应的充盈方法。     

Amiodarone-induced experimental acute neuropathy in rats.

Amiodarone was injected endoneurially at increasing doses into the exposed tibial nerve of rats to study its electrophysiologic and pathologic effects on peripheral nerve fibers. Forty-five male Wistar rats were used, and each of the following concentrations was injected into 15 nerves: 25 micrograms/mL, 50 micrograms/mL, and 100 micrograms/mL. Microinjection of a 25 micrograms/mL concentration of amiodarone resulted in a subacute, incomplete conduction block evident at day 3 postinjection. This conduction block remained stable until day 10 and recovery was complete at day 35. Microinjection of a 50 micrograms/mL concentration of amiodarone produced a faster evolving conduction block, and significant axon degeneration (approximately 40% of fibers). Injection of a 100 micrograms/mL concentration resulted in severe acute motor axon degeneration followed by complete but delayed regeneration. Results of morphological studies closely correlated with electrophysiological findings. Amiodarone thus seems to have a direct toxic effect on axons at high concentrations in the peripheral nerve, and we suggest that different pathological changes described in human amiodarone neuropathy could be related to different concentrations of the drug in the nerve, perhaps due to variability of blood-nerve barrier efficacy.     

梅罗综合征和螺旋体感染的关系

用Ｗａｒｔｈｉｎ－Ｓｔａｒｒｙ螺旋体特殊染色法及透射电镜观察，分别在１９例肉芽肿性唇炎和５例梅罗综合征（ＭＲＳ）病人的病变组织内发现有螺旋体存在，并对其在光，电镜下的形态和在病变组织内的分布部位进行了描述。经用大刘量青霉素治疗１１例病人，１０例有效。本结果为ＭＲＳ的发可能和螺旋体感染有关的推测提供了依据。