Assessment of body composition measured by bioelectrical impedance in children

Bioelectorical impedance methods have been found to be a valid and reliable way of estimating per cent body fat (%BF) in adults. We applied them to healthy children and compared them with conventional anthropometry methods. One thousand two hundred and sixteen children participated in this study. Impedance and skinfold thickness were measured, and %BF was estimated using these values. Bodyweight and height were measured, and per cent obesity (%OB) and body mass index (BMI) were obtained. The values of %BF by the bioelectrical impedance method (%BFi) were 8.6 ± 4.0% in the junior male group, 14.2±2.8% in the junior female group, 7.9±4.7% in the senior male group and 16.1 ±2.9% in the senior female group. The % BFi correlated strongly with skinfold thickness, %OB and BMI. Thus %BFi correlated strongly with variables from conventional methods. It was concluded that it is a reliable way of assessing lipid storage in children.     

An Attempt to Assess the Replacement Dose of Human Growth Hormone in the Treatment of Growth Hormone Deficient Children

Hibi, I., Tanaka, T., Yano, H., Umezawa, S., Kagawa, J., Tanae, A. and Ishikawa, E. (National Children's Medical Research Center, Tokyo, the National Children's Hospital, Tokyo and the Department of Biochemistry, Miyazaki Medical College, Miyazaki, Japan). Acta Paediatr Scand [Suppl] 337:87, 1987.
In 25 patients with hGH deficiency, who had been treated long-term with hGH, the mode of hGH administration was switched from the conventional method (0.3–0.5 IU/kg/week, in two or three divided doses, intramuscularly) to daily subcutaneous injection at 1900–2100 hours with a dose of 0.46 ± 0.07 IU/kg/week (equivalent to 14.7 ± 2.0 IU/m²/week). After 1–3 months of this new mode of hGH administration, blood and urine were sampled at 0900 hours after overnight fasting. Blood glucose, plasma insulin, plasma IGF-1 and plasma total IGF (after extraction) were analysed in blood samples. IGF-1 and hGH were measured in urine samples. These measurements indicated that the dose studied was close to a replacement one, but might be slightly higher than the exact replacement dose.     

Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita with oesophageal stenosis

Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) is a rare acquired subepidermal blistering disorder associated with autoimmunity to type VII collagen. Although the full clinical spectrum of EBA is still being defined, it is now known that EBA has greater clinical heterogeneity than previously suggested. We describe a patient with EBA which closely approximated the severity of the recessive form of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa.     

Inhibitory Effects of Daunorubicin on Endothelium-dependent Vasorelaxing Response to Acetylcholine of Rat Aorta

Abstract— The effect of daunorubicin on the endothelium-dependent vasorelaxing response to acetylcholine was investigated using rat isolated aorta and compared with the effect of aclarubicin. Treatment of aortic strips with daunorubicin (20 μM) significantly attenuated the relaxing response to acetylcholine in the absence of tetraethylammonium, but not in its presence. Pretreatment with daunorubicin at a higher concentration (50 μM) or with aclarubicin (20 μM) strongly attenuated the relaxing response to acetylcholine; this attenuation was unaffected by the presence of tetraethylammonium. The increase in aortic cGMP in response to acetylcholine was also significantly suppressed by pretreatment with 50 μM daunorubicin or 20 μM aclarubicin, but not by treatment with 20 μM daunorubicin. The inhibitory effect of 20 μM aclarubicin on the acetylcholine-induced responses was stronger than that of 50 μM daunorubicin. Even in strips pretreated with both 50 μM daunorubicin and 20 μM aclarubicin, relaxation induced by 0·1 μM sodium nitroprusside was retained. These results suggest that daunorubicin at 20 μM inhibits the endothelium-dependent vasorelaxing response to acetylcholine via a mechanism other than the nitric oxide-mediated pathway, whilst at 50 μM, it inhibits the nitric oxide-mediated vasorelaxation.     

Long-Term Results of Cryoablation with a New Cryoprobe to Eliminate Chronic Atrial Fibrillation Associated with Mitral Valve Disease

The purpose of this study was to examine the performance of a new cryoprobe in the treatment of chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) associated with mitral valve disease. The study included 66 patients undergoing mitral valve replacement. The mean AF duration was 9.0 ± 9.0 years and mean left atrial (LA) was diameter 57 ± 10 mm. Cryoablation (−60°C) was applied to four pulmonary vein (PV) orifices over 2–3 minute. The spherical tip (2-cm in diameter) of the cryoprobe is capable of ablating the left atrium near the PV, as well as the PV ostium with a single cryoablation. After cryoablation, mitral valve surgery or a combined surgical procedure were performed in 66 patients. There were no intraoperative complications. Sinus rhythm was restored in 60 patients (91%) immediately after the operation. Recurrent AF was treated with antiarrhythmic drugs and/or direct current cardioversion in 43 patients (72%). At discharge, 48 patients (72%) were in sinus rhythm. During a mean follow-up period of 31 ± 16 months, 40 patients (61%) were in sinus rhythm with (29) or without antiarrhythmic drugs (11). In patients in sinus rhythm at the end of the follow-up period, the duration of preoperative AF duration was significantly shorter (P < 0.05) and the preoperative LA diameter and cardiothoracic ratio were significantly smaller than in patients who were in AF (both for P < 0.005). Using this new cryoprobe, sinus rhythm was restored and maintained in 61% of patients with chronic AF and mitral valve disease with a 12–15 minute cryoablation procedure.     

Biopharmaceutics: Enhanced Absorption of Calcium after Oral Administration of Maltitol in the Rat Intestine

The enhancing effects of maltitol (α-D-glucopyranosyl-1,4-sorbitol) on absorption of calcium by the rat intestine have been studied by use of [⁴⁵Ca]CaCl₂ in-vivo. After intragastric administration of [⁴⁵Ca]CaCl₂ solution with maltitol, plasma ⁴⁵Ca concentration remained at the maximum level for more than 80 min, whereas for animals given [⁴⁵Ca]CaCl₂ solution without maltitol, plasma ⁴⁵Ca concentration declined sharply after the peak. Determination of ⁴⁵Ca radioactivity remaining in the various segments of the gastrointestinal tract revealed that administration of maltitol elicited slower gastric emptying and slower intestinal transit, resulting in extensive ⁴⁵Ca distribution along the small intestine throughout the experimental period. The luminal contents of the small intestine were significantly higher in rats given maltitol than in the control group. These results suggest that the enhancing action of maltitol on intestinal calcium absorption could be attributed to reduced gastrointestinal calcium transit and increased luminal fluid content, presumably because of the osmotic activity of maltitol; this would not only accelerate the dissolution of calcium into the increased luminal contents, but also enable a larger area of the small intestine to absorb calcium for a longer period of time.     

Effects of the curly tail genotype on neuroepithelial integrity and cell proliferation during late stages of primary neurulation

The curly tail (ct/ct) mouse mutant shows a high frequency of delay or failure of neural tube closure, and is a good model for human neural tube defects, particularly spina bifida. In a previous study we defined distinct domains of gene expression in the caudal region of non‐mutant embryos during posterior (caudal) neuropore closure (Gofflot et al. Developmental Dynamics 210 , 431–445, 1997). Here we use BrdU incorporation into S‐phase nuclei to investigate the relationship between cell proliferation and the previously described gene expression domains in ct/ct mutant embryos. The BrdU‐immunostained sections were also examined for abnormalities of tissue structure; immunohistochemical detection of perlecan (an extracellular heparan sulphate proteoglycan) was used as an indicator of neuroepithelial basement membrane structure and function. Quantitation of BrdU uptake revealed that at early stages of neurulation, cell proliferation was specifically reduced in the paraxial mesoderm of all ct/ct embryos compared with wild type controls, but at later stages (more cranial levels) it was increased. Those ct/ct embryos with enlarged posterior neuropore (indicating delay of closure) additionally showed an increased BrdU labelling index within the open neuroepithelium at all axial levels; however, this tissue was highly abnormal with respect to cell and nuclear morphology. It showed cell death and loss of cells from the apical surface, basement membrane defects including increased perlecan immunoreactivity, and increased separation from the underlying mesenchyme and notochord. These observations suggest that the mechanism of delay or failure of neuroepithelial curvature that leads to neural tube defects in curly tail embryos involves abnormalities of neuroepithelial‐mesenchymal interactions that may be initiated by abnormal cellular function within the neuroepithelium. Minor histological and proliferation abnormalities are present in all ct/ct embryos, regardless of phenotype.     

大肠癌组织中PDCD4表达的临床病理学意义及其对预后的影响

目的检测肿瘤抑制基因PDCD4在大肠癌组织中的表达,探讨其在大肠癌发生发展中的作用及对预后的影响。方法应用western印迹分析和免疫组织化学染色方法,检测了大肠癌及癌旁的正常组织中PDCD4的表达,观察其与大肠癌患者临床病理学参数之间的关系,并分析其对预后的影响。结果Western印迹分析和免疫组化染色均显示,与癌旁的正常大肠组织相比,癌组织中PDCD4的表达明显下降。免疫组化染色显示,在65例大肠癌组织中,高、中、低分化腺癌分别占49.2%（32/65）、33.9%（22/65）和16.9%（11/65）。在高、中、低分化腺癌中,PDCD4（＋）表达率分别为81.3%（26/32）、50.0%（11/22）和18.2%（2/11）。相关分析显示,PDCD4的表达水平与大肠癌的程度密切相关,分化越差,表达越低。Kaplan-Meier生存分析显示,PDCD4的表达水平与预后有关,PDCD4阴性者预后差。应用Cox比例风险模型进行多因素分析,结果显示,本组资料中,Dukes分期、PDCD4表达水平以及术后是否进行化疗影响大肠癌的预后。结论本研究显示,大肠癌组织中PDCD4的表达下降,并与肿瘤的分化程度和不良预后相关。作为一种肿瘤抑制基因,PDCD4可能在大肠癌的发生发展中起重要作用。PDCD4还可能作为有效的预后因子,有助于判断预后。     

Preschool sarcoidosis mimicking juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: The significance of gallium scintigraphy and skin biopsy in the differential diagnosis

Preschool sarcoidosis occurring in children less than 6 years old is rare and characterized by the triad of skin, joint and eye manifestations without any pulmonary lesion. Because of similar clinical manifestations, the diagnosis of preschool sarcoidosis and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) is confusing. A girl with preschool sarcoidosis, initially diagnosed and treated as having JRA, is reported here. Ophthalmologic examinations revealed posterior involvement of the eye. A gallium scintigram of the head showed panda appearance. Biopsy of the cutaneous lesion demonstrated non-caseating granuloma. Gallium scanning may be an important clue to correct diagnosis.