Using polymerase chain reaction to human papillomavirus in oral and pharyngolaryngeal carcinomas

Purpose: Increasingly, evidence has shown that human papillomavirus (HPV) plays a role in the induction of certain carcinomas. The presence of HPV sequences in 56 previously untreated oral and pharyngolaryngeal carcinomas was examined by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR).Materials and Methods: After DNA extraction, samples underwent 40 replication cycles with specific oligonucleotide primers corresponding to sequences from the E6 open-reading frame of HPV-6b, HPV-16, and HPV-18. To determine the E6 genomic integration, positive samples were processed with specific primers for the corresponding HPV L1 genes. Genomic HPV DNA cloned into PBR 322 was used as positive control.Results: HPV E6 DNA of the 6b and 16 types was detected in 14 patients (25%). The L1 gene was not present.Conclusion: Detected HPV E6 DNA might be integrated into the cell genome in the positive cases as indicated by the absence of the L1 gene-coding for the viral capside. Histological and clinical parameters, such as tumor location, degree of differentiation, stage, recurrence, and survival rates, were unrelated to the presence of HPV.     

319例352眼眼外伤疗效观察

采用综合治疗，抗炎，散瞳，局部治疗与全身应用免疫抑制疗法，治疗３１９例３５２眼外伤获得了满意的疗效，眼球挫伤１０４例，眼球穿孔伤９３例，化学烧伤７１例，眼炸伤４６例。眼热烧伤５例，治疗包括及时清创胶粘或缝合，清除前房出血合理用皮质类固醇和免疫抑制剂等。眼球挫伤治愈率９７．１２％，穿透伤９３．１８％，热烧伤６６．６７％。３１９例眼外伤治愈率９４．６７％好转５．３３％，并对各种治疗方法进行了讨论。     

Retrorenal colon: implications for percutaneous diskectomy

It has been recommended that computed tomography (CT) with the patient prone be performed in every patient undergoing percutaneous diskectomy; this would enable detection of a retrorenal location of the colon, which could interfere with the percutaneous procedure. In this evaluation of 346 prone CT studies, only one patient (0.29%) was found to have retrorenal or retropsoas bowel that would have been perforated at diskectomy. Because of this extremely low prevalence, the performance of prone CT in every patient undergoing percutaneous lumbar diskectomy is not believed to be necessary.     

Kaposi's sarcoma tumor cells preferentially express Bcl-xL.

Several recently identified proteins such as Bcl-2 and Bcl-x have been found to regulate programmed cell death (i.e., apoptosis). In this report, we examined the levels of expression of proteins that can either prevent apoptosis (i.e., Bcl-2 or the long form of Bcl-x, designated Bcl-x1) or promote apoptosis (i.e., Bax or the short form of Bcl-x, designated Bcl-xs) in proliferating benign and malignant endothelial cells (ECs). In normal skin with quiescent ECs, no detection by immunohistochemical staining was observed for Bcl-xL, Bcl-xs, or Bcl-2. However, in diseased skin samples that feature a prominent angiogenic response such as in psoriasis or pyogenic granulomas, the proliferating ECs markedly overexpressed Bcl-xL, with little to no Bcl-2. In an acquired-immune-deficiency-syndrome-related neoplasm, Kaposi's sarcoma, the spindle-shaped tumor cells also overexpressed Bcl-xL compared with Bcl-2. These in vivo studies were extended in vitro using cultured ECs and Kaposi's sarcoma tumor cells that were examined by flow cytometry and immunoblot analysis. Both cultured ECs and Kaposi's sarcoma tumor cells express significantly higher levels of Bcl-xL than Bcl-2. Such overexpression of cell survival gene products may contribute to prolonging the longevity of EC-derived cells in several different benign and neoplastic skin disorders that are characterized by a prominent angiogenic tissue response.     

Ultrasound biomicroscopic features of spherophakia

Background: Spherophakia is an uncommon diagnosis. This is the first case report of spherophakia evaluated by ultrasound biomicroscopy.
Methods: Ultrasound biomicroscopy is a new diagnostic technique developed by one of the authors and provides images with microscopic resolution of the anterior segment. A patient with spherophakia was evaluated by ultrasound biomicroscopy (Zeiss-Humphrey, 50MHz) before and after YAG laser iridotomy.
Results: Ultrasound biomicroscopic assessment revealed a shallow anterior chamber, a very steep anterior lens curvature, iridolenticular contact, elongated zonules, and an increased distance between the lens equator and the ciliary processes. Angle closure glaucoma was due to a pupil block mechanism. The pupil block was relieved by YAG laser iridotomy.
Conclusions: Ultrasound biomicroscopy is a useful technique to confirm the diagnosis of spherophakia. The pupil block in spherophakia is relieved by YAG laser iridotomy.     

Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole versus pentamidine for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in AIDS patients: results of a large prospective randomized treatment trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical efficacy and safety of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) with pentamidine in the therapy of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) in patients with AIDS. PATIENTS, PARTICIPANTS: TMP-SMX (TMP, 20 mg/kg/day plus SMX, 100 mg/kg/day) was compared with pentamidine (4 mg/kg/day), both administered intravenously for 21 days in a prospective randomized treatment trial of 163 patients diagnosed with PCP between November 1984 and May 1988. RESULTS: Ninety-two evaluable patients received TMP-SMX as initial therapy; 68 received pentamidine. Failure to complete therapy was common. Of those receiving TMP-SMX, 39 (42%) required change in therapy because of failure to respond, and an additional 31 (34%) because of drug toxicity. This compared with 27 (40%; P = 0.733) and 17 (25%; P = 0.235), respectively, in the pentamidine-treated group. The overall survival rates were similar in the two groups, 62 out of 92 (67%) initially administered TMP-SMX versus 50 out of 68 (74%) initially administered pentamidine (P = 0.402). The survival rates for patients requiring a change in therapy because of failure to respond was 46% (18 out of 39) for the TMP-SMX group compared with 56% (15 out of 27) for the pentamidine group. When a change in therapy was made because of toxicity, survival rates were 97% (30 out of 31) for those receiving TMP-SMX versus 94% (16 out of 17) for those receiving pentamidine. CONCLUSION: TMP-SMX and pentamidine are of equivalent efficacy as initial therapies for PCP in patients with AIDS.     

Angiotensin II receptor expression and inhibition in the chronically hypoxic rat lung.

1. Angiotensin II (AII) binding density and the effect of chronic AII receptor blockade were examined in the rat model of hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension. 2. [125I]-[Sar1,Ile2]AII binding capacity was increased in lung membranes from rats exposed to hypoxia (10% fractional inspired O2) for 7 days compared to normal rats (Bmax 108 +/- 12 vs 77 +/- 3 fmol mg-1 protein; P < 0.05), with no significant change in dissociation constant. Competition with specific AII receptor subtype antagonists demonstrated that AT1 is the predominant subtype in both normal and hypoxic lung. 3. Rats treated intravenously with the AT1 antagonist, GR138950C, 1 mg kg-1 day-1 rather than saline alone during 7 days of exposure to hypoxia developed less pulmonary hypertension (pulmonary arterial pressure: 21.3 +/- 1.7 vs 28.3 +/- 1.1 mmHg; P < 0.05), right ventricular hypertrophy (right/left ventricle weight ratio: 0.35 +/- 0.01 vs 0.45 +/- 0.01; P < 0.05) and pulmonary artery remodelling (abundance of thick-walled pulmonary vessels: 9.6 +/- 1.4% vs 20.1 +/- 0.9%; P < 0.05). 4. The reduction in cardiac hypertrophy and pulmonary remodelling with the AT1 antagonist was greater than that achieved by a dose of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) that produced a comparable attenuation of the rise in pulmonary arterial pressure during hypoxia. 5. The data suggest that AII, via the AT1 receptor, has a role in the early pathogenesis of hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension in the rat.