PSEUDOHYPERPHOSPHATAEMIA AND MONOCLONAL GAMMOPATHY

SUMMARY A case is reported of pseudohyperphosphataemia in association with a monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance.     

Comparative efficacy of Hanifin and Rajka''s criteria and the UK working party''s diagnostic criteria in diagnosis of atopic dermatitis in a hospital setting in North India

BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of atopic dermatitis (AD) depends on clinical features because no definitive diagnostic test exists. Criteria proposed by Hanifin and Rajka (Acta Derm Venereol (Stockh) 1980; Suppl 92: 44-47) were acceptable for hospital-based studies but were found not to be suitable for field studies. A UK working party formulated clinical diagnostic criteria that could be used in both hospital and epidemiological settings. Validation studies of the criteria showed widely variable results, probably due to different clinical settings and ethnicity. AIM AND OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to validate Hanifin and Rajka's criteria and to assess the comparative efficacy of their criteria and the UK working party's diagnostic criteria in the diagnosis of AD in a hospital setting in North India. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This study serially included 101 patients with AD and 48 controls of paediatric age group. The study period was from July 2003 to December 2004. RESULTS: Hanifin and Rajka's criteria (sensitivity 96%, specificity 93.75%, positive predictive value 97% (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) 91.84%) had a statistical advantage over the UK working party's diagnostic criteria (sensitivity 86%, specificity 95.83%, PPV 97.75% and NPV 76.67%), with a P-value < 0.005.     

Relation between magnesium and potassium concentrations in myocardium, skeletal muscle, and mononuclear blood cells.

Potassium and magnesium were measured in 26 cardiac surgery patients (right atrial appendage), 23 autopsy subjects (right atrial appendage, left ventricular free wall, and skeletal muscle), and 9 healthy volunteers (mononuclear blood cells) to determine whether there was a relation between these two ions in the tissues measured. In the cardiac surgery patients, the potassium and magnesium concentrations were 46.35 +/- 3.89 and 4.40 +/- 0.58 (mean +/- SD, mumol/g wet weight tissue), respectively, and were significantly correlated (r = 0.54, P = 0.005). In the autopsy group, the respective concentrations were: for right atrial appendage, 30.54 +/- 10.18 and 3.66 +/- 0.70 mumol/g (r = 0.38, P = 0.14); left ventricular free wall, 60.69 +/- 17.93 and 7.74 +/- 1.73 mumol/g (r = 0.92, P = 0.0001); and skeletal muscle, 93.05 +/- 20.49 and 8.64 +/- 2.06 mumol/g (r = 0.91, P = 0.0001). In the healthy volunteer group, the results for potassium and magnesium in mononuclear blood cells were 42 +/- 9.9 and 3.99 +/- 0.70 fmol/cell, respectively (r = 0.94, P = 0.0001). Thus, potassium and magnesium concentrations were significantly correlated in all the tissues measured.     

IMPOTENCE AND ITS NON-SURGICAL MANAGEMENT

SUMMARY Impotence is a common symptom which can cause considerable distress to both the sufferer and his partner. The use of pharmacotherapy to improve erectile function will continue to increase as safe and effective drugs are developed. However, restoring erectile function should not be the only treatment objective. It is also essential to address personal and emotional factors in the sufferer, conflicts in his relationship with his partner, and sexual problems in his partner, all of which may be instrumental in causing or maintaining the presenting impotence. We advocate a combined approach with appropriate medical treatment and sex and couple therapy     

Action of 2-hydroxy-4,6-dimethoxyacetophenone isolated from Sebastiania schottiana

The inhibitory action of the major constituent of Sebastiania schottiana (Euphorbiaceae), 2-hydroxy-4,6-dimethoxyacetophenone (xanthoxyline) on contractions induced by agonists and electrical stimulation of smooth and cardiac muscle preparations was analysed. Xanthoxyline (30 to 300 microM) inhibited contractions of the rat uterus, guinea-pig ileum, and urinary bladder induced by several agonists in a non-competitive, non-selective, concentration-related manner, with the IC50's ranging between 47 and 190 microM. Twitches evoked by electrical-stimulation of strips of guinea-pig longitudinal ileum, urinary bladder, dog ureter, and rat left atrium were also inhibited dose-dependently by cumulative additions of xanthoxyline (IC50's between 50 and 480 microM). Xanthoxyline was found to be a potent inhibitor of spontaneous contractions of the circular smooth muscle layer of the dog ureter, yielding an IC50 of 54 microM. Repeated washing of all preparations completely reversed the inhibitory effects of xanthoxyline. Therefore, it appears that xanthoxyline induces a direct and non-selective inhibition of contractions triggered by agonists or electrical stimulation of smooth and cardiac muscle preparations. The elucidation of the mechanism(s) by which xanthoxyline induced muscle relaxation requires further investigations.