Gastrointestinal stromal tumor in ileal neobladder

Abstract  Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a recently described mesenchymal tumor that can develop in any portion of the gastrointestinal tract. The occurrence of a GIST in the urinary tract is rare, but GIST can present as tumor of the urinary tract or invade the urinary tract. This is the first reported case of GIST in the ileal neobladder, which presented as a submucosal tumor. The patient underwent an open exploration and partial resection of the neobladder pouch.     

Fontan conversion with arrhythmia surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Hemodynamic abnormalities and refractory atrial arrhythmias in patients late after the Fontan operation result in significant morbidity and mortality. We reviewed our experience with Fontan conversion and concomitant arrhythmia surgery. METHODS: Between January 1996 and February 2004, 16 patients underwent Fontan conversion and arrhythmia surgery. Mean age at the initial Fontan operation was 5.1+/-3.5 (range: 2-15) years and mean age at Fontan conversion was 17.0+/-5.8 (range: 6-30). The initial Fontan operations were atriopulmonary connections in 14 patients, extracardiac lateral tunnel in 1, and intracardiac lateral tunnel in 1. The types of arrhythmia included atrial flutter in 10 patients and atrial fibrillation in 3. Fontan conversion operation was performed with intracardiac lateral tunnel in 5 patients and extracardiac conduit in 11. Arrhythmia surgery included isthmus cryoablation in 10 patients and right-sided maze in 3. RESULTS: There has been no mortality. At Fontan conversion operation, 7 patients required permanent pacemaker. All patients have improved to New York Heart Association class I or II. With a mean follow-up of 26.9+/-30.6 (range:1-87) months, 16 patients had sinus rhythm, 2 patients had transient atrial flutter which was well controlled, and 2 patients required permanent pacemaker during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Fontan conversion with concomitant arrhythmia surgery and permanent pacemaker placement is safe, improves New York Heart Association functional class, and has a low incidence of recurrent arrhythmias. In most patients, concomitant permanent pacemakers are needed.     

Studies on the In-vitro Percutaneous Penetration of Indomethacin from Gel Systems in Hairless Mice

The influence of co-solvents on the in-vitro percutaneous penetration of indomethacin from gel systems was studied using a simplex lattice experimental design. Gel formulations were prepared by gelling the vehicle mixture of water, either alcohol or isopropanol and either propylene glycol or PEG 400 with 1% w/w Carbomer 940. Hairless mouse skin was employed as the barrier in a Franz-type diffusion cell. The penetration rates at steady state for seven formulations were fitted to a polynomial equation based on this simple lattice method and a three-dimensional plot was constructed. The formulation having the maximal penetration rate was determined to be the vehicle with a solvent ratio of water: alcohol: propylene glycol equal to 15:33:52, and which possessed a solubility parameter of 15 and a drug solubility of around 10 mg mL^?1. When the solubility parameter of the vehicle was > 15, the drug solubility increased. However, the penetration rate decreased with an increasing solubility parameter. For those vehicles with a solubility parameter < 15, both the drug solubility and the penetration rate decreased with a decrease in the solubility parameter. There was shown to be an approximately 20-fold increase in the relative enhancement factor when using both alcohol and isopropanol, but only a threefold increase for both propylene glycol and PEG 400, when compared with water.     

Serogroup B meningococcal disease in the Norwegian armed forces: What can we learn from an inconclusive vaccine protection trial?

Military recruits serving in the armed forces were severelyaffected during the latest serogroup B meningococcal epidemicin Norway. The risk of developing systemic meningococcal disease(SMD) proved highest during the first 12 weeks of service. Adouble-blind, placebo-controlled protection trial with a meningococcalouter membrane vesicle vaccine took place between 1988 and 1991,but the number of proven SMD cases was too low to allow forany conclusions. However, the results of a parallel efficacystudy of the same vaccine among students in secondary school,cross-society examinations for asymptomatic throat carriageof meningococci and recent immunogenicity studies after two-and three-dose vaccination schedules, suggest that a basic immunizationof young teenagers followed by a booster injection at enrolmentwould contribute significantly to preventing SMD in the armedforces.     

鹿茸多肽的纯化和鉴定(英文)

应用凝胶过虑和离子交换层析等技术,从鹿茸(pilose antler or Cervus nipponTemminck)中分离纯化出一种多肽(peptide of pilose antler,PAP)。经高效液相色谱和N-末端氨基酸分析鉴定为单一多肽,氨基酸组成分析证明,PAP是由68个氨基酸组成,分子是为7200。药理研究证明,PAP对大鼠角叉菜胶性足肿胀具有明显的抑制作用并呈现良好的量—效关系。     

The interleukin-5 messenger RNA expression in a patient with idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome

Interleukin-5 has a specific role in various eosinophilic activities. It is the predominant cytokine produces by activated T-lymphocytes isolated from patients with idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome. We studied a young patient suffering from idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome who presented with Horner's syndrome, peripheral neuropathy and skin ulcers. The IL-5 gene expression by CD4⁺ T-lymphocytes and the peripheral eosinophil count were raised. The skin ulcers continued to deteriorate despite a swift reduction of the IL-5 gene expression and peripheral eosinophil count following systemic corticosteroid treatment. We suggest that peripheral eosinophilia may not be responsible for the damage in skin lesions and more aggressive treatment may be required.     

Arthritis Susceptibility in Mice Expressing Human Type II Collagen in Cartilage

Collagen type II (CII) induced arthritis (CIA) in mice is an experimental model for rheumatoid arthritis. Induction with non-self (e.g. human) CII induces severe arthritis whereas the mice are less susceptible to induction with self CII (i.e. mouse). To analyse whether an autoimmune response to human CII can develop and is pathogenic the authors have established transgenic mice expressing human CII in cartilage and backcrossed them into two different gene backgrounds susceptible to CIA (DBA/1 and C3H.Q). The transgenic human CII expression was restricted to cartilage and did not disturb cartilage morphology or lead to chondrodystrophy. In addition, development of stress-induced arthritis was not affected by the transgene. The cartilage specific expression of human CII reduced, but did not eliminate, the susceptibility to CIA irrespective of the species source (human, bovine, chick, rat) of CII used for immunization. A common denominator between these heterologous CII in comparison with mouse CII is the previously defined CII 256–270 epitope. An expression level dependent T-cell tolerance was seen in this epitope as well as to the entire CII. However, all human transgenic mouse lines could still mount significant autoreactive T- and B-cell responses. Approximately 10% of the transgenic mice developed arthritis after immunization with human CII. These findings show, therefore, that cartilage-located human CII induce tolerance but can nevertheless be a target for development of arthritis.