Primary tuberculous nasal polypi—A case report

Primary tuberculous pathology in nasolpolypi is a rare condition. A case of bilateral ethmoidal polypi with tubercular lesion diagnosed on histopathologlcal examination is being reported and the available relevant literature has been reviewed.     

糖化血清蛋白测定对糖尿病监控临床意义的探讨

目的：对临床确诊糖尿病患同时测定血清葡萄糖(Glu)及糖化血清蛋白(GSP)的含量，观察二的关系，以及糖化血清蛋白水平对于评价近期(2—3周)糖尿病患血糖在体内变化的临床意义进行了观察。方法：血清葡萄糖、糖化血清蛋白测定均采用酶法测定。结果：178例糖尿病患Glu、GSP均正常3l例占17．4％；Glu、GSP均增高107例占60．1％；Glu正常、GSP增高15例占8．43％；Glu增高、GSP正常25例占14％。结论：糖化血清蛋白的含量不受即时血糖的影响，二的变化不成比例性，对评价糖尿病患2～3周病情的控制是一项灵敏可靠的指标，尤其对于住院病人的治疗与监控有一定的意义。     

An in vitro study of polymorphonuclear leucocyte-mediated injury to human gingival keratinocytes by periodontopathic bacterial extracts

Human gingival keratinocytes were cultured and, after the first passage, subjected to cell detachment assays with polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNs) and/or sonic extracts from Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans Y4, and Eikenella corrodens 1073. The effector-to-target cell ratio was 30:1. Bacterial extracts alone caused no disruption of keratinocyte monolayers. PMNs alone also caused only minimal detachment after 14 h incubation. Adding A. actinomycetemcomitans to the PMN-keratinocyte co-cultures at the concentration of 100 μg/ml caused dramatic cell detachment. The effect of A. actinomycetemcomitans was heat labile and not inhibited by polymyxin B. Cell detachment was inhibited by α₁-antitrypsin, whereas catalase and Superoxide dismutase could not prevent it. No lysis of keratinocytes was observed after incubation, as judged by ⁵¹Cr release. E. corrodens had little effect even at the concentration of 1000 μg/ml. H₂O₂ and partially purified PMN elastase also caused detachment of keratinocytes. These data indicate that PMNs can cause non-lytic detachment of keratinocytes when interacting with certain bacteria.     

Identification of non-amplifying CYP21 genes when using PCR-based diagnosis of 21-hydroxylase deficiency in congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) affected pedigrees

Steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency is among the most common inborn errors of metabolism in man. Characterization of mutations in the 21- hydroxylase gene (CYP21) has permitted genetic diagnosis, facilitated by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The most common mutation is conversion of an A or C at nt656 to a G in the second intron causing aberrant splicing of mRNA. Homozygosity for nt656G is associated with profoundly deficient adrenal cortisol and aldosterone synthesis, secondary hypersecretion of adrenal androgens, and a severe form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) characterized by ambiguous genitalia and/or sodium wasting in newborns. During the course of genetic analysis of CYP21 mutations in CAH families, we and others have noticed a number of relatives genotyped as nt656G homozygotes, yet showing no clinical signs of disease. A number of lines of evidence have led us to propose that the putative asymptomatic nt656G/G individuals are incorrectly typed due to dropout of one haplotype during PCR amplification of CYP21. For prenatal diagnosis, we recommend that microsatellite typing be used as a supplement to CYP21 genotyping in order to resolve ambiguities at nt656.      

Interaction of Inflammatory Cells and Oral Microorganisms VII. In Vitro Polymorphonuclear Responses to Viable Bacteria and to Subcellular Components of Avirulent and Virulent Strains of Actinomyces viscosus

Both virulent (V) and avirulent (AV) strains of Actinomyces viscosus T14 are capable of colonizing the oral cavity of gnotobiotic rats, but only T14-V causes destructive periodontal disease. The basis for this difference in in vivo pathogenicity has not been adequately defined. In the present study we compared the capacities of T14-AV and T14-V to provoke in vitro extracellular release of lysosomal constituents from human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). In serum-free cultures, viable T14-V but not T14-AV stimulated discharge of PMN lysosomes. The release response was correlated with PMN phagocytic activity; thus, PMNs readily ingested T14-V but not T14-AV. To explain these differences in PMN-bacteria interactions, subcellular fractions of T14-AV or T14-V were incubated with PMNs. A crude, insoluble sonic extract derived from T14-V caused PMN lysosome release, but a similar fraction from T14-AV was inactive. However, following extensive washing and treatment with deoxyribonuclease or sodium dodecyl sulfate, cell wall fractions of T14-AV stimulated lysosome release. These procedures apparently removed an extracellular polysaccharide slime which is synthesized by T14-AV but not by T14-V. There was a significant reduction in the capacities of viable T14-V or cell wall fractions of T14-V or T14-AV to provoke PMN lysosome release when these agents were preincubated with a slime material isolated from T14-AV. This inhibitory influence of slime was overcome by the addition of fresh or heated (56°C, 30 min) serum to the PMN-bacteria cultures. The data suggest a relationship between the abilities of the avirulent and virulent strains of A. viscosus T14 to act as periodontal pathogens in vivo and to serve as stimuli for PMN lysosome release in vitro.