Electrophysiological Demonstration of Anterograde Concealed Conduction in Accessory Atrioventricular Pathways Capable Only of Retrograde Conduction

Anterograde concealed conduction into the concealed accessory atrioventricular (AV) pathway has been postulated to be one of the factors preventing the reciprocating process via the accessory pathway in patients with the concealed Wolff-Parkinson-White(WPW) syndrome but its presence has not been documented. To demonstrate the occurrence of anterograde concealment, 12 patients with the concealed WPW syndrome were selected for study. A pacing protocol was designed in which the retrograde conduction of the ventricular extrastimulus over the accessory pathway was assessed during ventricular pacing aione (conventional method) and during the AV simultaneous pacing (simultaneous method); the results were then compared. When the high right atrium was simultaneously paced, the effective refractory period of the concealed accessory pathway shortened as compared with the conventional method in five of 12 patients (from 341.7 ± 110.8 to 312.5 ± 108.2 msec, n = 12), whereas, it decreased in all patients studied when the coronary sinus near the accessory pathway was simultaneously paced (from 375.7 ± 135.0 to 287. ± 116.1 msec, n = 7). These results demonstrate that the AV simultaneous pacing frequently shortens the refractoriness of the concealed accessory AV pathway and such facilitation seems to he well explained by the probable anterograde concealment in it and peeling back of the refractory barrier.     

Experience of the treatment with gemcitabine, docetaxel, and carboplatin (GDC) chemotherapy for patients with small-cell carcinoma of the prostate

Small-cell carcinoma of the prostate (SCCP) is a rare entity. Many treatment modalities have been done, but thus far no uniform treatment has been clearly established. We carried out combination chemotherapy with gemcitabine, docetaxel, and carboplatin (GDC) regimen (for two patients with refractory SCCP. Case 1 involved a 53-year-old man diagnosed with SCCP after receiving hormone therapy for prostate cancer (stage D1). Six cycles of GDC chemotherapy was applied. Initially the primary site reduced according with a decline of neuro-specific enolase and with relief of the symptoms; however, bone disease occurred and he died of cancer 13 months after diagnosis of SCCP. Case 2 involved a 69-year-old man complaining of severe anal pain. He underwent a biopsy and a huge prostate tumor showing SCCP was showed. He had pelvic node metastases but no distant lesions, and received four cycles of GDC chemotherapy. He was discharged after receiving subsequent radiotherapy and remained stable for a while; however, he died of possible drug-induced hepatitis. This is the first report of chemotherapy with GDC against patients with SCCP. This regimen raised the possibility that it would intensify the outcome, which had been poorly achieved.     

Influence of Early Coronary Reperfusion on QT Interval Dispersion After Acute Myocardial Infarction

We studied the influence of early coronary reperfusion on QT interval dispersion in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI). Tbere were 54 males and 18 females witb a mean age of 60 ± 10 years. Of the 51 patients with recanalization of the infarct related vessel in the recovery phase, 28 (group A) had early coronary reperfusion (5.5 ± 2.7 bours), 23 other patients (group B) were not confirmed with early coronary reperfusion. Twenty-one patients (group C) did not undergo recanalization of the infarct related vessel in the recovery phase. Corrected QT (QT_c) maximum, QT_c minimum, and QT_C dispersion calculated as tbe difference between the maximum and minimum QT_c intervals, were compared among these three groups at both acute and recovery phase. At the acute phase after MI, there were no significant differences in the QT_c maximum, QT_c minimum, QT dispersion, and QT_c dispersion among these three groups. At the recovery phase after MI, there were also no significant differences in the QTc maximum and QTc minimum. However, there were significant differences in the QT dispersion (0.035 ± 0.010 in group A, 0.049 ± 0.015 in group B, and 0.061 ± 0.031 s in group C, respectively; P = 0.0001), and QT_c dispersion (0.038 ± 0.012 in group A, 0.050 ± 0.015 in group B, and 0.063 ± 0.032 s in group C, respectively; P = 0.0003) among the three groups. Comparison of QT_c dispersion between acute and recovery phase revealed significant reduction from acute to recovery phase in group A. The number of premature ventricular contraction was lower in groups A and B than group C. In summary, early coronary reperfusion may reduce electrophysiological instability by reducing QT dispersion in the recovery phase after acute MI.     

Immunohistochemical staining of renal biopsy samples in patients with diabetic nephropathy in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus using monoclonal antibody to advanced glycation end products

Summary: Immunohistochemical staining of glomeruli in patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN) in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) using the monoclonal anti-advanced glycation end products (AGE) antibody is described. In order to detect the localization of AGE in human renal tissues, we performed immunohistochemical staining using the monoclonal anti-AGE antibody in the glomeruli of 11 patients with DN and 11 age-matched patients with diffuse mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis without IgA deposition (DPGN) as controls.
Emergence of AGE in the mesangial area was more marked in the glomeruli of patients with severe mesangial expansion than in those with mild expansion. AGE in the extraglomerular arteriolar walls was also observed. In contrast, there was no positive staining using the same antibody in renal tissue obtained from DPGN.
These data support the concept that deposition and/or formation of AGE in the mesangial area might be associated with the progression of diabetic nephropathy.