Skin problems after a tsunami

BACKGROUND: On December 26, 2004, the biggest earthquake for 40 years, measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale, triggered a tsunami that pounded the coastal areas of South Asia and East Africa. The effects of the tsunami on skin conditions have not been evaluated. OBJECTIVE: To determine the influence of the tsunami on skin conditions by evaluating the skin problems of patients presenting at hospitals after the tsunami. METHODS: Between 5 and 25 January 2005, two dermatologists evaluated patients who complained of skin problems at an outpatient clinic and emergency room of a general hospital in Banda Aceh, Aceh Province, Indonesia. RESULTS: The total number of patients that presented during the study period was 235 (131 males and 104 females), and they had a total of 265 skin problems. In terms of age distribution, most subjects were in their fourth decade (23.0%), followed by the third (22.6%) and fifth decade (16.6%). The most prevalent skin problems were infections-infestations (32.5%), followed by eczemas (29.8%) and traumatic skin disorders (29.4%). In males, traumatic skin disorders were most common. The great majority of infection-infestation cases involved superficial fungal infections. Contact dermatitis accounted for three-quarters of eczema cases, and mainly involved the arms (40.0%) and legs (27.1%). The majority of traumatic skin disorders were lacerations, punctures and penetrations, and the feet (44.7%) and hands (18.8%) were most frequently affected. CONCLUSIONS: Unhygienic conditions, exposure to a hazardous environment and contact with various objects during and after the tsunami probably increased the prevalence of infections-infestations, traumatic skin disorders and contact dermatitis. To prevent these problems and associated secondary bacterial infections, health-related education and early medical management are required.     

The in vitro pharmacological profile of KR31080, a nonpeptide AT1 receptor antagonist

Summary— KR31080 (2-butyl-5-methyl-6-(1-oxopyridin-2-yl)-3-[[2'-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl) biphenyl-4-yl]methyl]-3H-imidazo[4,5-b] pyridine) is a potent inhibitor of angiotensin type 1 (AT₁) receptors in rabbit aorta and human recombinant AT₁ receptors. In the isolated rabbit thoracic aorta, KR31080 caused a nonparallel shift to the right of the concentration-response curves to angiotensin II (All) with decreased maximal response (pD'₂ = 10.1 ± 0.1), but had no effect on the contractile response induced by norepinephrine. KR31080 inhibited specific [¹²⁵I]AII binding to rabbit aortic membranes (AT, receptors) and [¹²⁵I][Sar¹, Ile⁸]AII binding to human recombinant AT₁ receptors in a concentration-dependent manner with IC₅₀ values of 0.84 ± 0.08 nM and 1.92 ± 0.15 nM, respectively, but did not inhibit specific [¹²⁵I)AII binding to bovine cerebellum membranes (ÀT₂ receptors). In the Scatchard analysis, KR31080 interacted with rabbit aortic AT₁ receptors in a competitive manner, similar to losartan. These results demonstrate that KR31080 is a potent and AT₁ selective angiotensin receptor antagonist which exerts a competitive antagonism in the [¹²⁵I]AII binding assay and insurmountable AT₁ receptor antagonism in the functional study.     

Overexpression/amplification of HER-2/neu is uncommon in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND： Hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） is one of the most prevalent fatal cancers in the world. Despite advances in early diagnosis and improvements in surgical techniques, the survival of patients with HCC even after resection is poor because of the high incidence of recurrences. Therefore, the identification of prognostic factors may be helpful in the development of new treatment protocols. AIMS： To investigate HER-2/neu status in HCC by immunohistochemistry （IHC） and fluorescence in situ hybridisation （FISH）, and to explore the possibility of using trastuzumab in the treatment of HCC. METH ODS： Eight hundred and sixty eight surgical samples from patients with primary HCC were examined for their HER-2/neu status. IHC for HER-2/neu was performed with the HercepTest kit; FISH analysis was performed with the PathVysion HER-2 DNA probe kit. The correlations between HER-2/neu overexpression and clinicopathological characteristics were analysed statistically. RESULTS： HER-2/neu overexpression was detected in 21 （2.42%） of the 868 primary HCCs. Only one specimen showed HER-2/neu gene amplification by FISH. No significant associations were found between HER-2/neu overexpression and the clinicopathological parameters. CONCLUSIONS： There is a low frequency of HER-2/neu overexpression/amplification in HCC. There appears to be no role for HER-2/neu as a prognostic marker and no benefit of anti-HER-2/neu trastuzumab treatment in patients with HCC.     

Evaluation of four elastomeric interocclusal recording materials

Background: The fabrication of dental prosthesis requires the transfer of interocclusal records from patient's mouth to semiadjustable articulators using different kinds of recording media. Any inaccuracy in these interocclusal records leads to occlusal errors in the final prosthesis. This study was conducted to evaluate the dimensional changes occurring in the interocclusal recording material over a given period of time and the material's resistance to compression during the cast mounting on the articulator.     

LIPOPROTEIN(α) IN HEALTH AND DISEASE

SUMMARY Elevated plasma levels of Lp(a) do seem to influence the progression of atherosclerosis. Evidence is emerging that certain apo(a) isoforms may be more atherogenic than others, and in transgenic mice free apo(a) has been shown to be associated with accelerated atherosclerosis. Currently it is not known whether treating elevated Lp(a) levels will reduce progression of atherosclerosis and, as therapeutic options are limited, mass screening of Lp(a) levels in populations is not indicated. The presence of raised Lp(a) levels, however, warrants aggressive treatment to reduce other cardiovascular risk factors. Continuing research to investigate the relationship of the apo(a) gene to other genes, including the plasminogen gene and apo(a)-related genes, will add further information pertaining to the evolution, function, regulation and clinical implications of Lp(a).     

Competitive binding of 7-substituted-2,3-dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxins with human placental ah receptor--a QSAR analysis

The competitive binding affinities of thirteen 7-substituted-2,3-dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxins to the human placental cytosolic aryl hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor were determined using [3H]2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin as the radioligand. Multiple parameter linear regression analysis of the competitive binding C50 values for these compounds gave the following equation: pEC50 (M) = 6.246 + 1.632 pi - 1.764 sigma 0m + 1.282 HB where pi, sigma m and HB are the physiochemical parameters for substituent lipophilicity, meta-directing electronegativity, and hydrogen bonding capacity respectively. The 7-t-butyl- and 7-phenyl-2,3-dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxins were treated as outliers for the derivation of this equation, and these results suggest that only substituents with van der Waals' volumes less than 40 cm3/mol were accommodated in the receptor binding site. The equations previously derived from the binding of the 7-substituted-2,3-dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxins to the rat, mouse, guinea pig, and hamster hepatic cytosolic receptor were different than the correlation obtained using human placental receptor and provide further evidence for the interspecies differences in the molecular and binding properties of the Ah receptor protein.     

Red cell autoantibody production in utero: a case report

BACKGROUND: Autoantibody production by the fetus is thought to be extremely unlikely. Only one possible case of in utero autoantibody production against red cells by the fetus has previously been described. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A case of apparent red cell IgG autoantibody production in utero is reported. RESULTS: This was established by a positive direct antiglobulin test in a newborn infant without evidence of maternal alloantibodies or autoantibodies. There was no evidence of clinically significant hemolysis at the infant's birth. After 6 weeks, his direct antiglobulin test remained strongly positive. The infant thrived without evidence of hemolysis, and after 6 months the direct antiglobulin test was negative. CONCLUSION: The production of autoantibodies to red cells in utero is possible, though rare. This did not result in apparent hemolysis in this patient.     

Comparative antiestrogenic activities of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and 6-methyl-1,3,8-trichlorodibenzofuran in the female rat

The ED50s for the dose-response induction of hepatic microsomal aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) and ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in the female Sprague-Dawley rat were 3.3 and 2.7 nmol/kg, respectively. In contrast, the corresponding ED50 values for induction by the nontoxic 6-methyl-1,3,8-trichlorodibenzofuran (MCDF) were 524 and 578 mumol/kg for AHH and EROD, respectively, and TCDD was greater than 1.5 X 10(5) more potent than MCDF as an agonist for this response. Cotreatment of the female rats with MCDF (20, 50, or 100 mumol/kg) and TCDD (6.4 nmol/kg) showed that MCDF partially antagonized the induction of AHH and EROD by TCDD and this corresponded with results previously reported in the male rat. Like TCDD, MCDF also caused a dose-response decrease in uterine and hepatic cytosolic and nuclear estrogen (ERc and ERn) and progesterone (PRc and PRn) receptor levels. The relative TCDD/MCDF potencies for the reduction of uterine ERc, ERn, PRc, and PRn levels were 293, 569, 560, and 459, respectively, and comparable potency ratios (693, 409, 405, and 424, respectively) were observed in the liver. Since MCDF was active as an antiestrogen at dose levels which caused only minimal induction of hepatic monooxygenases, it is unlikely that induction of these enzymes and the subsequent increased metabolism of estradiol play a role in the antiestrogenic effects of MCDF (or TCDD). The reasons for the differences in the relative potency of MCDF for the "traditional" Ah receptor-mediated response (i.e., AHH induction) and the modulation of steroid hormone receptor binding levels are unknown. MCDF, a compound which exhibits relatively high TCDD receptor binding activity and low toxicity, represents a new class of nontoxic halogenated aromatic antiestrogens that can be utilized to further probe the mechanism of this response in model systems.     

Image-directed percutaneous biopsies with a biopsy gun

Core tissue for histologic study is believed by many pathologists to be more diagnostic than material from needle aspiration. Recently, a biopsy "gun" has been introduced, which simplifies core biopsies. With this device, 182 biopsies of multiple anatomic sites were performed with ultrasonic, computed tomographic, and fluoroscopic guidance and 18-gauge needles. High-quality histopathologic specimens were obtained in 177 of the biopsies, and diagnostic target tissue was obtained in 167. Only three significant complications occurred: one bleeding complication that required transfusion and two cases of pneumothorax that necessitated placement of chest tubes. The biopsy gun eliminated the disjointed movements of conventional "skinny" needle biopsies, and none of the samples demonstrated significant "crush" artifact or obscuring blood, problems that are commonly associated with manual biopsy techniques. Patient discomfort was decreased with this system compared with that of manual biopsies, and the total procedure time was reduced. Because of these distinct advantages, the authors now use the biopsy gun exclusively for all percutaneous biopsies and recommend that other institutions consider the use of this biopsy method.