Proceedings of the 2006 annual meeting of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Study Group.

This article describes the proceedings of the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Study Group (FASDSG), which was held in Baltimore, Maryland on June 24, 2006. The meeting was held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism and was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The 2005-2006 FASDSG officers, Daniel J. Bonthius (President), Heather Carmichael Olson (Vice-President), and Jennifer Thomas (Secretary-Treasurer), organized the meeting. Nationally prominent speakers delivered plenary lectures on topics of newborn screening, ethics, and neuroscience. Selected members of the FASDSG provided brief scientific data (FASt) reports, describing new research findings. Representatives from national agencies involved in fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) research, treatment, and prevention provided updates regarding priorities, funding, and agency activities. Presentations were also made by the 2006 Student Merit Award recipient and by the 2006 Rosett Award recipient. The meeting served as a forum for clinicians, neuroscientists, psychologists, social scientists, and other professionals to discuss recent advances in FAS research and to identify the most important gaps in the understanding of alcohol-induced teratology.     

多种血管新生指标在肝细胞肝癌中的表达及敏感性比较

目的　探讨血管新生指标CD34、CD31、vWF、Ⅳ型胶原纤维及层粘连蛋白在肝细胞肝癌(HCC)中的表达及意义 ,同时比较上述几种血管新生因子与增殖细胞核抗原 (PCNA)、病理指标及预后的相关性 ,以便筛选出有效的临床预后指标。方法　采用免疫组化方法 ,对 5 3例肝细胞肝癌的标本进行CD31、CD34、vWF、Ⅳ型胶原纤维及层粘连蛋白的染色、计数 ,并用检测数据与患者的临床资料进行统计分析。结果　统计染色的血管面积后发现 ,CD34与多种临床病理指标无相关性 ;CD31与肝内门静脉浸润相关 ;vWF与肿瘤的TNM分期及肝内门静脉浸润呈正相关 ;CollⅣ与肝内门静脉浸润呈正相关、与术后生存期呈负相关 ;Lam与肝硬化及术中出血量呈负相关、与术后生存期呈正相关。PCNA与肿瘤TNM分期有关。结论　在HCC中 ,CollⅣ、vWF、及CD31为肝细胞肝癌的有效血管新生及预后指标 ;Lam则与肝硬化及术中出血相关 ;PCNA指数肿瘤分期有关 ;CD34不能用作血管新生或预后指标     

THE PITUITARY-LEYDIG CELL AXIS IN MEN WITH SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE GERMINAL EPITHELIUM

Eighteen men (mean age 27, range 18-30 years) treated for Hodgkin's disease with 6-8 courses of MVPP (Mustine, Vinblastine, Procarbazine and Prednisolone) have had Leydig cell function assessed by their steroidogenic responses to stimulation by a single bolus dose of HCG (1000 units intramuscularly). Normal age-matched men (n = 16) acted as controls. Baseline immunoreactive FSH was markedly raised in the patients (mean 18.1 +/- SD 6.9 vs 2.0 +/- 1.5 IU/l, P less than 0.0001) reflecting damage to the germinal epithelium. Immunoreactive LH was also greater in patients (10.3 +/- 3.9 IU/l) than in controls (3.9 +/- 1.9 IU/l, P less than 0.0001). There were no differences between the baseline testosterone, androstenedione, oestradiol, oestrone and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) concentrations. The testosterone/SHBG ratios were similar in the two groups and there was no correlation between baseline LH and testosterone concentrations or testosterone/SHBG ratios. Testosterone, androstenedione, oestradiol and oestrone secretion in response to HCG stimulation were similar at 24 h and 96 h in both groups. In order to explain the paradox of elevated immunoreactive LH in the face of normal testicular steroidogenesis in such patients, LH biological activity (B) as well as LH immunoreactivity (I) and FSH and testosterone were estimated in a second similar group of patients (n = 17, mean age 27, range 17-43 years) and in a further age-matched control group (n = 17). Bioactive and immunoreactive LH levels were significantly increased (P less than 0.005 and P less than 0.001, respectively) in the patient group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Membrane flow within the myelin sheath in IDPN neuropathy

This report describes some aspects of beta,beta'-iminodipropionitrile (IDPN) neuropathy in rats as observed by ultrastructural methods and X-ray diffraction. Light microscopy shows gross swelling of the axons in proximal lumbar spinal roots 8 days after intraperitoneal injection of IDPN. Mean axon cross-sectional area and mean axon perimeter increased to 280% and 160% of their control values, respectively. At the same time, myelin membrane packing was not visibly disturbed. In addition, X-ray diffraction patterns, recorded under physiological conditions, demonstrate that the myelin lipid bilayer thickness and widths of the aqueous spaces between bilayers did not change. Related observations are made on posterior tibial nerve (PNS myelin) and ventral spinal cord (CNS myelin). The various observations together are interpreted in terms of a fluid myelin membrane. It is proposed that the myelin membrane flows during axon swelling even though normal membrane-membrane contacts are maintained within the sheath. Membrane flow and slippage between membranes are explained in terms of a molecular model of the myelin multilayer.     

Closed suction wound drainage and lower-segment caesarean section

Summary. In a randomized controlled study of wound suction drainage after transverse suprapubic incision for lower-segment caesarean section no significant advantages could be demonstrated for routine drainage in terms of wound infection, haematoma formation, duration of hospital stay or analgesic requirements.     

High-dose tamoxifen as an enhancer of etoposide cytotoxicity. Clinical effects and in vitro assessment in p-glycoprotein expressing cell lines.

Twenty-six patients with relapsed or drug-resistant cancer were treated with a combination of oral etoposide (300 mg day-1 for 3 days) and high-dose oral tamoxifen as a potential modulator of drug resistance (480 or 720 mg day-1 for 6 days beginning 3 days before etoposide). One patient with relapsed high-grade lymphoma and one with adenocarcinoma of unknown primary site has a partial response. Toxicity consisting of nausea, vomiting and subjective dizziness, unsteadiness of gait and malaise occurred during tamoxifen treatment. Serum levels of tamoxifen averaged 3-3.5 microM on day 4 of all courses of treatment at both 480 and 720 mg day-1. N-desmethyltamoxifen levels were lower than tamoxifen during the first course (2 microM) but increased to equal tamoxifen levels during the second course. Didesmethyltamoxifen levels remained below 1 microM. In vitro, both tamoxifen and the standard modulator of multidrug resistance, verapamil, produced minor enhancement of etoposide cytotoxicity in the MCF-7 wt cell line but produced no enhancement with any other cell line. High, intermittent doses of tamoxifen can be given with acceptable toxicity and produce serum levels that have been shown to modulate drug resistance in vitro. In vitro, however, such levels have no significant effect on etoposide cytotoxicity towards a range of wild-type and MDR cell lines.     

Tardive dyskinesia in children treated with atypical antipsychotic medications.

Recent years have witnessed increased antipsychotic treatment of children despite limited long‐term safety data in children. In this study, motor side effects associated with the use of antipsychotic drugs in children were examined in a sample of pediatric psychiatric patients. Child and adolescent psychiatric patients receiving antipsychotics (most were on atypicals) for 6 months or longer (n = 118) were compared with antipsychotic‐naïve patients (n = 80) with similar age, sex ratio, and diagnoses. Only 19% of patients on antipsychotics had ever experienced psychotic symptoms. Eleven children (9%) on antipsychotics exhibited dyskinesia, when compared with 0 in the naïve group (P = 0.003, Fisher's exact test). Nine of 62 African–American children (15%) on antipsychotics exhibited dyskinesia, when compared with only 4% (2 of 52) of European–American children (P = 0.003, Fisher's exact test). Children treated with antipsychotic drugs might experience a significant risk of dyskinesia even when treated only with atypical antipsychotics. Ethnicity might also be a risk factor for dyskinesia in children. Side‐effect profile of the atypical antipsychotic drugs in children may be much different than that in adults. © 2007 Movement Disorder Society