Narrowband UVB therapy for vitiligo: does the repigmentation last?

BACKGROUND: Since 1997, a number of trials have shown promising results in treating generalized vitiligo with narrowband ultraviolet B (UVB) both in adults and children. However, there is little knowledge concerning the duration and permanency of the treatment-induced repigmentation. OBJECTIVE: Our main objective was to perform a follow-up trial of successfully treated patients receiving narrowband UVB for generalized vitiligo. METHODS: We have investigated to what degree the treatment-induced repigmentation remains stable for up to 2 years post-treatment. We performed an initial open trial including 31 patients with generalized vitiligo. They received narrowband UVB thrice weekly for up to 12 months. Patients experiencing > 75% repigmentation were defined responders and were included in the follow-up trial. Responders were followed every 6 months for up to 2 years after cessation of treatment. We observed the pigmentation status and registered any changes indicating loss of pigmentation and relapse. RESULTS: Eleven of the 31 treated patients were included in the follow-up trial. Six patients had relapse and five patients had stable response 24 months after cessation of treatment. Four out of six relapses were within 6 months post-treatment. CONCLUSION: In our study population of 31 patients with generalized vitiligo, five patients (16%) experienced > 75% stable repigmentation 2 years after cessation of a treatment programme of up to 1 years narrowband UVB therapy.     

Ongoing pregnancies after intracytoplasmic injection using cryopreserved testicular spermatozoa

We report two clinical pregnancies occurring after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using cryopreserved spermatozoa obtained from testicular biopsy, made in two different infertility situations in our clinic. The first patient showed a secretory azoospermia associated with elevated serum follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) level and spermiogenesis maturation arrest. The second patient was affected by azoospermia resulting from bilateral epididymal obstruction. Spermatozoa present in the wet preparation of testicular biopsy made on the day of scrotal exploration were cryopreserved within the testicular tissue for both men. Intracytoplasmic injections were performed at a later date, using spermatozoa prepared from frozen-thawed tissues. In each case, three embryos were obtained and transferred in utero. The transfers resulted in a twin pregnancy for the first case, and in a singleton pregnancy for the second. Living foetuses were seen in the ultrasound scan at the 7th week and both pregnancies are proceeding to date beyond 30 weeks without complications.      

Effects of Bordetella pertussis toxin pretreatment on the antiarrhythmic action of ischaemic preconditioning in anaesthetized rats.

1. Bordetella pertussis toxin, which catalyses the ADP-ribosylation of certain guanine nucleotide binding proteins (G proteins), thus functionally uncoupling them from associated receptors, was examined to determine whether it modified the antiarrhythmic effect of ischaemic preconditioning in anaesthetized rats. 2. Pertussis toxin (25 micrograms kg-1, i.p., 48 h prior to heart isolation) attenuated the negative chronotropic effect of acetylcholine (ACh) in rat isolated Langendorff perfused hearts. ACh (10 microM) reduced heart rate by 4% in hearts taken from pertussis toxin-treated animals, compared to a reduction of 57% in hearts taken from animals treated only with vehicle. 3. In anaesthetized rats, ischaemic preconditioning (a single 3 min occlusion of the left main coronary artery followed by 10 min reperfusion) had a pronounced antiarrhythmic effect during a subsequent 30 min period of regional myocardial ischaemia. Compared to hearts receiving only a 30 min period of left coronary occlusion, there was a reduced mortality (67% and 0% for control and preconditioned groups, respectively; P < 0.01) and decreased incidences of ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF). Pretreatment with pertussis toxin (25 micrograms kg-1, i.p., 48 h previously) did not modify the arrhythmias associated with a 30 min period of regional myocardial ischaemia, neither did it modify the reduction in mortality (from 56% to 0%; P < 0.05) associated with preconditioning. Furthermore, the decrease in total ventricular premature beat count induced by preconditioning seen in controls (from 427 +/- 130 to 95 +/- 45) was also seen in pertussis toxin-treated rats (from 252 +/- 190 to 57 +/- 25).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Acute peripheral arterial and graft occlusion: treatment with selective infusion of urokinase and lysyl plasminogen

Thirty-five patients hospitalized for recent angiographically documented arterial occlusion in the legs (27 femoropopliteal arteries and eight grafts) benefited from local fibrinolytic therapy delivered at the site of the occlusion with a 4- or 5-F catheter. This therapy combined a continuous urokinase (UK) infusion of 1,000 U/kg/hour and a lysyl plasminogen (LYS-PLG) infusion of 15 microkatals every 30 minutes. Angiographically confirmed lysis was obtained in 85% of the cases. Only 3% of the patients had major and 6% had minor groin hematomas. Only two patients had concentrations of fibrinogen as low as 100 mg/dl. Intravascular infusion of UK-LYS-PLG is as effective as streptokinase. Its excellent tolerance makes it a good alternative in the treatment of acute ischemia in the lower limbs.