Report of Committee on Construction

Psychiatric Quarterly -     

To what extent does IQ 'explain' socio-economic variations in function?

Background  

The aims of this study were to examine the extent to which higher intellectual abilities protect higher socio-economic groups from functional decline and to examine whether the contribution of intellectual abilities is independent of childhood deprivation and low birth weight and other socio-economic and developmental factors in early life.     

Discordant repeat size and phenotype in Kennedy syndrome

Previous reports in the literature have described correlation of increasing repeat length with severity of the phenotype, in Kennedy syndrome. We describe male siblings with different repeat lengths, with lack of expression of the phenotype in the sibling with the longer repeat length. The phenotype was identical to motor neurone disease. There is variability of expression in Kennedy syndrome and repeat length even in siblings cannot be taken as a conclusive indicator of severity. CAG repeat length cannot be used to predict the natural history of Kennedy disease. The diagnosis of Kennedy syndrome should be considered in male patients presenting with atypical motor neurone disease.     

INTERFERONS IN ONCOLOGY

SUMMARY The interferons are natural glycoproteins secreted in response to various stimuli, including viral infection. They have antiviral, antiproliferative and immunomodulatory effects on different target cell populations. Since recombinant human interferons have become available, they have been tested in a wide range of malignancies. They are well established in the treatment of hairy cell leukaemia, chronic myelogenous leukaemia and multiple myeloma. Although they have documented activity against lymphoma, melanoma, renal cell cancer and carcinoid tumours, their role in the treatment of these tumours is less clear. In the common solid tumours, such as lung cancer and colorectal cancer, the use of interferons remains experimental. Here we will summarise their practice applications in oncology, using randomised studies where available to establish their place in multi-modality treatment. We will not discuss their use as antiviral or immunomodulating agents in viral and autoimmune diseases, multiple sclerosis or after organ transplantation.     

Radionuclide surveillance of the allografted pancreas

To determine the value of scintigraphy to detect posttransplantation complications of the allografted pancreas, we retrospectively reviewed 209 scintigrams obtained with 99mTc-sulfur colloid (99mTc-SC) and 99mTc-glucoheptonate (99mTc-GH). The scintigraphic studies were performed in 37 recipients of simultaneous renal and pancreatic allografts harvested from the same donor. 99mTc-SC was used as an indicator of thrombotic vasculitis; pancreatic perfusion and blood-pool parameters were monitored with 99mTc-GH. In 11 of the 37 recipients, scintigraphic abnormalities suggested posttransplantation infarction. Recurrent episodes of acute rejection of the pancreatic allograft, which always coincided with acute rejection of the renal allograft, were monitored in 24 recipients. Rejection-induced ischemic pancreatitis was suggested in 12 of the 24 recipients and persisted in 10 recipients for several weeks after improvement of renal allograft rejection. Pancreatic atrophy was suggested scintigraphically in 16 of the 24 recipients with recurrent episodes of rejection. Spontaneous pancreatic-duct obstruction and obstructive pancreatitis were associated with a scintigraphic pattern similar to that of rejection-induced ischemic pancreatitis. We concluded that the specific radionuclides used in this series are useful for the surveillance and assessment of posttransplantation pancreatic infarction, acute rejection, pancreatitis, and atrophy.