Passive smoking: A danger to children''s health

The most common cause of illness in infancy and childhood is acute infection of the respiratory tract. Several recent studies have reported that life-threatening respiratory disease in infancy, such as pneumonia and bronchiolitis, is directly related to the smoking habits of parents. The effects of smoking are more hazardous to youngsters because babies and young children breathe more rapidly than adults. Because of this higher breathing rate, they inhale more air—and more pollution—in comparison to their total body weight. The harmful effects of cigarette smoking on infants and children and recommendations for specific interventions to minimize or eliminate this health hazard are discussed.     

Partial Adrenalectomy for Renal Cell Carcinoma With Bilateral Adrenal Metastases

Resection of the adrenal glands precludes participation in many immunotherapy protocols for metastatic renal cell carcinoma. We performed radical nephrectomy with adrenalectomy and contralateral partial adrenalectomy, including adrenal vein ligation for a 4 cm. hilar metastasis without perioperative complications or local recurrence after 30 months. Adrenal function, measured by cosyntropin stimulation tests 6 weeks and 10 months postoperatively, was normal. Partial adrenalectomy with preservation of adrenal function is possible.     

Endoscopically controlled erbium:YAG goniopuncture versus trabeculectomy: effect on intraocular pressure in combination with cataract surgery

PURPOSE:. To compare the efficacy of endoscopic erbium:YAG laser goniopuncture in glaucoma treatment to trabeculectomy, both methods as adjuncts to cataract surgery. METHODS:. Fifty-nine eyes of 59 glaucoma patients with coexistent cataract were treated by phacoemulsification and endoscopic Er:YAG goniopuncture in a combined fashion. The primary study endpoints were intraocular pressure (IOP), number of antiglaucomatous drugs, postoperative complications, hospitalisation time and visual acuity at 1 year after surgery. To date, 24 eyes have finished the 1-year follow-up. This prospective treatment arm was compared to a retrospective inclusion-matched control group treated by trabeculectomy and cataract surgery in a single procedure. RESULTS:. In the laser-treated group, the mean IOP dropped by 30% from 23.4+/-3.7 mmHg to 16.3+/-6 mmHg ( P<0.0001) after 12 months. Without reoperation, treatment was successful in 71% of these eyes. In the control group, the IOP decreased by 33.5% from 22.7+/-3.3 mmHg to 15.1+/-3.8 mmHg ( P<0.0001). The success rate without reoperation was 46%. The number of antiglaucomatous drugs needed decreased from 1.48+/-0.95 to 0.48+/-0.7 ( P<0.0001) in the laser-treated group and from 2.0+/-0.9 to 0.39+/-0.6 ( P<0.0001) in the control group. Postoperative complications were found more frequently in the control group ( P<0.0001). Hospitalisation was shorter in the laser group ( P<0.0001). Postoperative visual acuity was lower in the control group ( P=0.004). CONCLUSION:. Combined Er:YAG goniopuncture and cataract surgery lowers the IOP to an extent comparable to combined trabeculectomy and cataract surgery. Due to fewer postoperative complications, Er:YAG goniopuncture seems to be superior to standard fistulation surgery as the primary approach within the first year.     

Selective degeneration of CA1 pyramidal cells by chronic application of bismuth

The heavy metal bismuth induces a new type of selective neuronal degeneration that shares some common aspects with that seen following hypoxia and ischemia. Continuous application of 3 μm bismuth to organotypic cultures of rat hippocampus resulted after 2–3 weeks in selective degeneration of CA1 pyramidal cells, while CA3 pyramidal cells, dentate granule cells, and subicular neurons were resistant. With 10 μm MK-801, a noncompetitive NMDA-antagonist, during the entire culturing period failed to prevent neuronal degeneration induced by 3 μm bismuth. GABA-immunoreactive interneurons were also affected by bismuth, but were generally less sensitive than CA1 pyramidal cells. Acute application of up to 100 μm bismuth did not change the electrophysiological properties of CA1 pyramidal cells. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Hypoplasia of the Posterior Leaflet as a Rare Cause of Congenital Mitral Insufficiency

A bstract A rare case of congenital mitral insufficiency characterized by the hypoplasia of the posterior leaflet is reported. At operation, the mitral valve was successfully repaired by a ring annuloplasty, which created a satisfactory surface of coaptation between the anterior leaflet and the bulky posterior muscular structure. The presence of this posterior muscular structure represents a developmental arrest at the stage of conversion from muscular chordae and leaflets to thin connective structures.     

NMR Investigation of the Futile Cycling of Ethanol in Chronic Alcoholic Rats

Weight gain efficiency differences previously reported between alcohol-fed rats and their controls were investigated. Additionally, the futile cycling of ethanol proposed to explain such differences was studied by NMR spectroscopy. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a nutritionally adequate diet containing 36% of the calories as alcohol, and their paired controls were fed an isocaloric diet for 1 f weeks to establish conditions of chronic alcohol feeding. Normalized metabolic efficiencies varied significantly during the initial 2-week period (6.86 ± 0.51 vs. 2.83 ± 0.18 g/kcal × 10⁻²) for control and alcohol-fed groups, respectively, and to a lesser extent over the entire feeding period (6.41 ± 0.78 vs. 4.60 ± 0.27 g/kcal × 10⁻²) for control and alcohol-fed groups, respectively. Alcohol-induced weight gain inefficiency in metabolism has previously been studied and explained by a variety of different biochemical and physiological mechanisms. One possible pathway of energy wastage may occur due to ethanol futile cycling from ethanol to acetaldehyde through the microsomal ethanol oxidation system pathway, and simultaneously from acetaldehyde to ethanol via the ADH pathway. This futile cycle represents a net loss of 6 ATP/cycle, corresponding to the loss of two reducing equivalents (NADH and NADPH). 1H NMR spectroscopy was used to test for this cycling in blood extracts after administration of 1,1-²H₂ ethanol. No futile cycling was detected either during the initial 2 weeks of feeding or after the entire feeding period.     

Molecular basis of essential fructosuria: molecular cloning and mutational analysis of human ketohexokinase (fructokinase)

Essential fructosuria is one of the oldest known inborn errorsof metabolism. It is a benign condition which is believed toresult from deficiency of hepatic fructokinase (ketohexokinase,KHK, E.C.2.7.1.3). This enzyme catalyses the first step of metabolismof dietary fructose, conversion of fructose to fructose-1-phosphate.Despite the early recognition of this disorder, the primarystructure of human KHK and the molecular basis of essentialfructosuria have not been previously defined. In this report,the isolation and sequencing of full-length cDNA clones encodinghuman ketohexokinase are described. Alternative mRNA speciesand alternative KHK isozymes are produced by alternative polyadenylationand splicing of the KHK gene. The KHK proteins show a high levelof sequence conservation relative to rat KHK. Direct evidencethat mutation of the KHK structural gene is the cause of essentialfructosuria was also obtained. In a well-characterized family,in which three of eight siblings have fructosurla, all affectedindividuals are compound heterozygotes for two mutations Gly40Argand Ala43Thr. Both mutations result from G     

Phenotypic variability of a distinct deletion in McLeod syndrome

The X‐linked McLeod neuroacanthocytosis syndrome strongly resembles Huntington's disease and has been reported in various countries world‐wide. Herein, we report two Chilean brothers with predominant psychiatric features at disease onset including schizophrenia‐like psychosis and obsessive compulsive disorder. Molecular genetic analysis revealed a small deletion in the XK gene (938‐942delCTCTA), which has been already described in a North American patient of Anglo‐Saxon descent and a Japanese family, presenting with seizures, muscle atrophy or chorea yet absence of psychiatric features. These findings argue against a founder effect and indicate a profound phenotypic variability associated with the 938‐942delCTCTA deletion. Our report supports the inclusion of McLeod syndrome in the differential diagnosis of Huntington's disease as well as acute psychosis in male subjects. © 2007 Movement Disorder Society