The expression of 3-fucosylated-N-acetyl lactosamine carbohydrate determinants in renal tumours

The distribution in renal tumours of 3-fucosyl-N-acetyl lactosamine has been studied by using the monoclonal antibodies AGF 4.36 and AGF 4.48 and immunoperoxidase methods on tissue sections. Seven of 19 nephroblastomas and 12 of 30 renal cell carcinomas contained the epitope. In nephroblastomas the epitope was found on the terminals of type B tubules in six cases and in one case on the type A or neoplastic tubules. In renal carcinoma the antigen was found on the surface of tumour cells. The results suggest that in kidneys bearing nephroblastomas ureteric bud elements may grow into the tumour from the adjacent kidney.     

Teachers'' perceptions concerning the relative values of personal and clinical characteristics and their influence on the assignment of students'' clinical grades

Twenty senior teachers were asked to rank, in order of influence, the seven clinical and five personal characteristics used to grade third-year medicine clerks. Seventeen perceived themselves to be more influenced by clinical characteristics when assigning grades. Independently, the actual ratings completed over a 3-year period by these same teachers were analysed to measure the congruency between their perceived and actual grading behaviour. When actually rating students only nine raters were more influenced by clinical characteristics and just one half of the teachers displayed a congruency between their perceived and actual rating behaviour. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

Effects of cholinesterase inhibitors on the neuromuscular blocking action of suxamethonium

Prolonged neuromuscular block occurs when suxamethonium is givenafter neostigmine or pyridostigmine; however, studies of edrophoniumand suxamethonium have yielded conflicting results. We havestudied, therefore, interactions between suxamethonium and allthree anticholinesterases in rats anaesthetized with pentobarbitone.After recovery from an initial bolus of suxamethonium, saline,edrophonium, pyridostigmine or neostigmine was administeredand a second dose of suxamethonium was then given. All threeanticholinesterases prolonged the duration of neuromuscularblock (90% suppression to 50% twitch recovery) to 127(SEM 9)%,127(10)% and 138 (11)% of baseline for edrophonium, pyridostigmineand neostigmine, respectively. Recovery index (25% to 75% twitchrecovery) was increased also to 125 (9)%; 149 (10%) and 185(15)% of baseline, respectively for the three drugs. Presented in part at the 1992 annual meetings of the AmericanSociety of Anesthesiologists and the California Society of Anesthesiologists.     

AN UNUSUAL PRESENTATION OF DISCOID LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS

Summary.— An unusual presentation of discoid lupus erythematosus in a woman aged 32 is described. Typical plaques of discoid lupus erythematosus were associated with an atypical, widespread, discrete, umbilicated papular eruption on the back, resulting in hypertrophic follicular scars of a type sometimes seen in acne vulgaris. Persistent pruritus was also a feature.