CYSTOID MACULAR EDEMA ASSOCIATED WITH LATANOPROST

Purpose: To report clinically, anotomically and angiographically documented cystoid macular edema (CME) associated with the use of latanoprost in 2 uncomplicated pseudophakic eyes. Methods: Retrospective rewiev of 2 patients who had history of latanoprost use and uncomplicated cataract surgery, described     

Spastic paraparesis associated with portal-systemic venous shunting due to congenital hepatic fibrosis.

We report a case of progressive spastic paraparesis in a 45-year-old man with total portal-systemic shunting, which developed spontaneously due to congenital hepatic fibrosis. Cellular functions of the liver, except for an elevated blood ammonia level, were within normal limits, as is usual in congenital hepatic fibrosis. This case shows that spastic paraparesis following portal-systemic shunting may occur without liver failure.     

Examination of the dermal lymphatics in psoriasis⋆

In recent years, research on the aetiology of psoriasis has focused on immune aetiopathogenesis. However, in the last few years, research on the immunoloogical changes in psoriasis has failed to mention the lymphatics. Also, studies emphasizing the importance of the dermal lymphatics have neglected the lymphatic changes seen in psoriasis. Therefore, we decided to put this matter back on the agenda. Skin biopsies from 20 patients with psoriasis vulgaris were examined lymphatically by light microscopy using the orcein stain. We found a considerable increase in both number and dilatation in the lymphatics of psoriatic plaques, compared with both the clinically uninvolved skin of the psoriatic patients and also the skin of the control group.     

Bilateral adrenal hemorrhage associated with bilateral renal vein and vena cava thrombosis

Idiopathic bilateral adrenal hemorrhage with thrombosis of both renal veins and inferior vena cava are presented using US and CT in a newborn. To our knowledge such bilateral involvement of the adrenal glands and the renal veins have not been reported previously.     

Adenosine deaminase activity in serum of patients with hepatitis -- a useful tool in monitoring clinical status.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The evaluation of adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity in sera of patients with hepatitis should be considered a useful tool in the monitoring of their clinical status. In this study, we aimed to determine the relationship between viral load, transaminase levels, and serum ADA levels in hepatitis B virus (HBV)- and hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients. METHODS: Seventy three patients with hepatitis B, 71 patients with hepatitis C and 40 healthy individuals were included. Patients with HBV and HCV infections were classified into 3 groups according to viral load. Serum ADA levels were investigated by colorimetric assays. RESULTS: Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and ADA levels of HBV- and HCV-infected patients were higher than those of the control group. These differences were statistically significant for the levels of all enzymes in HCV-infected patients (p<0.05), and all except AST (p>0.05) in HBV-infected patients. ADA levels of HBV-infected patients with high viral loads were higher than those in HBV-infected patients with intermediate and low viral loads, and the difference was detectably significant between patients with high and intermediate viral loads. Evaluation of HCV-infected patients according to viral load showed no statistically significant relationship between viral load and serum ADA, ALT, and AST levels (p>0.05). HBV- and HCV-infected patients with high ALT and AST levels showed statistically significantly higher levels of ADA than patients with normal ALT and AST levels (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that serum ADA levels are associated more with the level of serum transaminases than viral load in HBV- and HCV-infected patients. In the treatment of patients with hepatitis, serum ADA levels should be considered a useful tool for the monitoring of liver condition.     

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Contradictory effects of chlorpromazine on endothelial cells in a rat model of endotoxic shock in association with its actions on serum TNF-alpha levels and antioxidant enzyme activities.

We examined the effects of the phenothiazine derivative, chlorpromazine on thoracic aortic endothelial cell histology (14 h after LPS challenge) in a model of endotoxic shock in rats. Since excessive formation of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and oxygen-derived free radicals contribute to endothelial injury in endotoxemia, we also evaluated the effect of the drug on the activities of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase in liver tissue in this model and tried to find out whether this possible effect was associated with a change in serum TNF-alpha levels (measured 90 min after chlorpromazine administration). Endotoxemia was induced by a single i.p. injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (5 mg kg(-1) in 1.5 ml of saline; LPS from Escherichia coli serotype 055:B5, L-2880, Sigma Chemical Company). Electron microscopic evaluation of the aortas revealed that chlorpromazine (administered 30 min prior to LPS challenge), in smaller doses (3 mg kg(-1)) ameliorated the endothelial cell injury caused by LPS, whereas it caused deterioration of endothelial cell morphology in higher doses (10 and 25 mg kg(-1)). Chlorpromazine administration caused a significant reduction in serum TNF-alpha levels, which was correlated well with an increase in SOD activity in all drug doses (3, 10 and 25 mg kg(-1)). Catalase activity was increased only in the 25 mg kg(-1) chlorpromazine group.     

Outcomes after intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin are not affected by substaging of high grade T1 transitional cell carcinoma

PURPOSE: Substaging of T1 bladder tumors into T1a and T1b based on invasion of the tumor superficial to and beyond the muscularis mucosa has been assigned prognostic significance. We determined whether outcomes after intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) differ between stage T1a and T1b subcategories. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective pathological evaluation of the initial transurethral resection specimens of stage T1 bladder tumors was performed by 2 pathologists. Grade 1, 2 or 3 and stage T1a or T1b were assigned to each case. Followup was from the date of transurethral resection to date of death or the last visit. Kaplan-Meier probability and log rank test were used to evaluate recurrence and progression. RESULTS: Substaging was performed in 49 of the 55 patients (89%) with stage T1 disease. Disease was stage T1a in 32 (65%), stage T1b in 17 (35%), grade 3 in 45 (92%) and grade 2 in 4 (8%) cases. Maximum followup was 147 months (median 71) and 28 cases had a minimum of 5 years of followup. Recurrence was noted in 33 cases (67.3%), including 22 stage T1a (69%) and 11 stage T1b (65%), at a median followup of 11.3 and 8.6 months, respectively. Progression to a higher stage of disease was recorded in 12 cases (24.4%), including 7 (22%) stage T1a and 5 (29%) stage T1b, at a median followup of 108 and 120 months, respectively. The difference between T1a and T1b subcategories was not statistically significant in regard to recurrence-free (p = 0.7203) and progression-free (p = 0.574) outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Substaging of T1 tumors did not affect response to BCG in regard to recurrence or progression. Therefore, intravesical BCG is effective for stages T1a and T1b disease.     

Antibacterial and antifungal activities of some trimethoprim salts

In this study, the antimicrobial activities of Trimethoprim (1), Trimethoprim + Maleic acid (2), Trimethoprim + Oxalic acid dihydrate (3), and Trimethoprim + trans-1,2-Cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid (4) were investigated for their in vitro growth inhibitory activity against human pathogenic as some bacteria and fungi. Substances were tested using the micro-broth dilution assay. The chemical agents showed the same activity against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Proteus vulgaris. Inhibitory activities of test chemicals against different Candida strains were determined to be widely moderate.     

Collagen for brain repair:therapeutic perspectives

Biomaterials have increasingly become a focus of research on neuroprotection and neuroregeneration.Collagen,in terms of brain repair,presents many advantages such as being remarkably biocompatible,biodegradable,versatile and non-toxic.Collagen can be used to form injectable scaffolds and micro/nano spheres in order to:(i) locally release therapeutic factors with the aim of protecting degenerating neurons in neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's diseases,(ii) encapsulate stem cells for safe delivery,(iii) encapsulate genetically modified cells to provide a long term source of trophic factors,(iv) fill in the voids from injury to serve as a structural support and provide a permissive microenvironment to promote axonal growth.This mini-review summarizes different applications of collagen biomaterial for central nervous system protection and repair,as well as the future perspectives.Overall,collagen is a promising natural biomaterial with various applications which has the potential to progress the development of therapeutic strategies in central nervous system injuries and degeneration.