N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide predicts hospitalization for ischemic stroke in Japanese hemodialysis patients

Clinical and Experimental Nephrology - The association between N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and stroke in Japanese hemodialysis (HD) outpatients is unclear. Therefore, in...     

Increased ratio of saturated to unsaturated C18 fatty acids in colonic adenocarcinoma: Implications for cryotherapy and lipid raft function

Mammalian fatty acid synthase (FASE) overexpression has been shown in a number of human malignancies including colonic adenocarcinoma. Since FASE synthesizes only saturated fatty acids, we hypothesized that cancer cells have a greater proportion of long-chain saturated fatty acids. We studied and found an unequivocal increase in saturated C18 fatty acid (stearic acid) in colonic adenocarcinoma compared to adjacent normal colonic mucosa. The increase is even more striking when measured as a ratio of stearic acid to the unsaturated C18 fatty acids (oleic acid and linoleic acid). This change in fatty acid composition of the cancer cells should significantly alter their physical and biological properties. The increase in relative proportion of saturated fatty acids should make the cancer cells more susceptible to cryodamage and measurement of fatty acid composition of cancer cells may help individualize the temperature for cryotherapy. Also, the lipid alterations may affect the structure and functions of lipid rafts, which may enable the cancer cells to affect signaling mechanisms such as those involved in cell growth and apoptosis. Dietary or therapeutic interventions targeting lipid rafts may thus be an option for cancer treatment.     

Early rapid weight gain and current overweight in relation to asthma in adolescents born with very low birth weight

Early catch-up growth and subsequent overweight are suggested to be associated with later cardiovascular diseases and later type II diabetes. However, the impact of early catch-up growth and childhood overweight on the development of asthma has been less studied, particularly in children born with very low birth weight (VLBW). A birth cohort of 74 VLBW children (birth weight < or = 1500 g) was followed from birth and investigated on asthma at 12 yr of age. Early rapid weight gain was in one way defined as an increase of weight > or =1 standard deviation score (SDS) at 6 months of corrected postnatal age. Current overweight was defined by body mass index (BMI) exceeding 21.2 and 21.7 kg/m(2), respectively, for boys and girls at 12 yr of age. Current asthma was diagnosed by a pediatrician, according to asthma ever in combination with a positive response to hypertonic saline bronchial provocation test and/or wheeze at physical examination at 12 yr old. Being overweight at 12 yr of age was associated with an increased risk for current asthma in the VLBW children [crude odds ratio (OR): 5.5, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3-22.2]. After adjustment for early weight gain and neonatal risk, the OR of overweight increased nearly three times (adjusted OR: 15.3, 95% CI: 2.5-90.6). Early rapid weight gain seemed to be inversely associated with current asthma (adjusted OR: 0.49 for an increase of weight equal to 1 SDS, 95% CI: 0.23-1.02, p = 0.06). In addition, early rapid weight gain was inversely associated with the magnitude of bronchial responsiveness at 12 yr (coefficient -1.15, p < 0.01). There was a strong and positive association between overweight and asthma at 12 yr of age in the VLBW children. This strong association had been reduced by early rapid weight gain, possibly via the reduction of bronchial responsiveness.     

胃癌组织内微血管定量的意义

目的：研究胃癌组织中微血管数量（MVC）与临床病理因素及预后的关系。方法：材料取自瑞金医院1988年～1991年胃癌手术切除标本，共128例。抗因子Ⅷ相关抗原（F-ⅧRAg）的单克隆抗体和免疫组化试剂盒购自Dako公司。研究方法按LSAB法免疫组织化学操作技术常规进行；微血管定量以镜下200倍，肿瘤内5个最高微血管密度区的MVC均数表示；分析MVC与临床病理因素之间关系，并对有完整5年随访资料的86例胃癌患者预后与MVC关系进行探讨。结果：所有胃癌组织中的平均MVC为16.5±8．5，MVC随TNM分期增加而增加，有淋巴结转移患者的MVC（18．3±8.7）明显高于无淋巴结转移患者（13．8±7．4）（P＜0．01），高MVC（≥16）胃癌患者比低MVC（＜16）患者预后明显为差，5年生存率分别为42.5％和58．7％（P＜0．05）。结论：MVC在胃癌患者是一个有意义的预后指标．     

Impaired cellular host defence in peritoneal dialysis by two granulocyte inhibitory proteins

Bacterial and fungal peritonitis is associated with a high riskof morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing continuousambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Impaired cellular hostdefence in the peritoneal cavity underlies this risk. Two granulocyteinhibitory proteins with a molecular weight of 28000 dalton(GIP I) and about 9500 dalton (GIP II) with homology to light-chainproteins and beta respectively, were isolated from peritonealdialysis effluents. In vitro, both granulocyte inhibitory proteinsinhibit PMNL glucose uptake, phagocytosis and intracellularkilling of bacteria. The IC₅₀ of GIP I or GIP II required forinhibition of half-maximal FMLP-induced or PMA-stimulated PMNLfunction was found to be in the nanomolar range, suggestingvery specific inhibition. These data may explain, at least inpart, defective local cellular host defence in CAPD patients.     

吡那地尔对体外培养大鼠大脑皮层神经细胞缺氧缺糖损伤的保护作用

目的 :探讨ATP敏感性K+ 通道 (KATP)开放剂吡那地尔 (pinacidil,Pin)对缺氧缺糖再复氧损伤大鼠大脑皮层神经细胞的保护作用。方法 :体外培养大鼠大脑皮层神经细胞 ,细胞培养至 10d ,建立神经细胞缺氧缺糖损伤模型 ,观察Pin及KATP阻断剂格列苯脲对缺氧缺糖不同时间 ,再复氧 2 4h后细胞死亡率、丙二醛 (MDA)含量、超氧化物歧化酶 (SOD)活力的影响。结果 :缺氧缺糖、再复氧后大鼠的神经细胞死亡率均显著升高、MDA生成增多、SOD的活力下降 ,Pin干预后 ,细胞死亡率下降、MDA生成减少、SOD的活力升高 ;格列苯脲能拮抗Pin这种保护作用。结论 :Pin对缺氧缺糖损伤神经细胞具有保护作用 ,并与拮抗氧自由基有关     

学报创刊15周年暨增刊通报

学报创刊１５周年暨增刊通报正值《中山医科大学学报》创刊１５周年之际，本刊编辑部于１９９５年６月１７日召开了“学报创刊１５周年总结会”。本刊编辑部主任、副主编关淡庄同志作了总结报告。首先感谢了学报的各位前辈为学报的创刊和发展所立下的汗马功劳，再次感谢了...     

Temporal Lobe Epilepsy in Children: Electroclinical Study of 77 Cases

Summary:  Purpose: Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is probably more difficult to recognize in children than in adults. In fact, ictal symptoms in children are less stereotyped and less obvious, and the neuropathological substrate is more heterogeneous than in adults. The aim of this study is to examine the relationships between etiology, age at onset and electroclinical findings in 77 children with TLE, 32 of whom were surgically treated.
Methods: Electroclinical study including video-EEG recording of seizures in 77 children with TLE. The investigation focused on the first five initial ictal symptoms.
Results: Age at onset was less than 3 years in 39 cases, between 3 and 6 years in 17 cases and older than 6 years in 21 cases. Auras also occurred in younger children but were more common after the age of 6 years. A peculiar initial ictal semiology consisted in staring with arrest, lip cyanosis, and very slight oral automatisms. In some cases, EEG recordings documented seizures starting independently on both temporal lobes. Based on electroclinical and neuroradiological features, we recognized three subgroups: symptomatic TLE due to cortical malformations or nonevolutive tumors, TLE with mesial temporal sclerosis, and cryptogenic TLE.
Conclusions: A correct electroclinical and neuroradiological approach allows in several cases early recognition of TLE even when onset is earlier than the age of 6 years. A correct definition of the localization relies primarily on video-EEG recording of the seizures, possibly repeated during follow up in cases lacking obvious neuroradiological correlation.     

The simultaneous measurement of plasma-aldosterone- and -renin-concentration allows rapid classification of all disorders of the renin-aldosterone system.

OBJECTIVE: The determination of the plasma aldosterone (PAC) to the plasma renin concentration (PRC) ratio is an accepted screening tool for primary hyperaldosteronism (PHyperA). DESIGN: To assess the diagnostic significance of this ratio for other disorders of the renin-aldosterone-system (RAS), we examined 60 patients with different adrenal diseases, 32 patients with essential hypertension and 76 normotensive healthy volunteers. The aldosterone (pmol/L) and renin (mU/L) concentrations were measured in one plasma sample by an automated chemiluminescence assay (Nichols Advantage). RESULTS: Patients with PHyperA (n=31) had a PAC/PRC ratio between 105 and 2328 and could be distinguished without overlap from the essential hypertension group (ratio: range 2.7-49) and normal healthy volunteers (ratio: range 0.9-71). Fourteen patients with primary hypoaldosteronism showed low PAC/PRC ratios (range 0.21-0.98) and low PAC values (range: 42-100). Seven patients with secondary hypoaldosteronism had normal PAC/PRC ratios (range 2.8-23.2) and low PAC values (range: 42-116). Eight patients with secondary hyperaldosteronism had normal PAC/PRC ratios (range 7.8-67.9) and elevated PAC values (range: 803-2917). The graphic presentation of these data allowed the differentiation of all major disorders of the RAS. CONCLUSIONS: The measurement of PAC/PRC ratios using this automated system provides a sensitive and rapid screening method for PHyperA. Moreover, the measurement of both the PAC and the PAC/PRC ratio allows differentiation of other disorders of the RAS.