Right ventricular thrombosis due to familial heparin cofactor II deficiency

This case report was with regard to familial heparin cofactor II (HC II) deficiency. The patient was a 14-years-old female, having complaints of chest pain, fever and swelling of right lower extremity. Echocardiography and DSA showed a pediculated mass at the right ventricular outflow tract which highly suggested a ventricular myxoma. At surgery, a large pediculated thrombus was removed from the RV conus septum aun pulmonary valve. The mass was identified as thrombus by histological examination. Two months later, the RV thrombi recurred with additional pulmonary embolus to the left lung. HC II was discovered by hemo-coagulation tests. Her HC II antigen value was 48%, and 32% on repeat study. Her brother's HC II antigen value was 53%. At reoperation, small thrombi less than phi 10 mm, were removed from the RV outflow tract and pulmonary valve. Fresh frozen plasma was given and intravenous urokinase therapy was taken. She is doing well with therapy of oral warfarin, aspirin and ticlopidine for anticoagulation.     

Dysregulation of strongyloidiasis: a new hypothesis.

Few other human parasites are associated with such a diverse spectrum of clinical manifestations as Strongyloides stercoralis, yet the basic biological behavior of this unusually versatile worm, particularly with respect to its ability to cause severe disseminated disease in certain hosts, is poorly understood. The current uncritical acceptance of the theory that cell-mediated immunity controls autoinfection has stifled research in other directions. After reviewing what is and is not known about the parasite's behavior in its host, this article explores some of the mechanisms that could be involved in the regulation of the parasite population. Taking the provocative viewpoint that the parasite, not the host, is mainly responsible for the maintenance of a balanced relationship between the two, I propose a new theory that corticosteroids may act on the intraintestinal larvae as molting hormones and directly promote the development of disseminated disease.     

Histological properties and biological significance of pouch in red kangaroo, Macropus rufus

2 embryos, 4 youngs, 4 older youngs and the pouch of 2 mothers of the red kangaroos were examined. The results obtained are as follows: 1. The initial muscle spindles are already observed light microscopically in the vertebral, dorsal neck and forelimb muscles of the newborn baby and a little bit later in the masticatory muscles of the young of 68 mm in craniorump length and 28 g in body weight. 2. In the skin with less hair lining the inner surface of the pouch, abundant apocrine large sweat glands are observed, especially surrounding the basal region of the nipple and in the pleat formation of the skin. 3. The lactiferous mammary gland is enlarged, the lobules being divided by the interlobular muscle fiber tissue and enwrapped by the muscular capsule. The milk is squirted automatically by the muscle fiber contraction from the gland to the nipple, to which the baby attaches itself. 4. The musculature of the pouch wall is developed to form the sphincter muscle in the pouch orifice. The sphincter muscle plays an important role in conditioning the optimum temperature for the naked baby inside the pouch. 5. The apocrine perfume plays an important role in guiding the baby on the journey to the pouch after birth and the apocrine products also in maintaining the optimum humidity of the pouch to accomodate the baby. 6. During the long period of stay in the pouch, the masticatory and locomotive systems and their neuromuscular mechanism related to the herbivorous mastication become fully established and then the young leaves the pouch to feed on the animal's proper diet.     

Predictive value of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the serodiagnosis of strongyloidiasis

Strongyloides stercoralis is an opportunistic parasite of increasing importance in immunocompromised hosts. Current parasitologic methods for diagnosis are unsatisfactory, and the serologic screening of candidates for immunosuppression and other individuals at risk might prevent fatal disseminated infections. The predictive value of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using S. stercoralis antigens has been evaluated on 268 infected patients, 571 noninfected controls, and 78 individuals with other parasitic infections. A positive test was accurate in predicting the presence of S. stercoralis in 97% of the cases, while a negative test was associated with absence of infection in 95% of the patients. Possible cross-reactivity occurred in some patients with Loa loa filariasis and Ascaris lumbricoides. The authors conclude that the ELISA is a reliable and cost-effective method for the screening of patients at risk, and its results can be used to determine the appropriateness of more in-depth parasitologic evaluation.     

Preparation and Characterization of Dextran Magnetite-Incorporated Thermosensitive Liposomes: An on-line Flow System for Quantifying Magnetic Responsiveness

Purpose. Dextran magnetite (DM)-incorporated thermosensitive liposomes, namely thermosensitive magnetoliposomes (TMs), were prepared and characterized in order to investigate their possibility for magnetic drug targeting. Methods. TMs containing calcein were prepared at various DM concentrations by reverse-phase evaporation of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC). They were evaluated for their physicochemical properties including size, DM capture, magnetite distribution within liposomes, and temperature-dependent calcein release. Moreover, a novel on-line flow apparatus with a sample injector, a coil of tubing placed in an electromagnet, and a fluorescence detector was developed for quantifying the magnetic responsiveness of TMs. This device allowed us a real-time measurement of percentage holding of TMs by magnetic field. Results. Due to water-soluble property of DM, higher contents of magnetite up to 490 mg per mmol DPPC were successfully incorporated into the liposomes with DM than with conventional magnetite (Fe₃O₄). Thermosensitivity and lipid integrity of TMs were not influenced by inclusion of DM. Using the on-line flow system, percentage holding of TMs by magnetic field was shown to vary with several factors; it increases as the magnetic field strength increases, the fluid flow rate decreases, the magnetite content increases, and the liposome concentration increases. Typically, at 490 mg incorporated magnetite per mmol DPPC, 0.5 ml/min-fluid flow rate, and high magnetic field strength (10 kiloGauss), approximately 100% of TMs were found to be held. Conclusions. The TMs were suggested to be useful in future cancer treatment by magnetic targeting combined with drug release in response to hyperthermia.     

Effect of CYP2D6 genotypes on the metabolism of haloperidol in a Japanese psychiatric population.

We investigated the effect of CYP2D6 genotypes on plasma levels of haloperidol (HAL) and reduced haloperidol (RHAL) in 88 Japanese schizophrenic inpatients being treated with HAL. Some subjects carrying CYP2D6*5 allele (CYP2D6*1/CYP2D6*5, CYP2D6*5/CYP2D6*10) showed extremely high concentrations of both HAL and RHAL, and the groups with CYP2D6*5 allele seemed to have higher plasma concentrations of HAL (1.14+/-0.69 ng/ml/mg) and RHAL (1.10+/-1.05 ng/ml/mg) than the other groups. Among those without CYP2D6*5 allele, there were no significant differences in plasma concentrations of HAL and RHAL between those without CYP2D6*10 allele (HAL=0.68+/-0.31 ng/ml/mg, RHAL=0.28+/-0.37 ng/ml/mg), those with one CYP2D6*10 (HAL=0.70+/-0.23 ng/ml/mg, RHAL=0.31+/-0.16 ng/ml/mg) and those with two CYP2D6*10 alleles (HAL=0.69+/-0.14 ng/ml/mg, RHAL=0.40+/-0.09 ng/ml/mg), although there was a tendency of higher plasma concentration of RHAL in those with two CYP2D6*10 alleles. At a lower daily dosage of HAL (<10 mg/day), the subjects with two or one CYP2D6*10 allele(s) showed significantly higher plasma concentrations of RHAL (0.43+/-0.23 ng/ml/mg, 0.34+/-0.16 ng/ml/mg) than those without CYP2D6*10 allele (0.18+/-0.16 ng/ml/mg). The results of this study indicate that CYP2D6*10 allele plays significant but modest role in HAL metabolism in Japanese; nevertheless, we should not lump CYP2D6*10 allele with CYP2D6*5 allele because these two mutated alleles seem to have different impacts in the metabolism of HAL.