Effects on Fertility of Rabbits After Active Immunization With Rat Testicular Cytochrome ct

ABSTRACT: A Male rabbit was immunized with rat testicular cytochrome (Cyt) c_t and mated with normal, unimmunized females. The matings resulted in abnormal pregnancies: no offspring or stillborn or undersized liveborn offspring weighing 25–30 gm each. Another unusual observation was that fur-pulling behavior, normally exhibited by pregnant female rabbits at the end of the gestational period, was absent in all of these pregnancies. Therefore, immunization of a normal rabbit with testicular cyt c_t appeared to interfere with physiological and behavioral aspects of pregnancy in normal female rabbits. The immunological basis of these findings remains to be determined.     

HLA-DR4 SUBTYPE AND -B ALLELES IN DQB1*0302-POSITIVE HAPLOTYPES ASSOCIATED WITH IDDM

We determined the distribution of DR4 subtypes in 309 DQB1*0302-positive haplotypes found in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) patients and 70 control haplotypes present only in healthy family members. An increased frequency of DRB1*0401 allele (74.4% vs. 55.7%, P = 0.003) and a decrease of DRB1*0404 allele (23.6% vs. 40.0%, P = 0.0064) was revealed. A further analysis of extended haplotypes demonstrated strong linkages between various B alleles and DRB1*04 subtypes. HLA-B39 was more frequent in DRB1*0404–DQB1*0302-positive IDDM haplotypes compared with control ones (37.0% vs. 14.3%, P = 0.049), suggesting an involvement of the region telomeric to HLA-DRB1 in the susceptibility to IDDM.     

国产美罗培南治疗急性细菌性感染的临床试验

目的:研究国产美罗培南用于抗感染治疗的临床疗效和安全性.方法:将30例中、重度急性细菌性感染患者按随机对照平行法分成2组,治疗组14例,给予美罗培南0.5g,q8h,静脉滴注;对照组16例,给予泰能(亚胺培南/西司他丁)1.0g,q8h,静脉滴注.两药疗程均为7～10d.结果:两组的临床痊愈率均为50%;临床有效率治疗组和对照组分别为85.7%和87.5%;细菌清除率分别为84.6%和85.7%;不良反应发生率分别为14.3%和18.8%.以上指标两组差异均无显著性(P>0.05).结论:国产新药美罗培南用于抗感染治疗安全有效.     

Quality of life in patients with glioblastoma multiforme participating in a randomized study of brachytherapy as a boost treatment

OBJECT: Until recently the assessment of outcome in patients treated for glioma has emphasized length of survival with the evaluation of quality of life (QOL) limited to unidimensional, mostly physical, measures. The authors report the multidimensional assessment of QOL as part of a randomized clinical trial of brachytherapy as a boost in the initial treatment of patients with glioblastoma multiforme. METHODS: A questionnaire previously developed by the senior authors and psychometrically validated was completed by patients on randomized entry into the study and at follow-up review every 3 months thereafter. The questionnaire was presented in a linear-analog self-assessment format. Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) scores were also recorded on each occasion. No differences were found between patients in either arm of the study (conventional radiation therapy consisting of 50 Gy in 25 fractions or conventional radiation plus a brachytherapy boost of a minimum peripheral tumor dose of 60 Gy) in KPS and QOL scores during the 1st year of follow-up review. However, there was a statistically significant deterioration in patients' overall KPS scores during the 1st year of follow up compared with baseline scores. Of QOL items evaluated, statistically significant deteriorations were found in self care, speech, and concentration, and on subscale analyses, cognitive functioning and physical experience (symptoms) deteriorated significantly during the 1st year of follow up, compared with baseline values. The correlation between QOL and KPS scores was low. CONCLUSIONS: Future studies in patients harboring malignant gliomas must incorporate measures assessing QOL because traditional measures focusing on physical or neurological functioning give an incomplete assessment of the patient's experience.     

Early lymphocyte recovery predicts superior survival after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for patients with primary systemic amyloidosis.

PURPOSE: Absolute lymphocyte count recovery at day 15 (ALC-15) post-autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is a powerful prognostic indicator for survival for multiple hematologic malignancies and metastatic breast cancer. The relationship of ALC-15 with clinical outcomes in primary systemic amyloidosis is unknown. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We evaluated 145 consecutive patients with primary systemic amyloidosis who underwent ASCT at the Mayo Clinic from 1996 to 2003. The ALC-15 threshold was set at 500 cells/microL based on our previous observations. RESULTS: The median patient follow-up was 22 months (range, 3-87 months). Higher hematologic complete response was observed in patients with an ALC-15 > or = 500 cells/microL compared with patients with an ALC-15 < 500 cells/microL (41% versus 21%, P < 0.0008, respectively). The median overall survival and progression-free survival times were significantly better for the 59 patients that achieved an ALC-15 > or = 500 cells/microL compared with 86 patients with ALC-15 < 500 cells/microL (not reached versus 53 months, P < 0.0003 and not reached versus 27 months, P < 0.0001, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed ALC-15 to be an independent prognostic factor for overall survival and progression-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: ALC-15 > or = 500 cells/microL is associated with significantly improved clinical outcomes following ASCT in patients with primary systemic amyloidosis.     

Conventional magnetic resonance imaging in confirmed progressive supranuclear palsy and multiple system atrophy

Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) is often used to aid the diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and multiple system atrophy (MSA), but its ability to predict the histopathological diagnosis has not been systematically studied. cMRI from 48 neuropathologically confirmed cases, including PSP (n = 22), MSA (n = 13), Parkinson's disease (PD) (n = 7), and corticobasal degeneration (n = 6), and controls (n = 9) were assessed blinded to clinical details and systematically rated for reported abnormalities. Clinical diagnosis and macroscopic postmortem findings were retrospectively assessed. Radiological assessment of MRI was correct in 16 of 22 (72.7%) PSP cases and 10 of 13 (76.9%) MSA cases with substantial interrater agreement (Cohen's kappa 0.708; P < .001); no PSP case was misclassified as MSA or vice versa. MRI was less sensitive but more specific than clinical diagnosis in PSP and both more sensitive and specific than clinical diagnosis in MSA. The “hummingbird” and “morning glory” signs were highly specific for PSP, and “the middle cerebellar peduncle sign” and “hot cross bun” for MSA, but sensitivity was lower (up to 68.4%) and characteristic findings may not be present even at autopsy. cMRI, clinical diagnosis, and macroscopic examination at postmortem have similar sensitivity and specificity in predicting a neuropathological diagnosis. We have validated specific radiological signs in pathologically confirmed PSP and MSA. However, the low sensitivity of these and macroscopic findings at autopsy suggest a need for imaging techniques sensitive to microstructural abnormalities without regional atrophy. © 2012 Movement Disorder Society     

A 13-Year National Monitoring Study to Assess Narcotic Prescriptions and Indications (2007–2019)

Drug Safety - Analgesics are among the most widely used drugs worldwide. This study describes the population treated with narcotic analgesics, their therapeutic indications and how the data have...