Clinical correlates and electroencephalographic characteristics of two additional patterns related to 14 and 6 per second positive spikes.

Two additional patterns, minuscule 28 per second positive spikes and huge N-shape potentials, have been identified exclusively in the EEGs of patients with 14 and 6 per second positive spikes. They occur predominantly during drowsiness and light sleep, usually in children, seldom in young adults. Their presence adds little to the clinical relevance of positive spikes. Familiarization with the N-shape potentials--the commoner of the two patterns--is important, lest they are mistaken for interictal abnormalities of significance such as atypical spike-wave complexes.     

Sterilitätsbehandlung mit donogener Insemination

Donor inseminations (DI) have been performed for decades. Most of the publications on this topic deal only with problems of tolerance and acceptance of this treatment for sterility. We already reported on them in parts I and II. In the present third and last part, we discuss the indications for DI: male infertility, genetic disorders, and unsuccessful assisted reproduction therapy. Which conditions do affect the success of therapy? Which methods are recommended? Our treatment results verify realistically that in effect DI only produces the desired child in about 50 % of the couples. As a complementary therapy, in vitro fertilization (IVF) with donor spermatozoa offers a real chance for pregnancy even for women whose husbands are infertile and who themselves suffer from impaired fertility such as pathological conditions of the fallopian tube or when simple inseminations have not resulted in pregnancy. After receiving consent from the State Physicians’ Chamber, we treated 19 women by donor IVF in our group practice and fulfilled their desire to bear their own child.     

The CTLA-4 gene region of chromosome 2q33 is linked to, and associated with, type 1 diabetes. Belgian Diabetes Registry

Susceptibility to autoimmune insulin-dependent (type 1) diabetes mellitus is determined by a combination of environmental and genetic factors, which include variation in MHC genes on chromosome 6p21 (IDDM1) and the insulin gene on chromosome 11p15 (IDDM2). However, linkage to IDDM1 and IDDM2 cannot explain the clustering of type 1 diabetes in families, and a role for other genes is inferred. In the present report we describe linkage and association of type 1 diabetes to the CTLA-4 gene (cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated-4) on chromosome 2q33 (designated IDDM12). CTLA-4 is a strong candidate gene for T cell- mediated autoimmune disease because it encodes a T cell receptor that mediates T cell apoptosis and is a vital negative regulator of T cell activation. In addition, we provide supporting evidence that CTLA-4 is associated with susceptibility to Graves' disease, another organ- specific autoimmune disease.      

Detection of proinsulin, C-peptide, insulin-A-chain, and glicentin in pancreatic islet cells of early human fetogenesis.

The presence of C-peptide, proinsulin, insulin-A-chain, and glicentin in human fetal pancreatic cells by using the PAP-technique was investigated and the results obtained compared with the occurrence of insulin or glucagon immunoreactive cells. In pancreatic sections obtained from 10 weeks old human fetuses we could identify cells reacting with antibodies directed against C-peptide, proinsulin, and insulin-A-chain. The majority of the cells were found in the duct epithelium and their number increased from the 10th to 14th week forming clusters near the ducts. The number and localization of the cells correspond exactly to the insulin positive cells. The presence of proinsulin and insulin-A-chains is a further proof of biological activity already in an early step of fetal development. The presence of glicentin-positive cells in the 10th week of gestational age as well as cells reacting with glucagon antibodies provide evidence for active glucagon biosynthesis. The number of these cells increased markedly in the 14th week of gestational age.     

葛根素的心血管系统药理作用及机理研究

纵观近年来对葛根素在心血管系统药理作用及机理研究方面的进展发现，葛根素对心血管系统具有抗心律失常、降血压、扩张冠状动脉、抗心肌缺血、抗过氧化、抗缺血-再灌注损伤、影响血液动力学和血小板聚集、保护血管等作用。其临床应用前景良好，其药效机制研究及临床应用有待更深一步的探究。     

Coral Reef Aorta: A Long-Term Study of 21 Patients

n = 11, 52%), renovascular stenosis (n= 9, 43%) with concurrent renovascular hypertension (n= 5, 24%), and angina abdominalis (n= 7, 33%). Most patients had multiorgan vascular disease such as iliofemoral arterial occlusive disease (n= 14, 66%), coronary artery obstruction (n= 8, 38%), or obstruction of the carotid artery (n= 6, 28%). Risk factors did not differ between coral reef patients and those with other occlusive vascular diseases. All patients were treated through vascular operations, including open thromboendarterectomy of the suprarenal (n= 9, 43%), infrarenal (n= 4, 19%), or supra- and infrarenal aorta (n= 8, 38%), and thromboendarterectomy of the following vessels: celiac artery (n= 7, 33%), superior mesenteric artery (n= 12, 57%), inferior mesenteric artery (n= 3, 14%), unilateral renal artery (n= 3, 14%), or bilateral renal artery (n= 9, 43%). Bypass reconstructions were performed in 39% (n= 8). A thoracoabdominal approach was used in 14 patients (67%) and a median laparotomy in 7 (33%). Our results show that coral reef aorta is not confined to either gender. It appears most frequently in the context of general atherosclerotic disease and patients benefit from timely diagnosis and operation before onset of severe, life-threatening visceral and renal complications.     

Partial status epilepticus: short-term prediction of seizure outcome from on-line EEG analysis.

Several combinations of ictal and interictal EEG abnormalities have previously been identified in partial status epilepticus (PSE). Some are associated with a consistently higher seizure index than others. On-line analysis of the initial segments of the EEG monitoring and familiarization with seizure indices corresponding to each combination may provide useful clues to rapidly foretell short-term seizure recurrence in patients with PSE. Referring to matrices reconstructed from an analysis of the initial min of the monitoring in 64 patients with recorded PSE can help to identify quickly those patterns which are most often associated with the highest probability of relapsing seizures. Awareness of the probability range of recording additional seizures observed with each of these various patterns may provide guidelines for judicious patient enrollment and for meaningful assessment of results in prospective studies of treatment efficacy in PSE.