Temporomandibular joint: morphology and signal intensity characteristics of the disk at MR imaging

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has been used in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) primarily to define the disk position. This report examines altered morphology and signal intensity characteristics of the TMJ disk as they relate to the severity of internal derangement. Two hundred sixteen joints in 133 patients with a history of such derangement. were imaged with MR. Disk position, signal intensity, morphology, and the presence of osteoarthritis were determined for each joint. The normal disk was not anteriorly displaced and had a normal "bow-tie" shape. A grade 1 disk was anteriorly displaced and had a normal shape; a grade 2 disk was anteriorly displaced and had an abnormal shape. Forty (19%) joints were considered normal; none of these exhibited osteoarthritis. One hundred thirty-nine (64%) joints were grade 1; osteoarthritis was found in 17%. Thirty-seven (17%) were grade 2; osteoarthritis was found in 95%. All forty normal joints had high or intermediate signal intensity in the disk. Osteoarthritic joints had a higher percentage of disks with diminished intensity (P less than .0001). Severe or untreated osteoarthritis is known to be a complication of TMJ internal derangements; hence this grading system seems to correlate with the severity of internal derangement.     

Cardiorespiratory fitness and body mass index values in 9-year-old rural Norwegian children

Aim: To describe cardiorespiratory fitness and body mass index (BMI) values in a representative population of 9-year-old Norwegian children in two rural communities and compare present values with previous findings.
Methods: Two hundred and fifty-nine 9-year-old children were invited, and 256 participated in this study. Maximal oxygen uptake was directly measured during a continuous progressive treadmill protocol. Body mass and height were also measured.
Results: The mean ± SD relative maximal oxygen uptake was 52.8 ± 6.5 for boys and 46.9 ± 7.2 mL/kg/min for girls. Eight percent of the boys and 16.8% of the girls were classified as overweight, and 1.6% of the boys and 6.9% of the girls as obese. Mean age, body mass, height and Ponderal index were not significantly different between sexes. Girls had a higher BMI than boys (p = 0.05).
Conclusion: Compared to earlier Norwegian studies, children's BMI values seem to have increased substantially. This increase is most pronounced in girls. When assessing these differences using the PI, this increase is less marked. Comparing maximal oxygen uptake data with that in earlier Nordic studies, there is no evidence that fitness has declined among 9-year olds. However, the limitations of the few earlier studies make reliable comparisons difficult.     

Prostatic cancer therapy: comparison of external-beam radiation and I- 125 seed implantation treatment of stages B and C neoplasms

Of 179 patients with stage B or C adenocarcinoma of the prostate, 106 underwent iodine-125 seed-implant therapy (I-125 SI) and 73 received external-beam radiation therapy (EB). A retrospective analysis determined disease-free survival rate, local tumor control, and complication rate for each treatment group. The 5-year disease-free survival rates for SI-treated patients were 75% for stage B and 30% for stage C groups. Corresponding rates for EB-treated patients were 75% and 40%, respectively. The rate of local tumor control for stage B patients was 85% for SI-treated and 88% for EB-treated patients. The corresponding rates for stage C tumors were 75% for SI-treated and 92% for EB-treated patients. The rate of long-term complications in each group was approximately 10%. For stage B cancer of the prostate, I-125 SI treatment is an acceptable alternative to EB therapy; our data are inconclusive regarding stage C treatment, but EB therapy is preferred.     

Postfiltration factor VIII and fibrinogen levels in cryoprecipitate stored at room temperature and at 1 to 6 degrees C

The 13th edition of the standards of the American Association of Blood Banks specified storage at 1 to 6 degrees C for cryoprecipitated anti-hemophilic factor (Cryo) administered up to 6 hours after thawing if the Cryo is used for factor VIII (FVIII) content (Standard J4.210). Previous editions specified room-temperature (RT) storage for up to 6 hours. Currently, the temperature specification has been deleted. There are few data addressing the optimal storage temperature and maximum storage time for FVIII and fibrinogen in thawed Cryo. Thirty bags of Cryo were assayed for FVIII and fibrinogen. Each bag was divided into two aliquots; one was stored at RT and the other at 1 to 6 degrees C. Assays were performed immediately after thawing (Base) and 6 and 24 hours after thawing, respectively. All samples were filtered through 200-mu blood component infusion sets before assay. Three hundred analyses were performed, 150 each for FVIII and fibrinogen by conventional clotting technique. Data were analyzed by using a paired t test. Cryo stored at 1 to 6 degrees C for 6 and 24 hours showed an FVIII loss of 35 percent (p less than 0.0001) and 63 percent (p less than 0.0001), respectively. Cryo stored at RT for 6 and 24 hours had an FVIII loss of 8 percent (p greater than 0.05) and 20 percent (p less than 0.0001). Cryo stored at 1 to 6 degrees C for 6 and 24 hours had a fibrinogen loss of 20 percent (p less than 0.0001) and 43 percent (p less than 0.0001). Cryo stored at RT for 6 hours had no fibrinogen loss and a 2 percent loss at 24 hours (p greater than 0.05). These preliminary data show a significant loss of FVIII and fibrinogen activity in Cryo stored at 1 to 6 degrees C and filtered before assay. The FVIII and fibrinogen activity at RT is clearly maintained up to 6 hours after thawing.     

A near-fatal reaction during granulocyte transfusion of a neonate

Although reactions to granulocyte transfusions in neonates are rarely reported, we observed a near-fatal pulmonary reaction, presumably due to white cell antibodies, in a neonate with Rh hemolytic disease. The hemolytic disease was being treated with exchange transfusions, and at 2 days after the infant's birth, bacterial sepsis was suspected and granulocyte transfusions were begun. The first granulocyte transfusion (Day 3) was uneventful. Five minutes after the beginning of the second granulocyte transfusion (Day 4), severe respiratory distress, hypotension, bradycardia, cyanosis, and acidosis suddenly occurred. The infant's serum obtained after the reaction contained granulocytotoxic and B-lymphocytotoxic antibodies that reacted with leukocytes from the second granulocyte donor. Antibodies could not be detected either in the initial infant serum or in maternal serum. However, an antileukocyte antibody was present in the serum of a parous woman donor. We used plasma from this woman to prepare reconstituted whole blood for the exchange transfusion that we performed immediately preceding the second granulocyte transfusion. Despite the sequence of events, an irrefutable cause-and-effect mechanism could not be established because the properties of the donor and neonatal antibodies were similar, but not identical. However, this catastrophic event emphasizes both the potential for adverse effects of granulocyte transfusions in neonates and the need for caution when transfusing blood from parous women.     

Establishment of human colon cancer cell lines from fresh tumors versus xenografts: comparison of success rate and cell line features

Obtaining representative human colon cancer cell lines from fresh tumors is technically difficult. Using 32 tumor fragments from patients with colon cancer, the present study shows that prior xenograft leads to more efficient cell line establishment compared with direct establishment from fresh tumors (P < 0.05). From 26 tumor specimens, we successfully established 20 tumor xenografts in nude mice (77%); among 19 of these xenografts, 9 (47%) led to cell lines, including four from liver metastases. Only 3 of 31 tumor specimens (9.7%) grew immediately in vitro, and all were derived from primary tumors. To compare major phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of human colon cancer cell lines derived from the same tumor fragment using two protocols, the two pairs of cell lines obtained from 2 of 32 tumor fragments were extensively studied. They displayed similar morphology and were able to form compact spheroids. Chemosensitivity to 5-fluorouracil, CPT11, and L-OHP differed between cell lines obtained from patient tumors and those derived from xenografts. Matched cell lines shared a common core of karyotype alterations and distinctive additional chromosomal aberrations. Expression levels of genes selected for their role in oncogenesis evaluated by real-time quantitative PCR were found to be statistically correlated whatever the in vitro culture model used. In conclusion, xenotransplantation in mice of tumor fragments before establishment of cell lines enables generation of more novel human cancer cell lines for investigation of colon cancer cell biology, opening up the opportunity of reproducing the diversity of this disease.     

细胞核仁形成区酸性非组蛋白在胆囊癌诊断与监测中的价值

目的探讨检测细胞核仁形成区酸性非组蛋白在胆囊癌诊断与监测中的价值。方法应用细胞银染技术对体外激活的外周血和胆汁淋巴细胞染色 ,并对胆囊组织作核仁形成区嗜银蛋白银染 ,计算外周血和胆汁中硝酸银染色酸性非组蛋白 (Ag) NORs面积与核面积的比值 (IS % )和组织切片中AgNOR颗粒面积。结果正常人 (2 0例 )、慢性胆囊炎 (90例 )与胆囊癌之间 (2 1例 )外周血、胆汁T细胞Ag NORs面积与核面积的比值和组织切片中AgNOR面积差异均有显著性意义 ,血清、胆汁中T细胞Ag NORs面积与核面积的比值 (IS % )逐级降低 ,组织切片中AgNOR面积逐级升高 ,且血清、胆汁中T细胞Ag NORs面积与核面积的比值 (IS % )、组织中AgNOR面积三者相互间有良好的直线相关性 (P均 <0 0 1)。结论监测胆囊病变过程中患者外周血、胆汁中T细胞Ag NORs面积与核面积的比值 (IS % )和组织切片中AgNOR面积的变化 ,有助于胆囊癌的诊断