Oral and maxillofacial manifestations of Gardner's syndrome associated with growth hormone deficiency: case report and literature review.

Gardner's syndrome (GS) is a hereditary disorder inherited as autosomal dominant with complete penetrance and variable expression. GS is a variant of familial adenomatous polyposis characterized by extracolonic manifestations including osteomas, dental anomalies, and epidermoid cysts. The association between GS and endocrine abnormalities has been well documented but a direct pituitary involvement has never been reported. We present a case of oral and maxillofacial manifestations in an adult patient affected by GS associated with growth hormone deficiency, a hitherto unreported association. The possible pathogenic mechanisms are discussed.     

Postnatal social environment affects morphine analgesia in male mice

Seventy-eight male mice of the Swiss CD-1 strain were maintained from birth to weaning either in litters containing only male pups (MM), or in litters containing both male and female pups (MF). Body weight gain and neurobehavioral development were assessed, and no differences between MM and MF males were found. On postnatal day 40 one male from each litter (N = 13 per group) was injected either with vehicle (saline solution, 8%) or with morphine (5 or 10 mg/kg). Fifteen min after the injection, forepaw licking latencies were measured in a hot plate test (55 +/- 1 degree C). MF males showed longer latencies than MM males, and this difference was statistically significant after both morphine doses. These results indicate that the function of systems mediating response to painful stimulation and opiate analgesia can be affected by variations in early social conditions.     

Isolation and nucleotide sequence of the gene encoding cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1 of Escherichia coli.

Cytotoxic necrotizing factors (CNFs) are dermonecrotic protein toxins produced by human and animal clinical isolates of Escherichia coli. In this study, the CNF1 determinant was isolated and sequenced, showing that expression of biologically active toxin is governed by a unique open reading frame encoding a protein of 1,014 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 113.7 kDa. Nucleotide and protein data base searches showed significant homology between CNF1 and the dermonecrotic toxin of Pasteurella multocida. In particular, the two toxins were found to share a hydrophobic region of about 220 amino acids which is a potential membrane-spanning domain.     

Genetic diversity of intimin genes of attaching and effacing Escherichia coli strains

In this study, we determined the sequences of four intimin variant genes detected in attaching and effacing Escherichia coli isolates of human origin. Three of them were novel and were designated eae-eta (eta), eae-iota (iota), and eae-kappa (kappa). The fourth was identical to the recently described eae-zeta (zeta), isolated from a bovine E. coli O84:NM isolate. We compared these sequences with those of published intimin-alpha, intimin-beta, intimin-gamma1, intimin-gamma2, intimin- epsilon, and intimin-theta alleles. Sequence analysis of these 10 intimin alleles confirmed extensive genetic diversity within the intimin gene family in E. coli. The genetic diversity was more prominent in the 3' region (starting at bp 2,112), which encodes the binding domain of intimin. Phylogenetic analyses revealed four groups of closely related intimin genes: alpha and zeta; beta and kappa; gamma1 and gamma2/theta; and epsilon and eta. Calculation of homoplasy ratios of sequences of the 5' region of eae (positions 1 to 2,111) revealed evidence for intragenic recombination. Split decomposition analysis also indicates that recombination events have played a role in the evolutionary history of eae. In conclusion, we recommend an eae nomenclature system based on the Greek alphabet and provide an updated PCR scheme for amplification and typing of E. coli eae.     

Inhibition of human polymorphonuclear leukocyte function by components of human colostrum and mature milk

To compare the effect of human colostrum (days 1 to 3 postpartum) and mature milk (days 170 ± 24 postpartum) on the function of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL), Ficoll-Hypaque-separated PMNL from the blood of 60 healthy volunteers were incubated with whole colostrum, colostral lipid, and colostral aqueous phase from 30 mothers, or with mature whole milk and its separated components from 30 mothers, and tested for resting and zymosan-stimulated oxidative metabolism, functional activity, and the presence of Fc receptors. Stimulated oxygen consumption, quantitative nitroblue tetrazolium dye reduction, [1-¹⁴C]glucose utilization, and Fc receptors were significantly (P < 0.05 to P < 0.001) less in PMNL exposed to whole human colostrum or colostral lipid than in non-lipid-exposed cells or cells exposed to the aqueous phase of colostrum. In contrast, PMNL exposed to whole mature milk or to its lipid or aqueous phase caused no significant decrease in any of these parameters when compared to nonexposed cells. In assays of phagocytosis, colostral PMNL or blood PMNL exposed to colostral lipid had a significant (P < 0.001) decrease in their ability to ingest [methyl-³H]thymidine-labeled Staphylococcus aureus when compared to non-lipid-exposed PMNL. Blood PMNL exposed to lipid from mature milk had no decrease in ability to ingest S. aureus. Analysis of total lipid and total and individual fatty acid content revealed a uniform increase in all components in mature milk when compared to colostrum. Lipid or lipid-soluble material present in human colostrum but not mature milk causes inhibition of phagocytosis and respiratory burst-related activities of PMNL.     

Isolation in Italy of a verotoxin-producing strain of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 from a child with hemolytic-uraemic syndrome

Verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli 0157:117 was isolated for the first time in Italy from a child with hemolytic-uremic syndrome and his asymptomatic sister. Both parents remained asymptomatic, and neither had evidence of this infection. The source of the infection was not identified, but the children had eaten ground beef during the 15 days prior to the onset of symptoms.Corresponding author.     

The contour of the juxtapapillary nerve fiber layer in glaucoma

Reliable structural markers for early glaucomatous optic nerve damage would facilitate the diagnosis of glaucoma at an early stage, possibly before visual field loss occurs. Computerized image analyses were used to develop and analyze new structural parameters for glaucomatous optic nerve damage. Multiple measurements of relative juxtapapillary nerve fiber layer height were made in glaucoma patients (n = 112), patients suspected of having glaucoma (n = 87), and in age-matched normal control subjects (n = 53). The average relative nerve fiber layer (NFL) height differed in glaucoma patients and normal subjects by 70 microns, but differences exceeded 100 microns at the superior and inferior poles of the disc. Mean values for "glaucoma suspects" were intermediate between those for the normal subjects and glaucoma groups. The ability of summary statistics of relative NFL height measurements to discriminate between normal and glaucomatous eyes was superior to that of the standard disc parameters cup-disc ratio, disc rim area, and cup volume. Measurements of relative NFL height correlated with indices of visual field loss; the strongest correlations occurred for measurements at the superior and inferior poles. Measurements of juxtapapillary NFL height may prove useful to detect glaucomatous optic nerve damage at an early stage and to accurately recognize progressive nerve damage over time.     

Effect of aging on optic nerve appearance: a longitudinal study

AIM: To determine whether aging causes detectable changes in the appearance of the optic disc. METHODS: A retrospective longitudinal study was performed with quantitative and qualitative evaluations of digitised stereoscopic optic disc photographs of 224 eyes of 224 subjects. There were three groups: 100 normal subjects from the Framingham Eye Study, 68 glaucomatous patients followed longitudinally, and 56 normal subjects and glaucoma patients who had separate sets of disc photos taken on the same day. A disc was considered qualitatively worse if two of three experienced observers agreed that it was worse. Quantitative progression was defined as a >10% decrease in rim/disc area ratio measured with computer assisted planimetry. RESULTS: With quantitative evaluation, normal eyes (mean follow up 13 years) and same day eyes displayed no statistically significant difference in change of rim/disc area ratios (p=0.095), nor in the number of discs that progressed-five of 100 (5%) v two of 56 (4%) respectively. Glaucomatous eyes (mean follow up 9 years) showed a quantitative loss of disc rim in 24 of 68 (35%), and differed significantly from the normal eyes both in the change of rim/disc area ratio (p<0.0005) and number of discs that progressed (p<0.0005). With qualitative evaluation, the number of progressive discs in the glaucomatous eyes (31%) differed significantly (p<0. 0005) from the normal eyes (3%) and the same day eyes (0%). CONCLUSIONS: Over a period of follow up appropriate for long term outcome studies in glaucoma, there was no quantitatively or qualitatively detectable neuroretinal rim loss in normal aging optic nerves with stereoscopic optic disc photographs.     

Human tissue distribution of platinum after cis-diamminedichloroplatinum

Summary Using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, platinum concentrations were determined in autopsy tissue samples from 12 patients who had received cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (DDP) 20–120 mg/m² up to 6 months antemortem. Tissue platinum concentrations were highest in liver (0.5–3.7 g/g wet weight), prostate (1.6–3.6 g/g), and kidney (0.4–2.9 g/g), somewhat lower in bladder, muscle, testicle, pancreas, and spleen, and lowest in bowel, adrenal, heart, lung, cerebrum, and cerebellum, Platinum concentrations in tumors were generally somewhat lower than the concentration in the organ in which the tumor was located, with the exception of intracerebral tumors. Different metastatic sites in the same patient had substantially different platinum concentrations and hepatic metasutases had the highest concentrations. Intra-arterial administration of drug may augment tissue concentrations of platinum. In a patient undergoing therapeutic abortion 4 days after treatment, the platinum concentration was 0.5 g/g in the placenta and 0.3 g/g in the fetus. The data suggest that for in vitro sensitivity testing, DDP concentrations of 7 g/ml should be used.     

Measurement of brain natriuretic peptide in plasma samples and cardiac tissue extracts by means of an immunoradiometric assay method

Background: The mechanisms of oxygen‐induced effects on blood vessels (vasoconstriction in hyperoxaemia and vasodilatation during hypoxaemia) are uncertain. Many investigators have suggested that the vasoconstriction seen during hyperoxia/hyperoxaemia is mediated through the endothelium as a result of either increased release or activity of vasoconstrictors (oxygen radicals, endothelin, norepinephrine, angiotensin II, or serotonin (5‐HT)), or reduced activity of vasodilators (prostaglandin E₂ and nitric oxide). Serotonin has been assumed to have a central role. Methods: Eight healthy volunteers were exposed to F_iO₂ of 1.0 for 20?min and serum concentrations of serotonin and activated platelets were measured (indicated by concentrations of β‐thromboglobulin (β‐TG)). Results. During hyperoxaemia in humans, serum concentrations of serotonin and β‐TG remained unchanged. Conclusion: If serotonin is involved in oxygen‐induced vasoconstriction, the mechanism is more likely to be either a potentiating effect of serotonin on other vasoconstrictors or increased activity of serotonin on its receptor.