Long-term assessment of arthroscopic meniscus repair: a two- to six-year follow-up study

The functions of the meniscus and subsequently the importance of meniscus preservation are well known. Thirty-one of 105 patients who underwent (closed) arthroscopic meniscus repair between 1982 and 1986 using an inside-out technique previously described were studied. Evaluations were based on The Hospital for Special Surgery knee rating system. Eighty-eight percent of the study population had a good-to-excellent outcome at an average 4.1 years follow-up. Most of these patients had no Fairbank changes on follow-up radiographs. Factors affecting outcome were analyzed. From this series, the at-risk factor for failure of meniscus repair is chronicity of injury (lasting longer than 2 weeks). Factors not noted to significantly influence results in this series include (a) age of the patient; (b) sex of the patient; (c) rim width up to 6 mm from the synovial meniscal junction; and (d) anterior cruciate ligament insufficiency. History of a reinjury and noncompliance with the postoperative rehabilitation protocol may also adversely influence results, but this is difficult to prove.     

Chronic captopril treatment reverses the enhanced vascular concentrations of 3-methylhistidine in the spontaneously hypertensive rat.

Morphometric studies conducted on the blood vessels of the spontaneously hypertensive rat have provided evidence that medial hypertrophy is a key characteristic of the vascular change which occurs in hypertension. In the present study, we determined whether 3-methylhistidine (3MH), a post-translationally modified amino acid which is found uniquely in the actin and myosin of muscle, could provide a biochemical marker of such change. Our results indicated that the concentrations of 3MH were selectively elevated in the blood vessels from the spontaneously hypertensive rat, when compared with concentrations in vascular tissues from the Wistar-Kyoto rat. The concentrations of 3MH in non-vascular tissues were similar in the two strains. Chronic captopril treatment prevented the development of hypertension in the spontaneously hypertensive rat and was associated with a reduction of the vascular concentrations of 3MH. We therefore conclude that blood vessel concentrations of 3MH are a useful biochemical index of the changes in vascular smooth muscle contractile protein which occur during the development of hypertension in the spontaneously hypertensive rat.     

环孢菌素A阻断人HL－60抗药性细胞于G_1期而诱导敏感细胞凋亡

进一步研究了抗三尖杉酯碱的ＨＬ－６０细胞（ＨＲ２０）抗细胞凋亡的机制及该抗性和抗药性的关系。结果表明，环孢菌素Ａ（ＣｓＡ）２０，１０μｇ·ｍｌ￣（－１）诱导ＨＬ－６０细胞发生凋亡，而阻断ＨＲ２０细胞于Ｇ＿１期，就不能诱导细胞发生凋亡。低浓度的ＣｓＡ明显增加柔红霉素在ＨＲ２０细胞内的积聚，其逆转抗药性作用与阻断细胞周期运行无关。ＣｓＡ１０μｇ·ｍｌ￣（－１）处理ＨＲ２０细胞，可引起５０ｋＤａ的蛋白质高度磷酸化。结果提示：环孢菌素Ａ阻断抗三尖杉酯碱的ＨＬ－６０细胞于Ｇ＿１期，而诱导敏感的ＨＬ－６０细胞发生凋亡，其阻断作用与抗药性无关     

Is captopril effective in controlling blood pressure when administered once daily? An assessment using 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring

Summary Twelve patients with essential hypertension receiving captopril monotherapy or captopril in conjunction with a diuretic had their 24-h blood pressure profiles monitored using an automatic, non-invasive ambulatory method. The study examined the efficacy of once a day versus twice a day administration of the ACE inhibitor in controlling blood pressure.Six untreated subjects with borderline hypertension were also studied using the same monitoring equipment and with the same frequency, to act as controls because of the possibility of repeated use of the device causing a familiarisation effect.The results obtained indicated that if anything, the once daily dosing produced marginally better blood pressure values. The amplitude of the diurnal blood pressure variation was reduced on a second-wearing of the monitoring equipment suggesting some degree of familiarisation with the apparatus.     

Microsurgical anatomy of VII and VIII cranial nerves and related arteries in the cerebellopontine angle

Summary The relationships of VII and VIII cranial nerves and related arteries are reviewed in 26 preparations by microdissection techniques. These vessels may be grouped in large (AICA, PICA), medium (LA, SA, CSA, RPI) and small calibre (vasa nervorum, radicullar and medullar branches). The importance of these structures in acoustic neuroma surgery, vestibular neurectomy and cross-compression syndromes is discussed. Vascular loops and elongated arteries are normal structures present at birth.This work was supported by a grant from the AJ Roemmers Foundation     

Differential pattern of DNA-aneuploidy in human malignancies

The differential pattern of DNA-aneuploidy, detected by flow cytometry (FCM) regarding its frequency, grade and multiclonality, was investigated and correlated to tumor type, malignancy grade, tumor stage and prognosis in a multi-institutional study at the University of Münster. High resolution measurements using admixed normal blood reference cells were undertaken in 2413 cases of 13 different malignant diseases and in 776 benign lesions or samples. The incidence of DNA-aneuploidy was highest in melanomas, carcinomas, testicular tumors, sarcomas (75%-95%) and myelomas (65%). Acute leukemias showed an intermediate DNA-aneuploidy rate of 40% with special subgroups represented by common ALL (44%), p less than 0.05) and myelomonocytic/monocytic AML (47%, p less than 0.01). The lowest DNA-aneuploidy-rate was found in basal cell skin carcinomas (19%) and congenital melanocytic nevi (9%). No case of DNA-aneuploidy was observed in the 776 benign lesions or samples.--DNA-indices giving the grade of DNA-aneuploidy with 1.0 for normal diploid G1/0 cells were found distributed predominantly between 1.0 and 2.0 in the solid tumors, except testicular tumors, clustering around a triploid maximum at 1.5. DNA-indices of myelomas and acute leukemias generally ranged below 1.25 with lower DNA-aneuploidy grades in AML than in ALL (p less than 0.01).--In melanomas the aneuploidy rate was higher (86%) in metastases than in the primary tumors (54%, p = 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Spironolactone as a source of interference in commercial digoxin immunoassays

Eight commercial digoxin immunoassay methods were tested in 17 subjects taking spironolactone (but not digoxin) to evaluate cross-reactivity from parent drug and/or metabolites. Four of these methods showed significant (up to 1.9 nmol/L) and variable "apparent digoxin" concentrations, despite the absence of digoxin in the drug regimen. The results suggest that clinical laboratories require a knowledge of their method with respect to spironolactone-related cross-reactivity and should exercise caution when interpreting digoxin results where spironolactone is coadministered. Further, the presence of concurrent renal and/or hepatic impairment could delay clearance of spironolactone metabolites (as well as digoxin metabolites and endogenous substances) and further distort a genuine digoxin result.     

Osteosarcomatosis

A review of the 690 cases of osteosarcoma in the radiographic file of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology revealed 29 cases of "osteosarcomatosis" (multiple skeletal sites of osteosarcoma). Fifteen of these patients were 18 years old and under and manifested rapidly appearing, usually symmetric, sclerotic metaphyseal lesions. The remaining 14 patients were more than 18 years old and had fewer, asymmetric sclerotic lesions. In most patients (28 of 29), a radiographically dominant skeletal tumor was seen. Pulmonary metastases occurred in the majority of patients and were detected at the same time as the bone lesions. These 29 patients were studied with regard to demographic data and skeletal distribution and radiographic appearance of their lesions. As a result of the findings, a metastatic origin from a primary dominant osteosarcoma is favored over a multifocal origin as the basis for osteosarcomatosis. Osteosarcomatosis is more commonly encountered in the mature skeleton than has been previously recognized.