So-called "spontaneous" lesions of the popliteal artery

The term "spontaneous", when attributed to a stenotic or obliterative arterial lesion, could seem ambiguous and doesn't completely explain the anatomical substrate that is the basis of this morbid condition. However, it is true that injuries can occur without the patient being aware of any traumatic event, and can cause a symptomatology arising suddenly and, apparently, "spontaneously". In this study, three cases of patients observed for acute or chronic lower limb ischemia are presented. All patients were male, young and underwent an angiographic examination that demonstrated, in an otherwise normal arterial tree, filling defects or obstruction involving the popliteal artery. Two patients underwent a reconstructive surgical procedure. The third was medically treated. CAT or MNR examinations were performed in order to exclude developmental defect such as an anomalous course of popliteal artery determined by a displacement due to medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle. Actually in these three cases, a definite etiology of the arterial damage was not demonstrated and therefore it is suggested that a physical effort could have injured an already weakened arterial structure.     

Clinico-pathological study of chronic thyroiditis (author''s transl)]

Physiological responses to exercise and anthropometry were measured in several groups of physical laborers. The groups included Colombian sugar cane cutters, sugar cane loaders and general farm laborers. In addition, migrant workers and civil service laborers from the United States were studied. The Colombian populations were generally shorter, weighed less and had less body fat than the United States group. The nutritional state of the Colombian groups, as measured by the hematocrit, hemoglobin, serum albumin and total blood protein, appeared normal. The aerobic power of the Colombia populations was significantly larger than the United States groups. The larger aerobic power of the Colombian groups is probably related to greater physical fitness associated with the physical demands of their occupations.     

A genealogical study of Steinert''s disease (author''s transl)]

Kniest's disease (spondylo-epiphyseal dysplasia) was recently described by Maroteaux and Spranger. A second familial case is studied. Transmission of the disease occurred as a dominant trait.     

Phonomechanocardiographic diagnosis of the apparently "silent" mitral valve prolapse syndrome (author's transl)]

Five cases with angiocardiographically diagnosed posterior mitral valve prolapse and without ausculatotory findings of midsystolic click or late systolic murmur were studied with phonocardiographic technique employing pharmacological tests and postural changes. A midsystolic click was thus obtained. Isoprenaline was the must helpful drug to achieve it. The accompanying electrocardiographic and coronarographic features of this syndrome are described and discussed.     

Experimental study on cancerogenic activity of asbestos filters (author''s transl)]

The concentration of hyaluronic acid which is the fixed loose connective tissue component determining water and other potentials in the interstitium remains constant with age. Since the collagen fiber network in the native tissue state is unstressed, changes in collagen fiber morphology and in collagen content with age have no influence.     

Experimental study on TNF-alpha linked percutaneous isolated hepatic chemoperfusion (PIHP)]

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to establish perceptions of informed consent in patients undergoing surgery for acute abdominal conditions. METHODS: A prospective observational study was carried out using a structured questionnaire-based interview technique in patients undergoing surgery for acute abdominal conditions. Main outcome measures were to establish the effects of pain and preoperative analgesia on informed consent, patient comprehension of planned surgery and the degree of discussion of potential side-effects and complications. RESULTS: Thirty-one of 49 patients perceived that pain did not interfere with their ability to give informed consent. Forty of 48 stated that preoperative analgesia did not impair their ability to give informed consent. Forty-two understood why an operation was being planned but 28 patients stated that there had been no preoperative discussion of any potential side-effects or complications of surgery. CONCLUSION: In this study the majority of patients perceived that they retained the ability to give informed consent despite the effects of pain and analgesia. Although the majority of patients understood why an operation was being planned there is a clear need for improved discussion of potential side-effects and complications.     

"Peripheral infarction blocks". Vectocardiographic analysis and electrogenetic hypothesis (author's transl)]

500 vectorcardiograms of variously located myocardial infarctions were analysed. Abnormalities of the afferent limb of QRS loop, consistent with intraventricular conduction disturbances, were detected in 42 cases. This pattern, according to Rosenbaum, was called "infarction block"; it was always associated with inferior and/or posterior infarction. This kind of block is shown by a large downward, righward and backward-directed vector, which always appears about 50 msec after the onset of ventricular activation. Total ventricular depolarization time was not significantly prolonged. The pattern was explained as a variant of "peri-infarction block" and its origin is hypothesized as the interruption of a peripheral ramification of LBB posterior fascicle.     

Pellegrini-Stieda disease (shadow)]

Inadvertent use of tetracycline hydrochloride while producing calcium oxalate stones in the rat resulted in a reduction of papillary concretions by one-half. Parenchymal calcifications in the continuing long term, preformed stone group were reduced to levels comparable to that of other useful agents. In vitro studies corroborated these findings at physiologic urinary pH ranges. The rationale and comparisons to other anticalculus drugs are discussed.     

So-called juxtaglomerular benign tumor of the kidney with renin secretion. Optical and ultrastructural study]

Benign renin secreting tumors of the kidney, of which the authors report a new case, are an uncommon cause of arterial hypertension. The lesion is unique, benign, richly vascularized and constituted by epithelioid cells similar to those seen in the normal juxta-glomerular apparatus. Noteworthy and of great diagnostic value is the massive infiltration of the tumoral tissue by mastocytes. The ultrastructural examination clearly shows the differentiation of the secretory cells from the smooth muscular fibresof the vessel walls. The other types of renin secreting tumours are briefly considered.     

CGH (comparative genomic hybridization)]

Comparative Genomic Hybridization (CGH) is a powerful new method which allows genome-wide mapping of regions with DNA sequence copy number changes (both increases and decreases) in a single experiment without previous knowledge of the locations of the regions of abnormality. CGH is based on in situ hybridization of differentially labeled total genomic tumor DNA and normal DNA to normal human metaphase chromosomes. After hybridization copy number variations among the sequences in the tumor DNA are detected by measuring the tumor/normal fluorescence intensity ratio for each locus in the target chromosomes. Many previously unknown chromosomal regions with relative copy number changes have been detected in various tumors by CGH. Some changes have been identified as genetic markers associated with biological and clinico-pathological characteristics (i.e., histopathological grade, and clinical outcome). We review the published CGH articles and discuss briefly on current progress in CGH analysis to ovarian and uterine cervical cancer in our laboratory.     

Cerebral angioseriotomography (author''s transl)]

K transport has been investigated during progression of cultured Ehrlich ascites tumor cells through the cell cycle. Using a double thymidine block technique, Ehrlich cells carried in continuous culture have been synchronized, as verified by simultaneous monitoring of cell number, cell volume, 3H-thymidine incorporation and mitotic index. Unidirectional influx, efflux and cell content of K have been monitored throughout the cell cycle. The nature of the pump mediated, ouabain-sensitive K flux and the furosemide-sensitive component of K flux, presumably representing K-K exchange, have also been evaluated. In early S period the ouabain sensitive component, representing the Na-K pump, comprises 52% of the total unidirectional K influx and subsequently declines during G2 period to a minimum of 40% in mid G2. During M and early S the activity again rises. As the ouabain sensitive component becomes maximal in late S period, the furosemide sensitive component diminishes from approximately 30% of the total influx to approximately 10%. The same pattern is observed in the G2 period. As the pump component diminishes, the furosemide sensitive component increases. Furosemide sensitive K efflux has also been monitored and the pattern is equivalent to that observed in the invlux studies. No change in net K flux is observed in the presence of furosemide. This indicates that the furosemide sensitive component represents an exchange component for K. These results are consistent with the conclusion that the alterations in exchange and pump fluxes are physiological events associated with progression of the cell cycle.     

Results with six "kit" radioimmunoassays for primary bile acids in human serum intercompared

We examined six radioimmunoassay procedures for measuring primary bile acids in human serum (two 3H-labeled and four 125I-labeled). A significant (p < 0.01) correlation was observed between measurements in the assay both for cholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid, at low and high concentrations of serum bile acids. All kits were acceptable with respect to accuracy, precision, stability, and analytical recovery. All six procedures gave similar results for chenodeoxycholic and cholic acid in sera of 80 healthy subjects; the agreement was also close when the two primary bile acids were compared with their sum in serum. Normal values ranged from 0.4 to 2.5 mumol/L for conjugated chenodeoxycholic acid and from 0.3 to 1.5 mumol/L for conjugated cholic acid. The 125I assays do not require liquid-scintillation equipment but 125I induces a decrease in the affinity constant of antibody. The sensitivity of the assays was still adequate for measuring bile acids in the serum of healthy fasting persons and liver-disease patients.