Effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) on colorectal polyps in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis: a review of clinical studies

A two-page questionnaire was distributed to 304 members of the American Urogynecology Society. Ninety-nine of the 149 respondents reported that they had performed continence surgery on patients who specifically stated their desire for future childbearing. One hundred and eleven recommended the Burch colposuspension, 29 favored the sling procedure, and others advocated different procedures. Urologists as a subset more often recommended either a sling or needle suspension. Twenty-eight percent of respondents felt a trial of labor and vaginal delivery was indicated following incontinence surgery, but 40% stated that they would always perform cesarean section in these patients. A total of 40 vaginal deliveries and 47 cesarean sections were reported. When postpartum continence status was known, only 73% of women who had vaginal deliveries were continent, whereas 95% were continent following cesarean section. Fisher's exact test revealed this to be a statistically significant difference (P = 0.0344).     

Analysis of x-ray diffraction patterns from amyloid of biopsied vitreous humor and kidney of transthyretin (TTR) Met30 familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP) patients: axially arrayed TTR monomers constitute the protofilament

Despite a considerable amount of research attributed to the development of an implantable glucose sensor, to date there is no clinically applicable concept for continuous glucose monitoring. Investigations to validate the subcutaneous tissue for continuous glucose sensing mostly comprise short-term implantations of glucose sensors. Most implanted glucose sensors showed a significant decay in sensitivity over the implantation period. This bioinstability was not to be expected from the in vitro performance of the sensors. In this article, the influence of possible failure mechanisms on the poor in vivo performance of subcutaneously implanted glucose sensors is reviewed.     

Changes of relaxation times (T1, T2) and apparent diffusion coefficient after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion in the rat: temporal evolution, regional extent, and comparison with histology

The quantitative NMR parameters T1, T2, rho, and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were determined during the 7 h after middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats. In the normal caudate-putamen (CP), 869 +/- 145 ms and 72 +/- 2 ms for T1 and for T2, respectively, were found; the corresponding values for cortex were 928 +/- 117 ms and 73 +/- 2 ms. The ADC showed significant dependence on gradient direction: diffusion along x resulted in 534 +/- 53 microns 2/s (CP) and 554 +/- 62 microns 2/s (cortex), and along y in 697 +/- 58 microns 2/s (CP) and 675 +/- 53 microns 2/s (cortex). In the ischemic territory, a continuous increase over time of both relaxation times was observed in the CP, leading to an increase of 29 +/- 20% (T1) and 51 +/- 41% (T2) above control level. ADC dropped to 63 +/- 15% of control in the CP and to 74 +/- 4% of control in the temporal cortex. No significant change was noted in proton density during the observation period. Strongest ADC reduction was in the center of the ischemic territory (< or = 60% of control) surrounded by a region of lesser reduction (< or = 80% of control). During the early part of the study, the area of reduced ADC was larger than that of elevated relaxation times. Toward the end of the experiment, the area of increased relaxation times approached that of decreased ADC at < or = 80% of control. Good agreement of histological presentation of infarct with the total area of decreased ADC (< or = 80%) was demonstrated.     

Development of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells: IV. Differentiation to mature T and B lymphocytes after implantation of embryoid bodies into nude mice

Mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells in culture can differentiate into late stages of many lineage-committed precursor cells. Under appropriate organ-culture conditions, ES cells differentiate into lymphoidlike cells at a stage equivalent to lymphoid cells found in fetal liver. These hematopoietic precursors are located in cup-shaped structures found in some embryoid bodies; we called such embryoid bodies "ES fetuses." In this study, we have followed the maturation of hematopoietic cells after implantation of ES fetuses into nude mice for 3 weeks. ES-cell-derived lymphoid cells-pre-B cells, mature B cells, and mature T cells were found in all lymphoid organs. Interestingly, there was also an increase of T cells of host origin. Because native nude mouse lack thymus, these T cells might be educated by thymuslike epithelium generated from ES fetuses. Practical applications of this combined in vitro and in vivo system are discussed.     

Factors secreted by human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I)-infected cells can enhance or inhibit replication of HIV-1 in HTLV-I-uninfected cells: implications for in vivo coinfection with HTLV-I and HIV-1

It remains controversial whether human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) coinfection leads to more rapid progression of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease in dually infected individuals. To investigate whether HTLV-I infection of certain cells can modulate HIV-1 infection of surrounding cells, primary CD4(+) T cells were treated with cell-free supernatants from HTLV-I-infected MT-2 cell cultures. The primary CD4+ T cells became resistant to macrophage (M)-tropic HIV-1 but highly susceptible to T cell (T)-tropic HIV-1. The CC chemokines RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1alpha, and MIP-1beta in the MT-2 cell supernatants were identified as the major suppressive factors for M-tropic HIV-1 as well as the enhancers of T-tropic HIV-1 infection, whereas soluble Tax protein increased susceptibility to both M- and T-tropic HIV-1. The effect of Tax or CC chemokines on T-tropic HIV-1 was mediated, at least in part, by increasing HIV Env-mediated fusogenicity. Our data suggest that the net effect of HTLV-I coinfection in HIV-infected individuals favors the transition from M- to T-tropic HIV phenotype, which is generally indicative of progressive HIV disease.