Acute aortic dissection: association with patent ductus arteriosus

The Cuban recombinant vaccine against the hepatitis B virus was applied to a group of individuals over 65 from a geriatric home in Havana City. Dose of 20 ìg were administered within a scheme from 0.1 to 6 months in order to study its immunogenicity, which was evaluated at 2, 7, and 12 months after the first dose. 47.1% of protective titres and geometrical mean of 6.04 UI/L were obtained after 60 days. 100% of seroconversion (UI/L) and seroprotection (10 UI/L) and geometric mean of 136.93 UI/L were obtained when the immune response was evaluated on the 7th month. Finally, after a year, seroconversion and seroprotection were also of 100%, and the geometric mean was of 204.61 UI/L. It was proved the high immunogenic power of this vaccine, which makes it recommendable to protect this age group from the hepatitis B virus.     

A C-terminal region of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae transcription factor ADR1 plays an important role in the regulation of peroxisome proliferation by fatty acids

We examined the hypoxic tolerance phenomenon in vitro. Brief exposure to hypoxia induced the production of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) mRNA and protein in rat cortical neurons and protected them from hypoxic injury. Cortical neurons were cultured from 18th-day rat embryos in a serum-free medium and subjected to brief (4 h) and/or prolonged (24 h) hypoxia. Neuronal damage was assessed by quantifying lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in the medium. After brief hypoxia, LDH release was identical to that of the controls, whereas prolonged hypoxia caused a significant increase in LDH release, indicating neuronal death. However, if brief hypoxia was applied 2 days prior to the prolonged hypoxia, no increase in LDH release was observed. The bFGF mRNA expression was assessed with Northern blot and protein immunoreactivity with Western blot analysis. The brief period of hypoxia caused a 2.5-fold increase in bFGF mRNA and considerable bFGF protein expression 1 day later, but prolonged hypoxia caused increase in the expression of bFGF mRNA at 2 days and no protein expression until 3 days after the start of the hypoxia. When cells were subjected to prolonged hypoxia 2 days after brief hypoxia, however, no increase in bFGF mRNA was observed, while bFGF protein was expressed continuously. We also observed that exogenously applied bFGF reduced neuronal injury produced by prolonged hypoxia. The results obtained with this model suggest that brief hypoxia induces bFGF protein and thus tolerance to subsequent lethal hypoxia. Basic FGF might play a role as a tolerance-associated factor in this process. Thus, an in vitro model is useful for assessing the response of cortical neurons to hypoxic stress and for researching new factors related to ischemic tolerance.     

Do antral washouts have a place in the current management of chronic sinusitis?

Antral washouts have been widely used in the management of chronic sinusitis. With the advent of modern antibiotics and powerful topical nasal steroids, we sought to establish if a role remains for this procedure. One hundred and fourteen patients with chronic sinusitis were randomised into two groups. Patients in Group A received antral washouts followed by antibiotics and topical nasal steroids. Patients in the Group B received antibiotics and topical nasal steroids alone. In each group 51.6 per cent and 50 per cent of patients respectively improved with treatment. The outcome of treatment is also not influenced by endoscopic abnormality. The difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.86). The study indicates that half of patients with chronic sinusitis will improve with medical treatment but the addition of antral washout confers no additional benefits.     

Platinum concentrations in urban road dust and soil, and in blood and urine in the United Kingdom

Increasing Pt concentrations from vehicle catalysts have been reported from a number of countries. Analysis of Pt and Pd in soils and road dusts taken from areas of high and low traffic flows in SE England show concentrations of Pt in the range < 0.30-40.1 ng g-1 and Pd in the range < 2.1-57.9 ng g-1. Higher concentrations of Pt are associated with high traffic densities. Samples taken from streets of lower traffic flows were found to contain the lower concentrations of the ranges. Pilot studies of Pt concentrations in blood and urine using ICP-MS have been carried out. Platinum concentrations in whole blood were: precious metal workers, 780-2170, mean 1263 pmol l-1 (0.152-0.423, mean 0.246 microgram l-1); motorway maintenance workers, 645-810, mean 744 pmol l-1 (0.126-0.158, mean 0.145 microgram l-1); Imperial College staff, 590-713, mean 660 pmol l-1 (0.115-0.139, mean 0.129 microgram l-1). Platinum concentrations in urine in pmol Pt per mmol creatinine were: precious metal workers, 122-682, mean 273 [0.21-1.18, mean 0.47 microgram Pt (g creatinine)-1]; motorway maintenance workers, 13-78, mean 33.7 [0.022-0.135, mean 0.058 microgram Pt (g creatinine)-1]; Imperial College staff, 28-130, mean 65.6 [0.048-0.224, mean 0.113 microgram Pt (g creatinine)-1]. Detection limits were 0.03 microgram l-1 for both blood and urine. The possible health effects of increasing Pt in the environment are discussed. Platinum provides an excellent example of the significance of speciation in metal toxicity. Platinum allergy is confined to a small group of charged compounds that contain reactive ligand systems, the most effective of which are chloride ligand systems. Metallic Pt is considered to be biologically inert and non allergenic and since the emitted Pt is probably in the metallic or oxide form, the sensitising potential is probably very low. Platinum from road dusts, however, can be solubilised, and enter waters, sediments, soils and the food chain. There is at present no evidence for any adverse health effects from Pt in the general environment, particularly allergic reactions.     

Serologic evidence of previous Campylobacter jejuni infection in patients with the Guillain-Barré syndrome

OBJECTIVE: To determine if patients with the Guillain-Barré syndrome are likely to have had Campylobacter jejuni infection before onset of neurologic symptoms. DESIGN: A case-control study. SETTING: Several university medical centers. PATIENTS: Case patients met clinical criteria for the Guillain-Barré syndrome between 1983 and 1990 and had a serum sample collected and frozen within 3 weeks after onset of neurologic symptoms (n = 118). Disease controls were patients with other neurologic illnesses (n = 56); healthy controls were hospital employees or healthy family members of patients (n = 47). MEASUREMENTS: Serum IgA, IgG, and IgM antibodies to C. jejuni were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Assays were done in a blinded manner. RESULTS: Optical density ratios > or = 2 in two or more immunoglobulin classes were seen in 43 (36%) of patients with the Guillain-Barré syndrome and in 10 (10%) of controls (odds ratio, 5.3; 95% CI, 2.4 to 12.5; P < 0.001). Increasing the optical density ratio or the number of immunoglobulin classes necessary to yield a positive result increased the strength of the association. The number of patients with the Guillain-Barré syndrome who had positive serologic responses was greatest from September to November (P = 0.02). Male patients were three times more likely to have serologic evidence of C. jejuni infection (P = 0.009); the proportion of patients with the syndrome who had a positive serologic response increased with age. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with the Guillain-Barré syndrome are more likely than controls to have serologic evidence of C. jejuni infection in the weeks before onset of neurologic symptoms. Campylobacter jejuni may play a role in the initiation of the Guillain-Barré syndrome in many patients.