Spontaneous disappearance of traumatic macular holes in young patients

PURPOSE: To report the disappearance of traumatic macular hole in three eyes of three patients. METHODS: Clinical data of the patients were reviewed. RESULTS: The three patients were relatively young, ranging in age from 12 to 18 years old. In one eye of each patient, a small traumatic macular hole was observed at the first visit. Visual acuities ranged from 20/100 to 20/40. The macular holes resolved spontaneously 3 to 4 months after the trauma, and final visual acuity improved to 20/20 in all patients. CONCLUSION: Small traumatic macular holes in young patients can resolve spontaneously, and this can be associated with good visual recovery.     

Direct evidence of high DNA binding activity of transcription factor AP-1 in rheumatoid arthritis synovium

Green fluorescent protein (GFP) is increasingly being used in plant biology from the cellular level to whole plant level. At the cellular level, GFP is being used as an in vivo reporter to assess frequency of transient and stable transformation. GFP has also proven to be an invaluable tool in monitoring trafficking and subcellular localization of protein. At the organ level and up, many exciting applications are rapidly emerging. The development of brighter GFP mutants with more robust folding properties has enabled better macroscopic visualization of GFP in whole leaves and plants. One interesting example has been the use of GFP to monitor virus movement in and among whole plants. GFP is also emerging as a powerful tool to monitor transgene movement and transgenic plants in the field. In a proof-of-concept study, tobacco was transformed with a modified version of the GFP gene controlled by a constitutive (35S) promoter. GFP expression in progeny plants ranged from 0% to 0.5%, and approximately 0.1% GFP was the minimal amount needed for unambiguous macroscopic detection. GFP is the first truly in vivo reporter system useful in whole plants, and we project its usefulness will increase even further as better forms of GFP genes become available.     

Low birth weight as an additional indication for chromosomal analysis

INTRODUCTION: Even though there are few epidemiological studies evaluating the birth weights of different groups of malformed babies with chromosomal abnormalities, it is widely known that infants with trisomy 18, and to a lesser degree those with trisomy 13 and other chromosomal alterations, have low birth weights. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this study we present the analysis of the birth weights and gestational ages of a large sample of babies (23,155 malformed and a similar number of nonmalformed babies), separating the different groups of chromosomal anomalies and comparing the weight in the clinical groups of malformed infants. RESULTS: Most of the groups with chromosomal abnormalities present lower birth weights in comparison to the other groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study support the conclusion that the relationship between chromosomal alterations and low birth weight is sufficiently important that such a low birth weight in children with minor or major anomalies should be considered as one more indication to perform chromosomal analysis.     

Peer evaluation. A visual picture

To meet the criteria of role accountability, nursing competence and ongoing staff development, an improved peer-evaluation system was designed to continuously monitor these new roles. This peer-evaluation process converts evaluation input into data, giving staff a visual picture of how their performance compares within their peer group. This peer-evaluation process was designed as a tool to assist in staff growth and development, not as a punitive system.     

Magnetic resonance of the encephalon in 17 patients with ocular Beh?et''s disease

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationships between patient and physician pretreatment expectations of pain relief and subsequent pain relief reported by chronic pain patients immediately after treatment. DESIGN: Prospective study of consecutive patients undergoing a procedure in a pain clinic for treatment of chronic pain. Patients rated their current pain level and their expectation of pain relief immediately prior to undergoing a procedure (e.g., intravenous drug infusion, nerve block) for the treatment of chronic pain. Simultaneously and independently, the treating physician completed a similar questionnaire. At completion of the procedure, patients rated their current pain level and degree of pain relief. SETTING: University of Washington Multidisciplinary Pain Center procedure suite. PATIENTS: Forty-six consecutive chronic pain patients. INTERVENTION: Intravenous drug infusions and nerve blocks. OUTCOME MEASURES: Current pain and pain relief ratings. RESULTS: Patients' pain relief expectation ratings were not correlated significantly with their postprocedure pain relief ratings or pre-post procedure changes in pain ratings. However, a statistically significant correlation was found between physician expectations of pain relief and patient pain relief ratings and patient pre-post procedure changes in pain. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that physicians are better predictors than are patients of patients responses to these procedures and/or that physicians may somehow subtly communicate their expectations to patients during the procedure, and these expectations then influence patient response. Patient pretreatment expectations may not always play a significant role in nonspecific treatment effects.     

Intra- and inter-laboratory reproducibility of estrogen and progesterone receptor enzyme immunoassay in breast cancer cytosol samples--a Swedish multicenter study. Swedish Society of Cancer Study Group

Estrogen and progesterone receptor analysis results were compared within and between six laboratories in Sweden using frozen breast cancer cytosol samples, and the same technique (enzyme immunoassay, Abbott Laboratories). The concordance in receptor status (positive vs. negative) was excellent (98.4% (571/580)). The discordant results were attributable to values near cut-off (n = 4) or outliers (n = 5), the latter probably being due to analytical errors. One laboratory reported significantly higher ER concentrations than the others; thus caution should be observed when comparing absolute values from different centers. For PgR there were similar differences between the laboratories. However, the intra- and inter-laboratory differences were small compared with the overall variability in ER and PgR content between different samples in a large database. The range of the median intra-laboratory coefficient of variation was 11-23% for ER and 12-19% for PgR, indicating that there is room for improvement in the quality of assay performance.     

Improved atrial function in bicaval versus standard orthotopic techniques in cardiac transplantation

Atrial geometry is preserved in the bicaval technique of cardiac transplantation. Using Doppler echocardiography, we investigated the impact of this technique on preservation of atrial function and found that echocardiographic indexes of atrial function are improved in bicaval cardiac transplants versus the standard orthotopic transplants.     

An EIA method on single donor solubilized HLA antigens for the identification of anti-HLA antibodies

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is an immunologically mediated disease in which activated T lymphocytes attack and destroy epithelial cells in the small intralobular bile ducts of genetically susceptible patients. This article reviews the results of treatment of PBC with immunomodulatory agents. Results with drugs such as glucocorticoids, azathioprine, and chlorambucil have been disappointing because of either limited efficacy (azathioprine), toxicity (chlorambucil), or both (glucocorticoids). Colchicine improved tests of liver function in three prospective studies and was associated with improved survival for up to 4 years. However, survival benefits were lost at 8 years. Colchicine appears to slow the rate of progression of PBC but not to stop it. Preliminary results suggest that colchicine may have synergistic effects if used together with ursodeoxycholic acid, particularly in patients who are only partially responsive to ursodeoxycholic acid. Results with cyclosporine have been disappointing because of limited efficacy and predictable toxicity. The modest improvement in tests of liver function and survival are counterbalanced by the development of hypertension in some and worsening renal function in most. There is little beneficial effect on symptoms or histology. Results with methotrexate are promising. There are improvements in symptoms and tests of liver function that are equal to those seen with ursodeoxycholic acid and significant improvement in liver histology. Some patients, particularly those with striking inflammation and granulomas in portal triads, appear to have achieved sustained remission while on methotrexate. The effects of methotrexate are additive to those of ursodeoxycholic acid in patients whose blood tests have responded only partially to ursodeoxycholic acid. The most effective treatment of PBC will most likely use a combination of drugs such as ursodeoxycholic acid, colchicine, and methotrexate.