Colorectal schistosomiasis: report of three cases

The facility for mass movement of segments of our world populations creates the need for physicians to recognize and manage diseases not seen in native patients. Such a need has occurred in New York City, where schistosomiasis, with its protean manifestations has been seen with increasing frequency. The cases of three patients who had different clinical manifestations of infestation by S. mansoni are presented. Clinical, radiologic, and pathologic features are discussed. To avoid delay in treatment, physicians must consider the possibility of this disorder in cases of patients from areas of endemic schistosomiasis.     

Plasma levels of pregnancy-specific beta1-glycoprotein in normal pregnancy

Pregnancy-specific beta-glycoprotein (PSbetaG) is a major product of the trophoblast which has only recently been identified. Like human placental lactogen, the concentration of PSbetaG in maternal blood rises throughout pregnancy until about 34 weeks, thereafter tending to remain constant until term, with only a small day-to-day variation in individuals. The circulating maternal levels of PSbetaG between 34 weeks and term are about 200 mug/ml, 20 to 30 times greater than the levels of placental lactogen, thus allowing detection and measurement of PSbetaG by relatively simple techniques. The levels of PSbetaG are above the normal range in the majority of twin pregnancies. It is suggested that PSbetaG measurements may be useful in assessing placental function and may help in the detection of multiple pregnancies at an early stage of gestation.     

Changes of smoking habits and cough in men smoking cigarettes with 30% NSM tobacco substitute

The effects of smoking cigarettes with 30% of the tobacco replaced by NSM tobacco substitute, which lowered their tar and nicotine delivery, were studied by comparing them with the effects of conventional cigarettes in a controlled crossover trial lasting 20 months. Chest symptoms, cigarette consumption, and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) were measured each month. Two-hundred men began the trial and 159 completed it. The test cigarettes were acceptable to all but one of the men. In a subsample of 35 men estimates of nicotine intake were obtained from monthly analyses of cigarette stubs. On changing from NSM to control cigarettes six of the 17 men, who were accustomed to low nicotine, kept their nicotine intake down by some change in smoking habit. Before the crossover and this change in smoking habit the men smoking NSM cigarettes had a small but significant reduction of cough. Cigarettes containing 30% NSM and delivering only 1 mg of nicotine are likely to be acceptable to smokers and may reduce coughing. Further trials are needed to confirm these findings and establish what long-term effects such cigarettes may have on smokers' health.     

A development of the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve analyzer

The development and improvement of an oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve analyzer is described. PO2 electrode performance was improved by electrochemical means and circuits are described for processing the PO2 and pH signals from the analyzer. A circuit for automatically correcting the curve for Bohr shifts from pH 7.40 is described, and the performance of the Bohr shift unit is verified by experiment. The analyzer produces curves under standard conditions of PCO2 40 mmHg, pH 7.40, and 37 degrees C.     

Pathology of practolol-induced ocular toxicity

The ocular side-effects of prolonged practolol administration concern the cornea and conjunctiva and are related to deficient tear secretion and the formation of an autoantibody which has an affinity for the intercellular zones of squanmous epithelium. Histopathological study of six cases, including a review of the necropsy findings in two, showed destruction of lacrimal gland tissue, epidermalization of the conjunctival epithelium, with epitheliolysis and stromal ulceration of the cornea leading to perforation in two patients. Immunoperoxidase studies showed fixation of specific antibody in the corneal and conjunctival epithelium but, in the one case in which the tissue could be adequately studied, complement fixation could not be demonstrated. Possibly, therefore, the immune response in patients with practolol-induced ocular damage is secondary to the epithelial disturbance rather than its cause.     

Effect of dieldrin and calcium on the performance of adult Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of dieldrin and calcium on reproductive performance of quail. At 25% egg production the quail received diets containing 0,10 or 25 p.p.m. of dieldrin for 6, 28-day periods in experiment 1 and 0, 5, or 25 p.p.m. of dieldrin for 4, 28-day periods in experiment 2. Pesticide treatments were employed with diets containing 0.5% and 3.0% calcium. The results show that egg shell thickness, cracked eggs, egg production, feed consumption, egg weights, fertility, hatchability and body weights were not affected by dieldrin treatments. However, egg shell thickness, cracked eggs, egg production and hatchability were adversely affected by the lower calcium level. Female body weights were consistently heavier for the low calcium diet. Mortality increased in the presence of 10 and especially 25 p.p.m. of dieldrin. Livability of chicks from hens receiving rations with 10 and 25 p.p.m. of dieldrin was significantly lower than those fed no dieldrin. In summary, dieldrin was without effect on egg shell quality or other reproductive factors but did exert a detrimental effect on adult mortality and livability of progeny.     

A new region of conservation is defined between human and mouse X chromosomes

Comparative mapping of the X chromosome in eutherian mammals has revealed distinct regions of conservation as well as evolutionary rearrangements between human and mouse. Recently, we and others mapped the murine homologue of CLCN4 (Chloride channel 4) to band F4 of the X chromosome in Mus spretus but to chromosome 7 in laboratory strains. We now report the mapping of the murine homologues of APXL (Apical protein Xenopus laevis-like) and OA1 (Ocular albinism type I), two genes that are located on the human X chromosome at band p22. 3 and in close proximity to CLCN4. Interestingly, Oa1 and Apxl map to bands F2-F3 in both M. spretus and the laboratory strain C57BL/6J, defining a new rearrangement between human and mouse X chromosomes.