Calcific phacolysis

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: The authors report the clinical and ocular histopathologic findings in three patients with longstanding unilateral post-traumatic blindness. After one or more decades, acute pain associated with conjunctival hyperemia and apparent keratoprecipitates or a hypopyon developed in the affected eye of each individual. Phacoanaphylaxis was diagnosed preoperatively in two patients. RESULTS: Calcified granular lens fragments were dispersed throughout all three eyes. The anterior chamber in all patients contained extracellular calcified lens particles, but only one eye contained conspicuous macrophages. Two eyes showed elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), and in one patient calcified particles extended into a glaucomatous optic nerve head. CONCLUSION: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report describing a rare condition involving the intraocular dispersal of calcified lens particles after disruption of the lens capsule. The authors have designated this entity as calcific phacolysis.     

Inhibition of N-linked glycosylation by tunicamycin enhances sensitivity to cisplatin in human head-and-neck carcinoma cells

Using an antibody specific for dually phosphorylated extracellular-regulated kinases 1 and 2, we have examined 82 primary and metastatic prostate tumor specimens for the presence of activated mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase. Nonneoplastic prostate tissue showed little or no staining with activated MAP kinase antiserum. In prostate tumors, the level of activated MAP kinase increased with increasing Gleason score and tumor stage. In a separate analysis, tumor samples from two patients showed no activation of MAP kinase before androgen ablation therapy; however, following androgen ablation treatment, high levels of activated MAP kinase were detected in the recurrent tumors. Collectively, these data suggest an increase in the activation of the MAP kinase signal transduction pathway as prostate cancer progresses to a more advanced and androgen-independent disease.     

Comparative data on the plating out of Mycobacterium tuberculosis on Samillo's modified FIN-11 medium and on the L?wenstein-Jensen and FIN-11 media

A modification of the Fin-114 medium is proposed where sodium glutaminate was substituted for a yeast autolysate and ammonium citrate for ammonium oxaacetate. The seeding of Mycobacteria tuberculosis was higher (3-4%) as compared with the two above media (2.4 and 2.6% respectively).