Induction of hyperhydration in rats by IP loading with graded concentrations of NaCl solution

In April 1991, 91 hospitalized patients in Cairo were reported to the Egyptian Ministry of Health with botulism intoxication. To define the spectrum of illness and identify a food vehicle, 45 patients were interviewed and a case-control investigation was conducted among families of 5 hospitalized patients. Clinical specimens and specimens of implicated food were tested for toxin and cultured for Clostridium botulinum. Hospitalized patients had symptoms consistent with botulism; 18 (20%) of 91 reported patients died. Illness was associated with eating faseikh (uneviscerated, salted mullet fish; lower 95% confidence limit of odds ratio = 6.6, P < .001). All 5 case-families purchased faseikh from one shop. Very high levels of type E botulinal toxin were detected in faseikh reported to be purchased from the implicated shop; C. botulinum type E was isolated from cultures of clinical specimens and from the faseikh. This is the first documented outbreak of botulism in Egypt and the largest type E outbreak ever reported.     

Antral gastritis in chronic alcoholism. Role of cirrhosis and Helicobacter pylori

OBJECTIVES: Antral gastritis is frequent in alcoholics. The role of H. pylori in the pathogenesis of gastritis in these patients is not well known. The aim of our study was to study the role of H. pylori and cirrhosis in the pathogenesis of antral gastritis in alcoholic patients. METHODS: Seventy-nine patients were included in the study. All underwent upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy with antral biopsies, independently of the presence of abdominal pain, and had serological examination for H. pylori antibodies. RESULTS: Cirrhosis and gastritis were present in 50 and 40 patients respectively, H. pylori serological assay and histological identification of the bacterium were positive in 35 (44%) and 19 (24%) patients respectively. Discrepancy between the 2 tests were observed more frequently in cirrhotic patients. A positive serology with a negative histologic examination for H. pylori was present for 18 cirrhotic and 4 noncirrhotic patients (p < 0.05). A gastritis without evidence of H. pylori was more frequent in cirrhotic than in noncirrhotic patients. H. pylori was histologically present in 11 of 29 cirrhotic patients and in 8 of the 11 noncirrhotic patients with a gastritis (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Discrepancies between histological examination and H. pylori serology in patients with cirrhosis might be due to the inhospitable environment for H. pylori in case of portal hypertension; the positive serology could be in relation with a past infection.     

Endothelin-1 concentrations and optimisation of arterial oxygenation and venous admixture by selective pulmonary artery infusion of prostaglandin E1 during thoracotomy

PURPOSE: To demonstrate a superselective intraarterial chemotherapy as a therapeutic alternative in the treatment of previously treated recurrent lymph node metastases in breast cancer. METHODS: 14 patients with recurrent lymph node metastases in cases of breast cancer were presented to be treated by intraarterial chemotherapy of 25 mg mitoxantrone/m2 over a period of 24 hours. In two patients with superclavicular lymph node involvement an intraarterial therapy could not be carried out because of a vascular connection to the anterior spinal artery. Involved lymph stations could be reached in superselective technique by side branches of the subclavian artery. Heparin coverage was given intravenously. Every patient had had surgery, radiation, systemic chemo- and hormonal therapy before and was now graded as inoperable. Therapy indication was given by local tumour-induced symptoms. RESULTS: In the 12 treated cases complete remission was seen in three, partial remission in 4, a steady state in two and a progressive disease in three. There were no complications or severe side effects. CONCLUSION: Intraarterial chemotherapy is an effective and well tolerated treatment in recurrent lymph node metastases in cases of breast cancer even if conventional therapies can no longer be used.     

A high proportion of novel mutations in BRCA1 with strong founder effects among Dutch and Belgian hereditary breast and ovarian cancer families

We have identified 79 mutations in BRCA1 in a set of 643 Dutch and 23 Belgian hereditary breast and ovarian cancer families collected either for research or for clinical diagnostic purposes. Twenty-eight distinct mutations have been observed, 18 of them not previously reported and 12 of them occurring more than once. Most conspicuously, a 2804delAA mutation has been found 19 times and has never been reported outside the Netherlands. A common haplotype spanning > or = 375 kb could be identified for each of the nine examined recurrent mutations, indicating the presence of multiple BRCA1 founder mutations in the Dutch population. The 2804delAA mutation has been estimated to have originated approximately 32 generations ago. No specific breast or ovarian cancer phenotype could be assigned to any of the common mutations, and the ovarian cancer incidence among 18 families with the 2804delAA mutation was heterogeneous.     

Cutaneous toxicity following the administration of dactinomycin

The author describes a patient who has a successful coronary artery bypass. Six weeks later, after a physical examination of the chest, she had unbearable sharp, stabbing pain around the incision which was not responding to nerve blocks, analgesics, nonsteroidal anti inflammatory agents, and epidural blocks. The pain was responsive to mexilitine and disappeared after three weeks of treatment.     

Micro-Raman spectroscopy study of the process of microindentation in polymers

The residual deformation produced by Vickers microindentations in poly(3,3-dimethyl oxetane) (PDMO) was analysed by Raman microspectroscopy. Microstructural variations were observed as the Raman spectra were recorded at different positions along and out of the microindentation. A gradual distribution of the monoclinic and orthorhombic structures arises as the spectra were scanned from the centre to the edge of the impression area. This crystalline variation in PDMO, which reflects the degree of stress present on the surface of the sample, was utilized to obtain information on the distribution of pressure in and around the microindentation. In addition to the clear variation of pressure inside the permanently deformed region, no crystalline transformation was noted out of the impression area. Similar features were observed when the Raman spectra were recorded along one of the diagonals of the indentation.