Herpes simplex virus seropositivity and reactivation at delivery among pregnant women infected with human immunodeficiency virus-1

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine whether pregnant women infected with human immunodeficiency virus-1 have an increased risk of herpes simplex virus-2 seropositivity and herpes simplex virus reactivation at delivery. STUDY DESIGN: Sixty women infected with human immunodeficiency virus and 8408 other patients who were delivered at the University of Washington between 1989 and 1995 had herpes simplex virus serologic determinations at delivery. Genital herpes simplex virus cultures were obtained for 48 (80%) of the human immunodeficiency virus-infected women and 5567 (66%) of the controls. Logistic regression was used to adjust for possible confounding factors. RESULTS: Forty-five (75%) of human immunodeficiency virus-infected women and 2709 (32%) controls were seropositive for herpes simplex virus-2 (p < 0.0001). Eight percent of human immunodeficiency virus-infected women and 2% of controls had herpes simplex virus reactivation in labor (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Infection with herpes simplex virus-2 is common among pregnant women infected with human immunodeficiency virus. Herpes simplex virus reactivation complicates labor in this group more often than in other obstetric patients. The role of herpes simplex virus in perinatal human immunodeficiency virus transmission warrants further study.     

Chromosome 1p36 deletions: the clinical phenotype and molecular characterization of a common newly delineated syndrome

Deletions of the distal short arm of chromosome 1 (1p36) represent a common, newly delineated deletion syndrome, characterized by moderate to severe psychomotor retardation, seizures, growth delay, and dysmorphic features. Previous cytogenetic underascertainment of this chromosomal deletion has made it difficult to characterize the clinical and molecular aspects of the syndrome. Recent advances in cytogenetic technology, particularly FISH, have greatly improved the ability to identify 1p36 deletions and have allowed a clearer definition of the clinical phenotype and molecular characteristics of this syndrome. We have identified 14 patients with chromosome 1p36 deletions and have assessed the frequency of each phenotypic feature and clinical manifestation in the 13 patients with pure 1p36 deletions. The physical extent and parental origin of each deletion were determined by use of FISH probes on cytogenetic preparations and by analysis of polymorphic DNA markers in the patients and their available parents. Clinical examinations revealed that the most common features and medical problems in patients with this deletion syndrome include large anterior fontanelle (100%), motor delay/hypotonia (92%), moderate to severe mental retardation (92%), growth delay (85%), pointed chin (80%), eye/vision problems (75%), seizures (72%), flat nasal bridge (65%), clinodactyly and/or short fifth finger(s) (64%), low-set ear(s) (59%), ear asymmetry (57%), hearing deficits (56%), abusive behavior (56%), thickened ear helices (53%), and deep-set eyes (50%). FISH and DNA polymorphism analysis showed that there is no uniform region of deletion but, rather, a spectrum of different deletion sizes with a common minimal region of deletion overlap.     

Nonclinical model for assessing gastric effects of bisphosphonates

Mechanisms by which ketones potentiate manganese-bilirubin (Mn-BR)-induced cholestasis are unknown. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of methyl isobutyl ketone (MiBK), a widely used ketonic solvent, at the level of the bile canalicular membrane (BCM) and to verify if altered membrane lipid dynamics could be involved in MiBK-potentiated Mn-BR cholestasis. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed 4 hr/day for 3 days to MiBK vapors (200 or 600 ppm). Eighteen hours after the last exposure, manganese (Mn, 4.5 mg/kg) was given i.v. followed 15 min later by bilirubin (BR, 25 mg/kg). Rats were killed 30 min after BR; liver cell plasma membranes (bile canalicular and sinusoidal), microsomes, mitochondria, and cytosol were isolated by differential centrifugation. Lipids were extracted and cholesterol was measured in each fraction. After Mn-BR and MiBK exposure (600 ppm), results indicated a marked increase in BCM cholesterol content compared to rats exposed to air only. This increase was greater than that due to Mn-BR or MiBK given alone. Also, results indicated that cholesterol increased in a dose-related fashion in BCM after MiBK exposure, whereas PM cholesterol remained unaltered. To identify the source of the increased BCM cholesterol and to permit distinction between de novo cholesterol synthesis and subcellular shifts, the hepatic lipid pool was labeled in vivo with [3H]-cholesterol and [2-14C]-mevalonic acid, a cholesterol synthesis precursor. Results showed that after 600 ppm MiBK exposure, 14C-labeled cholesterol was greater than 3H-labeled cholesterol, indicating that the contribution of de novo cholesterol synthesis to the total cholesterol content of the various isolated hepatocellular fractions was more important than the contribution of intracellular pools. Therefore, increased BCM cholesterol content and enhanced accumulation of newly synthesized cholesterol appear to be involved in MiBK potentiation of Mn-BR-induced cholestasis.     

Electron microscopic demonstration of an adenovirus in the hepatocytes of birds experimentally infected with hydropericardium syndrome

The final part of this series attempts to evaluate the relevance of Nazi medicine for doctors today. Euthanasia, informed consent, the conflict of interests of the individual versus those of society and racism were as prominent themes of Nazi medicine as they are today. It would be foolish not to learn from experiences of the past. Nazi medicine can therefore never be an irrelevant subject of the days gone by.     

Multilayer film preparation of poly(4-vinylphenol) from aqueous media

The use of weak polyelectrolytes in multilayer polymer systems provides a means of altering the physico-chemical properties of these thin films. This paper examines the limits of the polyanions by incorporating the extremely weak polyelectrolyte, poly(4-vinylphenol) (PVPh), into a multilayer system with poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) from a dilute aqueous media. Film growth was monitored using absorption spectroscopy and revealed a clear linear trend in film thickness. The surface morphology, thickness, and swelling of the multilayer films systems were examined using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Film thickness greatly depended upon the pH of the polymer precursor solutions; 50-layer systems created at pH 12.5 and 11.0 were 8.2 and 246.6 nm thick, respectively, a difference of over 2900%. This is the first report on the incorporation of PVPh into a multilayer system from an aqueous media.