Impact of medical approach on the presentation form of AIDS defined by clinical episodes

BACKGROUND: In recent years there has been a change in the opportunistic diseases incidence in HIV-infected patients. The change could be related to the use antiviral therapy and chemoprophylaxis strategies. The aim of the present study was to evaluate if medical intervention is able to modificate the clinical presentation of AIDS and the CD4+ lymphocyte counts at time of AIDS diagnosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The first AIDS-defining condition and the CD4+ count at time of AIDS diagnosis were analyzed in 95 HIV-infected patients who developed an AIDS-defining disease since April 1989 until March 1996, retrospectively reviewed. Patients who had been previously followed at an AIDS Unit were compared with those who had not. RESULTS: The frequency of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia as the first AIDS-defining condition was lower in medically followed patients. Among this group, AIDS cases who received chemoprophylaxis with isoniazide showed a decrease in the rate of tuberculosis. No differences were found in CD4+ lymphocyte counts between both groups. CONCLUSIONS: As a result of medical intervention significant changes have occurred in the spectrum of initial AIDS-defining conditions in relation to medical intervention; a decrease in the frequency of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and tuberculosis have been found; however, the CD4+ lymphocyte counts at time of AIDS diagnosis are not modificated by medical intervention.     

Electrochemical fixation techniques. II. Electrochemical dog body fixation. Histological study

BACKGROUND: Cervical lymph node metastasis in differentiated thyroid carcinoma has mostly been found to have little relationship to prognosis. However, some studies report nodal involvement to be an adverse factor, while others have found it to be favorable. We have undertaken a matched-pair analysis of previously untreated patients, with and without ipsilateral neck metastasis, to examine the significance of nodal spread in patients with otherwise equivalent prognostic factors for differentiated thyroid cancer. METHOD: From a database of 931 patients, treated from 1930 to 1980, we used a computer to match patients with confirmed lateral neck metastasis (N1) to those who were stage NO, and had the following identical prognostic factors: no distant metastasis, age (within 4 years), and tumor size, histology, and intrathyroidal extent. When possible, matches were also made for gender, multifocality, and extent of thyroid surgery. Survival and treatment failures were analyzed, with and without stratification for age. RESULTS: We were able to select 100 N1 patients with corresponding NO patients, sharing the major prognostic risk factors as listed. Overall, there was no difference in survival, although N1 patients more often had recurrence. Mortality increased with age. Analysis at high-risk age (45 years and older) showed significantly more recurrences in N1 patients (p = .008). Twenty-year survival in N1 patients over the age of 45 was lower than that of NO patients. On the other hand, under the age of 45, N1 patients had better survival. These differences, however, did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Nodal involvement in older patients with thyroid cancer increases the risk of recurrence, although no significant difference in survival is observed in relation to age.     

Atypical scrotal leiomyoma. A case report

A case of intrascrotal atypical leiomyoma is reported. This lesion is extremely rare and usually misdiagnosed. Microscopically, contain bizarre and pleomorphic tumor cells, as well as showed immunohistochemical evidence of smooth muscle differentiation. An important microscopic criterion in the distinction with other entity, as the leiomyosarcoma, is the number of mitotic figures, scarce in the atypical leiomyoma and high in the smooth muscle tumours malignant.     

Possible Mechanism of Inhibition of 6-Methoxy-Benzoxazolin-2(3H)-One on Germination of Cress (Lepidium sativum L.)

6-Methoxy-benzoxazolin-2(3H)-one (MBOA) inhibited the germination of cress (Lepidium sativum L.) seeds at concentrations greater than 0.03 mM. Inhibition was overcome by sucrose, suggesting that MBOA may inhibit sugar metabolism in cress seeds. Induction of α-amylase activity in seeds was also inhibited by MBOA at concentrations greater than 0.03 mM. Inhibition of both germination and induction of α-amylase activity increased with increasing concentrations of MBOA, and the extent of germination correlated positively with the activity of α-amylase in the seeds. MBOA added to a reaction mixture for α-amylase assay did not affect enzyme activity, indicating that MBOA does not inhibit in vitro α-amylase activity. Cress seeds germinated approximately 16 hr after incubation, and inhibition of α-amylase by MBOA occurred within 6 hr after incubation. These results suggest that MBOA may inhibit the germination of cress seeds by inhibiting the induction of α-amylase activity, because α-amylase plays a key role in the conversion of reserve carbohydrate into soluble sugars, a prerequisite for seed germination.     

Megalanthine,a Bioactive Sesquiterpenoid from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Heliotropium megalanthum</Emphasis>, its Degradation Products and their Bioactivities

The new bioactive sesquiterpenoid (3R,6E)-2,6,10-trimethyl-3-(3-p-hydroxyphenylpropanoyloxy)-dodeca-6,11-diene-2,10-diol, named megalanthine, was isolated from the resinous exudates of Heliotropium megalanthum. The degradation products of this compound were identified. Several plant-defensive properties (insecticidal, antifungal, and phytotoxic) were evaluated after obtaining positive results in a preliminary etiolated wheat coleoptile bioassay. This bioassay showed the need to have both the phenolic and sesquiterpene moieties of the natural product present to achieve a biological effect. This result was confirmed in phytotoxicity bioassays. Megalanthine was ruled out as a significant plant–plant defense agent because of its lack of stability. The positive results recorded in the antifungal and antifeedant tests suggest, however, that this chemical is relevant in several ecological interactions involving H. megalanthum.