The dose-response activity of clenbuterol, a new long-acting beta 2-agonist, was evaluated in 12 children aged 5 to 11 years with moderate to severe asthma. The study was a double-blind cross-over comparison of three oral dose levels: 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 micrograms/kg and placebo all in the form of syrup. Pulmonary function, heart rate, blood pressure, and tremor were evaluated at 30, 60, 90, and 120 min, then hourly for 8 hr, following the ingestion of the drug. The bronchodilating effect of clenbuterol, evaluated as percentage changes in expiratory flow rates was significantly different from placebo. The overall fall-off in the effect of 1.0 micrograms/kg and 1.5 micrograms/kg doses after 8 hr was small. The results of the 1.0 micrograms/kg dose often overlapped those of the 1.5 micrograms/kg dose, suggesting that a single 1.0 micrograms/kg dose of clenbuterol is most advisable in children, assuring the most favorable risk/benefit ratio. Even the highest dose of clenbuterol caused only a marginal increase in tremor, not statistically different from that induced by placebo.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Vas deferens anomalies in paediatric age.

Vas deferens anomalies have been observed with high incidence in cystic fibrosis patients, whereas the overall incidence in the general population is estimated less than 0.05%. Vas deferens anomalies are sometimes associated with renal abnormalities and they are due to a damage occurring within the first weeks of gestational age. In other cases they can be the expression of a mild form of cystic fibrosis. The authors report on 7 patients with 10 anomalies of vas deferens: 2 patients with cystic fibrosis; 3 patients with urinary tract anomalies; 2 patients with no evidence of cystic fibrosis and without urinary tract anomalies. It is suggested that every patient presenting with vas deferens anomalies and no evidence of cystic fibrosis should be further evaluated with renal ultrasound; moreover all patients without evidence of both cystic fibrosis and renal anomalies should have genetic investigations.

Algorithms↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Not Available].

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History, Modern 1601-↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The work of G. Fordyce and the origin of the biochemistry of digestion].

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Biochemistry↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The work of G. Fordyce and the dawn of biochemistry in digestion].

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Biochemistry↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[G.E. Zeviani and his work on rickets].

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History, 18th Century↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Serum CYFRA 21-1 assay in squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix.

Squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC) is the best known marker for squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix as well as of the lung, oesophagus, head and neck and anal canal. Elevated levels of cytokeratin 19-fragments (CYFRA 21-1) have recently been detected in a large proportion of patients with non small cell cancer of the lung, and in particular of those with squamous cell carcinoma. Serum levels of CYFRA 21-1 (cut-off = 1.06 ng/mL) and SCC (cut-off = 2 ng/mL) were measured in blood samples collected before treatment from 15 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), 56 patients with cervical cancer, 48 patients with endometrial cancer, and 361 patients with benign uterine diseases. Serum CYFRA 21-1 values in patients with CIN were superimposable on those detected in patients with benign uterine diseases. Conversely, serum CYFRA 21-1 levels were higher in patients with cervical cancer (p < 0.05) and in patients with endometrial cancer (p < 0.05) than in those with benign uterine diseases. There was no significant difference in serum CYFRA 21-1 levels between cervical and endometrial cancer, and, as regards cervical cancer, there was no significant difference in antigen values between squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Among patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix, CYFRA 21-1 values correlated with FIGO stage (stage IIb-IV vs stage Ib-IIa, p = 0.0303). Elevated CYFRA 21-1 levels were found in 20.0% of patients with CIN, in 41.7% of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix, in 62.5% of patients with adenocarcinoma of the cervix, in 45.8% of patients with endometrial cancer, and in 13% of patients with benign uterine diseases. Serum SCC was more sensitive than serum CYFRA 21-1 for both early and advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix; these preliminary data seem to show that serum CYFRA 21-1 is of limited value for the management of patients with this malignancy.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Determination of serum levels of different cytokeratins in patients with uterine malignancies.

Tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA), TPS, Cyfra 21-1, Cytokeratins 8-18 (CTKRS 8-18), SCC and CA 125 were measured in blood samples drawn at diagnosis from 43 patients with endometrial cancer, 47 with cervical cancer, 11 with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), and 236 with benign uterine disease as controls. The cut-off values for all antigens were chosen at the 95th percentile of the standard Gaussian variate of controls; these limits were 98 U/L for TPA, 127 U/L for TPS, 1.6 ng/mL for Cyfra 21-1, 1.2 ng/mL for CTKRS 8-18, 48 U/mL for CA 125, and 2.8 ng/mL for SCC. TPA had the same sensitivity as SCC for squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix (42%) and a higher sensitivity than CA 125 for endometrial cancer (40% vs 12% respectively). TPA was more sensitive than TPS for both cervical (40% vs 13%) and endometrial cancer (40% vs 21%). TPA and SCC had a higher sensitivity than Cyfra 21-1 (34%) and CTKRS 8-18 (27%) for squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix. In conclusion, as for soluble cytokeratin fragments, the serum TPA seems to be the most reliable marker for the management of cervical and endometrial cancer.

Adult↗