From July, 1978, to August, 1980, 379 patients with thyroid disease were assessed clinically and underwent scintiscanning and needle aspiration cytology. One hundred fifty-three patients were selected for operation, there were 138 solid lesions and 15 cystic lesions. Selection criteria included clinical factors as well as cytology results. There was a cancer rate of 33% and a neoplasia rate of 92%. In the solid lesions there was a 36% incidence of cancer, whereas the incidence was 27% in cystic lesions. There was a false positive rate of 1%. A false negative rate could be viewed in various ways. Twenty-four cancers were missed in benign cytology for an incidence of 25%; however if one excluded the cytologic abnormal group, as some authors do, labeling them as potential malignancies, false negative results occurred in the cytologic benign cases for a rate of 4% for the entire group. If noncystic benign lesions alone were considered, the false negative rate would be 1%. False negative reporting arises predominantly from the inability to differentiate follicular adenoma from adenocarcinoma in cytology. Other factors such as geographic miss cystic disease also play a role. If one is to avoid underdiagnosis and undertreatment of thyroid cancer, one should consider cellular aspirates as potentially malignant and subject to surgical excision. Needle aspiration cytology has an unassailable role in the management of the patient with thyroid disease but requires interpretation in the light of clinical and scintiscanning results.

Adenoma↗

PubMed1980

Phagocytosis of Borrelia recurrentis by blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes is enhanced by antibiotic treatment.

The removal of Borrelia spirochetes from the blood in relapsing fever was studied by examining patients' blood phagocytic cells with the Dieterle silver stain. Polymorphonuclear leukocytes ingested Borrelia at increased rates for several hours after antibiotic treatment, during which time the total numbers of circulating plasma spirochetes were decreasing. Incubation of infected blood at 37 degrees C for 2 h resulted in a progressive increase in phagocytosis. Addition of penicillin G and tetracycline to infected blood caused a further enhancement of phagocytosis. Electron microscopy of polymorphonuclear leukocytes revealed spirochetes in phagosomes. These results indicated that blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes have a prominent role in removing Borrelia from the plasma and suggested that antibiotics act by altering the surface of spirochetes to render them more susceptible to phagocytosis.

Adult↗

PubMed1977

Arbovirus isolations from, and serological studies on, wild and domestic vertebrates from Kano Plain, Kenya.

Arbovirus infection and presence of haemagglutination-inhibiting antibodies in small mammals, birds and livestock were examined over a period of five years on the Kano Plain in western Kenya. Eleven isolations were made from mammals and birds. The viruses were identified as Arumowot and Germiston while three different agents could not be shown to be related to 188 African arboviruses. Prevalence of antibodies against arboviruses suspected of occurring in the area was generally low.

Animal Population Groups↗

PubMed1977

Arbovirus isolations from mosquitoes: Kano Plain, Kenya.

Arbovirus isolation attempts on 324,486 mosquitoes captured over a four-year period on the Kano Plain, Kenya, yielded 15 isolates including Pongola (six strains), Ilesha (three strains), Germiston (two strains), Sindbis (one strain), Barur (one strain) and two viruses which could not be characterized. Mansonia uniformis, Anopheles gambiae and Culex antennatus constituted 70% of the total collection and accounted for all of the isolates except one, which came from Anopheles funestus.

Animals↗

PubMed1977

Chromosome analysis in the Kruger National Park: the chromosomes of the bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus).

Chromosome studies in the male and female bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus) are discribed. The male has a diploid chromosome number of one fewer than the female, and the Y-to-autosome fusion. The configuration of a quadrivalent observed in meiotic preparations from the male confirmed the presence of a fusion between a Y chromosome and an autosome. All other members of the tragelaphine tribe so far studied chromosomally show the presence of a Y-to-autosome fusion. It is postulated that the fusion observed in all present-day species of the tribe studied to date arose as a single event in a common ancestor.

Animals↗

PubMed1977