Accidental needle-stick injury.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to E Paul.
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The Comèl-Netherton syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive hereditary disease. A 23-year old female presented with the classical triad of ichthyosis linearis circumflexa, trichorrhexis invaginata with bamboo hairs of up to 12 cm length and atopic diathesis. Nevertheless, more than 20 years passed before the final diagnosis was established. In addition, the patient was slightly mentally retarded and suffered from a genital papillomatosis, minimal hypergammaglobulinaemia and a marked bilateral eyelid ectropion, more severe than previously reported. Oral therapy with Acitretin was quite successful.
Helicobacter pylori infection has been assumed to be the underlying cause of some dermatological diseases such as, chronic urticaria. In order to investigate this problem we interviewed 55 patients with chronic urticaria concerning the state of the disease approximately 10 months after being discharged from hospital. After an additional six months we interviewed them for a second time and thus determined the remission ratio. There was no significant evidence showing that a link exists between urticaria and proven Helicobacter pylori infection (chi 2-Test). There was also no significant correlation in the remission ratio between patients treated with a triple therapy and non-treated patients (exact Fisher-Test).
We report the first case of chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis caused by Mycobacterium phlei. This organism was isolated from the peritoneal fluid of a patient who presented with recurrent episodes of "culture-negative" peritonitis. The therapeutic regimen was based on previous experience with other rapidly growing atypical mycobacteria, and included removal of the Tenckhoff catheter, institution of hemodialysis, and anti-mycobacterial therapy with amikacin, cefoxitin, and doxycycline. This successfully eradicated the organism, and permitted subsequent cadaveric renal transplantation with routine immunosuppression.
A previous lectin binding study demonstrated the presence of high molecular-mass mucin-like glycoproteins (HMGP) on the surface of hamster tracheal surface epithelial (HTSE) secretory cells (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 1987;84:9304). In the present study, we intended to isolate and characterize these HMGP from the plasma membrane of the primary HTSE cells and then to determine whether or not these membrane HMGP are Muc-1 mucins, a type of mucins originally discovered on the surface of some carcinomas. A subcellular fraction enriched with the plasma membrane was obtained using a sucrose density gradient centrifugation. This fraction contained high molecular-mass glycoconjugates which were excluded from Sepharose CL-4B gel. Biochemical characterization of these glycoconjugates revealed the following characteristics: (1) susceptibility to both pronase and mild alkaline treatments, but totally resistant to proteoglycan-digesting enzymes; (2) partitioning in the detergent phase of Triton X-114 and resistance to digestion by phosphatidylinositol phospholipase C or D; (3) a buoyant density of 1.5 g/ml based on CsCl density gradient centrifugation; (4) polydispersity in terms of both size and charge density; and (5) lack of immunoreactivity with an anti-Muc-1 mucin antibody. We conclude that the plasma membrane of HTSE cells at confluence contains HMGP, which seem to be the integral membrane proteins but different from Muc-1 mucins, and that these membrane HMGP appear to share some similarities with secreted mucins in terms of size and charge.
Optimal care of the patient with multiple trauma injuries requires an enormous amount of effort which begins with planning and preparation of system development in which personnel are educated and trained. Guidelines must include all aspects of the patient's care and the team must be drilled well. Protocols for management should be customized to suit the facilities available and the needs of the patient. The Primary Survey provides basic data essential when life is threatened. The Secondary Survey provides detailed assessment of the various organ systems. Inclusion of Psycho-Social aspects achieves a holistic approach to the victims of Trauma.
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The effects of colostral fat level on voluntary colostrum and ME intake were determined in 25 newborn pigs during the first postnatal day. Within a litter, five pigs were obtained before nursing and allotted on the basis of initial body weight (BW) at 2 h of age to one of the five treatments: killed or ad libitum bottle-fed sow colostrum containing 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, or 10.0% of total fat. A total of 24 feedings was provided at 60-min intervals, and pigs were killed 1 h after the final feeding. Total colostrum intake averaged 584.8 +/- 42 g (i.e., 436 g/kg of average BW) with the first two feedings accounting for 19.8% of the total consumption. Colostrum intake decreased linearly (P < .08) by 5.9 g/kg of average BW per 1% increase in the level of fat. However, GE and ME intake increased linearly (P < .01) by 7.65 and 4.09 kcal/kg average BW per 1.0 g/kg of average BW increase in fat intake, respectively. Adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase increased (P < .01) during the first postnatal day. Carcass fat deposition and fat oxidation increased linearly (P < .01) by .36 and .20 g/kg of average BW per 1.0 g/kg of average BW increase in fat intake, respectively. We suggest that increasing the fat content in colostrum has little effect on voluntary colostrum intake, and the practice may be an efficient method for improving the energy supply to newborn pigs.
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BACKGROUND: Deep sternal wound infection (mediastinitis) occurred in 21 out of 4043 consecutive patients who underwent a cardiopulmonary bypass procedure (incidence of 0.4%). METHODS: Clinical characteristics of patients who developed mediastinitis (group I) were compared to those of patients who had no mediastinal infection (group II). RESULTS: Hospital mortality was significantly higher in group I (14% vs 3.8%) (p<0.001). Mean hospital stay was longer in group I (36 days vs 7 days) (p<0.001). Multivariate analysis identified the following variables as significant risk factors for developing postoperative mediastinitis: diabetes; relative risk (RR)=3.02, 95% confidence limits (CL)=1.68-5.45, resternotomy for bleeding: RR=5.43, CL=1.85-15.92, associated leg wound infections; RR=16.55, CL=5.32-51.49, the need for 3 or more units of blood transfusion; RR=2.48, CL=1.82-3.39, obesity; RR 4.96, CL 2-12.25. Group I patients were categorised according to a recently proposed classification for mediastinitis (reference 1). Type I (n=17), mediastinitis presenting within 2 weeks following surgery in the absence of risk factors. Type II (n=2), mediastinitis presenting at 2-6 weeks following surgery in the absence of risk factors. Type IIIA (n=2), mediastinitis type I in the presence of one or more risk factor(s). Wound debridement and closed mediastinal irrigation was performed in 19 patients; 15 cases with type I, 2 with type II, and 2 with type IIIA. Primary closure without irrigation was performed in 2 type I patients. The primary intervention failed in 3 patients, two of whom died. A third patient died 4 weeks after an apparently successful treatment of type I mediastinitis. Midterm follow-up (mean of 18 months) of 18 patients showed that 16 patients were alive and well, there was one late death, and one patient had chronic wound pain. CONCLUSION: Diabetes, obesity, associated leg-wound infection, and the need for repeated blood transfusions are associated with high risk of mediastinitis. Closed mediastinal irrigation for mediastinitis type I can yield satisfactory functional and cosmetic midterm results.
A 39-year-old female patient presented with an intense allergic reaction and shock after ingesting sunflower seeds and simultaneously acetylsalicylic acid (ASA). Skin tests and CAP specific. IgE demonstrated an IgE-mediated sensibilization to sunflower seeds. When sunflower seeds were eaten alone, only discrete paresthesia of the oral mucosa occurred. Surprisingly, an oral challenge with ASA was well tolerated. The supplementary contribution of ASA to the allergic reaction was dose-dependent. The quantity of the allergen also modified the intensity of the symptoms. This surprising effect of ASA may be attributed to increased gastric resorption of the allergens. During the course of this reaction, eosinophil-cationic-protein was released.
In the country city of Ansbach, Germany all cases of varicellazoster virus infection seen by dermatologists, pediatricians and general practitioners were registered over a period of 16 months, from February 1992 until May 1993. 152 patients were clinically diagnosed with herpes zoster and 437 patients with chickenpox. The population-based incidence of zoster infections was 22.6 per 10,000 inhabitants per year, while the incidence of chickenpox was 42.4. There was a slight predominance of male patients with zoster. There was also a marked influence of age and sex, on the localization of the involved nerve segments. Zoster was seen in patients of all ages but there was a clear predominance in older patients. The peak of the disease occurred in the eighth decade. In patients with chickenpox, the sex ratio was equal. The disease typically occurs in children and we observed a predominance of the cases in the first decade. Spread over the year, zoster was seen equally during all seasons. Chickenpox, however, showed epidemiological peaks of frequency. It is possible that the epidemic spread of the disease and the end of the peak are influenced by special metereological conditions.
Transient congenital hypoparathyroidism (TCHP), with spontaneous resolution in infancy and subsequent recurrence in childhood, has not been associated with a specific cause. We report three patients with TCHP, initially with severe but transient neonatal hypocalcemia. During childhood, recurrence of hypoparathyroidism and recognition of phenotypic features suggested a diagnosis of velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS). Features specific for the DiGeorge syndrome, with known clinical and genetic overlap with VCFS, were not present except for hypoparathyroidism. Genetic analysis confirmed chromosome 22q11 deletion in each patient. TCHP may be the earliest specific finding in 22q11 deletion/VCFS subgroup, with other diagnostic features emerging in later childhood. Infants with resolved TCHP need continued observation of parathyroid sufficiency, genetic analysis, and examination for anomalies associated with chromosome 22q11 deletion.
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Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin (IL)-1 are two cytokines for which naturally occurring inhibitors have been identified. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the extent to which scavenging of TNF in bacteremia attenuates the plasma levels of IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) and soluble TNF receptors (sTNFR). Ten male baboons received 2 x 10(9) colony-forming units/kg live Escherichia coli over 2 h and were subjected to either placebo or anti-TNF antibody (anti-TNF Ab) treatment (1 mg/kg CDP571, Celltech, UK) 2 h before E. coli infusion (observation time: 72h). IL-1ra (range: 50-100 ng/ml) and sTNFR (range: 55kDa, 20-25 ng/ml; 75 kDa, 30-35 ng/ml) release was more sustained than that of IL-1 and TNF and was significantly attenuated by anti-TNF treatment, as were the circulating levels of IL-1, IL-8, and monocyte chemotactic peptide-1 (MCP-1) in the anti-TNF Ab group. We conclude that the increase in circulating natural cytokine modulators observed in nonhuman primate bacteremia is under the partial control of endogenous TNF because it was influenced by anti-TNF pretreatment. This attenuation is comparable to the anti-TNF effect on the chemokine MCP-1.
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Genistein, a potent tyrosine kinase inhibitor, inhibits contraction of several types of smooth muscle, suggesting that protein tyrosine phosphorylation may be an important regulatory mechanism for smooth muscle contraction. We suspected that one site between activation of smooth muscle and contraction which might be modulated by protein tyrosine phosphorylation involved mechanisms for control of Ca2+ sensitivity. Since smooth muscle permeabilized with staphylococcal alpha-toxin permits direct assessment of agonist-induced Ca2+ sensitivity, we studied the effects of genistein on potential coupling between tyrosine phosphorylation and Ca2+ sensitivity in permeabilized ileal smooth muscle. Results show that contraction of intact preparations with carbachol is markedly and reversibly inhibited by 40% at 4 micrograms genistein/ml and by 60% at 20 micrograms genistein/ml. Permeabilized preparations that are contracted with a submaximal [Ca2+] in the presence of GTP relax when genistein is added to the medium. Genistein also reversibly inhibits contractions induced in permeabilized muscle with either a submaximal or maximal [Ca2+] in the presence of GTP, as well as receptor-coupled activation of Ca2+ sensitization with 10 microM carbachol/10 microM GTP. Activation of permeabilized preparations at pCa 4.6 in the presence of 100 microM GTP promotes time-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation of several substrates. Both phosphorylation and force are inhibited by genistein. However, relatively high levels of myosin light chain phosphorylation persist during genistein-induced inhibition of Ca2+ sensitivity. In contrast, genistein has no effect on Ca(2+)-activated contraction in Triton-skinned preparations in either the presence or the absence of GTP. This shows that it does not directly inhibit actin-myosin interaction and suggests that its target(s) may be a cytosolic or membrane-bound regulatory protein(s) that is leached from the preparations during Triton-skinning. Taken together, these new data suggest that (a) tyrosine phosphorylation of one or more substrates may be coupled to mechanisms which regulate Ca2+ sensitivity and (b) the inhibitory effects of genistein are probably due to inhibition of agonist-induced Ca2+ sensitivity.