Ascitic fluid concentrations of cholesterol, triglycerides and phospholipids, were compared with ascitic fluid total protein in 40 patients with chronic liver disease, 51 patients with various neoplasms and 1 patient with cardiac failure. Seven patients with both chronic liver disease and malignancy were considered separately. The first 54 patients (23 cirrhotic and 31 with malignancy) were used to determine median values and ranges and to define the most suitable cutoff concentrations between both groups. Median values for cholesterol (75 mg per dl), phospholipids 0.79 mmole per liter), triglycerides (75 mg per dl) and protein (3.8 gm per dl) were higher in malignant ascites compared to ascitic fluid concentrations of cholesterol (20 mg per dl), phospholipids (0.33 mmole per liter), triglycerides (51 mg per dl) and protein (1.9 gm per dl) in patients with cirrhosis. The best discrimination values were 48 mg per dl for cholesterol, 0.6 mmole per liter for phospholipids, 65 mg per dl for triglycerides and 2.5 gm per dl for protein. Application of these cutoff points to 38 subsequent patients (17 cirrhotic, 1 with cardiac failure and 20 with malignancy) revealed an efficiency of 86.8% for cholesterol, 86.8% for phospholipids, 68.4% for triglycerides and 79.0% for protein. From the data of all 92 patients, an efficiency of 92.3% for cholesterol, 79.4% for phospholipids, 72.8% for triglycerides and 79.4% for protein was calculated. We conclude that ascitic fluid cholesterol determination offers an excellent, cost-effective discrimination of ascites due to cirrhosis vs. ascites caused by malignancies.

Ascites↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Long-term persistence of specific T- and B-lymphocyte responses to Borrelia burgdorferi following untreated neuroborreliosis.

Follow-up studies on 56 patients who suffered from antibiotically untreated, acute, monophasic neuroborreliosis five to 23 years ago revealed significant positive levels of IgG antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 20 patients (IFT, ELISA, Bb-specific IgG Western blot, Bb-specific IEF-IgG immunoblot). Nine of 10 tested patients had a definitely positive T-cell proliferative response to whole B. burgdorferi, with a mean (+/- -SEM) stimulation index of 7.2 +/- 1.8. Because the patients studied exhibited no, or only mild to medium sequelae without any evidence of a chronic-progressive disease, we interpret the long-term persistence of specific T- and B-lymphocyte responses to B. burgdorferi as an "immunological scar syndrome". Finally, diagnostic criteria of active neuroborreliosis are proposed.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Alcoholism as a medical disorder.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Alcoholism↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Leucine-enkephalin-like immunoreactivity in vasopressin terminals is enhanced by treatment with peptidases.

When sections through rat neurohypophyses were treated with trypsin prior to incubation with enkephalin antibodies, vasopressin terminals invariably exhibited leucine-enkephalin-like immunoreactivity. Omitting tryptic cleavage the vasopressin terminals of some specimens only were immunostained. The enkephalin-like material was contained in the neurosecretory granules as shown by the protein A gold and the peroxidase anti-peroxidase method. We assume that the leucine-enkephalin sequence in vasopressin endings to some extent is present in a precursor form, possibly as dynorphin or alpha-neo-endorphin, from which the pentapeptide is liberated by enzymatic cleavage.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Hypothalamo-posterior pituitary system in Brattleboro rats: immunoreactive levels of leucine-enkephalin, dynorphin (1-17), dynorphin (1-8) and alpha-neo-endorphin.

The levels of immunoreactive leucine-enkephalin, alpha-neo-endorphin, dynorphin (1-17) and dynorphin (1-8) have been determined in the hypothalamus and posterior pituitary from male and female Brattleboro rats homozygous (unable to produce vasopressin) and heterozygous (producing vasopressin) for diabetes insipidus, and from male and female Long Evans rats. In the hypothalamus we found no significant differences in the levels of these peptides while there were great differences in extracts from the posterior pituitary: female homozygous animals have greatly reduced levels in all four peptides compared to the heterozygous controls. In male homozygous animals the differences in the dynorphin (1-17) and leucine-enkephalin levels were small whereas the concentrations of alpha-neo-endorphin and dynorphin (1-8) showed a significant decrease compared to the male heterozygous controls. The results indicate a reduction in opioid peptides linked to the vasopressin deficiency in a partially sex dependent manner.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The diagnosis of aortic dissection.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Aortic Dissection↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Post-traumatic stress disorder in an anxiety disorder unit and in a victims support association].

The post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) represents an original and frequent pathological entity concerning people confronted with one or more significant traumatic events. We present here a comparative study concerning subjects who present a post-traumatic stress disorder received in an anxiety disorder unit (ADU) or in a victims support association (VSA). One hundred and twenty seven people have been included in the study, according to DSMIV for PTSD, during three years. Fifty-seven came from a victim support association, 54 came from an anxiety disorder unit and 16 were common to both structures. The PCL-S (PTSD Checklist Scale) was used to rate the intensity of the PTSD. Age, sex, marital statute, type of traumatism, comorbidity and previous traumatisms were compared. PCLS scores were equivalent in the two settings. More women, younger subjects and more aggression were received in the victim support association. In the anxiety disorder unit more psychiatric comorbidity and more frequent antecedents of traumatism were seen. In the whole sample, two thirds of the people lived alone. Our results show that a victim support association receives people suffering from a definite post-traumatic stress disorder as intense on the PCL-S as in an anxiety disorder unit. More work has to be done on support association in the community, as they are confronted with significant PTSD problems.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Public-health impact of accelerated measles control in the WHO African Region 2000-03.

BACKGROUND: In 2000, the WHO African Region adopted a plan to accelerate efforts to lower measles mortality with the goal of decreasing the number of measles deaths to near zero. By June, 2003, 19 African countries had completed measles supplemental immunisation activities (SIA) in children aged 9 months to 14 years as part of a comprehensive measles-control strategy. We assessed the public-health impact of these control measures by use of available surveillance data. METHODS: We calculated percentage decline in reported measles cases during 1-2 years after SIA, compared with 6 years before SIA. On the basis of data from 13 of the 19 countries, we assumed that the percentage decline in measles deaths equalled that in measles cases. We also examined data on routine and SIA measles vaccine coverage, measles case-based surveillance, and suspected measles outbreaks. FINDINGS: Between 2000 and June, 2003, 82.1 million children were targeted for vaccination during initial SIA in 12 countries and follow-up SIA in seven countries. The average decline in the number of reported measles cases was 91%. In 17 of the 19 countries, measles case-based surveillance confirmed that transmission of measles virus, and therefore measles deaths, had been reduced to low or very low rates. The total estimated number of deaths averted in the year 2003 was 90,043. Between 2000 and 2003 in the African Region as a whole, we estimated that the percentage decline in annual measles deaths was around 20% (90,043 of 454,000). INTERPRETATION: The burden of measles in sub-Saharan Africa can be reduced to very low levels by means of appropriate strategies, resources, and personnel.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The primary structures of three yeast mitochondrial serine tRNA isoacceptors.

Yeast mitochondria contain several isoaccepting species of serine-tRNA. The relative amount of these isoacceptors varies according to the conditions used to grow the yeast cells. In order to gain insight into the structural differences among these isoacceptors, the three mitochondrial tRNAsSer, which are present in derepressed yeast cells, have been sequenced. The primary structure of tRNASer1 differs considerably from that of tRNASer2; these two isoacceptors have only 39 nucleotides in common. In contrast, tRNASer3 differs from tRNASer2 by only one post-transcriptional modification: the psi residue in position 28 of tRNASer2 is replaced by a normal U in tRNASer3. Unlike tRNASer2 and tRNASer3, the primary sequence of tRNASer1 shows two unusual structural features: it has a D in position 14 instead of the "universal" A14 of the standard tRNA cloverleaf and it contains two G residues between the D-stem and the anticodon-stem. Considering their respective anticodons, tRNASer1 should recognize the two serine codons A-G-C and A-G-U, whereas both tRNASer2 and tRNASer3 should recognize all four serine codons of the U-C-N series.

Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases↗