Squamous odontogenic tumour: review of the literature and a new case

Squamous odontogenic tumour (SOT) is a rare benign odontogenic neoplasm, apparently arising from rests of Malassez. It was first described in 1975 and since then only 17 cases have been recorded in the literature. A new, not previously reported, characteristic case of SOT is presented in connection with a review of the literature. It is concluded that the lesion occurs with equal frequency in the maxilla and mandible and now and then multifocally. Maxillary lesions seem to grow more aggressively than do mandibular ones. The symptoms are modest. SOT has a characteristic pathologic picture which differs decisively from ameloblastoma and which, in connection with its benign nature, warrants the classification of SOT. Although most cases have been treated by conservative surgical therapy without recurrence, there are cases, especially in the maxilla with diffuse lesions, which have required en bloc resection or hemimaxillectomy. The diagnostic problems are stressed and recommendations are made for the pathologist and the surgeon to pay attention to this rare but benign tumour.

Persistent hypertransaminasemia as the presenting finding of childhood muscle disease

Four children with isolated, persistent elevations of serum transaminases were investigated for hepatic disease and followed for 4 to 24 months before serum creatine kinase determinations were obtained and found to be markedly elevated. Evidence of muscle disease was obtained by close questioning, retrospectively, and mild abnormalities were found on physical examination. Review of laboratory tests in our center for 6 months revealed 30 additional cases of anicteric hypertransaminasemia (20% of those with elevated enzymes), only two of which were unexplained by the admitting diagnosis. Serum transaminase values are elevated in a variety of diseases of different organ systems. Creatine kinase determinations may provide the clue to the diagnosis of occult muscle disease in some children with unexplained anicteric hypertransaminasemia.

Vascular graft infection: an analysis of sixty-two graft infections in 2411 consecutively implanted synthetic vascular grafts

Among 2411 consecutive arterial reconstructions performed with synthetic prosthetic material in Denmark during a 4-year period, 62 patients (2.6%) developed graft infection. Graft infection occurred only when the groin had been incised. The incidence of infection and the spread of infection along the graft did not relate to the graft material used (Dacron velour, Dacron woven, polytetrafluoroethylene, and umbilical vein). Retrospective analysis disclosed predisposing or precipitating factors in 50 of the 62 cases; the most important seemed to be unsatisfactory surgical technique. Fifty-three percent of the graft infections occurred within 30 days. Gram-positive cocci were the most common pathogen. The 62 patients had been in the hospital for a mean of 90 days and had undergone an average of 1.4 operations for graft infections. Of the patients, 25.8% died and 30.6% underwent amputations. Vascular graft infection is still one of the major problems in vascular surgery; greater care should be taken to improve antiseptics, improve surgical technique, and establish a rational prophylactic antibiotic regimen. A prophylactic antibiotic regimen of a combination of cephalosporin and ampicillin is recommended.

Phylogeny of the 5S ribosomal RNA from Synechococcus lividus II: the cyanobacterial/chloroplast 5S RNAs form a common structural class

The complete nucleotide sequence of the 5S ribosomal RNA from the cyanobacterium Synechococcus lividus II has been determined. The sequence is (sequence in text) This 5S RNA has the cyanobacterial- and chloroplast-specific nucleotide insertion between positions 30 and 31 (using the numbering system of the generalized eubacterial 5S RNA) and the chloroplast-specific nucleotide-deletion signature between positions 34 and 39. The 5S RNA of S. lividus II has 27 base differences compared with the 5S RNA of the related strain S. lividus III. This large difference may reflect an ancient divergence between these two organisms. The electrophoretic mobilities on nondenaturing polyacrylamide gels of renatured 5S RNAs from S. lividus II, S. lividus III, and spinach chloroplasts are identical, but differ considerably from that of Escherichia coli 5S RNA. This most likely reflects differences in higher-order structure between the 5S RNA of E. coli and these cyanobacterial and chloroplast 5S RNAs.

Mutagenicity of azo dyes in the Salmonella/microsome assay using in vitro and in vivo activation

The mutagenicity of 6 azo dyes, including direct black 38 (DB38), direct black 19 (DB19), direct brown 95 (DB95), solvent yellow 3 (SY3), trypan blue (TPB), and food black 2 (FB2), was examined in the Salmonella/microsome assay. The effect of chemical azo reduction (dithionite) and in vivo metabolism on the mutagenicity of the dyes was also studied. In vivo azo-dye metabolites were isolated from the urine of rats intubated with dyes by XAD-2 column chromatography. Urinary metabolites from all the treated animals, except animals treated with FB2, induced frame-shift mutations in strains TA1538 and TA98 in the presence of liver S9 activation. The control urine did not increase the incidence of revertants in strains TA1538 and TA98. Thus, XAD-2 chromatography can be used to isolate genotoxic metabolites from the urine of animals intubated with azo dyes.

Ischemic colitis complicating reconstruction of the abdominal aorta

A review of 23 patients with ischemic colitis after surgical treatment of the abdominal aorta disclosed a pathogenetic heterogeneous finding. Ligation of the inferior mesenteric artery, abolished collateral blood supply or nonocclusive low flow state, or both, was a common feature. An incidence of 0.5 per cent was revealed for full-thickness necrosis. The mortality was 70 per cent since diagnosis was made first since perforation and peritonitis had occurred. On the basis of these findings vital prophylactic measures and diagnostic possibilities are discussed herein.

Tear secretion in juvenile diabetics with and without autonomic neuropathy

Tear secretion rates measured by Schirmer test No. 1 were studied in three groups, group 1 comprising 26 diabetics without autonomic neuropathy, group 2 comprising 26 diabetics with autonomic neuropathy (according to Wheeler & Watkins 1973; Hilsted & Jensen 1979). Group 3 comprised 32 non-diabetic controls. No significant difference in tear secretion was found between the three groups. The interindividual variation in tear secretion was of the same order in the three groups. Significantly greater right-left eye difference (P less than 0.05) was found in the controls as compared to the diabetic groups between which no difference was found.

5S RNA structure and interaction with transcription factor A. 1. Ribonuclease probe of the structure of 5S RNA from Xenopus laevis oocytes

The structure of Xenopus laevis oocyte (Xlo) 5S ribosomal RNA has been probed with single-strand-specific ribonucleases T1, T2, and A with double-strand-specific ribonuclease V1 from cobra venom. The digestion of 5'- or 3'-labeled renatured 5S RNA samples followed by gel purification of the digested samples allowed the determination of primary cleavage sites. Results of these ribonuclease digestions provide support for the generalized 5S RNA secondary structural model derived from comparative sequence analysis. However, three putative single-stranded regions of the molecule exhibited unexpected V1 cuts, found at C36, U73, U76, and U102. These V1 cuts reflect additional secondary structural features of the RNA including A.G base pairs and support the extended base pairing in the stem containing helices IV and V which was proposed by Stahl et al. [Stahl, D. A., Luehrsen, K. R., Woese, C. R., & Pace, N. R. (1981) Nucleic Acids Res. 9, 6129-6137]. A conserved structure for helix V having a common unpaired uracil residue at Xlo position 84 is proposed for all eukaryotic 5S RNAs. Our results are compared with nuclease probes of other 5S RNAs.

5S RNA structure and interaction with transcription factor A. 2. Ribonuclease probe of the 7S particle from Xenopus laevis immature oocytes and RNA exchange properties of the 7S particle

The 5S RNA complexed in the 7S particle of immature Xenopus laevis oocytes was 32P labeled at its 3' end and then subjected in situ to partial digestion using ribonucleases T1, T2, A, and V1 in order to study the conformation of the complexed RNA and its interaction with the transcription factor A (TFIIIA). Digested samples were gel purified to retrieve 5S RNA that was still complexed with the transcription factor protein, and the cleavages in these RNAs were analyzed on sequencing gels. The RNA associated with the 7S particle is very susceptible to ribonuclease activity despite the presence of the protein. Also, the 5S RNA in the 7S particle is in a different conformation from renatured Xenopus laevis (Xlo) 5S RNA and appears to have less secondary structure predominantly in the stem that includes helices IV and V. A species of native Xlo 5S RNA which was isolated from 7S particle preparations under nondenaturing conditions revealed a conformation that was more similar to the 5S RNA in the 7S particle than to renatured 5S RNA. Comparison of data from partial ribonuclease digestions performed on renatured 5S RNA, on the native 5S RNA, and on the complexed 5S RNA allowed us to approximate sites of protein-induced structural change in the complexed 5S RNA, which may signal protein interaction domains. These sites include the 5' side of helices III and V. In another approach to the study of 5S RNA-TFIIIA interactions, we have observed that incubation of 32P-labeled Xlo 5S RNA with 7S particles results in the incorporation of labeled RNA into 7S particles.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Precancerous and cancerous breast lesions during lifetime and at autopsy. A study of 83 women

Among 83 consecutive, unselected female autopsy cases, 6 had been treated for invasive breast carcinoma (IBC) during lifetime. At autopsy, of these six women, two had IBC in the contralateral breast, and another two had in situ carcinoma. Among the 77 women without previous clinical breast cancer, one case of IBC and 14 cases of in situ carcinoma were found at autopsy. Thus, the total occurrence of primary malignant breast lesion was as high as 25.4%. Assuming that all IBCs evolve from in situ forms and that in situ carcinomas do not undergo total regression, our results seem to indicate that about one third of all in situ carcinomas develop into IBC.

Pregnancy-specific beta 1-glycoprotein (SP1) in serum and tissue from patients with benign and malignant breast tumours

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Phase II trial of prednimustine in glioblastoma multiforme

Twenty-one consecutive patients with histologically confirmed glioblastoma multiforme were treated with prednimustine (130 mg/m2 for 5 days every 3 weeks) adjuvant to surgery and radiation therapy. A median survival of 8.7 months was obtained, and prednimustine seems to be of limited effectiveness. Toxicity was acceptable and primarily hematologic.

Boric acid single dose pharmacokinetics after intravenous administration to man

Eight young adult male volunteers with a basic (alimentary) plasma boric acid concentration of less than 0.10 - 0.46 mg/l were given a single dose of boric acid (562-611 mg) by 20 min IV infusion. The plasma concentration curves, followed for 3 days, best fitted a three-compartment open model, although two subjects had to be left out due to inconstant basal plasma concentration values or failure to fit to the three-compartment model. The 120 h urinary excretion was 98.7 +/- 9.1% of dose, Cltot 54.6 +/- 8.0 ml/min/1.73 m2, t1/2 beta 21.0 +/- 4.9 h and distribution volumes V1, V2, and V3: 0.251 +/- 0.099, 0.456 +/- 0.067 and 0.340 +/- 0.128 l/kg.

World Health Organization Schedule for Standardized Assessment of Depressive Disorders (WHO/SADD-5). Item combinations and interobserver reliability

In this study we have examined four parts of the 5th revision of the World Health Organization schedule for Standardized Assessment of Depressive Disorders (WHO/SADD-5): (I) items that cover the present depressive state; (II) items that cover the psychiatric history; (III) a global assessment scale for the severity of depression, and (IV) the current ICD-9 diagnosis. Our analysis was based on a comparison of the interobserver reliability of item combinations leading to DSM-III, RDC, Newcastle and Melancholia Scale classifications of patients with depressive disorders. To facilitate these combinations we had added 4 items to SADD: (a) quality of depression, (b) persistence of depression, (c) reactivity of symptoms, and (d) accusations of others. Our results showed that WHO/SADD-5 has an acceptable degree of interobserver reliability both at the levels of global assessment of severity of depression and ICD-9 diagnosis, whereas the item combinations obtained lower intraclass coefficients. However, the items analysis focused on two SADD subscales of acceptable interobserver reliability: a severity scale of 16 items selected from our Melancholia Scale, and a diagnostic scale of another 10 items selected from the two Newcastle Scales.

Unusual structural features of the 5S ribosomal RNA from Streptococcus cremoris

The nucleotide sequence of the 5S ribosomal RNA of Streptococcus cremoris has been determined. The sequence is 5' (sequence in text) 3'. Comparison of the S. cremoris 5S RNA sequence to an updated prokaryotic generalized 5S RNA structural model shows that this 5S RNA contains some unusual structural features. These features result largely from uncommon base substitutions in helices I, II and IV. Some of these unusual structural features are shared by several of the known 5S RNA sequences from mycoplasmas. However, the characteristic bloc of deletions found in helix V of these mycoplasma 5S RNAs is not present in the 5S RNA of S. cremoris.