The effect of lithium carbonate on leukopenia after chemotherapy

To evaluate the efficacy of lithium carbonate in ameliorating leukopenia, 37 patients (3 to 26 years old, mea (less than or equal to 1,000/mm3) over 40% of the time were designated at random on the last day of 82 separate chemotherapy courses to receive lithium or no treatment. Four could not take the drug because of the size of the capsules. There were 39 controls and 39 patients given lithium. Blood levels were maintained at 0.2 to 1.2 mEq/1 (median 0.7). The median drop of WBC in the treated group was 3,400/mm3 with a nadir of 1,800/mm3 vs 5,000 and 1,400, respectively, for the untreated patients (P LESS THAN 0.01). Eight patients (21%) in the lithium-treated group became severly leukopenic (less than or equal to 1,000/mm3) while 14 (36%) in the control group became leukopenic to that extent. Twenty-four patient days were spent with the WBC less than or equal to 1,000/mm3 after lithium and 57 days in the control group. Three patients required admission for 24 hospital days for fever while leukopenic after lithium, whereas seven patients spent 62 days in the hospital in the control group. Lithium reduces the period of leukopenia after chemotherapy during which time the patients may acquire infections.

Circulating immune complexes, complement and complement component levels in childhood Hodgkin's disease

Serum levels of circulating immune complexes (CIC) assayed by the Raji cell radioimmunoassay, total haemolytic complement (TCH50), Clq and C3 were correlated with clinical stage, histological type, age, sex and treatment of eighty-six children with Hodgkin's disease over a period of 4 years. Most significant findings were the changes of levels of CIC, TCH50, Clq and C3 during disease activity and following treatment. Significant perturbations were also seen in association with relapse. Levels of C and CIC were significantly elevated (P less than 0.001) at the time of diagnosis prior to splenectomy and/or any treatment. In the group before treatment, 81 percent of CIC levels were above 16 micrograms/ml with a maximum value of 1120 micrograms/ml. During treatment 33 percent were still above normal with a maximum of 320 micrograms/ml. Within 1 year after cessation of treatment, 37 percent also remained above normal levels with a maximum of 240 micrograms/ml. At relapse prior to treatment, 63 percent were again elevated with a maximum of 1280 micrograms/ml. The most significant difference on TCH50 levels relates to treatment periods. Sera of patients with active disease who are previously untreated show elevation of TCH50 levels (P less than 0.001) (average 127 CH50 mu/ml. During and after treatment eht TCH50 levels drop to 96 and 102 CH50 mu/ml, as compared to normal control of 100 CH50 mu/ml. In sera of patients at the first, second or third relapse, the combined TCH50 levels are significantly different from controls and across treatment periods (P less than 0.005).

A new method of treatment of congenital tibial pseudoarthrosis using free vascularised fibular graft: a preliminary report

This paper reports our experience of using Vascularised Fibular Transfer in Treatment of Congenital Pseudoarthrosis of tibia in 12 cases. Although the preliminary results of bony union are encouraging, the long term results can only be assessed after skeletal maturity.

Circulating immune complexes in sera of children with neuroblastoma: correlation with stage of disease

The presence of circulating immune complexes (ICS) in freshly drawn sera of 67 children with neuroblastoma was studied by the Raji cell radioimmunoassay of Theofilopoulos et al. (J. Clin. Invest. 57: 169--182), with particular emphasis on the correlation of levels of ICS with stage of disease and changes attributable to treatment. There was a close correlation between amount of complexes and stage of disease and treatment. Levels of ICS increased as the stage of the disease advanced, and were significantly higher (P less than 0.005) in stage IV than in all other stages combined. When patients with stage IV disease were subdivided into "before," "during," and "after" treatment groups, there was a significant decrease in ICS levels as treatment progressed. Studies of complement and complement components did not give such a clear relationship. A significant decrease of hemolytic C1 values was found in patients with "active disease" compared to normal age-matched controls. Some high C3 levels, determined immunochemically, were associated with low hemolytic levels of C3, which were attributed to C3 cleavage detected by immunoelectrophoresis. Based on our survival data, ICS, which were significantly different in 20 patients now decreased when compared to those of other patients, are very valuable in the prognosis of neuroblastoma.

Composite replacement of the aortic valve and ascending aorta

This report comprises 16 consecutive patients with ascending aortic aneurysms caused by cystic medical necrosis. We replaced the ascending aorta and aortic valve with a tightly woven Dacron graft containing a Lillehei-Kaster valve prosthesis and implanted the coronary ostia in the sides of the graft. All but two patients had massive aortic insufficiency. Postoperative catheterization was performed in 13 patients, and all surviving patients have been seen within the past 6 months. There was one perioperative death (6 percent) and two late deaths. Eleven survivors are in Class I and two are in Class II (N.Y.H.A.). Angiographically demonstrated late complications have included psuedoaneurysms of the coronary ostium (two), paravalvular leak (one), and pseudoaneurysm of the distal suture line (one). Two of these four patients were asymptomatic. Two of the four patients have had successful repair of these defects and a third is awaiting operation. Compositive replacement carries a low operative risk and minimizes problems of intraoperative bleeding. In view of the incidence of late suture line problems, routine angiography 6 to 12 months postoperatively is recommended. If new symptoms occur or if there is a change in the cardiac silhousette on chest roentgenogram, the patient should be recatheterized.

Hemodynamic evaluation of Lillehei-Kaiser and Starr-Edwards prosthesis

The central-flow low profile disc-valve prosthesis has been offered as an alternative to ball- and tissue-valve prostheses. Extensive laboratory investigation with both pulse duplicator and experimental animals has been reported for the Lillehei-Kaster prosthesis. A series of patients receiving this prosthesis underwent postoperative cardiac catheterization to better define the hemodynamic function of this prosthesis in vivo. Because of the variations in reports of hemodynamic data from various institutions, the results of post-operative studies in an earlier group of patients with Starr-Edwards prostheses were used as a standard for comparison. Good hemodynamic function was found with the pivoting-disc prosthesis in all but the smallest valve sizes. Lillehei-Kaster and early model Starr-Edwards prostheses with equivalent tissue annulus dimensions were found to have nearly equal valve areas in vivo in the aortic position. The Lillehei-Kaster mitral valves provided larger areas than Starr-Edwards prostheses in large tissue annulus sizes.

The rate-pressure product as an index of myocardial oxygen consumption during exercise in patients with angina pectoris

In order to evaluate hemodynamic predictors of myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2), 27 normotensive men with angina pectoris were studied at rest and during a steady state at sympton-tolerated maximal exercise (STME). Myocardial blood flow (MBF) was measured by the nitrous oxide method using gas chromatography. MBF increased by 71% from a resting value of 57.4 +/- 10.2 to 98.3 +/- 15.6 ml/100 g LV/min (P less than 0.001) during STME while MVO2 increased by 81% from a resting value of 6.7 +/- 1.3 to 12.1 +/- 2.8 ml O2/100 g LV/min (P less than 0.001). MVO2 correlated well with heart rate (HR) (r = 0.79), with HR x blood pressure (BP) (r = 0.83), and, adding end-diastolic pressure and peak LV dp/dt as independent variables, slightly improved this correlation (r = .86). Including the ejection period (tension-time index) did not improve the correlation (r = 0.80). Thus, HR and HR x BP, both easily measured hemodynamic variables, are good predictors of MVO2 during exercise in normotensive patients with ischemic heart disease. Including variables reflecting the contractile state of the heart and ventricular volume may further improve the predictability.

Aortic regurgitation associated with ventricular septal defect. Echocardiographic and hemodynamic observations

Ventricular septal defect is sometimes associated with aortic regurgitation. In this report, an echocardiogram demonstrating dramatic prolapse of the noncoronary cusp into the left ventricular outflow tract and ventricular septal defect in a patient with Down's syndrome and ventricular septal defect, confirmed by angiographic studies, is presented. The echocardiogram supports the concept of anatomic lack of support of the aortic ring due to a deficient septum and hemodynamically significant flow of blood to the right ventricle through the ventricular septal defect, resulting in trauma to aortic cusps and prolapse.

Methotrexate in blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid of children receiving high doses by infusion

Methotrexate was determined in plasma (31 patients), urine (eight patients), and cerebrospinal fluid (two patients) after high doses (35 to 150 mg/kg) by infusion, with citrovorum factor rescue. Concentrations in plasma were proportional to dose at 6, 24, 72 h after beginning treatment, but this trend was very minimal for samples obtained at 48 h. Clinical toxicity probably will not be serious if the methotrexate concentration in the serum is less than 4.5 X 10(-6) mol/liter at 48 h after the start of a 6-h infusion. In both of the two patients so examined, therapeutic concentrations appeared in cerebrospinal fluid after intravenous infusion of the drug. A kinetic enzymic method, radioassay, and radioimmunoassay all yielded similar results for drug concentrations.

Methotrexate in blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid of children receiving high doses by infusion

Methotrexate was determined in plasma (31 patients), urine (eight patients), and cerebrospinal fluid (two patients) after high doses (35 to 150 mg/kg) by infusion, with citrovorum factor rescue. Concentrations in plasma were proportional to dose at 6, 24, 72 h after beginning treatment, but this trend was very minimal for samples obtained at 48 h. Clinical toxicity probably will not be serious if the methotrexate concentration in the serum is less than 4.5 X 10(-6) mol/liter at 48 h after the start of a 6-h infusion. In both of the two patients so examined, therapeutic concentrations appeared in cerebrospinal fluid after intravenous infusion of the drug. A kinetic enzymic method, radioassay, and radioimmunoassay all yielded similar results for drug concentrations.

Demonstration of acid mucopolysaccharides in the trabecular meshwork of the Rhesus monkey

The ability to demonstrate AMPS in the trabecular region in the normal eye of the Rhesus monkey was shown to be critically dependent upon technical variation. Staining the fixed specimen prior to dehydration and embedding permits the uniform demonstration of AMPS in the trabecular region of the Rhesus monkey and shows it to be hyaluronidase-sensitive. Electron microscopy using the modified technique shows the reaction products to be present within the trabecular band, the intertrabecular spaces, and the canal of Schlemm. More impressive distribution was seen in the basement membrane of trabecular endothelium intimately related to the cell wall and in the ground substance and basement membrane of the endothelium of the inner wall of the canal Schlemm. The technique is also successful in the human eye and suggests a greater abundance of trabecular AMPS in open-angle glaucoma.

Hemodynamic changes during ventricular pacing in patients with complete heart block and aortic and mitral valvular heart disease

Increasing the heart rate to near normal in patients with complete heart block (CHB) and slow ventricular rates may lead to greater improvement in ventricular function than when the heart rate is increased from normal to more rapid heart rates. Improvement in ventricular function is usually manifested by a decrease in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) and volume and by an increase in contractility. In patients with both CHB and valvular heart disease improvement in ventricular function during pacing may be modified by the nature of the valvular disease. Hemodynamic data from six patients with both valvular heart disease and CHB were compared with those from ten patients with CHB and normal cardiac valves. Hemodynamic studies were performed at slow or idioventricular rates and again after increasing the heart rate to more nearly normal levels by ventricular pacing. When obstruction to left ventricular inflow (mitral stenosis) co-existed with CHB, increasing the heart rate resulted in a reduction of an elevated LVEDP to normal. This resulted in only a small increase in left atrial pressure in spite of a striking increase in the mean left atrial-ventricular gradient. When obstruction to left ventricular outflow prevailed (aortic stenosis), improvement in cardiac function was manifested mainly by a decrease in LVEDP and was accompanied by a decrease in left ventricular stroke work. When a large regurgitant volume (aortic insufficiency) was added to a ventricle which has enlarged subsequent to CHB, there was striking elevation in ventricular filling pressures which returned to more nearly normal levels when the heart rate was increased. This was accompanied by a reduction in regurgitant stroke volume in the patient in whom it was measured. Thus, an increase in heart rate may be especially beneficial to those patients with CHB who also have valvular lesions which contribute to an increase in LVEDP and end-diastolic volume. Careful hemodynamic evaluation is helpful in determining appropriate therapy in these patients.

Hemodynamic predictors of myocardial oxygen consumption during static and dynamic exercise

Hemodynamic predictors of myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO 2 ) during static and dynamic exercise were examined in ten normal subjects. Studies were done under the following circumstances: 1) during upright bicycle exercise at an average heart rate of 147 beats/min, 2) during static exercise with an isometric load in the left hand equal to 17% of the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), and 3) during combined dynamic exercise (average heart rate 147 beats/min) and static exercise using 17% MVC of the left hand. Mean myocardial blood flow (MBF) was 181 ml/100 gm LV/min during dynamic exercise, 98 ml/100 gm LV/min during static exercise, and 201 ml/100 gm LV/min during combined static and dynamic exercise. Addition of a static load to the dynamic load resulted in a higher blood pressure (average 12 mm Hg), MVO 2 and MBF than during dynamic exercise alone. MVO 2 correlated best with products of heart rate and blood pressure regardless of whether the blood pressure was obtained by a central aortic catheter ( r = 0.88) or by a blood pressure cuff ( r = 0.85).

When the current data were combined with previous data, 82 determinations of MVO 2 and MBF in 29 normal subjects during several levels of upright exercise were available for analysis. Forty-four determinations were done during dynamic upright exercise, 18 during exercise after propranolol, ten during combined static and dynamic work, and ten during static work alone. MVO 2 correlated best with the product of heart rate and blood pressure ( r = 0.86). Heart rate alone correlated better with MVO 2 ( r = 0.82) than did the tension time index ( r = 0.65) or the product of systolic blood pressure, heart rate, and ejection time ( r = 0.68). The readily measured variables of heart rate and of heart rate x blood pressure correlated well with MVO 2 in normal young men during exercise under a wide variety of circumstances.

Effect of propranolol on myocardial oxygen consumption and its hemodynamic correlates during upright exercise

Measurements were made of heart rate, aortic blood pressure, systolic ejection period/beat, myocardial blood flow, and myocardial oxygen consumption in nine normal young men during three bouts of upright bicycle exercise: 1) at the workload which produced a heart rate of 120 beats/minute, 2) at the higher workload necessary to produce a heart rate of 120 beats/minute after administration of intravenous propranolol 0.25 mg/kg, and 3) with infusion of propranolol, at the same workload as the first exercise bout. Comparing exercises 1 and 2, we found a much higher workload was required to produce the same heart rate after propranolol. The blood pressure, heart rate-blood pressure product, and myocardial oxygen consumption were the same despite the much greater level of exertion. Comparing exercises 1 and 3, the heart rate, blood pressure, heart rate-blood pressure product, and myocardial oxygen consumption were all significantly lower during exercise 3 after propranolol despite the fact that the same degree of exercise was being done. As in previous studies, the heart rate-blood pressure product was an excellent correlate of myocardial oxygen consumption despite the change in contractility induced by propranolol. The systolic ejection period was prolonged significantly altering the tension-time index (TTI), which became an inadequate index of myocardial oxygen consumption. It is concluded that the heart rate-blood pressure product is a good index of myocardial metabolic needs during exercise and the relationship is undistorted by marked changes in contractility, but the tension-time index is a poor correlate. This data emphasizes the fact that the relative metabolic loads for the whole body and for the heart are determined separately and may not change in parallel with a given intervention.

Left ventricular ejection time in valvular aortic stenosis

Hemodynamic data obtained at cardiac catheterization from 40 patients with valvular aortic stenosis demonstrated that, although left ventricular ejection time was prolonged, the usual linear inverse relationship between heart rate and ejection time was preserved at a longer than normal mean ejection time. In contrast to this, the direct linear relationship between ejection time and stroke volume which exists in normal human subjects was totally obliterated in patients with aortic stenosis so that ejection time appeared to be totally unrelated to stroke volume. However, the degree of prolongation of left ventricular ejection time above that predicted from stroke volume (ΔLVET) was closely correlated with aortic valve area (AVA), so that aortic valve area could be predicted as AVA = 0.91 – 3.6 ΔLVET within 95% confidence limits of ± 0.16 cm 2 . Alternatively, if ejection time was not abnormally prolonged, it was possible to predict with 95% confidence that the aortic valve area was greater than 0.75 cm 2 in cross-sectional area and thus not within the range generally requiring surgical therapy.