Instrumentally detected changes in motor functioning in patients with low levels of antipsychotic dopamine D2 blockade

Extrapyramidal side-effects (EPSE) of antipsychotic medication are related to the occupancy of dopamine D2 receptors and there appears to be a threshold of D2 occupancy below which clinically EPSE are unlikely to occur. It is unclear whether there are motor changes produced by 'subthreshold' levels of D2 occupancy that are not detectable by clinical examination. This study was designed to investigate whether a number of electromechanical instrumental techniques could detect 'subthreshold' motor changes and whether these changes correlate with dopamine D2 occupancy as measured by [11C]-raclopride PET scan. Twenty medication naïve patients were studied before and during treatment with low dose haloperidol. Instrumental techniques detected an asymmetrical worsening in motor function with drug treatment despite the failure of the group to experience significant EPSE. These changes did not correlate with D2 occupancy and measurements of rigidity, tremor, and bradykinesia did not closely inter-correlate.

Hepatorenal problems presented in an urban high dependancy unit in a user of ecstasy and cocaine

A case is presented of a young man aged 25 years who had an episode of jaundice and renal failure after using a small amount of ecstasy and cocaine. There is a discussion of the issues raised by the case as well as some points of interest for research and health education.

Unusual association of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with complete atrioventricular canal defect and Down syndrome

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy typically presents as an isolated cardiac lesion. Transient hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in infancy has been described as a result of exposure to maternal metabolic disorders or to corticosteroids. In addition, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy has been described in association with genetic syndromes and, in rare cases, as a primary lesion associated with other congenital heart defects. We describe the unusual association of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and complete atrioventricular canal defect in an infant with trisomy 21.

Genetic alterations in 'normal' luminal and myoepithelial cells of the breast

Chromosomal loci exhibiting loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at high frequency in invasive breast cancer have been investigated in 'normal' breast tissue from patients with carcinoma and from reduction mammoplasty specimens. Duct-lobular units dissected from paraffin-embedded tissues and 485 'normal' luminal and myoepithelial cell clones were studied. Overall, LOH was found in normal cells in 5/10 breast cancer cases and 1/3 reduction mammoplasty specimens. LOH was identified in normal cells adjacent to and distant from the tumour. In one case, all luminal and myoepithelial samples exhibited loss of the same allele on chromosome 13q. One case in which the patient had a germline truncating mutation in the BRCA1 gene exhibited LOH on 17q in 3/33 normal clones. One of these clones showed loss of wild-type allele indicating gene inactivation. This sample also had LOH at markers on chromosomes 11p and 13q. One of 93 clones from three reduction mammoplasties showed allele loss at a locus on chromosome 13q. The identification of LOH in breast lobules suggests that they may be clonal. The demonstration of genetic alteration in luminal and myoepithelial cells provides evidence for the presence of a common stem cell for the two epithelial cell types. LOH has been demonstrated in normal tissues near and away from the carcinoma, suggesting that genetic alterations are likely to be more heterogeneous and widespread than is currently envisaged, and probably occur very early in breast development. Homozygous deletion of BRCA1 per se does not appear to provide clonal advantage.

Retinoic acid and CO2 laser resurfacing

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of retinoic acid on wound healing and depth of injury in an animal skin model resurfaced with a CO2 laser. The dorsal skin of 21 Hartley guinea pigs was divided into halves. One-half received a daily application of 0.05% retinoic acid for 28 days, whereas the other half served as the control. The animals were divided into three treatment groups of seven animals. Group A was laser resurfaced with one pass of the Coherent UltraPulse CO2 laser (300 mJ, 60 W, density 40 percent). Group B received two passes, and group C received three passes. Histologic studies were obtained before laser resurfacing and days 1, 4, and 7 after resurfacing. Depth of injury, thickness, number of squamous cell and granular cell layers, and epithelialization rates were measured. We found that the depth of injury was statistically less in animals pretreated with retinoic acid. Granular cells were thicker and more numerous at day 4 in pretreated animals but similar to controls by day 7. Animals pre-treated with retinoic acid overall seemed to heal wounds earlier. In conclusion, pretreatment with retinoic acid may reduce the depth of injury in laser resurfacing and speed healing rates.

The latency-related gene of bovine herpesvirus 1 inhibits programmed cell death

Although viral gene expression occurs in the peripheral nervous system during acute infection, bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1) gene expression is extinguished, many neurons survive, and latency ensues. The only abundant viral transcript expressed during latency is the latency-related (LR) RNA, which is alternatively spliced in trigeminal ganglia during acute infection (L. Devireddy and C. Jones, J. Virol. 72:7294-7301, 1998). A subset of neurons express a protein encoded by the LR gene and the LR protein (LRP) is associated with cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (Cdk2)/cyclin complexes during productive infection (Y. Jiang, A. Hossain, M. T. Winkler, T. Holt, A. Doster, and C. Jones, J. Virol. 72:8133-8142, 1998). LR gene products inhibit cell cycle progression, perhaps as a result of LRP interacting with Cdk2/cyclin complexes. During acute infection, expression of cyclin A occurs in trigeminal ganglionic neurons (L. M. Schang, A. Hossain, and C. Jones, J. Virol. 70:3807-3814, 1996). Inappropriate expression of G(1)- and S-phase cyclins can initiate programmed cell death (PCD), apoptosis, in neurons, suggesting that LR gene products inhibit PCD. To test this hypothesis, we modified an assay to measure PCD frequency in transiently transfected cells. C(6)-ceramide, fumonisin B(1) (FB(1)), or etoposide was used to initiate PCD following transfection of cells with plasmids expressing LR gene products and the beta-galactosidase gene. Transfected cells that survived were quantified by counting beta-galactosidase-positive cells. Plasmids that expressed LR gene products promoted survival of monkey kidney (CV-1), human lung (IMR-90), or mouse neuroblastoma (neuro-2A) cells after induction of PCD. Plasmids with termination codons at the beginning of LR open reading frames or deletion of sequences that mediate splicing of LR RNA did not promote cell survival following PCD induction. We hypothesize that LR gene products play a role in promoting survival of postmitotic neurons during acute infection or reactivation.

New methods for the characterisation of biopharmaceuticals: conjugate vaccines against Haemophilus influenzae type b

Modern physicochemical methods allow biological pharmaceuticals, particularly those arising from recombinant DNA technology, to be characterised with a degree of precision not previously possible. These techniques, which tell us what a material is (rather than what it does) provide an approach complementary to traditional bioassays for the control of biological pharmaceuticals. As we come to understand the mechanisms by which structural variation modulates the various biological activities of a product, structure-based assays will be able to replace biological identity and potency assays, although replacement of safety tests to find trace impurities (such as endotoxin) may be more difficult.

Ocular findings in HIV-1 positive and HIV-1 negative participants in a rural population-based cohort in Uganda

PURPOSE

To report the ocular findings in HIV-1 seropositive individuals and HIV-negative controls in a population-based cohort in rural Uganda.

METHODS

Participants were examined by an ophthalmologist, who was unaware of their HIV-status.

RESULTS

238 participants were examined, 43 were HIV-1 prevalent cases (infected prior to 1990); 62 were HIV-1 incident cases and 133 were HIV-negative controls. Eleven of the HIV-positive participants had AIDS, and a further 8 had a CD4 count of less than 200 cells/mm3. Bilateral low vision was recorded in 9 participants and cataracts were the main cause of bilateral low vision. The mean intra-ocular pressure (IOP) was 12.6 mm Hg, and no association was found between IOP and CD4 lymphocyte count. Although significantly more HIV positives had some sign of intraocular inflammation compared to the negatives (p = 0.02) there was no significant linear trend in the HIV positives with decreasing CD4 count. Overall, 11 (26%) prevalent, 6 (10%) incident cases and 8 (6%) HIV-negatives controls had some evidence of intraocular inflammation, however, only one person had reduced visual acuity attributable to these lesions. Punctate epithelial erosions and keratic precipitates in the anterior chamber were seen significantly more frequently in HIV-positives compared to the HIV-negative controls. Cotton wool spots were not seen.

CONCLUSIONS

A substantial proportion of HIV-infected persons had ocular findings which may have been attributable to their infection, however in only one case did this result in reduced visual acuity. Although the ocular complications of AIDS seem to comprise a large extra element in the work load of tertiary care hospitals dealing with eye problems, on a population basis such cases are infrequent.

Contribution of bradykinin B(1) and B(2) receptors in allergen-induced bronchial hyperresponsiveness

Bradykinin (BK) is a peptide mediator generated at sites of inflammation and its effects are mediated through constitutively expressed B(2) receptor or through induction of B(1) receptors. We examined the role of these receptors in bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR). Brown-Norway rats sensitized with ovalbumin (OA) and Al(OH)(3) intraperitoneally, were exposed 3 wk later to either saline or OA aerosol. B(1) receptor antagonist desArg(10)[Hoe140] (200 nmol/kg or 1 micromol/kg, intraperitoneally) or B(2) receptor antagonist Hoe140 (200 nmol/kg, intraperitoneally) was administered 30 min before allergen exposure. Hoe140 had no effect on OA-induced BHR to acetylcholine (ACh) and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cellular profiles, but inhibited bronchoconstriction to BK (p < 0.04). At both doses, desArg(10)[Hoe140] dose-dependently inhibited allergen-induced BHR to ACh (p < 0.01), but had no effect on bronchoconstriction to BK or baseline ACh responsiveness. The inflammatory cells in BALF were not affected apart from reduced lymphocyte numbers at the highest dose. B(1) receptor mRNA expression measured by Northern analysis was increased after allergen exposure in sensitized lungs, with a peak at 2 to 6 h after exposure, whereas B(2) receptor mRNA expression remained unchanged. Newly induced BK B(1) receptors may be involved in allergen-induced BHR to ACh, whereas constitutive B(2) receptors mediate BK-induced bronchoconstriction.

Hemodynamic abnormalities in fetuses with congenital heart disease

The purpose of this investigation was to assess left and right ventricular function, volume ejection fraction, combined stroke volume, and combined ventricular output in the human fetus with congenital heart disease compared to the normal healthy fetus. Seventy-two fetuses with a variety of in utero diagnosed congenital cardiac defects were compared with a control group of fetuses with structurally normal hearts matched for race, maternal age, and gestational age. We demonstrated significant hemodynamic changes in the fetus with congenital heart disease. There was a significant (p < 0.0001) decrease in the volume ejection fractions, biventricular stroke volume, and cardiac output in the congenital heart disease group compared to matched controls. Our findings suggest that hemodynamic abnormalities in the fetus with congenital heart disease are present before birth and we speculate that myocardial reserve may not be adequate to respond to hemodynamic stressors such as birth or heart surgery.

Real-time t(11;14) and t(14;18) PCR assays provide sensitive and quantitative assessments of minimal residual disease (MRD)

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) arises as a clonal transformation of normal B and T cell differentiation and is often characterized by a higher incidence of specific chromosomal translocations. We have developed real-time TaqMan PCR assays directed toward two of these tumor-associated DNA markers, the t(14;18)(q32;q21.3) at the major breakpoint region of the bcl-2 gene and the t(11;14)(q13;q32) at the bcl-1 major translocation cluster. During analysis of serial dilutions of t(14;18)-positive DNA, the t(14;18) real-time PCR was at least as sensitive as nested PCR and demonstrated enhanced quantitative potential. Moreover, in a blinded comparison of the t(14;18) real-time PCR and a clinically validated nested PCR protocol using 134 cell line and patient DNA samples, the real-time PCR detected the translocation in 30.0% more cases than nested PCR. Both the t(14;18) and t(11;14) real-time PCR assays were used to quantitate minimal residual disease (MRD) in an NHL clinical trial assessing the safety and efficacy of a tumor-purging protocol in autologous stem cell transplantation. The assays were also used to evaluate disease depletion in an ex vivo tumor spiking model in which normal peripheral blood was spiked with tumor cell lines and processed according to the clinical purging method. PCR data from both the clinical trial and the ex vivo model demonstrated a 4 to 6 log reduction in tumor cells during CD34+ and CD34+ Thy-1+ enrichment. Because the t(14;18) and t(11;14) real-time PCR assays are very sensitive, quantitative, rapid, and require no post-PCR manipulation, they may serve as practical alternatives to nested PCR.

Bovine herpesvirus 1 can infect CD4(+) T lymphocytes and induce programmed cell death during acute infection of cattle

Acute infection of cattle with bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1) represses cell-mediated immunity, which can lead to secondary bacterial infections. Since BHV-1 can induce apoptosis of cultured lymphocytes, we hypothesized that these virus-host interactions occur in cattle. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed lymph nodes and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) after calves were infected with BHV-1. In situ terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) staining of lymphoid tissues (pharyngeal tonsil, cervical, retropharyngeal, and inguinal) was used to detect apoptotic cells. Calves infected with BHV-1 for 7 days revealed increased apoptotic cells near the corticomedullary junction in lymphoid follicles and in the subcapsular region. Increased frequency of apoptotic cells was also observed in the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lining the trachea and turbinate. Immunohistochemistry of consecutive sections from pharyngeal tonsil revealed that CD2(+) T lymphocytes were positive for the BHV-1 envelope glycoprotein gD. The location of these CD2(+) T lymphocytes in the germinal center suggested that they were CD4(+) T cells. Electron microscopy and TUNEL also revealed apoptotic and herpesvirus-infected lymphocytes from this area. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting analyses demonstrated that CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells decreased in lymph nodes and PBMC after infection. The decrease in CD4(+) T cells correlated with an increase in apoptosis. CD4(+) but not CD8(+) lymphocytes were infected by BHV-1 as judged by in situ hybridization and PCR, respectively. Immediate-early (bovine ICP0) and early (ribonucleotide reductase) transcripts were detected in PBMC and CD4(+) lymphocytes prepared from infected calves. In contrast, a late transcript (glycoprotein C) was not consistently detected suggesting productive infection was not efficient. Taken together, these results indicate that BHV-1 can infect CD4(+) T cells in cattle, leading to apoptosis and suppression of cell-mediated immunity.

A case of Capgras delusion following critical illness

Hallucinations and paranoid delusions are recognised complications of critical illness. However, the occurrence of Capgras syndrome, in response to critical illness, where patients are convinced that doubles have replaced close family has not been described in the literature. There have been isolated case histories in the literature in response to medical procedures or illness but mostly in patients suffering from schizophrenia. A 42 year old woman was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with pneumonia, following extensive surgery for a squamous cell carcinoma, secondary to Crohns disease. She had no history of previous head injury, cerebro-vascular problems or psychiatric disorder. She reported having memories of all her family, with the exception of her mother, being replaced by aliens while she was on the ICU. The delusion was only diagnosed once it had resolved and the patient was able to talk, and this highlights the difficulty of diagnosing delusions while patients are still intubated and unable to verbalise their concerns. It has been suggested that a defect in the ability to recognise the emotional significance of the face lies at the root of Capgras syndrome.

Reduction of severe aggressive behaviour in acquired brain injury: case studies illustrating clinical use of the OAS-MNR in the management of challenging behaviours

Challenging behaviour, especially when this takes the form of aggression, may impede or prevent progress in neurorehabilitation. Despite its prevalence, the literature on management of aggression after brain injury is not extensive. It has been suggested that the 'Overt Aggression Scale-Modified for Neurorehabilitation' (OAS-MNR) could be used to help standardize future studies of aggressive behaviour. It was also suggested that this scale has sufficient properties to be useful in clinical work. In this paper, three case studies are described which attempt to illustrate the potential value of the OAS-MNR in neurorehabilitation. The use of the scale also provides evidence relating to the continued efficacy of the neurobehavioural model. In the first study, two cases are described in which reduction in aggression occurred through participation in individualized, needs-led holistic treatment programmes, which incorporated multiple interventions. These were based on neurobehavioural principles. In the second study, a further single case was presented which illustrated how the scale may be used to generate hypotheses regarding aggressive behaviour and to drive treatment. Causation and maintenance of aggression are discussed, especially with regard to cognitive impairment. Finally, practical points relating to the use of the OAS-MNR in clinical practice are reviewed.

A Ras protein from a phytopathogenic fungus causes defects in hyphal growth polarity, and induces tumors in mice

Ras is a low-molecular-weight guanine nucleotide (GDP/GTP)-binding protein that transduces signals for growth and differentiation in eukaryotes. In mammals, the importance of Ras in regulating growth is underscored by the observation that activating mutations in ras genes are found in many animal tumors. Colletorichum trifolii is a filamentous fungal pathogen of alfalfa which causes anthracnose disease. To investigate signaling pathways that regulate growth and development in this fungus, a gene encoding a Ras homolog (CT-Ras) was cloned from C. trifolii. CT-Ras exhibited extensive amino acid similarity to Ras proteins from higher and lower eukaryotes. A single amino acid change resulting in mutationally activated CT-Ras induced cellular transformation of mouse (NIH 3T3) fibroblasts and tumor formation in nu/nu mice. In Colletotrichum, mutationally activated CT-Ras induced abnormal hyphal proliferation and defects in polarized growth, and significantly reduced differentiation in a nutrient-dependent manner. These results show that C. trifolii Ras is a functional growth regulator in both mammals and fungi, and demonstrate that proper regulation of Ras is required for normal fungal growth and development.

The use of the laryngeal mask airway for inter-hospital transport of infants with type 3 laryngotracheo-oesophageal clefts

Type 3 laryngotracheo-oesophageal clefts are rare congenital anomalies with a high mortality. In the past, transport of such infants to tertiary centres for surgical correction has proved extremely difficult, with the child's ventilatory status often deteriorating to such an extent that ultimate surgical intervention has not proved possible. We describe two cases of successful inter-hospital transfer of infants with type 3 laryngotracheo-oesophageal clefts using the laryngeal mask airway.

Fumonisin B1, a mycotoxin contaminant of cereal grains, and inducer of apoptosis via the tumour necrosis factor pathway and caspase activation

Fumonisins are mycotoxins produced by Fusarium moniliforme, a prevalent fungus which infects corn or other cereal grains. Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is the most common mycotoxin produced by F. moniliforme, suggesting that it has toxicological significance. The structure of FB1 resembles sphingoid bases and it inhibits ceramide synthase. As sphingoid bases regulate cell growth, differentiation, transformation and apoptosis, it is reasonable to hypothesize that FB1 can also regulate these activities. Previous studies concluded that FB1 induced apoptosis or cell-cycle arrest in CV-1 cells (African green monkey kidney fibroblasts). In this study, we have identified genes that inhibit FB1-induced apoptosis in CV-1 cells and in two primary human cell types (lung fibroblasts and neonatal kidney cells). A baculovirus gene. inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP), protected CV-1 and the human cells from apoptosis. IAP blocks apoptosis which is induced by the tumour necrosis factor (TNF) pathway. Inhibition of interleukin converting enzymes (ICE proteases or caspases) by the baculovirus gene p35 also inhibited FB1-induced apoptosis. FB1 treatment led to cleavage of Rb (retinoblastoma protein) at its C-terminus in CV-1 or human lung cells. As the C-terminus of Rb is cleaved by ICE proteases during apoptosis, this supports an active role for ICE proteases in FB1-induced apoptosis. The tumour suppressor gene p53 was not required for FB1-induced apoptosis because p53-/- primary mouse embryo fibroblasts underwent apoptosis following FB1 treatment. Furthermore, Bcl-2 was not an effective inhibitor of FB1-induced apoptosis in CV-1 or IMR-90 cells. In summary, these results demonstrate that the TNF pathway and caspases plays an important role in FB1-induced apoptosis.

Molecular characterisation of cloned bradykinin B1 receptors from rat and human

This report describes the characterisation of cloned rat and human bradykinin B1 receptors in African green monkey kidney fibroblast (Cos-7) cells. A ligand binding assay with [3H]des-Arg10-kallidin was used to compare their pharmacology with respect to known bradykinin B1 and B2 receptor ligands. In addition, the pharmacology of T-kinin and its' derivative des-Arg11-T-kinin was investigated. The cloned rat receptor had a similar pharmacology to that of the recently described mouse receptor and differs from that described for the human receptor. The rat receptor had a higher affinity for des-Arg11-T-kinin than the human receptor. These differences in pharmacological properties may relate to the presence of T-kinin, bradykinin and their des-Arg derivatives as the major physiological peptides in rat and the predominance of kallidin and its derivatives in human. We confirm that the rat bradykinin B1 receptor gene is organised in a two exon structure and differs from the human gene which has a three exon structure and we further examine the inducible expression of this gene in a wide range of tissues using Northern blotting.

Physico-chemical analysis of Bordetella pertussis antigens

Physico-chemical methods are being developed for use in the control and standardization of acellular pertussis vaccines and their individual components. We have compared native and detoxified preparations of the B. pertussis antigens, pertussis toxin (PT), filamentous haemagglutinin (FHA), and the 69-kDa outer membrane protein (P69) using circular dichroism (CD), fluorescence spectroscopy, SDS-PAGE and FPLC gel filtration chromatography. Upon aldehyde detoxification, PT underwent a large change in its intrinsic fluorescence maximum (8-10 nm red-shift) and a large increase in its apparent size, detected by chromatography. Polyacrylamide gels showed individual subunits of the same apparent molecular weight (M(r)) as well as some polypeptides of higher M(r). FHA also changed conformation (5-nm red-shift in intrinsic fluorescence) upon aldehyde detoxification, with a resultant increase in the M(r)of its major constituent. The P69 protein appeared quite robust to formaldehyde treatment as measured by the same methods. Its near-UV CD spectrum contains a prominent tryptophan band; so this method may be more suitable for observing differences in conformation. We also examined an aluminium-desorbed DTaP preparation by these methods. When used in conjunction with immunochemical and toxicological assays, these methods are informative and useful in the characterization of candidate standards and should be valuable methods for ensuring the consistency of manufactured vaccines.