Transthoracic needle biopsy in neoplastic and nonneoplastic pathology: experience in a general hospital

Transthoracic needle biopsy (TNB) was performed in 344 cases of intrathoracic pathology. In 60 of them, the material obtained was inadequate. In the remaining 284, the possibilities of TNB to identify malignant cells were evaluated. Of them, 202 had neoplastic lesions and 82 had nonneoplastic processes. Among the neoplastic cases, malignant cells were found in 188, (true positive), and in 14 the results were false negative. In the group of nonneoplastic processes, there were 80 without malignant cells (true negative), and two were diagnosed as malignant, (false positive). In these 284 cases with cytologic diagnosis, the global sensitivity was 0.93, and the specificity was 0.97; however, including all cases and the inadequate samples as false negatives, the sensitivity is lower--0.71. TNB required some skill, the use of fine needles, and the collaboration of an expert cytopathologist. TNB is an important method with which to explore intrathoracic pathology.

Oviposition and development of Drosophila modified by magnetic fields

Drosophila flies placed in a habitat with two lateral boxes demonstrated sensitivity to magnetic fields: Oviposition decreased by exposure to pulsated (extremely low frequency (ELF) (100 Hz, 1.76 miliTesla (mT) ) and sinusosidal fields (50 Hz, 1 mT), while there was no initial effect of exposure to a static magnetic field (4.5 mT). Drosophila eggs treated for 48 h with the above described fields showed that 1) mortality of eggs was lower in controls than in eggs exposed to all tested magnetic fields; 2) mortality of larvae increased when a permanent magnet was used; 3) mortality of pupae was highest when a permanent magnet was used; and 4) general adult viability was highest in controls (67%) and diminished progressively when eggs were exposed to pulsated (55%), sinusoidal (45%), and static (35%) magnetic fields.

Full trisomy 7 and Potter syndrome

A patient with typical Potter's syndrome and full trisomy 7 is described. All previous reports on chromosome 7 abnormalities, whether monosomic or trisomic, p or q, are reviewed and discussed, establishing two 7q trisomy syndromes: 7q22 ts leads 7q31 and 7q22, q31 leads to 7qter. Some implications of the finding of full trisomy 7 in a case of Potter's syndrome are discussed.

Improved visualization of radiographic cadaver sections using xerotomography

A new technique using xerotomography for axial images obtained from slices of abdominal cadavers is described. Radiographs were also made in sagittal planes for a complete study of visceral relationships. Xerotomography allows a wider range of visualization in the same plane of anatomical structures, from retroperitoneal fascial planes and vessels to abdominal viscera.

[Pancreatic fistula]

The authors present the result of an investigation on the use of cement and bentonite in the treatment of pancreatic fistulas that coexisted with permeable duct and which has been closed by the local application of said elements.

Plasma membrane phosphorylation by endogenous phosphate donors in human blood platelets. Selectivity of the action of dibutyryl cyclic AMP

Incubation of platelet-rich plasma with 32Pi leads to cellular uptake of the isotope and covalent incorporation into several cell constituents. Plasma membranes isolated from intact labelled platelets, delipidated and solubilized in sodium dodecyl sulfate, show, upon gel electorphoretic analysis, three main peaks of radioactivity: two in the molecular weight range 100 000-30 000 and an additional very slow migrating component strong positive by the peirodic acid-Schiff reaction. Treatment of the cells with dibutyryl cyclic AMP under conditions just sufficient to completely inhibit platelet aggregation leads to an increased isotope incorporation. Electrophoretic analysis of membranes isolated from dibutyryl cyclic AMP-treated cell reveals: (a) no change in the general pattern of distribution of the isotope, (b) no difference in the isotope incorporation to the two components of lower mol. wt. and (c) a marked increase (greater than 100%) in isotope incorporation in the slow migrating material as compared to membranes isolated from control cells. This material can be extracted from platelet plasma membranes after treatment of the membranes for 5 h with Triton X-100, at a detergent-to-protein ratio of 7.5. When the membrane material extracted with Triton X-100 is subjected to gel chromatography in Agarose (Biogel A-15m), the phosphorylated material that corresponds to the slow migrating band in polyacrylanide gel electrophoresis is eluted with or very close to the void volume of the column. Isoelectric focussing of this fraction, shows a single radioactive peak corresponding to an isolectric point of 3.78. The isolated component is pronase-sensitive, contains 52% of carbohydrate and 15% sialic acid. Analysis of the stability of the bound phosphate suggests that about 43% of it is bound as acyl-phosphate. The results reported, obtained through an approach that closely resembles physiological conditions are compatible with the participation of this membrane phosphoglycoprotein in the phenomena of platelet aggregation.