Detection of BCL-2 gene rearrangement in follicular lymphoma by polymerase chain reaction and chemiluminescence technique

The incidence of follicular lymphoma in Saudi Arabia is very low compared to that in Western countries. We analyzed 22 diagnosed cases, based on conventional morphology examination and immunohistochemistry, to detect the Bcl-2 gene rearrangement by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The DNA was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded lymph node tissues by the standard xylene treatment and proteinase K digestion method. Rearrangement of the major breakpoint region was evident in 8 of the 22 cases (36%), determined by visualization of a discrete band hybridized with a chemiluminescence-labeled specific probe. Although the number of cases is small, we believe it denotes a normal detection rate for PCR analysis, using DNA isolated from fixed tissue. With the exception of follicular lymphoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) analyzed included diffuse large cell lymphoma, lymphoblastic lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue and mantle zone lymphomas. No Bcl-2 gene rearrangement was detected in any of these cases. No evidence of Bcl-2 minor cluster sequence gene rearrangement was detected in any of the 38 NHL cases analyzed.

Reconstruction of a medial tibial plateau defect using a "pillar" bone graft--a report of two knee reconstructions

A technique of reconstructing a large tibial plateau defect has been described using a solid bone graft as a pillar to hold up the tibial component of a total knee replacement. The advantage of using a solid bone graft is that there is good initial structural support for the tibial component. This enables early mobilisation. This method has worked well in the two knees reported. Other methods of reconstructing a tibial plateau defect are discussed.

Steroid receptor measurement in breast cancers: comparison between ligand binding and enzyme-immunoassay in cytosolic and nuclear extracts

We have analysed cytoplasmic and nuclear extracts of breast-cancer tissue from a total of 799 patients, measuring both oestrogen and progesterone receptors (ER, PR) using either the ligand binding assay (LBA) or the enzyme immunoassay technique (EIA). Mean and median receptor levels were much lower than those widely reported by others. For ER, this may in part be a consequence of the younger median age of the patient group. The frequency of positivity, using consensus cut-off values for clinical evaluation, was also lower than that reported by the EORTC Receptor Study Group. Although the measurements comparing the 2 methods were statistically correlated in terms of positivity, based on the above criteria for clinical assessment, concordance was considered to be relatively poor, particularly for ER when assayed in the same samples by the 2 methods. In cytosolic but not nuclear extracts, the LBA method gave a higher median value for ER than the EIA (except in the group that had EIA values greater than 15 fmol/mg protein); for PR, median values were higher with EIA in both cell fractions. There was an excellent correlation between receptor amounts in cytosolic and nuclear extracts for both ER and PR using the EIA; this was significantly better than with LBA. We also observed a correlation between ER and PR in both cytosolic and nuclear fractions which was most pronounced when the analysis was done by EIA. The amounts of ER in the cytosolic fraction were also correlated with the those of PR in the nuclear fraction and ER in the nuclear fraction with PR in the cytosolic fraction, but only when the EIA method was used. We conclude that the EIA method appears to be more sensitive and gives biologically more reliable results. However, the disagreement between the methods may be due to legitimate recognition of altered forms of the receptor and may be of biological significance. Although the presence of receptor in the cytosolic fraction is artifactual, its measurement by EIA does parallel the amounts of nuclear receptor, which may be a more relevant biological parameter.

Proficiency testing of hemoglobinopathy techniques in Ontario laboratories

The Laboratory Proficiency Testing Program has been in effect for 20 years. During the past 6 years, samples were distributed for screening, investigation, and identification of hemoglobinopathies to test laboratory proficiency. Six samples for hemoglobin (Hb) S screening were distributed to from 37 to 163 laboratories that perform screening tests for sickle cell disease, and 10 samples were distributed to from 52 to 71 laboratories that perform Hb electrophoresis. Assessment of unacceptable results was based on clinical significance of the errors; educational follow-up was implemented to address these results. Most participants demonstrated acceptable performance. The error rates for sickle cell screening were 2.7% to 19.7%; the poorest performance was noted for Hb SC disease. The error rates for Hb electrophoresis were 1.4% to 36.8%; the poorest performance was noted in the investigation of Hb H disease and alpha-thalassemia trait. Improved survey performance was observed in the screening for Hb S trait and in the investigation of Hb H disease, which illustrates the benefits of proficiency testing and its positive effect on laboratory services.

Comparison of fasting and 2-hour glucose and HbA1c levels for diagnosing diabetes. Diagnostic criteria and performance revisited

OBJECTIVE

Nearly two decades ago, the National Diabetes Data Group (NDDG) and the World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee on Diabetes Mellitus published diagnostic criteria for diabetes. We undertook this study to compare the performance of three glycemic measures for diagnosing diabetes and to evaluate the performance of the WHO criteria.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

In a cross-sectional population-based sample of 1,018 Egyptians > or = 20 years of age, fasting and 2-h glucose and HbA1c levels were measured, and diabetic retinopathy was assessed by retinal photograph. Evidence for bimodal distributions was examined for each glycemic measure by fitting models for the mixture of two distributions using maximum likelihood estimates. Sensitivity and specificity for cutpoints of each glycemic measure were calculated by defining the true diabetes state (gold standard) as 1) the upper (diabetic) component of the fitted bimodal distribution for each glycemic measure, and 2) the presence of diabetic retinopathy. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to determine the performance of the glycemic measures in detecting diabetes as defined by diabetic retinopathy.

RESULTS

In the total population, the point of intersection of the lower and upper components that minimized misclassification for the fasting and 2-h glucose and HbA1c were 7.2 mmol/l (129 mg/dl), 11.5 mmol/l (207 mg/dl), and 6.7%, respectively. When diabetic retinopathy was used to define diabetes, ROC curve analyses found that fasting and 2-h glucose values were superior to HbA1c (P < 0.01). The performance of a fasting glucose of 7.8 mmol/l (140 mg/dl) was similar to a 2-h glucose of 12.2-12.8 mmol/l (220-230 mg/dl), and the performance of a 11.1 mmol/l (200 mg/dl) 2-h glucose was similar to a fasting glucose of 6.9-7.2 mmol/l (125-130 mg/dl).

CONCLUSIONS

Optimal cutpoints for defining diabetes differ according to how diabetes itself is defined. When diabetes is defined as the upper component of the bimodal population distribution, a fasting glucose level somewhat lower than the current WHO cutpoint and a 2-h glucose level somewhat higher than the current WHO cutpoint minimized misclassification. When diabetic retinopathy defines diabetes, we found that the current fasting diagnostic criterion favors specificity and the current 2-h criterion favors sensitivity. These results should prove valuable for defining the optimal tests and cutpoint values for diagnosing diabetes.

Early failure of a carbon-fiber composite femoral component

Carbon fiber has a theoretical advantage over other materials for hip arthroplasty. It has a modulus of elasticity closer to that of bone than other materials. This property has been used in the production of a femoral component for use in hip arthroplasty. Isoelasticity could avoid the problems of stress shielding prevalent with other uncemented metal prostheses; however, the early failure of one such prosthesis due to implant breakage at the neck-body junction is reported.

Human herpesvirus-8/Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus in organ transplant patients with immunosuppression

Several recent studies have demonstrated Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV), also known as putative human herpes virus-8 (HHV-8), DNA in various epidemiologic forms of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), including AIDS-associated, classic, and endemic types. Risk of developing KS in non-HIV-infected immunosuppressed hosts, such as patients following solid organ transplantation, is also significantly higher compared to normal individuals. We have retrospectively evaluated 28 organ transplant patients with KS (23 cutaneous and five visceral) for the presence of KSHV genome by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of DNA isolated from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archival tissue samples. 27/28 KS patients were positive for the presence of KSHV. In four KS patients, tissue samples with no histologic evidence of KS were also analysed for KSHV. No evidence of positivity in three samples was noted, but one patient had weak positive amplification products on DNA samples isolated from a gastric biopsy with chronic gastritis and lymph node with sinus histiocytosis. These data support the association of KSHV with KS developing in non-HIV-infected immunosuppressed patients, similar to other forms of KS, and suggest that KSHV may play a significant role in the development of all forms of KS.

Laparoscopic appendectomy: a viable alternative approach

Laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) is relatively a new technique and requires comparison to open appendectomy (OA) to determine the more favorable approach in the surgical management of acute appendicitis. We designed this study to compare the course and postoperative complications between LA and OA. We reviewed the charts of both groups of patients and followed their course in the hospital. Seventy-seven patients who underwent LA with one conversion to the open technique (1.3%) were compared to 84 patients who underwent OA. There was no difference in age and sex distribution. The mean hospital stay was shorter in the LA (32.5+/-10 vs 74.2+/-24 h, p < 0.0001). Parenteral analgesia requirement was higher in the OA group (4.7+/-1.4 vs 2.6+/-2, p < 0.0001). The total cost was higher in the OA group ($11,260+/-4000 vs 7,090+/-3500, p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the OR time, duration of the procedure, and surgery costs between both groups. Normal appendices removed were similar in both OA and LA groups (23.8 vs 28.9%). There was no difference in the rates of postoperative complications between both groups. We conclude that LA is a viable alternative to OA. It is safe, cost effective, and less invasive than the OA with less pain and shorter hospital stay.

New approaches to virus removal: the way to produce virus-free drinking water

Virus control in drinking water is considered one of the serious problems to be encountered in the near future. Trials to remove viruses from drinking water were directed to enhance water treatment processes, use of different disinfectants or use of a good virus adsorbent material. In the present study, four materials were prepared, dimethylaniinoethyl chitin, chitosan and cellulose and starch acrylate and examined for adsorption of hepatitis A virus from drinking water. Also, three types of eluates (3% beef extract-glycine, 3% beef Virus control in drinking water is considered one of the serious problems to be encountered in the near future. Trials to remove viruses from drinking water were directed to enhance water treatment processes, use of different disinfectants or use of a good virus adsorbent material. In the present study, four materials were prepared, dimethylaniinoethyl chitin, chitosan and cellulose and starch acrylate and examined for adsorption of hepatitis A virus from drinking water. Also, three types of eluates (3% beef extract-glycine, 3% beef extract and glycine) were used for virus recovery from adsorbed materials. The results obtained showed that dimethylaminoethyl chitosan was a good adsorbent (99.16%) and the three eluents were poorly desorb viruses.

Ultraviolet, chlorine and ozone disinfection of some enteroviruses in drinking water and treated effluents

The inactivation efficiency of chlorine, ultraviolet light and ozone were determined for poliovirus type 3, Coxsackievirus type B4 and Hepatitis A virus in drinking water and treated effluent. Ultraviolet was more efficient than the other two disinfectants at wave length 254 nm where no infective virus was detected after 4 min of UV irradiation in both drinking water and treated effluent. Inactivation by chlorine dose more than 25 mg/L was sufficient for studied viruses in both drinking water and treated effluent. Also virus-seeded drinking water was exposed to ozone for 18 min at ozone rate of 319 mg/L/h to obtain the maximum inactivation of PV3, CoxB4 and HAV but about 20 min of ozone exposure was needed for treated effluent. Physico-chemical parameters were measured before and after disinfection assay. No significant changes were observed.

Enteroviruses in sewage: comparison of different technologies for wastewater treatment and reuse

Seven wastewater treatment plants were twice sampled to compare their different technologies for the removal of enteroviruses. These technologies are extended aeration, oxidation ditch, stabilization pond, aerated stabilization pond, submerged fixed film reactor, trickling filter and trickling filter followed by activated sludge in El-Serw, El-Rahamna, El-Adliya, Daqahla, El-Barashiya, Sohag and El-Fayoum wastewater treatment plants, respectively. Virus counts of raw sewage ranged between 2.7 x 10(3) and 20 x 10(3) PFU/L and for treated effluents was between 0 and 6 x 10(3). The percentage of virus removal was varied where trickling filter and tickling filter followed by activated sludge reduced virus counts by 95.7 and 99.9, respectively. Extended aeration removed 64.2%, oxidation ditch 66.5%, stabilization pond 44.9%, aerated stabilization pond 13.34%, and submerged fixed film reactor removed 53.4%. The neutralization test revealed five types of enteroviruses, poliovirus types 1,2 and 3 and Coxsackievirus types B4 and B5. The isolated polioviruses were vaccine strains. From the frequency distribution of the detected viruses, poliovirus type 2 was the most dominant.

Predictive value of intraoperative biopsies and liver function tests for preservation injury in orthotopic liver transplantation

Eighty liver allografts were studied to determine the predictive value of intraoperative biopsies and postoperative liver function tests for the development of preservation injury (PI). Peak transaminase (aspartate transaminase [AST] and alanine transaminase [ALT]) and prothrombin time (PT) values achieved by each patient during postoperative days (POD) 1 through 7 were determined. PI in day 0 preperfusion biopsies (0Pre) (obtained immediately before implantation) and postperfusion biopsies (0Post) (obtained immediately after revascularization) was categorized by histological criteria as present or absent. PI in biopsies taken during POD 2 through 14 was histologically graded as either moderate-to-severe, mild, or absent. Of the 80 allografts, 8 were omitted because of primary nonfunction or postoperative complications. 0Pre and 0Post biopsies were available on 25 of 72 (35%) and 69 of 72 (96%) allografts, respectively. Only 2 (8%) of the 0Pre biopsies showed histological PI compared with 48 (70%) of the 0Post biopsies. Fifty-nine patients were biopsied between POD 2 through 14. Of these, 15, 28, and 16 patients developed moderate-to-severe, mild, or no evidence of PI, respectively. The presence of PI in the 0Post biopsy strongly correlated with the development of PI during POD 2 through 14 (P < .0005). Peak AST and ALT values in patients with moderate-to-severe PI on POD 2 through 14 were significantly elevated compared with those patients with either mild (P = .01 and .03) or no PI (P = .02 and .006). Because of extensive overlap in AST and ALT values between the three groups, however, transaminase values were not useful in predicting the presence or absence of PI in the individual case. The development of PI during POD 2 through 14 correlated with advanced donor age (P = .06) but was unassociated with 0Pre biopsy findings, cold ischemia time, or peak PT values. We conclude that the 0Post biopsy is a valuable tool for the prediction of subsequent PI in the early postoperative period. In contrast, 0Pre biopsy findings and peak AST and ALT values are not useful in the assessment of PI.

B- and T-Lymphocyte distribution in benign and malignant lymphoepithelial lesions of the parotid gland: Correlation with Epstein-Barr virus expression and a proposed mechanism of malignant transformation

Epstein-Barr virus expression in malignant lymphoepithelial lesions (LEL) of the parotid gland has been well established. The virus is occasionally expressed in benign LEL, especially in immunocompromised hosts. The pathogenesis of the disease as it relates to virus expression and lymphocyte subsets has not been clearly defined. In this study, we attempted to identify B- and T-lymphocyte distribution in the lesions as it relates to EBV expression in LELs of the parotid gland. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections of 18 cases of LEL of the parotid gland were immunohistochemically tested for the distribution of B- and T-lymphocytes in the lesions, using the antibodies L-26 (CD 20) for B-lymphocytes and UCHL-1 (CD-45RO) for T-lymphocytes. The sections were also tested by in situ hybridization for EBV mRNA expression, using the EBER-1 probe specific for EBV-1 gene. The 18 lesions included seven malignant LEL, seven benign LEL and four benign lymphoepithelial cysts. All malignant LELs showed a high and diffuse level of epithelial expression of EBV mRNA. Of the 11 benign lesions, only one case showed focal epithelial expression of EBV mRNA. This was a case of benign LEL in an HIV-positive male. All the benign lesions, except that expressing EBV mRNA, showed a T-/B-lymphocyte ratio averaging 2:1. All cases expressing EBV mRNA, including the case of benign LEL in the HIV-positive patient, showed a T-/B-lymphocyte ratio averaging 1:3. Our findings suggest that a T-lymphocyte-mediated immune response may play an essential role in suppressing proliferation of EBV in benign LEL of the parotid gland. This immune mechanism may be significantly disturbed in the malignant lesions, leading to uncontrolled viral replication and carcinogenesis.

Recognizing and investigating iron-deficiency anemia in hospitalized elderly people

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether anemia is documented and appropriately investigated for iron deficiency in hospitalized elderly people.

DESIGN

Retrospective chart review.

SETTING

Medical clinical teaching unit (CTU) in secondary care hospital in Hamilton, Ont.

PARTICIPANTS

Consecutive patients 65 years of age or older admitted between April 1992 and March 1993.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Proportion of anemic patients for whom documentation was adequate (included in problem list in patient chart) and for whom adequate investigations were performed (measurement of serum ferritin level in anemic patients in whom iron deficiency was suspected, bone-marrow aspiration for those with intermediate probability of iron deficiency after determination of serum ferritin level, and endoscopy of upper or lower gastrointestinal tract, or both, in patients with iron deficiency).

RESULTS

Of 183 eligible patients admitted to the CTU 66 (36%) had anemia, in 47 cases (71%) the anemia was documented by house staff or attending physicians. Of the 66 anemic patients 49 had a non-macrocytic anemia of unknown cause: 26 had their serum ferritin level measured, 5 underwent bone-marrow aspiration, and 21 were referred for gastrointestinal endoscopy. Six of eight patients with probable iron deficiency (i.e., a serum ferritin level that was diagnostic [less than 18 micrograms/L] or suggestive [18 to 45 micrograms/L]) underwent endoscopy, two were found to have cancer of the stomach or cecum. Only 26 of the 49 patients had adequate investigation.

CONCLUSIONS

Anemia is common among elderly patients in hospital. However, iron deficiency is underrecognized and underinvestigated.

Cytogenetic findings in renal cell carcinoma

Cytogenetic characterization of 24 renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) was performed. The various RCC subtypes included 8 chromophobe RCCs, 12 nonpapillary RCCs, and 4 papillary RCCs. Loss of chromosomes 1, 2, 6, 10, and 17 were observed in 5 of 8 chromophobe RCCs. Five of the 12 nonpapillary RCCs showed abnormalities involving chromosome 3. These were deletion of the 3p13 region, loss of the whole chromosome 3, and unbalanced translocation resulting in a derivative. Of the 4 papillary RCCs, two showed trisomy 7 and 17 along with other abnormalities, one had trisomy for chromosomes 7, 12, and 13, along with loss of chromosome #5 and Y chromosomes, and another papillary RCC revealed trisomy 15 and trisomy 17. These results further show that specific cytogenetic abnormalities are associated with various subtypes of RCCs.

Effect of adherent Lactobacillus spp. on in vitro adherence of salmonellae to the intestinal epithelial cells of chicken

Single strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lact. fermentum, isolated from chicken intestine, were used to study in vitro interactions with Salmonella enteritidis, Salm. pullorum or Salm. typhimurium in an ileal epithelial cell (IEC) radioactive assay. Exclusion, competition and displacement phenomena were investigated by respectively incubating (a) lactobacilli and IEC together, prior to addition of salmonellae, (b) lactobacilli, IEC and salmonellae together, and (c) salmonellae and IEC, followed by the lactobacilli. Lactobacilli were selected for study because of their strong ability to adhere to IEC and poor aggregation with salmonellae. The results demonstrated that Lact. acidophilus significantly reduced (P < 0.05) the attachment of Salm. pullorum to IEC in the tests for exclusion and competition, but not in the displacement tests. Lactobacillus fermentum was found to have some ability to reduce the attachment of Salm. typhimurium to IEC under the conditions of exclusion (P < 0.08), competition (P < 0.09), but not displacement. However, both Lact. acidophilus and Lact. fermentum were unable to reduce the adherence of Salm. enteritidis to IEC under any of the conditions.

The evaluation of various mathematical RBC indices and their efficacy in discriminating between thalassemic and non-thalassemic microcytosis

The differentiation between thalassemic and non-thalassemic microcytosis has important clinical implications in hematology and medicine. A simplified index, based on red cell parameters derived from automated blood cell analyzers, which could be used to discriminate between microcytic patients with a high probability of thalassemia minor and those with a low probability, would be an extremely useful tool. Five mathematical indices have been proposed as useful for this purpose. These are the: Bessman index, Shine and Lal index, England index, Mentzler index, and mean cell volume (MCV) alone. This study was designed to prospectively evaluate the efficacy of these indices. Patient samples were chosen every fourth day from all patient samples referred to the hematology laboratory at St. Joseph's Hospital over a 6-month period. All patient samples with an MCV < 80 fL and age > or = 18 years were considered eligible for the study. After enrollment and laboratory analysis were complete sensitivities and specificities were calculated for each of the indices using a variety of cut-off values and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed. Based on statistical analysis of the area under these curves, the authors conclude that MCV alone is as effective as the Mentzler and Shine and Lal indices in selecting microcytic patient samples with a high probability of thalassemia minor for thalassemia testing. They also conclude that the Bessman index and the England index are ineffective indices for this purpose.

Antagonistic effects of intestinal Lactobacillus isolates on pathogens of chicken

Twelve Lactobacillus strains isolated from chicken intestine, which demonstrated a strong and moderate capacity to adhere to the ileal epithelial cells in vitro, were used to investigate their inhibitory ability against five strains of salmonella, i.e. Salmonella enteritidis 935/79, Salm. pullorum, Salm. typhimurium, Salm. blockley and Salm. enteritidis 94/448, and three serotypes of Escherichia coli, viz. E. coli O1:K1, O2:K1 and O78:K80. The results showed that all the 12 Lactobacillus isolates were able to inhibit the growth of the five strains of salmonella, and the three strains of E. coli in varying degrees. Generally, they were more effective in inhibiting the growth of salmonella than E. coli. Inhibition of the pathogenic bacteria was probably due to the production of organic acids by the Lactobacillus isolates.

Deletion of the carboxy-terminus of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) glycoprotein B does not affect oligomerization, heparin-binding activity, or its ability to protect against HSV challenge

A recombinant vaccinia virus designated VgBt which expresses a truncated secreted herpes simplex virus gB (gBt) was constructed and compared to V11gB, a vaccinia recombinant previously studied which expresses gB exclusively on the surface of infected cells. Indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) revealed that gBt was strongly associated with the surface of infected cells despite being released slowly into the cell culture medium. Both gB and gBt existed as oligomers, and both membrane bound and secreted forms of gBt exhibited heparin-binding activity. In protection studies VgBt and V11gB conferred equivalent protection against both homologous (HSV-1) and heterologous (HSV-2) challenge with HSV.

The onset of NIDDM and its relationship to clinical diagnosis in Egyptian adults

The onset of diabetes relative to clinical diagnosis was estimated in Egyptians with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) based on the relationship between retinopathy and duration of diabetes. Between July 1992 and October 1993 the Diabetes in Egypt (DIE) Project performed a cross-sectional, population-based survey with clinical and laboratory follow-up to describe the prevalence of microvascular, neuropathic, and macrovascular complications among Egyptians > or = 20 years of age with diagnosed diabetes, previously undiagnosed diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, and normal glucose tolerance. The sample of persons with diabetes diagnosed prior to the survey had medical examinations which included a dilated eye examination and retinal photographs. Generalized linear models were used to relate the probability of retinopathy to duration of diabetes. Among 218 persons with diabetes diagnosed prior to the DIE project, 87 (40%) had diabetic retinopathy. The onset of retinopathy was estimated to occur 2.6 years (p = 0.04) prior to clinical diagnosis. The estimated annual incidence of retinopathy was 5% and the estimated prevalence at the time of clinical diagnosis of diabetes was 12%. On the basis of reports that retinopathy does not occur until approximately 5 years after the development of diabetes, the onset of NIDDM was estimated to occur 7.6 years prior to its clinical diagnosis. This estimate of the onset of NIDDM in Egyptians is comparable to other estimates reported for US and Australian populations.

Papillary thyroid cancer in Saudi Arabia. Clinical, pathologic, and management characteristics

During a 3-year period, 233 patients with papillary thyroid cancer were seen at King Faisal Specialist Hospital (KFSH) (79% were female; 94% were national subjects). Pathology revealed 88% pure papillary carcinoma and 12% mixed papillary and follicular carcinoma, 7% microfocus, 18% well encapsulated, 24% capsular invasion, and 51% soft tissue invasion. Thirty percent of patients who had initial surgery not done at KFSH compared with 93% of patients who had initial surgery done at KFSH had an I-123 24-hour uptake < 5%. One hundred seventeen patients required completion thyroidectomy at KFSH for significant residual thyroid tissue, 56% of those had residual papillary carcinoma. The amenability of papillary thyroid cancer for cure necessitates the optimization of management at the national level. In Saudi Arabia, papillary thyroid cancer presented in an advanced stage, especially in males as manifested by the large primary tumor size, advance pathologic staging, and distant metastases at the time of presentation. Findings at second surgery, showed significant residual disease.

Rhythmic melatonin secretion in different teleost species: an in vitro study

The rhythmic production of melatonin is governed by intrapineal oscillators in all fish species so far investigated except the rainbow trout. To determine whether the latter represents an exception among fish, we measured in vitro melatonin secretion in pineal organs of nine wild freshwater and six marine teleost species cultured at constant temperature and under different photic conditions. The results demonstrate that pineal organs of all species maintain a rhythmic secretion of melatonin under light:dark cycles and complete darkness, and strongly suggest that most fish possess endogenous intrapineal oscillators driving the rhythm of melatonin production, with the exception of the rainbow trout.

Adhesion of Lactobacillus isolates to intestinal epithelial cells of chicken

A total of 46 Lactobacillus isolates obtained from chicken intestine were assessed on their ability to adhere to the chicken ileal epithelial cell (IEC) in vitro. Twelve out of the 46 isolates showed moderate to good ability to adhere to the IEC. Temperature (between 4 degrees C and 42 degrees C) did not affect attachment. Incubation (contact) time of 30 min was found to be insufficient for the attachment of bacteria to the IEC, but contact time beyond 1 h did not increase this ability. The pH values (4-7) of the suspending buffer did not have any significant effect on the attachment of bacteria to the IEC, but at pH 8 it was reduced significantly (P < 0.05).

Characterization of an essential HSV-1 protein encoded by the UL25 gene reported to be involved in virus penetration and capsid assembly

The 2.3-kb BamHI-U DNA fragment (map units 0.319-0.335) of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) genome contains the complete UL25 open reading frame (ORF). It specifies an essential viral protein reported previously to be involved in virus penetration and capsid assembly (C. Addison, F. J. Rixon, J. W. Palfreyman, M. O'Hara, and V. G. Preston, Virology 138, 246-259, 1984). To identify the protein encoded by the UL25 gene, the UL25 ORF was cloned in a eukaryotic expression vector (p91023) downstream of the adenovirus major late promoter to generate the expression plasmid p9-UL25. Synthesis of a 60-kDa protein was observed in COS-7 cells transfected with p9-UL25 plasmid DNA, but not in cells transfected with p91023 control plasmid DNA. To identify and characterize the UL25 protein from HSV-1-infected cells, we prepared a rabbit antiserum by using UL25-GST fusion protein expressed in Escherichia coli as immunogen. This rabbit antiserum readily immunoprecipitated the 60-kDa UL25 protein from HSV-1-infected cells. In HSV-1-infected cells, UL25 protein was expressed as a late (gamma) or a leaky late (gamma 1) viral protein. The rabbit antiserum raised against HSV-1 UL25 protein immunoprecipitated a UL25-homologue of identical size from HSV-2-infected cells. However, the reactivity of the antiserum with HSV-2 UL25-homologue was weaker than compared to the corresponding HSV-1 protein. Consistent with its classification as a virion component, the UL25 protein was found to be associated with purified HSV-1 virions.