5-HT1A Receptors in major depression

The 5-HT(1A) receptor has been studied using quantitative tritium film auto radiography in post-mortem frontal cortex of 15 cases suffering from major depression and controls matched for age, sex, post-mortem delay and storage time. 5-HT(1A) receptor binding in the depressive cohort was not significantly different from control values. No consistent effects of antidepressant medication or mental state at death were seen on the results.

Indicators of effective cytological sampling of the uterine cervix

A case-control comparison of adequate and inadequate cervical smears (adequacy being defined as the successful detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and inadequacy as the failure to do so when disease was almost certainly present) was undertaken to determine whether indicators of effective cytological sampling could be identified. The association between inadequate smears and the absence of two types of normal epithelial cells (columnar cells of endocervical origin and immature metaplastic cells) was measured. A significant and substantial association was found between inadequate cervical smears and immature metaplastic cells and between inadequate smears and both types of cell. Endocervical cells alone were less likely to be found in inadequate than in adequate smears, but this association was not statistically significant.

Bacteriological survey of tuberculous lymphadenitis in South-east England: 1973-80

During the eight years 1973-80 the Public Health Laboratory Service Regional Centre for Tuberculosis Bacteriology received cultures of mycobacteria from 2339 patients with tuberculous lymphadenitis. Of these, 2272 were M tuberculosis (2207 human and 65 bovine strains) and 67 were other mycobacterial species, usually M avium and its intracellulare variant. Disease due to the human strains of M tuberculosis occurred most often in young women of Asian ethnic origin. Many bovine strains isolated from Asian patients differ from the classical bovine type in being sensitive to pyrazinamide: the origin of these strains, whether from other people or from cattle, is unknown. Lymphadenitis due to bovine strains tended to occur in an older age group than the human strains and probably include relatively more cases of reactivation diseases. Infection caused by the other mycobacterial species occurred mainly in young children of European origin. Tuberculosis, therefore, remains an important cause of lymphadenopathy in Britain.

Complex acetabular fractures: a transtrochanteric lateral surgical approach

Open surgery is recommended for complex fractures whenever primary conservative treatment fails to satisfactorily reduce the femoral head and the weight-bearing dome of the acetabulum. Surgical exposure has been a major problem in attempting open reduction of these fractures. The classification of acetabular fractures noted above is a useful guide to the indications for open operation. A transtrochanteric lateral approach provides a good extra and intraarticular access to the acetabulum. The excellent clinical results achieved in 28 cases of complex acetabular fractures with a mean of 5.7 year follow-up testify to the value of this approach.

Freeze-etching electron microscopy of serum lipoproteins

The structure of serum lipoproteins in solution has been investigated by freeze-etching electron microscopy employing rapid freezing techniques. Turnip yellow mosaic virus was used to demonstrate the performance of these techniques and their capability to provide information about the structure of particles in solution. Low-density lipoproteins appeared to deviate markedly from a smooth spherical shape. Instead, the outer layer of the particles appeared to consist of a small number of globules. The number, dimensions, and arrangements of the globules agree remarkably with the tetrahedral model proposed by Luzzati et al. for the low temperature form of LDL. Further, we show that the freeze-etching electron microscopy technique may be capable of providing structural information with other lipoproteins.