Melricflash/CW_MedAbstractsAlt huggingface dataset:
Noninvasive measurement of portal venous blood flow in patients with cirrhosis: effects of physiological and pharmacological stimuli. The present study aims to evaluate the usefulness of combined pulse Doppler-real-time ultrasonography as a noninvasive method for the measurement of portal blood flow in man. This measurement technique was performed on 12 healthy subjects and 20 patients with portal hypertension. Ten patients (group 1) were evaluated prior to and after ingestion of a standard meal (Ensure Plus) or placebo. In the remaining 10 patients (group 2), the effects of isosorbide dinitrate (5 mg/SL) administration or placebo were studied. In group 1, food intake caused a significant increase of portal blood flow (from 1038 +/- 539 to 1572 +/- 759 ml/min, P less than 0.02); this effect was due to a significant rise in mean blood velocity (from 18.5 +/- 3.7 to 23.9 +/- 3.9 cm/sec, P less than 0.02). In group 2, isosorbide dinitrate significantly reduced portal blood flow (from 985 +/- 491 to 625 +/- 355 ml/min, P less than 0.05); a significant decline of mean blood velocity (from 18.8 +/- 4.5 to 14.5 +/- 2.5 cm/sec, P less than 0.02) was observed. Placebo administration had no significant hemodynamic effects in either group. Our results suggest that Doppler measurements gave accurate noninvasive estimations of portal blood flow and that this technique may be used to monitor physiological and pharmological stimuli in patients with portal hypertension. 

Category: digestive system diseases
ST segment alternans during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty--a case report. The occurrence of electrical alternans of the ST segment has been reported in patients with variant angina. The authors encountered a patient with typical electrical alternans of the ST segment in leads V4 through V6, which developed during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) of the proximal left anterior descending artery. Hemodynamic pulsus alternans of the aortic pressure tracing was not observed during electrical alternans, and a Ca2+ blocker could not prevent this phenomenon during PTCA. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Increased lysis of patient CD10-positive leukemic cells by T cells coated with anti-CD3 Fab' antibody cross-linked to anti-CD10 Fab' antibody. An anti-CD3 Fab' x anti-CD10 Fab' bispecific hybrid F(ab')2 antibody (Ab) was generated. This bispecific Ab had a molecular mass of 100 to 110 Kd, and the capacity to react with both CD3+ T cells and CD10+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells. We studied whether cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) could lyse patient CD10+ ALL cells after addition of the bispecific Ab. As effector CTLs, interleukin-2 (IL-2)-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and CTL clones were used. When IL-2-stimulated PBMCs were assayed for cytotoxicity to 61Cr-labeled CD10+ ALL cells, their activity was shown to be markedly enhanced by the addition of the bispecific Ab. Most of the CTL clones established lacked cytotoxicity for CD10+ ALL cells, but addition of the bispecific Ab induced a significant level of cytotoxicity. CTLs derived from ALL patients also showed significant cytotoxicity for autologous CD10+ ALL cells after addition of the bispecific Ab. However, this Ab did not affect the cytotoxicity of CTLs when CD10- leukemic cells were used as the targets. These findings suggest that the bispecific Ab can be used for immunotherapy in patients with CD10+ ALL. 

Category: neoplasms
Comparison of left ventricular ejection fraction by magnetic resonance imaging and radionuclide ventriculography in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. To assess the validity of gated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in determining left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF), MRI (Spin Echo, multislice-multiphase technique on the short-axis plane) was compared with equilibrium radionuclide ventriculography in 32 patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. All patients underwent MRI and radionuclide ventriculography, performed consecutively on the same day (mean time interval between the 2 examinations: 40 minutes). Comparison with LVEF showed a high correlation (y = 0.79 X +3.51, r = 0.91; p less than 0.001). Mean difference between radionuclide ventriculography and MRI data was 1.7, with the 95% confidence interval 0.71 to 2.68: MRI slightly underestimated LVEF. MRI interobserver and intrapatient variability (assessed in 15 of 32 patients) showed a high correlation (r = 0.91, r = 0.98). In conclusion, data suggest that MRI, using the short-axis approach and the multislice-multiphase technique, is an accurate, noninvasive, highly reproducible method of evaluating LVEF in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. 

Category: cardiovascular diseases
Assessment of dilation methods in achalasia: large diameter mercury bougienage followed by pneumatic dilation as needed. In a retrospective study, 33 achalasia patients were treated with dilation therapy using large diameter mercury bougienage (mean, 56 French) and/or pneumatic balloon dilation. Mean follow-up time was 35 months. Mercury bougienage, performed in 20 patients, was successful in 10 (50%) with no complications. Pneumatic dilation was performed as initial therapy or in those having failed previous pharmacologic therapy and/or bougienage. A successful response was achieved in 19 of 23 patients (83%), with a 3.2% complication rate. In addition, in four patients with eventual recurrence of symptoms after initial pneumatic dilation, bougienage was used as a successful alternative to repeat pneumatic treatment. The combined efficacy of both forms of dilation was 88% with a complication rate of 1.4%. These data indicate that mercury bougienage should be considered initial therapy for achalasia in view of its simplicity, safety, and acceptable efficacy, followed by pneumatic dilation if bougienage is unsuccessful. Bougienage also may be considered if eventual recurrent symptoms develop after initially successful pneumatic dilation. Surgery should be utilized only if dilation therapy fails to achieve a satisfactory response. 

Category: digestive system diseases
Menstrual state and exercise as determinants of spinal trabecular bone density in female athletes. OBJECTIVE--To study the effects of amenorrhoea and intensive back exercise on the bone mineral density of the lumbar spine in female athletes. DESIGN--Cross sectional study comparing amenorrhoeic with eumenorrhoeic athletes and rowers with non-rowers. SETTING--The British Olympic Medical Centre, Northwick Park Hospital. PATIENTS--46 Elite female athletes comprising 19 rowers, 18 runners, and nine dancers, of whom 25 were amenorrhoeic and 21 eumenorrhoeic. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE--Trabecular bone mineral density of the lumbar spine measured by computed tomography. RESULTS--Mean trabecular bone mineral density was 42 mg/cm3 (95% confidence interval 22 to 62 mg/cm3) lower in the amenorrhoeic than the eumenorrhoeic athletes; this difference was highly significant (p = 0.0002). Mean trabecular bone mineral density was 21 mg/cm3 (1 to 41 mg/cm3) lower in the non-rowers than the rowers; this was also significant (p = 0.05). There was no interaction between these two effects (p = 0.28). CONCLUSION--The effect of intensive exercise on the lumbar spine partially compensates for the adverse effect of amenorrhoea on spinal trabecular bone density. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Antibiotic therapy for common infections. Several important points regarding the treatment of urinary tract infections should be made. Single-dose and short-course antibiotic therapy is appropriate only for women with acute bacterial cystitis due to E. coli. Studies comparing single-dose to full-course therapy have not been sufficiently designed to draw valid statistical conclusions, and only TMP/SMX is recommended at this time. Recurrent UTI in women is almost always due to reinfection, which is best managed by prophylactic antibiotics. Acute bronchitis and acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis are often due to viral infections, and therefore antibiotic therapy is not always needed. In acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis, the clearest success rates for antibiotic therapy have been in patients, who have all three of the following symptoms: increased dyspnea, increased sputum production, and sputum purulence. Mupirocin is an important addition to the agents used to treat bacterial skin infections due to streptococcal and staphylococcal strains. In impetigo, mupirocin has been demonstrated to be as effective or superior to oral erythromycin. In prostatitis, data on the fluoroquinolones appears impressive, but further comparative trials are needed. They may become first-line, empiric therapy. The newer oral antibiotics are not recommended as initial, empiric therapy in the outpatient management of common infections, with the possible exception of the treatment of prostatitis. These newer agents may be more important in the treatment of recurrent or resistant infections. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Costs of operating a supported work program for traumatically brain-injured individuals. This paper presents a preliminary analysis of costs associated with a return-to-work program emphasizing a supported employment approach for persons who had sustained severe traumatic brain injuries. This analysis spans almost three years. Results indicated that a mean of 237.8 hours of staff intervention time was required to achieve job stabilization, at a cost of +6896. Ongoing follow-along and support services averaged 1.64 hours per week at a cost of +47.56. Over 68% of total staff time and costs were expended in job-site training and advocacy efforts. Application of these findings to state-level and agency-level policies should be weighed against individual characteristics and needs of clients, program design, and outcomes which clients achieve as a result of services. 

Category: nervous system diseases
Regulation of expression of M, B, and mitochondrial creatine kinase mRNAs in the left ventricle after pressure overload in rats. Pressure overload of the left ventricle induces synthesis of creatine kinase isoenzymes. To determine whether this response is associated with an altered pattern of creatine kinase gene expression, we induced arterial hypertension in rats by suprarenal aortic banding. After 4 days, left ventricular myocardium from hypertensive (n = 7) and normotensive, sham-operated (n = 5) rats was analyzed for isoenzyme activities by chromatography; M and B creatine kinase subunit protein by Western blot; and M, B, and mitochondrial creatine kinase mRNA by Northern blot. Although total creatine kinase activity increased in hypertensive (1,096 +/- 214 IU/g left ventricle) compared with normotensive rats (648 +/- 81 IU/g left ventricle, p less than 0.01), the relative proportions of the cytoplasmic and mitochondrial isoenzymes did not change. The mass of M and B subunits increased 1.9- and 2.7-fold, respectively, in hypertensive compared with control rats. Similarly, the mRNA for M and B subunits as well as mitochondrial creatine kinase increased 2.6-, 1.6-, and 1.8-fold, respectively, in hypertensive rats compared with control rats. Thus, increased energy requirements in acute pressure overload are met by generalized induction of creatine kinase mRNA and subunit protein and not by an isoenzyme switch. 

Category: cardiovascular diseases
A new method for estimating preexcitation index without extrastimulus technique and its usefulness in determining the mechanism of supraventricular tachycardia. The preexcitation index has been shown to be useful in determining the mechanism of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) and the site of the accessory pathway in atrioventricular (AV) reentrant tachycardia. To test whether a preexcitation index could be computed analytically instead of by scanning the whole SVT cycle with extrastimuli, 19 patients with SVT were studied. The new index was computed using the following formula: (AV conduction time during SVT) + (ventriculoatrial conduction time during ventricular pacing at the SVT cycle length) - (SVT cycle length). There was a strong correlation between the preexcitation index determined by the extrastimulus technique and the new index in 15 patients in whom the preexcitation index could be determined (r = 0.99, p less than 0.01). The value on the new index was greater than 90 ms only in patients with dual AV nodal pathways. In the 4 patients in whom the preexcitation index could not be determined by the extrastimulus technique, the new index could differentiate AV reentrant tachycardia (index for 2 patients, 60 and 60 ms, respectively) from AV nodal reentrant tachycardia (index for 2 patients, 100 and 105 ms, respectively). In conclusion, the new index provided help in determining the mechanism of SVT, even when retrograde atrial preexcitation by a ventricular extrastimulus did not occur. 

Category: cardiovascular diseases
A new monoclonal antibody (CH-F42) recognizes a CD7- subset of normal T lymphocytes and circulating malignant cells in adult T-cell lymphoma-leukemia and Sezary syndrome. We describe a new rat immunoglobulin M monoclonal antibody (CH-F42) that recognizes a subset (1.5% to 8%) of normal peripheral blood T lymphocytes. The phenotype of these cells was determined, using dual-color immunofluorescence, to be CD2+, CD3+, CD4+, CD5+, CD7-, CD8-. They do not express T-cell activation markers, and are positive for UCHL1 (CD45RO), but negative for 2H4 (CD45RA). The antigen was expressed on circulating malignant cells in Sezary syndrome (four of four cases) and adult T-cell lymphoma-leukemia (ATLL) (four of six cases) and negative in a variety of other hematologic malignancies tested. These included chronic and acute lymphoid leukemias of B and T lineage, together with chronic and acute myeloid leukemias. However, normal CH-F42+ cells do not display any of the ultrastructural features associated with Sezary or ATLL cells. The marked similarities between these conditions together with the shared expression of an otherwise very restricted surface antigen (CH-F42) provide strong evidence for the existence of a common normal counterpart. Preliminary characterization studies of the antigen, which is also expressed by K562 and Jurkat cells, suggest the CH-F42 antigen is an O-linked, sialated glycan on a glycoprotein. 

Category: neoplasms
Effect of a short course of prednisone in the prevention of early relapse after the emergency room treatment of acute asthma. BACKGROUND. Relapse after the treatment of acute asthma in the emergency room is common (occurring in 25 to 30 percent of cases) and is not accurately predicted by any available measurements. We studied the usefulness of prednisone in reducing this high rate of relapse. METHODS. One hundred twenty-two patients treated in the emergency room for acute exacerbations of asthma were assigned in a randomized, double-blind fashion to receive at discharge either prednisone for eight days (the dose being tapered from 40 to 0 mg per day) or matching placebo. Ninety-three were subsequently discharged from the emergency room and participated in the trial. On days 1, 7, and 14 after discharge, the patients were assessed during home visits with spirometry and diary-card review; they were contacted by telephone on day 21. Relapse was defined as an unscheduled medical visit occasioned by the patient's perceived need for further asthma treatment. RESULTS. The overall risk of relapse was significantly lower in the prednisone group (P less than 0.05), with a significantly reduced rate of relapse during the first 10 days of follow-up (3 of 48, as compared with 11 of 45 in the placebo group; P less than 0.05). Thereafter (days 11 through 21), there was no further significant difference in relapse rates between treatment groups (five in the prednisone group and six in the placebo group). During the first week after discharge, patients receiving prednisone reported significantly lower mean (+/- SD) daily symptom scores for shortness of breath (1.4 +/- 0.4 vs. 2.5 +/- 0.4, P less than 0.01) and less frequent use of an inhaled bronchodilator (5.2 +/- 0.5 vs. 6.9 +/- 0.2 puffs per day, P less than 0.05) than patients receiving placebo. Subsequently, symptom scores and bronchodilator use were similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS. A short course of prednisone reduced early relapse rates after the treatment of acute asthma in the emergency room, an effect limited to the period of steroid administration. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Urinary tissue factor activity in colorectal disease. Procoagulant activity (PCA) in normal urine has been recognized for over 50 years. Although tissue factor (TF) is produced by certain tumours, and is increased in both tumour-associated macrophages and blood monocytes, the possibility that it might also be increased in urine has not been studied in patients with cancer. We have measured urinary PCA in hospital controls without inflammatory or neoplastic disease (n = 79), in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (n = 8), inflammatory bowel disease (n = 19), colorectal cancer (n = 70) and in patients undergoing colonoscopy (n = 50). Urinary PCA was higher (P less than 0.001) in patients with colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease than controls or patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Fourteen (88 per cent) out of 16 colonoscopy patients subsequently found to have carcinoma or inflammatory bowel disease had levels above the control upper quartile, compared with 8 (24 per cent) out of 34 with normal colonoscopy (P less than 0.001). TF inhibitors confirmed the nature of the PCA and Western blotting studies indicated a urinary TF molecular weight of approximately 38,000. These studies provide further evidence of abnormal haemostasis in malignancy and suggest that determination of urinary TF may provide a useful screening test in patients undergoing colonoscopy. 

Category: neoplasms
Association of germ cell tumors and Hodgkin's disease. Two patients presented with synchronous Hodgkin's disease and testicular germ cell neoplasms. Both patients are in complete remission following treatment with multidrug chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Despite epidemiologic similarities between Hodgkin's disease and testicular cancer, only 13 cases of their association in the same patient have been reported in the literature, and in all those instances the tumors occurred metachronously. However, the very rare occurrence of synchronous presentation suggests a possible common pathogenetic factor in our 2 patients. 

Category: neoplasms
Automatic rifle injuries: suicide by eight bullets. Report of an unusual case and a literature review. A 25-year-old man committed suicide by shooting himself with eight bullets fired from a military rifle set on automatic. This rifle has two firing modes: an automatic mode and a self-loading, single-shot mode. Using this case as an example, some important aspects of firearm injuries are discussed with special emphasis on those points that are relevant to automatic military rifles and most applicable to forensic pathology practice. Some of the pathologic features of firearm wounds are reviewed and the role of the pathologist is discussed. Lastly, the most important points that help the pathologist to determine the type or nature of a firearm death--that is, whether it is an accident, homicide, or a suicide--are discussed. Classically, the number of the firearm wounds is used to differentiate suicide from homicide. As in the case reported here, however, when an automatic rifle or a military rifle set on automatic is used, the number of wounds is not a reliable indicator of the type of death. 

Category: nervous system diseases
Role of magnetic resonance contrast agents in cardiac imaging. Improvements in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology allow adequate spatial and temporal resolution to capture cardiac anatomy and contractile function in exceptional detail and with little risk. However, tissue characterization of the pathophysiologic state of the myocardium may require special indicators or MR contrast agents. These must be tailored for detection by the MRI process, but available agents are effective at low dose and provide a wide range of indicator properties (e.g., myocardial extracellular space, blood pool, capillary permeability and membrane transport). Each agent has a dynamic washin and washout time-intensity curve that may reflect myocardial perfusion or consequences of ischemia. The combined use of MRI and MR contrast agents may provide a single diagnostic examination that fully and quantitatively assesses all indexes of cardiac performance. Such information would be both global and regional, and would be well tolerated by patients. The cost, value and cost-effectiveness of such studies remain speculative. 

Category: cardiovascular diseases
Local antibiotic delivery in the treatment of bone and joint infections. Antibiotics can be delivered locally via an implantable pump to treat bone and joint infections. This is a completely closed system, and the pump is refilled percutaneously at intervals based on its flow rate. The use of this method is described in three specific clinical situations: (1) resistant osteomyelitis (patients with persistent infections despite previous therapy), (2) acutely infected arthroplasties (symptomatic for less than six weeks), and (3) chronically infected arthroplasties (patients infected more than six weeks). In all three clinical situations, hospitalization time was shortened, and high local and low systemic levels of antibiotic were obtained. There was only one incident of side effects to the antibiotic used. This method has been successful in obtaining long-term suppression of infection in 30 of 42 patients with resistant osteomyelitis, 30 of 37 patients with acutely infected arthroplasties, and seven of ten patients with chronically infected arthroplasties. The complication unique to this method of therapy is pump-site and catheter-site infections. This occurred in three patients with recalcitrant osteomyelitis and three patients with acutely infected arthroplasties. 

Category: general pathological conditions
The gastrin hypothesis. Implications for antisecretory drug selection. Newer potent and long-acting inhibitors of acid secretion, such as the proton pump inhibitor omeprazole, are becoming available for general use. These drugs promise to control acid-peptic disease effectively in patients who do not respond adequately to conventional short-acting H2-receptor antagonists. The safety of chronic administration of these drugs has come into question, however. Lifelong profound inhibition of acid secretion in rats induced by superpotent inhibitors of acid secretion or subtotal fundectomy is associated with the development of carcinoid tumors of enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells in the gastric corpus. Available evidence supports a role of gastrin, which becomes chronically elevated in animals subjected to prolonged and profound hypochlorhydria. In humans, hypergastrinemic states such as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome and atrophic gastritis are associated with an increased risk of ECL-cell carcinoid tumors. Such observations have raised concern that humans may also be susceptible to carcinoid tumor formation in response to potent inhibitors of acid secretion. To date, however, no cases of carcinoid tumor have been attributed to the use of omeprazole in humans. If achlorhydric doses are not used, significant hypergastrinemia can be avoided while effectiveness of treatment is maintained. Such measures should minimize any risk of ECL-cell carcinoid tumors in humans taking potent long-term antisecretory drugs. 

Category: digestive system diseases