Comparative study of the effectiveness of thyroxine and steroids on reduction of neonatal morbidity: outcome at 20 months follow-up

This study analyzes health, growth and neurodevelopmental outcome of infants who received prenatal corticosteroids with or without thyroxine for fetal lung maturation. During a 12 month period infants from a prospective double blind study who received either steroids or steroids combined with thyroxine for pulmonary maturation and who had reached 18 months of age were recalled for evaluation of health status, growth parameters and neurodevelopmental outcome using the Bayley Scales 2nd edition (BSID-II). Mental developmental index (MDI), psychomotor developmental index (PDI), language developmental age (LDA), cognitive developmental age (CDA), and behavioral rating scales (BRS) were compared for the two treatment groups. The Hollingshead Socioeconomic Status Index was determined for each infant. Of a total of 134 patients enrolled during the study period, 66 patients return for follow up. Data from 60 patients was included in the final analysis. Of these, 32 had received the combination regimen and 28 had solely received only steroids. Demographics and neonatal morbidity were similar in both groups. No statistical differences in growth parameters, hospital admissions, respiratory problems, surgical procedures or frequency of infections were found. Neurodevelopmental parameters (MDI, PDI) were similar in both treatment groups, although, below normal in both groups. Language delay was more common in infants who received prenatal corticosteroids. There were no difference in the incidence of neurologic abnormalities. The addition of thyroxine to steroids did not affect growth or neuro-developmental outcome of the infants at 18 to 22 postnatal age.

Aplicación del anticuerpo c-kit (CD 117) para diferenciación inmunohistoquímica en tumores estromales gastrointestinales / C-kit (CD 117) antibody application for immunohistochemistry differentiation in gastrointestinal stromal tumours

La interpretación diagnóstica de las lesiones del estroma gastrointestinal, basada en los significativos avances de la inmunohistoquímica, parece indicar que estos tumores previamente considerados como leiomiomas o leiomiosarcomas, tienen un origen y expresión distinta que contrasta con los caracteres histopatológicos de estos. La incorporación del anticuerpo c-kit (CD-117) permitiría efectuar esa diferenciación y darles la designación de tumores estromales gastrointestinales (GIST). En el presente estudio se analizaron 5 casos de tumores gástricos y 3 de origen muscular de otras ubicaciones anatómicas, previamente diagnosticados, a los cuales se aplicaron anticuerpos primarios para Desmina, CD34, ENE y c-kit. Las muestras fueron posteriormente reveladas con complejo avidina-biotina y se evaluaron según su reacción a la inmunotinción como positivas o negativas. Los resultados obtenidos se expresan cualitativamente de acuerdo a la marcación e intensidad de la reacción con los distintos anticuerpos, observándose una manifiesta diferenciación entre los tumores que son de origen gástrico con aquellos provenientes de músculo liso. En consecuencia, la aplicación del anticuerpo c-kit(CD117) en procedimientos inmunohistoquímicos de rutina, es útil y recomendable para definir un diagnóstico diferencial

Hierro y cobre en Plagioscion squamosissimus (Piscis: Sciaenidae) del río Orinoco, Venezuela / Iron and copper in Plagioscion squamosissimus (Piscis: Sciaenidae) from the Orinoco river, Venezuela

Bauxite explotation of the Orinoco River in recent years is an important source of heavy metals discharge in the ecosystem, changing the natural biochemical flow of these elements and their concentrations in water, sediment and organisms. Iron and copper concentrations were measured in the fish Plagioscion squamosissimus in the Orinoco river, by sampling the fish population for three months (September-November 1998) in the main channel of the middle Orinoco (07 degrees 38' 21.2[quot ] N; 66 degrees 19' 10.9" W) and in Castillero lagoon (7 degrees 39' 09" N; 66 degrees 09' 00" W) with 2 and 4 cm mesh sizes. The internal organs of 30 fishes per month and site were stove-dried at 80 degrees C, pulverized and dried in disecator for 30 min to use as indicators with the acid digestion method for predicting the effect of heavy metals. We found relatively high values of iron and copper concentrations in fishes of the lagoon, and high seasonal variations in the iron concentration.