Prevalence of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli in raw and treated municipal sewage.

Municipal sewage was screened for DNA encoding Shiga-like Toxin (SLT) II, a key protein involved in the virulence of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli. PCR analysis of sewage concentrates showed that DNA encoding SLT II was present in a single sample of untreated sewage and absent in all other samples tested (n = 6). Thermotolerant E. coli cultured from the sewage (n = 1,520) also tested negative for SLT II by colony hybridization.

[A case of lithiasis caused by 2,8 dihydroxyadenine. Evolutive characteristics. Therapeutic problems]. / Un cas de lithiase de 2.8.dihydroxyadénine. Particularités évolutives. Problèmes thèrapeutiques.

We report a case of bilateral 2,8 dihydroxyadenine urolithiasis in a 25-year-old woman, born from an incestuous union between a brother and sister, who developed the first manifestations at the age of 9 years. This condition results from APRTase deficiency and an autosomal recessive inherited disorder. Diagnosis requires physical analysis of the stones and measurement of APRT activity in red cells. Treatment by lithotripsy with piezo-electric shock waves was ineffective on the left leading to eventual nephrectomy. The right lithiasis was destroyed by lithotripsy. This result would suggest variable solidity of 2,8 dihydroxyadenine stones. In this patient, an indwelling endoprosthesis was left in place for 14 months for extra-medical reasons and led to staphylococcal urinary infections, struvite lithiasis and incrustations of the catheter within the bladder. Ureteroscopy and percutaneous nephrostomy were required to remove this secondary radio-opaque stone.

Acute polyarthritis after BCG-therapy for bladder carcinoma in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis.

A case of polyarthritis following intravesical administration of bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) for bladder carcinoma is reported in a patient with long-standing ankylosing spondylitis. Possible links between BCG-therapy and joint manifestations are discussed in the light of data from the literature. Patients who develop joint manifestations after BCG-therapy are often HLA B27-positive.

[Ovarian vein syndrome. Apropos of a case]. / Syndrome de la veine ovarienne. A propos d'un cas.

The ovarian vein syndrome is due to ureteral compression caused by a dilated ovarian vein. The authors describe the clinical case of a young ten-week pregnant woman in whom the ovarian vein syndrome was revealed by a pain in the lower right quadrant of the abdomen associated with fever. Excretory urography, retrograde uretero pyelography and computed tomographic examination were performed. The principal clinical and radiological aspects of this syndrome are discussed.

[Tumor of the urinary tract discovered after renal trauma. Medico-legal implications of a case]. / Tumeur de la voie excrétrice découverte au décours d'un traumatisme rénal. Implications médico-légales à propos d'un cas.

A case of a tumor of the urinary tract discovered after renal trauma is reported. The clinical and radiolocal observations are presented as well as the interest of this case in forensic medicine. A review of the legal aspects recalls the principles of imputability in cases of cancer and trauma. While malignant tumors discovered after renal trauma are often renal cancers, urinary tract tumors can also be revealed after renal trauma. This unfrequent circumstance of discovery underlines the importance of control urography in cases of renal trauma, of history taking (smoking), and of the requirement for follow-up investigations if intra-luminal urographic abnormalities persist without damage to the renal parenchyma on the CAT scan.

[Vascular and nervous lesion and opening of the capsule in the last stage of dislocation of the elbow. A case report]. / Lésion vasculaire, nerveuse et ouverture du foyer au stade ultime au cours de la luxation du coude. A propos d'un cas.

The authors describes a case of posterior dislocation of the elbow in the extreme stage, associating total destruction of the capsule and ligaments, a total arterial lesion, elongation of the median nerve and the opening of the focus at Tscherne's stage III. This case allows considering the biomechanical aspects of dislocation of the elbow and updating the principles of its management.

[Acute anemia induced by rupture of a luteal cyst, aggravated by the ingestion of antivitamin K]. / Anémie aiguë par rupture d'un kyste lutéal, aggravée par la prise d'antivitamine K.

A case of hemoperitoneum secondary to the rupture of an ovarian cyst is reported in a 14 1/2 year-old girl. The severity of the bleeding was explained by anticoagulant therapy given during the previous 3 weeks for laceration of ankle ligaments which necessitated surgery. In this age group, the differential diagnosis with a ruptured ectopic pregnancy had to be considered. The relative prevalence (10%) of complications associated with antivitamin K administration is discussed.

Health hazard assessment for chlorinated dioxins and dibenzofurans other than 2, 3, 7, 8-TCDD.

EPA is faced with the need to perform health risk assessments of environmental materials containing mixtures of chlorinated dioxins and -dibenzofurans. Preferably, such an assessment must be based on the direct evaluation of chronic health effects of the mixture or on a knowledge of the toxic effects of each of the components. In the absence of such data, the authors have developed two pragmatic approaches that can reasonably be applied to mixtures such as flyash or contaminated soil. The details of these approaches, viewed as interim procedures, are compared and contrasted with those used by other regulatory and public health authorities.

Membrane transport properties of bovine articular cartilage.

The thermodynamic parameters which define transport of nonelectrolytes through bovine articular cartilage membranes were evaluated. H3HO, glucose and sucrose were used as permeants. These solutes permeate more readily through the upper layers (near the articular surface) than through the denser deeper layers approaching bone. Cartilage is similar in many respects to a swollen cellulose gel. Viscous-flow contributes importantly to transport within cartilage thus greatly enhancing the movement of nutrients.