Detection of gold particles in the neck skin after lightning stroke with evaporation of an ornamental chain.

A German couple was struck by lightning. Both patients survived this event. Whereas the husband was unconscious for only a few minutes, his wife fell into coma for 24 h. The lightning stroke entered the body of the woman behind the left ear and left it at the left shoe. The stroke caused a partial evaporation of a gold ornamental chain on the neck, resulting in a tattoo of the neck skin. A biopsy of the skin 6 months after the event showed the accumulation of gold particles of different size in the dermis down to the subcutaneous fatty tissue. In semithin sections, histiocytes, multinucleated foreign giant cells, and fibroblasts were visible with uptaken metallic particles. In transmission electron microscopy, gold globules of up to 30 microm in diameter were visible outside the cells in the collageneous matrix of the connective tissue besides smaller metallic particles up to 5 nm inside lysosomes and residual bodies of phagocytic cells. Four different kinds of gold particles could be differentiated: globules, granular irregular particles, tubules, and tanglelike tracks. In scanning electron microscopy, gold particles were demonstrated by backscatter detection in the connective tissue of subcutis, where the EDX elemental analysis showed strong signals of aurum (Au), copper (Cu), and argentum (Ag). The detected metals were quantified by AAS as 70% gold, 21% silver, and 9% copper, which demonstrates the composition of gold alloy of the neck chain of the patient. Tanglelike tracks and elongated gold deposits represent crystals of gold salts, as detected by electron diffraction and polarization microscopy. Attempts to remove the gold particles from the skin to remove the tattoo should not be undertaken because the gold is deep and widespread.

Improved procedure for the purification of selenoprotein Ph from human plasma.

Selenoprotein Ph, the human analogue of selenoprotein P from rat plasma, was purified from human plasma using Heparin Sepharose chromatography, PEG precipitation, DEAE ion exchange chromatography. RP chromatography, SDS-PAGE and electroelution. SDS-PAGE of the purified protein revealed one broad-selenium containing protein band from 56 to 67 kDa with a selenium maximum at 62 kDa. Using a 7.5% T gel this band was separated into two distinct selenium-containing bands with molecular weights of 61 and 64 kDa.

Purification of selenoprotein Ph from human plasma.

There are three selenium-containing proteins in human plasma: glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px-P), albumin and selenoprotein Ph, the human analogue to selenoprotein P from rat plasma. Selenoprotein Ph was separated from the two other selenium-containing proteins by Heparin Sepharose chromatography and was shown to have about 60-70% of the total plasma selenium, while both GSH-Px-P and albumin contain about 15%. A 2588-fold purification from human plasma was achieved by using a four-step procedure. SDS-PAGE of the purified selenoprotein revealed, besides one contaminant selenium-free protein band at about 70 kDa, one selenium-containing band ranging from 54 to 67 kDa with a maximum at 63 kDa. This microheterogeneity, also recognized by IEF, may be due to the glycprotein nature of the selenoprotein Ph. The determination of the molecular mass of the native protein varied from 65 kDa using gel filtration on Fraktogel HW 55 to 89 kDa on Sephacryl S-200 HR, suggesting an interaction between the gel-matrices and selenoprotein Ph.

Selenoproteins in mitochondria and cytosol of Saccharomyces uvarum after growth in sodium selenite-supplemented media.

The extent of the biosynthesis of selenoproteins in mitochondria and cytosol of Saccharomyces uvarum depends on the sodium selenite concentration in the medium. In mitochondria there is a selenoprotein (SP 1) exhibiting glutathione peroxidase activity whose concentration already reaches a maximum at low concentrations of sodium selenite. A second selenoprotein (SP 2) was found in mitochondria and cytosol. Both proteins contain L-selenocysteine. The molecular masses of SP 1 and SP 2 are 73,000 Da and 83,000 Da, respectively. A subunit of SP 1 was found to have a molecular mass of 30,000 Da. SP 2, identified as a glycoprotein, has subunits with molecular masses of 36,500 Da and 5,000 Da. The selenium concentration of the total yeast increases from 260 micrograms/kg dry weight to 280 mg/kg dry weight after supplementation of the medium with sodium selenite.

[The prognostic significance of serum alpha 1-fetoprotein in children and adolescents with malignant extracranial non-testicular germ cell tumors]. / Die prognostische Bedeutung des Serum alpha 1-Fetoproteins (AFP) bei Kindern und Jugendlichen mit malignen extrakranialen nichttestikulären Keimzelltumoren.

The cooperative therapy study MAKEI 83/86 included an examination of the prognostic value of the AFP in children and adolescents with extracranial non-testicular yolk sac tumors. The serum AFP values of 72 protocol- and follow-up-patients were documented at diagnosis and up to the ninth month of treatment. 32 of these patients had saccrococcygeal tumors, 27 had tumors of the ovary and 13 suffered from extragonadal germ cell-tumors. 4 children showed progressive disease under initial chemotherapy and 1 patient died of therapy, 10 of 72 patients relapsed. The AFP measurements were plotted on semilogarithmic charts. They were compared to the measurements of healthy children up to the age of 1 year. According to the development of the patients' AFP values compared to the reference curves the following classifications could be made: 1. Patients with a normal AFP-decrease id est 50% in less than or equal to 6 days during the 1st month of therapy: 48/72 patients 2. Patients with slow AFP-decrease: 17/72 patients 3. Patients with transient AFP-decrease: 5/72 patients 4. Patients with no AFP-decrease: 2/72 patients According to Kaplan-Meier life table analysis, patients with a normal AFP-decrease had an event-free survival of 89% +/- 4%, whereas all other patients showed an event-free survival of 63% +/- 10% (p less than 0.05). Regarding primary therapy id est tumor resection or preoperative chemotherapy an equal distribution of the patients among those with a normal and slow AFP-decrease was observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Treatment of non-testicular germ cell tumors in children and adolescents with BEP and VIP: initial results of the MAKEI 89 therapy study]. / Die Behandlung nichttestikulärer Keimzelltumoren bei Kindern und Jugendlichen mit BEP und VIP: Erste Ergebnisse der Therapiestudie MAKEI 89.

The pilot protocol of the German Society of Pediatric Oncology for treatment of non testicular germ cell tumors was initiated in November 1987. The final protocol was started at 1. 1. 89. Different therapy was administered depending on histology, primary localisation or stage of tumors. Patients with malignant germ cell tumors such as dysgerminomas, embryonal carcinomas, yolk sac tumors or chorio carcinomas received BEP (Bleomycin 15 mg/m2/days 1-3, Etoposide 100 mg/m2/days 4-8, Cisplatinum 20 mg/m2/days 4-8), followed by VIP (Vinblastine 3 mg/m2/days 1 + 2, Ifosfamide 1500 mg/m2/days 1-5 including Mesna uroprotection and Cisplatinum 20 mg/m2/days 1-5). Patients with ovary tumors of stage 1 were treated with 3 courses of BEP, patients with ovary tumors stage II and extragonadal localisation received 3 courses of VIP in addition to 3 courses of BEP. In cases of extended tumors 4 courses of BEP were followed by delayed resection of tumors and 4 courses of VIP. Patients with intracranial germinomas were treated with 30 Gy of craniospinal radiation therapy and additional 15 Gy as a tumor boost. Since some cases of spinal extension were reported a spinal radiation therapy seems to be indispensable. Patients with intracranial embryonal carcinomas, yolk sac tumors or chorio carcinomas tumors were given 2 courses of BEP and VIP followed by 30 Gy of craniospinal radiation therapy and additional 20 Gy as a tumor boost. Patients with immature teratomas of the ovary grade 1-3 and grade 3 of tumors with extragonadal localisation were treated with 3 courses of BEP after resection of tumors. Until 1. 1. 1991 92 patients were reported to the study--27 with intracranial and 65 with extracranial primary localisation of tumors. 43 patients suffered from teratomas (including 20 immature teratomas grade 1-3), 18 from germinomas (seminomas/dysgerminomas) and 31 from malignant non-seminomatous germ cell tumors. After an observation period of 29 months disease-free survival rate was 80% (79/92 patients, Kaplan-Meier Statistics). Outcome of intracranial tumors was death or relapse in 2/9 patients with malignant non-seminomatous germ cell tumors, in 2/14 patients with intracranial germinomas, in 2/4 patients with teratomas. Patients with extracranial localisation of tumors suffered from death or relapse in 1/21 cases with non-seminomatous tumors, in 0/4 cases with dysgerminomas and 5/39 cases with teratomas. During pilot study one infant with a malignant non-seminomatous germ cell tumor died of a pneumopathia. Therefore infants treated according to the final protocol did not receive Bleomycin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

[Concentration of selenium in nutrition and blood serum of diabetic children and adolescents]. / Die Selenkonzentrationen in der Nahrung und im Blutserum diabetischer Kinder und Jugendlicher.

During 6 days the food of 7 patients of an instruction center for juvenile diabetics contained 60.94 +/- 2.87 micrograms selenium/day. Thereafter the serum selenium concentration was 91.24 +/- 8.57 ng/ml. The corresponding figures for 9 controls of the same age (pupils of a boarding school) were 35.90 +/- 12.24 micrograms selenium/day and 60.94 +/- 10.07 ng/ml, respectively. The differences are the result of the diabetic diet containing more proteins rich in selenium than the food of the controls.

Determination of creatinine-related urinary uracil excretion in children by high-performance liquid chromatography.

Excretion rates of uracil and thymine in children (n = 140) and circadian rhythms of urinary uracil excretion (n = 9) were investigated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. Excretion values were related to urinary creatinine determined by Jaffé's method. Creatinine-related uracil excretion was not dependent on age or sex. The values seemed to be distributed according to a Gaussian graph in both school children and those in hospital. The intra-individual range was 1.32-23.70 mg uracil per g creatinine over a four-day period in one subject. Uracil excretion seems to be somewhat lower during the night.

Mutagenic effects of lead (II) bromide.

The mutagenicity of lead (II) bromide (a combustion product of the gasoline additives lead (IV) tetraethyl and 1,2-dibromoethane) was investigated using various strains of bacteria. Taking prodigiosin (the red pigment) production as a marker, lead (II) bromide was found to be mutagenic in S. marcescens, leading to the appearance of white mutant colonies that are unable to produce such a pigment. This compound was also found to be mutagenic in E. coli KMBL1851, resulting in the appearance of rifampicin-resistant mutants in addition to Met+ and His+ revertants. Some of the S. marcescens mutants were found to be reversible, able to resynthesize prodigiosin. Differences in the sensitivity to antibiotics as well as in the biochemical properties were detected between the mutants and their corresponding wild types. Lead (II) bromide gave positive results in the Ames test performed with strain TA 1535.

[The clinical significance of pseudouridine determination of the urine in children and adolescents]. / Die klinische Bedeutung der Pseudouridinbestimmung im Urin von Kindern und Jugendlichen.

A HPLC-method is described to determine the Pseudouridine/creatinine ratio in spontaneous urine samples in infancy and childhood. The urines of 74 healthy children between 1 and 18 years of age and of 231 children with different diseases were examined for this ratio, making 1097 measurements. 157 children suffered from a malignant disease, 66 of them having an acute leukemia. Those patients, who remain in remission of the leukemia showed normal values, whereas the others had elevated ratios, reflecting the activity of the leukemia, when they were followed up by multiple determinations. Perhaps it is also possible to detect preclinical stages of leukemia by measuring the pseudouridine/creatinine ratio routinously over a long period of time. Today no strict correlation between the prognosis of leukemia and the level of this ratio can be drawn. Similar behaviour of the pseudouridine/creatinine ratio is seen in other malignant diseases with exception of brain tumors. The difference to leukemias is, that all other malignant tumors show more often normal values in patients with a remaining tumor. A pathological value of pseudouridine may also be seen in others than malignant diseases.

New diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of 2,8-dihydroxyadenine lithiasis. Another case of complete adenine phosphoribosyltransferase deficiency.

2,8-Dihydroxyadenine lithiasis is rare. One case, the methods to establish the diagnosis by high performance liquid chromatography and the treatment are described.

[Selenium concentration in the cerebrospinal fluid of children]. / Die Selenkonzentration im Liquor cerebrospinalis von Kindern.

Following a wet digestion of 0.5-2.0 ml cerebrospinal fluid in an open system using 2.0 ml nitric acid and 1.0 ml perchloric acid (240 degrees C) and a reduction step with 1.0 ml hydrochloric acid, Selenium can be determined polarographically after adding 100 micrograms Copper(II)-ions to the analyte (15 ml; water/perchloric acid). Selenium concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid of children younger than one year (2.49 +/- 1.67 ng/ml) are significantly higher (p = 0.0074) than those of older children (1.28 +/- 0.97 ng/ml). Independent of the children age and diseases the Selenium concentrations correlate distinctly with cell numbers and protein contents. A correlation between Selenium content and cell numbers alone could not be proved. The nonsignificant differences between the Selenium concentrations in cerebrospinal fluids of children with hydrocephalus, leukemia (with or without involvement of the central nervous system), and other diseases, respectively, may be interpreted by considering the protein content of the cerebrospinal fluid and the age of the children.

[Selenium concentration in the cerebrospinal fluid of children]. / Die Selenkonzentration im Liquor cerebrospinalis von Kindern.

Following a wet digestion of 0.5-2.0 ml cerebrospinal fluid in an open system using 2.0 ml nitric acid and 1.0 ml perchloric acid (240 degrees C) and a reduction step with 1.0 ml hydrochloric acid, Selenium can be determined polarographically after adding 100 micrograms Copper(II)-ions to the analyte (15 ml; water/perchloric acid). Selenium concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid of children younger than one year (2.49 +/- 1.67 ng/ml) are significantly higher (p = 0.0074) than those of older children (1.28 +/- 0.97 ng/ml). Independent of the childrens age and diseases the Selenium concentrations correlate distinctly with cell numbers and protein contents. A correlation between Selenium content and cell numbers alone could not be proved. The non-significant differences between the Selenium concentrations in cerebrospinal fluids of children with hydrocephalus, leukemia (with or without involvement of the central nervous system), and other diseases, respectively, may be interpreted by considering the protein content of the cerebrospinal fluid and the age of the children.