Right axillosubclavian vein thrombosis resolved by percutaneous rheolytic thrombectomy in a patient with a recurrent gastrointestinal stromal tumour undergoing imatinib mesylate treatment.

The manifestation and management of spontaneous axillosubclavian vein thrombosis in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) undergoing oral chemotherapy have never been described. We report a patient with a recurrent GIST who was receiving maintenance imatinib yet developed a right axillosubclavian vein thrombotic occlusion. The occluded vein was unresponsive to systemic anticoagulation but was reopened by percutaneous rheolytic thrombectomy and has shown good long-term patency. Thus, for patients with recurrent GIST undergoing imatinib therapy, axillosubclavian vein thrombosis might manifest as a complication and could be managed with rheolytic thrombectomy, which thoroughly removes intravascular thrombus and effectively re-vascularizes the thrombosed vessel uneventfully.

Propofol ameliorates doxorubicin-induced oxidative stress and cellular apoptosis in rat cardiomyocytes.

BACKGROUND: Propofol is an anesthetic with pluripotent cytoprotective properties against various extrinsic insults. This study was designed to examine whether this agent could also ameliorate the infamous toxicity of doxorubicin, a widely-used chemotherapeutic agent against a variety of cancer diseases, on myocardial cells. METHODS: Cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were administrated with vehicle, doxorubicin (1µM), propofol (1µM), or propofol plus doxorubicin (given 1h post propofol). After 24h, cells were harvested and specific analyses regarding oxidative/nitrative stress and cellular apoptosis were conducted. RESULTS: Trypan blue exclusion and MTT assays disclosed that viability of cardiomyocytes was significantly reduced by doxorubicin. Contents of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species were increased and antioxidant enzymes SOD1, SOD2, and GPx were decreased in these doxorubicin-treated cells. Mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity and membrane potential were also depressed, along with activation of key effectors downstream of mitochondrion-dependent apoptotic signaling. Besides, abundance of p53 was elevated and cleavage of PKC-δ was induced in these myocardial cells. In contrast, all of the above oxidative, nitrative and pro-apoptotic events could be suppressed by propofol pretreatment. CONCLUSIONS: Propofol could extensively counteract oxidative/nitrative and multiple apoptotic effects of doxorubicin in the heart; hence, this anesthetic may serve as an adjuvant agent to assuage the untoward cardiac effects of doxorubicin in clinical application.

Late proximal coronary artery stenosis complicating percutaneous endovascular catheterisation procedures.

BACKGROUND: Late-onset proximal coronary artery stenosis caused by preceding percutaneous catheterisation procedures remains under-surveyed. METHODS: From 1993, all patients undergoing percutaneous coronary procedures and a second session within 3 years were included except those ever treated by coronary bypass surgery or chest radiotherapy during this 3-year period. Emergence of a new lesion or worsening of an initially insignificant lesion to >50% of diameter stenosis at the never-treated ostial/proximal coronary segment on the follow-up angiogram was defined as late coronary stenosis caused by the previous catheterisation procedure and was analysed. RESULTS: From January 1993 to December 2005, 3240 patients who underwent 5025 procedures met the inclusion criteria. Of them, 23 patients experienced an event of late coronary artery stenosis (overall incidence 0.46%), and interventional procedures, specifically shaped catheters (Voda, XB, Amplatz Left) and atherosclerosis vulnerability correlated with risks of adverse events. Most of these events could be managed by contemporary medical, interventional, or surgical strategies, yet hazards of mortality and long-term restenosis still existed from this catheter-induced complication. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous catheterisation procedures could be complicated by late proximal coronary artery stenosis. Thus, when conducting these procedures, operators should select and manipulate catheters with caution, especially in patients with susceptible clinical characteristics.

Implications of asymptomatic endocervical leukocytosis in infertility.

Genital tract infection is a known cause of male and female infertility. In this retrospective study, we investigated the effect of treatment of asymptomatic cervical leukocytosis on pregnancy rates. Twenty-five infertile women with asymptomatic cervical leukocytosis received broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment (100 mg doxycycline, 200 mg ofloxacin, and 500 mg metronidazole twice a day for 7-10 days). Pregnancy rates and resolution of leukocytosis were evaluated 6 months after treatment. Eleven patients (44%) had persistent cervical leukocytosis and 16 (64%) had become pregnant within 6 months after treatment. Successful treatment of cervical leukocytosis resulted in an increase in the pregnancy rate: 13 of the 14 patients (93%) who were cured of leukocytosis became pregnant, while 3 of the 11 (27%) who did not become pregnant were cured (p = 0.002). Patients who did not achieve pregnancy were older (p = 0. 002) than those who did. Patients who were not cured were also older than those who were (p = 0.014). Our findings suggest that the treatment for cervical leukocytosis is less effective for older patients than for younger patients. However, treatment of asymptomatic cervical leukocytosis appears to help preserve the fertility of patients with this disease.

Ocular anomalies in the branchio-oculo-facial syndrome.

PURPOSE: To describe the ocular anomalies in two cases of branchio-oculo-facial syndrome (BOFS). METHODS: Two cases of BOFS are reviewed. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: Branchio-oculo-facial syndrome is a rare branchial cleft syndrome that is characterized by a typical facial appearance of pseudo-cleft or cleft lip, subauricular branchial sinuses, deafness and ocular anomalies, which include nasolacrimal obstruction, telecanthus and colobomata. It has an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern.

Detection of hepatitis B virus DNA in tears by polymerase chain reaction.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the possibility of transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) via tears. METHODS: Tear and plasma specimens were collected from 36 carriers of HBV, and the presence of HBV DNA was investigated using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: Ten (29.4%) of the 34 carriers of chronic HBV and one of the two patients with acute hepatitis B had plasma specimens that were positive for HBV DNA using PCR. Sixteen (47.1%) of the 34 carriers of chronic HBV had tear specimens that were repeatedly positive for HBV DNA using PCR, 10 (29.4%) had tear specimens that were repeatedly negative, and the remaining eight (23.5%) had tear specimens that were equivocal. Both of the patients with acute hepatitis B had tear specimens that were positive for HBV DNA using PCR. CONCLUSION: Hepatitis B virus DNA can be demonstrated in the tears of carriers, even those who were asymptomatic.

Fused-silica focusing lens for deep UV laser processing.

A simple four-element fused-silica lens is presented that has a focal length of 31.2 mm and a relative aperture of f/1 for use as a focusing lens for deep UV laser processing. The curvature of the lens is designed with a practical design method to match the curvature of existing optical tools. By applying an 8.5-mm beam diameter Nd:YAG laser at a wavelength of 266 nm through the lens, we can easily achieve the percussion drilled into samples of 25-microm-thick tantalum foil with a hole diameter of <6 microm. When the lens and/or the sample is tilted, the shape of the drilled hole is in agreement with the Gaussian beam spot simulation.

Characterization of mitochondrial DNA in various Candida species: isolation, restriction endonuclease analysis, size, and base composition.

A practical and effective method for the extraction of mitochondrial DNA from Candida species was developed. Zymolyase was used to induce yeast protoplasts, and mitochondrial DNA was extracted from DNase I-treated mitochondrial preparations. Restriction endonuclease analyses of mitochondrial DNAs from 19 isolates representing seven species of Candida (C. albicans, C. kefyr, C. lusitaniae, C. maltosa, C. parapsilosis, C. shehatae, and C. tropicalis) and Lodderomyces elongisporus revealed different cleavage patterns that appeared to be specific for the species. Few common restriction fragments were evident. The genome sizes of the mitochondrial DNAs ranged from 26.4 to 51.4 kilobase pairs, and the guanine-plus-cytosine contents ranged from 20.7 to 36.8 mol%. There was no correlation between the base compositions of nuclear and mitochondrial DNAs. Eight isolates of C. parapsilosis, including the type culture, and an ascosporogenous strain of L. elongisporus, which was once proposed as the teleomorph of C. parapsilosis, had similar mitochondrial DNA molecular sizes (30.2 and 28.8 kilobase pairs); however, restriction endonuclease patterns of these organisms were distinct. These data provide additional support for discrimination of these two species. The results of our experiments demonstrate that mitochondrial DNA analyses may provide useful criteria for the differentiation of yeast species.

Restriction endonuclease analysis of mitochondrial DNA from Candida parapsilosis and other Candida species.

Mitochondrial DNA has been studied in a number of eukaryotic organisms. Differences in inter- and intraspecies mitochondrial DNA restriction patterns have been shown to be due to differences in nucleotide sequences and have been used to study evolutionary relationships and the mode of inheritance of the mitochondrial genome. A relatively rapid and efficient method for the extraction of mitochondrial DNA from Candida parapsilosis and other Candida species was developed. Zymolyase was used to induce yeast protoplasts and mitochondrial DNA was extracted from DNase I-treated mitochondrial preparations. Digestion with the restriction endonucleases Eco RI, Hind III and Bam HI yielded the most definitive restriction patterns. The results of the restriction endonuclease analysis were in agreement with the current identification of these organisms. Candida parapsilosis, Candida albicans and Candida kefyr showed different restriction patterns. Eight Candida parapsilosis strains were compared and all had identical fragment patterns. The molecular size was approximately 30 kilobase pairs and the GC content was 33.2%. The results of these experiments demonstrate the potential of a simple molecular technique for the differentiation of yeast species.

Synthesis of aspartame precursor: alpha-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester in ethyl acetate using thermolysin entrapped in polyurethane.

Cross-linked polyurethane (PU) was prepared for entrapping thermolysin. Using the immobilized thermolysin (IT), Z-L-aspartic acid (ZA) was reacted with -Lphenylalanine methyl ester (L-PM) in water-saturated ethyl acetate to give only alpha-Z-L-aspartylL-phenylalanine methyl ester (alpha-ZAPM). Ninety-four percent conversion of alpha-ZAPM was obtained for 30 h of reaction at 40 degrees C when 46 mg of enzyme was entrapped. PU support prepared from polypropylene glycol (#2000) showed better properties than from polypropylene (#1000) and polyethylene (#1000). Addition of polyol could increase the gel fraction of PU. The IT PU-ll-G-3, prepared from 1/2 mole ratio of PPG (#2000)/glycerin, gave the highest gel fraction and best swelling, and 89.0% of residual activity was obtained after four times of reuse (72 h). The stability of immobilized thermolysin was good; the activity loss resulting from degradatin and leak of enzyme in each time of reuse were found only about 2%. The kinetics of immobilized thermolysin-catalyzed condensation reaction of ZA with L-PM in water-saturated ethyl acetate was found to be first order in L-PM and the Lineweaver-Burk plot of 1/V against 1/[ZA] yields a straight line, showing that the reaction involves consecutive reactions of ZA and L-PM with the immobilized enzyme and with the ZA-immobilized enzyme complex, with the second reaction being the rate determining step.