Serum amino acid profile in patients with acute pancreatitis.

Patients in the early phase of acute pancreatitis (AP) have reduced serum levels of arginine and citrulline. This may be of patho-biological importance, since arginine is the substrate for nitric oxide, which in turn is involved in normal pancreatic physiology and in the inflammatory process. Serum amino acid spectrum was measured daily for five days and after recovery six weeks later in 19 patients admitted to the hospital for acute pancreatitis. These patients had abnormal levels of most amino acids including arginine, citrulline, glutamine and glutamate. Phenylalanine and glutamate were increased, while arginine, citrulline, ornithine and glutamine were decreased compared to levels after recovery. NO(2)/NO(3) concentration in the urine, but not serum arginase activity, was significantly increased day 1 compared to day 5 after admission. Acute pancreatitis causes a disturbance of the serum amino acid spectrum, with possible implications for the inflammatory process and organ function both in the pancreas and the gut. Supplementation of selected amino acids could possibly be of value in this severe condition.

Telomerase is not activated in human hyperplastic and adenomatous parathyroid tissue.

BACKGROUND: Telomerase is a specific enzyme that appears to have a key role in cellular senescence and the progression of neoplastic tissue. High telomerase activity has been found in several cancers, but not in most normal and benign tissue. Little is known about the influence of telomerase on the abnormal growth associated with hyperparathyroidism. OBJECTIVE: To analyse telomerase activity in parathyroid tissue obtained from 29 patients undergoing surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism. DESIGN: Tissue for telomerase activity measurements was collected from six hyperplastic, 20 adenomatous and 22 normal parathyroid glands. METHODS: The highly sensitive PCR-based telomeric repeat amplification protocol, TRAP, combined with ELISA, was used to detect telomerase activity in tissue extracts containing 3.0 microg protein. RESULT: Telomerase was not activated in any of the analysed tissue by 3 microg protein. Reassay of 12 samples containing 6.0 microg protein verified these negative TRAP results. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that telomerase is not a part of the mechanism promoting parathyroid proliferation and the underlying conditions remain to be determined.

Inverse relation between mRNA synthesis and secretion of parathyroid hormone in athymic mice grafted with human parathyroid tissue.

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) mRNA in original and transplanted human adenomatous parathyroid tissue and human serum intact PTH (S-iPTH) was measured in athymic mice at 4, 7, 14, and 28 days after transplantation. Parathyroid tissue was obtained during surgery for hyperparathyroidism and implanted subcutaneously. PTH mRNA detection was done with RT-PCR followed by membrane blot and hybridisation and S-iPTH was analysed using a human specific immunoradiometric method. At 4 days, PTH mRNA was 79.6+/-5.3% (mean+/-SE) of that in original tissue whereas S-iPTH was only 5.4 ng/l. At 28 days, PTH mRNA was significantly reduced to 60.7+/-4.1% whereas S-iPTH was increased to 192 ng/l. The reduced PTH mRNA expression in the transplants at 28 days may be explained by an inhibited DNA transcription. The presence of human S-iPTH in transplanted mice at 4 days may be due to cell disintegration and diffusion. The gradual increase in S-iPTH during the experimental period probably reflects increased transplant cell volume and improved graft revascularisation.

Cholecystokinin octapeptide induces both proliferation and apoptosis in the rat pancreas.

Cholecystokinin-8 (CCK-8) causes exocrine pancreatic hypertrophy and hyperplasia. High doses of the CCK analogue cerulein causes necrosis and an inflammatory response in the pancreas. We have studied the pancreatic growth response in rats after administration of CCK-8 for 3 days, given either intermittently (20-80 microg/kg) twice a day, or continuously (2.4-48 microg/kg per 24 h). Plasma CCK-8 levels, pancreatic wet weight, water, protein and DNA contents and the pancreatic caspase-3 activity were measured. Cell proliferation was visualized by [3H]thymidine incorporation and apoptosis by TUNEL reaction. Continuous administration of CCK-8 dose-dependently increased the plasma CCK levels, the pancreatic wet weight, protein and DNA contents as well as thymidine labeling index, apoptotic index and caspase-3 activity. Intermittent injections of CCK-8 caused transient raises in plasma CCK, increased apoptotic index and caspase-3 activity, a dose-dependent increase in thymidine labeling but caused a dose-dependent reduction of pancreatic wet weight, protein, and DNA contents. It is concluded that CCK-8 causes both increased proliferation and apoptosis in the pancreas. In case of continuous administration of CCK-8, the proliferation outweighs the apoptosis causing hyperplasia but in the case of intermittent administration the opposite effect is seen.

Survival of human parathyroid tissue xenotransplanted in nude mice after 9 to 55 months' cryopreservation.

Survival of human parathyroid tissue xenotransplanted after cryopreservation was studied. Peroperative biopsies from 26 patients were cryopreserved and xenotransplanted into nude mice after 9 to 55 months. At 8 to 12 weeks after transplantation, the morphology of the transplanted tissue was compared to that of the original tissue after thawing and before transplantation. Morphologically viable tissue was observed in 20 out of 26 nude mice (77%). Based on the morphological appearance, the parathyroid transplants were arranged into four "quality" groups. No correlation existed between the quality of the transplants and duration of storage, or between the age and sex of the patients. There was no correlation between initial clinical diagnosis or histopathological patterns (primary, secondary and tertiary hyperplasia [n=16], adenoma [n=9], one case undetermined) and transplant survival. After thawing and transplantation, all parathyroid grafts, except one, were morphologically either of the same or somewhat lower quality.

Dermatitis with an unusual explanation in a welder.

Occupational diseases among welders include asthma, acute keratoconjunctivitis, and various skin disorders. A localized cutaneous erythema from UVC radiation is common and does not generally constitute any problem, as its cause is obvious to the welder, the symptoms are slight, and it is transient. In this report a welder with UVC-induced erythema on the cheeks is described. Initially, neither the worker, the physician at the factory, nor ourselves suspected a UVC erythema. Extensive investigations, including factor visits with measurements of UVA, UVB, and UVC irradiance during welding, revealed the cause of the dermatitis to be UVC, most likely reflected from a textile hood used to prevent exposure to dirt.

Allergic contact dermatitis from diphenylthiourea in Vulkan heat retainers.

11 cases of contact dermatitis from Vulkan heat retainers are reported. The skin eruptions started on days 1-11 after the 1st day of exposure. The clinical picture varied from eczema through urticaria to purpura. In some cases, the symptoms were severe. Patch testing was performed in 10 individuals and all reacted positively to the heat retainer and/or the rubber glue used in the heat retainer. A series of rubber chemicals was patch tested in 7 patients and all showed positive reactions to diphenylthiourea (DPTU), and all but one to ethylene thiourea (ETU). TLC examination revealed a spot with the same RF-value as DPTU in extracts of the adhesive, but no spot corresponding to ETU. There were no indications of impurities in the test preparations of DPTU and ETU. By HPLC, the content of DPTU in the adhesive was determined as 0.6% w/w.

Demonstration of contact sensitizers in resins and products based on phenol-formaldehyde.

12 phenol-formaldehyde resins were investigated with regard to the presence of 14 contact sensitizers by using high-pressure liquid chromatography. The allergens consisted of simple methylol phenols, dihydroxydiphenyl methanes, 4,4(1)-dihydroxy-(hydroxymethyl)-diphenyl methanes and 2,4(1)-dihydroxy-(hydroxymethyl)-diphenyl methanes. Four substances, 2,4-dimethylol phenol, 2,6-dimethylol phenol, 4,4(1)-dihydroxydiphenyl methane and 2,4(1)-dihydroxydiphenyl methane, were isolated from a resol resin and identified by mass-spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. The highest concentrations (up to 15% w/w) of allergens were noted for methylol phenols in resol resins based on phenol and formaldehyde. The corresponding novolak resins showed a high content of dihydroxydiphenyl methanes. There was great variation in concentration of the sensitizers between the resins. None of these sensitizers were demonstrated in the resin based on paratertiary-butyl phenol. Products based on phenol-formaldehyde resins were also investigated for the presence of allergens. Uncured impregnated paper for laminate production and uncured mineral wool contained the same concentrations of the sensitizers as some of the resins studied. The curing process decreased the content of all the allergens investigated in all products, but the sensitizers did not disappear, and they may thus be present in finished products.

Contact dermatitis from the epoxy resins tetraglycidyl-4,4'-methylene dianiline and o-diglycidyl phthalate in composite material.

An outbreak of dermatitis occurred in an aircraft factory using epoxy resin composite material. Of 25 operatives, 14 gave positive patch test reactions to the composite material and/or diglycidylether of bisphenol A (DGEBA), tetraglycidyl-4,4'-methylene dianiline (TGMDA), and o-diglycidyl phthalate. This report seems to be the first to demonstrate contact allergy to the two last mentioned epoxy resins. The diglycidylether of bisphenol A used in routine test series picked up only 3 cases of 12 tested.

Contact allergy to styrene and related chemicals.

One patient, sensitive to styrene, cross-reacted at patch testing to 2-,3-and 4-vinyltoluene (2-,3-and 4-methylstyrene) and to the metabolites styrene epoxide and 4-vinylphenol (4-hydroxy-styrene). It is assumed that styrene is a prohapten metabolized in the skin by aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) to styrene epoxide acting as the true hapten. Styrene occurs in nature and as a synthetic product. Vinyltoluenes (methylstyrenes) occur as synthetic products in plastics. 4-vinylphenol (4-hydroxystyrene) occurs frequently in different ciders, wines, foods and berries, e.g. cloudberry.

An attempt to isolate and identify allergens in lanolin.

One sensitizer, a sterol, has previously been reported to be present in lanolin. In this study, a related substance, a sterol, with a molecular weight of 424 has been isolated. A few sensitive subjects did not react to this substance. Lanolin probably contains several sensitizers. Sensitization to lanolin in guinea pigs seems previously to have failed. In this study, a methanol extract of a lanolin preparation containing large amounts of sterols sensitized guinea pigs.