[Retropharyngeal inflammation presenting as meningitis: an important differential diagnosis in clinical neurology]. / Retropharyngeale Entzündung unter dem klinischen Bild einer Meningitis: Eine klinisch relevante Differenzialdiagnose.

We report three patients who presented with occipital headache, neck pain, meningism, fever, and inflammatory findings in laboratory tests. Lumbar puncture for suspected meningitis revealed normal CSF findings in all patients. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated inflammation of the deep neck space, leading to the final diagnosis of retropharyngeal abscess.

Mutagenicity testing with transgenic mice. Part I: Comparison with the mouse bone marrow micronucleus test.

As part of a larger literature study on transgenic animals in mutagenicity testing, test results from the transgenic mutagenicity assays (lacI model; commercially available as the Big Blue(R) mouse, and the lacZ model; commercially available as the Mutatrade markMouse), were compared with the results on the same substances in the more traditional mouse bone marrow micronucleus test. 39 substances were found which had been tested in the micronucleus assay and in the above transgenic mouse systems. Although, the transgenic animal mutation assay is not directly comparable with the micronucleus test, because different genetic endpoints are examined: chromosome aberration versus gene mutation, the results for the majority of substances were in agreement. Both test systems, the transgenic mouse assay and the mouse bone marrow micronucleus test, have advantages and they complement each other. However, the transgenic animal assay has some distinct advantages over the micronucleus test: it is not restricted to one target organ and detects systemic as well as local mutagenic effects.

Vinyl chloride: still a cause for concern.

Vinyl chloride (VC) is both a known carcinogen and a regulated chemical, and its production capacity has almost doubled over the last 20 years, currently 27 million tons/year worldwide. According to recent reports it is still a cause for concern. VC has been found as a degradation product of chloroethylene solvents (perchloroethylene and trichloroethylene) and in landfill gas and groundwater at concentrations up to 200 mg/m(3) and 10 mg/L, respectively. Worldwide occupational exposure to VC still seems to be high in some countries (e.g., averages of approximately 1,300 mg/m(3) until 1987 in one factory), and exposure may also be high in others where VC is not regulated. By combining the most relevant epidemiologic studies from several countries, we observed a 5-fold excess of liver cancer, primarily because of a 45-fold excess risk from angiosarcoma of the liver (ASL). The number of ASL cases reported up to the end of 1998 was 197 worldwide. The average latency for ASL is 22 years. Some studies show a small excess risk for hepatocellular carcinoma, and others suggest a possible risk of brain tumors among highly exposed workers. Lung cancer, lymphomas, or leukemia do not seem to be related to VC exposure according to recent results. The mutation spectra observed in rat and human liver tumors (ASL and/or hepatocellular carcinoma) that are associated with exposure to VC are clearly distinct from those observed in sporadic liver tumors or hepatic tumors that are associated with other exposures. In rats, the substitution mutations found at A:T base pairs in the ras and p53 genes are consistent with the promutagenic properties of the DNA adduct 1,N(6)-ethenoadenine formed from VC metabolites. Risk assessments derived from animal studies seem to overestimate the actual risk of cancer when comparing estimated and reported cases of ASL.

Variations in uterine cytosolic oestrogen and progesterone receptor levels during the rat oestrous cycle.

The levels of cytosol receptors for both oestradiol and progesterone were simultaneous monitored in the uterus at various stages of the rat oestrous cycle. The use of the synthetic gestagen R-5020, with its high specificity and affinity for the progesterone receptor, eliminated interference arising from corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG) contamination of uterine extracts. The results show that the patterns for both receptors are markedly different over the cycle. The variation can be correlated with changes in ovarian steroid output. The results also suggest that oestradiol and progesterone interact not only with their specific receptor, but also influence the other receptor system.