Erroneous diagnoses in children referred with acute rheumatic fever.

We reviewed 53 patients referred to a pediatric rheumatology clinic in Asuncion, Paraguay. In 6 patients, a diagnosis of rheumatic fever was confirmed and in 47 patients other clinically significant diagnoses were made. Eighteen children had nonspecific findings and did not develop a rheumatologic condition on follow-up. Overdiagnosis of rheumatic fever can falsely inflate incidence and prevalence statistics and clinically significant diagnoses may be overlooked.

The role of cytokines in the pathogenesis of hepatic granulomatous disease in Schistosoma mansoni infected mice

Cytokines are important in the cell-mediated response to Schistosoma mansoni eggs. We have found that Th2 cytokine responses (e.G. IL-4 and IL-5) are argumented after egg laying begins while the response (IL-2 and IFN-*) are down regulated in S. mansoni infected mice. Treatment of mice with anti-IL-5 monoclonal antibodies (Mab) suppressed the eosinophil response almost completley but did not affect granuloma size and slightly increased hepatic fibrosis. Anti-IL-4 treatment abolished IgE responses in infected mice and decreased hepatic fibrosis slightly. Anti-IFN-* treatment had no effect on hepatic pathology. Anti-IL-2 treatment decreased granuloma size significantly and decreased hepatic fibrosis markedly. Anti-IL-2 treatment dramatically decreased IL-5 secretion by splenic cells in vitro and decreased peripheral blood and tissue eosinophilia. In contrast IL-4 secretion was unaffected and serum IgE was normal or increased. IL-2 and IFN-* secretion by splenic cells of treated mice were slightly but not significantly increased suggesting that anti-IL-2 treatment affecting Th2 rather than Th1 responses

Avaliaçäo experimental das variaçöes dos níveis de glicogênio, lípides totais, triglicérides e água no miocárdio submetido a parada anóxica hipotérmica / Experimental evaluation of the variations of glycogen, total lipids, triglycerides and water levels in the myocardium subjected to anoxic hypothermic arrest

Analisam-se as variaçöes tissulares miocárdicas de glicogênio, lípides, triglicérides e teores de água que ocorreram em dois grupos de cäes submetidos a parada cardíaca anóxica sob circulaçäo extracorpórea, respectivamente em normotermia e hipotermia sistêmica de 28-C. Houve quedas dos níveis de glicogênio nos dois grupos sem diferenças significativas entre eles. Os níveis miocárdicos de lípideos totais apresentaram-se relativamente estáveis nos cäes a 28-C e apresentaram quedas expressivas no grupo sob normotermia. Os níveis de triglicérides mantiveram-se relativamente estáveis nos primeiros 30 minutos de anóxia, apresentando a partir daí quedas expressivas. Os teores de água decresceram em ambos os grupos, particularmente nos cäes operados sob normotermia