Treatment of dynamic claw toe deformity flexor digitorum brevis tendon transfer to interosseous and lumbrical muscles: a literature survey.

The authors report the results of a literature survey of corrective surgical treatment based on FDL and FDB tendon transfer for dynamic claw toe deformities. The study revealed that FDL transfer was first described in 1967 by Malcolm A. Brahms in "Common Foot Problems", and FDB transfer was first mentioned in 1993 in the first edition of the treatise by G. Pisani "Trattato di Chirurgia del Piede". The paper also discusses the functional effect of FDB transfer, compared to FDL transfer.

In vitro testing for genotoxicity of the herbicide terbutryn: cytogenetic and primary DNA damage.

Terbutryn is a widely used preemergence and postemergence s-triazine herbicide. This pesticide is used in agriculture as a control agent for most grasses and many annual broadleaf weeds in cereal and legume fields, and under fruit trees. Unexpectedly, this compound was found to persist in the environment (240 and 180 days in pond and river sediment, respectively) and to have the tendency to move from treated soils to water compartments through water runoff and leaching. However, only scant information is available about the genotoxic properties of terbutryn. In the present in vitro study, we investigated the relationship between cytogenetic damage, as evaluated in the sister-chromatid exchange (SCE) assay and the micronucleus (MN) test, and primary DNA damage (as evaluated by the "comet" assay). Cytogenetic and primary DNA damage were recorded in vitro in freshly isolated human peripheral blood leukocytes. Our results showed that the tested compound failed to produce any significant increases in SCE or MN, neither in the absence nor in the presence of S9-mix. However, terbutryn was found to induce primary DNA damage, more pronounced without S9 mix, even though in the absence of a clear trend for dose-dependence and in the presence of a concomitant mild cytotoxic effect.

Sister chromatid exchanges and micronuclei in lymphocytes of operating room personnel occupationally exposed to enfluorane and nitrous oxide.

The objective of this article is to assess whether occupational exposure to anesthetics increases genotoxic risk. We investigated two cytogenetic biomarkers, sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) and micronuclei (MN), in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of 46 anesthesiologists (24 men), working in operating rooms and mostly exposed to enfluorane and nitrous oxide, and 66 controls (35 men), not exposed to chemicals and living in the same area. Contrary to what was expected, a lower frequency of SCE was found in male anesthesiologists than in controls. Smoking status was found to be positively associated with SCE frequency in each group, while no relation to age was evident. On the contrary, MN frequency was significantly higher in female, but not male, anesthesiologists than in controls. Age and smoking status did not modify the association. No relationship between MN frequency and duration of employment was found in anesthesiologists. Smoking status and mean number of cigarettes smoked per day in smokers were not associated with MN frequency in either anesthesiologists or in controls. MN analysis seems to be a sensitive index of possible genotoxic effects of occupational exposure to anesthesiologists, and women appear to be more susceptible to these effects than men.

In vitro genotoxic effects of the insecticide deltamethrin in human peripheral blood leukocytes: DNA damage ('comet' assay) in relation to the induction of sister-chromatid exchanges and micronuclei.

Deltamethrin, a synthetic dibromo-pyrethroid insecticide, is extensively used in agriculture, forestry and in household products because of its high activity against a broad spectrum of insect pests (both adults and larvae), its low animal toxicity and its lack of persistence in the environment. Data on the genotoxicity and carcinogenicity of deltamethrin are rather controversial, depending on the genetic system or the assay used. The aim of this study was to further evaluate the potential genotoxic activity of deltamethrin. The in vitro genotoxicity of deltamethrin has been evaluated by assessing the ability of the insecticide to damage DNA (as evaluated using the single-cell microgel-electrophoresis or 'comet' assay) or induce sister-chromatid exchanges (SCE) and micronuclei (MN) in human peripheral blood leukocytes. All treatments were conducted with and without the presence of an external bioactivation source (+/- S9mix). The results indicate that deltamethrin, in the presence of metabolic activation (+ S9mix), is able to induce DNA damage (double- and single-strand breaks, alkali-labile sites and open excision repair sites) as revealed by the increasing tail moment values observed with increasing doses. The frequency of SCE and MN were not statistically increased in deltamethrin-treated cells as compared to controls, both with and without S9mix. However, lower deltamethrin doses were tested, as compared to 'comet' assay, because of cytotoxicity.

Reduced incidence of Epstein-Barr virus-associated posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder using preemptive antiviral therapy.

BACKGROUND: Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) has been observed with increasing frequency consequent to the availability of more effective and potent immunosuppression. Prior work suggested that a peripheral blood monitoring strategy detecting peripheral B lymphoproliferation was effective in the early diagnosis of PTLD among 7 of 179 (3.9%) consecutive transplant recipients. Each of those seven patients received at least one course of antithymocyte globulin, Minnesota antilymphocyte globulin, or OKT3 before developing PTLD. METHODS: To determine whether antiviral prophylaxis might reduce the incidence of PTLD, a subsequent group of 198 consecutive recipients received either ganciclovir or acyclovir during antilymphocyte antibody administration. When the donor or recipient were cytomegalovirus-seropositive, ganciclovir was given; acyclovir was used when both were cytomegalovirus-seronegative. Baseline and protocol posttransplant cell surface profiles were obtained using immunofluorescence and flow cytometry to detect T cells, lymphocyte activation markers, and the CD19 B cell antigen. RESULTS: Demographic factors, including the incidence of recipients more than 50 years of age, non-Caucasians, previous transplantation, and diabetes mellitus, were similar in both groups. Additionally, the number of patients receiving antilymphocyte preparations was similar. However, only one patient (0.5%) from the latter group who received preemptive antiviral therapy developed PTLD. Although elevations in CD19+ B cells preceded clinical PTLD among each of the seven earlier patients, evidence of peripheral B cell proliferation was not demonstrated for the sole patient from the latter group, which suggests a possible effect of antiviral therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic antiviral therapy may reduce the sensitivity of peripheral monitoring for B lymphoproliferation, but the dramatic reduction in PTLD incidence strongly supports its use among transplant recipients at risk.