Assessment of functional capacity during gait using a reciprocal propulsion orthosis (ARGO)--a comparative study with a conventional mechanical orthosis.

One subject (male, 24 years) with an incomplete motor and sensitive SCI, neurological level C6-C7 was submitted to a comparative study during gait using an advanced reciprocating gait othosis (ARGO) and a conventional mechanical orthosis (CMO) and respiratory and metabolic variables were compared at peak effort and in the second minute of recovery. We found that the ARGO, as with the CMO, not guarantee gait independence but the ARGO does enable a more functional gait pattern with a more efficient ventilation. The ratio of CO2/O2 showed that ARGO enable aerobic conditions of work and the energy expenditure using is significantly lower than CMO.

Functional electrical stimulation (FES): muscle histochemical analysis.

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) has been used in Brazil since 1989 to obtain functional improvement in paraplegic patients' orthostasis and locomotion. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the histochemical changes observed in the quadriceps femoris muscle following the use of FES. We studied four patients with traumatic spinal cord lesions at T4-10 level, Frankel A, all within 12-24 months postlesion. They were all submitted to FES using the following criteria: square-wave, 20-30 Hz frequency, pulses of 0.003 seconds, time of stimulation 5 seconds, resting interval 10 seconds. The stimulation was applied during 90 consecutive days, 30 minutes each time, twice daily. The interval between the stimulations was 6 hours. Quadriceps muscle biopsies were performed before and after the use of FES. We used ATPase technique for the histochemical analysis, where three different dying patterns can be observed for the three types of muscular fibres (I, IIa and IIb). The two samples from each patient were analysed measuring the fibres' diameters and their index of atrophy, and counting the total number of each type of fibre in each sample. The mean total number of fibres in each sample was 256 +/- 12.3. The results showed that the sizes of the three types of fibres were not modified with the use of FES; the number of type IIa fibres increased in a significant fashion, after using of FES.

Hepatobiliary alterations in massive biliary ascariasis: histopathological aspects of an autopsy case

Os autores apresentam os aspectos histopatologicos encontrados no figado de um caso de autopsia de ascaridiase biliar macica. A intensa colangite foi o aspecto predominante, mas outras lesoes tambem foram encontradas, tais como metaplasia pilorica e intestinal, hiperplasia epitelial com papilomas intraductais, e por vezes padrao adenomatoso. Restos do helminto foram encontrados fortemente aderidos ao epitelio, sendo intensa a positividade de mucopolissacarides, principalmente acidos, na borda luminal do epitelio ductal e em glandulas proliferadas ao redor dos ductos. Os autores discutem a semelhanca da ascaridiase biliar com a colangio hepatite oriental, e sugerem que o processo inflamatorio e a presenca de restos do verme sao responsaveis pelas alteracoes hiperplasicas e metaplasicas, analogamente ao que ocorre na clonorquiase, fascioliase e esquistossomose

Hepatobiliary alterations in massive biliary ascariasis. Histopathological aspects of an autopsy case.

Hepatobiliary alterations found in an autopsy case of massive Biliary Ascariasis, are reported on histological grounds. Severe cholangitis was the main finding, but other changes were also detected, such as pyloric and intestinal metaplasia, hyperplasia of the epithelial lining, with intraductal papillomas and adenomatous proliferation. Remnants of the worm were observed tightly adhered to the epithelium, forming microscopic intrahepatic calculi. Mucopolysaccharides, especially acid, showed to be strongly positive on the luminal border, and in proliferated glands around the ducts. The authors discuss the similarity between such findings and Oriental Cholangio-hepatitis, and suggest that inflammation and the presence of the parasitic remnants are responsible for the hyperplastic and metaplastic changes, similarly with what occurs in chlonorchiasis, fascioliasis and schistosomiasis.

[Chronic hepatitis non-A, non-B hepatitis: a clinical and morphologic study]. / Hepatite crônica não-A, não-B: estudo clínico e morfológico.

Few data on chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis (NANB-CH) have been published so far in our country. We have studied 85 patients classified into four groups: I. post-transfusional (PT), 35 patients (41.2%); II. risk group (GR), including health professionals and drug addicts, 11 (12.9%); III. sporadic with a well defined beginning (EBD), 19 (22.4%) and IV. sporadic with ill-defined beginning (END), 20 (23.5%). The mean age in group I was significantly higher than in groups II and III. A polyphasic pattern of serum aminotransferases and severe histological forms were observed in all groups. It is concluded that the way of infection has probably no prognostic importance.