Laschiatrion, a new antifungal agent from a Favolaschia species (Basidiomycetes) active against human pathogens.

Laschiatrion (1), a new antifungal antibiotic, was isolated from fermentations of Favolaschia sp. 87129. (1) exhibits broad in vitro activity against several human pathogens while no antibacterial and cytotoxic activities could be detected. The structure was elucidated by spectroscopic techniques. As to our knowledge laschiatrion possesses a new steroid skeleton.

Differential diagnosis of focal liver lesions in signal-enhanced ultrasound using BR 1, a second-generation ultrasound signal enhancer.

AIM: The aim was to evaluate the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the differential diagnosis of focal liver lesions, in a blinded experiment. In clinical routine the examiner can generally be influenced by the patient's history. METHOD: 62 patients with focal liver lesions, which could not be clearly differentiated and diagnosed by conventional ultrasound, were examined with contrast-enhanced (BR1, SonoVue, Bracco) ultrasound and included in a blinded prospective and randomized study. The examinations performed on a Sequoia 512 (Acuson) in a coherent contrast imaging method were recorded by an S-VHS recorder and afterwards analyzed by an examiner who did not know the patient's history. The basis of the diagnosis was the dynamic appearance and enhancement of the ultrasound contrast enhancer in different phases of liver perfusion. The conformation of the diagnoses was made by corresponding reference methods, as computer tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, biopsy and clinical follow-up. RESULTS: The following diagnoses were confirmed by reference methods: 18 patients with metastases, 4 hepatocellular carcinomas, 19 haemangiomas, 6 focal nodular hyperplasias, 13 patients with focal fatty infiltration and 2 patients with focal fatty sparing. 59 out of 62 patients with one or more liver lesions were correctly diagnosed by contrast-enhanced ultrasound. CONCLUSION: Second-generation ultrasound contrast enhancers improve the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant liver lesions considerably, especially in a blinded study.

Proposed active constituents of Dipladenia martiana.

3Beta-O-beta-D-glucopyranosylsitosterol, pomolic acid, ursolic acid, epicatechin, kaempferol, kaempferol-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (astragalin), quercetin-7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside, quercetin-7-O-beta-D-galactopyranoside and quebrachitol were isolated by chromatographic fractionation of the methanol extract from the aerial parts of Dipladenia martiana (Apocynaceae). The hexane extract yielded lupeol and sitostenone. These compounds are likely to be responsible for the therapeutic effects.

Osteocutaneous radial forearm free flap: its use without significant donor site morbidity.

While the fasciocutaneous radial forearm free flap has gained increasing popularity, the osteocutaneous radial forearm free flap has been condemned because of a high rate of pathologic donor radius fracture. On the basis of studies that demonstrated increased strength in ostectomized radii after dynamic compression plating, we believed that internal fixation at the time of graft harvest would significantly reduce the incidence of donor radius fracture. This is a retrospective review of the first 54 patients undergoing osteocutaneous radial forearm free flap reconstruction of the head and neck at our institution; 52 underwent prophylactic plating of their donor radii. No clinically significant donor radius fractures have occurred in plated patients. Five asymptomatic fractures were discovered on routine radiographs and required no treatment. Objective evaluation of forearm range of motion and strength after graft harvest demonstrated excellent function compared with unoperated arms. Serial radiographs have shown remodeling and reconstitution of donor radii without localized osteopenia.

A rapid and efficient screening method for DNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms.

Genomic loci displaying DNA sequence polymorphisms represent useful landmarks on the genetic linkage map. We describe an integrated experimental approach to facilitate the detection of DNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) with useful allelic frequencies at loci covered by cloned DNA sequences. The essential feature of the screening method presented is the pooling of DNA from unrelated individuals for Southern blot hybridization analyses using non-repetitive DNA sequences identified in and preparatively isolated from genomic lambda phage clones. This procedure results in the detection of RFLP with maximal values of heterozygosity while counterselecting for RFLP with unfavourable allelic frequencies. The described experimental protocol should therefore facilitate the identification and characterization of polymorphic loci with frequent heterozygosity.

T cell receptor gamma chain variable gene rearrangements in acute lymphoblastic leukemias of T and B lineage.

The status of immunoglobulin and T cell receptor genes in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) of T and B lineage has been studied. Our data indicate that illegitimate gene rearrangements at immunoglobulin heavy chain (in T cell ALL), and T cell receptor beta chain (in pre-B ALL) genes are only rarely found (2 out of 30 patients). In contrast, T cell receptor gamma chain gene rearrangements, characteristically found in T-ALL, are also present in 7 of 18 patients with pre-B ALL. Several features distinguish these illegitimate T cell receptor gamma chain gene rearrangements from those in normal and leukemic T cells. V gamma genes located far upstream of the J gamma/C gamma complexes (V gamma 2, V gamma 3, V gamma 4, V gamma 5) appear to be preferentially used in normal adult peripheral blood T cells. In contrast, V gamma genes located immediately 5' to the J gamma/C gamma complexes (V gamma 8, V gamma 9, V gamma 10, V gamma 11) predominate in V gamma -J gamma recombinations observed in T-ALL and pre-B ALL. Whereas the J gamma 2 region is primarily used in T cell receptor gamma gene rearrangements observed in T-ALL, those in pre-B ALL are confined mostly to the J gamma 1 region. These data suggest a limited accessibility of the T cell receptor gamma chain gene locus for recombination processes in early stages of B cell differentiation.

Immunoglobulin heavy chain and T-cell receptor gamma and beta chain gene rearrangements in acute myeloid leukemias.

Somatic rearrangements of immunoglobulin (Ig) and T-cell receptor (TCR) genes are the basis for the production of receptors for antigen in B-cells and T-cells, respectively. Here, we have studied the extent and pattern of rearrangements at Ig and TCR loci in 17 patients presenting with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Our data demonstrate illegitimate clonal rearrangements at Ig heavy and/or TCR beta chain genes in 5 of 17 AML patients. In four of these five patients, rearrangements at the TCR beta chain gene locus were also observed. Seven patients displayed clonal TCR gamma chain gene rearrangements as the only abnormality. Rearrangements at Ig light chain and TCR alpha chain gene loci were not detected. Illegitimate TCR gamma chain gene rearrangements in AML involve recombinations of only a subset of V gamma genes, predominantly with the J gamma 1 region. Rearrangements at the TCR beta chain gene locus are characterized by both D-J and V-D-J recombinations, with predominant use of the J beta 1 region. The absence or presence of illegitimate antigen receptor gene rearrangements in AML may constitute a prognostic marker. In addition, these alterations can be used to establish clonality in AML with direct applications in the monitoring of disease. Finally, the present data relate to the problem of lineage assignment of acute leukemias based on Ig and TCR gene rearrangements and strongly suggest that the latter cannot be regarded as unequivocal evidence for the B-cell or T-cell lineage, respectively.