Immuno-localisation of anti-thyroid antibodies in adult human cerebral cortex.

Expression of thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (TSH-R) has been demonstrated in adipocytes, lymphocytes, bone, kidney, heart, intestine and rat brain. Immuno-reactive TSH-R has been localised in rat brain and human embryonic cerebral cortex but not in adult human brain. We designed a pilot study to determine whether anti-thyroid auto-antibodies immuno-localise in normal adult human cerebral cortex.

Angiogenesis in cervical cancer is mediated by HeLa metabolites through endothelial cell tissue kallikrein.

High vascularity correlates with poor clinical outcome in cancer of the uterine cervix. We investigated whether human cervical cancer cell (HeLa) metabolites influenced endothelial cell proliferation through the serine protease, tissue kallikrein. The angiogenic potential of tissue kallikrein is proposed due to its proteolytic, mitogenic and invasive properties.

Localization of the endothelin system in human diffuse astrocytomas.

Background: Endothelin-1 (ET-1), a vasoconstrictor and mitogen, has recently been implicated in the pathogenesis of human glioblastoma, neuroblastoma, and meningioma. ET-1, formed by proteolysis of the propeptide big ET-1 by endothelin-converting enzyme-1 (ECE-1), mediates its cellular actions through ETA and ETB receptors. Because only immunoreactive ET-1 has been observed within human astrocytic tumor cells, the authors investigated the localization of the entire ET-1 system (ET-1 mRNA, ET-1, ECE-1, ETA and ETB receptors) in surgical samples of human diffuse astrocytomas WHO Grade II (n = 6).

The prevalence, patterns of usage and people's attitude towards complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among the Indian community in Chatsworth, South Africa.

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine, among the Indian community of Chatsworth, South Africa, the prevalence and utilisation patterns of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), attitudes associated with CAM use and communication patterns of CAM users with their primary care doctors.

Methods: Face-to-face structured interviews were conducted in Chatsworth, a suburb of Durban in which South Africans of Indian origin predominantly reside. Participants were 200 randomly selected adult English-speaking Indian residents.

A model for selecting assessment methods for evaluating medical students in African medical schools.

Introduction of more effective and standardized assessment methods for testing students' performance in Africa's medical institutions has been hampered by severe financial and personnel shortages. Nevertheless, some African institutions have recognized the problem and are now revising their medical curricula, and, therefore, their assessment methods. These institutions, and those yet to come, need guidance on selecting assessment methods so as to adopt models that can be sustained locally.