Predictive value of premature ventricular contractions on the resting electrocardiogram for ventricular arrhythmias on 24 hour monitoring in asymptomatic young adults.

Between the years 1981-1984, 89 air-personnel, ages 18-45 years, underwent 24-hour ambulatory ECG monitoring at the Israel Air Force Aeromedical Center due to an incidental finding of one or more premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) on the resting supine 12-lead ECG. Complex ectopic arrhythmias (bigemini, trigemini, couplets, ventricular tachycardia, R on T phenomenon, or multifocal patterns) were observed during monitoring in 1.4% of 138 control subjects without PVCs, in 22% of those with 1 to 3 PVC X min-1 and in 68% of those with 4 or more PVC X min-1 on the resting ECG.

Prevalence of postural T wave changes in mitral valve prolapse: a quantitative study.

The abnormal ECG T wave changes associated with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) were studied and quantitated in a group of 36 asymptomatic individuals with MVP and compared with a 27-member control group. The mean frontal plane T wave axis shifted markedly leftward on standing, with T wave axis less than or equal to 0 degrees in 16 (44%) of the subjects with MVP vs. only 2 (7.

Factors associated with microhematuria in asymptomatic young men.

The prevalence of asymptomatic microhematuria (two to four or more erythrocytes per high-power field) in 1341 male Air Force personnel was 5.4%. The most powerful predictor of microhematuria (nearly 15-fold increased prevalence) was a history of recurrent microhematuria during the previous five years.

The effect of age on the prevalence of asymptomatic microscopic hematuria.

The medical files of a sample of men who had been followed by annual examinations from 1968 through 1978 were selected, using a random number sequence from the records of the Israel Air Force. One group of 430 men, ages 21-23 at entry, and a second group of 264 men, ages 25-28 at entry, were studied. The results of the urinalysis at entry and after ten years of follow-up were recorded.

Blood pressure response to exercise as a predictor of hypertension.

Published studies of the blood pressure response to exercise were reviewed to assess the probability of future hypertension in a subject with a "hypertensive" response to exercise. The reviewed data indicate that the sensitivity of a hypertensive response to exercise for future hypertension varied between 16% and 60%, and the specificity between 53% and 95%. The prevalence of hypertension on follow-up among normotensive subjects with a hypertensive response to exercise testing was 2.

The significance of recurrent childhood respiratory disorders in flight training applicants.

A random sample of 1700 18-year-old applicants for flight training, who had been free from respiratory symptoms for 1 year or more, was screened for respiratory symptoms in the past. Those who denied such a history had a questionnaire sent to their parents for further verification. Altogether 70 subjects with a past history of "wheezing," "asthma," or "spastic bronchitis" were thus identified.

Low back pain in pilots.

A questionnaire on low back pain (LBP) was administered to 373 fighter pilots, 165 transport pilots, and 264 helicopter pilots. Helicopter pilots had more pain during flight than did fighter or transport pilots (34.5%, 12.

Discrimination between iron deficiency and heterozygous beta-thalassemia in children.

The authors studied 119 children with microcytic anemia who were selected by lack of response to a month's treatment with oral iron. Family studies and retesting after further treatment with iron were done in all cases to ensure accurate diagnosis. Seventy-five cases of beta-thalassemia minor (BTM) and 40 cases of iron deficiency were identified.

Central serous retinopathy (choroidopathy) in pilots.

The clinical charts of pilots in the Israeli Airforce were reviewed retrospectively for evidence of central serous retinopathy (CSR). There were 14 pilots with documented CSR identified, with an incidence of 1.3 per 1000 per year.

Systolic blood pressure in fighter pilots after 12-15 years service.

Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured at entry and after 12-15 years in 112 fighter pilots and compared to 112 transport and helicopter pilots. The pilots were 20-24 years old on entry into the study. Mean SBP +/- 1 S.

Decreased bone magnesium in beta thalassemia with spinal osteoporosis.

Low bone Mg concentration was found in a case of beta thalassemia associated with osteoporosis. In the absence of endocrine abnormalities and congestive heart failure, this low bone Mg suggests Mg depletion in uncomplicated beta thalassemia.

Spontaneous pneumothorax and mitral valve prolapse.

We searched for mitral valve prolapse in patients with spontaneous pneumothorax to test the hypothesis that both may be part of a common disorder of connective tissue. Echocardiographic mitral valve prolapse was found in 11 (50 percent) of 22 patients who had suffered spontaneous pneumothorax compared to four (10 percent) of 40 age-matched control subjects (p less than 0.01).

Autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction in multiple myeloma patients: effect of adherent mononuclear cells and T lymphocytes.

Autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction (AMLR) was measured in 12 patients with multiple myeloma. In ten patients depressed AMLR was found. Depletion of adherent monocytes caused enhancement of AMLR in those with a normal OKT4/OKT8 ratio.

Cutaneous malignant lymphoma: a clinical and pathological study of 13 cases.

Thirteen cases of malignant lymphoma, exclusive of mycosis fungoides, with initial involvement of the skin, were selected from 391 consecutive patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Their clinical course was correlated to histological subtype. All patients (5/5) with 'favourable' histology had single indurated plaques without extracutaneous involvement, and remained in complete remission for at least 5 years after local radiation therapy.

A subpopulation of suppressor cells in Richter's syndrome with both monocytic and T-lymphocytic characteristics.

We evaluated T-lymphocyte functions in the peripheral blood of a patient with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia after transformation to large cell lymphoma (Richter's syndrome). A subpopulation of E-rosette adherent cells were found with T-lymphocytic surface markers (OKT3+/8+/4+), monocytic characteristics (latex ingestion, nonspecific esterase staining), and suppressor activity. In contrast to the patient's nonadherent T-cells, this subpopulation suppressed PHA proliferation of autologous lymphocytes, pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-induced proliferation of normal non-T cells, and a mixed lymphocyte reaction.

Acquired factor X and antithrombin III deficiency in a patient with primary amyloidosis and nephrotic syndrome.

A 45-year-old man with primary amyloidosis was initially seen with nephrotic syndrome. Factor X was found to be 5% and antithrombin III (AT III) 45% of normal plasma values. During an 11-month period, despite severe factor X deficiency, the patient did not have any bleeding complications.

The association of age, flying time, and aircraft type with hearing loss of aircrew in the Israeli Air Force.

Exposure to aircraft (A/C) noise is considered to be one of the factors which causes permanent hearing threshold shifts among military aircrew. Consequently most studies, dealing with this field of evaluation, fail to focus on the contribution of other elements, especially biological (physiological) ones. We, therefore, decided to evaluate the effect of the subject's age on this process.

Production of burst-promoting activity by monoclonal antibody defined malignant T lymphocytes from patients with lymphocytic leukemia and lymphoma.

We tested conditioned media from 12 patients with T lymphocyte neoplasms and four T cell lines for their ability to stimulate the in vitro growth of erythroid-burst-forming units (BFU-E) from bone marrow mononuclear cells in a methylcellulose culture system. Nine patients suffered from acute lymphocytic leukemia, two from chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and one from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The T lymphocytes were characterized by a series of monoclonal antibodies and their stage of development was correlated with their ability to produce burst-promoting activity (BPA).

The importance of leukocyturia in young adults.

The records of 1,000 asymptomatic male air force personnel were examined retrospectively for the results of 15 yearly examinations (1968 through 1983) of urinary sediment, beginning with subjects aged 18 to 33 years. The cumulative incidence of four to six or more WBCs per high-power field on one or more examinations was 31.8% after an average of 12.

Significance of erythrocyte sedimentation rate in young adults.

The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was examined annually for 15 years in 1,000 asymptomatic men aged 18-33 years at entry into the study in 1968. The upper limit of the normal (mean + 2 SD) increased from 8 mm in the first hour in persons aged 18 years to 18 mm in those age 45. An increase in the ESR above the age adjusted upper limit of normal on at least three of four consecutive annual examinations was observed in 44 (4.

Lytic spondylolisthesis in helicopter pilots.

Trauma to the back from the force of chronic stress is thought to be an etiologic factor in isthmic spondylolisthesis (SLL). The relationship of first degree spondylolisthesis to low back pain (LBP) is controversial. We compare the prevalence of SLL in helicopter pilots who are subject to strong vibrational forces, with other airforce personnel.