A non-canonical genetic code in an early diverging eukaryotic lineage.

The nearly invariant nature of the 'Universal Genetic Code' attests to its early establishment in evolution and to the difficulty of altering it now, since so many molecules are required for, and depend upon, faithful translation. Nevertheless, variations on the universal code are known in a handful of genomes. We have found one such variant in diplomonads, an early-diverging eukaryotic lineage.

Decreased heart rate variability in patients with congestive heart failure and chronotropic incompetence.

Unlabelled: Heart rate variability was studied in 41 patients (aged 48 +/- 12 years) with congestive heart failure secondary to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. All patients underwent a treadmill exercise test and 24-hour Holter ECG monitoring. Chronotropic incompetence was defined as the failure to achieve > or = 80% of the predicted maximal heart rate response given by 220--age (years) at peak exercise.

Expression of CD44 and its variants on gastric epithelial cells of patients with Helicobacter pylori colonisation.

Background: Studies have suggested that expression of the adhesion molecule CD44 may be of prognostic importance in gastric cancer. In addition, there is strong evidence that Helicobacter pylori has a role in gastric cancer.

Aims: To determine the expression of CD44 and its variants (v6, v9) and HLA class II molecules on human gastric epithelial cell and intraepithelial lymphocytes in patients with and without H pylori infection.

Expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase in human heart failure.

Background: There is increasing evidence that alterations in nitric oxide synthesis are of pathophysiological importance in heart failure. A number of studies have shown altered nitric oxide production by the endothelial constitutive isoform of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), but there is very little information on the role of the inducible isoform.

Methods And Results: We analyzed inducible NOS (iNOS) expression in ventricular myocardium taken from 11 control subjects (who had died suddenly from noncardiac causes), from 10 donor hearts before implantation, and from 51 patients with heart failure (24 with dilated cardiomyopathy [DCM], 17 with ischemic heart disease [IHD], and 10 with valvular heart disease [VHD]).

Abnormal cytokine profiles in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and their asymptomatic relatives.

Objectives: Immunological abnormalities in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) include an increase in soluble interleukin (IL)-2 receptor, disease specific cardiac autoantibodies, an HLA-DR4 association, and familial aggregation of disease; however, cytokine profiles have not been defined. Serum concentrations of IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, and IL-12 were measured in patients with DCM (WHO criteria), relatives with asymptomatic left ventricular enlargement (LVE), patients with ischaemic heart failure (IHD), and healthy controls.

Design: Serum from 20 individuals from each of the four groups was assayed for cytokine concentrations by a commercial enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.

An evaluation of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy feeding in AIDS.

Between October 1991 and October 1993, 17 AIDS patients (14 intravenous drug users, 3 sexually acquired) were commenced on percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding in St James's Hospital. Indications were progressive weight loss related to severe anorexia, persistent oesophageal candidiasis (5) and absence of gag reflex (1). Two patients requested PEG tube removal after one week because of crampy abdominal pain without peritonitis.

Complete nucleotide sequence of the Sulfolobus islandicus multicopy plasmid pRN1.

The complete sequence of the 5350-bp plasmid pRN1 from the crenarchaeote Sulfolobus islandicus has been determined. This plasmid is the first to be sequenced from this group of thermoacidophilic archaebacteria (Archaea) and its high copy number and wide host range make it a good candidate for a cloning vector. pRN1 contains several open reading frames, including one that spans over half the plasmid and has significant similarity to the helicase domain of viral primase proteins.

QT dispersion and RR variations on 12-lead ECGs in patients with congestive heart failure secondary to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Increased QT dispersion, which has been proposed as a marker of ventricular repolarization inhomogeneity, may predispose to ventricular arrhythmias. Data on QT dispersion in patients with congestive heart failure are scarce. In this study, conventional 12-lead ECGs were recorded in 135 consecutive patients with congestive heart failure secondary to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater: a tumour with a poor prognosis?

Objective: To assess the overall prognosis of patients with ampullary carcinomas and evaluate the presentation, diagnosis, pathology and management of these potentially highly curable tumours, attempting to relate these factors to overall survival.

Patients And Methods: Forty patients with ampullary carcinoma were reviewed. Age, Sex, nature and duration of history, laboratory information at admission, results of diagnostic radiology, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatograms and pathological findings were considered.

Laparoscopic diagnosis and resection of a bleeding Meckel's diverticulum in a thirteen year old female.

Laparoscopy has been described as being safe and effective in the diagnosis and treatment of Meckel's Diverticulum. We describe the use of laparoscopy in the diagnosis and resection of a Meckel's diverticulum in a 13 year old girl.

Enhanced T-helper 2 lymphocyte responses: immune mechanism of Helicobacter pylori infection.

Several lines of evidence implicate Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in gastroduodenal inflammation. However, the exact pathogenesis of H.

Helicobacter pylori increases proliferation of gastric epithelial cells.

The direct and indirect effects of helicobacter pylori on cell kinetics of gastric epithelial cell line AGS were investigated by flow cytometric analysis of Ki-67 positive cells and by MTT assay. Flow cytometric analysis of Ki-67 positivity permits detection of cells that are in S-phase, whereas the MTT assay is a colometric measure of the number of viable cells. In the absence of added stimulants, 23.

Prognosis of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Previous reports in referral populations have emphasized the poor prognosis of dilated cardiomyopathy. This study evaluated mortality and morbidity in patients presenting at a referral center between 1989 and 1993. One hundred seventy-two consecutive patients were studied.

Organ-specific cardiac autoantibodies in dilated cardiomyopathy--an update.

Autoimmune disease is characterized by the presence of organ- and disease-specific autoantibodies in patients and first degree relatives; antibody detection may precede disease onset by several years. We investigated potential involvement of organ-specific autoimmunity in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Using indirect immunofluorescence and absorption studies, organ- and disease-specific IgG cardiac antibodies were found in one-third of DCM patients.

Autoimmunity to alpha myosin in a subset of patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Objective: To use an enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA) technique to assess frequency and disease specificity of anti-alpha-myosin antibodies in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and their relatives.

Methods: Evaluation was performed on sera (dilution 1/320) from 123 consecutive patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (WHO criteria) (age 42 (SD 14) years), 252 of their relatives (35 (17) years), 203 healthy controls (45 (16) years), and 92 patients with ischaemic heart disease (63 (11) years).

Results: Abnormal antibody levels were commoner in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (25, 20%) than in ischaemic heart disease (4, 4%), or normal controls (4, 2%, P = 0.

Effect of IL-4 on peripheral blood lymphocyte proliferation: implication in immunopathogenesis of H. pylori infection.

Interleukin (IL) 4 is a type 2 cytokine which has a negative immunoregulatory role in human infection. IL-4 suppresses the production of interferon-gamma and enhances IL-10 synthesis. However, the effect of IL-4 on proliferative response of lymphocytes remains to be elucidated.

Concerted evolution in protists: recent homogenization of a polyubiquitin gene in Trichomonas vaginalis.

Ubiquitin is a 76-amino-acid protein with a remarkably high degree of conservation between all known sequences. Ubiquitin genes are almost always multicopy in eukaryotes, and often are found as polyubiquitin genes--fused tandem repeats which are coexpressed. Seventeen ubiquitin sequences from the amitochondrial protist Trichomonas vaginalis have been examined here, including an 11-repeat fragment of a polyubiquitin gene.

Up-regulation of CD44 and ICAM-1 expression on gastric epithelial cells by H. pylori.

Interaction between lymphocytes and epithelial cells may play a key role in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-associated gastric mucosal inflammation. This interaction process is at least partially mediated by various cell adhesion molecules.

Comparison of two immunoassay procedures for detecting enterovirus IgM.

Enteroviruses cause significant illness in man but viral diagnosis is problematic. Enterovirus-specific IgM tests have been developed but due to the difficulties of obtaining reliable control sera the interpretation of assay data remains mainly arbitrary and empirical. The present study was undertaken to assess the reliability of such assays by comparing two tests performed independently in two different laboratories: a mu-capture radioimmunoassay (MACRIA) which utilizes 35S-labelled Coxsackie virus antigens and an enzyme immunoassay (EIA).

Short-term effects of intra-aortic balloon pumping on renal blood flow and renal oxygen consumption in cardiogenic shock.

Intra-aortic balloon pumping is frequently used in patients with cardiogenic shock when oliguria persists despite maximal pharmacologic support. The objective of this study was to measure the effect of intra-aortic balloon pumping on renal blood flow, renal oxygen delivery, and renal oxygen consumption in such patients. Central hemodynamics, renal blood flow, and oxygen transport were measured in 10 patients in low cardiac output states.

Lack of association between the insertion/deletion polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Objectives: We sought to investigate the role of polymorphisms of the gene for angiotensin-converting enzyme in the development and progression of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Background: Cardiovascular renin-angiotensin systems may be involved in cardiac remodeling and fibrosis. The absence (deletion [D]) of a 287-base pair marker in the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene (introm 16) is associated with increased serum angiotensin-converting enzyme levels.

Adhesion molecule expression on gastric intra-epithelial lymphocytes of patients with Helicobacter pylori infection.

Objective: To examine the expression of adhesion molecules on gastric intra-epithelial lymphocytes (IELs) from patients infected with Helicobacter pylori.

Design: The expression of adhesion molecules and T-cell activation markers by gastric IELs from patients with gastritis or duodenal ulceration was examined using two-colour flow cytometry. Ten of the patients were H.