The nucleotide sequence of the Desulfovibrio gigas desulforedoxin gene indicates that the Desulfovibrio vulgaris rbo gene originated from a gene fusion event.

Expression of the rbo gene from Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough in Escherichia coli minicells and Western blotting (immunoblotting) of Desulfovibrio cell extracts with antibodies raised against a synthetic peptide indicated the presence of a 14-kDa polypeptide product, as expected from the gene sequence. Cloning and sequencing of the gene (dsr) for desulforedoxin, a 4-kDa redox protein from Desulfovibrio gigas, showed that it is formed by expression of an autonomous gene of 111 bp, not by processing of a 14-kDa protein. The results indicate that the rbo gene product, which has a 4-kDa desulforedoxin domain as the NH2 terminus, may have arisen by gene fusion.

Cytoplasmic and periplasmic expression of a synthetic gene for ferredoxin in Escherichia coli.

A synthetic gene coding for a modified ferredoxin II of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans Norway strain was assembled from 10 oligonucleotides. This gene was cloned into various expression vectors allowing either cytoplasmic expression or export to the periplasmic space. In the latter case, two different constructs were made, each of which contained the OmpA signal peptide: one of these constructs contained 3 additional N-terminal amino acids as compared to the wild-type ferredoxin (56 amino acid residues).

[Anomalies of the T waves induced by flecainide].

Flecainide is a class I antiarrhythmic agent which depresses depolarization and conduction velocities in myocardial and Purkinje's fibres, thereby extending their refractory period. As the drug belongs to the IC group, it may increase--moderately as a rule--the duration of QRS, but it does not alter the action potential duration and therefore does not increase the JT interval. In 3 patients treated with flecainide we observed a peculiar alteration in the shape of T waves, the peak of which was flattened and notched, forming a double hump.

[Angina at rest without significant changes in the per-critical ECG in coronary insufficiency].

In coronary patients angina pectoris at rest is usually attended by clear changes in repolarization, and in the absence of such changes clinicians are justifiably reluctant to assert that the constrictive chest pain is due to ischaemia. However, a number of concordant data indicates that in some cases myocardial ischaemia--whether spontaneous or induced by the ergonovine test or by coronary angioplasty--may cause an anginal pain that proceeds without significant alterations in repolarization and indeed, without any changes in ECG tracings. Prior to making a firm diagnosis of this type of angina, several causes of error must be excluded, the main one being that repolarization disorders are labile and may have disappeared whilst the anginal pain persists.

[Aneurysm of the interauricular septum].

In reference to three personal cases of interatrial septum aneurysm discovered on ultrasonography performed for the diagnosis of a cerebral embolism, the authors describe the positive diagnosis criteria, in mono- and bi-dimensional mode, of this abnormality, as well as related data obtained from catheterization, angiocardiography, and phonocardiography. This malformation, the frequency and pathogenesis of which still remain, today, difficult to evaluate, may be at the origin of complications, especially embolic migrations, systemic and also pulmonary, supraventricular rhythm disorders, interatrial shunt, reduced ventricular filling. Once established, the diagnosis is the subject of many controversies: if plain monitoring appears logical in asymptomatic forms, the occurrence of a systemic embolism makes it difficult to choose between surgical treatment and long-term anticoagulant therapy.

[Auricular fibrillation: a cause of reversible myocardiopathy].

A chronic supraventricular tachycardia may alone be responsible for a picture of severe congestive cardiac insufficiency, which is totally reversible after return to a sinus rhythm. The two cases reported here emphasize this particular fact, the physiopathology of which still remains unknown. There is also a prognostic advantage to such cases: in the presence of a congestive cardiopathy with atrial fibrillation, apparently idiopathic, it is important to try to obtain a sinus rhythm and to study from a distance the left ventricular performance indexes which may return to normal after regularization of the rhythm.

Torsade de pointes during loading with amiodarone.

Torsade de pointes represents a potential complication of chronic amiodarone therapy. Several reports have emphasized the need for a loading dose in order to achieve therapeutic blood levels rapidly. We report a case of torsade de pointes following a single oral dose of amiodarone (1400 mg or 30 mg kg-1) administered after short intravenous loading for prevention of paroxysmal atrial flutter.

[Porcine valvular bioprosthesis. Results 6 years later].

Between January, 1977 and December, 1980, 128 porcine bioprostheses were implanted in 109 European patients hospitalized at the Boucicaut hospital, Paris: 47 were aortic valve replacements (AVR), 43 mitral valve replacements (MVR) and 19 dual valve replacements (DVR). The operative mortality rate was 11% (12 patients): MVR 21%, AVR 6.4%, DVR 0%.

[Multiple-organ procurement for transplantation].

In the last few years, the tremendous growth of clinical transplantations has greatly increased the need for grafts. Combined heart, liver and kidney harvesting in a same donor could provide an answer. The results are presented of multiple organ retrieval (MOR) carried out in an University hospital located in an area with 1,350,000 inhabitants.

[Development of renal function in the transplanted patient with renal hypertension treated with enalapril].

We report our experience with a converting-enzyme inhibitor, enalapril, as antihypertensive agent in eighteen patients with hypertension after renal transplantation. Renal function was prospectively followed up. Six patients demonstrated an acute renal failure episode (defined by a 25% increase of serum creatinine during enalapril therapy).

[Value of echocardiography in the study of the embolic origin of a cerebral ischemic accident].

One hundred consecutive patients aged from 35 to 82 years (mean : 74 years) admitted to a Neurology unit for cerebral ischaemic accident of suspected embolic origin were examined by two-dimensional echocardiography, then divided into two groups. Group I patients (n = 24) had a cardiopathy detectable by ultrasound, such as valve disease (n = 5), ischaemic cardiopathy (n = 10), myocardial dilatation (n = 4) or hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (n = 1). Group II patients (n = 74) had no cardiopathy detectable by ultrasound.

[Hemodynamic evaluation of the Carpentier-Edwards porcine bioprosthesis and the Hancock pericardial bioprosthesis in aortic position].

Forty-four asymptomatic patients were catheterised at Boucicaut Hospital 9.5 months after aortic valve replacement to assess the haemodynamic performances of 21 Hancock pericardial (HP) and 23 porcine Carpentier-Edwards (CE) (standard model) bioprostheses, implanted in the aortic position. Left heart catheterisation was performed from a femoral approach; the simultaneous gradient was measured by planimetry and the functional valve surface area calculated at rest and after exercise.

[Allopurinol toxicity. Apropos of 1 case].

Allopurinol is widely used in the treatment of hyperuricemia. Unusual (78 cases published up to 1984) but severe toxicity includes renal, skin and hepatic involvement. We report a new case of serious toxic manifestations with acute interstitial nephritis.

[Myocardiopathy and Takayasu's disease. Apropos of a case].

The possibility of cardiac involvement in Takayasu's disease is well known, but this involvement generally appears to be secondary to reno-vascular hypertension or to pulmonary arteritis and, exceptionally, as a result of coronary disease. In the case reported here, the inflammatory myocardial lesion localised to the left ventricle was demonstrated while the patient was still alive. It was responsible for an episode of severe heart failure which finally resolved after 2 years.