[Serum phospholipase A2 activity in osteoarthritis].

Serum phospholipase A2 activity in 67 osteoarthritis patients and 17 controls was determined using a radiolabeled specific substrate. Serum phospholipase A2 activity was significantly higher in osteoarthritis patients (115 +/- 73.6 dpm/h/ml) than in controls (45 +/- 25 dpm/h/ml) (p = 0.

High-energy hybrid Raman optical parametric amplifier eye safe laser source.

A high-energy eye safe laser source at 1.54 µm is demonstrated experimentally by using a hybrid system of stimulated Raman scattering and optical parametric amplification pumped by a single 1.06-µm Nd:YAG laser source.

Pyramidal lattice vector quantization for multiscale image coding.

Introduces a new image coding scheme using lattice vector quantization. The proposed method involves two steps: biorthogonal wavelet transform of the image, and lattice vector quantization of wavelet coefficients. In order to obtain a compromise between minimum distortion and bit rate, we must truncate and scale the lattice suitably.

[Recommended methods for the determination of catecholamines and their metabolites in urine. Significance of results in the diagnosis and follow-up of pheochromocytoma and neuroblastoma].

Laboratory investigation of catecholamines is useful for the clinician in the diagnosis and management of phaeochromocytoma and neuroblastoma. This work summarizes current knowledge on catecholamines and their metabolites and discusses the main indications for their determination. It also examines the most practical methods for studying the secretion of these hormones, ie extraction, separation and quantification using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrochemical detection.

Differences in secretory profiles of epithelial cell cultures derived from human tracheal and bronchial mucosa and submucosal glands.

The respiratory tract contains macromolecules produced by various epithelia including tracheal and bronchial mucosa and submucosal glands. The objectives of this study were to elucidate and compare the growth and secretory profiles of epithelial cell cultures derived from the human tracheal (TC) and bronchial mucosa (BC) and submucosal glands (GC). Most experiments were done on third to fourth passage cultures.

[Crohn's disease of the esophagus. Apropos of a case].

A case of oesophageal Crohn's disease associated with large bowel lesions and with ocular, articular and cutaneous manifestations is reported. The patient, a 45 year old woman, was successfully treated with corticosteroids. The authors review the literature about oesophageal involvement in Crohn's disease and extra-intestinal manifestations.

Metalloprotease activity, phospholipase A2 activity and cytokine concentration in osteoarthritis synovial fluids.

Collagenase, stromelysin and phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity as well as interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) concentration were determined in the knee joint synovial fluid (SF) of 26 patients with osteoarthritis (OA) and with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Collagenase and stromelysin were detected in 80.7 and 69.

[Serum hyaluronic acid in osteoarthritis].

In this prospective study, serum hyaluronate (SH) was assayed using a radiometric method (Pharmacia) in 73 osteoarthritis patients and 39 controls. All assays were performed between 8 h 00 and 9 h 00 a.m.

[Measurement of the hip joint space using automatic digital image analysis].

Joint surface area (JSA) and mean joint space width (MJSW) at the hip were measured using a ICMS-Techline computer program to analyze digitalised frontal weight-bearing roentgenograms of the pelvis. With this technique, the portion of joint space studied is always the same in a given patient and is enclosed within an acute ECS angle whose apex C is the center of the head of the femur and whose ends E and S are the lateral rim of the acetabulum and the highest point of the homolateral sacral wing respectively. ECS varies across individuals but remains constant in a given hip.

[Neuroblastoma in children: clinical and biological aspects. An experience of screening in France].

Neuroblastoma is the commonest solid tumour in children under the age of 5 years (50% of cases before 2 years, 90% before 5) and the second cause of death after accidents. Approximately one child in 10,000 develops neuroblastoma by the age of 15 years. The situation in other European and North American countries is similar to that in France.

[Development of indications in surgery of coronary revascularization. Current role of mammary-coronary anastomoses].

At a time when the cardio-surgical community has become aware that arterial revascularizations are superior to venous bypasses, GRUNTZIG (24) initiated the now well-known, and highly successful techniques of endoluminal angioplasty (P.T.C.

Successful in vitro growth of human respiratory epithelium on a tracheal prosthesis.

Reconstruction of tracheal defects may be necessary following trauma or oncologic surgery. Defects up to 8 cm can often be repaired using end-to-end anastomosis. Use of a tracheal prosthesis for larger defects has been complicated by recurrent stenosis and infection.

[Endocarditis caused by heart valve prosthesis. Apropos of 35 cases].

35 cases of prosthetic valve endocarditis are reported. The diagnostic is based on clinical, echocardiographic, bacteriological and anatomical aspects. Heart failure, neurologic complications, positive culture of prosthesis, Staphylococcus aureus infection and perivalvular abscess are factors of a bad prognosis.

Image coding using wavelet transform.

A scheme for image compression that takes into account psychovisual features both in the space and frequency domains is proposed. This method involves two steps. First, a wavelet transform used in order to obtain a set of biorthogonal subclasses of images: the original image is decomposed at different scales using a pyramidal algorithm architecture.

[Contribution of intra-operative measurement of intact parathormone in surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism].

Using a sensitive two-site immunoradiometric assay which detects intact parathormone (iPTH), we studied the decrease in peripheric and jugular plasmatic iPTH during surgical removal of abnormal parathyroid (s). In the next future, results of intact parathormone (iPTH) assay will be given in 45 minutes. In a prospective study of 33 patients operated on for hyperparathyroidism or for cold thyroid nodule, the serum levels of intact PTH was measured intraoperatively in peripheric and in jugular blood.