[Hemochromatosis or hemosiderosis? Initial misinterpretation of clinical symptoms and laboratory findings in a 62-year-old patient].

The exact differential diagnosis of iron overload syndromes is mandatory as important therapeutic consequences may derive from a correct diagnosis, especially when hemochromatosis is present. To facilitate diagnostic and therapeutic decisions algorithms and probabilistic calculations based on different frequencies of clinical symptoms and typical laboratory findings of the diseases in question have been proposed. Overestimation and/or underestimation of clinical symptoms and/or laboratory findings in using such calculations, however, may lead to incorrect diagnosis and therapy as demonstrated in this case.

Tumors in rat kidney generated by initiation with trans-4-acetylaminostilbene and several promoting treatments.

trans-4-Acetylaminostilbene (AAS) is a complete carcinogen in rats and produces quite selectively tumors in Zymbal's glands. On the basis of DNA adduct formation, it has been proposed that this model arylamine initiates neoplastic transformation of cells in many tissues, particularly liver and kidney, which, in the classical sense are considered to be non-target tissues for this chemical. In the present study an initiating treatment with AAS was followed by unilateral nephrectomy and the application of two nephrotoxic substances, gentamycin or beta-cyclodextrin which, among other activities, stimulate cell proliferation specifically in kidney.

Intraglomerular proteinase activity in adriamycin-induced nephropathy.

Adriamycin (ADR)-induced nephropathy is characterized by focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis and is supposed to be an ideal model of chronic progressive renal disease. The aim of our study was to investigate whether there might be an altered activity of glomerular proteinases in ADR nephropathy, thereby aggravating glomerular protein accumulation as an important initiating hallmark of glomerulosclerosis. In fact, we could demonstrate significantly enhanced levels of intraglomerular protein and DNA content in the experimental animals at week 7, 12 and 22 after administration of ADR.

Proteinase activity in isolated glomeruli of Goldblatt hypertensive rats.

In Goldblatt rats, the kidney exposed to high blood pressure reveals glomerulosclerosis. Moreover, in preexisting parenchymal renal disease, the development of glomerulosclerosis is accelerated in the unclipped kidney. Up to now, the pathogenetic mechanism underlying the development of glomerulosclerosis due to systemic hypertension has not completely been resolved.

[Sudden death caused by a heart tumor].

Primary cardiac tumors in infancy and childhood are extremely rare. In the young age group the clinical symptoms often are variable and can make diagnosis difficult. Depending on the histological character and especially the localisation of the mass the clinical appearance may lead to the first diagnosis or at least to further investigation.

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type IV (EDS IV) as model of a defective biopolymer composite material.

The connective tissue of a lethal EDS IV case was investigated for the reasons of the manifested disturbances of the arterial wall. This functional disorder was attributed to the mechanical decoupling of elastin and collagen, with the premise of a composite material consisting of cellular, fibrillar, lamellar and other matrix components. A conceivable relation between the manifested deficiency of type III collagen and a disturbed anchoring of elastin is shown.

Capillary rarefaction characteristic of the skeletal muscle of hypertensive patients.

There is evidence that the rarefaction of the capillary bed is typical for the skeletal muscle of spontaneously hypertensive rats. We were therefore interested to learn whether there is also a rarefaction in skeletal muscle of human hypertensives. The number of capillaries was morphometrically analysed and counted in the quadriceps and the pectoralis major muscles of human normotensives (n = 12) and hypertensives (n = 15).

Nocardial endocarditis after aortic valve replacement. Reports of two cases.

Nocardial sepsis occurred after aortic valve replacement in two patients. A septic suture aneurysm of the aortotomy was resected and the prosthesis exchanged in one of them. The other received conservative treatment for sternal osteomyelitis and local mediastinitis.

[Five simultaneous neoplasms].

One case of five independent tumors is reported: Fibrosarcoma of the right thigh, bilateral carcinoma of breast, papillary carcinoma of thyroid, and basalioma below the left clavicula. A synopsis of literature containing the rare cases of more than three primary tumors is presented. The difficulties concerning localization, origin and registration of multiple primary malignancies and their differentiation to recurrencies and metastases are discussed.

[Mixed freeze preserved heterologous/autologous full-thickness transplants following 3d degree burns in animal experiments].

On five minipigs third-degree burns were applied. The surgical skin coverage was established after escharectomie by freeze-preserved heterological/autological intermingled full-thickness skin grafts. The freeze-preservation of the Makaka-skin (full-thickness skin) was achieved in a commercially available freezer at -27 degrees C.

Syncarcinogenic effects on the initiation of rat liver tumors by trans-4-acetylaminostilbene and 2-acetylaminofluorene.

Two carcinogenic aromatic amines with different organotropism were tested for syncarcinogenic effects in rat liver in an initiation-promotion experiment. Trans-4-acetylaminostilbene (AAS) and 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) were administered as initiators in four doses each either alone or sequentially combined in both orders. The promotion phase was started by partial hepatectomy and continued by adding phenobarbital (250 p.

Tissue specific, acute toxic effects of the carcinogen trans-4-dimethylaminostilbene.

The acute toxicity of the carcinogen trans-4-dimethylaminostilbene was studied in Wistar rats. The animals die after oral administration of 50 mg/kg (LD50) with a latency period of 11 days. Specific lesions of the stomach epithelium together with acute bone marrow incapacity and toxic effects on peripheral blood cells lead to acute anemia, which is considered to be the cause of death.

[Application of mixed homologous/autologous full-thickness skin transplants preserved by freezing following 3d degree burns in animal experiments].

In 5 white piglets 3rd-degree burns were applied. After escharectomy the wound-dressing was done by intermingled homo/autografts. In variation of the Chinese method reported, in our experiments the homografts consisted of full-thickness skin preserved by freezing (-27 degrees C).

Carcinogenicity of dichloroacetylene: an inhalation study.

Dichloroacetylene (DCA) is a by-product of the synthesis of certain chlorinated, aliphatic hydrocarbons (e.g., vinylidene chloride).

[Irreversible renal failure following minimal change nephrosis].

A boy developed a nephrotic syndrome at the age of two years, and remained steroid sensitive for twelve years. In this time more than twenty relapses occurred. Two renal biopsies showed minimal changes.

Carcinogenicity study of trichloroethylene, with and without epoxide stabilizers, in mice.

Previous analytical studies of industrial samples of trichloroethylene (TRI) have revealed the presence of mutagenic and carcinogenic epoxides which, it was proposed, might be responsible for the carcinogenicity of such samples, as demonstrated with mice in other laboratories. To test this hypothesis, Swiss mice (ICR/HA) of both sexes, bred and kept in SPF conditions, were dosed daily with TRI in corn oil by gavage (males: 2.4 g/kg, females: 1.

The role of partial hepatectomy and of promoters in the formation of tumors in non-target tissues of trans-4-acetylaminostilbene in rats.

After repeated administration of trans-4-acetylaminostilbene to rats, DNA-bound metabolites accumulate to the greatest extent in liver and kidney, which are considered to be nontarget tissues for this carcinogen. To test whether the persistent DNA adducts represent procarcinogenic lesions, an initiation-promotion experiment was carried out using trans-4-acetylaminostilbene as an initiator and phenobarbital, DDT and diethylstilbestrol as promoters. In addition, partial hepatectomy was performed in some groups.

Human embryonal cell carcinoma in nude mice.

A lymph node metastasis specimen from a human testicular embryonal carcinoma with elements of a choriocarcinoma was successfully xenotransplanted into nude mice and maintained until the tenth animal passage. Electron microscopy of the tumors in nude mice revealed details consistent with their epithelial origin. The xenotransplants retained the ability to synthesize human choriogonadotropic hormone during all animal passages, as evidenced by radioimmunoassay and immunoperoxidase staining techniques.

Functional anatomic reconstruction of the cardia.

Experiments on bastard dogs have shown that cardia reconstruction using an omega sling is effective. This sling is a pedicled, extramucosally excised, longitudinal muscle flap from the ventral aspect of the greater gastric curvature, which is prestretched at least 100%, wrapped around the cardia twice and sutured to the posterior gastric wall. A physiological pressure gradient is created with the help of intraoperative manometry.