Altered adenylate cyclase kinetics in hyperfunctioning human parathyroid glands.

Current evidence suggests that parathyroid gland adenylate cyclase is involved in the control of parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion. Thus, the altered control of PTH release in hyperparathyroidism may relate to altered adenylate cyclase activation. Therefore, we examined adenylate cyclase kinetics in membrane preparations from hyperfunctioning human parathyroid glands and normal human and bovine parathyroid tissues.

Cryptococcal pyelonephritis and disseminated cryptococcosis in a renal transplant recipient.

Symptomatic cryptococcal pyelonephritis, meningitis, and disseminated cryptococcosis are described in a renal cadaver transplant recipient who subsequently died of Klebsiella pneumoniae sepsis. The presence of cryptococcuria and a subsequent positive CSF India ink stain led to the initial diagnosis of disseminated cryptococcosis. Therapy with 0.

Subcutaneous tunneler for vascular access grafts for hemodialysis.

The Sparks mandril tunneler may be used effectively for accurate subcutaneous placement of vascular grafts during the construction of arteriovenous vascular access for chronic hemodialysis.

Stabilization of normal variability in phytohemagglutinin-induced blastogenesis for improved quantitative applications.

Phytohemagglutinin-induced blastogenesis is used clinically as an estimate of immune competence but quantitative application is problematic since there is considerable variability. We sought to define for five normal subjects the degree of variability in repetitive testing using a constant culture methodology. A six-day growth response was determined as was the dose response to seven concentrations of PHA.

Venous angiography of subcutaneous hemodialysis fistulas.

Venous angiography was performed on 256 subcutaneous arteriovenous dialysis fistulas. The technique involves temporary arterial inflow occlusion, needle injection of contrast material into the venous segment, and rapid sequence roentgenograms as arterial flow is restored. It requires no fluoroscopy or catheterization, avoids trauma to either the brachial or axillary arteries, and can be performed on an outpatient basis.

A natural resource. Prevalence of cadaver organs for transplantation and research.

To determine the prevalence of potential cadaver kidney, eye, and research-tissue donors in a tertiary referral hospital, the charts of 718 patients who died were studied. We found a potential kidney-donor rate of 2.4 per 100 hospital deaths, a potential eye-donor rate of 45.

A pilot program of multiple cadaver organ and tissue retrieval.

A one year pilot project conducted at a 2,000 bed medical center involved a unique approach to the retrieval from cadavers of multiple viable organs and tissues. Aspects of the program included a special unit for sterile evaluation and storage of tissue, a computerized registry of potential donors, a nurse to coordinate and expedite retrieval, and a retrospective chart review to define the incidence and location of potential cadaver donors. There were requests for 121 tissues by 39 investigators.

Delayed renal function and long-term cadaver renal allograft survival.

This study indicates that (1) ATN adversely affects long-term allograft survival but not patient survival, (2) in patients with delayed function the duration of ATN does not influence allograft survival, (3) ATN kidneys with good recovery (SCR less than 3.0) do as well as immediate-function kidneys, (4) poor recovery from ATN (SCR greater than 3.0) is associated with poor long-term allograft survival and may be the result of allograft rejection during ATN, since analysis of multiple characteristics at the time of transplantation failed to discern any difference between the good- and poor-recovery groups, and (5) there are no reliable pretransplant indicators of those kidneys that will never function or be in the poorly recovered group.

Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis: an unusual complication of jejunoileal bypass.

A case of pneumatosis cytoides intestinalis associated with jejunoileal bypass is reported. The association of increased colonic gas, secondary to fermentation of undigested lactose in the colon, and the reflux of the excessive gas into the excluded segment of small bowel and dissection of the gas into the bowel wall and mesentery are postulated as the causes of pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis in patients with jejunoileal bypass.