Prenatal and postnatal methyl mercury exposure in Niigata, Japan: adult outcomes.

Methyl mercury (MeHg) poisoning or Minamata disease (MD) from fish consumption is a public health concern throughout the world because all fish contain small amounts. The lowest exposure level needed to impair children's development is controversial. Actual poisoning with MeHg from fish consumption has been reliably reported only two times.

Smooth muscle cell depletion and collagen types in progeric arteries.

Review of two autopsy cases of progeria confirms severe smooth muscle cell (SMC) depletion in the atherosclerotic aortic media and the presence of collagen types I, III, IV, V, and VI in the aorta and renal vessels as is consistent with atherosclerotic disease.

Progeria kidney has abnormal mesangial collagen distribution.

It has been suggested that progeria, a congenital disorder associated with clinical features that resemble premature aging, may be the result of a connective tissue abnormality. Although to date the clinical and pathologic features for 14 autopsied cases of progeria have been reported, details as to the renal changes in progeria are scanty. We investigated the histological features from a male and female with progeria who died aged 11 years and 20 years respectively.

Characterization of Paraguayan Trypanosoma cruzi strains isolated from acute patients of Chagas disease.

Five Paraguayan Trypanosoma cruzi strains, isolated from acute chagasic patients, were studied by their behavior in BALB/c mice, metacyelogenesis, bio-metry of metacyclic forms and lectin agglutination. Early and intermediate parasitemic peaks were observed and the strains did not show high virulence. Metacyclogenesis capacity was not higher than 50% in all cases and there were no considerable differences in the biometry.

A variant of Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease carrying codon 105 mutation with codon 129 polymorphism of the prion protein gene: a clinicopathological study.

A case was reported of variant Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease (GSS) carrying codon 105 mutation (Pro to Leu) with codon 129 polymorphism (Met/Val) of the prion protein (PrP) gene. The male patient had developed clumsiness of the right hand at age 42, and subsequently exhibited slowly progressive spastic paraparesis, ataxia, dysarthria, memory disturbance and apraxia. Myoclonus or periodic synchronous discharge was not observed.