Complete recovery from juvenile pemphigus vulgaris.

A 10-year-old boy with vesicles and eroded lesions on his labia, oral mucosa, and trunk was diagnosed as having pemphigus vulgaris. The diagnosis was confirmed by histopathologic and immunofluorescence studies. The patient was successfully treated systemically with methylprednisolone and azathioprine.

Mechanical fatigue in repetitively stretched single molecules of titin.

Relaxed striated muscle cells exhibit mechanical fatigue when exposed to repeated stretch and release cycles. To understand the molecular basis of such mechanical fatigue, single molecules of the giant filamentous protein titin, which is the main determinant of sarcomeric elasticity, were repetitively stretched and released while their force response was characterized with optical tweezers. During repeated stretch-release cycles titin becomes mechanically worn out in a process we call molecular fatigue.

Cytotoxic effects of cigarette smoke alkaloids inhibit the progesterone production and cell growth of cultured MA-10 Leydig tumor cells.

Inhibition of corpus luteum progesterone synthesis by cigarette smoke alkaloids might, in part, explain the generally poorer outcome of pregnancy in smoking women. The present experiments evaluate the effects of cigarette smoke alkaloids on progesterone biosynthesis and cell growth. Studies were based using the MA-10 Leydig tumor cell line.

Mechanical manipulation of single titin molecules with laser tweezers.

Titin (also known as connectin) is a giant filamentous polypeptide of multi-domain construction spanning between the Z- and M-lines of the vertebrate muscle sarcomere. The molecule is significant in maintaining sarcomeric structural integrity and generating passive muscle force via its elastic properties. Here we summarize our efforts to characterize titin's elastic properties by manipulating single molecules with force-measuring laser tweezers.

Accumbens cholinergic interneurons play a role in the regulation of body weight and metabolism.

The aims of the present study were (1) to determine whether selective lesions of the accumbens cholinergic interneurons impair feeding and body weight regulation, and (2) to characterize the nature of disturbances using motivational and metabolic challenges. Rats with bilateral cholinotoxic (AF64A) lesions in the nucleus accumbens showed a significant and lasting lag in body weight gain in comparison to the sham-operated controls. This failure to gain weight was not due to a decrease in feeding because lesioned rats actually ate more food and drank more water than controls under basal conditions.

Bile duct injuries in connection with 2500 laparoscopic cholecystectomies.

Background: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is taking the place of an effective and tested procedure in surgery, therefore it must not be inferior to the standard modality in any aspect. Some complications specific to the technique, however, are severe and complication rate seem to be higher than in standard open surgery.

Methods: In this paper the authors report their guiding principles in applying LC and methods of treatment, and describe the bile duct injuries of 2500 LCs accomplished during the past 4.

Xeroderma pigmentosum variant or pigmented xerodermoid.

We describe herein a 29-year-old patient who was recognized as having a xeroderma pigmentosum variant or pigmented xerodermoid in the early adult life since sunlight sensitivity caused degenerative changes in the skin and cutaneous carcinomas. The patient had 11 skin tumours removed over an interval of two years, of which four proved to be squamous cell carcinoma, one basal cell carcinoma and six precancerous conditions. Then the patient was treated with isotretinoin at a dosage of 2 mg per kilogram of body weight per day for two years.

Biomechanics of the human flexor tendon sheath investigated by tenography.

Tenography has been performed on eight detached fingers and two intact hands of cadavers. Bulging and overlapping of synovial pockets between the ligamentous structures during flexion, their flattening during extension and the continuous change in expansion of the proximal cul de sac suggests a possible mixing mechanism for the synovial fluid. During flexion and extension a physiological joint-type bowstringing of the flexor tendons was observed at the PIP and DIP joints.

A current-source density analysis of the long-term potentiation in the hippocampus.

Tetanic stimulation of presynaptic fibres induces long-term potentiation (LTP) which means enhancement of synaptic efficacy in the stimulated pathway for hours or days. In addition to that component, a permanent change occurs in the postsynaptic cells promoting their discharges. This latter effect called 'EPSP-to-spike (E-S) potentiation' is thought to be mediated by voltage-sensitive channels in the dendrites.

Role of forebrain glucose-monitoring neurons in the central control of feeding: I. Behavioral properties and neurotransmitter sensitivities.

Extracellular single neuron recording experiments were performed in the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA), amygdaloid body (AMY) and globus pallidus (GP) of anesthetized rats and anesthetized or alert rhesus monkeys during microelectrophoretic administration of different neurochemicals including glucose. Neuron activity in the behaving primate was also investigated during a conditioned bar press alimentary task, as well as during presentation of food and non-food objects. In the LHA, AMY and GP specific glucose-sensitive (GS) neurons were found, as their activity were suppressed by glucose.

Immunoregulatory effects of a suppressor factor from healthy pregnant women's lymphocytes after progesterone induction.

Progesterone-treated pregnancy lymphocytes release an immunologic blocking factor. The mode of action of this substance was investigated. The supernatant of progesterone-treated pregnancy lymphocytes was highly suppressive of natural cytotoxicity toward human embryonic fibroblast target cells as well as of natural killer cell activity.

Aimed application of antibiotics in treating hand infections.

Surgical exploration is of prime importance in treating hand infections. In addition, it is essential to apply up-to-date and adequate antibiotic treatment. Authors employed antibiotics during the treatment of hand infections of 65 various aetiologies and types by considering the antibiotic sensitivity spectrum of the most frequent pathogens as also the effective concentration of the antibiotic acting in the inflammatory focus.

Longitudinal and vertical ultrastructural lesion of crural muscle in post-thrombotic syndrome.

The vertical and longitudinal ultrastructural changes of the crural muscle (triceps surae) were studied in a selected patient material of 18 patients suffering from post-thrombotic syndrome. The transmission and scanning electron microscopic method helped in revealing that the damage had affected the contractile system, the mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum and in addition marked degenerative phenomena occurred. It was shown that vertically the impairments of the fine structure were localized in foci and involved the muscle layers to the same extent.

Urological tuberculosis mimicking bladder tumour.

A total of 8 patients have been treated in the recent 10 years in whom urogenital tuberculosis simulated the picture of bladder tumour. This occurred in 3% of overall patients with urogenital tuberculosis, i.e.

Guidelines of prognostics in malignant skin melanoma.

The author gives a survey of relevant literary data and own experience on the prognostication of melanoma. The patients studied between 1967-1985 July consisted of 165 cases, 5 of them presenting with unknown primary diseases and 19 cases unfit for evaluation. Great attention was paid to the clinical presentation of stage I melanomas, where early and late signs of malignant transformation constitute separate items in order to alleviate early diagnosis and adequate treatment.

Haemostatic alterations in lymphomas and tumours.

Disturbances of blood coagulation often occur in various malignancies. Deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism often precedes the manifestation of a solid tumour. Chemotherapy, irradiation, surgery, infections are the triggering factors of a blood clotting abnormality.

Surgical treatment of renovascular hypertension.

Unilateral stenosis of the renal artery was verified by angiography in 34 patients with hypertension. The cause-effect relationship between elevated blood pressure and stenosis of the renal artery was proved by detailed renin studies (basic plasma renin activity, plasma renin activity following orthostatic and diuretic stimulation, renal vein renin activity). Surgical treatment was applied in 39 cases: they were aortorenal bypass in 9, autotransplantation in 7, patch graft in 2, denervation in 2, decompression in 3 and nephrectomy in 16 cases.

Complex treatment and care of prostatic carcinoma patients.

The authors' 5-year experience in the management and care of prostatic carcinoma are summarized. Their method differs essentially from earlier practice. They have found a new diagnostic and therapeutic method by introducing the TECO irradiation therapy, extensively using bone scintigraphy, by introducing cytostatics, extensively applying the prostate-specific acid phosphatase and by performing rectal biopsy of the prostate.