Serum sCD30 in monitoring of alloresponse in well HLA-matched cadaveric kidney transplantations.

In kidney transplantation, pretransplant serum sCD30 testing has been proposed in immunological risk estimation together with anti-HLA antibodies. We evaluated the risks associated with high pretransplant serum sCD30 in well HLA-matched cadaveric kidney recipients recruited in a clinical study comparing different immunosuppressive regimens. Rejection rate was similar in 37 recipients with high pretransplant serum sCD30 compared to 117 recipients with low serum sCD30 (16% vs.

Continuous 15-year decrease in incidence and mortality of stroke in Finland: the FINSTROKE study.

Background And Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the incidence and mortality trends in stroke events among persons 25 to 74 years of age in Finland during 1983 to 1997.

Methods: The population-based FINSTROKE register recorded 5650 new strokes among persons 25 to 74 years of age in 2 geographical areas of Finland: 2770 in the Kuopio area (east central Finland) and 2880 in Turku (southwestern Finland). Of these, 3065 were men and 2585 were women.

Interleukin 1 alpha gene polymorphism as a susceptibility factor in Alzheimer's disease and its influence on the extent of histopathological hallmark lesions of Alzheimer's disease.

We investigated the association of the interleukin 1alpha (IL1A) (-889) C/T polymorphism with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and with the extent of AD histopathological lesions, the senile/neuritic plaques (SPs/NPs) and neurofibrillary tangles. We evaluated 98 neuropathologically confirmed AD patients and 240 controls as well as 146 clinically diagnosed AD patients and 278 controls but found no association of the IL1A C/T polymorphism with AD even after adjustment for the apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype, gender or age. The extents of AD histopathological lesions were not influenced by the IL1A genotype except after exclusion of the APOE epsilon4 allele, when a trend towards more SPs/NPs was observed in AD patients with the IL1A C/C compared to patients with the T/T genotype.

Jejunal luminal microdialysate lactate in cardiac tamponade--effect of low systemic blood flow on gut mucosa.

Objective: To assess gut mucosal metabolic response and susceptibility to dysoxia during low systemic blood flow induced by cardiac tamponade.

Design: A randomized, controlled animal experiment.

Setting: National laboratory animal center.

Relation of sex hormones to bone mineral density in middle-aged men during a 4 year exercise intervention trial.

Recent studies have emphasized the symbiotic role of estradiol and testosterone on bone metabolism. Several anthropomorphic-, lifestyle-, and dual-energy X-ray (DXA)-derived parameters were measured with respect to estradiol (E(2)), testosterone (T), free T (fT), and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) in 140 men (aged 53-62 years) participating in a controlled, randomized exercise intervention trial. After 4 years of intervention, 132 (94.

"I want to know, too". Psychotherapy with a visually impaired boy.

This paper discusses the psychotherapy of a latency boy who suffered from a progressive visual impairment. It first describes some of the problems blind and visually impaired children meet in their development: (1) difficulty in constituting objects, (2) as this is accomplished, difficulty in separation, (3) the need to establish concrete contact with the object world, and (4) aspects of their identification. The psychotherapeutic treatment of Peter is presented with emphasis on the following themes: (1) Peter's demands to be allowed to enter the "secret room" (which seemed to reflect concretized but ungraspable aspects of the therapist), (2) functions of Peter's profuse questioning, (3) Peter's attempts to handle excitement, and (4) concreteness in Peter's experiences and also in his identifications.

Cholinergic system regulation of spatial representation by the hippocampus.

The role of the basal forebrain cholinergic system in hippocampal spatial representation was explored by examining the effects of immunotoxic lesions of the septo-hippocampal cholinergic neurons on the firing patterns of hippocampal place cells as rats explored familiar and novel environments. In a highly familiar environment, the basic qualities and stability of place fields were unaffected by the lesion. When first exposed to a set of novel environmental cues without otherwise disorienting the animals, place cells in both normal and lesioned animals responded with similar alterations in their firing patterns.

Elevated maternal serum hCG in the second trimester increases prematurity rate and need for neonatal intensive care in primiparous preeclamptic pregnancies.

Objective: This study was designed to investigate the association between the serum concentrations of maternal second trimester human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and the severity of preeclampsia.

Methods: At Kuopio University Hospital, a total of 487 preeclamptic primiparas had undergone maternal serum screening for Down's syndrome between January 1993 and December 1998. Of these, 37 women had unexplained elevated serum hCG concentrations [> 2.

Early gene therapy-induced apoptotic response in BT4C gliomas by magnetic resonance relaxation contrast T1 in the rotating frame.

The design and evaluation of therapeutic gene transfection protocols and vectors are under extensive development. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques can aid considerably in the development of experimental treatment approaches, as well as in determining treatment response by observing gross tissue morphology. However, through a unique set of contrast parameters, namely T1, T2, and diffusion, more information about tissue status can be obtained while delineating and classifying tumor characteristics in more detail.

Visual functions and adverse ocular effects in patients with amiodarone medication.

Purpose: To study visual functions and ocular adverse effects of long-term amiodarone medication.

Methods: We performed an eye examination of 22 patients with long-term amiodarone medication. In addition to corrected visual acuity, colour vision was studied with the Standard Pseudoisochromatic Plates part 2 and Farnsworth-Munself 100 hue test.

Noradrenergic regulation of hippocampal place cells.

The influence of noradrenergic input to the hippocampus was assessed by recording hippocampal place cells and by modulating the noradrenergic tone with a selective agonist and antagonist of the alpha2-autoreceptors. The rats received intraperitoneal injection of 5 microg/kg of dexmedetomidine (DEX), an alpha2-agonist, 0.2 mg/kg of atipamezole (ATI), an alpha2-antagonist, or saline.

Evidence for excess long-term mortality after treated subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Background And Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the long-term mortality rate of patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) compared with that of the general population.

Methods: Aneurysmal SAH patients who were treated for ruptured aneurysm from 1977 through 1998 in a tertiary referral center (n=1537) were followed up for a median of 7.5 years.

SPECT and neuropsychological performance in severe depression treated with ECT.

Background: In severe depression, studies of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) by SPECT have not produced uniform results. The association between changes in SPECT and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has shown somewhat conflicting data. No data are available on benzodiazepine receptor function SPECT studies in ECT.

Two-year follow-up results of a prospective randomized trial comparing hybrid laser prostatectomy with TURP in the treatment of big benign prostates.

Objective: We compared conventional transurethral electroresection of the prostate (TURP) and hybrid laser treatment in patients with symptomatic bladder outflow obstruction caused by a benign prostate bigger than 40 ml.

Material And Methods: Forty-six patients with symptomatic urodynamically confirmed outflow obstruction caused by benign prostate hyperplasia bigger than 40 ml were accepted to the prospective trial and were randomized to receive hybrid laser treatment or TURP. The hybrid laser technique involved initial non-contact Nd:YAG coagulation followed by contact Nd:YAG vaporization to open the prostatic urethra.

Visual field defects with vigabatrin: epidemiology and therapeutic implications.

Vigabatrin is an antiepileptic drug (AED) that acts as a selective irreversible inhibitor of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transaminase. In 1997, 3 cases of severe symptomatic and persistent visual field constriction associated with vigabatrin treatment were described. During 1997 to 1998, similar concentric visual field constrictions were described in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy who were receiving vigabatrin concurrently with other AEDs.

Clinical features and a follow-up study in a family with X-linked progressive cone-rod dystrophy.

Purpose: To study a large family with X-linked progressive cone-rod dystrophy.

Methods: There were 128 members in the family. Of these, 45 had an ophthalmological examination and 3 gave their permission to use the results of their recent ophthalmological examination.

Weights of placentae from small-for-gestational age infants revisited.

The objective of the study was to investigate the association between placental weight and birthweight in appropriate (AGA) and small for gestational age (SGA) infants. Placental weight, birthweight and their ratio in chromosomally normal singleton pregnancies with SGA (n=1569) and AGA (n=15 047) infants were compared, and their determinants were studied by logistic regression. SGA infants had 24 per cent smaller placentae than AGA infants when gestational age was used as a covariate.

Wide scope prenatal diagnosis at Kuopio University Hospital 1997-1998: integration of gene tests and fetal karyotyping.

Objective: To investigate the applicability of carrier screening in women undergoing invasive prenatal diagnosis.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: University-based clinic.

Antenatal gene tests in low-risk pregnancies: molecular screening for aspartylglucosaminuria (AGU) and infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (INCL) in Finland.

Approximately one in five subjects in Finland carries some gene defect associated with 30 diseases belonging to the Finnish disease heritage, and about one in 500 children born is affected. Almost all carriers, women and men, are unaware of their condition. Recent advances in molecular medicine have offered the possibility of population-based carrier screening for recessive disorders.

[(35)S]GTPgammaS autoradiography reveals a wide distribution of G(i/o)-linked ADP receptors in the nervous system: close similarities with the platelet P2Y(ADP) receptor.

No G(i)-linked P2Y receptors have been cloned to date but the presence of such receptors is thought to be restricted to platelets and certain clonal cell lines. Using the functional approach of [(35)S]guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]-triphosphate autoradiography, we uncovered the widespread presence of such receptors in the CNS. Under conditions in which the prominent signal due to tonic adenosine receptor activity is masked, ADP and ATP stimulated G-protein activity in multiple grey and white matter regions.

Adverse ocular effects of flecainide.

Purpose: To study if flecainide has ocular adverse effects.

Methods: Both eyes of 38 flecainide medicated patients were thoroughly examined including colour vision, contrast sensitivity and visual fields.

Results: 10.