Phonophoresis: an in vivo evaluation using three topical anaesthetic preparations.

An electrical sensory perception threshold technique has been developed for use with human volunteers. This technique has been used to reproducibly quantify the effects of three different commercially available topical anaesthetic preparations on superficial sensory cells (nociceptors) in the skin. Low intensities (0.

Is human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) rather than cytomegalovirus the cause of retinitis and colitis in HIV-infected patients?

In the absence of proof that cytomegalovirus is the cause of colitis and retinitis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients, it is proposed that HIV plays a direct role in the causation of these diseases. Clinical and epidemiologic evidence is cited to support this hypothesis. A direct role for HIV in the etiology of retinitis and colitis in HIV-infected patients could have important implications for antiviral chemotherapy in these diseases.

Geographical clustering of scleroderma in south and west London.

Anecdotal observation suggested a local increase in the occurrence of scleroderma within a borough in close proximity to a major airport. Ascertainment of all living cases was attempted within that borough and adjacent boroughs as well as a similar exercise in two further boroughs in close proximity to another major airport. The results showed a higher prevalence of scleroderma in all three study areas compared to that expected based on a population survey in another part of the United Kingdom adopting similar methodology.

The assessment of physical independence handicap: experience in a community disablement survey.

Two approaches to the ascertainment of physical independence handicap have been explored using data from a survey of disablement in the population. The survey used a two-stage methodology with an initial postal shift to ascertain those with selected disabilities, a stratified random sample of whom were followed-up with an in-depth interview. The first approach to handicap was direct ascertainment of the scale categories by means of a question in the interview schedule.

Affinity chromatographic isolation of the melanoma adhesion receptor for the IIICS region of fibronectin and its identification as the integrin alpha 4 beta 1.

Eukaryotic cells adhere to at least two different regions of the fibronectin molecule: a central domain present in all fibronectin isoforms, and the type III connecting segment domain (IIICS), the expression of which is controlled by complex alternative splicing of precursor mRNA. Using affinity chromatography on a matrix containing a synthetic peptide ligand (CS1) representing the strongest active site within the IIICS, we have isolated the human melanoma cell receptor recognizing this region of fibronectin. The receptor is a complex of two polypeptides with subunit molecular masses of 145 and 125 kDa.

A simple needle guard for low-volume, high-pressure irrigation.

Irrigation of surgical wounds in the injured patient is commonly employed. A simple, safe method of low-volume, high-pressure irrigation is described.

Protection of spermatogenesis in rats from the cytotoxic procarbazine by the depot formulation of Zoladex, a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist.

The hypothesis that adjuvant treatment designed to produce testicular atrophy would preserve fertility in males receiving cancer chemotherapy was examined in the rat. Testicular atrophy was induced by a depot formulation of Zoladex [D-Ser(Bu(t))6-Aza-Gly10-GnRH], a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogue. The experiments were conducted in albino Wistar as well as in the piebald variegated rat.

Lectin histochemistry of the mast cell: heterogeneity of rodent and human mast cell populations.

Mast cell granules contain a variety of N-linked saccharides. Heterogeneity of the expression of these saccharides in mast cells was studied in rodent and human tissues which were so selected as to contain all the mast cell subsets previously identified using other criteria. Dermal and intestinal mucosal mast cells were stained with lectins using an avidin-biotin system.

A review of assignment criteria for rheumatoid arthritis.

A comparative evaluation of existing assignment criteria for rheumatoid arthritis has been undertaken as a preliminary to exploring how simpler and more efficient standards could be developed. The performances of alternative formulations of individual criteria have been evaluated, and the various criteria have been assessed singly and in combination. The two individual criteria giving rise to the greatest difficulty are morning stiffness and pain and/or tenderness, with its optional formulation.

Injection of excitatory amino acid antagonists into the medial pallidal segment of a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) treated primate reverses motor symptoms of parkinsonism.

Intracerebral injections of the broad spectrum excitatory amino acid antagonist kynurenic acid (50 ug) alleviated the symptoms of akinesia, tremor and rigidity in a severely parkinsonian monkey. Unilateral injection of kynurenic acid within the medial pallidal segment produced rotational behaviour away from the side of the injection, and the limbs on the contralateral side showed relief of the MPTP-induced parkinsonian symptoms. The subsequent bilateral injection of the excitatory amino acid antagonist allowed the monkey to move freely, unhindered by tremor or rigidity.

Lymphocytes, lymphokines, and hematopoiesis.

It may be conclusively said that lymphocytes (T cells) produce an array of very powerful hematopoietic peptides, at least one of which (IL-3) appears to be exclusive. All are able to induce proliferation of stem cells of varying commitment, and in combination can reproduce virtually the entire sequence of hematopoietic cell production from the earliest stem cell, for example the HPP stem cells, which responds to T lymphokines in vitro or IL-3 in vivo, to a fully differentiated myeloid cell. Many T lymphokines can be demonstrated to exert highly significant changes in both hematopoiesis and lymphopoiesis in vivo.

Reduced GABA uptake sites in the temporal lobe in schizophrenia.

The binding of [3H]nipecotic acid, a ligand for labelling GABA uptake sites in brain, was measured in left and right frontal cortex, polar temporal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala from control and schizophrenic postmortem brains. In schizophrenic brains, single concentration [3H]nipecotic acid binding was reduced bilaterally in amygdala and hippocampus and on the left side only in polar temporal cortex. These data suggest that GABA neurones are involved in the cerebral atrophy of schizophrenia and, in agreement with other studies, that this process is most pronounced in left temporal cortex.

The role of non-acoustic factors in the induction and proliferation of cavitational activity in vitro.

It is well known that a liquid exposed to relatively low intensities of MHz ultrasound may or may not cavitate depending upon a variety of non-acoustic factors. This paper shows that in some cases the material used as the acoustically transparent window and even the length of the sample chamber may also be important factors. Cling film, dialysis membrane and Parafilm are all equally acceptable as acoustically transparent windows for ultrasound, whereas glass cover slips or 'soft' surfaces (in which active bubbles may embed themselves) are not.

Prolonged suppression of rat testis function by a depot formulation of Zoladex, a GnRH agonist.

A sustained-release formulation of a potent gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist, Zoladex (D-Ser(But),6 Aza Gly10-GnRH; ICI 118,630; goserelin), was administered subcutaneously (3.6 mg/depot) to male rats once every 28 days for 2-24 wk to determine the extent to which pituitary-testis function could be suppressed and whether suppression was maintained throughout the period of treatment. Administration of Zoladex resulted in sustained decreases in weight of the testis, epididymis, seminal vesicles and prostate gland.

Reduced D-[3H]aspartate binding in Down's syndrome brains.

The binding of D-[3H]aspartate to glutamate uptake sites was measured in post-mortem brains from subjects with Down's syndrome (DS) and age-matched controls. DS brains had substantially reduced D-[3H]aspartate binding in the frontal and temporal cortex, hippocampus and caudate nucleus. There was no correlation between the numbers of Alzheimer-like plaques and tangles or clinically-assessed dementia and D-[3H]aspartate binding in DS brains.

The relationship between impairment and disability in arthritis: an application of the theory of generalized linear models to the ICIDH.

We investigated the relationship between impairment, as represented by limitation in range of movement and pain in the knee joint, and disability as measured by a series of activities of daily living in 123 patients with either rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthrosis. A log-linear modelling technique found there was a positive association between functional limitation, as measured by reduction in angle of flexion, and disability. However, there was only a marginal relationship between pain in the knee joint and disability, and no association between pain and range of movement, which suggests that conventional beliefs that pain is a key factor in assessing health outcomes may need to be reassessed.

Induction of an auto-anti-IgE response in rats. III. Inhibition of a specific IgE response.

An auto-anti-IgE response was induced in conventional (PVG-RT1U and high IgE-producing (BN) rat strains by immunization with a highly purified rat IgE myeloma IR2. Earlier work established that total serum IgE levels were decreased by this procedure (Marshall & Bell, 1985) but only in the PVG-RT1U strain. IR2-immunized rats were tested for their ability to produce a specific IgE response to ovalbumin (OVA).

A longitudinal study of anticollagen antibodies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Antibodies to native and denatured collagens (types I, II, IX, and XI) were measured in sequential serum samples collected over 1.5-8.7 years (median 4.

The quality of pain in arthritis: the words patients use to describe overall pain and pain in individual joints at rest and on movement.

One hundred and five patients with polyarthritis chose from 14 sensory and 5 affective pain descriptors derived from the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), and completed visual analogue scales (VAS) for overall and individual joint pain at rest and on movement. The relative frequency of sensory pain descriptor choice varied for the 4 different circumstances of pain. Over one third of patients volunteered affective words not included in the MPQ.

Visual analogue scales as a measure of pain in arthritis: a study of overall pain and pain in individual joints at rest and on movement.

Visual analogue scales (VAS) for overall and individual joint pain at rest and on movement were completed by 105 patients with polyarthritis as part of a study of the relationship between overall pain and pain in individual joints. Not all subjects recorded pain on a conventional VAS although all had at least 2 painful joints on movement. At best only 25% of the variance in overall pain was explained by pain in individual joints.