Volume 107  ·   Issue 05  ·  1994

In 21 cases of fracture of nasofrontoethmoidorbital complex, clinical features included deformity around the nasal root (100%), among them the widening of intercanthal distance (71%), sharpening of nasofrontal angle (28%); epistaxis (100%); visual disorder (62%); cerebrospinal rhinorrhea (33%); enophthalmos (23%); facial paralysis (14%). Applied anatomy, diagnostic notes and therapeutic principles were discussed.

A comparative study on ventricular electrophysiologic effects of experimental hypothyroidism and chronic oral amiodarone administration was made in canine models, with the application of electrical stimulation and monophasic action potential recording. The results showed similar effects possessed by hypothyroidism and amiodarone, which included prolongations in ventricular repolarization and refractoriness, an increase in ventricular fibrillation threshold, and a decrease in the incidence of reperfusion ventricular fibrillation. The differences were that hypothyroidism primarily lengthened phase 2 repolarization and had no effects on intraventricular conduction time, whereas amiodarone lengthened both phase 2 and phase 3 repolarization and suppressed myocardial conduction velocity.

The unclear DNA content was measured with flow cytometry (FCM) in 167 specimens of normal nasopharyngeal epithelium (NE), adjacent tissue to carcinoma (ATC) and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). All 20 patients with NE showed diploid, whereas 38 (38%) of 101 patients with NPC, 7 (58%) of 12 patients with recurrent NPC, 6 (30%) of 20 patients with ATC and 2 (33%) of 6 patients with NE, positive to EBVCA-IgA test, showed nondiploid. In addition, cellular proliferation index (PI) of diploid NPC and diploid ATC, though differed nonsignificantly, was significantly increased as compared with that of NE (P<0.01). The rate of cervical metastasis in nondiploid NPC was significantly higher than that in diploid NPC (P<0.025).

The vascular architecture of bone giant cell tumor was observed histologically with resin cast technique and scanning electron microscopy. Three types of capillaries were noted in the tumor tissue: extruding club-like capillary in the outer zone of the tumor; sinusoid capillary running disorderly in the intermediate zone; cecum capillary in the central zone. The pattern of vascular structure was believed to be correlated with tumor growth.

Twenty-four New Zealand white rabbits were plated on their intact left tibiae with stainless steel plates and 4 animals served as controls. The plates were removed 2 months after implantation in 20 plated animals. Of them, 4 were sacrificed immediately after plate removal and the other 16 were killed in successive groups with 4 in each group 1,2,3 and 4 months after plate removal respectively. The remaining 4 plated animals were killed at 6 months after implantation. Bone samples under the plates were harvested and prepared for polarized light microscopy to investigate the repair of the regional osteoporosis induced by rigid implant. The results indicated that the regional osteoporosis could recover gradually after plate removal. The repair process manifested itself mainly as the repair of resorption cavities and the remodeling of collagen fibers. The orientation of the collagen fibers remained disorganized when the resorption cavities had been repaired. It is suggested that delayed restoration of bone structure might be one of the potential causes of refracture after removal of the rigid implant.

The changes in anti-filarial antibody level at different periods in different population groups of various controlled areas were studied by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFT) using frozen sections of Brugia malayi adult worms as antigen. The positive rates by IFAT in formerly hyper-, moderate- and low-endemic areas decreased to the level as those in non-endemic areas 15, 10 and 10 years respectively after the control of filariasis. In the children born after the control of filariasis, the IFAT positive rate was less than 1%. An analysis of IFAT positive cases showed that the positive rate was lowest in children under 10 years old and highest in those aged 20-40 and decreased progressively with the increasing of age. In addition, the IFAT positive rates of microfilaremia cases, the residents in currently endemic area and control group from non-endemic area were 91.4%, 33.9% and 4.5% respectively. These data demonstrated the present distribution pattern of anti-filarial antibody.

From December 1987 to October 1983, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) was performed in 302 patients with 392 diseased vessels and 440 lesions. The success rate was 93.71% in 302 patients, 94.90% in 392 diseased vessels and 95.00% in 440 lesions. The success rate was 98.92% in Type A lesion, 95.71% in Type B lesion, and 86.57% in Type C lesion (A vs B P=NS, A vs C P<0.01). There were 55 lesions with total or subtotal occlusion, the success rate was 89.09% (93.10% in Type B lesion and 84.62% in Type C lesion). As to the diseased vessels, the success rate was 95.65% in LAD, 94.38% in LCX and 93.75% in RCA. The results showed no significant difference. In this series, acute ischemic complications were found in 6.59% (29/440). Of these 29 lesions, 23 were treated successfully, 5 developed Q wave myocardial infarction and 1 died.

We examined the effects of calcitonin gene-related peptide CGRP on the bone resorption stimulated by IL-1α after neonatal mouse calvaria were cultured in vitro and bone resorption was determined by measuring the release of calcium into the medium after α 48-hour incubation. CGRP (10-9-10-8 M) blocked completely the IL1α-mediated increase in bone resorption and inhibited the basal bone resorption. In accordance with the effects of calcitonin on osteoclasts, CGRP caused cessation of lamellipodia activity and gradual retraction of lamellipodia when added into the culture medium. Quantitative analysis showed that CGRP (10-6 M) caused a gradual reduction of osteoclastic surface area and convex perineum. These data show that CGRP inhibits IL1α mediated bone resorption because of its direct regulation of osteoclast activity.

Sera and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were collected from 42 children with simple idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS) aged from 1.5 to 14 years and 28 age and sex-matched healthy children. The levels of IgE in serum and interleukin 4 (IL-4) in supernatant of PHA-activated PBMC were tested by ELISA. A significantly high incidence of allergic diseases was noted in INS children and their first-degree relatives, and there was a close association between atopy and INS. Besides, the levels of IgE and IL-4 were increased in nephrotic state (P<0.001 both). IgE normal and IL-4 slightly lower in remission state (P<0.2, P<0.01 respectively). A positive correlation was noticed between IL-4 and IgE, and between IL-4 and 24-hour proteinuria (r=0.472, r=0.562; P<005, P<0.01 respectively). These showed a close association between atopy and INS. Both IL-4 and IgE, the important mediators in atopy, showed abnormal change in patients. The increased IL-4 production of T cells might account for the elevated serum IgE level. IL-4 may have a pathogenetic role in INS, but it still remains speculative.

Since only oral preparations of captopril are clinically available, intravenous captopril was studied in 10 patients with mild heart failure and in 20 severe. The results showed that intravenous captopril may rapidly reduce cardiac preload and afterload, increase cardiac output, inhibit renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, and depress plasma levels of catecholamine. After captopril infusion, a rapid symptomatic improvement occurred and the infusion could be well tolerated in patients with acute or severe heart failure. In addition, reversing hyponatremia and hypokalemia or improving azotemia may benefit the patients with acute or severe heart failure.