Showing papers in "National Medical Journal of China in 1991"

Localization of hepatocellular carcinoma with monoclonal antibodies

Abstract: We prepared monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against hepatocellular carcinoma using cell suspensions isolated from surgical fresh hepatoma specimens as antigen. Totally we got 6 strains of hybridoma cell lines stably secreting MAbs for more than 2 years. Immunocytochemically they stained positively most of the paraffin embedded hepatoma tissues (63.1 to 91.1%) without reaction to the normal liver tissues. Localization of human hepatoma with 125I or 131I labelled MAbs in nude mice was done by IV injection, which showed clear tumor image by ECT radioimmunodetection and autoradiography of tissues. The T/N ratios of different MAbs were 3.1, 3.6, 5.15 and that of HAb 18-F (ab')2 was 14.4. Among 15 patients suspected to have hepatoma and given the labelled MAb, 13 proved pathologically to be hepatocellular carcinoma.

Renal angiomyolipoma: experience of 23 patients.

Abstract: We reported 29 kidneys with angiomyolipoma in 23 patients (14 women and 9 men). One of these cases was associated with tuberous sclerosis. Their age ranged from 20 to 82 years (mean 48.9). Six patients had bilateral renal involvement and 7 had multiple lesions in one kidney. Synchronous renal tumors were noted in three patients. One patient was associated with renal cell carcinoma, and the other two patients with transitional cell carcinoma. Nineteen tumors in 16 patients were larger than 4 cm. Among them 93.8% (15/16 patients) were symptomatic and tumor hemorrhage was found in 57.9% (11/19 kidneys). Of these patients, 17 renal units underwent surgical intervention (including 8 total nephrectomy, 7 partial nephrectomy and 2 enucleation of tumor). Preoperative diagnosis was made in 82.4% (14/17) with combined imaging of sonogram and CT scan. One patient received embolization only. There were two mortalities: one patient with tumor rupture who received emergent nephrectomy but died of irreversible hypovolemic shock, and the other with tuberous sclerosis and pulmonary fibrosis who received embolization for spontaneous rupture of tumor but expired due to respiratory failure. Among nine patients receiving renal preserving operation, the post-operative effective renal plasma flow of the affected kidneys ranged from 96 to 184 ml/min (mean 131.7 ml/min). There was no evidence of recurrence during a mean followup of 2.6 years. Eight asymptomatic patients with 9 renal masses had incidental angiomyolipoma and did not undergo exploration. We did not note any progression of the lesions in the cases under observation for a mean followup of 2.6 years.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Postirradiation angiosarcoma of the terminal ileum.

Abstract: Sarcomas which develop after radiotherapy mainly involve the soft tissue and the bone. Postirradiation angiosarcomas involving the internal organs are exceedingly rare and so far only three cases have been reported. Here, a case of angiosarcoma of the terminal ileum in a 48-year-old female is reported. The tumor developed 39 months after radiotherapy for recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Angiosarcoma recurred locally and metastasized to the liver eight months after initial resection of the primary lesion of the terminal ileum. The patient died from sepsis 23 days after the resection of the recurrent ileal and metastatic hepatic neoplasms. Hence, any patients complaining of new discomfort that occurs in an irradiated field two years or more after radiotherapy should be promptly searched for the presence of the postirradiation neoplasms.

Hemolysis after ABO-incompatible platelet transfusions.

Abstract: An 18 year old girl, with acute myeloid leukemia, developed progressive hemolysis after receiving multiple transfusions with ABO-incompatible platelets. It was caused by passive transfusion of anti-A and -B isoagglutinin from the donor plasma. Her hemoglobin level returned to normal after giving group compatible or pooled and reduced volume platelet concentrates. Transfusing group-incompatible platelets is not contraindicated, but donor plasma reduction should be considered for those patients who need prolonged platelet support. Testing for isoagglutinin titer in group O donors is an alternate method to reduce the incidence of plasma-induced hemolysis in group-incompatible platelet transfusions.

[A two-year prospective survey on nosocomial infections].

Abstract: A two-year randomized prospective survey on nosocomial infections in hospitalized patients of Hua Shan Hospital from 1985 to 1987 was carried out. Altogether 1,826 patients were enrolled in the study, the incidence of nosocomial infection being 13.1%. The incidence in dermatology ward was the highest (19.8%), then in order of frequency; medical ward 16.5%, surgical ward 14.8%, ward of neurology 13.7%, ward of neurosurgery 12.7% etc. Regarding the location of infection, lower respiratory tract infection was the most frequent (45.2%), followed by urinary tract infection (18%), wound infection (10%), biliary tract infection (7.5%), and bacteremia (5%). Out of 271 nosocomial strains of pathogens, 180 were Gram negative organisms (66.4%), among which P. aeruginosa accounted for 13.3%, K. pneumonia 12.2%, E. coli 8.9%, Acinetobacter sp 7.7%, and Enterobacter sp 7.7%. Gram positive cocci accounted for 22.9%; fungi 10.7%, candida sp. being the commonest. Results of bacterial susceptibility testing showed that the nosocomial strains were more resistant to commonly used antibiotics than the community strains, such as the resistance of E coli to ampicillin, P. aeruginosa to polymyxin B, S. aureus to lincomycin and gentamicin. Multiply factor analysis was done by Logistic regression model in 1,826 hospitalized patients, nine factors being statistically significant. Nosocomial infection is becoming increasingly important, it is imperative to have more intensive epidemiological surveillance data and to take effective control measures.

Abdominal tuberculosis--a retrospective analysis of 121 cases.

Abstract: From 1960 to 1989, a total of 121 patients with abdominal tuberculosis were treated at this hospital. Ages, at the time of diagnosis, ranged from 14 years to 81 years with a mean of 44 years. There were 86 males and 35 females. No clinical feature was diagnostic, but the leading presenting complaints were abdominal pain (79%) and fever (53%). Chest x-ray showed that 80 patients (69%) had coexisting evidence of pulmonary tuberculosis. Lesions were most commonly located at the ileocecal region (40%). The diagnosis was bacteriologically established in only 39 patients (32%). It was difficult to obtain the definitive diagnosis, most of our patients (91 cases) were diagnosed while undergoing laparotomy with tissue biopsy. Although the principal treatment of abdominal tuberculosis was chemotherapy and operation should be reserved until complications occurred, there were still 96 patients (79%) who underwent surgical procedures. The reasons of high operative rate were the difficulty of early diagnosis and the delay of proper treatment. The common complications of abdominal tuberculosis and the related managements were discussed and the findings in our cases which were helpful in diagnosing abdominal tuberculosis were also presented. Sixteen severely ill patients who died tended to be older, poor nutrition and associated with underlying medical diseases. Abdominal tuberculosis is still persistent in Taiwan, and it must be included in the differential diagnosis of obscure abdominal conditions to avoid diagnostic delay and unnecessary illness and death.

Amount of urinary iodine excretion in residents of Taipei City--a hospital-based study.

Abstract: The amount of urinary iodine excretion was measured by neutron activation analysis in 87 residents of Taipei City. The mean +/- SE of urinary iodine excretion expressed as ug iodine/g creatinine was 337.2 +/- 33.3 (335.3 +/- 59.5 for males and 338.4 +/- 40.6 for females). For each 10-year age group, from 20-29 to greater than or equal to 70, they were 396.6 +/- 106.1, 396.5 +/- 127.6, 306.5 +/- 116.7, 326.4 +/- 40.4, 338.1 +/- 64.3 and 222.9 +/- 100.6, respectively. Although there were no significant differences in sex and age, the amount of urinary iodine excretion was distributed in a very wide range from 38.6 to 1,526 ug iodine/g creatinine. Only 3% of the subjects excreted less than 50 ug iodine/g creatinine but 42.7% of our subjects excreted more than 300 ug iodine/g creatine. Iodine deficiency is not a real problem in Taipei City. However, about half of the Taipei City residents may take more than the suggested optimum amount of iodine.

Inhibitory effects of alcoholic extract of Cordyceps sinensis on abdominal aortic thrombus formation in rabbits

Abstract: Aortic thrombosis in de-endotheliazed rabbit and 51Cr labeled autologous platelets were used for the evaluation of in vivo effects of CsB-851 on platelet-vessel wall interaction. The result showed that when CsB-851, an active part of alcoholic extract of mycelium from Cordyceps sinensis (Berk.) Sacc., was infused intravenously, the 51Cr labeled platelet number per gram dry weight of injured abdominal aorta (98.14 +/- 9.41 x 10(6)) was much lower than that in the control group (201.25 +/- 27.21 x 10(6)) in a concentration dependent manner. This indicated that CsB-851 could inhibit thrombus formation at the de-endotheliazed surface of the aorta. Since it could inhibit platelet aggregation in vitro had no effect on coagulation function in vivo, it seemed that the inhibitory effect of CsB-851 on arterial thrombus formation was mainly related to the inhibition of platelet functions.

Permanent neurologic deficits in heat stroke.

Abstract: Heat stroke rarely develops permanent neurologic deficits. We present two patients (patients 1 and 2) who suffered from persistent neurologic deficits 3 years after heat stroke. Both patients have cerebellar dysfunction. In addition to cerebellar dysfunction, the first patient whose CT scan of brain demonstrates cerebellar atrophy, also has signs of transverse myelopathy of thoracic cord. We conclude the cerebellar symptoms are common neurologic complication of heat stroke and the heat stroke may be one of rare causes of the transverse myelopathy.

A twelve month double-blind randomized study of the efficacy and immunogenicity of human and porcine insulins in non-insulin-dependent diabetics.

Abstract: This study aims to compare the effectiveness and immunogenicity of semisynthetic human insulin (NOVO) and highly purified (monocomponent) porcine insulin over a 12 month period in 16 non-insulin-dependent diabetic subjects not previously exposed to insulin. Sixteen patients were randomly allocated for treatment with either human (n = 9) or monocomponent porcine (n = 7) insulin in a double-blind trial. Both groups were identical with respect to age, sex and measures of metabolic control. Significant insulin antibody was detected in seven of the nine patients (78%) 3 months after the commencement of human insulin therapy whereas it was detected in all patients (100%) in the group treated with monocomponent porcine insulin as early as 2 months after insulin therapy. Besides the delayed rise of insulin antibodies during the first 3 months of human insulin therapy, it tended to have a lower mean insulin antibody titer, though statistically insignificant, at the end of the study. No adverse reaction to either type of insulins was noted. It is concluded that both semisynthetic human and monocomponent porcine insulin were safe and effective. Although human insulin showed a slightly lower immunogenicity than monocomponent porcine insulin of the same formulation and purities, it was not non-immunogenic. Hence, there is no reason to treat all insulin-requiring diabetic subjects with human insulin except those who have developed insulin allergy or those at risk or with a history of allergy.

[Pulmonary nocardiosis with cerebral abscess successfully treated by medication alone--a case report].

Abstract: Nocardiosis is an illness caused by members of the genus Nocardia. Although it is usually an opportunistic infection in immunocompromised hosts, it can also occur in patients without a definable predisposing condition. Three species are recognized as being responsible for what most frequently seen. The primary site of infection is overwhelmingly the lungs. Brain abscess is by far the most common site for nocardial metastasis from pulmonary lesion. Although surgical intervention must always be considered in the treatment of nocardial brain abscess, it can clearly be cured by medical therapy alone. We report this case and also review the literature.

Non-0:1 Vibrio cholerae bacteremia: a case report and literature review.

Abstract: We reported a case of non-0:1 group Vibrio cholerae septicemia with myelodysplatic syndrome in Taiwan. We also reviewed the other 22 reported cases of non-0:1 Vibrion cholerae septicemia found in the literature regarding its pathogenesis and treatment. The case mortality rate of these 23 cases was 47.8%. Most of them had immunocompromised diseases, particularly liver cirrhosis and hematologic malignancy. Therefore, the most important factor is the host defense. The cholera-like enterotoxin and E1-Tor-like hemolysin also play a major role, but whether the gall bladder plays a role in organ growth is still unclear. The incidence of gastroenteritis is not well understood because of the low incidence of non-0:1 V. cholerae gastroenteritis as compared with other factors such as shell-fish eating. Ampicillin as the sole antibiotic for non-0:1 V. cholerae is not efficacious. Tetracyclines or chloramphenicol is more effective for treatment.

An epidemiological study of otolaryngologic emergency diseases

Abstract: We studied 2561 cases of otolaryngologic emergencies in the Far Eastern Memorial Hospital from January 1, 1985, to December 31, 1989, looking for the distribution and epidemiology of these emergency diseases. Our conclusions were as follows: 1. Total emergency otolaryngologic cases [otologic cases and pharyngolaryngologic cases] demonstrated a tendency to increase from year to year. 2. Acute otitis media and foreign bodies of the nose also showed an increase from year to year. 3. The "top five" emergency otolaryngologic diseases in order of frequency were: epistaxis (22.7%), foreign bodies of the throat (18.7%), acute tonsillitis (11.4%), acute otitis media (7.7%), and foreign bodies of the ear (6.4%). 4. Patients admitted to the emergency department (7.2%) ranked in order of frequency were: epistaxis (29%), acute tonsillitis (24.5%) and esophageal foreign bodies (14.1%). 5. Emergency visits occurred most frequently between 20-24 o'clock (26.5%) daily; the least from 4-8 o'clock (9.3%).

Malignant papillary cystic tumor of the pancreas: report of a case and review of the literature.

Abstract: Papillary cystic tumor of the pancreas almost always occurs in young female patient and metastasis is extremely rare although local recurrence may occur. Prognosis is excellent and the tumor can be considered to be curable by surgery. Reported here is an unusual case of malignant papillary cystic tumor of the pancreas that occurred in a 51 Y/O man with metastasis to bilateral inguinal soft tissue at the time of diagnosis. Beside distal pancreatectomy, subtotal gastrectomy and excision of the inguinal masses were also performed because of the presence of a separate tumor in the lesser sac, which was unrelated to the pancreas. Immunohistochemical staining for NSE was positive in tumor cells. However, electron microscopy failed to reveal neurosecretory or zymogen granules but there were abundant mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum and annulate lamellae. These findings show that a ductal origin is more likely in our case but the hypothesis of an origin from a primitive cell capable of acinar, ductal or endocrine differentiation should also be considered.

Chemotherapy of head louse (Pediculus humanus capitis) infestation gamma benzene hexachloride (gamma-BHC) among school children in Szu-Hu District, Yunlin County, Central West Taiwan.

Abstract: In order to evaluate the effectiveness of 1% gamma-BHC emulsion against head louse infestation, 1,527 school children were examined using observation by ocular and combing methods were used and infested children were treated with three regimes of 1% gamma-BHC emulsion. An overall infestation rate of 40% was found. The infestation rate was highest in Tung-Kuang Primary School (59%) and lowest in Chien-Hua Primary Schools (7%). The rate was highest among school children grade 2 (45%) and lowest in grade 3 (35%). The rate of girls (65%) was much higher than that of boys (9%). A total of 443 lice were collected from 78 infested school girls: 56 males, 59 females, and 328 nymph. The average number of head lice in each infested girl was 5.7. Follow-up examination was conducted one week after treatment. The cure rates for dosages of 10.0 ml, 5.0 ml, and 2.5 ml 1% gamma-BHC emulsion were 96%, 88%, 68% for girls and 100%, 92%, and 33% for boys, respectively. Only mild and transient itching and burn sensation of scalp were reported by a few children. The overall infestation rate 5 months (April-September 1981) after treatment was 23% (286/1,245). The rate of girls decreased from 65% to 40% and that of boys from 9% to 3%. Results of the present study indicates that 1% gamma-BHC emulsion is an effective pediculicide at a dosage of 5 ml or 10 ml. However, the overall infestation rate remained high (23%) 5 months after treatment. These findings suggest that treatment of head louse infestation must be conducted continuously.

[Reconstitution of osteoinductive bone xenograft: bioassay in mice].

Abstract: How to eliminate the antigenicity of bone xenograft while retaining its osteoinductive activities is an unsolved problem in the orthopaedic field. This paper reports an encouraging approach to the question by the following procedures extracting the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) from cortical bone; eliminating the antigenicity of cancellous bone by chemical extraction; and reconstituting the graft with the treated cancellous bone serving as a delivery medium for BMP. This composite graft is accepted immunologically, and is also osteoinductive in the heterogenous host. In point of delivery medium of BMP, the cancellous bone xenograft is the best choice due to its abundant sources. Bioassay in mouse showed that the reconstituted graft, including only 0.5 mg BMP, demonstrated a definitive osteoinductive ability. In addition, this paper first furnished the information that the BMP aggregate from chemical extraction as described in the literature is also antigenic in the heterogenous host.

[Pathological and X-ray study on bony specimens of rickets from 124 fetal and infantile autopsies].

Abstract: The results of pathological and X-ray study on rickets of bony specimens from fetal and infantile autopsies are reported. Three important links were stressed in designing the study. The cases were divided into two groups: "congenital" and "postnatal". Each case has pathological slides and X-ray photographs of the rib, ulna and radius. GMA sections were used in this study to avoid decalcification and constriction of the bony specimens. The results showed that: Congenital rickets is existent in Beijing. Its incidence is 25.4%. The bony change was seen as early as 30 weeks of pregnancy. The pathological and X-ray features are not different between the "congenital" and "postnatal" groups; The incidence of fetal and infantile rickets is 35.5%. It is the highest in the rib, moderate in the ulna and lowest in the radius. The correlation of X-ray and pathological rickets was found to be 82.5% (rib), 77.3% (ulna) and 50% (radius). It can be seen that X-ray examination of the rib may raise the diagnostic rate to 12 times of that based on traditional wrist examination.

In vitro cytotoxicity of Ganoderma lucidum on oral cancer cells

Abstract: The extract from the mycelium of Ganoderma lucidum was diluted into serial concentrations and added into in vitro cultured oral cancer and normal cell lines. After incubation for 24 hours, the survival fraction was determined by MTT colorimetric assay. The result revealed that the ID50 was about 3mg/ml and the total lethal dosage was beyond 4 mg/ml. This toxic effect was the same in both cancer and normal cells. Not only was there no difference between cancer and normal cells, but also the high dosage required in toxicity leads to the conclusion that the GL has no direct cytotoxic effect in cancer treatment.

Metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract: A precise evaluation of the presence of metastasis is mandatory in the management of head and neck malignancies Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common malignant tumor of the oral cavity, representing slightly more than 90% of all oral malignancies The present study included 330 consecutive patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma seen at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Division of the Department of Dentistry, Veterans General Hospital-Taipei from June 1975 to December 1990 Among these cases, the tongue (312%) was the most frequently involved site According to AJCC staging system, 373% of the patients were at stage IV, the highest among stages of patients The overall incidence of regional lymph node metastasis was 494% The incidence of regional lymph node metastasis was significantly correlated with the location of the primary tumor, especially the low metastatic rate of palate and lip carcinoma (p less than 005) Distant metastases were detected in 14 (42%) cases The rate of distant metastasis increased with the advance of staging (62% for stage III and IV, p less than 005) The lungs were the most common sites of distant metastasis Due to the poor awareness and socio-economic condition of the patients, a majority of them presented with advanced diseases The distant metastasis rate was low since all the patients were not kept followed up till death, nor was any autopsy study carried out

Mechanism of multiresistant Salmonella typhi

Abstract: From November 1988 to June 1989, 142 strains of S typhi were isolated from patients of typhoid fever in Qingpu County, Shanghai These strains were highly sensitive to ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, ofloxacin and enoxacin, the sensitive rates to chloramphenicol, co-trimoxazole and ampicillin being from 67% to 83% Of these 142 strains, twenty-two were multiresistant strains, being resistant to chloramphenicol, co-trimoxazole, ampicillin, cefazolin, gentamicin, piperacillin and tetracycline Beta-lactamase production was the possible mechanism of resistance of Styphi to beta-lactam antibiotics Plasmid analysis by agarose gel electrophoresis showed that a plasmid band of 98Md was found in all multiresistant strains as well as the conjugates, while in sensitive strains, no plasmid band was found The 98Md large plasmid seemed to be closely related to the multiresistance of Styphi Phage typing of Styphi strains in Qingpu area revealed that M1 was the most prevalent type and A, E1, D2 etc followed in order of frequency M1 type seemed to be closely related to the resistance to chloramphenicol, co-trimoxazole and ampicillin

Pneumothorax: a complication of deep endotracheal tube suction: report of 3 cases.

Abstract: Endotracheal suction plays a major role in providing airway care but it is nor without inherent hazard. In routine practice of pediatric intensive care, the suction catheter is usually inserted until slight resistance is felt and is then withdrawn. Here we report three instance in last year of a rare complication of suction - secondary pneumothorax after bronchial perforation due to deep endotracheal suction. It should always be first suspected in an infant who suddenly deteriorates during or after such suction procedure. Premeasurement of the appropriate depth for catheter insertion, with the tip no more than 1 to 2 cm beyond the carina, is also suggested to minimize or prevent this complication.

Leiomyosarcoma of the broad ligament--report of two cases.

Abstract: Leiomyosarcoma of the broad ligament (LBL) is a very rare tumor. Up to 1989, there had been only 7 cases reported in the English literature. During recent 12 years, we have had 15 cases of leiomyosarcoma in our department. Among them, there were two cases of LBL. The others were leiomyosarcoma of the uterine corpus. The first patient was 36 years old. She received total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and paraaortic lymph node sampling followed by chemotherapy with adriamycin. Intra-abdominal recurrence with hepatic metastasis occurred 18 months after operation and she received palliative radiotherapy. The second patient was 65 years old and received subtotal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, omental biopsy and suprapubic cystostomy followed also by chemotherapy with adriamycin. She received segmental resection of ileum and ileostomy due to intestinal obstruction caused by metastasis 5 months after her initial operation. Both patients were still alive when reported with 33 and 26 months of survival, respectively. The nature and management for LBL are scarcely reported, accumulation of cases and clinical experiences are needed.

Median nerve lesions at wrist in cyclists

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to detect the median nerve lesions at wrist in professional cyclists. Totally 14 national representative cyclists were included. Each subject was questionnaired and asked to draw their site of hand discomfort, followed by hand grip power test with grasp, lateral pinch and palmar pinch. A control group of 30 medical students were also tested for grip power. Electrodiagnostic examination of bilateral median nerves was then done on every cyclist, including motor and sensory nerve conduction studies, and needle EMG on abductor pollicis brevis and other associated muscles. Of the 28 hands in 14 cyclists, 7 in 4 subjects had neurologic symptoms related to median nerve, and 5 in 4 subjects had abnormal electrodiagnostic examinations. The grip power was significantly better in cyclists than in control. The prevalence of median nerve lesions at wrist in cyclists, although usually mild, was substantially higher than expected. Electrodiagnosis can be used as a sensitive detector for neuropathy even at subclinical stage. It is suggested that cyclists and trainers should be aware of the median nerve lesion during cycling and training in order to take early preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

Neurobehavioral changes following caudate infarct: a case report with literature review.

Abstract: A case of left caudate infarct with its associated neurobehavioral changes is reported with review of literature The patient showed apathy, decreased problem solving ability, impaired memory and abstract thinking, especially the verbal memory Such behavioral and cognitive changes correspond to disturbances of specific prefrontal-caudate circuits, either dorsolateral prefrontal or lateral orbitofrontal circuits From review of literature, it is known that patients with dorsolateral caudate involvement may show apathy, reduced spontaneity and initiative; Patients with ventromedial caudate involvement will exhibit disinhibition, disorganization and impulsiveness, and patients with larger caudate lesion may show affective symptoms with psychotic features

Effects of zinc deficiency and supplements on lipid peroxidation and superoxide dismutase in mice

Abstract: 56 weanling Balb/c mice were assigned to Zn deficiency (ZD, n = 40), pair-fed (PF, n = 8) and fed ad libitum (AL, n = 8) groups according to their sex and weight, ZD mice were fed Zn-deficient (Zn: 1.6 ppm) diet, and PF and AL mice were fed control (Zn: 51.6 ppm) diet. After 6 weeks, 8 mice were taken out from ZD group and killed with all PF and AL mice. Blood and liver were sampled for the assays of Zn, Cu, malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). The other 32 ZD mice were divided into four groups and supplemented with 0, 5, 50 and 500 ppm Zn in the Zn-deficient diet respectively. After another 3 weeks they were also killed and used for the measurements of Zn, Cu, MDA and SOD. The results showed that Zn deficiency increased MDA formation and decreased SOD activity in the liver of mice. Supplementation of 5 or 50 ppm Zn for 3 weeks enabled a satisfactory recovery of all the indices in ZD mice. But 500 ppm Zn increased MDA formation and decreased SOD activity further. This could be explained by the secondary Cu deficiency in mice.

Review on risk factors of cervical cancer.

Abstract: This article reviews risk factors of cervical cancer which have been studied in the following aspects: (1) sociodemographic factors including educational level, urbanizational level, socioeconomic status, race and marriage; (2) sexual activity including age at first marriage, age at first coitus, multiple marriage, multiple sexual partners, broken marriage, unstable sex relationship, syphilis/gonorrhea history, coital frequency, multiple pregnancies and age at menarche; (3) factors related to husband including circumcision, sperm, smegma, previous wife with cervical cancer and occupations entailed mobility of husband and periods away from home; (4) psychosocial factors including stressful emotional status, deprived economic background and discontent home situation; (5) virus including herpes simplex type 2 and papilloma virus; (6) other factors including smoking, barrier and oral contraceptives.

[Surgical and anesthetic mortality in Mackay Memorial Hospital 1988-1989].

Abstract: The mortality associated with 52128 anesthetics administered over two years (1988-1989) at Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, was reported. The frequency of death to which anesthesia contributed was 0.4/10000 (2 cases in 52128 anesthetics). The total mortality rate from surgery within one week was 0.2% (105 cases in 52128 anesthetics). Anesthetic deaths were responsible for 1.9% of the total mortality. There were 25 cases of cardiac arrest with 18 fatal cases (7 cases were recovered after cardiopulmonary resuscitation). The causes of cardiac arrest during anesthesia included anesthetic factors (24%), surgical factors (24%) and patients' pathological factors (52%).

Zinc sulfate and thyroxine treatment on the obese patients

Abstract: Zinc has recently been found to have important effects on metabolism and thermoregulation of obese individuals. The effects of zinc sulfate and thyroxine treatment on the obese patients were studied. The obese patients, selected from outpatients at the Taichung VGH, all had their body weight 20% higher than they normally should have, and body mass indexes (BMI = Wt/Ht2) greater than 25 kg/m2. They were separated into three groups to have 600mg zinc sulfate or/and 0.1mg thyroxine per day, respectively. Serum zinc and copper contents were determined by atomic absorption spectrometer. The alterative of body weight was also recorded. After 8 weeks of therapy, the zinc sulfate and zinc sulfate + thyroxine treatment had more significant effects on weight reduction (male: -1.10 +/- 0.38; -1.10 +/- 0.19, female: -1.75 +/- 0.19; -3.16 +/- 0.21 kg, P less than 0.05, respectively). The serum zinc content was found to inversely relate to the body weight reduction (r = -0.605, P less than 0.001). The results also showed that zinc sulfate and thyroxine treatment did not have satisfactorily greater effects on body weight reduction at short-term therapy on obese patients. We conclude that zinc therapy on the obese patients still need more evaluation and suggest that zinc may have important effects on the thyroid hormones conversion, and may have certain regulatory effects on the insulin activity through its interaction with thyroid hormones in the development of obesity.

[Clinical application of Chinese forearm flap: 5-year review].

Abstract: Twenty-nine patients treated with the Chinese forearm flap from 1985 to 1989 were reviewed. This flap was used for soft tissue defect reconstruction in 19 cases, and phallus reconstruction in 10 patients. There were two cases of total flap failure and two cases of partial failure. Twenty cases used sensory flaps. Donor site complications included partial loss of the skin graft with tendon exposure in one patient (3.4%), limitation of range of movement of the wrist joint in one case (3.4%), and paresthesia over the radial site of the hand in 12 patients. On functional evaluation, 20 patients demonstrated no significant loss of strength in the donor extremity.