Pericardial Effusion with Cardiac Tamponade as a Form of Presentation of Primary Hypothyroidism

The authors describe a case of pericardial effusion accompanied by cardiac tamponade caused by primary hypothyroidism. Diagnosis was made by exclusion, because other causes of cardiac tamponade are more frequent. Emergency treatment of cardiac tamponade is pericardiocentesis (with possible pericardial window), and, after stabilization, performance of hormonal reposition therapy with L-thyroxin.

Marfan's syndrome: early and severe form in siblings

Marfan's syndrome is an inherited disorder of the connective tissue. Cardiologic manifestations, especially aortic dilation, are important causes of morbidity and mortality in the clinical course of the disease in adults and teenagers. In children, the presence of aortic aneurysm and its dissection or rupture is rare, occurring in patients with genetic mutation of the fibrillin gene but not in those who have the familial form of the disease. We describe here 2 patients, from the same family (siblings), diagnosed with gigantic aortic aneurysm early in infancy, one of them successfully undergoing surgery.

Right Ventricular Doppler Echocardiographic Study of Indeterminate Form of Chagas Disease

Background: Patients with indeterminate form of Chagas disease/cardiac normality (ICD/CN) exhibited normal electrocardiograms and chest X-rays; however, more sophisticated tests detected some degree of morphological and functional changes in the heart. Objective: To assess the prevalence of systolic and diastolic dysfunction of the right ventricle (RV) in patients with ICD/CN. Methods: This was a case–control and prevalence study. Using Doppler two-dimensional echocardiography (2D), 92 patients were assessed and divided into two groups: group I (normal, n = 31) and group II (ICD/CN, n = 61). Results: The prevalence of RV systolic dysfunction in patients in groups I and II was as follows: fractional area change (0.0% versus 0.6%), mobility of the tricuspid annulus (0.0% versus 0.0%), and S-wave tissue Doppler (6.4% versus 26.0%, p = 0.016). The prevalence of global disorders such as the right myocardial performance index using tissue Doppler (16.1% versus 27.8%, p = 0.099) and pulsed Doppler (61.3% versus 68%, p = 0.141) and diastolic disorders such as abnormal relaxation (0.0% versus 6.0%), pseudonormal pattern (0.0% versus 0.0%), and restrictive pattern (0.0% versus 0.0%) was not statistically different between groups. Conclusion: The prevalence of RV systolic dysfunction was estimated to be 26% (S wave velocity compared with other variables), suggesting incipient changes in RV systolic function in the ICD/CN group.

Subclinical Ventricular Dysfunction Detected by Speckle Tracking Two Years after Use of Anthracycline

Background: Heart failure is a severe complication associated with doxorubicin (DOX) use. Strain, assessed by two-dimensional speckle tracking (2D-STE), has been shown to be useful in identifying subclinical ventricular dysfunction. Objectives: a) To investigate the role of strain in the identification of subclinical ventricular dysfunction in patients who used DOX; b) to investigate determinants of strain response in these patients. Methods: Cross-sectional study with 81 participants: 40 patients who used DOX ±2 years before the study and 41 controls. All participants had left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥55%. Total dose of DOX was 396mg (242mg/ms2). The systolic function of the LV was evaluated by LVEF (Simpson), as well as by longitudinal (εLL), circumferential (εCC), and radial (εRR) strains. Multivariate linear regression (MLR) analysis was performed using εLL (model 1) and εCC (model 2) as dependent variables. Results: Systolic and diastolic blood pressure values were higher in the control group (p < 0.05). εLL was lower in the DOX group (-12.4 ±2.6%) versus controls (-13.4 ± 1.7%; p = 0.044). The same occurred with εCC: -12.1 ± 2.7% (DOX) versus -16.7 ± 3.6% (controls; p < 0.001). The S’ wave was shorter in the DOX group (p = 0.035). On MLR, DOX was an independent predictor of reduced εCC (B = -4.429, p < 0.001). DOX (B = -1.289, p = 0.012) and age (B = -0.057, p = 0.029) were independent markers of reduced εLL. Conclusion: a) εLL, εCC and the S’ wave are reduced in patients who used DOX ±2 years prior to the study despite normal LVEF, suggesting the presence of subclinical ventricular dysfunction; b) DOX was an independent predictor of reduced εCC; c) prior use of DOX and age were independent markers of reduced εLL.

Form, entwicklung und funktion der hypodermalen druesen von rhinocricus padbergii (Diplopoda)

Es werden die hypodermalen Druesen von rhinocricus padbergii (Diplopoda) histologisch beschrieben, sowie ihre Bildung in der Hypodermis sich frisch haeutender Tiere dargestellt. 1. Die Druesen bestehen aus vier wohldifferenzierten Zellen, von denen zwei als Kanalzellen und zwei als Druesenzellen funktionieren. 2. Die Druesenzellen entleeren ihr Sekret durch einen langen, sehr duennen Kanal auf die Oberflaeche der Cuticula im Anfang ihrer Neubildung, wo das Sekret hoechst wahrscheinlich zur Bildung der neuen Epicuticula beitraegt. 3. Der Ausleitungsapparat besteht aus einem in den beiden kanalzellen durch zwei aeussere Spiralfaeden verstaerkten, sehr duennen Kanal, der an der Basalflaeche der zweiten Kanalzelle eine klammerartige Verdickung zeigt. Er setzt sich als sehr duennhaeutiger, dehnbarer kanal in die erste Druesenzelle fort, an deren Basisflaeche er sich in zwei kurze Zweige aufteilt, von denen einer in die zweite Druesenzelle reicht. Um die offene Endigung der Zweige bildet sich eine kugelfoermige, radialstrahlige Ausfuehrzone, die vermutlich aus Mikrovilli aufgebaut ist. 4. Das Sekret kann in dem dehnbaren Teil des kanals innerhalb der ersten Druesenzelle gespeichert werden. Sein Austritt wird durch die Elastizitaet der erwaehnten Klammer des Kanals geregelt. 5. Die vier Kerne des Druesenkomplexes bilden sich durch zweifache amitotische Teilung aus einer Hypodermiszelle, besonders an den hinteren Raendern der Sklerite. 6. Der Ausfuehrkanal bildet sich als Invagination der aeussersten Ektocuticularlamelle.

The isolation of the perfect form of Microsporum Gypseum, Nannizzia Gypsea, Stockdale, 1963, from brazilian soil

Our work is on the isolation from brazilian soil of the perfect stage of Microsporum gypseum, Nannizzia gypsea, Stock., 1963, using cut sterilized children hair as bait.

Differential effect of culture epimastigotes and blood-form Trypamastigotes on normal mouse splenocyte responsiveness to mitogens

Blood form trypomastigotes of the Y strain of T. cruzi, produced a strong inhibition of the blastogenic response to T and B cell mitogens, of the C3H/He, C57BLand BALB/cJ strains of mice, while culture epimastigotes of the Y strain kept in a medium that allows parasite growth at 26°. 30° and 37°C produced a strong stimulatory effect that was even higher than the effect of the mitogens alone. Both the inhibitory or the stimulatory effects were dose-dependent. The stimulatory effect of epimastigotes was also temperature-dependent producing increasedstimulation indexes as the temperature of parasite cultures was raised. Metabolically active,living parasites seemed to be necessary for an improved lymphocyte stimulation suggesting a potential role of secreted metabolites as polyclonal activators of mouse lymphocytes.

Dasyrhynchus pacificus Robinson, 1965 (Trypanorhyncha: Dasyrhynchidae) description of the adult form

One out of four specimens of sharks, Carcharhinus brachyurus (Günther, 1860), captured off the southern Brazilian Coast, harboured cestodes identified as Dasyrhynchus pacificus Robinson, 1965, of which the adult form is now described and referred as ocurring in Brazil.

Some progress on the chemistry of natural bioactive terpenoids form Chinese medicinal plants

(1) Pseudolaric acids - Novel diterpenes, Pseudolaric acid A, B, C and D were isolated from Pseudolarix kaempferi Gorden (pinaceae). Their structures were assigned by spectroscopic data and chemical correlations. In the contineous studies, the absolute configurations, the conformations in the solutions, the framentation mechanisms of MS and assigments of all NMR spectral signals were also reported. They showed the antifungal and cytotoxic activities. (2) Daphnane diterpenes - In the further studies on the plants of Thymelaeaceae, besides 10 known diterpenes, 16 new daphnane diterpenes were isolated from Daphne genkwa, D. tangutica, D. giraldii, Wikstroemie chamaedaphne. They showed the antifertilities activities. (3) Tripterygium diterpenes 14 new diterpenes were isolated from Triperygium wilfordii, T. regeli and T. hypoglaucum. Some of them showed the antitumor activities. The CD spectra showed that A/B ring of all compoundshave trans configuration as same as tripdiolide and triptolide determined by X-ray diffraction (4) Pregnane glycosides from Marsdenia koi - Two new pregnane glycosides marsdenikoiside A and marsdenikoiside B which can terminate the early pregnancy were isolated from Marsdeia koi. Their structures were elucidated by hydrolysis and spectroscopic methods.

A medium for inducing conversion of Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum into its yeast-like form

Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum is a dimorphic fungus that, under special conditions, converts from its more common mycelial form to a yeast-like form. Achieving this conversion, however, has been problematical for researchers. The present study tested conversion rates in ten Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum strains using seven culture media, four of wich were conventional and three novel. One of our novel media, MLGema, induced complete conversion, of two strains within five days of incubation at 35 degrees centigrades, and of all strains that eventually converted by the time of the second subculturing transfer, under defined experimental conditions. MLGema is also inexpensive and easy to produce.

Description of the adult form of Nybelinia (Syngenes) rougetcampanae Dollfus, 1960 and some new data on n. (n.) bisculata (Linton, 1889) (Trypanorhyncha: Tentaculariidae)

The adult form of Nybelinia (Syngenes) rougetcampanae Dollfus, 1960 is described, parasitizing one specimen of Sphyrna lewni (Griffith & Smith, 1834) out of the five ones necropsied and one out of six Nothorhynchus pectorosus (Garman, 1884) was found harbouring N. (N.) bisculata (Linton, 1889). The finding of these cestodes under Trypanorhyncha in sharks captured off the coast of Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, amplifies their known geographical distribution and adds new host records for these parasites.

Influence of the host related factors in the development of the hepatosplenic form of schistosomiasis mansoni

The frequency of hepatosplenomegaly in endemic areas is not proportional to the fecal ova count. This may be explained by epidemiological genetic. The occurrence of two or more cases of schistosomal hepatosplenomegaly in nuclear family is much higher than expected. The concentration is higher among siblings than it is among mothers and children of further and children. It is not significant between father and mother. If the mother, instead of the father has hepatosplenic schistosomiasis the relative risk for the child to acquire hepatosplenomegaly is at least five times (the maternal affect). The inbreeding is highler in the hepatosplenic than in the hepatointestinal patients. In some areas in Brazil the hepatosplenic form of the schistosomiasis mansoni occurs with much higher frequency in whites than in blacks. After treatment, reversion of hepatosplenic schistosomiasis occurs more frequently in non-whithers. It seems that the resistance of blacks to the hepatosplenic form of schistosomiasis may be related to the glyoxalase system , perhaps associated to another genetic marker. The hepatosplenic schistosomiasis is less frequent in longilineal individuals. In some areas the hepatosplenic form of schistosomiasis is more frequent in A blood group of ABO sistem. The family heredograms do not suggest a single mendelian inheritance, but probably a multifactorial and possibility poligenic one.