[Subhyaloid macular haemorrhage in Terson syndrome, treated by rupture of the posterior hyaloid using YAG laser]. / Hemorragia subhialoidea macular, tratada mediante ruptura de la hialoides posterior con láser YAG en un síndrome de Terson.

CASE REPORT: We present the case of a 48 year-old man who had a sudden onset of vomiting, headache and loss of consciousness. The visual acuity was severely reduced in the left eye, with a large subhyaloid haemorrhage being observed in the fundus. DISCUSSION: The combination of subarachnoid haemorrhage and a vitreous haemorrhage is called Terson syndrome. The details of the treatment of this case with YAG laser are also discussed.

[Sclerochoroidal calcification associated with hypovitaminosis D]. / Calcificaciones esclerocoroideas asociadas a hipovitaminosis D.

CASE REPORT: A 69 year-old woman was referred for a routine visit, during which funduscopy revealed white-yellow subretinal lesions in the superotemporal mid-periphery of both eyes. A and B scan ultrasound showed hyperechogenic lesions located at scleral and choroidal level. Computed tomography revealed posterolateral sclerochoroidal calcifications. Metabolic studies showed a severe vitamin D deficiency with no other remarkable findings. DISCUSSION: Sclerochoroidal calcifications are an infrequent finding that occur as a result of calcium deposit at scleral and choroidal level. They have a characteristic clinical picture and are idiopathic in most cases, but may be associated with some systemic diseases, such as calcium and phosphorous metabolic disorders; this fact warrants a thorough metabolic study. We report a case of bilateral sclerochoroidal calcifications associated with severe vitamin D deficiency with no other significant metabolic findings.

Radiotracer estimates of benthic activity effects on trace metal diffusion into mangrove sediments.

Potential influences of the whole benthic organisms' activity (i.e., coupled faunal and microbial effects) on (58)Co, (51)Cr and (65)Zn diffusion into surface mangrove sediment layers (0-6 cm depth) were evaluated in 36 h experiments. Benthic activity indices (BAI) were proposed, calculated as the relative percent difference between untreated sediments and formaldehyde-treated sediments data in relation to untreated sediments data. Benthic activity was estimated as responsible for 32%-44% of total inventories within sediments, being the chromate anion spiked the less affected radiotracer, while (65)Zn was the most sensitive. Benthic activity was quantitatively evidenced as a control on trace metal diffusion into the sediments, contributing to determine the sediment role as a metal sink. This influence can also affect metal potential bioavailability, considering that recently diffused metals can be more readily available to biological uptake.

[Crystalline keratopathy in pterigium treatment: case report]. / Queratopatía cristalina en el tratamiento del pterigión: a propósito de un caso.

CASE REPORT: A 65 year-old female who consulted due to the emergence of a white spot in the eye that had grown over the last year. The physical examination showed an intrastromal white crystal-like infiltrate and a tree-like morphology, with minimal inflammatory response. It was treated topically with no clear improvement, requiring a penetrating keratoplasty. DISCUSSION: A crystalline keratopathy is a rare event and characteristic of, but not exclusively, to a Streptococcus viridans infectious keratitis. It has been associated with prolonged use of topical steroids after penetrating keratoplasty and usually has a poor response to treatment.

Use of municipal solid waste compost (MSWC) as a growing medium in the nursery production of tomato plants.

Five media prepared from old peat (OP), white peat (WP) and municipal solid waste compost (MSWC) were used to determine optimum growing media for tomatoes (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill. cv "Atletico"). The mixtures of substrates used were: OP (65%)+WP (30%)+perlite (5%), OP (65%)+MSWC (30%)+perlite (5%), WP (65%)+OP (30%)+perlite (5%), WP (65%)+MSWC (30%)+perlite (5%), MSWC (65%)+WP (30%)+perlite (5%). Various seedling indices were measured in order to assess the quality of the nursery-produced plant. Nursery-produced tomato seedlings grown in WP (65%)+MSWC (30%) displayed quality indices similar to those recorded for conventional mixtures of old and white peat sphagnum, due to a correct balance between the compost nutrient supply and the porosity and aeration provided by white peat.

The oxidation-reduction state of serum proteins in multiple sclerosis patients: effect of interferon beta-1b.

The concentration of reduction equivalents in serum was studied in a cohort of healthy individuals, in a group of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients undergoing treatment with interferon beta-1b and another group of MS patients who refused treatment with interferon beta-1b. Two classes of sulfhydryl groups were detectable in serum: (1) the uncovered sulfhydryls, accessible to the oxidation-reduction substrate 5,5-dithiobis-(-2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB); and (2) the hidden sulfhydryls that required previous heat denaturation of serum proteins to become accessible to DTNB. The concentration of the reduced form of both the uncovered- and hidden-type of sulfhydryls was higher in the serum of MS patients than in healthy individuals. Interferon beta-1b lowered the plasma concentration of the uncovered reduced sulfhydryls after 3 months of treatment. This was in contrast to a minor effect of interferon beta-1b in the hidden-form of sulfhydryl groups. The results suggest that the concentration of reduced sulfhydryls is a biochemical marker of the in vivo oxidation/reduction reactions in MS.

Receptor-independent mechanisms are involved in the priming of neutrophil's oxidase by vasoactive intestinal peptide.

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) primed the respiratory burst of human neutrophils induced by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and by the chemotactic peptide N-formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP). The sigmoidal-shaped curve of the priming effect of VIP differs for both agonist since the Hill coefficient was close to three in the case of neutrophil activation by fMLP whereas the corresponding value for PMA was close to one. The priming effect of VIP was enhanced when neutrophils were stimulated by FMLP in the presence of sphinganine, a protein kinase C inhibitor, at concentrations which almost abolished the response to PMA. VIP failed to increase resting cytosolic free calcium and to modify the transient increase in [Ca2+]i induced by fMLP. The described results point out that the mechanism of the priming of neutrophils by VIP is also independent of calcium and protein kinase C. The absence of VIP receptors in plasma membrane of neutrophils suggests that a receptor-independent mechanism modulates the agonist-triggered signaling pathway. The priming of neutrophils by VIP can not be considered as a pharmacological effect, as may be deduced from the required VIP concentration; it should be rather considered that the enhancement of the formation of reactive oxygen metabolites by VIP may be interesting in the understanding of the neuroimmune axis.

Vasoactive intestinal peptide inhibits fMLP-induced respiratory burst in human lymphocytes.

N-Formyl-Methionyl-Leucyl-Phenylalanine (fMLP) induced in lymphocytes the production of reactive oxygen intermediates in a process which was inhibited by the presence of Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP) in a dose-dependent response at VIP concentrations in the range 10(-10)-10(-7) M. The dissociation constant for the high-affinity receptors of VIP agrees with the ID50 of the activation of adenylate cyclase which are close to 0.2 nM VIP, whereas the ID50 for the inhibition by VIP of fMLP-induced chemiluminescence approaches to 5 nM VIP. Both IBMX and Forskolin produced in lymphocytes an inhibition of fMLP-induced chemiluminescence. The degree of inhibition was ascertained to be additive in the presence of the above indicated agents and suboptimal concentrations of VIP. The saturation by cAMP of its putative target, the regulatory subunit of protein kinase A, appears to be required for the onset of the inhibitory effect of VIP. This study provides evidence of the molecular signal, namely cAMP, which provokes an inhibitory effect on chemoatractant-stimulated human lymphocytes and further support a role for VIP as a mediator in the neuroimmune system.