Optic neuritis, multiple sclerosis and human leukocyte antigen: results of a 4-year follow-up study.

In the present study the relation between human leukocyte antigen (HLA), optic neuritis (ON) and multiple sclerosis (MS) has been investigated in 56 Iranian patients (46 females and 10 males). HLA-A and -B typing by microlymphocytotoxicity method and HLA-DRB, DQA and DQB by polymerase chain reaction based on sequence specific primers method was performed for the selected patients with ON. The diagnosis of clinically defined MS (CDMS) was confirmed in 15 of them (26.7%) during their follow-up. HLA-A24 was significantly higher in ON patients, whilst A23, A26, and A30 showed a significant decrease in these patients. HLA-A10 and A26 were absent in CDMS patients and A2 and A11 were significantly decreased in ON and CDMS patients. HLA-B5, B51, B38, B27, and B35 were significantly increased in ON patients compared with control subjects. HLA-B44, B16 and B38 alleles were not present in CDMS patients. Regarding DR locus, the frequency of HLA-DRB1*15 and DRB1*04 has been increased in CDMS patients, whilst the frequency of HLA-DRB1*07 and *11 was much higher in ON patients. In DQA region, the most frequent allele in the MS patients was DQA1*0102, which was significantly higher than ON patients, and control group. The frequency of DQA1*0103 was significantly increased in both patients group. In DQB1, the frequency of DQB1*0602 increased significantly in the MS patients. In conclusion existence of common genetic basis for early manifestations of MS could be suggested.

Evaluation of isovolumic relaxation phase in the process of ventricular remodeling following myocardial infarction.

The course of cardiac remodeling after an acute cardiac MI, might affect the orientation of the cardiac muscle fibers as well as their contraction behavior. This may result in alteration of the untwisting during isovolumic relaxation phase, which might have effects on rapid early filling phase. In the present article, the variation of the time constant of isovolumic pressure drop (tau) has been studied during the course of cardiac remodeling after different types of induced myocardial infarction (MI) in sheep. The results for each group show different patterns of change in tau. The normalized tau curve in all three groups of anteroapical, anterobasal and posterobasal MI group show a rise 30 minutes after infarction. Two weeks later, the pressure drop constants decline to a lower level than baseline and by eight weeks after infarction, the time constant reached around the baseline level.

Juvenile xanthogranuloma: concurrent involvement of skin and eye.

PURPOSE: To report a novel presentation of ocular involvement in juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG). CASE REPORT: A 1-year-old boy with the concurrent skin and eye involvement of JXG is presented. The ocular problems included spontaneous hyphema, secondary glaucoma, and 360-degree involvement of the limbus, iris, and angle. RESULTS: To reduce the intraocular pressure (IOP), treatment was started with drops of timolol, betamethasone, and atropine and acetazolamide suspension. After 6 months of medical treatment, the skin lesions did not change, but the iris lesion enlarged without hyphema. The IOP in the right eye was controlled by the medications. CONCLUSION: Although JXG is an uncommon disease, it is one of the most important causes of spontaneous hyphema in children. Iris involvement, spontaneous hyphema, and secondary glaucoma are the most common ocular problems. Corneal involvement often is characterized by a yellowish protrusion of the limbus along with blood staining of recurrent hyphema and elevated IOP. In this report, we describe an unusual case of JXG with 360-degree limbus, iris, and angle involvement. To our knowledge, this is the first report in the medical literature of 360-degree limbus involvement in JXG.

An anatomic study of the lingual nerve in the third molar region.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the location of the lingual nerve in the lower third molar region. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this study, 669 nerves from 430 fresh cadavers were examined. Measurements on each cadaver were made using a micrometer caliper to determine the horizontal and vertical position of the lingual nerve in the lower third molar region. RESULTS: In 94 cases (14.05%), the nerve was above the lingual crest, and in 1 case (0.15%), the nerve was in the retromolar pad region. In the remaining 574 cases (85.80%), the mean horizontal and vertical distances of the nerve to the lingual plate and the lingual crest 2.06 +/- 1.10 mm (range, 0.00 to 3.20 mm) and 3.01 +/- 0.42 mm (range, 1.70 to 4.00 mm), respectively. In 149 cases (22.27%), the nerve was in direct contact with the lingual plate of the alveolar process. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the relatively unsafe position of the lingual nerve in relation to some oral and maxillofacial surgery procedures.