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The objective of this study was to check whether there is a link between focalnodular hepatic hyperplasia of the liver and use of birth control pills and if so what it is. Focalnodular hepatic hyperplasias consists of hepatocytes Kupffers cells proliferating hepatic ducts connective tissue and vessels. Characteristically on the cut surface of a focalnodular hyperplasia specimen is central star shaped scar tissue with radial branches. The nodular tissue is sharply delineated from the surrounding liver tissue without actually forming an anatomic capsule. Based on the literature and authors observations 886 cases were assembled for analysis. Results are as follows: Roughly 20% of tumors occur in children and adolescents barely 18% in males. Use of steroid hormones for contraceptive purposes was found in only 27.8% of patients. Tumor size does not correlate with length of use of birth control pills. In males and patients under 20 tumors are on the average larger than in women and patients over 19. On the other hand birth control pills are assumed to promote growth of an existing focalnodular hyperplasia for the following reason: Women using oral contraceptives on the average have larger tumors than non-users; oral contraceptive users are younger than the comparison group when the diagnosis is made; symptoms occur more frequently among pill user; however it is concluded that oral contraceptives can be precluded as a causal pathogenetic factor in focalnodular hyperplasia.

Report on intraoperative sonography in 257 patients (89 with pancreatic and 67 with liver disease, 24 with vascular surgery and 24 with bile duct disease). Intraoperative sonography was helpful for the detection of tumors not evident by inspection and palpation. In vascular surgery it proved to be an excellent means for quality control. The main problems encountered concerned the evaluation of the bile ducts and of haemodynamically insignificant vessel wall lesions.

Immunization with heat shock proteins (HSPs) induces Ag-specific CTL responses. The specificity of the immune response is based on peptides associated with HSPs. To investigate how exogenous HSP/peptide complexes gain access to the MHC class I-restricted Ag presentation pathway, we incubated the monocytic cell line P388D1 and the dendritic cell line D2SC/1 with gold-labeled HSPs gp96 and HSC70. We show that HSPs bind specifically to the surface of these APCs and are internalized spontaneously by receptor-mediated endocytosis, demonstrating the existence of specific receptors for HSPs on these cells. In addition, we observe colocalization of internalized HSPs and surface MHC class I molecules in early and late endosomal structures. These findings provide possible explanations for the immunogenicity of HSP/peptide complexes and for the transfer of HSP-associated peptides onto MHC class I molecules.

We report the analysis of high- and medium-resolution X-ray spectra of the Wolf-Rayet (WR) objects WR25 (HD93162, WN6h+O4f) and WR11 (gamma2 Velorum, WC8+O7.5III, P =78.53 d), obtained with the reflection grating spectrometers (rgs) and the european photon imaging cameras (epicmos and PN) CCD spectrometers on board the XMM-Newton satellite.

There are various opinions regarding the aetiology and pathogenesis of dislocation of the shoulder. Various aspects of these theories and their clinical significance have been examined in the course of a clinical and radiological follow-up. Crucial to the development of subluxation is the occurrence of trauma. The age of the patient is important in the prognosis: more than 60% of patients under the age of 30 develop recurrent or persistent dislocation. Apart from a congenital disposition and inadequate treatment, accompanying injuries are primarily responsible for the development of persistent dislocation. Late follow-up has shown that radiologically recognisable post-traumatic changes are apparent in at least one-third of the patients. Persistent symptoms are much more common and consist of pain, limitation of movement, weakness and paraesthesia. In evaluating the late results, one should distinguish between objective functional limitation of movement and subjectively felt reduction in function.

Experimental and clinical investigations of fractures of the head of the tibia by computed tomography are described. CT provides much information which is of significance for treatment. In particular, it demonstrates the size of fragments, of defects and areas of compression more clearly than does conventional radiography.

We have studied 438 patients radiologically in order to observe the so-called "radius-capitellum axis". In about a quarter of people with normal elbows the axis passes lateral to the middle portion of the capitellum, so that even when there is marked deviation, there is no certainty that the humero-radial joint is abnormal. Deviation of the axis can be caused by changes in the shape of the capitellum or of the radius, or by distension of the capsule of the elbow joint, or by various changes in muscular pull.

Computer tomographic examination of the tibia was carried out in ten patients two days to four years after removal of an intramedullary nail. Sclerosis of the marrow cavity and cortex and bone formation in the nail track are characteristic findings. They have been correlated with the appearances on conventional x-rays. Changes in the density of the marrow cavity, which is normally increased around the previous nail tract, do not necessarily indicate the presence of infection. In the absence of complications, the increased marrow space density may return to normal negative values corresponding with fat density.

In the presence of multiple injuries, 30% of fractures of the sacrum are missed on the first examination. The clinical features are non-specific and are often obscured by other injuries. Interruption or displacement of contrast lines on the A. P. view, if bilateral, are definite evidence of a fracture. In evaluating films of the sacrum it is therefore recommended that these lines be examined carefully. Such changes were found in two thirds of longitudinal and one third of horizontal fractures. Special attention should also be paid to the lateral and cranial articular processes, since these are areas of weakness in the pelvis and are predisposed to fracture.

We present new dynamical parameters of the AR Pav binary system. Ourobservations consist of a series of high resolution optical/NIR spectra from which we derive the radial velocity curve of the red giant as well as its rotation velocity. Assuming co-rotation, we determine the stellar radius (130 R_solar) of the red giant. Based on this we derive the red giant's luminosity and mass (2.0 M_solar) as well as the distance of the system (4.9 kpc). The binary mass function finally yields the companion's mass (0.75 M_solar) and the binary separation (1.95 AU). We find that the red giant does not fill its Roche lobe. We review the radial velocity data of Thackeray and Hutchings (1974), and compare it with our red giant's orbit. We find that their RV curves of the blue absorption system and the permitted emission lines are in anti-phase with the red giant, and that the forbidden emission lines are shifted by a quarter of a period. The blue absorptions and the permitted emission lines are associated with the hot companion but not in a straightforward way. The blue absorption system only tracks the hot component's orbital motion whilst it is in front of the red giant, whereas at other phases line blanketing by interbinary material leads to perturbations. We finally present UV light curves based on IUE archive spectra. We clearly detect eclipses in the continuum at all wavelengths. The eclipse light curves are unusual in that they show a slow and gradual decline prior to eclipse which is followed by a sharp increase after eclipse., Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures

We present new optical spectroscopy obtained with the Faint Object Spectrograph on the William Herschel Telescope of 6 WR stars in the local group galaxy M33 and 6 WR stars in M31. These spectra cover the wavelength range λλ3500-9750 å. We confirm the previous WR classifications of the M31 stars. In the M33 sample, 4 stars are classified as WC4-5, one is confirmed as WN-WCE and a further WN-WCE star has been identified. The widths of the CIV λ5800 emission differ by a factor of three amongst the M33 WC4-5 sample, spanning values exhibited by galactic WC8-WC4 stars and confirming the existence of narrow-lined WC4-5 stars in M33. We find that the M33 WCE line widths appear to be correlated with galactocentric distance and loosely connected to ambient metallicity. The narrowest lined WCE star MC 53 is in an unusually high (above solar) metallicity region. Further observations of a larger sample of M33 stars are required to confirm these preliminary results.