Molecular docking studies of α-mangostin with oral cancer ...
β-THROMBOGLOBULIN LEVELS AND ORAL CONTRACEPTION
1
631 advocated the alternative use of regional anaesthesia for caesar- ean section. Coroner’s Court, Birmingham B4 6NE R. M. WHITTINGTON Department of Anæsthetics, University of Birmingham, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham B15 2TH J. S. ROBINSON JOHN M. THOMPSON &bgr;-THROMBOGLOBULIN LEVELS AND ORAL CONTRACEPTION SIR,-Dr Aranda and colleagues (Aug. 11, p. 308) report in- creased p-thromboglobulin (p-TG) values in women taking a particular oral-contraceptive preparation. In a similar study, we measured &bgr;-TG in the blood of 30 women taking various contraceptive pills with an oestrogen content of 20-100 p.g and compared these with values in 29 age-matched healthy women. We do not use venous stasis for sample collection. The mean p-TG value found in the controls was 16+6-7 (SD) ng/ml while the mean value in our contraceptive group was 37±27-5 ng/ml (p<0.01). Despite the differences in actual values, both Aranda’s study and ours recorded increases of 2’3x normal in women taking oral contraceptives. No correla- tion (r=0-28) was found between p-TG levels and the oestrogen content of the contraceptive pills in our-study. Both studies are at variance with the report from Ludlam et al.l who found no such elevation. Like Aranda et al. we used the Amersham radioimmunoas- say kit, but in our assay, instead of the sample tubes supplied by the manufacturer, we used tubes containing the mixture of EDTA, theophylline, and prostaglandin EI.2 We have found that our normal values for &bgr;- TG, although similar to the orig- inal values of Ludlam et al.’ (19+0.75 ng/ml), are lower than those published by other groups2-4 who use the Amersham kit without modification. Reference to the different values of p-TG levels found by using these two different sample tubes has already been made in a Lancet editorial.5 In our assay, 95% of all values in our control group were less than 30 ng/ml. On the other hand, the normal values detected by Aranda’s group (41+20 ng/ml) are higher than most published values. 1-4 Total sample-to-assay time was 45 min in Aranda’s study, which is less than that recommended by Ludlam and Cash2 and by the kit manufacturer. If insufficient time were allowed for cooling on ice/water, 0-4°C (at least 30 min according to K. Kabareck of the Radiochemical Centre, Amersham) before 30 min centrifugation, this could account for the generally high values that Aranda et al. found. These conflicting results are similar to reports in the litera- ture indicating both normal6 and abnormal4,7 levels of p-TG in similar groups of diabetic patients; perhaps the discrepant results of p-TG studies on diabetics and women on oral contra- ceptives can be explained by differences in sample acquisition and handling. Department of Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55901, U.S.A. ALEXANDER DUNCAN 1. Ludlam CA, Moore S, Bolton AE, Pepper DS, Cash JD. Thromb Res 1975; 6: 543-48. 2. Ludlam CA, Cash JD. Br J Hœmatol 1976; 39: 239-47. 3 Broughton BJ, Allington MD, King A. Br J Hæmatol 1978; 40: 125-32. 4 Burrows AW, Chavin SI, Hockaday TDR. Lancet 1978; i: 235-37. 5. Lancet 1978; i: 250. 6. Campbell IN, Dawes J, Fraser DM, Pepper DS, Clark B, Cash JD. Diabetes 1977; 26: 1175-77. 7. Preston FE, Ward JD, Marcola BH, Porter NR, Timperley WR, O’Malley BC. Lancet 1978; i: 238-41. ACTUAL OR STANDARD BICARBONATE SiR,-Mr Lawrie and Mr Golda (July 28, p. 201) report on methods of providing the clinician with information about metabolic acidosis. Clinicians’ preference for base excess might have been anticipated; at least base excess purports to measure the metabolic acidosis. However, it is regrettable that we still measure acidosis as negative base. t’LU2 In-vivo acid-base diagram showing location of chronic distur- bances. The accompanying diagram is an updated version of one published three years ago. The intersection of PC02 and pH allows the metabolic disturbance to be read from the Y-axis in mmol/1. It is easier to comprehend mmol/1 of metabolic aci- dosis (or alkalosis) than to grapple with negative (or positive) base excess. This diagram positions chronic respiratory and metabolic conditions where intuition would place them-mid- way between total compensation and no compensation (i.e., either midway between pH 7-4 and pure respiratory distur- bance [the zero line] or midway between pH 7-4 and pure metabolic disturbance [the PC02 S-33 line]). Clinical educational experience with this diagram suggests it to be a representation with some advantages, not the least of which is that it avoids base excess, standard bicarbonate, and actual bicarbonate. Department of Anesthesiology, Upstate Medical Center, Syracuse, New York 13210, U.S.A. A. W. GROGONO ARE THERE ANTIGENIC VARIANTS OF HEPATITIS A VIRUS? SIR,-Hepatitis B virus has several serological subtypes of its surface antigen, but hepatitis A virus (HAV) is considered to be serologically uniform. Our findings make this view of HAV questionable. In experiments to standardise a solid-phase radioimmunoas- say (SPIRA) for HAV and virus-specific antibodies immune serum gammaglobulin from the HAVAb kit of Abbott (IG- USA) and gammaglobulin prepared from a pool of convalesc- ent sera (IG-USSR) were used. The sources of virus samples were faeces from hepatitis A patients in Moscow (F375-Mos- cow) ; Central Asia (F245-CA); West Germany (FD-FRG), kindly provided by Prof. F. Deinhardt and Dr G. Frosner; and Bulgaria (FBA-PRB), kindly supplied by Dr M. Teokharova. SPIRA tests revealed HA antigen in F375-Moscow and 1. Grogono AW, Byles PH, Hawke W. An in-vivo representation of acid-base balance. Lancet 1976; ii: 499.
Transcript of β-THROMBOGLOBULIN LEVELS AND ORAL CONTRACEPTION
631
advocated the alternative use of regional anaesthesia for caesar-ean section.
Coroner’s Court,Birmingham B4 6NE R. M. WHITTINGTON
Department of Anæsthetics,University of Birmingham,Queen Elizabeth Hospital,Birmingham B15 2TH
J. S. ROBINSONJOHN M. THOMPSON
&bgr;-THROMBOGLOBULIN LEVELS AND ORALCONTRACEPTION
SIR,-Dr Aranda and colleagues (Aug. 11, p. 308) report in-creased p-thromboglobulin (p-TG) values in women taking aparticular oral-contraceptive preparation. In a similar study,we measured &bgr;-TG in the blood of 30 women taking variouscontraceptive pills with an oestrogen content of 20-100 p.g andcompared these with values in 29 age-matched healthy women.We do not use venous stasis for sample collection.
The mean p-TG value found in the controls was 16+6-7(SD) ng/ml while the mean value in our contraceptive groupwas 37±27-5 ng/ml (p<0.01). Despite the differences in actualvalues, both Aranda’s study and ours recorded increases of2’3x normal in women taking oral contraceptives. No correla-tion (r=0-28) was found between p-TG levels and the oestrogencontent of the contraceptive pills in our-study. Both studies areat variance with the report from Ludlam et al.l who found nosuch elevation.
Like Aranda et al. we used the Amersham radioimmunoas-
say kit, but in our assay, instead of the sample tubes suppliedby the manufacturer, we used tubes containing the mixture ofEDTA, theophylline, and prostaglandin EI.2 We have foundthat our normal values for &bgr;- TG, although similar to the orig-inal values of Ludlam et al.’ (19+0.75 ng/ml), are lower thanthose published by other groups2-4 who use the Amersham kitwithout modification.
Reference to the different values of p-TG levels found byusing these two different sample tubes has already been madein a Lancet editorial.5 In our assay, 95% of all values in ourcontrol group were less than 30 ng/ml. On the other hand, thenormal values detected by Aranda’s group (41+20 ng/ml) arehigher than most published values. 1-4
Total sample-to-assay time was 45 min in Aranda’s study,which is less than that recommended by Ludlam and Cash2and by the kit manufacturer. If insufficient time were allowedfor cooling on ice/water, 0-4°C (at least 30 min according toK. Kabareck of the Radiochemical Centre, Amersham) before30 min centrifugation, this could account for the generallyhigh values that Aranda et al. found.
These conflicting results are similar to reports in the litera-ture indicating both normal6 and abnormal4,7 levels of p-TG insimilar groups of diabetic patients; perhaps the discrepantresults of p-TG studies on diabetics and women on oral contra-ceptives can be explained by differences in sample acquisitionand handling.
Department of Pathology,Mayo Clinic,Rochester, Minnesota 55901, U.S.A. ALEXANDER DUNCAN
1. Ludlam CA, Moore S, Bolton AE, Pepper DS, Cash JD. Thromb Res 1975;6: 543-48.
2. Ludlam CA, Cash JD. Br J Hœmatol 1976; 39: 239-47.3 Broughton BJ, Allington MD, King A. Br J Hæmatol 1978; 40: 125-32.4 Burrows AW, Chavin SI, Hockaday TDR. Lancet 1978; i: 235-37.5. Lancet 1978; i: 250.6. Campbell IN, Dawes J, Fraser DM, Pepper DS, Clark B, Cash JD. Diabetes
1977; 26: 1175-77.7. Preston FE, Ward JD, Marcola BH, Porter NR, Timperley WR, O’Malley
BC. Lancet 1978; i: 238-41.
ACTUAL OR STANDARD BICARBONATE
SiR,-Mr Lawrie and Mr Golda (July 28, p. 201) report onmethods of providing the clinician with information aboutmetabolic acidosis. Clinicians’ preference for base excess mighthave been anticipated; at least base excess purports to measurethe metabolic acidosis. However, it is regrettable that we stillmeasure acidosis as negative base.
t’LU2
In-vivo acid-base diagram showing location of chronic distur-bances.
The accompanying diagram is an updated version of onepublished three years ago. The intersection of PC02 and pHallows the metabolic disturbance to be read from the Y-axis inmmol/1. It is easier to comprehend mmol/1 of metabolic aci-dosis (or alkalosis) than to grapple with negative (or positive)base excess. This diagram positions chronic respiratory andmetabolic conditions where intuition would place them-mid-way between total compensation and no compensation (i.e.,either midway between pH 7-4 and pure respiratory distur-bance [the zero line] or midway between pH 7-4 and puremetabolic disturbance [the PC02 S-33 line]).
Clinical educational experience with this diagram suggests itto be a representation with some advantages, not the least ofwhich is that it avoids base excess, standard bicarbonate, andactual bicarbonate.
Department of Anesthesiology,Upstate Medical Center,Syracuse, New York 13210, U.S.A. A. W. GROGONO
ARE THERE ANTIGENIC VARIANTS OF HEPATITISA VIRUS?
SIR,-Hepatitis B virus has several serological subtypes ofits surface antigen, but hepatitis A virus (HAV) is consideredto be serologically uniform. Our findings make this view ofHAV questionable.
In experiments to standardise a solid-phase radioimmunoas-say (SPIRA) for HAV and virus-specific antibodies immuneserum gammaglobulin from the HAVAb kit of Abbott (IG-USA) and gammaglobulin prepared from a pool of convalesc-ent sera (IG-USSR) were used. The sources of virus sampleswere faeces from hepatitis A patients in Moscow (F375-Mos-cow) ; Central Asia (F245-CA); West Germany (FD-FRG),kindly provided by Prof. F. Deinhardt and Dr G. Frosner; andBulgaria (FBA-PRB), kindly supplied by Dr M. Teokharova.SPIRA tests revealed HA antigen in F375-Moscow and
1. Grogono AW, Byles PH, Hawke W. An in-vivo representation of acid-basebalance. Lancet 1976; ii: 499.
