Results from the intercalibration of optical low light calibration sources 2011

Following the 38th Annual European Meeting on Atmospheric Studies by Optical Methods in Siuntio in Finland, an intercalibration workshop for optical low light calibration sources was held in Sodankylä, Finland. The main purpose of this workshop was to provide a comparable scale for absolute measurements of aurora and airglow. All sources brought to the intercalibration workshop were compared to the Fritz Peak reference source using the Lindau Calibration Photometer built by Wilhelm Barke and Hans Lauche in 1984. The results were compared to several earlier intercalibration workshops. It was found that most sources were fairly stable over time, with errors in the range of 5–25%. To further validate the results, two sources were also intercalibrated at UNIS, Longyearbyen, Svalbard. Preliminary analysis indicates agreement with the intercalibration in Sodankylä within about 15–25%

Correlation between serum HCV RNA and aminotransferase levels in patients with chronic HCV infection

Cross-sectional studies on the correlation between serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in patients with chronic hepatitis C have yielded conflicting results. We conducted a longitudinal study to examine the correlation between HCV viremia and serum ALT levels in individual patients over time. Serial samples (mean 9) from 25 patients with chronic HCV infection, including interferon-treated and untreated immunocompetent and immunosuppressed patients, collected over a period of 1–4.8 years (mean 2.6 years) were tested for HCV RNA and ALT levels using a highly reproducible quantitative (bDNA) assay. A significant correlation was found between serum HCV RNA and ALT levels in the patients who received IFN therapy, but no correlation was observed in the untreated patients. Among the untreated patients, the immunosuppressed patients had significantly higher HCV RNA levels (39±4 vs 3.6±8 Meq/ml, P <0.0001) but significantly lower ALT (56±11 vs 97±12 units/liter, P =0.03) levels when compared to the immunocompetent ones. In summary, we found no correlation between serum HCV RNA and ALT levels in chronic hepatitis C patients who are not receiving interferon therapy. Immunosuppression results in higher HCV RNA but lower ALT levels.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44425/1/10620_2005_Article_BF02071402.pd

Significant benefits of AIP testing and clinical screening in familial isolated and young-onset pituitary tumors

Context Germline mutations in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor-interacting protein (AIP) gene are responsible for a subset of familial isolated pituitary adenoma (FIPA) cases and sporadic pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs). Objective To compare prospectively diagnosed AIP mutation-positive (AIPmut) PitNET patients with clinically presenting patients and to compare the clinical characteristics of AIPmut and AIPneg PitNET patients. Design 12-year prospective, observational study. Participants & Setting We studied probands and family members of FIPA kindreds and sporadic patients with disease onset ≤18 years or macroadenomas with onset ≤30 years (n = 1477). This was a collaborative study conducted at referral centers for pituitary diseases. Interventions & Outcome AIP testing and clinical screening for pituitary disease. Comparison of characteristics of prospectively diagnosed (n = 22) vs clinically presenting AIPmut PitNET patients (n = 145), and AIPmut (n = 167) vs AIPneg PitNET patients (n = 1310). Results Prospectively diagnosed AIPmut PitNET patients had smaller lesions with less suprasellar extension or cavernous sinus invasion and required fewer treatments with fewer operations and no radiotherapy compared with clinically presenting cases; there were fewer cases with active disease and hypopituitarism at last follow-up. When comparing AIPmut and AIPneg cases, AIPmut patients were more often males, younger, more often had GH excess, pituitary apoplexy, suprasellar extension, and more patients required multimodal therapy, including radiotherapy. AIPmut patients (n = 136) with GH excess were taller than AIPneg counterparts (n = 650). Conclusions Prospectively diagnosed AIPmut patients show better outcomes than clinically presenting cases, demonstrating the benefits of genetic and clinical screening. AIP-related pituitary disease has a wide spectrum ranging from aggressively growing lesions to stable or indolent disease course

Serum HCV RNA levels in patients with chronic hepatitis C given a second course of interferon alpha-2b treatment after relapse following initial treatment

10 patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection who previously had responded temporarily to 9 months interferon alpha-2b treatment with normalization of ALT levels during treatment but later relapse were given a second 6-month treatment course. All patients were positive for anti-HCV by a second generation ELISA confirmed by second generation RIBA and positive for HCV RNA in serum before retreatment with interferon. Serum HCV RNA titers and ALT levels were monitored before, during and after treatment. ALT levels fell significantly from mean 1.95 mu kat/l before treatment to mean 0.96 and 0.85 mu kat/l after 4 and 24 weeks treatment, respectively (p < 0.005-p < 0.009). Six patients had normal ALT levels (< 0.07 mu kat/l) at treatment stop. 12 weeks post treatment cessation, however, the mean ALT level, 2.29 mu kat/l, was not significantly changed from the pretreatment level and all patients had raised ALT levels. The mean pretreatment HCV RNA titer in serum 10(5) (range 10(7)-10(3.5)) fell in all patients to mean 10(1.3) (range 10(3)-10(0)) already after 4 weeks treatment and became undetectable at treatment cessation in 5 patients, of whom 4 had normal ALT levels. ALT levels, however, were also normal in 2/5 patients who continued to have detectable HCV RNA titers at treatment cessation. After treatment was stopped HCV RNA titers rose again and 12 weeks post treatment the mean titer was 10(4.7) (range 10(3.5)-10(5.5)).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS