Stimulation needle electromyography was used to study the muscle fiber conduction velocity and refractory period in 4 patients with long-term denervation of the lower limb muscles due to lesion of the conus cauda or cauda equina (2 untrained and 2 trained by functional electrical stimulation). In untrained patients, the results demonstrated that propagation velocity is reduced and refractory period of the muscle fiber is increased with time of denervation. The patients performing electrical stimulation training showed higher conduction velocities and reduced refractory period despite longer lasting denervation. This suggests that electrical stimulation training is effective to improve the electrical properties of the muscle fiber. Since the obtained data show a good correlation to other clinical tests and biopsy investigations, this method could serve as an additional measurement technique to specify the status of the denervated muscle. Further animal experiments and clinical studies are necessary to proof the results in comparison to more invasive established techniques.

Pacing and sensing failure in apical right ventricular coil electrode PCD implantation due to ventricular scars or aneurysma may force the implanting surgeon to switch to more invasive procedures such as subxyphoidal pericardiotomy or thoracotomy for epimyocardial corkscrew electrode and for epicardial patch application. In order to avoid this more invasive operation in the most severely impaired patients, right ventricular outflow tract positioning of the RV electrode is suggested as an alternative RV electrode site for implantation. A study of four cases shows that this occasional procedure is a practicable method to avoid more invasive techniques. Excellent pacing, sensing, and defibrillation characteristics were obtained and application is relatively simple.

No abstract

One of the major limitations of using intact immunoglobulins for targeting tumors is the poor penetration into tissues. Although small single chain Fv (SCFV) antibody fragments have been used because of their improved kinetics, some exhibit high renal accumulation. In this study we show a significant reduction of renal accumulation of His-tagged SCFV'S directly labelled with 99"'T'c-tricarbonyl by use of succinic anhydride. Further decrease of renal uptake will make this approach hopefully suitable for therapeutic application, using 'ss"s6Re(I)-tricarbonyl.

The AF508 deletion is found i n 70%. the R553X mutation i n 5.3% of CF chromosomes in Switzerland. Both mutations show strong linkage to specific haplotypes generated from the marker allele constellation of XV-2c, KM19, MP6d-9, and J3.11 suggesting that patients carrying the same haplotypes may probably show the same mutation. Age of onset of chronic Pse~cdomonas acruginosa colonization (AOCP), X-ray scores (Chrispin-Norman), and relative underweight of 35 patients horliozygous for AF508 (m), 8 patients co111pound heterozygous for AF508 and R553X (AF13) and 13 patients compound heterozygous for AF508 and h;iplotype 6 (AFl6) were compared. I n AF2 and AF13 patients AOCP begins at the age of 7.0 years (1.3-17.4), whereas in the AF16 group the colonisation is already present at the age of 4.3 years (0.4-15.7). The severity of lung disease r;~diogrsphically detennined by the Chrispin-Norman scores is significantly (p=0.03) more progressed in AFl6 patients (score 7) at the age of