The Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome consists of tyrosine-positive albinism, a defect in the second phase of platelet aggregation, and widespread accumulation of a ceroidlike pigment in tissue. Pulmonary fibrosis has also been reported. In this paper, we describe two families with documented Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome in which four members, two from each family, developed granulomatous colitis. This adds another disease entity to those associated with this syndrome. We discuss possible connecting links between these disease expressions.

Trimipramine, a sedating tricyclic antidepressant, and imipramine were compared on polysomnographic parameters during a 4-week double-blind trial in depressed patients with insomnia and anxiety. Trimipramine eliminated objective evidence of sleep disturbance. This was not the case with imipramine, although depression improved similarly in both groups. Subjects' sleep appeared unchanged or more disturbed at the end of the treatment with imipramine. For trimipramine, the major changes in sleep parameters occurred during the first week of drug administration and did not parallel the gradual changes seen in the measures of depression. Additionally, trimipramine did not suppress REM sleep even in a subgroup of six trimipramine patients who had short rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep latencies during the placebo baseline period, even though their depression was alleviated. The data demonstrate that (a) antidepressants may vary in their effects on sleep, even though they have similar effects on depression; (b) REM sleep suppression does not necessarily accompany improvement in depression; and (c) reports of improved sleep by patients undergoing antidepressant therapy may not reflect improvement on objective measures of sleep. The different sleep effects suggest the possibility of different antidepressant pathways.

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Ten patients with chronic occlusive arteriosclerosis received single oral doses of 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1200 mg pentoxifylline in a single-blind, placebo-controlled study. Blood samples were drawn at baseline and at 2 hour intervals for 6 hours. Drug and metabolite levels, as well as red cell filterability (deformability), were determined on all blood samples. Statistically significant dose-response increases of red cell filterability were found 4 and 6 hours after oral medication with the dosages of 200 to 1200 mg pentoxifylline. These changes were proportional to the plasma levels of pentoxifylline and metabolites 1 and 5 of this agent. Attempts were made to develop a suitable animal-screening method for agents with similar activity and to determine whether red blood cells in the absence of disease-related abnormalities may respond to this type of therapy. Five healthy Macaca arctoides monkeys were given 24 mg/kg pentoxifylline intravenously, and measurable but lesser increases in red cell deformability were recorded than in the patients.

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The extremely low reporting rate of cardiovascular adverse events for loratadine, the possible preferential use of loratadine in patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disorders, and the impressive lack of cardiovascular effects at extremely high concentrations in clinical and preclinical studies demonstrate the very safe cardiovascular profile of loratadine.