This randomized trial compared the effect of reduced-calorie diets with various compositions of fat, protein, and carbohydrates on weight loss over a 2-year period. Compliance with the diets was not high. No significant differences in weight loss were observed among the various diets. Reduced-calorie diets appear to have similar effects on weight loss regardless of their particular compositions.

The role of complement component 3 (C3) allotypes C3F (fast) and C3S (slow) in the long-term outcomes of renal allografts remains controversial. This study does not confirm the hypothesis that the transplantation of donor kidneys of allotype FS or FF in recipients with the SS allotype is advantageous, possibly because chronic allograft nephropathy is a multifaceted disease involving the interplay of many biologic pathways.

The azoospermia factor region A (AZFA) on chromosome Y contains two genes, one of which is USP9Y. Deletions in this region have been associated with male infertility. However, a man and his father and brother, all of whom carry a deletion that encompasses USP9Y, are normospermic, providing definitive evidence that USP9Y is not required for spermatogenesis.

Meningococcal disease is associated with significant morbidity. Three cases of ciprofloxacin-resistant Neisseria meningitidis disease caused by the same serogroup B strain were detected in North Dakota and Minnesota. Recommendations for the antimicrobial agents to be used as secondary chemoprophylaxis have been modified in these areas.