Hospital laundry workers--an at-risk group for hepatitis A?

Twenty-two laundry personnel at St. Luke's Hospital, Malta, were tested for seropositivity to hepatitis A together with 37 nursing aides working in paediatric and infectious disease wards, matched for age, who were used as controls. IgG antibodies were found in 54.5% of laundry workers and 13.5% of nursing aides [odds ratio (OR) = 7.68; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.87-33.83]. Furthermore, laundry personnel consistently handling dirty linen prior to washing showed an OR of 16.50 (CI = 1.19-825.57) as compared with colleagues handling only clean items. These results would suggest that the increased exposure of hospital laundry workers to potentially infected linen can constitute a risk of occupational hepatitis A for this group of employees.     

Can monovalent hepatitis A and B vaccines be replaced by a combined hepatitis A/B vaccine during the primary immunization course?

A combined hepatitis A/B vaccine (Twinrix Adult) has been licensed in Germany since 1997. We investigated possible differences in immunogenicity and safety when changing over from vaccinations with monovalent vaccines made by different manufacturers to vaccinations with the combined hepatitis A/B vaccine in an open, randomized, multicenter trial. We therefore compared four different schemes changing over from concomitant vaccinations with monovalent vaccines against hepatitis A and B (Havrix 1440+Engerix-B or Vaqta+Gen H-B-Vax) to combined vaccination against hepatitis A+B with three injections of the combined hepatitis A/B vaccine (0, 1, and 6 month schedule). Local and general symptoms were mostly mild in all five groups. With complete three-dose course using the combined vaccine or an early changeover from monovalent vaccines to the combined vaccine, higher overall anti-HBs seroprotection rates and geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) against hepatitis B could be achieved as early as after 2 months as compared to those groups switching later to the combined vaccine. This study demonstrated for the first time that switching from monovalent hepatitis A and B vaccinations to the combined hepatitis A and B vaccination has no negative influence on the tolerability and improves the immunogenicity.     

Prevalence of hepatitis A among drug users in north-eastern Italy. Is vaccination necessary in low prevalence areas?

BACKGROUND: The authors report on the prevalence of, and risk factors for, hepatitis A virus (HAV) in a group of drug users in Italy. METHODS: 404 heroin users were recruited and compared with a control group of 107 subjects in the general population. RESULTS: Drug users born in north-eastern Italy have a prevalence of anti-HAV similar to the control group. A much higher prevalence was found in drug users born in southern Italy. CONCLUSION: The similar prevalence of anti-HAV in drug users born in north-eastern Italy and in the general population, suggests that their lifestyle does not involve a substantial additional risk of HAV. The much higher prevalence found in drug users born in southern Italy is more likely to be related to infection during infancy.     

降血脂食物A.B.C

血脂偏高容易引发心脑血管方面的疾病。医生一般采用饮食、运动和药物综合治疗的办法来医治患有高血脂的患者。其饮食治疗是有效的,也是最安全的治疗方案。有些食物,患有高血脂的人应经常吃。     

Which newborns missed the hepatitis B birth dose vaccination among U.S. children?

Objectives

Hepatitis B birth dose vaccination is a critical step in preventing perinatal hepatitis B virus infection. This study assesses the prevalence of children who missed the birth dose of hepatitis B vaccination and identifies socio-demographic factors associated with non-receipt of the birth dose among children in the United States.

Methods

A survey observation study was conducted with the national representative sample of 17,053 U.S. children aged 19–35 months obtained from the 2009 National Immunization Survey. Categorical data analysis and multivariable logistic regression in the context of complex sample survey were applied to evaluate the prevalence and determine the independent risk factors.

Results

39.2% of children missed the birth dose of hepatitis B vaccination. Children who reside in states without a universal hepatitis B vaccine supply policy, are not covered by health insurance, and have only 1 vaccination provider are significantly associated with non-receipt of the birth dose hepatitis B vaccination.

Conclusions

Children who reside in states without a universal hepatitis B vaccine supply policy, and who are not covered by health insurance are two important modifiable risk factors for not receiving the birth dose hepatitis B vaccination. Future intervention studies could be needed to help control those modifiable risk factors.     

用S.M.A.R.T.原则坚持健身

怎么样寻找到有规律地长期坚持运动训练的动机呢?这并不是一件轻松的事情,尤其要有严格的训练时间表.偶然的生病等等因素都是干预你保持训练的事.其实,遵循一些原则这样的动机是不难找到,比如S.M.A.R.T.原则是管理学中一种进行目标管理的方法,也可以用来进行你自己运动目标的设置,这些简单的技术能够构建你的运动训练计划.有的运动员和教练员就运用一些原则以便能够设置好自己的短期和长期的训练目标.     

Using the power law model to predict the long-term persistence and duration of detectable hepatitis A antibody after receipt of hepatitis A vaccine (VAQTA™)

VAQTA™ (Hepatitis A Vaccine, inactivated [HAVi]; Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA) is currently licensed for prevention of disease caused by hepatitis A virus in persons ≥12 months of age. This report summarizes statistical models developed to evaluate the long-term persistence and duration of detectable hepatitis A antibody (total antibody levels with no distinction on class) after receipt of HAVi in healthy children and adolescents (V251-023 and V251-035) and in healthy adults (V251-034). The statistical models presented, conducted separately for each of the three studies, are based on models that have been used in the literature to estimate the duration of antibody to protect against human papillomavirus (HPV) disease. In the absence of observed study data on hepatitis A antibody persistence for vaccine recipients over several decades, an extrapolation from a kinetic model of antibody decay was used to estimate the duration of detectable antibody. Extrapolation of observed antibody titers from postvaccination, Year 2.5–3.5, Year 5–6, and Year 10 in 165 children and adolescents who received HAVi at Day 0 and Week 24 in V251-023 suggests that detectable levels of antibody may persist after the second dose for many years. This model suggests that 25 to 50 years Postdose 1 in a two-dose series of HAVi, 99.4% of the study population will have detectable levels of hepatitis A antibody.     

Does A.I.D. still spell relief?

The U.S. Agency for International Development has helped foreign governments lower infant mortality rates and extend life expectancy through a combination of disease prevention and medical treatment. But problems at home include allegations of fraud and abuse at the agency's highest levels. A.I.D.'s efforts abroad are complicated by the government's restrictive anti-abortion policy.     

Newly discovered hepatitis viruses--do they cause hepatitis indeed?

The paper reviews the available information on the newly discovered viruses originally supposed to cause post-transfusion hepatitis. GBV-C/Hepatitis G virus belongs to the Flaviviridae family, and can be transmitted parenterally like Hepatitis C virus. Its role in causing hepatitis or other diseases has not been proved yet. The other newly discovered viruses contain single-stranded circular DNA, with a wide range of sequence divergence. These viruses can be transmitted not only with blood and blood products but via fecal-oral route as well. They are unique among enterally transmitted viruses in the sense that the virus persists for years in the human body, therefore their genomes may be detected in the blood of the healthy population in high percentage. One of the genotypes of TTV is suspected to cause hepatitis. High TT virus load was found as an independent factor associated with the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma among patients with hepatitis C virus-related chronic liver disease. It is not clear yet, whether TTV-like minivirus and SEN virus cause any illnesses.     

广州石油化工总厂职业防护的K.A.B.P调查

针对有关职业防护的K.A.B.P进行问卷调查,结果发现职工的职业防护知识掌握率平均达77.8％,具有正确信念、态度的人数占85.6％,而使用防护用品的人数只占48.2％,主要原因是防护用     

Previous tuberculosis, hepatitis C virus and lichen planus. A report of 10 cases, a causal or casual link?

We report 10 cases of lichen planus (LP) and chronic liver disease linked to HCV. The mean age was 63.4 +/- 5.1 years (range 51-73), five were female; six patients had an established cirrhosis of the liver, as shown by either a liver biopsy or the ultrasonographic and biohumoral evidence. The remaining four patients had chronic hepatitis. Histological examination confirmed the presence of LP: the localization of the dermatosis was restricted to the skin in four patients, to the mucous membranes in five (4 atrophic erosive and one erosive) while the remaining had mucous-cutaneous localization. A type II cryoglobulinemia was demonstrated in two and a type III in one of the patients, while no one had otherwise circulating autoantibodies (anti-nuclear, anti-smooth muscle, anti-liver kidney microsomal type 1 and anti-mitochondrial antigens) such as other etiological factors of liver disease. In six of the patients the history was positive for previous Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. In clinical practice the patients with chronic liver disease and HCV infection can also suffer from severe extrahepatic manifestations, including lichen planus.