staffTRAK-TB: software for surveillance of tuberculosis infection in healthcare workers.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends periodic tuberculin skin testing of healthcare workers with potential exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. However, many healthcare facilities have neither a system to identify workers due for their skin test nor a means of analyzing aggregate data. To illustrate some of the complexities involved in tuberculin skin test (TST) tracking and analysis, and how these might be addressed, this report describes a software package called staffTRAK-TB, developed by the CDC to facilitate surveillance of tuberculosis infection in healthcare workers. staffTRAK-TB records data for each healthcare worker, including demographic information, occupation, work location, multiple TST results, and results of evaluations to determine if clinically active tuberculosis is present. Programmed reports include lists of workers due and overdue for skin tests, and skin test conversion rates by occupation or worksite. Standardization of types of occupations and locations allows data from multiple facilities to be aggregated and compared. Data transfer to the CDC can be performed via floppy diskettes. staffTRAK-TB illustrates important issues in software structure, standardization of occupation and work-location information, relevant data items, and reports and analyses that would be useful in practice. Developing software that adequately addresses the epidemiological issues is complex, and the lessons learned may serve as a model for hospital epidemiologists, infection control personnel, occupational health personnel, and computer programmers considering software development in this area or trying to optimize their facility's TST surveillance.     

Evaluation of protective and immune responses following vaccination with recombinant MIP and CPAF from Chlamydia abortus as novel vaccines for enzootic abortion of ewes

MIP and CPAF from Chlamydia have been shown to be effective in inducing immune responses important in clearing chlamydial infections. This study evaluates the protection conferred by MIP and CPAF as novel vaccines in pregnant C. abortus challenged ewes. Fifty C. abortus sero-negative sheep were randomly allocated into 5 groups of 10 according to the treatment they were to receive (1) 100 µg of MBP-MIP (2) 100 µg CPAF (3) 50 µg MBP-MIP and 50 µg CPAF (4) Tris-buffer (negative control) (5) Enzovax (positive control). Booster inoculations were administered 3 weeks after primary inoculations. Blood samples were taken pre-vaccination and weekly for 5 weeks. Five months after vaccination the ewes were mated. Pregnant ewes were then challenged on day 90 of gestation. Blood samples taken at four time-points post challenge were analysed for IFNγ levels, TNFα and IL-10 expression and anti-chlamydial antibody levels. Vaginal swabs, placental and foetal tissue and bacterial shedding were analysed using qPCR to quantify levels of C. abortus. Enzovax was 100% effective with no abortions occurring. The MIP/CPAF combined vaccine offered the greatest protection of the novel vaccines with 67% of ewes giving birth to one or more live lambs equating to a 50% vaccine efficacy rate. MIP and CPAF administered singly did not confer protection. Enzovax and MIP/CPAF vaccinated ewes had longer gestations and lambs with higher birth weights than negative control ewes. Aborting ewes shed higher numbers of C. abortus than ewes that had live lambs, all vaccinated ewes demonstrated lower levels of bacterial shedding than negative control ewes with Enzovax ewes shedding significantly fewer bacteria. Ewes that went on to abort had significantly higher levels of IFNγ and IL-10 at day 35 post challenge and significantly higher levels of anti-chlamydial antibodies at 24 h post lambing compared to ewes that had live lambs.     

Burden of significant liver damage in people living with HIV after microelimination of the hepatitis C virus

BackgroundOnce HIV/HCV-coinfection microelimination has been virtually achieved in some countries, there is no information about the burden of liver disease among people living with HIV (PLWH). The aim of this study was to define the current prevalence and causes of significant liver damage (SLD) in PLWH.MethodsCross-sectional study including 619 PLWH. SLD was defined as liver stiffness (LS) ≥ 7.2 kPa measured by transient elastography. Nonviral liver damage (NVLD) was considered if there was no evidence injury due to chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, active hepatitis B (HBV) or E virus infections.ResultsOne hundred and twelve of 619 (18.2%) PLWH showed SLD, including 34/112 (5.5%) with LS ≥14 kPa. 72/112 (64.3%) had cured HCV infection, 4/112 (3.6%) active HBV infection, and 2/112 HBV/prior HCV coinfection. Thus, 40 (35.7%) showed NVLD. Metabolic associated steatohepatitis (MASH) was present in 29/40 (72.5%) of patients with NVLD, alcoholic liver damage in 2/40 (2.5%) and mixed steatohepatitis in 5/40 (12.5%).ConclusionsAfter HIV/HCV microelimination the burden of liver damage is high among PLWH. Persistent injury after HCV is a very frequent cause of SLD. However, NVLD, mainly due to MASH, is also a common condition in this population.     

新发涂阳肺结核患者就诊和诊断延误的影响因素研究

目的 分析新发涂阳肺结核患者就诊和诊断延误的影响因素，为制定减少延误发生的干预措施提供科学依据。方法 采取典型调查的方法，在东、中、西部各选择1个县作为研究现场，采用编制的《新发涂阳肺结核患者诊疗过程调查表》对研究现场结核病防治（简称“结防”）机构2010年5-9月登记发现的329例初治涂阳肺结核患者全部进行了面对面的问卷调查，获得有效个案调查表329份。使用t检验比较就诊延误、诊断延误等不同指标间差异有无统计学意义，使用Cox比例风险回归模型分析影响患者就诊延误的因素，使用非参数检验比较不同医疗机构患者的发现和转诊延误。结果 患者就诊延误15d(0~594d)，诊断延误10d(0~429d)，就诊延误与诊断延误的差异无统计学意义(t=1.596, P=0.111)。与自费相比较，有其他医疗保险（除外新农合）的患者就诊延误更短（β=0.701，Waldχ²=6.223，P=0.013，RR=2.015），有发热症状的患者更易就诊（β=0.430，Waldχ²=11.556，P=0.001，RR=1.537），而有咳嗽症状（β=-0.711，Waldχ²=9.314，P=0.002，RR=0.491）或咯痰症状（β=-0.429，Waldχ²=8.549，P=0.003，RR=0.651）的患者就诊延误更长。不同医疗机构发现结核病可疑者的能力差异有统计学意义（χ²=115.134，P=0.000），其中药店的延误时间最长（26d，四分位间距66.5d），县级及以上医院(0d，四分位间距0d)、乡镇卫生院(0d，四分位间距6d)和结防机构(0d，四分位间距0d)延误时间最短；不同医疗机构转诊结核病可疑者的能力上差异有统计学意义（χ²=55.476，P=0.000），其中结防机构延误时间最短（0d，四分位间距1d），个体诊所延误时间最长（9d，四分位间距19.5d）。结论 新发涂阳肺结核患者的延误包括患者和医疗机构两方面的因素，其中缺乏对结核病可疑症状的相关知识或对症状不重视是导致患者延误的主要因素，而基层医疗机构结核病可疑者的发现和转诊延误是导致医疗机构延误的主要因素。     

HIV-1 superinfection can occur in the presence of broadly neutralizing antibodies

BackgroundSuperinfection of individuals already infected with HIV-1 suggests that pre-existing immune responses may not adequately protect against re-infection. We assessed high-risk female sex workers initially infected with HIV-1 clades A, D or A/D recombinants, to determine if HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibodies were lacking prior to superinfection.MethodsSix superinfected female sex workers previously stratified by HIV-1 high-risk behavior, infecting virus clade and volunteer CD4 counts were evaluated at baseline (n = 5) and at 350 days post-superinfection (n = 6); one superinfected volunteer lacked pre-superinfection plasma. Retrospective plasmas were assessed for neutralization of a multi-clade panel of 12 HIV-1 viruses before superinfection, and then at quarterly intervals thereafter. Similarly stratified singly infected female sex workers were correspondingly assessed at baseline (n = 19) and 350 days after superinfection (n = 24). Neutralization of at least 50% of the 12 viruses (broad neutralization), and geometric means of the neutralization titers (IC₅₀) were compared before and after superinfection; and were correlated with the volunteer HIV-1 superinfection status, CD4 counts, and pseudovirus clade.ResultsPreexisting broad neutralization occurred in 80% (4/5) of the superinfected subjects with no further broadening by 350 days after superinfection. In one of the five subjects, HIV-1 superinfection occurred when broad neutralization was lacking; with subsequent broadening of neutralizing antibodies occuring within 9 months and plateauing by 30 months after detection of superinfection. Clade B and C pseudoviruses were more sensitive to neutralization (13; [87%]); and (12; [80%]) than the locally circulating clades A (10; [67%]) and D (6; [40%]), respectively (p = 0.025). Low antibody titers correlated with clade D viruses and with >500 CD4 T cell counts, but not with the superinfection status.ConclusionThese data demonstrate that HIV-1 superinfection can occur both in the presence, and in the absence of broadly neutralizing antibodies.     

我国开展耐多药肺结核诊疗管理的可行性分析

针对我国耐多药肺结核(MDR -TB)的严峻形势和控制现状,结合国内外MDR -TB诊疗管理经验和成本效益研究结果,对全国范围内开展MDR -TB诊疗管理的可行性进行探讨.     

Time to unsuccessful tuberculosis treatment outcome,Cambodia, China,and Viet Nam

Objective:

To determine the frequency and characteristics of patients with unsuccessful tuberculosis (TB) treatment.

Methods:

Random selection of TB case registers among all treatment units in Cambodia, two provinces in China, and Viet Nam. The data of two calendar years were analyzed to assess unsuccessful outcomes and their time of occurrence.

Results:

Among the 33 309 TB patients, treatment was unsuccessful in respectively 10.1%, 3.0% and 9.1% of patients in Cambodia, China and Viet Nam. The risk of death was highest in Cambodia, higher among males than females, increased with age, and was more common among retreatment cases than new cases, and among patients with a high than a low sputum smear microscopy grade. Half of all deaths occurred in the first 2 months in Cambodia and within 11 weeks in China and Viet Nam. Median time to default was 3 months in Cambodia and Viet Nam, and about 2 months in China.

Conclusions:

Treatment was highly successful in the three study countries, with a low proportion of death and default. As the majority of defaulting occurs at the beginning of treatment, all countries should critically review their current policy of treatment support in this period.