Impact of maternal and pre-existing antibodies on immunogenicity of inactivated rotavirus vaccines

Rotavirus (RV) is a major pathogen causing severe diarrhea in infants and children aged less than 5 years. Vaccination is an economically feasible and effective strategy to prevent rotavirus infections. However, immune efficacy of live vaccines could be interfered by maternal antibodies and pre-existing antibodies of children. To develop an inactivated rotavirus vaccine (IRV), we had previously isolated a wild-type human rotavirus strain ZTR-68-A (G1P[8]) from the fecal samples of infants having severe diarrhea in a region endemic for the presence of this pathogen. In our present study, we assessed whether the presence of maternal and pre-existing antibodies in newborn BALB/c mice affected the immunogenicity of IRV administered to these animals. Our results indicate that maternal antibodies, generated from either vaccine immunization or rotavirus infection, showed partial influence with the immune responses generated by two doses of IRV vaccination. Increasing the number of immunizations can significantly improve the titer of serum neutralizing antibody and a seroconversion rate of up to 100%. In newborn mice, single-virus infection did not elicit detectable levels of serum neutralizing antibodies. After an IRV vaccination, the immune responses of these mice remained unaffected, with no significant differences in titers compared with those of control-group mice. In summary, choosing a suitable immunization dose and dosing frequency is essential for the immune effectiveness of IRV. The results of this study will provide animal experimental support for the IRV clinical research in future.     

Screening for Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Illinois

Objective: To determine the incidence of infection with Escherichia coli O157:H7 in a tertiary referral center in Chicago, where a similar study had been performed in 1984, to evaluate cases of disease reported to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) in 1993, and to determine laboratory practices used to detect this infection throughout the state.
Methods: During a 6-month period in 1993, all stool specimens at Rush-Presbyterian-St Luke's Medical Center (RPSLMC) were tested for E. coli O157:H7. Reports of diagnosed E. coli O157:H7 cases investigated by IDPH were also reviewed. A survey of 73 hospitals in the Chicago area was performed to determine routine culturing practices, specifically, the selection of stool specimens for evaluation for this pathogen.
Results: In the RPSLMC survey, two cases were identified among 1985 samples (incidence 0.1%), similar to the 0.08% incidence detected in a similar study conducted at the same institution in 1984. Through passive surveillance, the IDPH received 44 reports of E. coli O157:H7 in 1993. The hospital survey revealed that, in the seven labs testing all stool specimens for E. coli O157:H7, an incidence of 16/8137 specimens (0.2%) was determined.
Conclusions: These data suggest that sporadic E. coli O157:H7 remains uncommon in Illinois and that the incidence may not have changed over a 9-year period. The low yield and substantial cost of culturing all stools suggest that only specimens from patients with bloody diarrhea should be evaluated routinely in areas of low endemicity.     

Molecular characterization and genetic variation of the VP7 gene of human rotaviruses isolated in Paraguay

Rotavirus is the main cause of acute diarrhea in infants and young children worldwide. In Paraguay, acute diarrhea ranks fourth among the causes of mortality in children under 4 years of age. Rotavirus was detected in 93 out of 410 patients admitted to three main hospitals in Asunción, Paraguay from August 1998 to August 2000. Samples from 64 patients were analyzed by RT-PCR for G and P typing. G4P[8] (46.9%; 30/64) was the most common strain detected, followed by G9P[8] (17.2%; 11/64) and G1P[8] (10,9%; 7/64). Since G4 was predominant during the epidemiological peaks of 1998 and 1999, four samples were sequenced and all grouped into sublineage Ic. This sublineage was reported for the first time in 1998 in Argentina, southern border of Paraguay, and it was shown to be responsible for the increased prevalence of G4 during the epidemiological season of 1998 in that country. In addition, Paraguayan G1 strains grouped in different lineages (I and II). However, G9 was predominant during the rotavirus epidemiological peak of 2000, and phylogenetic analysis of five samples grouped into a common emergent/reemergent lineage that circulates worldwide. Since vaccination could reduce the severity and the number of cases of rotavirus disease, this study suggests that a vaccine containing recently isolated variants of the most prevalent types (G1-G4) together with the emerging G9 type, might be sufficient to elicit a protective immune response against the rotavirus types circulating currently in Paraguay.     

Do children with autism have March birthdays?

One hundred people with autistic disorder (DSM-III-R) without a known cause who comprised a total population of children with autism were compared with "autistic-like" children, Asperger syndrome and age-matched comparison children from the general population and were examined with regard to month of birth. There was an excess of March birth in the group of children with autism. The possible reasons for this finding are discussed.     

辅以钙剂治疗急性腹泻52例临床疗效观察

目的：探讨在常规综合治疗基础上辅以钙剂治疗急性腹泻的疗效。方法：采用随机单盲平行对照方式,１０４例急性腹泻患者按病后诊治顺序随机分为两组,对照组５２例给常规综合治疗,治疗组５２例在常规综合治疗基础上加用钙剂治疗３天（１０％葡萄糖酸钙针剂２０ｍｌ,缓慢ｉｖ,ｑｄ）。结果：经ｘ＾２检验,两者疗效有显著性差异（Ｐ〈０．０５）。结论：在常规综合治疗基础上钙剂治疗急性腹泻可提高疗效。     

Disseminated neuroblastomas under 1 year of age: cell biology and prognosis

Tumor specimens of 203 infants with neuroblastomas of different clinical stages — registered in successive multicenter clinical trials of the German Society of Pediatric Oncology — could be examined for N-myc amplification, chromosome 1-ploidy and — structure, CD₄₄ std. expression (in tumor tissue, and also in patients sera).Eightyseven (= 43%) of these infants had a non-localized, disseminated neuroblastoma, mainly involving sympathetic nerve tissue, lymphnodes, liver, skin, bone marrow and bones (46 patients were classified into the 4_s group, 41 patients in the true 4 group).If the clinical classification between stage 4 and stage 4_swas neglected, then 17 of these infants (= 20%) had N-myc amplification (4—64 copies) with 16 already dead. Seven of 9 examined patients with true stage 4 had chromosome 1p aberrations (with N-myc amplification in 5), and among the dead there were 2 with CD₄₄ negative expression.In another series, serum CD₄₄ std. was measured by ELISA, and the highest (significantly different) Kruskal-Wallis mean rank values (147.8) were found in infants (n = 6) with stage 4_s compared to the low mean-rank-value of 71.9 in patients with stage 4 (n = 65). Stage 1—3 patients (n = 42) had values of 99.8—88.6.Thus, infants with disseminated neuroblastomas, showing non-diploidy, normal chromosome 1p structure, non-N-myc amplification and high CD₄₄ std. expression in tumor tissue, and also high CD₄₄ std. values in serum, will have the highest chance of survival due to tumor-non-progression.On the other hand, N-myc amplification in the tumor cells was found to be characteristic for stage 4_s neuroblastoma patients with tumor progression (n=6). Therefore, 4_s neuroblastoma-patients with N-myc amplified tumors should be aggressively treated like true stage 4 tumor patients!     

Helicobacter pylori-induced diarrhea post-ileogastrostomy

A retrospective study of all ileogastrostomy procedures (n=26) performed in 1993 by one surgeon (IGMC) was carried out to investigate the hypothesis that Helicobacter pylori may be implicated in certain severe cases of postoperation nausea and diarrhea. Ten of 26 persons (38.5%) displayed nausea and notable diarrhea (greater than or equal to ten bowel movements per day), seven of which warranted upper GI investigation. One hundred per cent (seven of seven) of these persons were found to possess H. pylori upon C-14 breath test. In four of six cases eradication therapy (1 g amoxicillin b.i.d./20 mg omeprazole b.i.d. for 2 weeks) corresponded with a resolution of severe nausea and diarrhea (one additional case involved omeprazole use only), suggesting that H. pylori should be considered as a possible cause of these symptoms post-ileogastrostomy. Additionally, in four of seven cases persons were re-tested (C-14 breath analysis) at least 1 month post-therapy and in this group three persons were found to be free of the organism. All three cases of notable diarrhea and nausea resolved with treatment, providing the strongest evidence for a possible association between infection and these symptoms.     

陕西省眉县健康教育干预5岁以下儿童腹泻效果评价

为了探讨适合我国农村社区的健康教育方法,陕西省眉县被确定为西北地区的试点。本文运用格林模式,采取健康教育、改水、改厕三位一体方法,通过２年的健康教育综合性干预,实验乡５岁以下儿童腹泻发病率较对照乡及干预前均有明显下降,儿童母亲防治儿童腹泻的知、信、行水平也显著提高（Ｐ＜００１）,进一步证实综合干预在农村社区健康教育中运用的可行性。同时,初步探索出了一些适合我国农村社区的健康教育实施经验。     

大狼把草止泻作用的实验研究

目的:研究大狼把草的止泻作用。方法:通过小鼠肠推进实验、对小鼠排便时间和数量影响的实验,观察大狼把草的止泻作用。结果:大狼把草醇提液、水煎醇沉液有较好的抑制小鼠肠推进率(P<0.05～0.01),延长小鼠排蓝便的时间(P<0.05),减少排蓝便数量的作用(P<0.05～0.01)。结论:大狼把草醇提液、水煎醇沉液均有较好的止泻作用,且醇提液作用优于水煎醇沉液。     

热带气候对海南省小儿腹泻影响的研究

目的：地海南省小儿急性腹泻的影响因素及发病规律。方法：１９９７年度在海南省东西南北中及海口市各设一个监测点对５岁以下小儿１６５４人进行腹泻流行病学调查,采用每三日法。并将腹泻月平均发病率与相应月份气象指标进行相关分析。结果：月平均发病率２０．１９％,年发病率为２４２．２９％,线人每年腹泻发病次数为２．４２±０．０８,年死亡率０．６０‰,发病高峰在１－３月份,与气温、雨量呈显著负相关。结论：海南海１