Identification of Candida species in the clinical laboratory: a review of conventional,commercial, and molecular techniques

In healthy individuals, Candida species are considered commensal yeasts of the oral cavity. However, these microorganisms can also act as opportunist pathogens, particularly the so‐called non‐albicans Candida species that are increasingly recognized as important agents of human infection. Several surveys have documented increased rates of C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, C. guilliermondii, C. dubliniensis, C. parapsilosis, and C. krusei in local and systemic fungal infections. Some of these species are resistant to antifungal agents. Consequently, rapid and correct identification of species can play an important role in the management of candidiasis. Conventional methods for identification of Candida species are based on morphological and physiological attributes. However, accurate identification of all isolates from clinical samples is often complex and time‐consuming. Hence, several manual and automated rapid commercial systems for identifying these organisms have been developed, some of which may have significant sensitivity issues. To overcome these limitations, newer molecular typing techniques have been developed that allow accurate and rapid identification of Candida species. This study reviewed the current state of identification methods for yeasts, particularly Candida species.     

黑龙江省电力职业技术学院职工血脂异常检出率及高血压、高血糖、血脂异常的聚集性分析

目的：调查黑龙江省电力职业技术学院职工血脂异常检出率，并分析血脂异常者中高血压、高血糖、血脂异常的聚集性。 方法：调查于2005-04-05／05-31完成，采用整群抽样的方法，选择黑龙江省电力职业技术学院职工306人，均自愿参加调查。对调查对象进行血脂、血糖的检测和血压的测量，并对测量数据进行统计学分析。①高血脂定义为总胆固醇≥5．27mmol／L，三酰甘油≥1．70mmol/L，低密度脂蛋白胆固醇≥3．64mmol／L，高密度脂蛋白胆固醇〈0．91mmol／L。②高血压定义为收缩压≥140mmHg（1mmHg=0．133kPa）和／（或）舒张压≥90mmHg。③空腹血糖≥6．1mmol／L为高血糖。 结果：306名调查对象全部进入结果分析，无脱落。①血脂异常检出情况：共检测职工306人，检出总胆固醇、三酰甘油、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇异常的检出率分别为37．58％，32．03％。39．87％和0．33％，其中高三酰甘油者有性别差异，男性高于女性（r=24．387，P〈0．01）。女性总胆固醇、三酰甘油、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇升高者检出率有年龄差异，且50岁以上明显高于50以下的女性（r=26．301，27．403，34．896，P〈0．01），而男性不同年龄段比较差异无显著性意义（P〉0．05）。在60岁以上人群中高胆固醇、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇升高的检出率有性别差异，女性显著高于男性（X^2=6．930，6．947，P〈0．01）。②高血压、高血糖、血脂异常的聚集性：检出胆固醇异常伴高血压、高血糖者17人，占高胆固醇人数的14．78％；检出三酰甘油异常伴高血压、高血糖者20人，占高三酰甘油人数的20．41％；检出低密度脂蛋白胆固醇异常伴高血压、高血糖者19人，占高低密度脂蛋白胆固醇人数的15．57％；检出高密度脂蛋白胆固醇异常伴高血压、高血糖的0人。 结论：高胆固醇、高三酰甘油、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇升高的检出率在女性职工中有年龄差异，而男性职工则无年龄差异，原因值得进一步探讨。不同血脂类型与高血压、高血糖存在聚集性，但聚集比例不高。     

精神分裂症患者的认知状况及其P300电位研究

目的 探讨P300电位在评价精神分裂症患者认知功能中的作用。方法 对40例精神分裂症患者和36例健康者分别进行P300电位测定和认知能力筛查试验(CASI),并将两组结果进行比较。结果 精神分裂症患者的P300电位成分中N2、P3潜伏期延长及P3波幅降低,与健康对照组存在显著性差异(P<0.01),CASI测定中9个因子分及总分患病组均低于健康对照组,两组存在显著性差异(P<0.01或P<0.05)。结论 P300电位可作为了解精神分裂症患者的认知状况的重要指标应用于临床。     

Effects of salbutamol on exhaled breath condensate biomarkers in acute lung injury: prospective analysis

Introduction  

The benefits of β-adrenergic stimulation have been described in acute lung injury (ALI), but there is still no evidence of its anti-inflammatory effect in these patients. Biomarkers in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) were used to study the effects of salbutamol on lung inflammation in mechanically ventilated patients with ALI.     

Frecuency of the adverse events during the hygiene of the critical care patients

The hygiene of the patient in critical condition is a common nursing technique in the intensive care unit, which does not mean that doing it is exempt of risk for the patient's state. We carry out a study to measure the frequency of the appearance of certain adverse events during the hygiene care and their clinical repercussion.Hygiene of the critical patients was monitored, measuring the appearance of certain events at the time of hygiene and until one hour after to assess if the complications were at the moment or had a greater repercussion on the state of the patient.During the study period, some adverse event appeared in 48% (CI 95%: 43-52) of the hygiene performed while none appeared in 52% (CI 95%: 48-56) of it. The events that appeared most frequently were: desaturation in 18% (CI 95%: 15-21) of the hygiene performed, the deadaptation of the mechanical ventilation in 11% (CI 95%: 9-14), arterial hypertension in 21% (CI 95%: 18-25) and arterial hypotension in 11% (CI 95%: 9-14). The intracranial hypertension appeared in 42% (CI 95%: 26-61) of the hygiene performed to patients who were carriers of intraventricular catheter, 9% (CI 95%: 2-25) continued with elevated values 1 hour after concluding the hygiene. The rest of the events monitored presented a lower frequency, although the appearance of one episode of cardiorespiratory arrest and two of auricular fibrillation with rapid ventricular response, one of which required cardioversion, stand out.We conclude that it is an essential job of the nursing staff to correctly assess the risks that the performance of hygiene means for the critical patient, so that the technique should be applied rationally and under strict monitoring and control.     

Pneumonia caused by oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus treated with glycopeptides

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VAP-ORSA) treated with glycopeptides is associated with an increased mortality rate. DESIGN: Retrospective matched cohort study. SETTING: Four intensive care units in teaching hospitals. PATIENTS: Seventy-five patients were matched to 75 controls. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: All adult intensive care unit patients with microbiologically documented VAP-ORSA were matched to intubated controls who did not develop VAP-ORSA, based on disease severity (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score) at admission (+/-3 points), diagnostic category, and length of stay before pneumonia onset. Population characteristics and intensive care unit mortality rates of patients with VAP-ORSA and their controls without pneumonia were compared. Attributable mortality was determined by subtracting the crude mortality rate of controls from the crude mortality rate of VAP-ORSA patients. Thirty-six of the 75 matched VAP-ORSA patients died, representing a crude mortality rate of 48%, whereas 19 of the 75 controls died, a crude mortality rate of 25.3% (p < .01). Excess mortality was estimated to be 22.7% (95% confidence interval, 2.4-42.9%). Median length of intensive care unit stay in the surviving pairs was 33 days (interquartile range, 25-75%: 25-45 days) for VAP-ORSA patients and 21 days (interquartile range, 25-75%: 15-34.75 days) days for controls (p = .054). CONCLUSIONS: Despite appropriate glycopeptide therapy, there is an increased attributable mortality for pneumonia by ORSA, after careful adjustment for disease severity and diagnostic category.     

75例直肠癌患者预后的影响因素分析

目的探讨直肠癌手术患者预后的影响因素。方法选取我院2006～2010年收治的75例直肠癌术后患者临床资料,最低随访3年,对年龄（≤65岁和〉65岁）、性别、部位（低位、中位和高位）、分化程度（高分化、中分化和低分化）、TNM分期方法（I期、Ⅱ期、Ⅲ期和Ⅳ期）、手术方式（根治切除术和姑息手术）、是否化疗和有无并发症等对预后影响进行统计学分析。结果总体平均生存期49．2个月,中位生存期63个月。单因素分析显示直肠癌I～Ⅳ分期（TNM分期方法）、术后有无并发症与生存期相关（P〈0．05）。Cox回归模型多因素分析提示临床分期是生存时间最大的影响因素（P〈0．05）。结论临床分期（TNM分期方法）是影响直肠癌预后的独立因素。     

A Local Inflammatory Renin-Angiotensin System Drives Sensory Axon Sprouting in Provoked Vestibulodynia

Vestibulodynia is a form of provoked vulvodynia characterized by profound tenderness, hyperinnervation, and frequently inflammation within well-defined areas of the human vestibule. Previous experiments in animal models show that inflammatory hypersensitivity and hyperinnervation occur in concert with establishment of a local renin-angiotensin system (RAS). Moreover, mechanical hypersensitivity and sensory axon sprouting are prevented by blocking effects of angiotensin II on angiotensin II receptor type 2 (AT2) receptors. This case-control study assessed whether a RAS contributes to hyperinnervation observed in human vestibulodynia. Vestibular biopsies from asymptomatic controls or patients’ nontender areas showed moderate innervation and small numbers of inflammatory cells. In women with vestibulodynia, tender areas contained increased numbers of mechanoreceptive nociceptor axons, T-cells, macrophages, and B-cells, whereas mast cells were unchanged. RAS proteins were increased because of greater numbers of T cells and B cells expressing angiotensinogen, and increased renin-expressing T cells and macrophages. Chymase, which converts angiotensin I to angiotensin II, was present in constant numbers of mast cells. To determine if tender vestibular tissue generates angiotensin II that promotes axon sprouting, we conditioned culture medium with vestibular tissue. Rat sensory neurons cultured in control-conditioned medium showed normal axon outgrowth, whereas those in tender tissue-conditioned medium showed enhanced sprouting that was prevented by adding an AT2 antagonist or angiotensin II neutralizing antibody. Hypersensitivity in provoked vestibulodynia is therefore characterized by abnormal mechanonociceptor axon proliferation, which is attributable to inflammatory cell-derived angiotensin II (or a closely related peptide) acting on neuronal AT2 receptors. Accordingly, reducing inflammation or blocking AT2 represent rational strategies to mitigate this common pain syndrome.