Peripheral whole blood FOXP3 TSDR methylation: a potential marker in severity assessment of autoimmune diseases and chronic infections

Immune dysregulation is a cardinal feature of autoimmune diseases and chronic microbial infections. In particular, regulatory T cells are downregulated in autoimmune diseases while upregulated in chronic microbial infections. FOXP3 is the master regulator of Treg development. Treg-specific demethylated region (TSDR) is a highly conserved locus on the FOXP3 gene that is fully demethylated in natural Tregs but methylated in effector T cells. In our study, we used high resolution melt-polymerase chain reaction (HRM-PCR) to determine the FOXP3 TSDR methylation status in autoimmune diseases and chronic microbial infections. We found that FOXP3 TSDR to have the highest mean melting temperature (highly methylated) in active SLE patients compared to all the other groups (p?<?0.001). The psoriasis group also had a significantly high mean melting temperature (78.62?±?0.20) when compared with the inactive SLE group (78.49?±?0.29, p?<?0.05) and control group (78.44?±?0.25, p?<?0.01). There was no significant difference in melting temperature between inactive SLE and healthy controls. Disease activity in SLE was directly associated with methylation of the FOXP3 TSDR. On the other hand, patients with chronic microbial infections had significantly lower FOXP3 TSDR mean melting temperature (demethylated) when compared with healthy controls (78.28?±?0.21 vs 78.44?±?0.25, p?<?0.05). Our results suggest that the use of HRM-PCR to detect FOXP3 TSDR methylation status is a reliable and easy method to predict natural regulatory T cell levels in peripheral blood in different disease conditions. Determining FOXP3 TSDR methylation status can be a useful tool in diagnosis, and monitoring the severity of autoimmune diseases and chronic microbial infections.     

Immunisation of healthcare workers in the Nordic countries: Variation in recommendations and practices and a lack of assessment

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at increased risk of both exposure and transmission of infectious disease. Two European Union (EU) directives state that health services are responsible for assessing their employees’ potential exposure to infectious diseases and offering immunisation free of charge. We assessed current policy for immunisation of HCWs and the availability of vaccine coverage data in the Nordic countries by surveying national vaccination experts in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, as well as Swedish county medical officers (CMOs). All national experts and 17 of 21 Swedish CMOs responded. All EU countries had transposed the European directives into national law, while Norway and Iceland had similar national legislation. Recommendations or guidelines were issued in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and 15 of 17 responding Swedish counties. The range of diseases covered differed by countries and Swedish counties. HCW vaccine coverage data were not systematically collected; incomplete estimates were only available for Finland and two Swedish counties. In conclusion, recommendations or guidelines exist in the Nordic countries, but their impact cannot be assessed, as vaccine uptake among HCWs is not currently measured. Systematic collection of data is a necessary step towards improving HCW immunisation policy and practice in the Nordic countries.     

Oral Everolimus for Treatment of a Giant Left Ventricular Rhabdomyoma in a Neonate—Rapid Tumor Regression Documented by Real Time 3D Echocardiography

The presented case reports on successful treatment with everolimus in a neonate with left ventricular giant rhabdomyoma. The authors used a different dosage regime compared to literature and documented rapid tumor regression by 3D echocardiography.     

临床护理路径在心血管患者静脉留置针中的研究分析

目的:提高静脉留置针使用有效期,保证心血管患者得到及时用药,有效开放静脉抢救通道。方法:建立了心血管患者静脉留置针的临床护理路径(Clinical Nursing Pathway,CNP)。选择我院2018年1-12月期间接诊的静脉留置针心血管患者为研究对象,共100例,随机分组,即对照组(50例,常规护理)与实验组(50例,在常规护理基础上辅以临床护理路径),比较两组护理效果,包括留置时间、不良反应情况、患者满意度等。结果:护理后,两组患者留置时间无明显差异,但实验组不良反应发生率、静脉炎发生率低于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);实验组满意度、一次性置管成功率高于对照组,而非计划性拔管率则低于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:心血管患者静脉留置针护理中辅以临床护理路径,可减少不良反应,预防静脉炎,延长置管时间,提高护理满意度,值得优选。     

谭新华从肝肾论治男科疾病临证经验

谭新华教授采用温肾补肝、益肾疏肝、填精消癥、养肾柔肝、补肾泻肝之法治疗男性不育症、勃起功能障碍、前列腺增生症、精索静脉曲张、慢性前列腺炎等男科疾病临床疗效显著。本文结合典型案例对谭教授从肝肾论治男科疾病经验进行总结。     

大病保险对我国中老年人家庭灾难性卫生支出影响实证分析

目的:考察大病保险对我国中老年人家庭灾难性卫生支出的影响,为完善我国大病保险制度提供建议。方法:以中国健康与养老追踪调查数据库(2011年与2015年)中45岁及以上的城乡中老年人家庭作为研究对象,利用描述性统计法和两部模型法分析大病保险对我国中老年人家庭灾难性卫生支出的影响。结果:目前的大病保险政策从总体上降低了中老年人家庭灾难性卫生支出的发生率,但没有显著降低其发生强度。结论:目前的大病保险并未达到其预期的效果,只是解决了"面"的问题,从总体上降低了灾难性卫生支出发生的可能性,但并没有解决"点"的问题,没有有效降低其大额的医疗卫生支出进而减少其医疗经济负担。建议各地各级政府相关部门应进一步完善大病保险制度,从而真正有效减轻居民重大疾病医疗经济负担。     

阴道微生态菌群与宫颈疾病相关性的研究进展

宫颈疾病包括宫颈炎症、宫颈鳞状上皮内病变及宫颈癌,近年研究发现阴道微生物菌群产生的细胞因子及局部免疫系统与宫颈疾病的发生、发展有关。正常女性的阴道微生态环境由多种微生物构成,其中乳杆菌对维持阴道微生态平衡发挥着重要作用。宫颈癌在女性恶性肿瘤中发生率位居第一,其发生与人乳头瘤病毒(HPV)持续感染密切相关,但并非所有感染HPV者均患宫颈癌,其病因为多因素综合作用。因乳杆菌变化导致的阴道疾病与HPV感染相互作用,共同参与宫颈疾病的发生、进展,系统有效的阴道微生态环境检测对及时调节阴道微生态平衡非常重要。阴道微生物菌群与宫颈疾病之间的关系成为许多学者的研究热点,综述阴道微生态与宫颈疾病发生、发展的相关性,为宫颈疾病尤其是宫颈癌的预防、治疗及预后提供理论依据。     

X线立体定位活检对乳腺微小病变的诊断价值

目的:探讨乳腺摄片结合立体定位穿刺活检对临床触诊阴性的乳腺微小病变的诊断价值。方法:回顾性分析80例临床触诊阴性而乳腺摄片发现微小病变并进行立体定位穿刺活检患者的病例资料。结果:80例中乳腺癌30例(37.5%),原位癌8例、临床Ⅰ期22例,不典型增生10例;良性病变40例,包括纤维腺病10例,纤维瘤8例,乳腺增生病伴显微囊肿8例,乳腺增生病伴部分纤维腺瘤变10例,导管内乳头状瘤3例,错构瘤1例。结论:对临床触诊阴性的乳腺微小病变应积极活检,X线立体定位活检术是提高早期乳腺癌检出率的有效方法。