Avanzando en la sistematización del benchmarking en servicios de salud pública

Continuous management improvement should be an aspiration for all public sector organizations. External comparison or benchmarking identifies good practices in similar organizations. For public health services, it is not easy to obtain such indicators. The objectives of this paper are to describe the process of conducting a benchmarking exercise for a public health agency, and to share its results. For this purpose, agencies that may be compared were identified, and their websites were searched for annual reports or other documents with indicators of the activities or results of public health services. Limitations and contextual aspects of the indicators of the different organizations were identified, as well as ways to improve their comparability. Finally, a set of 19 indicators is proposed, as an initial core for quality management comparisons.     

Immune modulation by cadmium and lead in the acute reporter antigen-popliteal lymph node assay.

Immune modulation by heavy metals may cause serious adverse health effects in humans, although the mechanisms involved are not well understood. Both cadmium and lead are important environmental and occupational toxins. Therefore, in the current study, the costimulatory/adjuvant effects and the T-cell-activating potential of these metals (i.e., CdCl2 and PbCl2), are examined. These immune-modulating properties are critical in the development of conditions such as allergy, hypersensitivity, and autoimmunity. Using the direct popliteal lymph node assay (PLNA) and reporter antigen-popliteal lymph node assay (RA-PLNA) both metals were examined individually for immunotoxicity. Mercury (i.e., HgCl2) was included for comparative purposes as its effects in the RA-PLNA are well documented. Seven days following a single footpad injection containing metal and/or RA (trinitrophenyl-ovalbumin [TNP-OVA] or TNP-Ficoll), BALB/c mice were sacrificed and the popliteal lymph nodes (PLNs) removed. PLN cellularity, TNP-specific antibody-secreting cells (ASCs), and lymphocyte subsets were assessed. All three metals strongly stimulated T- and B-cell proliferation and ASC production following coinjection with the RA TNP-OVA. In each case, ASC production was skewed towards the IgG1 isotype. In addition, all three metals induced IgG production to TNP-Ficoll (although relatively weakly in the case of Cd). These results show that each of these metals can provide adjuvant signals to promote lymphocyte proliferation and enhance adaptive immune responses to unrelated antigens. Skewing of immune responses towards T helper type 2 responses suggests that each of these metals can enhance allergic and hypersensitivity reactions to environmental antigens. Furthermore, the induction of IgG responses to TNP-Ficoll, a T-cell-independent antigen, indicates that each of these metals can activate neoantigen-specific T cells. T-cell activation by metals can lead to metal hypersensitivity and has been implicated in the development of autoimmunity. This is the first report of immune modulation by CdCl2 and PbCl2 in the RA-PLNA.     

Expression of myosin heavy chain isoforms in Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients and carriers

The expression of MHC isoforms in the skeletal muscles of nine patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) (from 2.5 to 15 yr of age) and three DMD carriers was studied using different specific anti-MHC MAbs. We also analyzed muscle fiber size and fiber reactivity with acridine orange and/or with a surface antigen marker. One-quarter of all fibers of DMD patients, or less with age, were of normal size and contained only adult slow MHC. Half of the muscle fibers contained adult and developmental MHCs. Only half of these fibers were representative of an active regenerative process. MHC co-expression also altered the proportion of normal fast or slow fibers. Adult fast MHCs were expressed as unique MHC only in small and very small fibers in the oldest DMD patients. In DMD carrier muscles, the greatest alterations in MHC expression were observed in patients with the most reduced dystrophin expression. However, MHC changes in dystrophin-positive fibers were similar to those observed in dystrophin-free fibers. In conclusion, disruptions or delays in the switching of all genes coding for adult fast and slow MHC and developmental MHC coincided with dystrophin deletion and with perturbations in its expression.     

重质石油中含氮化合物的形态及分布分析Ⅱ．含氦杂环化合物的定性方法

探索了色谱保留值与质谱信息相结合的定性分析方法。用ＳＥ－５４柱代替ＳＥ－５２柱，选用六个多环芳烃化合物作为标准计算保留指数，从而改善了Ｍ．Ｌ．Ｌｅｅ保留指数的应用条件和范围；用文献值转换扩充了Ｌｅｅ的含氮杂环化合物保留指数表，并利用保留时间与沸点的关系作定性佐证。应用该法鉴定了重质石油样品子组分及萘油中的４６个含氮杂环化合物及其异构体，为质谱在异构体鉴定以及缺乏标样所产生的困难提供了可信、简便的定性鉴定方法。     

微量元素和重金属对儿童的影响

目的通过对检测微量元素的分析，了解近阶段儿童微量元素分布状况，社会人群对补足常规微量元素的认知情况；通过对检测重金属铅和镉的分析，了解儿童受铅和镉的污染状况，干预后的改变情况。方法随机将2年门诊就诊的资料齐全的122例患儿进行静脉血检测常规微量元素、铅和镉；并对干预处理后的106例儿童进行复查。结果缺铁占22．13％，缺钙占7．37％，缺锌占4．1％，缺镁占1．64％，无铜和磷的缺乏。重金属铅大于100μg／L的49例，占40．16％；镉大于5μg／L的2例，占1．64％。对血铅大于40μg／L的106例患儿进行干预，对干预前后进行统计学比较及u检验，差异具有统计学意义。结论常规微量元素的缺乏有明显下降趋势，人群对补足常规微量元素有很高的认识，其危害明显的减少。重金属的污染对儿童健康的危害有上升的趋势，社会人群的知晓度很小；用合适的干预来降低血铅是很有效的，值得临床推广宣传。     

B细胞淋巴瘤石蜡包埋组织克隆性重链基因重排检测

目的 探讨克隆性重链基因重排检测在B细胞淋巴瘤(B—NHL)诊断中的价值。方法 用半巢式聚合酶链反应(semi—nested PCR)、聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳(PAGE)及银染技术，检测经形态学及免疫组织化学确诊的23例B—NHL石蜡包埋组织标本的克隆性免疫球蛋白第三互补决定区(IgHCDR3)重排基因，对照组为7例T细胞淋巴瘤(T—NHL)及6例反应性增生或肉芽肿性淋巴结炎。结果 B—NHL IgHCDR3检出的阳性率87．0％(20／23)，假阳性率7．7％(1／13)，假阴性率13．0％(3／23)。结论 检测克隆性IgHCDR3重排为B—NHL的诊断及鉴别诊断提供有效的辅助手段。     

A newly recognized point mutation in the cytochrome b558 heavy chain gene replacing alanine57 by glutamic acid,in a patient with cytochrome b positive X-linked chronic granulomatous disease

Molecular genetic analysis was performed in a patient with cytochrome b positive X-linked chronic granulomatous disease. A previous Southern blot study, using a cytochrome b heavy chain cDNA as probe, revealed a Pst I restriction fragment pattern for the cytochrome b heavy chain gene (CYBB) different to that of normal individuals. Since restriction length polymorphism with Pst I has never been observed in control individuals and no abnormal restriction fragment patterns in the patient's CYBB was detected with seven other enzymes used, we focussed on the single Pst I site in the CYBB cDNA as being the only mutation site responsible for his disease. A fragment of the patient's cDNA which included the Pst I site was amplified by reverse polymerase chain reaction, and loss of the Pst I site in the fragment was confirmed by incubation with Pst I. Subsequent sequence analysis of the fragment revealed a point mutation in the Pst I site (cytosine to adenine), substituting glutamic acid for alanine at position 57.