Markers of inflammation in induced sputum in acute bronchitis caused by Chlamydia pneumoniae

Little is known of the inflammatory characteristics of acute infections of the respiratory tract caused by virus and unusual bacteria such as Chlamydia pneumoniae. A case is reported in whom inflammatory indices in sputum were used to investigate, for the first time, the airway inflammation during an episode of acute bronchitis caused by C pneumoniae. The patient presented with a dry cough of five days duration. C pneumoniae was identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in a nasopharyngeal swab collected on day 5. Virological studies were negative. Clinical and inflammatory indices in induced sputum were measured on days 6, 8, and 11. The cough cleared spontaneously by day 11. Forced expiratory volume in one second was normal throughout. Sputum findings identified intense airway inflammation characterised by increased total cell and lymphocyte counts followed by an increase in neutrophils and a decrease in the CD4/CD8 ratio, activation of CD8 lymphocytes, and exudation as indicated by an increase in fluid phase fibrinogen. These observations suggest that sputum might be useful to monitor an inflammatory/immune response of the airway in acute infections.


     

Weight loss in a murine cachexia model is not associated with the cytokines tumour necrosis factor-alpha or interleukin-6.

Daily administration of an escalating dose of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) to female NMRI mice caused a progressive loss of body weight representing 12% of the original weight over a 6-day period. Weight loss was associated with a decreased food intake and pair-fed controls exhibited a weight loss of similar magnitude to that caused by TNF-alpha. However, weight loss in animals bearing a murine adenocarcinoma (MAC16) occurred without a change in energy intake and thus differed from that produced by TNF-alpha. Anti-TNF-alpha monoclonal antibodies at levels capable of protecting mice against lethal endotoxaemia were ineffective in reversing weight loss in animals bearing the MAC16 tumour and had no effect on the increase in tumour volume. Circulating levels of interleukin-6 were not elevated in animals bearing the MAC16 tumour and with a weight loss between 1.8 and 5.4 g. These results suggest that these cytokines are not involved in the cachexia produced by this murine tumour.     

Varix of the fetal intra-abdominal umbilical vein: comparison with normal.

To compare the normal extrahepatic portion of the fetal intra-abdominal umbilical vein (FIUV) with varix of the FIUX, we prospectively measured the diameter of the FIUV in 150 uncomplicated second and third trimester pregnancies and compared these results with retrospective review of nine fetuses with varix of the FIUV as an isolated prenatal sonographic finding. The diameter of the normal FIUV increases linearly from approximately 3 mm at 15 menstrual weeks to approximately 8 mm at term (R = 0.92). The nine fetuses with FIUV varix had a FIUV diameter 6 to 12 standard deviations above the mean for age. Four (44%) of the nine fetuses with FIUV varix subsequently died, including one with trisomy 21. One of the remaining fetuses developed severe hydrops 2 weeks after the initial detection of the FIUV varix. FIUV varix appears to carry an increased risk of adverse fetal outcome, including fetal demise.     

Registration of myocardial infarction and stroke in the Kilkenny Health Project: Methodology

A myocardial infarction and stroke register was established in January 1987 as part of the evaluation of the Kilkenny Health Project This is a community programme which aims to reduce risk factors for coronary heart disease. The register records acute myocardial infarction and stroke in residents of County Kilkenny and of the reference county. This will provide accurate estimates of the incidence of these diseases and of trends over time. Methods used comply with the protocol in use by the WHO MONICA Project. This will allow comparison of the incidence of coronary heart disease and stroke in this register with that in other MONICA locations, including that in Belfast, Northern Ireland.     

Diagnostic significance of anti-HBcIgM prevalence related to symptoms in Canadian patients acutely or chronically infected with hepatitis B virus

A total of 362 sera from 295 Canadian patients were examined for HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc, anti-HBcIgM, HBeAg, and anti-HBe using commercial immunoassays. Serial samples from 70 acutely infected patients demonstrated that anti-HBcIgM may detect 10% more positives than HBsAg within 4 months after the onset of clinical symptoms, and all except two were negative for anti-HBcIgM after the fourth month. None of 66 asymptomatic (HBeAg rate 18.2%) and two of 14 (14.3%) symptomatic (HBeAg rate 64.3%) carriers of HBsAg were positive for anti-HBcIgM (P = 0.029). Elevated marker responses were measured in two symptomatic carriers for a 20-month period. Anti-HBcIgM was not detected in either 100 asymptomatic patients positive for total anti-HBc, negative for HBsAg and negative for or possessing low levels of anti-HBs, 25 patients with liver disorders not caused by HBV, or 20 healthy milk donors. In diagnostic laboratory practice this anti-HBcIgM test may be useful in the following situations: to supplement HBsAg testing, providing a theoretical 10% increase in positives within 4 months following onset of acute viral hepatitis; to replace testing for anti-HBc and anti-HBs in symptomatic HBsAg-negative patients; to confirm whether a patient is experiencing acute or chronic HBV infection or symptoms superimposed upon asymptomatic HBsAg carriage by another cause, such as nonA-nonB viral hepatitis.