The brain‐derived neutrophic factor val66met polymorphism and sudden unexpected infant death

Aim: Findings of hypoxia prior to death and involvement of a dysregulation of the serotonergic network in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) may indicate that brain‐derived neutrophic factor (BDNF) also is of importance with regard to sudden unexpected infant death. Based on this, the purpose of this study was to investigate the BDNF val66met polymorphism in SIDS cases, cases of infectious death and controls. Methods: The polymorphism was investigated in 163 SIDS cases, 34 cases of infectious death and 121 controls, using real‐time PCR and fluorescence melting curve analysis. Results: There were no differences in val66met genotype distribution between neither the SIDS cases nor the cases of infectious death and controls (p = 0.95 and p = 0.52, respectively). Conclusion: The study indicates that the val66met polymorphism is not important for sudden unexpected infant death. However, several other SNPs in the BDNF gene, as well as in other genes involved in this pathway, including G‐protein, have to be investigated to fully exclude any involvement of BDNF in SIDS.     

“Potentially” contaminating behavioural practices in the preparation, feeding and storage of “ogi” — an infant cereal in a rural Nigerian community

Thirty households with children aged 6-18 months from four villages in the Badagry Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria were studied. Open-ended unstructured ethnographic interviews were used to collect information on “potentially” contaminating food handling behaviour with particular reference to the preparation, feeding and storage of “ogi” an infant cereal. Focus group studies were conducted for women aged 18-45 years in the four villages to obtain more information.

Improper handwashing, widespread acceptance and use of feeding bottles, long storage and safety of place of storage were some of the “potentially” contaminating behavioural patterns identified.

Intensive health education on the dangers of feeding bottles, improper hand-washing and long storage of cooked “ogi” to the health of infants and young children is strongly recommended.     

Mature autologous dendritic cell vaccines in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a phase I pilot study

Background

Overall therapeutic outcomes of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are poor. The dendritic cell (DC) immunotherapy has been developed as a new strategy for the treatment of lung cancer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, safety and immunologic responses in use in mature, antigen-pulsed autologous DC vaccine in NSCLC patients.

Methods

Five HLA-A2 patients with inoperable stage III or IV NSCLC were selected to receive two doses of 5 × 10⁷ DC cells administered subcutaneous and intravenously two times at two week intervals. The immunologic response, safety and tolerability to the vaccine were evaluated by the lymphoproliferation assay and clinical and laboratorial evolution, respectively.

Results

The dose of the vaccine has shown to be safe and well tolerated. The lymphoproliferation assay showed an improvement in the specific immune response after the immunization, with a significant response after the second dose (p = 0.005). This response was not long lasting and a tendency to reduction two weeks after the second dose of the vaccine was observed. Two patients had a survival almost twice greater than the expected average and were the only ones that expressed HER-2 and CEA together.

Conclusion

Despite the small sample size, the results on the immune response, safety and tolerability, combined with the results of other studies, are encouraging to the conduction of a large clinical trial with multiples doses in patients with early lung cancer who underwent surgical treatment.

Trial Registration

Current Controlled Trials: ISRCTN45563569     

Proactive infection control measures to prevent nosocomial transmission of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in a non-endemic area

Background Identification of hospitalized carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae （CRE）-positive patient is important in preventing nosocomial transmission.The objective of this study was to illustrate the implementation of proactive infection control measures in preventing nosocomial transmission of CRE in a healthcare region of over 3200 beds in Hong Kong between October 1,2010 and December 31,2011.Methods The program included active surveillance culture in patients with history of medical tourism with hospitalization and surgical operation outside Hong Kong within 12 months before admission,and ＂added test＂ as an opportunistic CRE screening in all fecal specimens submitted to the laboratory.Outbreak investigation and contact tracing were conducted for CRE-positive patients.Serial quantitative culture was performed on CRE-positive patients and the duration of fecal carriage of CRE was analyzed.Results During the study period,a total of 6533 patients were screened for CRE,of which 76 patients were positive （10 from active surveillance culture,65 from ＂added test＂,and 1 secondary case from contact tracing of 223 patients with no nosocomial outbreak）,resulting in an overall rate of CRE fecal carriage of 1.2％.The median time of fecal carriage of CRE was 43 days （range,13-119 days）.Beta-lactam-beta-lactamase-inhibitors,cephalosporins,and fluoroquinolones were associated significantly with high fecal bacterial load when used 90 days before CRE detection,while use of cephalosporins,carbapenems,and fiuoroquinolones after CRE detection are significantly associated with longer duration of carriage.The duration of fecal carriage of CRE also correlates significantly with the initial fecal bacterial load （Pearson correlation：0.53; P=0.02）.Conclusion Proactive infection control measures by enhanced surveillance program identify CRE-positive patients and data obtained are useful for the planning of and resource allocation for CRE control.     

Medicinal Plants Useful for Malaria Therapy in Okeigbo, Ondo State, Southwest Nigeria

There is increasing resistance of malaria parasites to chloroquine, the cheapest and commonly used drug for malaria in Nigeria. Artemisin, a product from medicinal plant indigenous to China, based on active principle of Artemisia annua, has been introduced into the Nigerian market. However not much has been done to project antimalaria properties of indigenous medicinal plants. This study thus, has the main objective of presenting medicinal plants used for malaria therapy in Okeigbo, Ondo State, South west Nigeria. Focus group discussions and interview were held about plants often found useful for malaria therapy in the community. Fifty species (local names) including for example: Morinda lucida (Oruwo), Enantia chlorantha (Awopa), Alstonia boonei (Ahun), Azadirachta indica (Dongoyaro) and Khaya grandifoliola (Oganwo) plants were found to be in use for malaria therapy at Okeigbo, Southwest, Nigeria . The parts of plants used could either be the barks, roots, leaves or whole plants. The recipes also, could be a combination of various species of plants or plant parts. This study highlights potential sources for the development of new antimalarial drugs from indigenous medicinal plants found in Okeigbo, Nigeria.