The campaign against TB: governments must commit themselves. TB in Africa

This article presents an interview with Pierre Chaulet on the campaign against tuberculosis (TB) in Africa. Chaulet noted during the 9th IUATLD Conference of the Africa Region that the national TB control programs have taken on a new commitment in Africa since the declaration of TB as a global emergency in the 1990s. The TB control program package consists of five principal components: 1) political will of the government and its commitment to support the program; 2) case detection; 3) initiation of short course chemotherapy among detected cases; 4) ensuring the regular supply of essential anti-TB drugs; and 5) establishing a registry and reporting system for program monitoring and evaluation. Of the 40 African countries participating in the conference, 30 have efficient programs. Comparing the management of National TB Control Programs in Francophone and Anglophone Africa, it is noted that both are complementary, although generally, public health issues are more easily integrated into the medical training in the Anglophone countries than they are in the Francophone. Anglophone uses a more comprehensive approach to public health while countries in the Francophone practiced a more traditional university centralization. Finally, Chaulet gives his comment on the role of WHO in addressing concerns over the financial issues involved in TB Control Programs, particularly in the mobilization of resources from nongovernmental organizations and international institutions.     

TB or not TB: The role of immunodiagnosis

The evaluation of delayed‐type hypersensitivity immune responses by the tuberculin skin test and, more recently, by ex vivo IFN‐γ release assays (IGRAs) form the basis for the risk assessment for the development of tuberculosis (TB) in close contacts of infective index patients and in immunocompromised hosts. In contrast, immunodiagnosis has little value for the diagnosis of active TB so far. A report in this issue of the European Journal of Immunology [ Eur J Immunol 2012. 42: 2844–2850 ] provides new insight into the phenotypic characteristics and selective recruitment of Ag‐specific T cells to the site of the infection, as analyzed by flow cytometry, which may provide new opportunities for the immune‐based diagnosis of TB in the future.     

结核感染T细胞斑点试验在结核诊断与筛查中的价值

目的 探讨结核感染T细胞斑点试验(T-SPOT.TB)在结核诊断与筛查中的价值.方法 对2013年1月至2016年12月在南通市第一人民医院就诊的266个患者分为结核组、非结核组及生物制剂组,抽取静脉血应用结核感染T细胞斑点试验进行检测,同时部分患者进行了结核菌素检测.结果 T-SPOT.TB法诊断TB患者的敏感度为87.9％,阳性预测价值和阴性预测价值分别是43.2％和88.5％,TB组T-SPOT.TB检测阳性率明显高于非TB组(P ＜0.001)和生物制剂组(P＜0.001)的阳性率.而TST试验结果中,TB组阳性率与非TB组、非TB组阳性率与生物制剂组差异均没有统计学意义(P＞0.05),而TB组阳性率与生物制剂组差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).在所有受试者T-SPOT.TB检测和TST试验的一致性为70.3％(K =0.397),生物制剂组中两者一致性为59.5％ (K=0.313).在TB组和非TB组中,两种方法一致性更高,分别为83.7％(K=0.486)和77.1％ (K=0.437).T-SPOT.TB法中TB组的斑点数显著高于非TB组(P ＜0.001)和生物制剂组(P＜0.001),而非TB组和生物制剂组的斑点数差异没有统计学意义(P＞0.05).结论 T-SPOT.TB检测比结核菌素试验有更高的灵敏度及阴性预测价值,并且不受环境分枝杆菌和BCG接种的影响,使得T-SPOT.TB在结核感染的诊断与筛查中具有较好的临床应用价值.     

A review of the literature on the economics of vaccination against TB

The BCG vaccine was introduced in 1921 and remains the only licensed vaccine for the prevention of TB worldwide. Despite its extensive use, the BCG vaccine lacks the ability to fully control the TB-endemic and -pandemic situations. The BCG vaccine is most effective in preventing pediatric TB, in particular, miliary TB and tuberculous meningitis. However, it has a limited effect in preventing pulmonary TB, which occurs more frequently in adults. BCG vaccination has now been implemented in more than 157 countries worldwide. For various countries, the benefits of vaccination are only limited and potentially not cost effective. The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases had set the criteria for discontinuation of BCG vaccination in 1994. This decision, however, was not based on economic considerations. Many developed countries have met the criteria set by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease and stopped universal BCG vaccination. For developing countries, the BCG vaccine is still an effective intervention in protecting young children from TB infection. A lot of effort has been spent on R&D of new TB vaccines, the first of which are expected to be available within 5-7 years from now. Novel TB vaccines are expected to be better and more effective than the current BCG vaccine and should provide a viable strategy in controlling TB morbidity and mortality. In this review, the aim is to explore economic evaluations that have been carried out for vaccination against TB worldwide. In addition to epidemiological evidence, economic evidence can play a crucial role in supporting the governments of countries in making proper public health decisions on BCG vaccination policies, in particular, to implement, continue, or discontinue.     

Antibody-cytokine fusion proteins: innovative weapons in the war against cancer

Abstract. Cancer patients who are administered therapeutic doses of cytokines (e. g., interleukin-2, granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor, interleukin-12, and tumor necrosis factor-) frequently develop devastating toxic side effects that can lead to discontinuation of therapy. This problem has compelled numerous investigators to design innovative strategies that will reduce prolonged systemic cytokine exposure and promote cytokine accumulation at the site of the tumor. One such strategy involves the use of antibody-cytokine fusion proteins consisting of immunoenhancing cytokines genetically fused to antibodies that are able to target specific antigens exclusively expressed or overexpressed on the surface of tumor cells. Preclinical studies examining their therapeutic efficacy demonstrate that they posses potent tumoricidal activity, suggesting that they may be clinically useful as novel cancer therapeutic agents.     

Losing the war against obesity: the need for a developmental perspective

Developed countries are struggling to control epidemics of obesity and related chronic diseases; thus, we can expect only limited success from applying the current approaches to the developing world, which is experiencing an alarming increase in such disorders. This failure results in part from the fact that our focus on adult life-styles, although important, ignores data that suggest that biological and cultural factors operating early in life affect adult health status. To stem the rising obesity burden in developing countries, scientists and policy-makers must address obesity-promoting factors from early development to adulthood.     

含信号肽Mtb8.4基因疫苗对小鼠结核杆菌感染的免疫保护作用

目的研究含信号肽MTB8.4基因疫苗的免疫原性及对小鼠结核杆菌感染的免疫保护作用。方法雌性C57BL/6N小鼠32只,随机分为4组,即含信号肽的MTB8.4(MS)基因疫苗组、BCG组、pcDNA3.1 组和PBS组。ELISA检测小鼠脾细胞培养上清中细胞因子水平;并按效、靶比例分别为100∶1、50∶1、10∶1进行CTL杀伤检测。用结核杆菌H37Rv强毒株静脉攻击小鼠,计数肺和脾组织中的结核杆菌菌落数,观察小鼠部分肺和脾组织的病变程度;Z-N染色查结核杆菌,观察该疫苗对小鼠结核杆菌感染的免疫保护作用。结果MS基因疫苗能够诱导较强的抗原特异性Th1型细胞免疫应答,细胞因子IFN-γ和IL-2分泌增加,IL-4分泌减少,特异性CTL活性增加;免疫组小鼠肺和脾组织中的结核杆菌菌落数较空载体组显著减少,组织病变明显减轻。结论结核病MS基因疫苗能诱导较强的Th1型细胞免疫应答,对小鼠结核杆菌感染有一定的免疫保护作用,但尚需进一步提高。     

TB news

Tuberculosis (TB) requires several different treatment drugs, making daily treatment difficult to maintain. A study of 23 HIV-positive TB patients and 22 HIV-negative TB patients found twice-weekly therapy to be effective. The patients received either daily therapy or therapy three times per week. The therapy consisted of isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol for two months, followed by isoniazid and rifampin for seven months in HIV-positive patients and four months in HIV-negative patients. Compliance was defined as completing eighty percent of the required doses.     

Empathy in high-tech and high-touch medicine

Objective

Surgeons and psychiatrists have been described as two contrary groups, the one healing by hands and the other by words. Empathy is needed in every physician–patient relationship. We tested whether (1) surgeons and psychiatrists show different levels of cognitive and emotional empathy; (2) measurements of cognitive and emotional empathy correlate with physician-specific empathy; and (3) gender, experience, and career choices are influencing factors.

Methods

56 surgeons and 50 psychiatrists participated. We measured empathy with the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE), cognitive empathy with the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test Revised (RME-R6), and emotional empathy with the Balanced Emotional Empathy Scale (BEES).

Results

Male psychiatrists scored significantly higher than that of male surgeons (118.0 ± 9.86 vs. 107.5 ± 13.84; p = 0.0006) in the JSPE. Analytically trained psychiatrists scored significantly higher in the JSPE than that of behaviorally trained psychiatrists (p = 0.024, F test, adjusted for gender). Both the RME and the BEES correlated positively with the JSPE.

Conclusion

Higher scores for empathy were found in male psychiatrists than in male surgeons.

Practice implications

Further research is needed to learn about the effects of general medical training on empathy.