E-rosettes in aging: meta-analysis of the literature

In this meta-analysis of the literature, it is affirmed that aging is associated with a small but significant decline in peripheral E-rosette-forming cells while high affinity E-rosettes (active or early rosettes) increase. The author speculates that this differential age effect may reflect the abnormal capping behaviour of E-rosettes or a change in the cell surface charge properties. A type II error is a common trait of the reviewed studies and could well explain the great number of reports concluding that E-rosette-forming cells are unaltered in the elderly.     

Priming and boosting of the rabbit intestinal immune system with live and killed, smooth and rough Vibrio cholerae cells

Cholera disease can be induced in the rabbit by ligation of the cecum (C) followed by duodenal inoculation (DI) of virulent Vibrio cholerae organisms (DIC model). When the cecum is not ligated, DI does not induce disease. In contrast, the animals are primed which becomes apparent upon challenge with live V. cholerae in the DIC model. Such animals are vibriocidally protected. This protection is characterized by absence of disease symptoms, rapid disappearance of V. cholerae from the feces and presence of high levels of anti-lipopolysaccharide Immunoglobulin A in the bile. The present study shows that primed rabbits can also be boosted by duodenal administration of killed, smooth V. cholerae cells. On the other hand, killed cells cannot prime. The minimal lethal dose of a rough derivative of a smooth strain C5, designated R5 and lacking the O antigen part of the LPS, was 100,000 times higher than that of its parent strain C5, in the DIC model. Rabbits which had been duodenally immunized with strain R5 and were subsequently challenged with the smooth strain C5, all developed diarrhea and two out of eight died. This result supports an earlier observation that the specific O antigen part of the V. cholerae LPS is an essential prerequisite for the induction of protective immunity in the rabbit.     

Differential effect of dipyridamole upon thymidine incorporation and expression of surface activation antigens by in vitro stimulated lymphocytes.

Dipyridamole inhibits, by 50% at 10(-6) M and 100% at 10(-5) M, the incorporation of tritiated thymidine by lymphocytes stimulated with 1 microgram/ml phytohaemagglutinin A for 72 h. At the latter concentration, a clinically relevant one, dipyridamole fails to inhibit lymphocyte proliferation and expression of the cell surface stimulation markers, CD25 and HLA-DR, or differential regulation of the CD45 -RA and -RO isoforms, as determined by single laser two-colour flow-cytometry. No significant immunodepressant effect of dipyridamole can be demonstrated in vitro.     

A menopause-specific quality of life questionnaire: development and psychometric properties

Objective:

to develop a condition-specific quality of life questionnaire for the menopause with documented psychometric properties, based on women's experience. Methods: Subjects: Women 2–7 years post-menopause with a uterus and not currently on hormone replacement therapy. Questionnaire development: A list of 106 menopause symptoms was reduced using the importance score method. Replies to the item-reduction questionnaire from 88 women resulted in a 30-item questionnaire with four domains, vasomotor, physical, psychosocial and sexual, and a global quality of life question. Psychometric properties: A separate sample of 20 women was used to determine face validity, and a panel of experts was used to confirm content validity. Reliability, responsiveness and construct validity were determined within the context of a randomized controlled trial.Construct validation involved comparison with the Neugarten and Kraines' Somatic, Psychosomatic and Psychologic subscales, the reported intensity of hot flushes, the General Well-Being Schedule, Channon and Ballinger's Vaginal Symptoms Score and Libido Index, and the Life Satisfaction Index.

Results:

The face validity score was 4.7 out of a possible 5. Content validity was confirmed. Test-retest reliability measures, using intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.81, 0.79, 0.70 and 0.55 for the physical, psychosocial, sexual domains and the quality of life question. The intraclass correlation coefficient for the vasomotor domain was 0.37 but there is evidence of systematic change. Discriminative construct validity showed correlation coefficients of 0.69 for the physical domain, 0.66 and 0.40 for the vasomotor domain, 0.65 and −0.71 for the psychosocial domain, 0.48 and 0.38 for the sexual domain, and 0.57 for the quality of life question. Evaluative construct validity showed correlation coefficients of 0.60 for the physical domain, 0.28 for the vasomotor domain, 0.55 and −0.54 for the psychosocial domain, 0.54 and 0.32 for the sexual domain, and 0.12 for the quality of life question. Responsiveness scores ranged from 0.78 to 1.34.

Conclusions:

The MENQOL (Menopause-Specific Quality of Life) questionnaire is a self-administered instrument which functions well in differentiating between women according to their quality of life and in measuring changes in their quality of life.     

Analysis of the skin of mice humanized for the immune system

Development of new immunotherapeutic strategies relies on the ability to activate the right cells at the right place and at the right moment and on the capacity of these cells to home to the right organ(s). Skin delivery has shown high potency for immunotherapeutic administration. However, an adequate in vivo model of human skin immunity is still a critical bottleneck. We demonstrated here that the skin of human immune system mice is colonized by human hematopoietic cells, mainly human T cells and that complementation with human antigen‐presenting cells at the vaccination site allowed the induction of an immune response.     

Prevalence and risk factors of actinic keratosis in patients attending Italian dermatology clinics

Background

Actinic keratosis (AK) is a common keratinocyte intraepidermal neoplasia.

Objective

To assess AK prevalence and potential risk factors in patients attending Italian general dermatology clinics.

Materials & methods

This retrospective study was conducted on clinical data from consecutive white outpatients aged ≥30 years, attending 24 general dermatology clinics between December 2014 and February 2015. AK prevalence (entire population) and multivariate risk factor analysis (patients with current/previous AK and complete data) are presented.

Results

AK prevalence in 7,284 patients was 27.4% (95% CI: 26.4-28.4%); 34.3% in men and 20.0% in women (p<0.001). Independent AK risk factors in 4,604 patients were: age (OR: 4.8 [95% CI: 3.5-6.5] for 46-60 years, increasing with older age to OR: 41.5 [95% CI: 29.5-58.2] for >70 years), history of other non-melanoma skin cancers (OR: 2.7 [2.2-3.3]), residence in southern Italy/Sardinia (OR: 2.6 [2.1-3.0]), working outdoors >6 hours/day (OR: 1.9 [1.4-2.4]), male gender (OR: 1.7 [1.4-2.0]), facial solar lentigos (OR: 1.6 [1.4-1.9]), light hair colour (OR: 1.5 [1.2-1.8]), prolonged outdoor recreational activities (OR: 1.4 [1.2-1.7]), light eye colour (OR: 1.3 [1.1-1.6]), skin type I/II (OR: 1.3 [1.1-1.6]), and alcohol consumption (OR: 1.2 [1.0-3.3]). BMI ≥25.0 (OR: 0.6 [0.5-0.7]), regular sunscreen use (OR: 0.7 [0.6-0.8]), and a lower level of education (OR: 0.8 [0.7-1.0]) were independent protective factors.

Conclusions

AK prevalence was high in Italian dermatology outpatients. We confirm several well-known AK risk factors and reveal possible novel risk and protective factors. Our results may inform on the design and implementation of AK screening and educational programmes.

     

A refined surgical treatment modality for bromhidrosis: Subcutaneous scissor with micropore

Axillary bromhidrosis has a strong negative effect on one's social life. A high success rate and few complications are criteria for a surgical treatment. The objective of this study was to evaluate a new surgical treatment modality for bromhidrosis: subcutaneous scissor with micropore. Twenty patients with bromhidrosis were treated. Patients were placed in a supine position with their treated arms abducted to 110°. After injection of 60 mL of tumescent solution into each axilla, one small incision was made at the middle axillary of the hair‐bearing area. The whole hair‐bearing skin was undermined at the level of the superficial fat to obtain adequate skin eversion. The flaps were everted to offer full exposure of the apocrine glands, and meticulous excision of each gland was performed. Both sides were punctured with scalpel. The micropore was used for drainage, and whose width was just 3 mm. Finally, the incisions were re‐approximated, and bulky compressive dressings were applied to the area for 72 hours. Of the 40 axillae (20 patients), 34 (85.0%) showed excellent results, and six (15.0%) had good results. Malodor was significantly decreased. There were no serious complications. This technique can produce excellent results with a lower complication rate than most other surgical modalities and can be performed without costly equipment.     

产科实施护理组长负责制层级管理的效果评价

[目的]探讨护理组长负责制在产科层级管理中的作用,调动各级护理人员的工作积极性,提高护理质量。[方法]实施APN连续排班,实行护士长一护理组长一责任护士一助理护士的层级管理模式,比较护理组长负责制模式下住院病人对护理工作的满意度、医生对护理工作的满意度、病区不良事件发生率情况。[结果]实施护理组长负责制后病人、医生对护理服务满意度均较实施前提高,护理不良事件发生率下降40％。[结论]护理组长负责制层级管理的实施能充分发挥护理骨干的核心作用,更加合理地安排护理人力资源,提高工作效率,保证护理安全。     

Aortic stent grafting and side-branch embolization in an expanding chronic type B dissection

OBJECTIVE: This is a report of endovascular treatment of a case of type B thoracoabdominal aortic dissection in a patient with progressive dyspnea, dorsolumbar pain, and expanding aortic diameter over a 1-year period. METHODS: Pretreatment imaging evaluation showed that the false lumen supplied only the celiac trunk. Endovascular treatment combined (1) embolization of the first segment of the celiac trunk to avoid distal back-flow into the false lumen and (2) stent grafting to occlude the initial entry tear. RESULTS: The treatment resulted in technical and clinical success. The patient remains asymptomatic 12 months after treatment. CONCLUSION: Stent grafting offers an interesting therapeutic alternative to exclude the initial entry tear in aortic dissection and may be combined with other endovascular procedures.