Risk factors of influenza transmission in households.

BACKGROUND: Influenza transmission in households is a subject of renewed interest, as the vaccination of children is currently under debate and antiviral treatments have been approved for prophylactic use. AIMS: To quantify the risk factors of influenza transmission in households. DESIGN OF STUDY: A prospective study conducted during the 1999 to 2000 winter season in France. SETTING: Nine hundred and forty-six households where a member, the index patient, had visited their general practitioner (GP) because of an influenza-like illness were enrolled in the study. Five hundred and ten of the index patients tested positive for influenza A (subtype H3N2). A standardised daily questionnaire allowed for identification of secondary cases of influenza among their household contacts, who were followed-up for 15 days. Of the 395 (77%) households that completed the questionnaire, we selected 279 where no additional cases had occurred on the day of the index patient's visit to the GP. METHODS: Secondary cases of influenza were those household contacts who had developed clinical influenza within 5 days of the disease onset in the index patient. Hazard ratios for individual clinical and demographic characteristics of the contact and their index patient were derived from a Cox regression model. RESULTS: Overall in the 279 households, 131 (24.1%) secondary cases occurred among the 543 household contacts. There was an increased risk of influenza transmission in preschool contacts (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.85, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09 to 3.26) as compared with school-age and adult contacts. There was also an increased risk in contacts exposed to preschool index patients (HR = 1.93, 95% CI = 1.09 to 3.42) and school-age index patients (HR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.07 to 2.65), compared with those exposed to adult index cases. No other factor was associated with transmission of the disease. CONCLUSION: Our results support the major role of children in the dissemination of influenza in households. Vaccination of children or prophylaxis with neuraminidase inhibitors would prevent, respectively, 32-38% and 21-41% of secondary cases caused by exposure to a sick child in the household.     

军人花粉症106例快速免疫治疗

目的　探讨军人花粉症治疗的有效方法。方法　采用提高起始浓度和快速递增浓度 ,上臂外侧皮下注射的方法对 10 6位军人花粉症患者行快速免疫治疗 ,并对每一位患者治疗前后检测血清中总IgE和嗜酸细胞阳离子蛋白 (ECP)。 结果　治疗前后患者总IgE和ECP值有显著性差异。 10 6例患者经 1～ 3年随访复查 ,78例 2个以上发病季节未发作 ,或仅有轻微鼻痒、眼痒 ,18例症状减轻 ,发病时间缩短半月 ,10例症状无明显改善。显效 82例 ,有效 14例 ,无效 10例 ,总有效率为 90 .5 7%。结论　快速免疫治疗能使患者血清总IgE和ECP下降 ,对军人花粉症疗效好。     

疝环充填式无张力疝修补术262例体会

目的 探讨疝环充填式无张力修补术治疗腹股沟疝的经验并评价其临床价值.方法 回顾总结2000年1月至2007年6月疝环充填式无张力修补术治疗腹股沟疝262例临床资料,其中伴随高血压、冠心病、糖尿病、慢性呼吸系统疾病、便秘、前列腺肥大等238例,占90.8%.结果 全组均治愈,手术时间平均41分钟,无切口感染,术后4～7天出院,平均住院5天,随访3～64个月,疝复发1例,为0.4%.结论 该方法操作简便,符合腹股沟区生理解剖特点,强调对高龄患者的术前准备,强调严格的无菌操作,强调充填物放置到位和充填后修补到位是避免术后复发的关键.     

PCR检测角膜内单疱病毒DNA的实验及临床研究

为了探索单疱病毒性角膜炎的发病机制和快速诊断ＨＳＫ。方法应用多聚酶链反应对感染的ＨＳＫ的２０只纯新西兰白兔和６０例ＨＳＫ患者的角膜进行了单疱病毒－１－ＤＮＡ检测。结果急性感染期的５只兔角膜和１２只人角膜均阳性；用稳定期４５ｄ的兔角供体行部分穿透性角膜移植术，术后５０ｄ１０只兔角膜中７只阳性，稳定期６个月－６年的１８只人角膜片，１２只阳性；３０例临床可疑ＨＳＫ角膜刮取物，２６例阳性；５只未感染ＨＳＫ     

国产鼻喷鲑鱼降钙素治疗骨质疏松性疼痛的疗效观察

目的观察国产鼻喷鲑鱼降钙素治疗骨质疏松性疼痛的疗效。方法采用随机分组对照设计。选择骨质疏松患者53例,随机分为两组,治疗组(30例)给予鼻喷鲑鱼降钙素,20u/次,1次/天,8周为1个疗程,停药后继续观察3周。对照组(23例)口服钙尔奇D片,1片/次,1次/天,共8周;采用国际惯用分级标准对疼痛予以评估。结果治疗组患者的疼痛明显改善,其总有效率为95%;在停药后缓解疼痛的作用仍可维持4周以上,Ⅲ度骨质疏松患者的治疗效果较Ⅰ度和Ⅱ度患者的效果差;对照组症状未见明显改善。结论用国产鼻喷鲑鱼降钙素治疗骨质疏松性骨痛,可明显缓解患者的疼痛症状。     

On the mechanism of increased potassium conductance by the potassium channel opener BRL 34915 in Isolated ventricular myocytes

The potassium conductance increased by BRL 34915 (BRL, cromakalim) was studied in single guinea pig ventricular myocytes by using a whole cell voltage-clamp technique. In control voltage-clamp recordings, the late current-voltage relation showed a distinct inward rectification. BRL (1–100 μM) shortened the action potential and diminished or abolished inward rectification but had no effect on the slope conductance and currents flowing during hyperpolarizing clamp steps. BRL did not decrease the slow inward current but accelerated the time constant of activation and amplitude of the outward current. Cd markedly decreased (0.2 mM) or abolished (0.4–0.6 mM) the slow inward current and BRL induced a faster outward shift of late current to a greater value. Glybenclamide (10 μM), a blocker of ATP-sensitive K⁺ channels, had little effect of its own on action potential, membrane currents, and I-V relation. However, in the presence of BRL, glybenclamide abolished BRL effects on action potential and currents and restored inward rectification. It is concluded that the mechanism by which BRL shortens the action potential is a faster growth of an outward current due to the reduction or abolition of the inward rectification of an ATP-dependent potassium channel. The reduction in force in non-isolated tissues appears to be an indirect result of the action potential shortening and not of a decreased slow inward current.     

Proanthocyanidin: a natural crosslinking reagent for stabilizing collagen matrices

While attempting to find a suitable crosslinking reagent for biopolymers, a naturally occurring proanthocyanidin (PA) obtained from grape seeds was selected to fix biological tissues. The cytotoxicity and crosslinking rate, reflected by the in vitro and in vivo degradation of fixed matrices has been studied. The shrinkage temperature of the fixed bovine pericardium increased from 66 to 86 degrees C. A cytotoxicity assay using fibroblast cultures revealed that PA is approximately 120 times less toxic than glutaraldehyde (GA), a currently used tissue stabilizer. In vitro degradation studies showed that fixed tissue was resistant to digestion by bacterial collagenase. Crosslinks between PA and tissues can be stabilized by decreasing the dielectric constant of the solution during storage. After subcutaneous implantation for periods ranging between 3 and 6 weeks, we found no apparent degradation of the GA- or PA-fixed tissues, whereas fresh tissue controls rapidly disintegrated. Beyond 6 weeks PA crosslinks began to degrade. More fibroblasts migrated and proliferated inside the PA-fixed implants compared with GA counterparts. Tissues crosslinked with PA manifested an enhanced collagen expression and deposition and did not calcify after implantation. GA, on the other hand, even after thorough rinsing continued to be cytotoxic, inhibited collagen synthesis and encouraged dystrophic calcification. Collagen matrices crosslinked with PA are expected to be of value in the design of matrices that will encourage cell ingrowth and proliferation, which are temporary in nature, and that are intended to regenerate or replace missing tissues, which can delay the biogradation of collagen. As such they should be of significant value in the emerging field of tissue engineering.     

The geographical distribution in Sweden of viruses belonging to the Russian spring-summer-louping Ill group

Conclusions NT antibodies to LI virus were found in the sera of Swedish cows from many parts of the country although only exceptionally in the north. The prevalence of positive specimens increased markedly towards the southeast. This geographic distribution apparently fits well with the occurrence of ticks in the country. An analysis, now in progress, of RSSE-LI antibodies in human cases of meningoencephalomyelitis seems to indicate a closely similar distribution of the human RSSE infections. It is thus obvious that the screening of cow sera for LI antibodies provides reliable information as to endemic regions of RSSE-LI-like viruses. There was nothing to suggest that nonspecific reactions occurred or impaired the results; in fact the very uneven geographic distribution of positive specimens, of high as well as low titers, should argue for specificity of the reaction.Aided by a grant from the Swedish National Association against Poliomyelitis.The skilful technical assistance of MissSiri Austrin, MissIngrid Lövhvist, MissBrita Gustafson and Mr.Nils Lundh is gratefully acknowledged.