Detection of anti-HTLV-I Tax antibodies in HTLV-I enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-negative individuals

The HTLV-I tax gene protein (Tax) is not packaged within the mature viral particle from which the proteins for the commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) are derived. Screening of 162 individuals within a cohort of white intravenous (IV) drug abusers, previously identified as having an increased incidence of HTLV-I infection, demonstrated that seven of them had antibodies to the HTLV-I Tax protein but tested negative in HTLV-I ELISAs and Western blots prepared from purified virion proteins. Three out of 35 individuals in other behaviorally defined high-risk groups also displayed this limited pattern of reactivity to HTLV-I proteins. The presence of the anti-HTLV- I p40/Tax antibodies was determined by radioimmunoprecipitation assay (RIPA), which also revealed low levels of anti-env reactivity. The specificity of the anti-p40 reactivity was confirmed on specific Tax ELISAs and Western blots prepared from recombinantly produced Tax. In vitro gene amplification by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to establish the presence of sequences homologous to HTLV-I proviral DNA in four/four of these HTLV-I ELISA negative, Tax ELISA/Tax western blot/RIPA positive individuals. These data suggest that the true incidence of HTLV-I infection within high-risk cohorts is greater than previously reported.     

The provision of a time-critical elective surgical service during the COVID-19 Crisis: a UK experience

IntroductionWith the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, all elective surgery was temporarily suspended in the UK, allowing for diversion of resource to manage the anticipated surge of critically unwell patients. Continuing to deliver time-critical surgical care is important to avoid excess morbidity and mortality from pathologies unrelated to COVID-19. We describe the implementation and short-term surgical outcomes from a system to deliver time-critical elective surgical care to patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.Materials and methodsA protocol for the prioritisation and safe delivery of time-critical surgery at a COVID-19 ‘clean’ site was implemented at the Nuffield Health Exeter Hospital, an independent sector hospital in the southwest of England. Outcomes to 30 days postoperatively were recorded, including unplanned admissions after daycase surgery, readmissions and complications, as well as the incidence of perioperative COVID-19 infection in patients and staff.ResultsA total of 128 surgical procedures were performed during a 31-day period by a range of specialties including breast, plastics, urology, gynaecology, vascular and cardiology. There was one unplanned admission and and two readmissions. Six complications were identified, and all were Clavien-Dindo grade 1 or 2. All 128 patients had preoperative COVID-19 swabs, one of which was positive and the patient had their surgery delayed. Ten patients were tested for COVID-19 postoperatively, with none testing positive.ConclusionThis study has demonstrated the implementation of a safe system for delivery of time-critical elective surgical care at a COVID-19 clean site. Other healthcare providers may benefit from implementation of similar methodology as hospitals plan to restart elective surgery.     

18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography imaging in brain tumours: The Western Australia positron emission tomography/cyclotron service experience

¹⁸F‐fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG‐PET) scans in the first 49 patients referred with either possible brain tumour or brain tumour recurrence were reviewed. FDG‐PET imaging was reported with reference to anatomical imaging. Based on the report the FDG study was classified as either positive or negative for the presence of tumour. Thirty‐eight cases were included in the analysis, 21 having pathological data and 17 with diagnostic clinical follow up. Eleven were excluded, as they had inadequate follow‐up data. Of the 21 cases with pathology, 18 were shown to have tumour. In this group there were five false‐negative scans and two false‐positive PET scans. Seventeen cases were assessed by clinical follow up, nine were considered to have been tumour. There were two false negatives with one false positive. The overall sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values were 74, 73, 87 and 53% respectively. This is similar to figures previously quoted in published work. Despite relatively limited numbers, the utility of FDG PET imaging in our hands is similar to published reports. With a positive predictive value of 87%, a positive FDG study indicates a high likelihood that there is brain tumour present. A negative study does not exclude the presence of tumour.     

难治性青光眼两种治疗方法的比较

临床资料 2003-02／2004—10，难治性青光眼36例36眼，(男19，女17)例；年龄37—81(平均59．6)岁；术前视力：无光感6例，光感15例，手动13例，眼前数指2例；术前眼压：在5．59—10．77(平均8．01)kPa；1例系玻切术后继发性青光眼，35例系新生血管性青光眼(其中：视网膜静脉阻塞15例，糖尿病视网膜病变18例，原因不明2例)．①眼内窥镜下睫状体光凝术18例：在角膜缘环形剪开结膜，充分止血；在     

Innervation of supporting cells in the apical turns of the guinea pig cochlea is from type II afferent fibers

The outer supporting cells in the apical turns of the guinea pig cochlea receive a dense innervation. Our previous study (Fechner et al. [1998] J. Comp. Neurol. 400:299-300) suggested that this innervation of the Deiters' and Hensen's supporting cells was not derived from efferent fibers of the olivocochlear bundle, but its origin has not been further specified. To test the hypothesis that the innervation was afferent in origin, we traced apical afferent fibers that were retrogradely labeled by extracellular injections of horseradish peroxidase. Labeled afferent fibers were of two types: type I fibers contacted inner hair cells, whereas type II fibers crossed the tunnel and contacted outer hair cells. Significantly, most of the type II fibers also formed branches to the outer supporting cells. Although a few olivocochlear efferent fibers formed such branches, counts indicated that the overwhelming majority of the branches were produced by type II afferent fibers. These branches were not produced by basal type II fibers. Apical type II fibers also differed from basal fibers by having shorter lengths, spiraling both apically and basally, and contacting all three rows of outer hair cells. These innervation differences suggest differences in the ways that information from outer hair cells is processed in the apex versus the base of the cochlea.     

Bilateral chronic conjunctivitis and corneal scarring in a boy with X-linked hypogammaglobulinaemia

ABSTRACT We report an unusual case of bilateral chronic conjunctivitis and corneal scarring in a boy with X-linked hypogammaglobulinaemia (XLH) who did not respond to the usual antibacterial and antiviral therapy. An immunofluorescence test for Chlamydia trachomatis from an eye swab was strongly positive. Within days of commencement of local and systemic tetracycline therapy, he showed marked improvement. Since conjunctival follicle formation, which depends on the presence of a B-cell population, may not occur in XLH, clinical examination in chlamydia conjunctivitis may be misleading and lead to a delay in diagnosis and treatment with resulting corneal complications, unless laboratory evidence of chlamydia infection is specifically sought.     

Health care and its costs for children with perinatally acquired HIV infection

Objective : To describe survival patterns, use of health services and related costs for Australian children with perinatally acquired human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.
Methodology : A retrospective cross-sectional survey was made of 20 children with HIV infection (91% of those diagnosed) and 13 children with maternal antibodies who subsequently seroreverted, treated at 10 medical centres. Details of disease progression and use of health services were obtained from hospital medical records. Monthly costs for three phases of infection were estimated by linking service usage rates with estimates of the unit cost of each service. The average lifetime cost was estimated by combining monthly costs and phase duration estimates from the literature.
Results : Patterns of disease progression were similar to those reported internationally, with a median survival of 8 years. Use, of health services increased with severity of illness. Mean monthly costs were $120 per month (1992 Australian dollars) for children with maternal antibodies who subsequently seroreverted, $320 per month for children with HIV infection but no acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-defining illness, and $1830 per month for children with AIDS. The present value of total lifetime cost for a child with HIV infection was $48174,46% of which was for treatment of AIDS.
Discussion : The mean lifetime cost for a perinatally infected child was just over half that for a man with HIV in Australia. Health service usage and costs were lower for Australian than American children with HIV.     

Effect of proton pump inhibitors on the detection of Helicobacter pylori in gastric biopsies.

BACKGROUND: Proton pump inhibitors are known to decrease the activity of Helicobacter pylori organisms within the stomach and to shift their distribution proximally. This effect may reduce the sensitivity of histological examination and rapid urease testing for H. pylori on biopsies taken from recommended sites. It is of particular relevance if a proton pump inhibitor has been prescribed before the patient has undergone diagnostic endoscopy. METHODS: We studied patients referred to our open-access upper gastrointestinal endoscopy service who had either been on no medication (controls) or were already taking proton pump inhibitors. Biopsies taken from the gastric antrum and corpus were used for rapid urease testing and for histological examination. Sera, taken from patients who had no evidence of H. pylori in biopsies, were tested for IgG H. pylori antibodies as an alternative indicator of infection. RESULTS: H. pylori organisms were detected by histological examination in 27 of 40 controls (68%) and in 13 of 25 patients taking proton pump inhibitors (52%). Among patients with positive histology (organisms detected in either antral or corpus biopsies, or both), only the sensitivity of the antral urease test read at 1 h was significantly lower in patients taking proton pump inhibitors than in controls, with no significant difference in sensitivities of the antral urease test at 24 h, of the corpus urease test at 1 or 24 h, or of histology from the antrum or corpus. Of patients with negative histology, none of 13 controls compared with six of 12 patients taking proton pump inhibitors (50%) had positive serology (P = 0.005). Five (83%) of the six histology-negative, seropositive patients taking proton pump inhibitors had histological changes consistent with H. pylori gastritis even though no organisms were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with a proton pump inhibitor before endoscopy reduces the sensitivity of antral and corpus biopsies for H. pylori detection, both by urease testing and histological examination. If proton pump inhibitors already prescribed cannot be discontinued for an adequate period before endoscopy, patients should have biopsies taken from the corpus as well as from the antrum, and serum should be tested for H. pylori.