A profile of the online dissemination of national influenza surveillance data

Background  

Influenza surveillance systems provide important and timely information to health service providers on trends in the circulation of influenza virus and other upper respiratory tract infections. Online dissemination of surveillance data is useful for risk communication to health care professionals, the media and the general public. We reviewed national influenza surveillance websites from around the world to describe the main features of surveillance data dissemination.     

S33138 (N-[4-[2-[(3aS,9bR)-8-cyano-1,3a,4,9b-tetrahydro[1] benzopyrano[3,4-c]pyrrol-2(3H)-yl)-ethyl]phenyl-acetamide), a preferential dopamine D3 versus D2 receptor antagonist and potential antipsychotic agent: III. Actions in models of therapeutic activity and induction of side effects

In contrast to clinically available antipsychotics, the novel benzopyranopyrrolidine derivative, S33138 (N-[4-[2-[(3aS,9bR)-8-cyano-1,3a,4,9b-tetrahydro[1]benzopyrano[3,4-c]pyrrol-2(3H)-yl)-ethyl]phenyl-acetamide), behaves as a preferential antagonist of D(3) versus D(2) receptors and does not interact with histamine H(1) and muscarinic receptors. In contrast to haloperidol, clozapine, olanzapine, and risperidone, S33138 (0.16-2.5 mg/kg s.c.) did not disrupt performance in passive-avoidance and five-choice serial reaction time procedures. Furthermore, upon either systemic administration (0.04-2.5 mg/kg s.c.) or introduction into the frontal cortex (0.04-0.63 mug/side), S33138 potently attenuated the perturbation of social recognition by scopolamine or a prolonged intersession delay. Over a comparable and low-dose range, S33138 (0.04-0.63 mg/kg s.c.) elevated dialysis levels of acetylcholine in the frontal cortex of freely moving rats. At higher doses (2.5-10.0 mg/kg s.c.), S33138 also increased frontocortical levels of histamine, whereas monoamines, glutamate, glycine, and GABA were unaffected. By analogy to the other antipsychotics, S33138 (0.63-10.0 mg/kg s.c.) inhibited conditioned avoidance responses in rats, apomorphine-induced climbing in mice, and hyperlocomotion elicited by amphetamine, cocaine, dizocilpine, ketamine, and phencyclidine in rats. S33138 (0.16-2.5 mg/kg s.c.) also blocked the reduction of prepulse inhibition elicited by apomorphine. In comparison with the above actions, only "high" doses of S33138 (10.0-40.0 mg/kg s.c.) elicited catalepsy. To summarize, reflecting preferential blockade of D(3) versus D(2) receptors, S33138 preserves and/or enhances cognitive function, increases frontocortical cholinergic transmission, and is active in models of antipsychotic properties at doses well below those inducing catalepsy. In comparison with clinically available agents, S33138 displays, thus, a distinctive and promising profile of potential antipsychotic properties.     

Association of seborrhoeic warts with skin cancer in renal transplant recipients**

Background Renal transplant recipients (RTR) have a well recognized increased risk of cutaneous malignancy. A clinical observation that RTR with skin cancer often had multiple seborrhoeic warts prompted an investigation in RTR into the relationship between seborrhoeic warts and skin cancer and an exploration into potential risk factors for seborrhoeic warts in this population, including infection with human papillomavirus (HPV). Methods This was a case control study involving 308 RTR. Clinical examinations identified seborrhoeic warts. Histological records reviewed to look for evidence of prior cutaneous malignancy. Seroprevalence of antibodies to 34 different HPV types tested using multiplex serology. Odds ratios (OR) calculated using unconditional logistic regression analysis to look for associations between skin cancer, HPV infection and seborrhoeic warts, controlling for potential confounding factors of gender, age and time since transplantation. Results Seborrhoeic warts were associated with non‐melanoma skin cancer [OR = 3.7; 95% confidence intervals (CI) ranging from 1.6–8.9; P = 0.002] when confounding factors of gender, age and time since transplantation were controlled for. There was also an association between seborrhoeic warts and viral warts (OR = 3.0, CI: 1.6–5.4; P < 0.0001), but no association between seborrhoeic warts and infection with single or multiple HPV types. Conclusions Seborrhoeic warts are associated with cutaneous malignancy, but not with any of the HPV types tested. The reasons for this association are unclear. RTR with multiple seborrhoeic warts may require more regular cutaneous examination to monitor for early signs of skin cancer.     

Serum brain‐derived neurotrophic factor and platelet activation evaluated by soluble P‐selectin and soluble CD‐40‐ligand in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Little is known about the role of neurotrophins (NT) under adult vascular homeostasis in normal and pathological conditions. The NT family, including nerve growth factor and brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are expressed in atherosclerotic vessels. Previous studies demonstrated that plasma BDNF levels were increased in the coronary circulation in patients with unstable angina. However, the role of BDNF during the onset and evolution of unstable angina remains to be elucidated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between BDNF, functional parameters and biological markers associated with inflammatory processes and platelet activation. BDNF serum levels were assessed in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) (n = 20) or stable angina pectoris (SAP) (n = 20) who underwent coronary angiography. Serum levels of IL‐6, MCP1, sVCAM, soluble CD‐40‐ligand (sCD40L) and soluble P‐selectin (sP‐selectin) were measured simultaneously by flux cytometry. Median BDNF levels were higher in the MI than in the SAP group (1730 vs. 877 pg/mL, respectively; P = 0.025). In MI patients, we observed a significant correlation between BDNF and sP‐selectin (r = 0.58, P = 0.023), although we found a non‐significant trend between BDNF and sCD40L (r = +0.35, P = 0.144). By contrast, no such correlation was observed in SAP patients (r = ?0.22, P = 0.425). No difference was observed between the two groups regarding baseline demographics, risk factors, biological data and angiographic findings. The study suggests that BDNF serum levels in MI patients could be related to platelet activation and the inflammatory response. Further studies are needed to investigate the role of NT in the setting of acute MI.     

糖基化恢复冷藏血小板的存活率

血小板冷藏会使血管假性血友病因子受体复合物(von Willebrand factor receptor complex)聚集成簇。巨噬细胞αMβ2 整合素结合在成簇复合物的GPIbα亚基,导致输注的冷藏血小板被快速清除。因此输注用血小板不能冷藏,但现在的室温保存方式也存在很大缺点。我们已证明αMβ2是一种凝集素,它能识别GPIbα的N-连接葡聚糖上暴露的β-N-乙酰葡萄胺。冷藏血小板的酶促半乳糖苷化阻止了αMβ2的这种识别,延长了有     

Assessment of right ventricular systolic function using tricuspid annular-plane systolic excursion in Nigerians with systemic hypertension

Aim

Right ventricular (RV) systolic function in patients with hypertensive heart disease (HHD) is not well characterised. The primary aim of this study was to assess the systolic function of the right ventricle in patients with HHD using tricuspid annular-plane systolic excursion (TAPSE).

Methods

The study was cross-sectional in design and carried out in Kano, Nigeria. Patients were recruited if they had HHD on echocardiography and were at least 15 years of age. Patients with other cardiac pathologies such as ischaemic and valvular heart diseases were excluded. Patients were considered to have abnormal RV systolic function if they had reduced values of TAPSE (< 15 mm). A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

A total of 186 patients were serially recruited over seven months. Of these, 131 (70.4%) had normal RV systolic function (group 1) and 55 patients (29.6%) had abnormal function (group 2). Group 2 patients were older (p = 0.002) and had a higher prevalence of peripheral oedema (p = 0.002), moderate to severe dyspnoea, higher heart rate and lower left ventricular ejection fraction (p < 0.001). Atrial arrhythmias were also more prevalent among group 2 patients (p < 0.05). The best correlate to TAPSE was the septal mitral annularplane systolic excursion (r = +0.541, p < 0.001). Several variables such as age predicted the presence of reduced TAPSE.

Conclusion

The study found that almost one-third of patients with HHD in Kano had RV systolic dysfunction as defined by reduced TAPSE, and these patients had a greater prevalence of factors associated with morbidity and mortality.