The significance of a rapid cold hemagglutination test for detecting mycoplasma infections in children with asthma exacerbation.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection is a frequent cause of community-acquired respiratory infections in children and adults. However, standardized, rapid, specific methods for its diagnosis are lacking. The relationship between M. pneumoniae infection and asthma exacerbation has been recently discussed in the literature. We investigated the accuracy of rapid detection of mycoplasma infection by cold hemagglutination test compared to conventional enzyme immunoassays. The clinical characteristics of mycoplasma infection seen during emergent visits in asthmatic children were reviewed. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients with asthma exacerbation visiting the Department of Pediatric Emergency, National Taiwan University Hospital, over a 12-month period. Subjects 2-18 years of age diagnosed with asthma at our outpatient clinic were included in this study. Patients with immunodeficiency, congenital anomalies, neurological diseases and irregular follow-up were excluded. RESULTS: A total of 269 children (174 males and 95 females) with a mean (+/- standard deviation) age of 6.15 +/- 3.08 years were included. The prevalence of asthma exacerbation in regular follow-up patients was 13.4%, and as many as 19.6% of cases (74/378 person-times) required hospitalization. Asthma attacks were most prevalent during December. 126 patients had both rapid cold hemagglutination testing and mycoplasma immunoglobulin M titers determined using acute blood samples drawn in the emergency room; 46 (36.5%) of these patients demonstrated mycoplasma infection. Sensitivity and specificity of the rapid cold hemagglutination test was 78.3% and 41.3%, respectively. The positive predictive value was 43.4%. Comparison of patients with or without mycoplasma infection revealed no differences in gender, age, chest X-ray findings, and most symptoms/signs and laboratory data, except that more signs of fever and auscultatory rales were seen in the non-mycoplasma infection group. CONCLUSIONS: Mycoplasma infections could be an exacerbating factor for asthma, and the rapid cold hemagglutination test should not be a guideline for prescribing macrolides in the emergency room.     

Subclinical hepatic encephalopathy: relationship between neuropsychological deficits and standard laboratory tests assessing hepatic status.

A multivariate analysis of the relationship between biochemical measures of hepatic function and neuropsychological assessments of specific cognitive domains was performed on data obtained from 74 patients with chronic liver disease and subclinical hepatic encephalopathy. Biochemical tests of hepatic protein synthesis correlated significantly with measures of impaired language efficiency, perceptual speed, and psychomotor efficiency. Biochemical indices of impaired processing of nitrogenous compounds correlated with visuopractic deficits. Hepatic blood flow indices correlated with language inefficiency. Interestingly, biochemical measures of hepatic injury did not demonstrate a significant association with any neuropsychological parameter assessed. These results suggest that subclinical hepatic encephalopathy is the consequence of a multifactorial hepatic dysfunction, and that acute hepatic injury, as assessed by elevation of aminotransferases, does not appear to be involved in the pathogenesis of subclinical hepatic encephalopathy.     

传染病研究40年（1955～1995年）

本文综述本校传染病学教研室１９５５～１９９５年间所取得的科研成果。内容包括１０余种传染病与寄生虫病的临床和基础研究，其中以华支睾吸虫病、恙虫病等有广东特色的传染病以及伤寒、痢疾、病毒性肝炎等影响人民健康最普遍的传染病为重点。反映了建国以来各个时期本教研室对防治这些传染病所作的贡献。所取得的成果，相当一部分通过多年来的验证，已获得广大传染病工作者所认同或列为常规，部分已获得部委级奖励。现在重温这些成果，可能起承前启后的意义。     

“鸡皮疙瘩”，非典型肌肤恐怖片

有一套系列恐怖畅销书叫做《鸡皮疙瘩丛书》，意思是故事恐怖到让看书人身上起满鸡皮疙瘩。可是，当你并不觉得寒冷或害怕时身上依然出现鸡皮疙瘩，那就代表着一种并不算恐怖却令许多女生苦恼不已的皮肤问题——毛周角化症。[编者按]     

勃起功能障碍可能是心血管疾病的信号

近期一项调查研究显示，出现勃起功能障碍的老年健康男子可能存在隐性心血管疾病。共有8063名55岁以上无心血管疾病的美国男子参加了该项队列研究，试验初始时4247人具有正常勃起功能。     

99Tcm-MIBI动力学变化与大鼠缺血-再灌注心肌存活的相关性研究

目的探讨用99Tcm-甲氧基异丁基异腈(MIBI)动力学变化评价心肌存活的价值.方法15只离体Krebs-Henseleit(KH)液灌注的鼠心脏,随机分成3组对照组(5只),有葡萄糖的缺血-再灌注组(IR+G组,5只),无葡萄糖的缺血-再灌注组(IR-G组,5只).用含99Tcm-MIBI(14.8MBq)的KH液灌注,观察40min的摄取和清除.用肌酸激酶(CK)分析、氯化三苯四唑(TTC)染色和透射电镜(TEM)分析研究心肌损伤程度,用放射自显影(ARG)观察99Tcm-MIBI在心肌内的分布.结果99Tcm-MIBI的摄取[每克组织百分注射剂量率(%ID/g)]在IR+G组为(7.09±0.97)%ID/g,IR-G组为(6.64±0.68)%ID/g,对照组为(11.44±1.79)%ID/g,IR-G组与IR+G组相比摄取量差异无显著性(P＞0.05),IR-G组和IR+G组与对照组相比均显著降低(P＜0.05).IR-G组99m-MIBI清除分数为(72.75±9.89)%,远高于对照组[(20.68±1.92)%]和IR+G组[(21.03±3.68)%,P均＜0.05],对照组与IR+G组的差异无显著性.99Tcm-MIBI的40min清除末滞留率在IR-G组[(1.82±0.73)%ID/g]和IR+G组[(5.61±0.89)%ID/g]远小于对照组[(9.09±1.57)%ID/g,P＜0.05],IR-G组也远小于IR+G组(P＜0.001).CK分析、TFC染色和TEM分析证明IR-G组比IR+G组有更多的心肌损伤.通过TTC染色(r=0.84,P＜0.05)和CK分析(r=-0.97,P＜0.05)确定最终99Tcm-MIBI的活度与存活心肌量高度相关,通过ARG证实99Tcm-MIBI分布于鼠心肌细胞及间质内(光镜下).结论99Tcm-MIBI的清除对代谢状态敏感,可用于评价进行性心肌损伤.     

Concentric sclerosis (Baló): Morphometric and in situ hybridization study of lesions in six patients

Brain tissues from 6 patients with concentric sclerosis (Baló) were examined by in situ hybridization, immunocytochemistry, morphometry, and histological methods. The patients were 24 to 48 years old and had progressive cerebral symptoms and signs that lasted 15 to 100 days. Large demyelinative lesions, most frequent in the frontal white matter, contained alternating bands of demyelinated and partly myelinated white matter that were arranged in concentric or mosaic patterns. In the areas of demyelination, axons were relatively well preserved and there were perivascular inflammatory infiltrates. In 2 specimens, lesions contained regions with the characteristic appearance of actively demyelinating multiple sclerosis plaques. Oligodendroglial densities were highest in normal-appearing white matter, lower in partially myelinated areas, and lowest in demyelinated areas, which also contained many hypertrophic astrocytes closely associated with oligodendroglia. Messenger RNA levels for myelin-related proteins followed the same pattern; they were lowest in demyelinated areas, higher in partially myelinated areas, and highest in normal-appearing white matter beyond lesion margins. Our findings suggest that concentric sclerosis is a variant of multiple sclerosis, that oligodendroglial loss is important in the pathogenesis of demyelination, and that partially myelinated areas probably represent stages of ongoing myelin breakdown rather than remyelination of previously demyelinated areas.     

Study of pyogenic granuloma of the oral cavity]

Pyogenic granuloma is one of the diseases sometimes seen in otorhinolaryngology clinics. The clinical features of this disease are understood to be that the lesion is located in the oral cavity in the majority of cases that its causative agent is usually discovered and that it most likely grows as a malignant tumor. However, the entity of pathological diagnosis has not been established. Thirty-one cases of oral pyogenic granuloma, including 16 males and 15 females, are reported in this paper. The granuloma was located most frequently at the tongue, followed, in order, by the gingiva, buccal mucosa, hard palate, lip and oral floor. The period between the patient's first visit to our clinic and the onset of his/her complaint was variable. It was relatively shorter in those cases with the lesion at the gingiva or tongue as compared to other locations. The size of the lesion was smaller than 10 x 10 mm. We classified the pathological features into three patterns; granuloma type, hemangioma type, and intermediate type. Many cases of lesions located at the back of the tongue, buccal mucosa, or hard palate were of the hemangioma type, while many cases of lesions located at the top of the tongue, gingiva, or oral floor were of the granuloma type. We have the impression that pyogenic granuloma could be one of the purulent changes associated with benign oral tumors.