Screening for gestational diabetes mellitus: cost–utility of different screening strategies based on a woman’s individual risk of disease

Aims/hypothesis  

The cost-effectiveness of eight strategies for screening for gestational diabetes (including no screening) was estimated with respect to the level of individual patient risk.     

Preoperative lymph-node staging of invasive urothelial bladder cancer with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed axial tomography and magnetic resonance imaging: correlation with histopathology

OBJECTIVE: The treatment and prognosis of bladder cancer are based on the depth of primary tumour invasion and the presence of metastases. A highly accurate preoperative tumour, node, metastasis (TNM) staging is critical to proper patient management and treatment. This study retrospectively investigated the value of 1?F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed axial tomography (1?F-FDG PET/CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for preoperative N staging of bladder cancer. Material and methods. From June 2006 to January 2008, 48 consecutive patients diagnosed with bladder cancer were referred to preoperative staging including MRI and 1?F-FDG PET/CT. Eighteen out of 48 patients underwent radical cystoprostatectomy including removal of lymph nodes for histology, and were included in the study. Values of 1?F-FDG PET/CT and MRI for regional N staging were compared to histopathology findings, the gold standard. Results. 1?F-FDG PET/CT and MRI were performed in 18 patients. The specificities for detection of lymph-node metastases for MRI and 1?F-FDG PET/CT were 80% (n = 15) and 93.33% (n = 15), respectively. The negative predictive values were 80% (n = 15) and 87.5% (n = 16) for MRI and 1?F-FDG PET/CT, respectively. The differences in specificity and negative predictive values were not statistically significant. Conclusions. No significant statistical difference between 1?F-FDG PET/CT and MRI for preoperative N staging of urothelial bladder cancer was found in the study. However, the trend of the data indicates an advantage of 1?F-FDG PET/CT over MRI. Larger prospective studies are needed to elucidate the role of 1?F-FDG PET/CT in N staging of bladder cancer.     

直视下尿道内切开术治疗尿道狭窄20年经验总结

目的 总结直视下尿道内切开术(direct vision internal urethrotomy,DVIU)治疗尿道狭窄的经验.方法 回顾性分析1990年6月至2010年6月20年间DVIU治疗尿道狭窄或闭锁患者361的临床资料.年龄16～72岁,平均38岁.病程3～78个月,平均16个月.狭窄或闭锁长度0.2～2.0 cm,平均1.1 cm.狭窄长度≤1.0 cm 238例,其中≤0.5 cm 63例(组1),0.6～1.0 cm 175例(组2),瘢痕厚度≤1.0 cm 148例,＞1.0 cm 90例;狭窄长度1.1～2.0 cm 123例,其中1.1～1.5cm 85例(组3),1.6～2.0 cm 38例(组4),瘢痕厚度≤1.0 cm 44例,＞1.0 cm 79例.结果 361例中手术失败3例.320例获随访,随访时间12～120个月,平均42个月.因狭窄复发而接受开放手术174例(54.4%),4组中转开放手术率分别为3.3%、49.7%、83.3%和97.1%.狭窄长度≤1.0cm者获随访207例,其中瘢痕厚度≤1.0 cm转开放手术27.2%(37/136),瘢痕厚度＞1.0 cm转开放手术60.6%(43/71).狭窄长度＞1.0 cm者获随访113例,其中瘢痕厚度≤1.0 cm转开放手术78.6%(33/42),瘢痕厚度＞1.0 cm转开放手术84.5%(60/71).结论 当尿道狭窄长度≤0.5 cm时,DVIU术后转开放手术的比例明显减少;狭窄长度≤1.0 cm,瘢痕厚度≤1.0 cm者,DVIU也可获较好疗效.

Abstract：

Objective To summarize the experience and evaluate the efficacy of treatment of urethral stricture using direct visual internal urethrotomy (DVIU).Methods The clinical data of 361 patients (age range 16 -72 years, mean age 38 years) with urethral stricture who underwent urethrotomy from 1990 to 2010 was retrospectively analyzed.The disease course ranged from three months to 78 months with a mean of 16 months.The stricture length ranged from 0.2 to 2.0 cm (mean 1.1 cm).Stricture length was split into four main groups:stricture length≤0.5 cm in 63 (group 1 ), stricture length ranging between 0.6 and 1.0 cm in 175 ( group 2), stricture length ranging between 1.0 and 1.5 cm in 85 ( group 3 ) , and stricture length ranging between 1.6 and 2.0 cm in 38 ( Group 4).Of the 238 patients with length less than 1.0 cm there were 148 who's scar thickness were less than 1.0 cm, and 90 who's scar thickness were greater than 1.0 cm.Of the 123 patients with length less than 2.0 cm there were 69 who's scar thickness was less than 1.0 cm, and 54 who's scar thickness was greater than 1.0 cm.Results Three patients with DVIU failed because of long occlusion and false passage.Three hundred and twenty patients were followed-up from 12 to 120 months (mean:42).Re-openiag procedures were performed on 174 patients (54.4%) due to recurrence.The re-openiag procedure rate was 3.3%, 49.7%, 83.3% and 97.1% in Group1, Group2,Group3 and Group4, respectively.On the basis of scar thickness, of the 207 patients with stricture length less than 1.0 cm, 38 of 136 patients (27.9%) with scar thickness less than 1.0 cm underwent opening operation, and 43 of 71 patients (60.6%) with scar thickness more than 1.0 cm underwent opening operation.One hundred and thirteen patients with stricture length more than 1.0 cm, 33 of 42 patients (78.6%) with scar thickness less than 1.0 cm underwent opening operation, and 60 of 71 patients (84.5%) with scar thickness more than 1.0 cm underwent opening operation.Conclusions Good efficacy can be achieved in patients whose urethral stricture length is less than 0.5cm or whose stricture length and scar thickness is less than 1.0 cm using DVIU.     

Measuring average alcohol consumption: the impact of including binge drinks in quantity-frequency calculations

AIMS: Average daily alcohol consumption is usually calculated based on self-reports of the quantity (number of drinks consumed per drinking-day) and frequency (number of drinking-days) of alcohol consumption within a given time period. However, this method may underestimate average daily alcohol consumption (and in turn, the prevalence of heavy drinking), because studies demonstrate that respondents do not typically include binge drinking occasions in estimates of their 'usual' or 'average' daily alcohol consumption. DESIGN: We used the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), an annual random-digit telephone survey of US adults aged 18 years or older, to estimate average daily alcohol consumption using standard quantity-frequency questions, and then recalculated this measure by including self-reports of binge drinking. The proportion of respondents who met a standard, sex-specific definition of heavy drinking based on average daily alcohol consumption was then assessed nationally and for each state. FINDINGS: Compared to standard quantity-frequency methods, including binge drinks in calculations of average daily alcohol consumption increased the relative prevalence of heavy drinking among all adults by 19% to 42% (depending on the method used to estimate the number of drinks per binge). Among binge drinkers, the overall prevalence of heavy drinking increased 53% relative to standard quantity-frequency methods. As a result, half of women binge drinkers and half of binge drinkers aged 55 or older met criteria for heavy drinking. CONCLUSIONS: Including binge drinks (especially the application of age- and sex-specific estimates of binge drinks) in the calculation of average daily alcohol consumption can improve the accuracy of prevalence estimates for heavy drinking among US adults, and should be considered to increase the usefulness of this measure for alcohol surveillance.     

Plastic Transmissive Infrared Electrochromic Devices

Poly(3‐hexyl thiophene) was used to build a thin‐layer, electrically switchable infrared shutter. Electrochromic materials are typically studied in the visible, whereas we focused on P3HT electrochromic behavior in the infrared where morphology changes may have greater impact. Devices were fabricated on ITO‐coated silicon and germanium and their performance was characterized in the mid infrared (2–6 µm). Thicker polymer films increased device switching time and did not improve optical contrast. Choice of salt in the electrolyte significantly affects switching dynamics and salt concentrations affect maximum optical contrast. These results are potentially important for the integration of polymer technology into infrared imaging and detection applications.

     

T-lymphocyte reconstitution following rigorously T-cell-depleted versus unmodified autologous stem cell transplants

We compared the kinetics of T-cell recovery after extensive ex vivo and in vivo T-cell depleted autologous stem cell transplantation (SCT) for multiple sclerosis (MS; n=8) with unmodified SCT for hematological malignancies (HM; n=39). Both patient group showed a very protracted recovery of 'naive' CD4(+), 45R0(-) ( approximately CD45RA(+)) T-cells. Within the 'primed' CD4(+), 45R0(+) T-cells, the 'central memory' cells expressing the CD62L and CD27 markers were the slowest to recover. The repopulating T-cells were highly activated, as shown by increased expression of HLA-DR and the apoptosis marker CD95. The capability of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cells to produce IFN-gamma, IL-2 and TNF-alpha had reached normal ranges from 2 months post SCT onwards. Unexpectedly, the kinetics of T-cell recovery between 3 and 12 months post transplant was similar in T-depleted and unmodified SCT. Before SCT, the HM patients showed lymphopenia of all T-cell subsets, upregulated HLA-DR and CD95 expression and increased cytokine responses. We suggest that the similar kinetics of T-cell recovery in the two patient groups may be explained by the susceptibility to apoptosis of the activated CD4(+) T-cells in the autografts of the HM patients. This susceptibility to apoptosis would interfere with a swift and sustained CD4(+) T-cell regeneration post SCT.     

Multi-drug resistance gene-1 (MDR-1) haplotypes and the CYP3A5*1 genotype have no influence on ciclosporin dose requirements as assessed by C0 or C2 measurements

The intestinal efflux pump P-glycoprotein (P-gp), the product of the multi-drug resistance-1 (MDR-1) gene, significantly influences the pharmacokinetics of several drugs. Ciclosporin is a substrate for P-gp and is metabolized by cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A enzymes. P-gp activity is affected by several known single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and haplotypes. MDR-1 genotypes of SNPs C1236T, G2677T/A and C3435T, as well as haplotypes C-G-C and T-T-T and CYP3A5*1 genotype (predictive of CYP3A5 expression), were related to ciclosporin blood concentrations measured at both 0 and 2 h after drug dosing in 197 stable renal transplant patients. Significant differences (of a magnitude unlikely to be relevant clinically) in dose-normalized blood ciclosporin concentrations were found only between MDR-1 genotypes of the C1236T SNP and between haplotype groups C-G-C and T-T-T in patients that were expressers of CYP3A5. MDR-1 SNPs and haplotypes and also CYP3A5*1 genotype, do not appear to have a major influence on ciclosporin pharmacokinetics.