Haemophilus influenzae Associated with Periappendiceal Abscess

A case of Haemophilus infiuenzae infection in a periappendiceal abscess is reported with clinical history and bacteriologic data. Other reports of similar infections are few. The mode of transmission is discussed.     

ATTEMPTS TO RECOVER HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS FROM SKIN SITES OF RECURRENT INFECTION

ABSTRACT: We attempted to recover herpes simplex virus from the cutaneous sites of recurrent infections by co-cultivating explants of skin with monolayers of herpes virus susceptible cell lines. We were unable to demonstrate virus in the asymptomatic skin with this technique. Efforts to activate repressed virus in 2 patients by pretreatment of cultures with 5-iodo-2-deoxyuridine and application of the indirect fluorescent antibody technique to skin from 3 patients also failed to reveal evidence of herpesvirus. Our results support the concept that latent herpesvirus resides in nerve tissue but not skin.     

Impact of caries onset on number and distribution of new lesions in preschool children

International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 2013; 23: 39–47 Background. Caries in preschool children remains an important public health issue. Aim. To determine (i) which teeth and tooth surfaces are most susceptible to dental caries by age 3, (ii) where do caries lesions develop during 2‐year follow‐up, and (iii) to evaluate the impact of caries onset on the distribution of new caries experience. Design. One thousand and fifty seven consecutively born children were recruited in Flanders (Belgium). Parents completed validated questionnaires on oral health‐related behaviour and trained dentists examined the children at ages 3 and 5. Results. Children with visible caries experience at age 3 were significantly more vulnerable in developing additional caries during follow‐up. In this group, new caries experience developed primarily in the occlusal and distal surfaces of the mandibular first molars and the occlusal surfaces of the maxillary second and first molars, whereas in the caries‐free group, the occlusal surfaces of both mandibular and maxillary second molars ranked first. Conclusions. This paper confirms the higher vulnerability for further caries development in those children with caries experience at age 3. Visible caries develops most frequently in the occlusal surfaces of the second molars: in high‐risk children already by age 3 and in children who were caries free at baseline by age 5.     

Prognostic significance of silent myocardial ischaemia during maximal exercise testing after a first acute myocardial infarction

Clinical, exercise, and angiographic variables, and long-termfollow-up were compared in patients, who, during maximal Bruceexercise testing after a first acute myocardial infarction (AMI),had positive responses to exercise testing (n = 116, 38% of303) with (n % 23, group I) or without (n = 93, group II) angina.Group I patients more often (52 vs 19%, P < 0.001) had ahistory of pre-infarction angina. Group II had a greater proportion(75 vs 52%, P < 0.05) of inferior wall AMI, whereas groupI had a greater proportion (30 vs 19%, P < 0.01) of non-Qwave AMI. Total exercise duration was significantly (P <0.01) longer in group II (7.6 ± 3.2 vs 5.5 ± 3.1min). Maximal exercise heart rate (144 ± 22 vs 133 ±21, beats . min^–1 P < 0.05 was also higher in groupII. A greater proportion of group II patients (37 vs 9%, P <0.05) had single-vessel disease, whereas multivessel diseasewas more common (91 vs 63% P < 0.03) in group I. Left ventricularfunction was similar in both groups. During follow-up (48 ±22 months) the incidence of cardiac death (group I, 3.3%, groupII, 4.8%), of recurrent infarction (group I, 4.8%, group II3.3%), and of revascularization procedures (group I, 28.5%,group II, 19.8%) were similar in both groups. Although asymptomaticexercise-induced ischaemia was associated with better exerciseperformance and less extensive coronary disease than symptomaticischaemia, it had the same long-term prognostic implications.     

RACIAL DIFFERENCES IN CLINICALLY LOCALIZED PROSTATE CANCERS OF BLACK AND WHITE MEN

Purpose

Tumor grade, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) ploidy, proliferation, p53 and bcl-2 expression were examined in clinically localized prostate cancers of black and white American men to learn whether these features showed racial differences.

Materials and Methods

A total of 117 prostate cancers (43 black and 74 white patients) obtained at radical prostatectomy for clinically localized disease were assigned Gleason scores by a single pathologist. Enzymatically dissociated nuclei from archival prostate cancers were examined by DNA flow cytometry using propidium iodide staining and the multicycle program to remove debris and sliced nuclei and to perform cell cycle analysis. For immunostaining after microwave antigen retrieval we used a DO-1/DO-7 monoclonal antibody cocktail for p53 and the clone 124 antibody for bcl-2.

Results

Significantly more black than white men had Gleason score 7 tumors. The DNA ploidy distribution of Gleason 6 or less tumors was similar for both races. As anticipated, the ploidy distribution of higher grade prostate cancer in white men was more abnormal but, unexpectedly, this was not found for higher grade prostate cancer in black men. No significant racial differences were found in S phase fractions, p53 or bcl-2 immunopositivity. However, for prostate cancer in black men there was a significant association between bcl-2 immunopositivity and higher S-phase fractions.

Conclusions

The aggressive prostate cancers of black men may be characterized by the 2 features of high proliferation and a block to programmed cell death.