Evaluation of the 2016–2020 regional tuberculosis response framework,WHO Western Pacific Region

ObjectiveTo assess the implementation of the Regional framework for action on implementation of the End TB Strategy in the Western Pacific, 2016–2020 in countries and areas in the World Health Organization Western Pacific Region.MethodsWe used a mixed methods approach to assess the framework’s measurable and perceived impact. We conducted an analysis of national tuberculosis strategic plans, a cross-sectional survey of senior staff of tuberculosis programmes, key informant interviews and some country case studies.FindingsOf the 37 countries and areas of the Western Pacific Region, 14 had a national tuberculosis strategic plan, including all countries and areas with a high incidence of tuberculosis. Most senior tuberculosis programme staff who responded to the survey (16/23) found the regional framework useful when developing their national targets and grant applications. Programmatic challenges identified included financing, human resources, public–private mix, active case finding, and paediatric and drug-resistant tuberculosis. Most of the 17 key informants thought that the regional framework’s categorization of actions (for all settings, for specific settings and for pre-elimination settings) was useful, but that the added value of the regional framework over other relevant documents was not obvious because of overlap in content.ConclusionThe regional framework influenced national level tuberculosis control planning and implementation in a positive way. A future regional framework should provide a longer-term strategic horizon and specifically address emerging trends and persistent problems faced by countries or areas of the region.     

Comparison of static and dynamic models of maternal immunization to prevent infant pertussis in Brazil

BackgroundThis paper compares cost-effectiveness results from two models of maternal immunization to prevent pertussis in infants in Brazil, one static, one dynamic, to explore when static models are adequate for public health decisions and when the extra effort required by dynamic models is worthwhile.MethodsWe defined two scenarios to explore key differences between static and dynamic models, herd immunity and time horizon. Scenario 1 evaluates the incremental cost/DALY of maternal acellular pertussis (aP) immunization as routine infant vaccination coverage ranges from low/moderate up to, and above, the threshold at which herd immunity begins to eliminate pertussis. Scenario 2 compares cost-effectiveness estimates over the models’ different time horizons. Maternal vaccine prices of $9.55/dose (base case) and $1/dose were evaluated.ResultsThe dynamic model shows that maternal immunization could be cost-saving as well as life-saving at low levels of infant vaccination coverage. When infant coverage reaches the threshold range (90–95%), it is expensive: the dynamic model estimates that maternal immunization costs $2 million/DALY at infant coverage > 95% and maternal vaccine price of $9.55/dose; at $1/dose, cost/DALY is $200,000. By contrast, the static model estimates costs/DALY only modestly higher at high than at low infant coverage. When the models’ estimates over their different time horizons are compared at infant coverage < 90–95%, their projections fall in the same range.ConclusionsStatic models may serve to explore an intervention’s cost-effectiveness against infectious disease: the direction and principal drivers of change were the same in both models. When, however, an intervention too small to have significant herd immunity effects itself, such as maternal aP immunization, takes place against a background of vaccination in the rest of the population, a dynamic model is crucial to accurate estimates of cost-effectiveness. This finding is particularly important in the context of widely varying routine infant vaccination rates globally.Clinical Trial registryClinical Trial registry name and registration number: Not applicable.     

RTS,S/AS01E malaria vaccine induces IgA responses against CSP and vaccine-unrelated antigens in African children in the phase 3 trial

BackgroundThe evaluation of immune responses to RTS,S/AS01 has traditionally focused on immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibodies that are only moderately associated with protection. The role of other antibody isotypes that could also contribute to vaccine efficacy remains unclear. Here we investigated whether RTS,S/AS01_E elicits antigen-specific serum IgA antibodies to the vaccine and other malaria antigens, and we explored their association with protection.MethodsNinety-five children (age 5–17 months old at first vaccination) from the RTS,S/AS01_E phase 3 clinical trial who received 3 doses of RTS,S/AS01_E or a comparator vaccine were selected for IgA quantification 1 month post primary immunization. Two sites with different malaria transmission intensities (MTI) and clinical malaria cases and controls, were included. Measurements of IgA against different constructs of the circumsporozoite protein (CSP) vaccine antigen and 16 vaccine-unrelated Plasmodium falciparum antigens were performed using a quantitative suspension array assay.ResultsRTS,S vaccination induced a 1.2 to 2-fold increase in levels of serum/plasma IgA antibodies to all CSP constructs, which was not observed upon immunization with a comparator vaccine. The IgA response against 13 out of 16 vaccine-unrelated P. falciparum antigens also increased after vaccination, and levels were higher in recipients of RTS,S than in comparators. IgA levels to malaria antigens before vaccination were more elevated in the high MTI than the low MTI site. No statistically significant association of IgA with protection was found in exploratory analyses.ConclusionsRTS,S/AS01_E induces IgA responses in peripheral blood against CSP vaccine antigens and other P. falciparum vaccine-unrelated antigens, similar to what we previously showed for IgG responses. Collectively, data warrant further investigation of the potential contribution of vaccine-induced IgA responses to efficacy and any possible interplay, either synergistic or antagonistic, with protective IgG, as identifying mediators of protection by RTS,S/AS01_E immunization is necessary for the design of improved second-generation vaccines.Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT008666191.     

Qualité des supports de communication de crise lors de la pandémie de la COVID-19 au Grand Maghreb

ObjectiveTo objectively assess the quality of “crisis communication” media, during the COVID-19 pandemic, in the three Greater Maghreb countries (Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco).MethodsA compliance audit for press releases and epidemiological bulletins was analyzed against a quality benchmark, which had been specifically designed by the authors. This framework, made up of five dimensions and 50 items, graded (0/1), was applied by two researchers in preventive medicine. Multiplying the scores by a coefficient of two resulted in a partial score of 20 points for each dimension and a total score of 100 points for the checklist taken as a whole. The quality of the communication media was considered to be good when exceeding the thresholds of 15/20 for the different dimensions and 75/100 for the entire grid.ResultsA total of 141 information media were included in this audit (Tunisia: 60; Algeria: 60; Morocco: 21). The overall median quality score for these media was only 56/100 (IIQ: [46–58]), without major variability between countries. The most appreciated dimension was “maintaining the confidence of the population”, with an overall median score of 14/20 (12/20 for epidemiological bulletins and 16/20 for press releases). The most poorly rated dimension was “strengthening community participation”, with a median score of only 4/20 (6/20 for epidemiological bulletins and 4/20 for press releases).ConclusionThe quality of the Maghreb crisis communication media during COVID-19 was insufficient in most of its dimensions and items, particularly from a psychosocial standpoint. Reinforcement of the capacities of communication officers to develop information material and supports during health crises is indispensable and should be considered as an urgent matter.     

HIV抗体检测"即刻法"室内质控存在的有关问题探讨

目的改良"即刻法"质控统计方法,并应用于抗-HIV抗体检测的质量监控.方法采用ELISA法进行抗-HIV抗体检测.每次检测过程中均加入定值血清作为对照.按常规"即刻法"统计处理定值血清的S/CO值.同时采用"综合方法"统计处理定值血清的S/CO值,即舍弃累加测定值x±2s范围之外的数据后,再按常规"即刻法"统计处理定值血清的S/CO值.结果常规"即刻法"处理数据,可能导致应为"在控"的数值被误判为"告警"状态.采用"综合方法"处理数据可纠正常规"即刻法"导致的误判.结论对于监控抗-HIV抗体检测质量,"综合方法"优于常规"即刻法".     

Changes in retinoblastoma gene expression during cervical cancer progression

The role of tumour suppressor genes in the development of human cancers has been studied extensively. In viral carcinogenesis, the inactivation of suppressor proteins such as retinoblastoma (pRb) and p53, and cellular oncogenes overexpression, such as c-myc, has been the subject of a number of investigations. In uterine-cervix carcinomas, where high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) plays an important role, pRb and p53 are inactivated by E7 and E6 viral oncoproteins, respectively. However, little is known about the in situ expression of some of these proteins in pre-malignant and malignant cervical tissues. On the other hand, it has also been demonstrated that c-myc is involved in cervical carcinogenesis, and that pRb participates in the control of c-myc gene expression. By using immunostaining techniques, we investigated pRb immunodetection pattern in normal tissues, squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs) and invasive carcinomas from the uterine cervix. Our data show low pRb detection in both normal cervical tissue and invasive lesions, but a higher expression in SILs. C-Myc protein was observed in most of the cellular nuclei of the invasive lesions, while in SILs was low. These findings indicate a heterogeneous pRb immunostaining during the different stages of cervical carcinogenesis, and suggest that this staining pattern could be a common feature implicated in the pathogenesis of uterine-cervix carcinoma.     

MRSA PBP2a表达的影响因素及MecA基因的检测价值

【目的】探讨温度、pH、盐浓度对甲氧西林耐药金葡菌 (methicillin resistantstaphylococcusaureus,MRSA)青霉素结合蛋白2a(penicillin bindingprotein ,PBP)表达的影响 ,以及PBP2a编码基因MecA的检测价值。【方法】采用聚合酶链式反应(PCR)检测MRSA特异性MecA基因和美国临床实验室标准委员会 (NCCLS)推荐的琼脂板稀释法 (32℃ ,pH7 2 ,40g/LNaCl苯唑西林MIC≥ 4mg/L)筛选MRSA。检测 2 0株MRSA在不同温度、pH、盐浓度时对苯唑西林、头孢唑林和头孢他啶的体外药物敏感性 ,测定MIC范围 ,MIC50 和MIC90 ;SDS PAGE分析 10株MRSA膜青霉素结合蛋白 (PBP2a)在不同培养条件时表达数量的差异 ,并进行配对差值的t检验。【结果】 180株金葡菌检测出MecA基因阳性MRSA 5 6株 ,按琼脂板稀释法检出 5 2株MRSA ,4株未被检出 (苯唑西林MIC分别为 :2 ,2 ,1,0 5mg/L) ,37℃、pH 5 2和 9g/LNaCl分别与 32℃、pH 7 2和 40 g/LNaCl条件下诱导 10株MRSA ,所表达的PBP2a含量前后比较差值有显著性 (P∶0 .0 2～ 0 .0 5 ,0 .0 1～ 0 .0 0 5 ,0 .0 2～ 0 .0 5 )。【结论】不同温度、pH、盐浓度通过诱导耐药蛋白PBP2a的表达明显影响MRSA对苯唑西林、头孢唑林和头孢他啶耐药水平 ,而其MecA基因却不受培养条件的影响 ,可以快速检测MR     

喉大部切除联合双蒂肌皮瓣声门整复术的疗效

目的 探讨喉癌手术的疗效,提高喉癌病人的生存质量。方法 ５３例男性声门型鳞状细胞癌采用垂直前侧位喉大部切除颈前皮瓣和肌筋膜双蒂整复术。术后辅以放疗。结果 ５３例病人术后吞咽及发音功能基本恢复,拔管率９２．５％,３年生存率为８２．５％,５年生存率为７６．８％。结论 对一侧声带癌向前至声带前联合并累及对侧声带前１／３的病人,采用垂直前侧位喉大部切除颈前皮瓣和肌筋膜双蒂整复是一种有效的术式,在切除肿瘤的     

Underreporting of percutaneous exposure accidents in a teaching hospital in Spain

The study's objectives were to determine the frequency of biological-risk accidents involving percutaneous exposure and to identify factors associated with underreporting. Two hundred fifty healthcare professionals from inpatient services at high risk for exposure at the Puerta del Mar University Hospital of Cádiz, Spain, participated in the study. A questionnaire was used to measure personal and work variables, the number of accidents suffered and reported in the last year, and the circumstances motivating the reporting or nonreporting. Two hundred thirty-two persons (92.8%) completed the questionnaire. The accident rate was 12 per 100,000 hours worked. Physicians were the most frequent accident victims (rate 22/100,000 hours). The general surgery and emergency services had higher rates than other services (rates 19.82 and 14.17, respectively). Sixty-six percent of the accidents were not reported to the register. The main predictors of the underreporting were length of professional service greater than 19 years, working in the surgery service, and the perception that the accidents did not involve health risk. The true accident rate was higher than that reflected in the Accident Register. Underreporting was high. The main variables associated with underreporting were length of professional service, work area or department, and perception of risk from the accident.