Detection of meticillin‐resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization in newborn infants using real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

Objective: Meticillin‐resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization on neonatal units is a common and important clinical problem. Effectiveness of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detecting MRSA nasal colonization of infants was evaluated and compared to culture‐based methods. The effect of skin decolonization in affected infants was studied. Methods: Paired nasal swabs were collected from infants in our neonatal unit over a 12‐month period (September 2007–2008). Colonization with MRSA was determined with a commercially available PCR method and compared to culture. Results: A total of 696 paired nasal swabs were taken. Three infants were colonized at the beginning and were included. There were positive PCRs in 12 infants. Five infants cultured MRSA from a nasal swab at the same time. No infants were culture‐positive when PCR was negative (sensitivity 100%, specificity 99% compared to culture). PCR results were available within 24 h. Five infants were PCR+ and isolated meticillin‐sensitive Staphylococcus aureus. This organism gave a false‐positive PCR result. Two infants transferred in on broad‐spectrum antibiotics were PCR+ and negative by culture. Decolonization led to negative nasal PCR and culture in 4/5 infants to discharge. Conclusions: PCR methods are sensitive and specific for detection of MRSA colonization in newborn infants of all gestations with results 1–2 days before culture.     

DNA ploidy pattern in choroidal melanoma: correlation with survival. A flow cytometry study on archival material

BACKGROUND/AIMS—Paraffin embedded samples have provided an important source of material for retrospective cytofluorimetric studies, useful in establishing the predictive value of DNA content measurements. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and type of aneuploidy in choroidal malignant melanomas (CMM) and the significance in the clinical outcome (median follow up 55 months).METHODS—DNA content was quantified by flow cytometry in 61 CMM from archival material. Non-tumour ocular tissue was used as the reference diploid standard. Cases in which the coefficient of variation (CV) of the diploid peak was >8% were excluded. The CMM were classified as spindle A, spindle B, mixed spindle and epithelioid, epithelioid, and necrotic.RESULTS—The frequency of the aneuploid DNA pattern was 38%. Necrotic tumours showed a worse clinical outcome independent of the ploidy pattern. Spindle A tumours were found to be diploid. Spindle B and mixed tumours showed a prevalent diploid and near diploid aneuploid pattern (DI <1.3), yet aneuploidy was not correlated with a worse prognosis. The epithelioid tumours were prevalently diploid. However, 83% of the aneuploid tumours were hypodiploid (DI <0.95), and showed the worst prognosis.CONCLUSION—These results indicate that increasing DNA abnormalities in CMM, especially in the epithelioid histotype, were associated with an increasing mortality.     

SELECTIVE ENDOSCOPY IN MANAGEMENT OF INGESTED FOREIGN BODIES OF THE UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT: IS IT SAFE?

During a four-year period, 308 patients presented following ingestion of foreign bodies. Ingestion was accidental in 272 cases (88.3%) and deliberate in the remainder. Symptoms at presentation included dysphagia, odynophagia, nausea and vomiting, chest pain and pharyngeal discomfort. Sixty-eight patients were asymptomatic. A policy of expectant management and selective endoscopy was employed. Following initial assessment 202 patients (65.6%) were discharged without treatment, 30 (9.7%) of whom were later reviewed as outpatients and did not require admission. Forty-nine patients (16%) were admitted for treatment; 27 had oesophagoscopy, five bronchoscopy and two had foreign body extraction with direct laryngoscopy. In nine patients who were endoscoped, no foreign body was identified. Twenty-seven others were referred to the otorhinolaryngology service in another hospital. There were no deaths in the group and morbidity was 1.2%. We conclude that a policy of selective endoscopy is safe and effective in the management of patients following ingestion of foreign bodies.     

Leukoencephalopathy as a rare complication of hepatitis C infection

Abstract We report the case of a 64-year-old female patient with hepatitis C infection (HCV), who developed Sj?gren’s disease and sensory peripheral neuropathy. Clinical conditions worsened over three years with central nervous system involvement characterised by transient third cranial nerve paresis and mild selective impairment of attention and memory. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed diffuse periventricular and lobar white matter hyperintensity. Laboratory findings included mixed cryoglobulinaemia (type II), cryocrit 1.47%, low serum levels of complement C4 and high levels of rheumatoid factor, HCV 1b genotype, high HCV mRNA levels in serum and cerebrospinal fluid. Skin biopsy showed evidence of vasculitis. After one year of plasmapheresis, immunosuppressant therapy and occasional corticosteroid treatment, neurological symptoms improved, skin biopsy changed and inflammation parameters normalised, suggesting that neurological symptoms might be related to the high levels of mixed cryoglobulins.     

Cellular trafficking of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors （nAChRs） play critical roles throughout the body. Precise regulation of the cellular loca- tion and availability of nAChRs on neurons and target cells is critical to their proper function. Dynamic, post-translational regulation of nAChRs, particularly control of their movements among the different compartments of cells, is an important aspect of that regulation. A combination of new information and new techniques has the study of nAChR trafficking poised for new breakthroughs.     

Family history of myocardial infarction is an independent risk factor for venous thromboembolism: the Tromsø study

Summary. Background: Recent studies indicate that arterial cardiovascular diseases and venous thromboembolism (VTE) share common risk factors. A family history of myocardial infarction (MI) is a strong and independent risk factor for future MI. Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to determine the impact of cardiovascular risk factors, including family history of MI, on the incidence of VTE in a prospective, population‐based study. Patients and methods: Traditional cardiovascular risk factors and family history of MI were registered in 21 330 subjects, aged 25–96 years, enrolled in the Tromsø study in 1994–95. First‐lifetime VTE events during follow‐up were registered up to 1 September 2007. Results: There were 327 VTE events (1.40 per 1000 person‐years), 138 (42%) unprovoked, during a mean of 10.9 years of follow‐up. In age‐ and gender‐adjusted analysis, age [hazard ratio (HR) per decade, 1.97; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.82–2.12], gender (men vs. women; HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.01–1.55), body mass index (BMI; HR per 3 kg m^?2, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.13–1.31), and family history of MI (HR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.04–1.65) were significantly associated with VTE. Family history of MI remained a significant risk factor for total VTE (HR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.01–1.60) and unprovoked VTE (HR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.03–2.07) in multivariable analysis. Blood pressure, total cholesterol, HDL‐cholesterol, triglycerides, and smoking were not independently associated with total VTE. Conclusions: Family history of MI is a risk factor for both MI and VTE, and provides further evidence of a link between venous and arterial thrombosis.     

Erythrocyte membrane proteins reactive with IgG (warm-reacting) anti- red blood cell autoantibodies: II. Antibodies coprecipitating band 3 and glycophorin A

In our initial immunochemical study of the red blood cell (RBC) membrane proteins targeted in 20 cases of warm-antibody autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AHA), RBC eluates of 6 patients mediated immunoprecipitation (IP) of both band 3 and glycophorin A (GPA). This dual IP pattern had previously been observed with murine monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) against the high frequency blood group antigen, Wrb (Wright), suggesting that the Wrb epitope may depend on a band 3-GPA interaction. Earlier, anti-Wrb had been identified serologically as a prominent non-Rh specificity of AHA autoantibodies. In the present study, 6 autoantibody eluates immunoprecipitating band 3 and GPA from common Wr(b+) RBCs were retested, in parallel with murine anti-Wrb MoAbs, against very rare Wr(a+b-)En(a+)RBCs. One patient's autoantibodies were unreactive with the Wr(b-) RBCs by either IP or indirect antiglobulin test (IAT) and were judged to have "pure" anti- Wrb specificity. Two other patients' autoantibodies displayed both IP and serologic evidence for anti-Wrb as a major component in combination with one or more additional specificities. However, among 3 other patients whose autoantibodies coprecipitated band 3 and GPA, there was no reduction in IP or IAT reactivity with Wr(b-) RBCs in 2 and only slight reduction in the third. We conclude (1) that human anti-Wrb autoantibodies, like their murine monoclonal counterparts, coprecipitate band 3 and GPA from human RBCs; but (2) that not all antibodies with this IP behavior have anti-Wrb serologic specificity, as defined by this donor's Wr(b-) RBCs. The possibility of an additional (non-Wrb) RBC epitope dependent on a band 3-GPA interaction is raised.     

Rituximab for congenital haemophiliacs with inhibitors: a Canadian experience

When a high titre inhibitor develops in a patient with haemophilia, attempts are made to eradicate it through immune tolerance induction therapy (ITI) involving the frequent and regular administration of factor, usually for months to years. ITI is successful in only two thirds of patients prompting investigators to explore alternate regimens to use in haemophiliacs failing conventional ITI. Rituximab is an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, which has shown promise in the treatment of B-cell-mediated disorders. We developed a protocol for the use of rituximab in haemophilia A (HA) patients failing conventional ITI or in those haemophiliacs where the likelihood of success of conventional ITI is poor. Patients receive 375 mg m(-2) of intravenous rituximab weekly for 4 weeks followed by monthly (up to 5 months) until inhibitor disappearance and establishment of normal FVIII pharmacokinetics (recovery and half-life). Patients are concurrently placed on recombinant FVIII (100 U kg(-1) day(-1)). We have placed five haemophiliacs (four children with severe HA, and one adult with mild HA) on this protocol. In three patients (two with severe HA and one with mild HA) inhibitors disappeared although in neither severe haemophiliac did FVIII pharmacokinetics completely normalize. The fourth patient had a significant drop in inhibitor titres although not a complete disappearance of the inhibitor. All four of these patients ceased bleeding following rituximab. The fifth patient had no response to rituximab. This non-responding patient was not placed on concurrent FVIII. Our five cases suggest that rituximab may hold promise in the eradication of inhibitors. Prospective randomized studies are required to determine the value of this agent in inhibitor management.