The Medical Research Council Trial of Short-term High-dose Alternate Day Prednisolone in Idiopathic Membranous Nephropathy with Nephrotic Syndrome in Adults

We have assessed the medium-term effect of a short course ofhigh-dose, alternate-day prednisolone on adult nephrotic patientswith membranous nephropathy, using a randomized, prospective,double-blind, controlled trial. Patients were entered over theperiod 1981 to 1984 and were observed for a minimum of threeyears. One hundred and seven adult patients who had not previouslyreceived immunosuppressive treatment were included in the trial.One hundred and sixty further patients, excluded from the trial,but with membranous nephropathy were identified, followed andassesed retrospectively at the end of the trial. At 36 months there was no significant difference between controland treatment group in plasma creatinine, creatinine clearanceor 24-h excretion of protein. At between three and six monthsserum albumin concentrations were higher and protein excretionslower in the treatment group compared to controls. No significant benefit was therefore observer on renal functionin the medium term.     

Vertical transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in Japan,1989–1997: Presence of two subtypes B and E with subtype E predominance

Abstract A collaborative group for studying vertical transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 in pregnant women and their babies was established in Japan in 1989. Forty-two infants, including 13 HIV-1-infected, 25 uninfected and four of undetermined status and 15 control children born to HIV-1 negative mothers were diagnosed and followed from birth to 1.5 years. All strains from HIV-positive infants were either clade E (eight infants, 61.5%) or B (five infants, 38.5%) according to DNA sequencing specific for the HIV-1 C2-V3 region. The 42 mothers with HIV-1 were women with sexual-risk behavior from all regions, but were concentrated in the Kanto District. In this group of HIV-infected children, there was no significant difference between the transmissibility of their mother's clade E and B viruses. Eight (61.5%) of the 13 virus-infected babies were Japanese and five (62.5%) of the eight were positive for HIV-1 clade E. The V3 loop region of the clade E virus of the babies was conserved but approximately 60% of the sequences which showed a substitution of aspartic acid by asparagine at position 29. The results suggest that HIV-1 clade E may be predominant in vertical transmissions and are phenotypically different from HIV-1 in persons with various other risk behaviors in Japan.     

《介入放射药物治疗学》书评

近年来,我国的介入治疗技术飞速发展,已经不仅限于介入放射学科,其他临床科室(心内科、血管外科、神经外科、肿瘤科和消化内科等)也相继开展了此项新技术,并在其专业学科领域中取得了显著成效.然而,由于各学科医师的专业培训和临床工作经历不同,以及一些客观因素的影响,而使目前国内的介入治疗技术呈发展不均衡,临床应用也是各有千秋.