Role of alginate in infection with mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Chronic bronchopulmonary infection with mucoid, alginate producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa occurs characteristically in patients with cystic fibrosis. Alginate may be a virulence factor for P aeruginosa infection in such patients. METHODS: Forced vital capacity (FVC), nutritional state and the antibody response to P aeruginosa were determined at regular intervals from three years before chronic P aeruginosa infection to 10 years afterwards in 73 patients with cystic fibrosis. All patients were treated intensively with antipseudomonal chemotherapy during the study period. RESULTS: FVC was reduced in all patients who subsequently developed P aeruginosa infection before they acquired the infection, indicating significant pre-existing lung damage when compared with patients who remained free of P aeruginosa. Lung function and nutritional state remained unchanged after 10 years of infection, except in the patients who died of P aeruginosa lung infection. The FVC and height and weight of patients infected with nonmucoid strains of P aeruginosa were similar to those of uninfected patients. Patients infected with mucoid strains had poorer lung function and nutritional state for the first five years after infection compared with patients with nonmucoid strains. Such infection was also associated with greater IgG and IgA antibody responses to P aeruginosa standard antigen compared with nonmucoid infection. Concentrations of antibody to alginate were similar in patients with non-mucoid and mucoid infection. Noticeably increased concentrations of IgA antibodies to P aeruginosa standard antigen were observed early after the onset of infection in patients who subsequently died. CONCLUSION: Alginate producing P aeruginosa infection is associated with a hyperimmune response and poor clinical condition, suggesting that alginate production is a virulence factor in such infections in patients with cystic fibrosis.     

Apolipoprotein A, fibrinogen, age, and history of stroke are predictors of death in dialysed diabetic patients: a prospective study in 412 subjects

Background: diabetic patients with end-stage renal failure (ESRD) have a high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The underlying mechanisms are not completely elucidated. The aim of our study was to define predictors of death in diabetic patients with end-stage renal disease. Patients and methods: We preformed a prospective study in 35 dialysis centres in Germany between 1985 and 1994. To evaluate predictors and risk factors in this population we examined 412 diabetic patients at the time of admission to dialysis treatment (peritoneal dialysis (PD) or haemodialysis (HD)). Classification of the type of diabetes was done according the criteria of the National Diabetes Data Group [1,2]. Items assessed at the time of admission were coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral occlusive disease (POD), and stroke. CAD was defined as a history of myocardial infarction with the corresponding changes in the ECG or luminal narrowing by more than 50% in at least one coronary artery upon coronarangiography; POD was defined as claudication and/or brachial-tibial ratio (BTR) less than 0.9 or a history of amputation. Assessment of the nutritional state comprised body mass index, skinfold thickness of the upper arm and lateral thorax area, and urea concentration. Cholesterol, HDL, LDL, apolipoprotein A (ApoA-I) and B (ApoB), triglycerides, lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)), and fibrinogen were measured. As an index of disturbed cardiac innervation beat-to-beat variation was measured. Outcome measurements were causes of death (i.e. cardiac and non-cardiac) and time of survival. Results: One hundred and eighty of 412 (44%) patients died during the observation period Patients who died were older (61±12 versus 53±15 years P lt;0.0001), had lower skin fold thickness (13.1±6.0 versus 15.1±7.2 mm P <0.04), lower ApoA-I (100±35 versus 111±32 mg/dl P <0.005) and higher fibrinogen (515±156 versus 451±155 mg/dl P <0.02). Type II diabetic patients had a lower mean survival time than type I (34 versus 66 months P <0.0006). The mode of renal replacement therapy (PD or HD) had no adverse effect on survival time. Survivors less frequently had a history of CAD, POD and stroke than non-survivors. In multivariate analysis ApoA-I, fibrinogen ,age and stroke were independent predictors of cardiac and non-cardiac death in diabetic patients with end-stage renal failure. Lipid values and nutritional state did not independently predict the overall and cardiovascular mortality. Conclusion: This study in dialysed diabetic patients identified several predictors of death, some of which are susceptible to intervention.     

Knick oder Krümmung beim unaufgebohrten Tibiamarknagel

The intramedullary tibial nail with a proximal angle according to Herzog was developed in order to facilitate implantation. However, the modified technique of unreamed nailing also required a shift of the point of insertion; as a consequence the proximal angle required a considerable increase in the force necessary to introduce the nail. In a study using four cadaver bones and five commercially available unreamed femoral and tibial nails, the authors demonstrate this considerable increase in insertion force and the development of pressure in the medullary cavity. The measurements made with our experimental setup clearly show that the proximal angle of the unreamed tibial nails available for our series does not have a favourable influence on insertion behaviour. As it appears, it results in an increase in the force required for insertion of the nail, thus also causing a greater strain on the bone and an increase in pressure in the medullary cavity. In contrast, the continuous bend of the nail results in a much smoother course of pressure development in the medullary cavity, which does not reach the same high values as with the unreamed tibial nails, despite the fact that less time is required for insertion of the nail. In our opinion, modification of the axial shape of the nail would result both in better implantability and easier removal. We therefore advocate such a modification of the axial shape of intramedullary tibia nails.     

Managed Care Organizations and Public Health: Exploring Collaboration on Adolescent Immunizations

ABSTRACT: Managed care organizations (MCOs) joined local and state public health agencies in a pilot effort to improve hepatitis B immunization rates of adolescents in an urban and a suburban/rural school district. The pilot also explored issues inherent in public and private collaboration on population health improvement.
Local public health agencies provided links to schools in their communities, took the lead in implementing school-based immunization programs, and provided health education materials. MCOs contributed financial support necessary for the project. The final cost per fully vaccinated student, not taking into account the work group's planning and coordination time, was little more than the catalog price of the vaccine alone.
Managed care organizations face challenges that complicate their participation and funding of school-based vaccinations: 1) Limited data on health plans of participating students complicate allocation of costs to each MCO; 2) Double-paying occurs for MCOs paying clinics a monthly, per-member rate that already includes adolescent immunizations; 3) When schools provide adolescent immunizations, MCOs lose the "hook" that draws adolescents to clinics for comprehensive health services.
When self-consenting is permitted, schools can achieve a high consent and completion rates for multi-dose adolescent immunizations such as hepatitis B. At the same time, MCOs have the responsibility to provide members with comprehensive care and should continue to examine both internal modifications and external partnerships as opportunities to improve their services to adolescents.     

Eighteen-month Coronal Caries Incidence in North Carolina Older Adults

In this longitudinal study of a random sample of North Carolinians over the age of 65 and living in their homes, 325 blacks and 280 whites were examined and interviewed 18 months after baseline examinations. Coronal caries incidence was greater among whites than blacks. The increment due to teeth becoming root fragments were similar for both races; however, there were more newly crowned teeth among whites. Newly crowned surfaces were not used as part of the caries increment in logistic regression models to investigate potential risk predictors. For blacks, caries development over the 18-month period was associated with a higher lactobacillus score and more coronal caries at baseline, more previously filled coronal surfaces, and lack of active membership in clubs or other groups. For whites, having no self-reported tooth sensitivity, having a lower socioeconomic index score, taking antihistamine medications at baseline, and having the perception of more problems after the age of 40 than before were all associated with the development of coronal caries.     

Practical integration of [18F]-FDG-PET and PET-CT in the planning of radiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): the technical basis, ICRU-target volumes, problems, perspectives.

The value of positron emission tomography using [18F]-fluoro-deoxy-glucose (FDG-PET) for pretherapeutic evaluation of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is beyond doubt. Due to the increasing availability of PET and PET-CT scanners the method is now widely available, and its technical integration has become possible for radiotherapy planning systems. Due to the depiction of malignant tissue with high diagnostic accuracy, the use of FDG-PET in radiotherapy planning of NSCLC is very promising. However, by uncritical application, PET could impair rather than improve the prognosis of patients. Therefore, in the present paper we give an overview of technical factors influencing PET and PET-CT data, and their consequences for radiotherapy planning. We further review the relevant literature concerning the diagnostic value of FDG-PET and on the integration of FDG-PET data in RT planning for NSCLC. We point out the possible impact in gross tumor volume (GTV) definition and describe methods of target volume contouring of the primary tumor, as well as concepts for the integration of diagnostic information on lymph node involvement into the clinical target volume (CTV), and the possible implications of PET data on the definition of the planning target volume (PTV). Finally, we give an idea of the possible future use of tracers other than [18F]-FDG in lung cancer.     

In vitro susceptibility of Mycobacterium avium complex to antibacterial agents

In vitro agar dilution susceptibility studies were performed utilizing 20 isolates (24 against rifamycin) of Mycobacterium avium complex against several antimicrobial agents not routinely tested in the mycobacteriology laboratory. Thirteen strains were susceptible to gentamicin at 4 micrograms/ml, 20 to amikacin at 8 micrograms/ml, 18 to streptomycin at 8 micrograms/ml, 20 to kanamycin at 8 micrograms/ml, 20 to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole at 2 micrograms/ml, 12 to sulfisoxazole at 10 micrograms/ml, 14 to rifabutin at 1 microgram/ml. No activity was found with penicillin G, cephapirin, moxalactam, vancomycin, clindamycin, erythromycin, trimethoprim, or minocycline. This data suggests a potential use of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, sulfisoxazole, amikacin, gentamicin, and kanamycin in the treatment of infections caused by this group of organisms.