Photorejuvenation of facial skin with topical 20% 5-aminolevulinic acid and intense pulsed light treatment: a split-face comparison study

BACKGROUND: Photorejuvenation of facial skin has been reported after intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy alone and in conjunction with topical 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), but no comparative studies between these regimens have been performed. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of combination topical 5-ALA and IPL compared to IPL treatment alone. METHODS: Ten patients with mild to moderate photodamage were randomly assigned treatment with 5-ALA + IPL on one facial half and IPL alone on the contralateral side. Two treatments were delivered at 4-week intervals. Clinical improvement scores were determined by masked evaluations of digital photographs obtained at baseline, prior to each treatment session, and at 1, 3, and 6 months after the final treatment. RESULTS: Higher clinical improvement scores were noted on the combination 5-ALA + IPL treated areas. Mild edema, erythema, and desquamation were observed on the facial halves where 5-ALA was applied. No scarring or unwanted pigmentary alteration was seen. CONCLUSIONS: Photodynamic therapy with combination topical 5-ALA + IPL is safe and more effective for facial rejuvenation than IPL treatment alone.     

Heparin adsorbing capacities at physiological pH of three poly(amido-amine) resins,and of poly(amido-amine)-surface-grafted glass microspheres

Three poly(amido-amine)s of similar structure in the form of highly hydrophilic crosslinked resins, have been prepared, and tested for their heparin-adsorbing capacity at physiological pH. They showed different capacities, and their capacities were related to their basicities. One of the same polymers was grafted on the surface of glass microspheres. After treatment, it was shown that the microspheres could adsorb significant amounts of heparin. In all cases most of the adsorbed heparin was hardly eluted with saline, plasma, or blood, but could be recovered by eluting with 0.1 M NaOH. The resins were found to have some haemolytic properties, but no haemolysis was observed with the grafted microspheres.     

Determinants of response to a parent questionnaire about development and behaviour in 3 year olds: European multicentre study of congenital toxoplasmosis

Background  

We aimed to determine how response to a parent-completed postal questionnaire measuring development, behaviour, impairment, and parental concerns and anxiety, varies in different European centres.     

PEN2 is not a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease in a large family sample

PEN2 is a reasonable Alzheimer's disease (AD) candidate gene because it is a necessary component of the gamma-secretase complex that generates beta-amyloid peptide. Moreover, its gene (PEN2) maps to a highly significant linkage region on chromosome 19q13. Four common polymorphisms in PEN2 were tested for genetic association with AD in a large and carefully ascertained AD family sample (789 subjects from 202 nuclear families) using single-locus and haplotype-based analyses. These results do not suggest PEN2 to be a major AD risk factor.     

Risks and benefits of influenza and pneumococcal immunization in HIV-1 infected individuals

Influenza and Streptococcus pneumoniae diseases can cause severe complications in HIV-1 infected individuals leading to increases in hospital admission and even death. Both vaccinations are recommended for such individuals, but some studies reported that such immunizations may stimulate an increase of HIV-1 viral load and decrease of CD4+ cells count. A review of published studies, including our studies carried out in HIV-1 infected former drugs addicts, indicates that influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations are well tolerated in individuals with HIV-1, and do not induce deterioration of the course of HIV-1 infection, even though the immune response to vaccination is lower than that one observed in immunocompetent individuals. Therefore the lack of significant changes of virological and immunological parameters indicates that such immunizations can be safely administrated to HIV-1 infected individuals.     

Multicentric survey on hygienic aspects in private dental practice

The aim of this research was to evaluate the knowledge of cross-infection hazards in private dental practices, and their control procedures. The survey, carried out by questionnaire in 11 Italian cities, showed that dental personnel do not completely follow the main procedures for infection control. The interviewed subjects usually wear gloves (95.5%), masks (90.1%) and glasses (91.2%), less frequently caps (23.9%) and coats (54.9%). They use steam sterilizers (92.9%) and periodically check the effectiveness (80.6%). Regarding individuals protection, 20.5% is not vaccinated against HBV and only 55.2% of those previously vaccinated has checked their immunity. Moreover, the majority of subjects underestimate the infection hazards especially for air-transmitted diseases.