Prevalence of Schistosoma intercalatum and S. haematobium Infection among Primary Schoolchildren in Capital Areas of Democratic Republic Of S?o Tomé and Príncipe,West Africa

Background

A parasitological survey of Schistosoma haematobium and S. intercalatum infection among primary schoolchildren in capital area of Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe (DRSTP) was undertaken.

Methods

Subjects with positive infection were confirmed by the detection of S. haematobium ova in the urine or S. intercalatum ova in the stool by using centrifugation concentration or merthiolate-iodine-formalin concentration method. Totally, 252 urine and stool samples, respectively, were obtained from apparently healthy schoolchildren, of which 121 from boys (9.8 ± 1.4 yr) and 131 from girls (9.7 ± 1.3 yr).

Results

None of participating schoolchildren were found having S. haematobium ova in the urinary specimen. While, among 4 primary schools studied, only schoolchildren from Saint Marçal were detected with S. intercalatum ova in the fecal specimen, making the overall prevalence of S. intercalatum infection among schoolchildren was 2.4% (6/252) and girls had insignificantly higher prevalence (3.1%, 4/131) than that (1.7%, 2/121) in boys (χ² = 0.5, P = 0.5).

Conclusion

Water control and sanitation as well as snails eliminated by molluscicides are urgently needed to reduce S. intercalatum infection in DRSTP inhabitants.     

A prospective study of a serum-pooling strategy in screening blood donors for antibody to hepatitis C virus

BACKGROUND: To examine the feasibility and to perform a cost-benefit analysis of a pooling protocol of enzyme immunoassay (EIA) screening for antibody to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) under real conditions, a prospective study was carried out using sera from 1875 local blood donors. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: In the absence of knowledge of the anti-HCV reactions, the donor's sera were pooled into groups of five consecutive samples for testing by EIA. The dilution and final volume of the serum pool were adjusted to equal those recommended for single- serum EIA by the manufacturer of the test kit. The results obtained were compared with those of single-serum EIA to assess the feasibility of the pooling protocol. By applying probability theory, the percentage of reduction in the number of tests performed (L value) when the serum- pooling strategy was used was calculated for several anti-HCV seroprevalences and for varied sizes of pool. The calculations were performed on a computer using a program compiled by the authors. RESULTS: The results showed that seroprevalence was 2.24 percent (95% CI, 1.57-2.91%); the rate of false negativity was 0 (95% CI, 0–8.4%), the sensitivity of the pooling protocol was 100 percent (95% CI, 91.6- 100.0%), the rate of false positivity was 0.8 percent (95% CI, 0–1.8%), and the specificity of the pooling protocol was 99.2 percent (95% CI, 98.2-100.0%). Cost-benefit analysis showed that the pooling protocol could save 69.3 percent of the cost. A table of L values can be used conveniently by serologists to determine the optimum pool size if estimates of seroprevalence are available. CONCLUSION: The pool EIA did not perform worse than individual EIAs, and the pooling strategy was markedly less expansive. The pooling protocol was recommended for screening of anti-HCV-positive subjects from large populations with low seroprevalence.     

山莨菪碱和蝙蝠葛碱对白三烯和PAF诱导的牛脑前动脉平滑肌细胞DNA合成的影响(英文)

白三烯和血小板活化因子在低于nmol浓度时就能刺激培养的牛脑前动脉平滑肌细胞的DNA合成,在10^-7mol/L时达最大刺激。LTB₄,LTD₄和PAF在10^-7mol/L时对上述细胞DNA合成的刺激率分别为32%,29%和77%。山莨菪碱和蝙蝠葛碱在10^-7～10^-4mol/L范围内呈剂量依赖性地抑制白三烯和血小板活化因子的上述作用。     

丝瓜叶化学成分的研究

从丝瓜(Luffa cylindrica Roem.)叶中分得一种新的五环三萜皂甙和芹菜素,用光谱和化学方法确定该皂甙的结构为21β-羟基齐墩果酸-28-O-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖甙,命名为丝瓜皂甙Q。     

白三烯拮抗剂ONO-1078对化学物质诱导大鼠皮肤微血管渗漏的抑制作用

大鼠皮内注射组胺、辣椒素和甲醛诱导皮肤微血管渗漏,白三烯拮抗剂ONO-1078剂量依赖性抑制这一反应,ID₅₀分别为1.98,1.78,2.23mg·kg^-1。与扑尔敏相比,对组胺的作用较弱,对辣椒素和甲醛的作用较强,地塞米松的作用强于ONOl078和扑尔敏。ONO-l078还抑制LTD4的作用,对大剂量组胺、缓激肽和P物质无明显作用。ONO-l078的作用可能与抑制感觉神经肽释放有关。     

Roles of attention, memory, and motor preparation in modulating human brain activity in a spatial working memory task

Neuronal activity of the human brain was studied with magnetoencephalography (MEG) in a spatial working memory task similar to those commonly used with nonhuman primates. The subject was required to remember target positions for 3 s and make a same-different judgement with a finger lift comparing the position of the probed target with the probe or to execute a memory-guided saccade to the probed target. In this type of task single-unit studies have shown attention- and memory-related activities independent of movement type during the retention interval in a large number of cortical areas of the primates, including the parietal and prefrontal areas. Consistent with these results, there were strong stimulus-driven transient and sustained responses and modulations of oscillatory activity during the retention period. Although we did not determine the source locations, coarse estimates of the currents responsible for the MEG signals showed activity over a wide area of the cortex, most prominently over the Rolandic, parietal and occipital areas, but also over the frontal area. Some of the activities in these cortical areas reflect processes that may be identified with attention and memory, while others were related to preparation of the overt movements.      

增强型绿色荧光蛋白标记技术示踪组织工程化骨形成

目的:观察以脂质体介导法转染的增强型绿色荧光蛋白质粒作为骨组织工程种子细胞示踪剂的可行性。方法:实验于2005-07/2006-11在南昌大学第二附属医院分子医学实验室完成。选取12个月龄中国青山羊2只作为骨髓基质干细胞供体。另取BACB/un裸鼠9只作为骨髓基质干细胞-珊瑚复合物受体。①将已转化pEGFP-N2大肠杆菌109菌种,进行质粒提取并经AvaⅡ酶切鉴定。②脂质体lipofectamine2000介导转染羊骨髓基质干细胞。分别于转染24h、6个月后计算荧光的转染效率。标记与未标记细胞经成骨诱导分化后,检测碱性磷酸酶活性和四环素钙结节染色,以未标记的同期细胞作对照。③将标记细胞接种于珊瑚支架,形成骨髓基质干细胞-珊瑚复合物,分别于体外培养4,7,14d后进行电镜扫描观察。④将体外培养7d的骨髓基质干细胞-珊瑚复合物移植于裸鼠皮下,8周后取出,荧光显微镜下进行示踪观察,苏木精-伊红染色观察组织结构。以未标记的骨髓基质干细胞-珊瑚复合物、单纯珊瑚作对照。结果:共纳入中国青山羊2只,BACB/un裸鼠9只,作为受体的9只裸鼠进入结果分析。①质粒经酶切后电泳,可见3条带,分别为445bp,1938bp,2354bp,确定所提质粒为pEGFP-N2。②转染24h后绿色荧光表达率35%;经G418筛选,转染6个月后绿色荧光表达率75%;与对照组相比,标记细胞碱性磷酸酶活性差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),均具有钙结节形成能力。③标记细胞与材料贴附生长良好,并分泌胶原纤维及钙盐结晶样基质。④组织学示新生骨样组织围绕材料孔隙生成;新生组织细胞内有绿色荧光表达,同时对照组未观察到绿色荧光。结论:脂质体介导法转染的pEGFP-N2标记骨髓基质干细胞,可用于裸鼠体内示踪,是一种理想的组织工程化骨组织的示踪方法。     

西山医院脊髓损伤功能量表内容介绍

目的:介绍一套新的脊髓损伤功能评价量表。方法:综合目前使用的各种常用脊髓功能量表,结合实际工作经验及脊髓损伤患者神经功能改善特点,制定了西山医院脊髓损伤功能量表。结果:西山医院脊髓损伤功能量表共分9大项16小项,采用4分制,正常为3分,最差为0分。总分0～48分,0～16分为重度残障,17～32分为中度残障;33～47分为轻度残障,48分正常。量表包括上肢运动功能(饮食、梳洗、书写)、下肢运动功能(站立、行走)、躯干运动功能(坐、翻身)、全身运动功能(床椅转移、穿脱衣服、洗澡)、括约肌功能(膀胱功能、直肠功能)、肌张力、泌汗、皮肤营养、疼痛、性功能。结论:西山医院脊髓损伤功能量表是一套专门应用于脊髓损伤患者功能评价量表。该量表能全面、精确评定患者功能,简便实用、费时短。应用这份功能量表,既能客观反映患者的功能变化,随访时又不增加患者负担,同时也能减轻医务工作者的负担。     

胚胎嗅鞘细胞再移植治疗晚期脊髓损伤1例

目的:对晚期脊髓损伤患者开展嗅鞘细胞再移植治疗,探讨其对神经功能的继续改善效果。方法:①患者男性,27岁,哈萨克斯坦籍,2001年9月20日遭霰弹枪击急诊手术后,双下肢不能运动及感觉消失,尿便失禁,右下肢阵发性钝痛。诊断为陈旧性完全性脊髓损伤(T12),美国脊髓损伤协会标准脊髓功能分级为A级。2002年9月30日第1次行脊髓胚胎嗅鞘细胞移植术,2007年2月5日行第2次脊髓胚胎嗅鞘细胞移植术。治疗方案患者知情同意。②取4个月流产胚胎(孕妇及其家属均知情同意)的嗅球,消化成单个嗅鞘细胞后培养2周,细胞浓度约2×1010L-1。于患者相应脊髓损伤上端(平T11椎体)做1个锁孔,直径约3cm,在脊髓损伤部位与正常脊髓交界处沿中线于无血管区,分两点用4.5号细针共注入100μL(第1次手术)、50μL(第2次手术)嗅鞘细胞悬液,细胞数均为1×106个。第2次移植术前进行供、受体细胞HLA配型,术后口服FK506胶囊2mg,2次/d,共42d。结果:①第1次术后3个月,排尿能控制6h,双足运动功能改善,性功能改善,阴茎勃起功能改善,疼痛减轻。②第2次术后10d,双下肢双足皮肤泌汗功能改善,右下肢疼痛减轻,腹部皮肤感觉稍有好转,针刺觉左侧由术前T10皮节消失好转至T10减退。较第2次移植前椎旁躯体感觉诱发电位有所改善,双侧椎旁电位从T10下降到T12。结论:胚胎嗅鞘细胞二次移植能继续改善晚期脊髓损伤患者的神经功能。但移植的细胞数量、容积、注射点位置等需深入探讨。