The efficacy of subcutaneous recombinant human erythropoietin in the correction of phlebotomy-induced anemia in autologous blood donors

The efficacy of subcutaneous recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) (500 U/kg; administered twice a week during the 3 weeks before surgery) in the recovery of preoperative hemoglobin concentrations within a 3- week period was studied in 40 patients, each of whom donated 2 units (900 mL) of blood for their own use before total hip replacement surgery. Twenty autologous blood donors received rhEPO (EPO group) and 20 were not treated (control group). The initial hemoglobin concentration (14.0 +/− 1.0 g/dL [140 +/− 10 g/L]) was completely recovered before surgery (14.0 +/− 1.6 g/dL [140 +/− 16 g/L]) in the EPO group, while a decrease from 13.8 +/− 1.1 to 12.2 +/− 1.3 g per dL (138 +/− 11 to 122 +/− 13 g/L) was observed in the control group. The preoperative reticulocyte count showed more than sixfold increase in the EPO group, whereas a twofold to threefold increase was found in the control group. Serum ferritin concentration fell to 42 +/− 29 micrograms per L in the EPO group and to 54 +/− 35 micrograms per L in the control group. The postoperative serum erythropoietin concentration in the EPO group was significantly lower than that in the control group, but it did not differ from the pretreatment value and was attended by a higher hemoglobin concentration after surgery. Only transient flu-like symptoms were mentioned by patients who were treated with rhEPO. Changes in blood pressure or platelet count or other adverse events were not observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

贞芪扶正颗粒和复方阿胶浆干预再生障碍性贫血模型小鼠外周血及骨髓象的变化

目的:观察贞芪扶正颗粒和复方阿胶浆对苯油溶液致小鼠再生障碍性贫血模型的疗效。方法:实验于2005-06/09在河南中医学院药理实验室完成。①选用昆明种成年雄性小鼠90只。按随机数字表法将小鼠分为9组,每组10只:大、中、小剂量贞芪扶正颗粒组:按15,10,5g/kg剂量灌服贞芪扶正颗粒混悬液(主要成分:黄芪、女贞子;甘肃扶正药业科技股份有限公司生产;批号040803,15g/袋)。大、中、小剂量复方阿胶浆组:分别按10,20,30mL/kg剂量灌胃复方阿胶浆(主要成分:阿胶、熟地黄、党参、山楂、人参、蔗糖;山东东阿阿胶股份有限公司生产,批号050446,250mL/瓶),司坦唑醇组:按4mg/kg剂量灌胃司坦唑醇混悬液(司坦唑醇片,广西南宁百会药业集团有限公司生产,批号050306,30mg/片)。空白组和模型组:灌胃同体积的生理盐水(20mL/kg)。每天给药1次,连续给药14d。除空白组外,其余组小鼠皮下注射体积分数0.25苯的玉米油溶液4mL/kg复制苯油溶液致小鼠再生障碍性贫血模型,空白组皮下注射同体积玉米油。②各组小鼠分别于末次给药后24h,进行血常规检测。取右侧股骨,冲出骨髓细胞,采用BI-2000医学图像分析仪计数骨髓有核细胞数。③计量资料符合正态分布、方差齐者用t检验;方差不齐者用t’检验。结果:小鼠90只均进入结果分析。①血细胞测定结果比较:模型组小鼠血红细胞、白细胞、血小板计数和血红蛋白水平明显低于空白组(t=3.39～11.89,P<0.01)。司坦唑醇组3项血细胞计数和血红蛋白水平明显高于模型组(t=4.94～6.73,P<0.01)。大、中剂量贞芪扶正颗粒组和各剂量复方阿胶浆组血白细胞计数明显高于模型组(t=2.32～3.03,P<0.05￣0.01)。中剂量贞芪扶正颗粒组和各剂量复方阿胶浆组小鼠血红细胞计数明显高于模型组(t=2.15～4.84,P<0.05￣0.01)。大、中剂量贞芪扶正颗粒组和各剂量复方阿胶浆组血红蛋白水平明显高于模型组(t=2.33～4.45,P<0.05￣0.01)。大、中剂量贞芪扶正颗粒组和各剂量复方阿胶浆组血小板计数明显高于模型组(t=4.06～6.24,P<0.01)。②骨髓有核细胞数:模型组明显低于空白组(t=8.99,P<0.01)。司坦唑醇组、中剂量贞芪扶正颗粒组和小剂量复方阿胶浆组明显高于模型组(t=2.39～2.82,P<0.05)。结论:贞芪扶正颗粒、复方阿胶浆对皮下注射苯所致小鼠再生障碍性贫血模型血细胞状况及骨髓象均有较好的改善作用,以贞芪扶正颗粒有较为明显的剂量依赖关系。     

A study of confidential unit exclusion

The effectiveness of the confidential unit exclusion (CUE) procedure recommended by the Food and Drug Administration has been questioned by the blood banking community. The purpose of this study was to determine whether donors were informing the blood center correctly regarding the disposition (transfuse or do not transfuse) of their donated blood. A letter explaining the confidential study and requesting permission to send the participant a questionnaire noting his or her self-exclusion choice was mailed to 230 donors who had chosen transfuse and 276 donors who had chosen do not transfuse. After consent was obtained, participants were sent a second packet and asked to indicate whether they had chosen correctly and, if not, to identify reasons for that incorrect choice. A seven-word terminology quiz made up of words from the CUE form was also enclosed. All participants who had chosen transfuse indicated that this was the correct choice. Approximately 50 percent of those who had chosen do not transfuse indicated that this was an incorrect choice; the most common reason was that "I was not paying attention." The most frequently misunderstood term was "confidential." Donors who chose do not transfuse had a significantly higher rate of error on the terminology quiz (p less than 0.01) than did those who chose transfuse.     

Daily energy balance in growth hormone receptor/binding protein (GHR −/−) gene-disrupted mice is achieved through an increase in dark-phase energy efficiency

The goal of this study was to examine factors that contribute to energy balance in female GHR ?/? mice. We measured energy intake, energy expenditure (EE), fuel utilization, body mass (M_b) changes and physical activity in 17 month-old female GHR ?/? mice and their age-matched wild type littermates. The GHR ?/? mice were smaller, consumed more food per unit M_b, had greater EE per unit M_b and had an increase in 24-h EE/M_b that was similar to the increase in their surface-area-to-volume ratio. Locomotor activity (LMA) was reduced in the GHR ?/? mice, but the energetic cost associated with their LMA was greater than in wild type controls. Furthermore, M_b and LMA were independent explanatory covariates of most of the variance in EE, and when adjusted for M_b and LMA, the GHR ?/? mice had higher EE during both the light and dark phases of the daily cycle. Respiratory quotient was lower in GHR ?/? mice during the light phase, which indicated a greater utilization of lipid relative to carbohydrate in these mice. Additionally, GHR ?/? mice had higher ratios of caloric intake to EE at several intervals during the dark phase, and this effect was greater and more sustained in the final 3 h of the dark phase. Therefore, we conclude that GHR ?/? mice are able to overcome the substantial energetic challenges of dwarfism through several mechanisms that promote stable M_b. Relative to wild type mice, the GHR ?/? mice consumed more calories per unit M_b, which offset the disproportionate increase in their daily energy expenditure. While GHR ?/? mice oxidized a greater proportion of lipid during the light phase in order to meet their energy requirements, they achieved greater energy efficiency and storage during the dark phase through a combination of higher energy consumption and lower LMA.     

用于鼻腔测量的声反射技术——应用与进展

本文综述了声反射鼻腔测量（acoustic rhinometry,AR）近年来在临床中的应用和研究。主要阐述了声反射测量的工作原理,在鼻周期以及正常人鼻腔测量相关参数建立等基础研究,在耳鼻喉科疾病诊断和药物作用等临床研究中的进展。     

Primer: molecular tools used for the understanding of endocrinology

Molecular techniques have had and are continuing to have a strong effect on clinical research and on diagnosis and screening of many endocrine disorders. To undertake research and interpret the results of others, it is important to know how and when to use molecular techniques such as Southern, northern and western blotting and the polymerase chain reaction. Knowledge of the human genome and how genes translate into proteins is required for a full understanding of the burgeoning fields of genomics and proteomics. Genetic manipulation of experimental species, which uses transgenic and gene-knockout technology, has led to important advances in determining the relationship between genes and their encoded proteins' function in the intact organism. This article describes these aspects of molecular biology, and gives specific examples of how they can be applied to clinical endocrinology and metabolism.     

Providing monovalent oral polio vaccine type 1 to newborns: findings from a pilot birth-dose project in Moradabad district, India

Problem

Poliovirus transmission remained a public health challenge in western Uttar Pradesh, India in late 2005 and early 2006. In 2006, the India Expert Advisory Group for Polio Eradication concluded that, given the peak incidence of polio among children 6 to 12 months of age, a targeted birth dose of oral polio vaccine may be necessary to interrupt intense poliovirus transmission in high risk areas.

Approach

The Government of Uttar Pradesh, the National Polio Surveillance Project and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) implemented a pilot birth-dose project aimed at identifying and vaccinating all newborns with a dose of oral polio vaccine within 72 hours of birth in an effort to evaluate operational feasibility and potential impact on population immunity.

Local setting

The project was piloted in Moradabad district: zone 7 in Moradabad City (urban setting), Kunderki block (rural setting) and in select birthing hospitals.

Relevant changes

Between July 2006 and February 2007, 9740 newborns were identified, of which 6369 (65%) were vaccinated by project personnel within 72 hours of birth. Project coverage (for total newborns vaccinated) ranged from 39% (in zone 7) to 76% (in Kunderki block) of the estimated number of newborns vaccinated during previous supplemental immunization activities.

Lessons learned

Birth-dose coverage among newborns was lower than expected. Expansion costs were estimated to be high, with marginal impact. The project, however, provided opportunities to strengthen newborn tracking systems which have increased the number of newborns and young infants vaccinated during supplemental immunization activities and enrolled in routine programmes.     

A pilot methodology study for the photographic assessment of post‐inflammatory hyperpigmentation in patients treated with tretinoin

Background Post‐inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) is a common occurrence in patients with acne vulgaris, particularly in those with skin of colour. Aims A previous study has demonstrated the benefit of tretinoin (retinoic acid) in the treatment of PIH; however, there is currently no standard protocol to evaluate change in PIH following treatment. Based on these findings, we performed a pilot, exploratory, blinded, intraindividual‐controlled methodology study that consisted of a photographic assessment protocol with facial mapping. Materials and methods The study was based on a secondary analysis of a phase 4, community‐based trial of 544 acne patients who were treated with tretinoin gel microsphere 0.04% or 0.1%. Only patients with Fitzpatrick types III–V (skin of colour) were included in the study; subjects with Fitzpatrick skin type VI were excluded because the photographic assessment did not allow for proper evaluation. Results Despite the small number of subjects evaluated (n = 25), the results revealed consistent assessment of improvement in PIH between two independent graders (weighted κ = 0.84). Conclusion Further study with a larger population is recommended to validate the accuracy of this method.     

Resurgence of bedbugs in southern France: a local problem or the tip of the iceberg?

Background Bedbugs (Cimex lectularius) have been feeding on sleeping human beings since prehistory. In Europe, bed bugs were common and endemic until World War II when improved body and home hygiene, and widespread use of insecticides led to almost complete eradication. Current evidence indicates that bedbugs are making a comeback in Europe, USA, Canada and Australia. In our practice in Southern France, we observed several cases within a period of only 1 year. Objectives Based on this experience, we conducted an epidemiological study to evaluate the status of bedbugs in France. Methods During summer 2009, we mailed a short questionnaire to all hospital professors in the CEDEF (Collège des Enseignants de Dermatologie de France) asking four questions: number of suspected diagnosis of bedbugs in the year 2009, and number of certain positive diagnosis, difficulties in treatment, use of a pest control professional for treatment, and finally personal opinion on actual incidence of bedbugs, compared with past years. Results Of the 84 questionnaires sent, there were only 26 responses despite two reminders. The responses were predominantly southern France, probably as a result of intensive immigration and increased travel and trade. Difficulties encountered during diagnosis and treatment are also mentioned. Utilizing the services of entomological experts and pest control professionals is essential. Conclusions France has the same experience regarding the resurgence of bedbugs as several European countries, USA, Canada and Australia, especially the southern regions. This emerging health problem has to be known by dermatologists. A national programme has been launched in France to assess actual incidence and study C. lectularius‐ related diseases.