Role of postnatal penicillin prophylaxis in prevention of neonatal group B streptococcus infection

This prospective study was designed to identify the role of postnatal penicillin prophylaxis in the prevention of neonatal group B streptococcus (GBS) infection. We studied 10 998 infants. Of these, 5389 were in the penicillin prophylaxis group (PP) and 5609 infants did not receive penicillin prophylaxis (NPP). Infants were allocated to treatment by month of birth, alternating 3-mo blocks or 2-mo blocks to the two groups after the first block was randomly assigned. The use of PP reduced the incidence of clinical sepsis (1.7% PP versus 2.5% NPP, p < 0.01), GBS infection (0.4% PP versus 0.9% NPP, p < 0.001) and deaths from sepsis (0.1% PP versus 0.3% NPP, p < 0.05). We conclude that the routine use of postnatal penicillin prophylaxis appears to be effective in reducing the incidence of clinical sepsis and death from sepsis in neonates.     

Analysis of Gleason grade and scores in 90 Nigerian Africans with prostate cancer during the period 1994 to 2004

Objectives

To determine the relative frequency of prostate cancer among surgical specimens, and among prostate specimens received at the pathology department ,University Hospital Calabar.

Methods

Histology records were reviewed for the following: total number of histology specimens received; total number of prostate specimens; total number of prostate cancer; and the total number of cancers in males during the study period. Histology sections 4–5microns thick were cut from paraffin blocks and stained by Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E). Histopathologic specimens were classified using the grading system of tumour differentiation described by Gleason and associates.

Results

One hundred and twenty three cancers of the prostate were received, constituting 2% of the total surgical specimens and 31% of prostate specimens. Thirty three cases (27%) could not be analyzed; therefore the study is based on 90 prostate cancer specimens. Eighty nine (99%) cases were epithelial tumours (adenocarcinoma.) There was a single mesenchymal tumour (rhabdomyosarcoma) (1%). The commonest grade in this study was the high grade (Gleason grade IV).

Conclusions

We observed that prostate cancer is a common among males (all sites) diagnosed at the University Hospital Calabar, with a peak incidence between the ages of 61 – 70 years (seventh decade).     

Placental protein 14 in endometrium during menstrual cycle and effect of early luteal phase mifepristone administration on its expression in implantation stage endometrium in the rhesus monkey

Placental protein 14 (PP14) is a glycoprotein which is secreted by secretory phase endometrium and decidua in women. Despite the suggestion that PP14 is involved in the process of endometrial maturation for blastocyst implantation, our understanding in this regard is poor. In the present study, the concentrations and distribution patterns of immunodetectable PP14 in the endometrium during proliferative and secretory phases of normal ovulatory menstrual cycles, as well as in implantation stage endometrium in naturally mated ovulatory cycles with or without early luteal phase mifepristone treatment, were investigated using the rhesus monkey as a primate model. Immunopositive PP14 was observed mainly in epithelial cells of glands and it was detected in one major immunopositive band at Mr 28 kDa in tissue homogenate and spent medium. The area of immunopositive precipitation of PP14 in glands was minimal in follicular phase endometrium, and was higher (P < 0.01) in early, mid- and late luteal phase endometrium compared with that in pre- and periovulatory phases of the cycle, but there was no change in its area profile in the glandular compartment throughout the luteal phase. Immunopositivity for PP14 in luminal contents of gland displayed an increasing profile from early to late secretory phases. Thus, the concentrations and the distribution of immunodetectable PP14 in luteal phase endometrium of the rhesus monkey showed marked similarity with those of human endometrium during the natural menstrual cycle. Although there was no marked change in the band characterstics for the protein in implantation stage endometrium following early luteal phase mifepristone treatment, it was markedly decreased (P < 0.01) in tissue homogenate and in vitro spent medium along with a lesser (P < 0.02) degree of immunoprecipitation in the glands in implantation stage samples of mifepristone treatment group compared with that in control group samples. Thus, the contragestional effect of early luteal phase mifepristone treatment appears to be associated with a decrease in the concentration of immunodetectable PP14 in implantation stage endometrial glands and its secretion in the rhesus monkey. It remains to be seen whether this decline is caused from direct antiprogesterone action on endometrial glands during progesterone dominance, or secondarily from associated retarded development of endometrium.