Frequent carriage of Panton-Valentine leucocidin genes by Staphylococcus aureus isolates from surgically drained abscesses

Between 1 February and 15 April 2002, 95 patients were admitted to Gaston Bourret Territorial Hospital (New Caledonia, France) for drainage of community-acquired soft tissue abscesses. Staphylococcus aureus was detected in 68 cases (72%). Two-thirds of the patients with S. aureus infection had furuncles, which were located on the limbs in 82% of cases. The median interval between symptom onset and hospital admission was 5.7 days. Three-quarters of the patients were Melanesians living in tribes. Fifty-four S. aureus isolates were screened for toxin genes. Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL) genes were detected in 48 isolates (89%), the exfoliative toxin A gene was detected in 1 isolate, and no toxin genes were detected in 4 isolates. S. aureus nasal carriage was detected in 39.7% of patients with S. aureus infections. Two infecting S. aureus strains and two nasal carriage strains were resistant to methicillin. Comparative pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, performed in 16 cases, showed that five of six patients with PVL-positive nasal carriage strains were infected by the same strains. In contrast, 8 of 10 patients with PVL-negative nasal carriage strains were infected by PVL-positive strains. PVL genes thus appear to be a major virulence factor in both primary and secondary S. aureus skin infections.     

趋化性细胞因子对人Tc1和Tc2细胞内Ca~(2+)浓度变化的影响

为了探讨趋化性细胞因子在体外对人Tc1和Tc2亚群细胞内Ca2 + 浓度变化的影响 ,从PBMC中分离纯化CD8+ T细胞 ,在特定细胞因子及细胞因子抗体作用下 ,体外定向诱导出能长期培养的Tc1和Tc2细胞系 ,用免疫荧光染色结合流式细胞术分析对其进行鉴定后 ,通过流式细胞术检测在趋化性细胞因子刺激前后 ,细胞内Ca2 + 浓度的变化。发现受SDF 1作用后 ,Tc1及Tc2细胞内Ca2 + 浓度变化均不明显 ,而IP 10刺激后 ,Tc1及Tc2细胞内Ca2 + 水平在短时间内明显上调 ,且在Tc1胞内的上升幅度远高于Tc2细胞 ,在MIP 1β刺激后 ,也观察到类似趋势 ;受Eotaxin刺激后 ,Tc1及Tc2细胞内Ca2 + 水平均有微小上升 ,在Tc2细胞内的上升幅度略高于Tc1细胞。说明Tc1和Tc2细胞受趋化性细胞因子作用后 ,细胞内Ca2 + 浓度有不同程度的变化 ,且与趋化性细胞因子受体的表达呈现一定的相关性。     

Growth, morbidity, and mortality in a cohort of institutionalized HIV-1-infected African children

OBJECTIVE: As a result of the HIV epidemic in Africa, much debate exists on whether institutionalized compared with community-based care provides optimum management of infected children. Previous reports calculated 89% mortality by age 3 years among outpatients in Malawi. No similar data are available for infected children in institutionalized care. We characterized patterns of morbidity and mortality among HIV-1-infected children residing at an orphanage in Nairobi. METHODS: Medical records for 174 children followed over 5 years were reviewed. Mortality was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier methods with adjustment to account for survival in the community before admission. Anthropometric indices were calculated to include mean z scores for weight for length and length for age. Low indices reflected wasting and stunting. Opportunistic infections were documented. RESULTS: Of 174 children, 64 had died. Survival was 70% at age 3 years. Morbidity included recurrent respiratory tract infections, gastroenteritis, parotitis, and lymphoid interstitial pneumonitis. No new cases of tuberculosis disease were noted after admission. Mean z scores for length for age suggested overall stunting (z = -1.65). Wasting was not observed (z = -0.39). CONCLUSION: The optimal form of care for HIV-infected children in resource-poor settings may be the development of similar homes. Absence of tuberculosis disease in long-standing residents may have contributed to improved survival. Stunting in the absence of wasting implied that growth was compromised by opportunistic infections and other cofactors.     

Age-associated alterations in CXCL1 chemokine expression by murine B cells

Background  

The CXCL1 chemokines, macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) and cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant (KC), have been shown to play a role in a number of pathophysiological disease states including endotoxin-induced inflammation and bacterial meningitis. While the expression of these chemokines has been identified in a variety of cell types in the mouse, little is known about their expression with murine B-lymphocytes.     

人缺血脑组织中IP-10和IFN-γ的表达

目的：探讨趋化因子IP-10和细胞因子IFN-γ是否参与人缺血脑损伤过程。方法：将21例脑梗死死亡病例按发病持续时间分为〈7天、7～14天和15～21天3组，以非缺血侧半球做对照，用HE染色法观察炎性细胞浸润情况；通过免疫组织化学方法检测缺血半球脑组织与非缺血半球脑组织中趋化因子IP-10和细胞因子IFN-γ的表达。结果：在〈7天组和7～14天组中，缺血脑组织可见大量炎性细胞浸润。在〈7天组、7～14天组和15～2l天组中，趋化因子IP-10在缺血半球脑组织中的表达高于非缺血半球（分别是1．74倍增高，P〈0．01；1．41倍增高，P〈0．05和1．52倍增高，P〈0．01）。在对细胞因子IFN-γ的检测中发现〈7天和7～14天组中，IFN-γ在缺血半球脑组织中的表达高于非缺血半球（分别是1．65倍增高，P〈0．05和1．32倍增高，P〈0．05）；在15～21天组中，IFN-γ在缺血半球与非缺血半球中的表达没有显著差异（P〉0．05）。结论：在人缺血脑组织中观察到IP-10和IFN-γ的表达，提示IP-10和IFN-γ参与了炎症反应对脑组织的损伤过程。同时也提示IP-10可能参与后期对损伤脑组织的修复。     

中医药对糖尿病足溃疡相关细胞因子调控作用的研究进展

糖尿病足溃疡是糖尿病严重的破坏性并发症,致残率及致死率逐年增高,严重威胁人类身心健康。中医药治疗糖尿病足溃疡,注重辨证论治与整体观念相结合,不仅能改善中医证候,更能在加速创面愈合的同时减少创面的复发,一定程度上延缓了糖尿病足溃疡的进一步恶化,降低其致残率及致死率。现代研究发现,糖尿病足溃疡难以愈合与各种细胞因子如炎症因子、生长因子、趋化因子等分布异常密切相关;随着现代医学对中医药研究的不断深入,中药单体及复方调控细胞因子治疗糖尿病足溃疡已成为研究热点,该文通过对目前国内外研究现状进行归纳,得出以下总结：(1)芝麻酚、栀子苷、当归补血汤、紫朱软膏等调节肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)、白细胞介素（IL）-1、IL-6、IL-10等炎症因子,抑制创面炎症。(2)白芷、丹酚酸B、四效散、壮药拔毒生肌膏等调节血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）、血小板衍生生长因子（PDGF）、转化生长因子（TGF）、表皮生长因子（EGF）等生长因子,促进创面胶原沉积及血管新生。(3)芍药苷、隐丹参酮、蜂毒、回阳生肌汤等调节CXC趋化因子配体（CXCL）1、CXCL2、CC趋化因子配体（CCL）2、CCL3、基质细胞衍生...     

科技论文中通信作者和末位作者重要性的比较

【目的】 试图解决论文作者署名中通信作者与末位作者谁是最重要的作者的问题。【方法】 以Science期刊为研究对象,收集该刊论文的作者署名信息和作者贡献声明信息,提取贡献要素并进行规范化分类,结合作者贡献声明和作者署名位置、署名角色进行比较分析。【结果】 在论文作者署名位置的分布中,末位作者通常同时是通信作者。在论文研究中,通信作者往往比末位作者发挥更重要的作用。对于不是通信作者的末位作者,其对研究的贡献往往较低。【结论】 结合作者贡献声明能够合理地判断作者的重要性。学术界对于作者署名位置应该有更加统一的认识,建议在科技期刊中推行作者贡献声明政策,完善学术期刊作者贡献声明规范。