Delta hepatitis virus infection in China

To assess the prevalence, epidemiological features and prognostic implications of hepatitis D (Delta) in Sichuan Province, The People's Republic of China, 649 sera (515 from HBsAg positive patients and 134 from HBsAg negative subjects) were tested by radioimmunoassay (RIA) for antibody to the hepatitis D virus (anti-HD). Forty-seven sera (7.2%) showed some degree of reactivity. Serial dilutions of these sera indicated that prozoning was not responsible for the equivocal results. Thirty-four of the 47 sera were submitted under code to a second laboratory for independent analysis. According to those results anti-HD antibodies were detected in four of these sera. The overall prevalence of anti-HD in the HBsAg positive patients therefore was 0.8% (4/515). On the basis of clinical, biochemical and histological data 427 HBsAg positive sera were further divided into acute Type B hepatitis, chronic Type B hepatitis, healthy carrier state and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) subgroups. Two of 65 (3.1%) anti-HD positive sera belonged to the acute Type B hepatitis group; one of 104 (0.9%), the chronic Type B hepatitis group and one of 246 (0.4%), the healthy carrier group. No antibody was detected in sera from 12 HBsAg positive HCC patients. All HBsAg negative patients were negative for anti-HD antibody. The results of this study indicate that despite a high prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection, positive serology for delta virus is uncommon in Sichuan Province, The People's Republic of China.     

纤维支气管镜床边治疗肺不张的疗效观察

肺不张不是一种独立的疾病，一旦发生可加重原发病，甚至危及病人生命。因此，应迅速消除支气管、肺泡分泌物和阻塞物。经纤维支气管镜（简称纤支镜）吸引治疗由痰栓引起的肺不张可起到立竿见影的效果。纤支镜在直视下进入段支气管甚至亚段支气管，准确清除呼吸道炎性分泌物，解除气道阻塞，促使肺复张，改善肺通气和换气功能，迅速提高氧分压，降低二氧化碳分压，有利于感染的控制及黏膜水肿的消除，目标性强、效率高、损伤少。这种直视下操作最大限度地减少盲目吸引所致的支气管黏膜损伤。我科2003年1月-2005年6月进行床边纤支镜介导治疗急性肺不张病人23例，效果良好。现报告如下。     

脊柱复合性损伤的救治风险与早期治疗

目的评估脊柱复合性损伤的特点和救治风险,探讨风险控制与最佳治疗的方法。方法采用AIS、ISS、TRISS及APACHEⅡ等评分方法对273例脊柱复合性损伤患者进行定量评价与救治分类,并依据伤后的损伤分级、参数评定及计量评分等指标进行量化分析和统计处理。结果颈椎合并伤115例,胸椎合并伤141例,胸腰椎合并伤294例,腰骶椎合并伤181例;患者的救治风险和脊椎伤的治疗选择或手术时机与其合并伤的解剖伤势及由此所构成的整体伤情密切相关(P<0.01或<0.05);高风险性伤员往往综合伤势严重,生存概率(Ps)趋低,并发症和死亡率高(P<0.01或<0.05)。结论脊柱脊髓损伤常合并有严重的多发伤,高危伤情不仅可增加其救治风险和脊柱伤的处理难度,且还易于丧失手术最佳时机。分类救治对伤员的风险控制和脊柱伤的专科治疗是有益的。     

Disruption of cellular energy balance by suramin in intact human prostatic carcinoma cells, a likely antiproliferative mechanism.

The antiparasitic drug, suramin, has antiproliferative effects in human carcinoma cells. It has been suggested that this occurs through blockade of growth factor-receptor interactions. Three types of evidence that suramin rapidly inhibits cellular respiration or disrupts cellular energy balance in intact cells of the human prostate carcinoma cell line, DU145, are presented. Beginning at approximately 10(-4) M, suramin rapidly causes dose-dependent inhibition of tetrazolium conversion by mitochondrial dehydrogenases in intact cells, demonstrating an inhibition of respiration. This effect is reversed by exchange with suramin-free media but not by pretreatment with serum, epidermal growth factor, insulin-like growth factor I, acidic and basic fibroblast growth factors, or calcium. Rhodamine 123 (10 micrograms/ml) uptake by mitochondria in intact DU145 cells is inhibited in the presence of 10(-3) M suramin. Treatment with 10(-4)-10(-3) M suramin causes the loss of rhodamine 123 from cells with mitochondria prestained with rhodamine 123, indicating that suramin is acting as an ionophore or respiratory poison. Also shown by electron microscopy are progressive toxic changes in mitochondria of DU145 cells within 1 h after treatment with 10(-4) M suramin. These data indicate that in intact DU145 cells 10(-4) M suramin rapidly disrupts cellular energy balance or respiration as seen by three studies of mitochondrial state. Disruption of energy balance or respiration represents a likely antiproliferative mechanism, as is thought to be a primary mechanism for the action of suramin in parasitic diseases. This proposed mechanism of action for suramin can explain the most prominent observed clinical toxicities of nephrotoxicity, adrenal toxicity, coagulopathy, and demyelinating neuropathy.     

Hepatitis B immunity in adolescents and necessity for boost vaccination: 23 years after nationwide hepatitis B virus vaccination program in Taiwan

The first universal hepatitis B vaccination program for newborns in the world was launched in Taiwan in July 1984. Most studies on the effectiveness of hepatitis B vaccination focused on the seroprevalence of HBs Ag among children under 14 years old. Only few studies focused on the seropositivity of anti-HBs among adolescents aged 15–18 years old. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of the nationwide hepatitis B vaccination program on the immunity to HBV infection and the necessity of boost among adolescents. In this study including eight annual seroprevalence surveys from 2000 to 2007, 2342 college entrants (1589 15-year-olds in group I and 753 18-year-olds in group II) and 1851 university freshmen (18-year-olds in group III) participated. Subjects identified anti-HBs, HBs Ag and anti-HBc negative were given boost three doses of HBV vaccine. The HBs Ag seroprevalence was 11.6%, 3.5% and 1.0% for participants who were born before 1984, 1984–1986 and after 1986. The anti-HBs-seropositive rates were significantly higher in group II (83.1%) than in group I (53.0%) and group III (53.5%). All 572 participants who were seronegative for anti-HBs, HBs Ag and anti-HBc became anti-HBs-seropositive after catch-up vaccination. It is concluded that the anti-HBs-seropositive rate decreased to 50% in 15 years after vaccination, and boost vaccination was 100% effective. The necessity and age for boost among anti-HBs negative adolescents and the timing of the first immunization should be further evaluated.     

Decision analysis model of incisional hernia after open abdominal surgery

Background The incidence rate of incisional hernias after open surgery has been reported to be higher than that of port site hernias after laparoscopic surgery. No studies have compared the costs for the health care system in treating those two types of hernia. Methods A systematic review was conducted to obtain the baseline data, and a decision analysis model was created to simulate the occurrence and recurrence of incisional and port site hernias. Results The overall risk of having incisional hernias was eight-times higher than that of having port site hernias (7.4% vs 0.9%). A cost savings of ￡93 per patient can be generated for the health care system in the UK. Similar results were obtained for Germany, Italy and France. Conclusions The additional treatment costs for incisional hernia should be taken into account when the costs of a surgery performed by open approach are compared with by laparoscopy.     

无线网络技术在医学仪器中的应用

简要介绍无线网络技术的原理、特点及其在医学仪器中的应用.     

Clinical and laboratory characteristics of 75 patients with specific polysaccharide antibody deficiency syndrome.

BACKGROUND: There are limited studies of large cohorts of patients with specific polysaccharide antibody deficiency (SPAD) syndrome. OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients with specific polysaccharide antibody deficiency syndrome. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 75 patients with total IgG levels of at least 500 mg/dL and fewer than 9 of 12 responses to vaccination with pneumococcal vaccine polyvalent. Exclusion criteria included an IgG level less than 500 mg/dL, established immunodeficiency syndrome, and secondary immunodeficiency. RESULTS: The most common clinical presentation was frequent infections (n = 69; 92%), including sinusitis (n = 53; 77%), pneumonia (n = 29; 42%), ear infections (n = 18; 26%), and bronchitis (n = 19; 28%). Other presentations were systemic infections (n = 5; 7%), autoimmune or rheumatic diseases (n = 6; 8%), and chronic diarrhea (n = 4; 5%). The median IgG2 level of patients with no response to pneumococcal vaccine polyvalent tended to be lower than that of patients with at least 1 response (150 vs 193 mg/dL, respectively; P = .06). There was no association between total IgG level (categorized as 500-600 or > or = 600 mg/dL) and frequency of infection (P = .43). Patients with fewer responses to pneumococcal vaccine polyvalent and a higher frequency of infections were more likely to receive intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy (P = .01 and .003, respectively). Treatment with IVIG significantly reduced the number of infections (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Patients with no response to pneumococcal vaccine polyvalent tended to have lower IgG2 levels; those with fewer responses were more likely to receive IVIG therapy.