HIV prevalence among female sex workers,drug users and men who have sex with men in Brazil: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background  

The Brazilian response towards AIDS epidemic is well known, but the absence of a systematic review of vulnerable populations ─ men who have sex with men (MSM), female sex workers (FSW), and drug users (DU) remains a main gap in the available literature. Our goal was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies assessing HIV prevalence among MSM, FSW and DU, calculating a combined pooled prevalence and summarizing factors associated the pooled prevalence for each group.     

IGOB131, a novel seed extract of the West African plant Irvingia gabonensis, significantly reduces body weight and improves metabolic parameters in overweight humans in a randomized double-blind placebo controlled investigation

Background  

A recent in vitro study indicates that IGOB131, a novel seed extract of the traditional West African food plant Irvingia gabonensis, favorably impacts adipogenesis through a variety of critical metabolic pathways including PPAR gamma, leptin, adiponectin, and glycerol-3 phosphate dehydrogenase. This study was therefore aimed at evaluating the effects of IGOB131, an extract of Irvingia gabonensis, on body weight and associated metabolic parameters in overweight human volunteers.     

The Accelerating Access Initiative: experience with a multinational workplace programme in Africa

Problem

A multinational company with operations in several African countries was committed to offer antiretroviral treatment to its employees and their dependants.

Approach

The Accelerating Access Initiative (AAI), an initiative of six pharmaceutical companies and five United Nations’ agencies, offered the possibility of obtaining brand antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) at 10% of the commercial price. PharmAccess, a foundation aimed at removing barriers to AIDS treatment in Africa, helped to establish an HIV policy and treatment guidelines, and a workplace programme was rolled out from September 2001.

Local setting

Private sector employers in Africa are keen to take more responsibility in HIV prevention and AIDS care. An important hurdle for African employers remains the price and availability of ARVs.

Relevant changes

The programme encountered various hurdles, among them the need for multiple contracts with multiple companies, complex importation procedures, taxes levied on ARVs, lack of support from pharmaceutical companies in importation and transportation, slow delivery of the drugs, lack of institutional memory in pharmaceutical companies and government policies excluding the company from access to ARVs under the AAI.

Lessons learned

The launch of the AAI enabled this multinational company to offer access to ARVs to its employees and dependants. The private sector should have access to these discounted drugs under the AAI. A network of local AAI offices should be created to assist in logistics of drugs ordering, purchase and clearance. No taxes should be levied on ARVs.     

Palliative treatment in patients with unresectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma: results of endoscopic drainage in patients with type III and IV hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To find out how patients fared after palliative endoscopic biliary drainage for inoperable hilar cholangiocarcinoma. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: University hospital, the Netherlands. SUBJECTS: Between 1992 and 1999, 41 patients who were referred for resection had tumours that were considered unresectable after additional investigations, including an exploratory laparotomy in 16 patients. In all patients, biliary drainage was established by endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERCP) and insertion of endoprostheses. Twelve patients also had percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD). RESULTS: The patients who did not have an exploratory laparotomy had fewer complications (1/25) than those who had explorations (4/16). All patients in both groups had one or more long-term complications during follow-up, of which cholangitis, jaundice, and abdominal pain were the most often recorded. In 32 patients, endoprostheses had to be replaced, a mean of 4 times. Median survival was 9 months, with no significant difference between the groups (8 and 11 months). Adjuvant radiotherapy had no influence on survival. CONCLUSION: The patients in this series had relatively long survival times, during which they had a substantial number of complications predominantly related to biliary drainage. Because biliary-enteric bypass operations result in effective relief of symptoms and excellent palliation, we suggest that when an exploration is done for patients with type III and IV tumours, a bypass should be made.     

Synthesis and neuroleptic activity of a series of 1-[1-(benzo-1,4-dioxan-2-ylmethyl)-4-piperidinyl]benzim idazolone derivatives

A series of 1-[1-(benzo-1,4-dioxan-2-ylmethyl)-4-piperidinyl]benzimid azolones with various substituents in both aromatic rings have been synthesized and tested for neuroleptic activity (antiapomorphine effects and [3H]spiroperidol binding) as well as extrapyramidal effects (cataleptogenic effect). A strong dependence of activity on the 5-substituent in the benzimidazolone moiety could be demonstrated. Some compounds show a large split between the desired antiapomorphine and the undesired extrapyramidal effect. From these, 1-[1-(benzo-1,4-dioxan-2-ylmethyl)-4-piperidinyl]-5-chlor obenzimidazol-2-one hydrochloride (HR 723), 12, has been selected for further preclinical and toxicological profiling.     

低血糖指数膳食改善超重老年糖尿病患者氧化应激水平

目的:观察低血糖指数的膳食对2型糖尿病患者氧化应激状态的影响。方法:2004-10/11在上海市静安区二个社区卫生服务中心招募受试者,经医生明确诊断为2型糖尿病、病程超过6个月,体质量指数≥24kg/m2的老年糖尿病志愿者43名,受试者对试验知情同意。采用随机交叉试验随机分配至低血糖指数饮食组和高血糖指数饮食组,每种膳食分别连续使用4周,间隔洗脱期4周,比较试验前后患者超氧化物歧化酶、脂质过氧化产物丙二醛和谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶含量的变化。结果:受试者依从性好,除1人因试验期间发现肿瘤而退出试验,42名志愿者按设计要求完成试验。膳食干预后低血糖指数饮食组和高血糖指数饮食组的超氧化物歧化酶活力分别升高了15.68%和21.33%,丙二醛水平分别下降23.94%和21.55%,谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶活力分别升高了15.74%和17.09%;干预后低血糖指数饮食组丙二醛下降水平与高血糖指数饮食组比较差异有显著性意义(P<0.05),而超氧化物歧化酶和谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶活性两组间差异无显著性意义(P>0.05)。结论:在控制总能量的基础上给予平衡膳食能够改善其氧化应激水平,采用低血糖指数食物有助于氧化应激水平的改善。     

Fibroblast growth factor 2 decreases bleomycin‐induced pulmonary fibrosis and inhibits fibroblast collagen production and myofibroblast differentiation

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling has been implicated in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis. Mice lacking FGF2 have increased mortality and impaired epithelial recovery after bleomycin exposure, supporting a protective or reparative function following lung injury. To determine whether FGF2 overexpression reduces bleomycin‐induced injury, we developed an inducible genetic system to express FGF2 in type II pneumocytes. Double‐transgenic (DTG) mice with doxycycline‐inducible overexpression of human FGF2 (SPC‐rtTA;TRE‐hFGF2) or single‐transgenic controls were administered intratracheal bleomycin and fed doxycycline chow, starting at either day 0 or day 7. In addition, wild‐type mice received intratracheal or intravenous recombinant FGF2, starting at the time of bleomycin treatment. Compared to controls, doxycycline‐induced DTG mice had decreased pulmonary fibrosis 21 days after bleomycin, as assessed by gene expression and histology. This beneficial effect was seen when FGF2 overexpression was induced at day 0 or day 7 after bleomycin. FGF2 overexpression did not alter epithelial gene expression, bronchoalveolar lavage cellularity or total protein. In vitro studies using primary mouse and human lung fibroblasts showed that FGF2 strongly inhibited baseline and TGFβ1‐induced expression of alpha smooth muscle actin (αSMA), collagen, and connective tissue growth factor. While FGF2 did not suppress phosphorylation of Smad2 or Smad‐dependent gene expression, FGF2 inhibited TGFβ1‐induced stress fiber formation and serum response factor‐dependent gene expression. FGF2 inhibition of stress fiber formation and αSMA requires FGF receptor 1 (FGFR1) and downstream MEK/ERK, but not AKT signaling. In summary, overexpression of FGF2 protects against bleomycin‐induced pulmonary fibrosis in vivo and reverses TGFβ1‐induced collagen and αSMA expression and stress fiber formation in lung fibroblasts in vitro, without affecting either inflammation or epithelial gene expression. Our results suggest that in the lung, FGF2 is antifibrotic in part through decreased collagen expression and fibroblast to myofibroblast differentiation. Copyright © 2018 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

External anal sphincter defects in patients with fecal incontinence: comparison of endoanal MR imaging and endoanal US

PURPOSE: To prospectively compare in a multicenter study the agreement between endoanal magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and endoanal ultrasonography (US) in depicting external anal sphincter (EAS) defects in patients with fecal incontinence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was approved by the medical ethics committee of all participating centers. A total of 237 consenting patients (214 women, 23 men; mean age, 58.6 years +/- 13 [standard deviation]) with fecal incontinence were examined from 13 different hospitals by using endoanal MR imaging and endoanal US. Patients with an anterior EAS defect depicted on endoanal MR images and/or endoanal US scans underwent anal sphincter repair. Surgical findings were used as the reference standard in the determination of anterior EAS defects. The Cohen kappa statistic and McNemar test were used to calculate agreement and differences between diagnostic techniques. RESULTS: Agreement between endoanal MR imaging and endoanal US was fair for the depiction of sphincter defects (kappa = 0.24 [95% confidence interval: 0.12, 0.36]). At surgery, EAS defects were found in 31 (86%) of 36 patients. There was no significant difference between MR imaging and US in the depiction of sphincter defects (P = .23). Sensitivity and positive predictive value were 81% and 89%, respectively, for endoanal MR imaging and 90% and 85%, respectively, for endoanal US. CONCLUSION: In the selection of patients for anal sphincter repair, both endoanal MR imaging and endoanal US are sensitive tools for preoperative assessment, and both techniques can be used to depict surgically repairable anterior EAS defects.     

Laparoscopic ventral rectopexy for obstructed defecation syndrome

Introduction  Obstructed defecation remains a serious syndrome. Several procedures have been applied to treat it. A concomitant enterocele excludes some of these procedures, because of potential threat of damaging the bowel. The aim of this study was to assess the outcome of patients who underwent laparoscopic nerve sparing ventral rectopexy for obstructed defecation syndrome with concomitant enterocele. Methods  Seventeen patients were included. Data about clinical history, physical examination and a defecogram were collected. All patients underwent a laparoscopic ventral rectopexy. Complications, hospital stay, postoperative morbidity and long-term outcome were documented. Results  All patients underwent laparoscopic ventral rectopexy. The median operating time was 199 min (range 186–239 min). One conversion laparotomy was required. Six patients had postoperative complications (ileus n = 2, posttraumatic leg dystrophy n = 1, wound infection n = 1, incisional hernia n = 2). The median hospital stay was 6 days (range 3–24 days). Fifteen patients had improvement of their defecation problem, although six patients still had minor constipation symptoms. In one patient the mesh was rejected and finally removed. Conclusion  Obstructed defecation syndrome is a combined functional and mechanical problem. In selected patients, especially when an enterocele is present, laparoscopic ventral rectopexy is a feasible technique, with an acceptable number of complications. An erratum to this article can be found at