The patient cohort of the German competence network for HIV/AIDS (KompNet):a profile

Objective

In this paper, we describe the main objectives, the study design and the onset of the patient cohort of the German Competence Network for HIV/AIDS (KompNet). Furthermore, we depict sociodemographic and clinical baseline characteristics and an estimation of the coverage and representativity as to the composition of persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Germany.

Methods

The KompNet cohort is an open, retrospective and prospective, multicenter, disease-specific and nationwide cohort study that started gathering data in June 2004. Semi-annually, follow up visits of the patients are documented, covering clinical and sociodemographic data. At enrolment and three years afterwards, an EDTA-sample is taken; a serum-sample is taken at every follow up visit.

Results

As of 14.9.2008, a total of 15,541 patients were enrolled by 44 documenting sites. In September 2007, the cohort size was reduced to 10 outpatient clinics and fifteen private practitioners, covering a total of 9,410 patients. The documentation of these patients comprises 24,117 years of follow up-time since enrolment (mean: 2.6 years), 62,862 person years inclusive data documented retrospectively on course of HIV-infection and combined antiretroviral therapy (cART, mean: 6.7 years). 1,008 patients (10.7%) were lost to follow up and 175 (1.9%) died since enrolment. 84.9% of patients were men. Main risks of transmission were sex between men (MSM: 62.9%), heterosexual contacts (18.4%), intravenous drug use (IVDU: 7.0%) and origin from a high prevalence country (HPL: 5.2%). Mean age was 45 years.

Conclusion

The KompNet cohort covers about a quarter of all patients being under treatment in Germany. The composition of the cohort represents well the most important risks of transmission in Germany. The cohort contains a high proportion of patients being older than 49 years (28.1%). On basis of its comprehensive database and its biomaterials banks, the KompNet cohort serves as an important instrument to monitor and analyse the effects of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) in Germany, interdigidating basis, clinical and psychosocial research in view to translational research.     

新疆维吾尔族、汉族变应性鼻炎表观遗传现象IL-4、IFN-γ基因甲基化的比较研究

目的:探讨变应性鼻炎(AR)患者IL-4、IFN-γ基因启动子区甲基化在新疆维吾尔族、汉族不同人群AR中的差异。方法:选择维吾尔族、汉族AR患者各50例,用甲基化特异性PCR(MSP)检测IL-4、IFN-γ基因的甲基化。结果:维吾尔族、汉族AR患者IL-4基因启动子区完全甲基化率为44%(22/50)和48%(24/50),未甲基化率为26%(13/50)和22%(11/50),甲基化与未甲基化共存率为30%(15/50)和30%(15/50);维吾尔族、汉族AR患者IFN-γ基因启动子区完全甲基化率为12%(6/50)和16%(8/50),未甲基化率8%(4/50)和10%(5/50),甲基化与未甲基化共存率为80%(40/50)和74%(37/50)。维吾尔族与汉族AR患者IL-4基因甲基化分布状态相比差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。维吾尔族与汉族AR患者IFN-γ基因甲基化分布状态相比差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论:IL-4、IFN-γ基因甲基化程度在汉族与维吾尔族患者中均无差异。     

人结肠上皮细胞的原代培养

目的:探讨人结肠上皮细胞的分离、体外培养方法,为研究结肠功能及相关疾病提供细胞模型。方法:人正常结肠黏膜取自结肠癌病人手术切除的癌旁正常组织,运用胶原酶和嗜热菌蛋白酶消化分离,接种于适当培养液内,根据成纤维细胞贴壁时间的差异并运用胶原酶来纯化。结果:联合运用Ⅰ、Ⅳ型胶原酶和嗜热菌蛋白酶消化可分离出健全绒毛隐窝单位,在适当的培养条件下可长出单层不规则形细胞,经鉴定为人结肠上皮细胞。结论:使用合适的方法及培养液,可以分离培养出正常人结肠上皮细胞。     

少数民族亲属活体肾移植100例临床分析

目的 总结少数民族亲属活体肾移植的经验.方法 回顾性分析2004年至2008年7月间100例少数民族亲属活体肾移植中HLA配型、排斥反应、移植肾存活率以及死亡原因的临床资料.供、受者均为少数民族,供者均为自愿捐献.血缘亲属供肾97例,父亲供给儿子1例、女儿供给父亲1例、母亲供给儿子1例、兄妹之间24例,其余为血缘旁系亲属;非血缘亲属(夫妻)供肾2例,跨民族1例.HLA-A、B、DR 基因配型中,6个抗原均无错配者1例,1个抗原错配2例,2个抗原错配5例,3个抗原错配10例,4个抗原错配21例,5个抗原错配39例,6个抗原完全错配22例.结果 所有供者术后1周内出院,随访3～6个月,血肌酐正常,尿蛋白阴性.至2009年6月,受者的情况为:(1)91例受者存活,存活时间最长者达5年.9例死亡,其中1例死于心肌梗死,1例死于失血性休克,其余死于呼吸功能衰竭.(2)存活的受者中,2例移植肾功能丧失,其中1例术前群体反应抗体(PRA)高,术后发生急性排斥反应;另1例术后自行停用免疫抑制剂,导致移植肾功能丧失,已恢复透析治疗.移植肾1年存活率为91%,3年存活率为89%.(3)术后10例出现急性排斥反应,其中2例用甲泼尼龙加鼠源性单克隆抗体(OKT3)治疗,其余9例均用甲泼尼龙治疗,均逆转.(4)术后并发症:1例出现尿瘘,45 d后自行好转.3例出现膀胱输尿管吻合口狭窄,已做手术治愈.1例出现淋巴漏,术后2个月自行好转.肺部感染14例,其中7例轻度肺部感染,给予治疗后已好转,7例重症肺部感染导致呼吸功能衰竭死亡.4例继发性糖尿病;2例尿路感染;2例急性肾功能衰竭;3例下肢静脉血栓;5例药物性肝损害;5例红细胞增多症;3例丙型肝炎;3例慢性移植肾肾病;给予相应治疗后已好转.结论 术前对供、受者进行全面综合评估是亲属活体肾移植成功的保证;亲属活体肾移植的组织配型好,供肾缺血时间短,排斥反应发生少,移植肾长期存活率高.     

How does home management of asthma exacerbations by parents of inner-city children differ from NHLBI guideline recommendations? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

OBJECTIVES: 1) To describe the asthma morbidity, primary care practices, and asthma home management of inner-city children with asthma; 2) to determine the responses of parental caretakers to asthma exacerbations in their child; and 3) to compare these responses to the recommendations of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) asthma guidelines for home management of acute exacerbations of asthma. DESIGN AND METHODS: A 64-item telephone survey was administered between July 1996 and June 1997 to 220 parental caretakers of 2- to 12-year-old children who had been hospitalized with asthma at an inner-city medical center from January, 1995 to February, 1996. Sociodemographics, primary care practices, asthma morbidity, and asthma home management were assessed. Parents were asked what they would do if their child "began wheezing and breathing faster than usual." RESULTS: Morbidity measures indicated that there were an average of 2.5 +/- 4.5 emergency department visits for asthma in the last 6 months, 1.6 +/- 2.2 hospitalizations for asthma in the last 12 months, and 18.1 +/- 17.9 asthma-related school absences in the previous school year. Most, but not all, of the families had primary care providers and most had phone access to them. Half of the families (51%) reported having been given a written asthma action plan. Only 30% of families with children age 5 years and older had peak flow meters. In contrast, almost all families (97%) had equipment for inhalation of beta-agonists. Only 39% of the 181 children with persistent symptoms were receiving daily antiinflammatory agents as recommended in the guidelines of the NHLBI. In response to the scenario of an acute exacerbation of asthma, no one mentioned that they would refer to a written plan, only 1 caretaker would measure peak flow and 36% would give beta-agonists. Two percent would give oral steroids initially, and 1 additional person would do so if wheezing continued 40 minutes later. Only 4% responded that they would contact their clinician. Reports of actual practice differed from the scenario responses in that more people began beta-agonists and oral steroids in response to an exacerbation in the past 6 months than said they would in response to the scenario. CONCLUSION: In this population of previously hospitalized inner-city children with asthma, the NHLBI guidelines for the home management of asthma exacerbations are not being followed. Interventions are needed to affect both clinician and caretaker practices.     

浙江省某沿海城市2004年甲型副伤寒疫情的病例对照研究

浙江省是全国伤寒、副伤寒高发省份之一。2004年2月中国疾病预防控制信息系统（网络直报）在全国试运行，3月通过网络直报系统发现东南沿海某市甲型副伤寒疫情呈明显上升趋势，13月份报告病例数比2003年同期升高6倍，出现了局部爆发性疫情。为了查明此次疫情的流行因素，控制疫情的蔓延，我们到现场进行了调查；     

Cardiac transplantation for Kawasaki disease

OBJECTIVE: Severe cardiac sequelae from Kawasaki disease include coronary ischemia and have been treated with a variety of coronary artery bypass procedures. There is only one published report of a child who underwent cardiac transplantation for severe Kawasaki disease-related cardiac complications. The purpose of this study was to gather the worldwide experience with cardiac transplantation for Kawasaki disease. METHODS: Data were obtained from the United Network for Organ Sharing Registry, the European transplant experience, and a phone survey of many Kawasaki disease investigators. Diagnostic and surgical reports as well as clinical records were reviewed. Results. We identified 13 Kawasaki disease patients who underwent cardiac transplantation and obtained data on 10. In these 10 patients, the timing of transplantation was within 6 months after diagnosis of Kawasaki disease (4 patients), 1 to 5 years after diagnosis (3 patients), and 9 to 12 years after diagnosis (3 patients). Indications for transplantation included severe myocardial dysfunction, severe ventricular arrhythmias including cardiac arrest, and severe distal multivessel occlusive coronary artery disease. Nine of the 10 patients remain alive and healthy, with up to 6 years' posttransplant follow-up. One patient died 10 months posttransplant after severe refractory rejection. In addition, 1 patient required retransplantation at 4 years for severe rejection. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac transplantation for severe ischemic heart disease as a sequela of Kawasaki disease is feasible and can benefit the small subgroup of patients who are not candidates for revascularization because of distal coronary stenosis or aneurysms and/or those with severe irreversible myocardial dysfunction.