Enterobacteriaceae isolated in nine general hospitals of the Ile-de-France in 1988 and 1989: susceptibility to beta-lactam antibiotics according to the length of hospitalisation

Susceptibility to beta-lactam antibiotics of strains of Enterobacteriaceae consecutively isolated in nine general hospitals during a period of 2 months (march and april) has been studied by the disk-agar diffusion method. The separation between susceptible and resistant strains was based on the measure of the inhibition zones centered by 2 disks: cephalothin and ticarcillin. Enterobacteriaceae were divided in 2 groups: strains isolated during the first 48 h of hospitalisation or isolated after. Fifty one per cent of the strains were isolated during the first 48 h: they did not belong to the residential flora of these hospitals. Klebsiella, Proteus indole positive, Providencia, Enterobacter, Serratia were more frequently isolated after 48 h of hospitalisation. Susceptible strains of Klebsiella, Proteus indole positive, Providencia, Serratia were more rarely isolated after 48 h of hospitalisation. E. coli whatever the duration of hospitalisation, is the less frequent susceptible bacterium.     

衰老红细胞与带3蛋白

循环系统里的成熟红细胞在其生命过程里经历着氧化性衰老，相应细胞组份出现血红蛋白变性、膜蛋白交联、带3蛋白聚集以及带3蛋白降解等多种修饰。这些修饰作为红细胞膜上的衰老信号参与构成衰老细胞抗原，由此启动与IgG自身抗体(主要为带3蛋白抗体)的结合以及补体的沉淀，最终是免疫吞噬系统对异常细胞的识别清除．现就衰老红细胞与带3蛋白的关系作一综述。     

Salmonella typhimurium andSalmonella enteritidis: Changing epidemiology from 1973 until 1992

A retrospective analysis, covering a period of 20 years, of 2049 primo-isolates ofSalmonella typhimurium and 343 primo-isolates ofSalmonella enteritidis was performed at our laboratory. In 1991,S. enteritidis (43.8%) outnumberedS. typhimurium (32.1%) as the most frequently isolated Salmonella. The age group distribution ofS. enteritidis yielded peaks in the under-five and above-60 year age groups, whereasS. typhimurium only peaked in the under-five age group.S. enteritidis appeared to be twice as invasive asS. typhimurium. Both serotypes were more invasive in middle and older age groups than in under-fives.     

A cross-reactive idiotype in scleroderma

Autoantibodies to centromere proteins (anti-CENPs) and to topoisomerase-I are highly specific for scleroderma. Unlike most autoantibodies in other diseases, these autoantibodies are mutually exclusive. We have analysed the idiotypes (Ids) expressed by anti-CENP-B, antitopoisomerase-I, and IgGs from 20 scleroderma patients. Rabbit anti-Ids were prepared to antitopoisomerase-I from two scleroderma patients, and to anti-CENP-B from four patients. These six anti-Ids were used to study the purified autoantibodies from 20 scleroderma patients: four antitopoisomerase-I, 10 anti-CENP-B, and six purified IgG from scleroderma patients who were negative for both autoantibodies. In addition, we studied sera from 40 normal autoantibody-negative controls, and sera and purified immunoglobulins from 17 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients containing high titres of anti-double-stranded DNA, and/or autoantibodies to extractable nuclear antigens (ENA). Using direct binding, and competitive inhibition ELISAs and immunoblots, we identified an Id present in the heavy chains of all the affinity-purified antitopoisomerase-I, and anti-CENP-B. Interestingly, this Id was also present in the immunoglobulins of the scleroderma patients who had neither of the two autoantibodies. By contrast, cross-reactive Id-EM was not found in the sera or immunoglobulins from 17 SLE patients, or in the sera from 40 normal subjects. Several samples from two patients showed that this cross-reactive Id-EM was stable over time. The scleroderma disease-specific autoantibodies may be identified through a common structural feature at the variable region of the heavy chain: cross-reactive Id-EM.     

Comparison of microsurgical vasovasostomy techniques in the rat

We compared three different microsurgical vasovasostomy techniques on the rat vas deferens using absorbable and non-absorbable sutures and a fibrin adhesive technique. The best method was an extramucosal technique over a splint using vicryl. The worst results were seen using adhesive.     

Serologic evidence for human ehrlichiosis in Africa

Human ehrlichiosis is a recently recognized rickettsial disease. It is caused byEhrlichia chaffeensis, an intraleucocytic Gram-negative, obligate intracellular bacterium, grouped within the genusEhrlichiae. Most human cases of ehrlichiosis have been diagnosed in the USA. Two cases have been reported outside of the USA, one in Europe and one in Africa. From 1 January to 30 June 1992, 765 sera from blood donors or other asymptomatic subjects in 8 African countries, including Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Mali, Central African Republic, Angola, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Commores Islands, were tested by indirect immunofluorescence for the presence ofE. chaffeensis antibodies. Positive sera were confirmed by Western immunoblotting. Only two of 765 sera tested were positive. One serum obtained from Burkina Faso had an IgG titer of 1:200 and one from Mozambique had an IgG titer of 1:80. Human ehrlichiosis seems to occur infrequently in Africa, although many more sera from additional African countries need to be evaluated.     

Obesity in youth and middle age and risk of colorectal cancer in men

To investigate an association between colon cancer and obesity during early adulthood—a potentially important period in the etiology of this disease—the authors assembled, by computer linkage, a population-based historical cohort of 52,539 men born between 1913 and 1927 residing in Hawaii (USA), for whom weight and height had been recorded in 1942–43 and 1972. Linkage of this cohort to the Hawaii Tumor Registry resulted in the identification of 737 incident cases of colorectal cancer for 1972–86. An average of 3.8 cancer-free controls were matched to each case on month and year of birth and ethnicity of the parents. A case-control analysis in each anatomic subsite of the large bowel revealed that both early and middle-age body mass increased the risk of sigmoid cancer in men in a dose-dependent fashion. The odds ratios (OR) for sigmoid cancer for the highest compared with the lowest tertiles of Quetelet index were: 2.1 (95 percent confidence interval [CI]=1.4–3.2) and 1.7 (CI=1.1–2.5), at ages 15–29 and in prediagnostic years, respectively. These associations were additive and idependent of socioeconomic status. Men who were above the median Quetelet index in 1942 and 1972 had an OR of 2.7 (CI=1.8–4.0), compared with those who were below the median in both periods. This study provides further evidence for an association of obesity with colon cancer in men and suggests that this association is limited to the sigmoid colon and may be related to both early and late events of colon carcinogenesis.The authors are with the Epidemiology Program, Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, University of Hawaii. Address correspondence to Dr Le Marchand, Epidemiology Program, Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, 1236 Lauhala Street, Suite 407, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA. This work was supported in part by Public Health Service grant 5-R29-CA44503 and contract NO1-CN-55424 from the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services.     

Orbital and muscular relapse of Burkitt's lymphoma

We report the case of a child presenting with abdominal Burkitt's lymphoma in whom a relapse presented as orbital and muscle involvement. This clinical feature is extremely rare. Two muscle and one orbital biopsies were necessary to obtain proper diagnosis. A new extension check-up showed bone marrow invasion and normal cerebrospinal fluid. This relapse was successfully treated by conventional chemotherapy and consolidated with high-dose chemotherapy, total body irradiation and autologous bone marrow transplantation. Eighteen months after transplantation, the child may be considered as definitively cured.     

The role of condylectomy in the treatment of mandibular laterognathism in children

In 7 cases of mandibular laterognathia caused by condylar hypertrophy, the authors specify the clinical and teleradiological features in adolescents. They emphasize the inadequacy of lateral teleradiography and of its measurements, and the need for three-dimensional investigation. In adolescents, secondary deformations, either spontaneous or therapeutic, are rare, and the treatment preferred is condylectomy based on the study of casts. The immediate results of this techniques are satisfactory. The long-term consequences on growth and temporomandibular pathology have been studied.