Management of asthma in patients supervised by primary care physicians or by specialists.

French asthma patients may be supervised by general practitioners (GPs) and/or specialists. Therefore, this study examined asthma management in patients exclusively supervised by specialists (SPE), GPs, (GP) and both (GP+SPE group), and compared the findings. Asthma patients were consecutively recruited in 348 pharmacies. Each patient completed a questionnaire providing data on personal characteristics, asthma management, perception of disease and asthma supervision. Asthma control was measured using the Asthma Control Test. Questionnaires were linked to computerised records of medications which had been dispensed before inclusion in the study. From the 1,256 patients (mean age = 36.1 yrs, 54.3% females), 11.4, 36.6, and 52.0% were placed in the SPE, GP, and GP+SPE groups, respectively. During the previous 4 weeks, most patients in the SPE group were properly controlled (52.2 versus 26.4 and 21.5% in GP and GP+SPE groups, respectively). The SPE group made more use of fixed combinations of long-acting beta agonist and inhaled corticosteroid, while receiving less short-acting beta agonists, antitussives and antibiotics. Striking differences in symptoms and asthma management were observed according to the type of asthma supervision. The current results strongly support the need to improve the management of asthma in primary care, and the coordination of care between general practitioners and specialists.     

Pulsatile Perfusion Reduces the Incidence of Delayed Graft Function in Expanded Criteria Donor Kidney Transplantation

The use of expanded criteria donors (ECD) has been proposed to help combat the discrepancy between organ availability and need. ECD kidneys are associated with delayed graft function (DGF) and worse long-term survival. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of pulsatile perfusion (PP) on DGF and graft survival in transplanted ECD kidneys. From January 2000 to December 2003, 4618 ECD kidney-alone transplants were reported to the United Network for Organ Sharing. PP was performed on 912 renal allografts. The prognostic factors of DGF were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Risk factors for reduced allograft viability were greater in donors and recipients of PP kidneys. Three-year graft survival of ECD kidneys preserved with PP was similar to cold storage (CS) kidneys. The incidence of DGF in PP kidneys was significantly lower than CS kidneys (26% vs. 36%, p < 0.001). Despite having a greater number of risk factors for reduced graft viability, the ECD-PP kidneys had similar graft survival compared to ECD-CS kidneys. The use of PP, by decreasing the incidence of DGF, may possibly lead to lower overall costs and increased utilization of donor kidneys.     

湘中地区50～59岁女性农民400人心血管功能测定

目的:观察体质监测身体功能指标——血压、肺活量/体质量、安静脉搏、台阶指数,了解经济不发达地区女性农民心血管功能现状。方法:于2004-07/08采用随机整群抽样的方法,在湘中地区4个县(市)中随机抽取50～54岁和55～59岁女性农民共400人作为研究对象,用体质测量仪对反映心血管功能的指标进行测定,包括血压、肺活量、安静脉搏、台阶指数。并将所获数据分别与全国同龄女性农民及湖南省城市体力、非体力劳动人群心血管功能指标进行差异性比较。测试同时对测试对象进行询问访谈,内容包括生活环境和经济收入、劳动生活方式、饮食营养习惯、体育锻炼现状、疾病情况等。要求测试者根据自己的实际情况如实回答。结果:400人均完成指标测试,全部进入结果分析。①湘中女性农民50～54岁高血压患病率为31.09%,55～59岁为40.13%,以1级、2级高血压为主。55～59岁年龄组,湘中女性农民收缩压和舒张压均高于全国农民及省内城市人群(P<0.05)。两年龄组比较,55～59岁年龄组高于50～54岁年龄组。②湘中55～59岁女性农民肺活量/体质量低于湖南省城市体力、非体力劳动人群(P<0.01,0.05)。③湘中50～54岁女性农民安静心率高于湖南省城市非体力人群(P<0.01)。④湘中55～59岁女性农民台阶指数低于湖南省城市体力劳动人群(P<0.05)。⑤湘中女性农民的心血管功能受体育锻炼、饮食习惯、经济等因素的影响。结论:湘中地区50～59岁女性农民心血管功能整体低于全国农民和湖南城市体力、非体力人群。影响湘中女性农民身体功能的主要因素有缺乏体育锻炼、饮食习惯、落后经济等因素。     

中药膳食配合运动干预对肥胖性脂肪肝的影响

目的 探讨中药膳食配合运动干预对肥胖性脂肪肝的影响。方法 将68例脂肪肝患者随机分为对照组和观察组各34例。对照组常规给予低脂饮食和易善复、大黄庶虫丸等降酶保肝治疗；观察组按常规方法治疗外，采用中医辨证施食予以活血化淤、健脾利湿的中药膳食疗法配合运动干预．疗程均为1年。结果 治疗后观察组体重、甘油三酯、总胆固醇、谷丙转氨酶等显著低于对照组（均P〈0．01）。结论 中药膳食配合运动干预对肥胖性脂肪肝疗效显著。     

肾移植术后并发尿路上皮肿瘤的临床分析

目的 分析肾移植患者并发尿路上皮肿瘤的特点，探讨其诊治方法。方法 自1998～2003年肾移植患者1293例，术后发生尿路上皮恶性肿瘤21例（1．6％）。男4例，女17例。17例原发病为慢性问质性肾炎。发生尿路上皮肿瘤距肾移植6～62个月，平均26个月。其中膀胱癌6例，单侧肾盂或输尿管癌6例，单侧肾盂或输尿管、膀胱癌8例，双侧肾盂输尿管癌1例。10例上尿路肿瘤发生部位与移植肾同侧，4例发生于移植肾对侧。临床症状以无痛性肉服血尿和反复泌尿系感染为主。19例行手术治疗，术后所有患者免疫抑制剂用量减少1／3并辅以局部灌注化疗。结果 2例行姑息性治疗的晚期肿瘤患者分别于发现肿瘤5、8个月死亡。余19例现已随访2～5年。13例肿瘤复发，复发部位为膀胱或对侧原。肾、输尿管。所有患者在免疫抑制剂减量期间均未出现急性排斥。2例因切除移植肾恢复透析，17例肾功能正常。结论 慢性间质性。肾炎导致。肾功能衰竭的。肾移植患者和女性肾移植患者易发生移植后尿路上皮肿瘤；移植肾同侧上尿路较对侧好发肿瘤；对移植肾对侧为首发的上尿路发生肿瘤者可预防性行双侧上尿路根治性切除。     

The role of intraoperative monitoring of oculomotor and trochlear nuclei -safe entry zone to tegmental lesions.

OBJECTIVE: A safe entry zone to tegmental lesions was identified based on intraoperative electrophysiological findings, the compound muscle action potentials (CMAP) from the extraocular muscles, and anatomic considerations. This entry zone is bordered caudally by the intramesencephalic path of the trochlear, laterally by the spinothalamic tract, and rostrally by the caudal margin of the brachium of the superior colliculus. METHODS: Four intrinsic midbrain lesions were operated upon via the safe entry zone using the infratentorial paramedian supracerebellar approach. All lesions involved the tegmentum and included an anaplastic astrocytoma, a metastatic brain tumor, a radiation necrosis, and a cavernous angioma. CMAP were bilaterally monitored from the inferior recti (for oculomotor function) and superior oblique (for trochlear nerve function) muscles. RESULTS: In three of four cases, CMAP related to the oculomotor nerve were obtained upon stimulation at the cavity wall after removal of the tumor. Stimulation at the surface of the quadrigeminal plate, however, did not cause any CMAP response. Using this monitoring as an indicator, the lesions were totally removed. CONCLUSIONS: In the surgery of tegmental lesions, CMAP monitoring from extraocular muscles is particularly helpful to prevent damage to crucial neural structures during removal of intrinsic lesions, but less so to select the site of the medullary incision. The approach via the lateral part of the colliculi is considered to be a safe route to approach the tegmental lesions.     

Genetic linkage analysis of pulmonary fibrotic response to silica in mice.

Inter-individual variations in the development of silicosis, even within the same environments, have been reported, which suggest the contribution of genetic factors in silicosis aetiology. The aim of the present study was to determine whether there is any significant genetic influence on the development of silicosis. Furthermore, which genetic loci are responsible for the pulmonary response to silica exposure? Eight strains of inbred mice were used to examine the genetic influence on the lung fibrotic response to silica exposure. After intercross-breeding between the most susceptible and most resistant strains, a genome-wide linkage analysis of quantitative trait loci (QTL) was performed. Hydroxyproline was applied as an index, and genotypes of 167 marker genes were analysed by fragment analysis using a capillary-type sequencer. There was significant inter-strain difference in the mean concentration of hydroxyproline contents among the eight strains of mice. Breeding studies were conducted between the most susceptible, C57BL/6J, and the most resistant strain, CBA/J. A genome-wide linkage analysis of silica-exposed intercrossed cohorts identified significant QTL on chromosome 4 and suggestive QTL on chromosomes 3 and 18. The present study demonstrates that genetic factors may play a significant role in fibrotic-lung responses to silica; one significant and two suggestive quantitative trait loci were identified.