Polymerase chain reaction identification in aqueous humor of patients with postoperative endophthalmitis

PURPOSE: To identify bacterial agents in the aqueous humor of patients with postoperative endophthalmitis using eubacterial polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and conventional culture. SETTING: University Hospital of Lyon E. Herriot, Lyon, France. METHODS: Broad-range eubacterial PCR amplification followed by direct sequencing was used to identify microbial pathogens in ocular samples from 30 patients with acute or delayed-onset endophthalmitis, mainly after cataract surgery. Ocular samples included aqueous humor collected before the first intravitreal injection of antibiotics and vitreous samples collected at the time of the therapeutic pars plana vitrectomy. RESULTS: Cultures were positive in 32% of cases and PCR in 61% of cases with aqueous humor samples. When associated, culture and PCR of aqueous humor samples allowed for a microbiological diagnosis in 71% of cases. Microorganisms cultured by conventional techniques matched those identified by PCR. When applied on vitreous pretreated with intravitreal antibiotics, PCR increased the identification rate from 18% to 62%. CONCLUSIONS: Polymerase chain reaction assay of initial aqueous humor samples contributed to the diagnosis of endophthalmitis in 30% of cases. Previous use of intravitreal antibiotics did not seem to affect the ability to PCR-amplify DNA in the short term. Polymerase chain reaction-based technology was a useful adjunct to conventional culture because when used with aqueous humor samples only, the association of both techniques allowed for a microbiological diagnosis in 71% of cases of postoperative acute and delayed-onset endophthalmitis.     

乳房原发性皮肤弥漫性大B细胞淋巴瘤（腿型）1例

患者女,71岁,因左侧乳房红斑、斑块3个月就诊。3个月前患者左侧乳房无明显诱因下出现红斑,其上逐渐出现米粒大小红色丘疹,无痒痛等自觉症状,后皮疹逐渐增多、增大。自行外用“皮炎平”,原有丘疹可变平,但仍有新发丘疹,并且逐渐融合成斑块。既往高血压病史20余年。无家族遗传病及肿瘤病史,无外伤史……     

24MHz高频超声对健康成人不同部位皮肤厚度的检测

目的:利用高频超声检测健康成人全身多个部位皮肤表皮及真皮厚度。方法:招募80名健康成人,采用频率24MHz高频超声检测前额、颧部、面颊、下颌、颈部、前臂和腹部7个部位表皮及真皮厚度。结果:检测的7个部位中表皮最厚的部位为前臂[(0.2061±0.02862)mm],真皮最厚的部位为腹部[(1.5819±0.31710)mm],颈部的表皮[(0.1764±0.02812)mm]和真皮[(0.9616±0.18852)mm]最薄(P<0.05);男性所有检测部位表皮、真皮厚度显著大于女性(P<0.05);无论男性还是女性,<40岁组的前额、颧部和面颊的真皮厚度显著大于≥40岁组(P<0.05);BMI<24组的腹部表皮、颧部真皮、颈部真皮厚度显著小于BMI≥24组(P<0.05)。结论:健康成人不同部位的表皮、真皮厚度有差异;男性皮肤表皮、真皮厚度均大于女性;面部真皮厚度与年龄有关。     

Decreasing STD incidence and increasing condom use among Chinese sex workers following a short term intervention: a prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE: To describe the impact of a repeating behavioural intervention focused on preventive education and provision of STD testing and treatment services to female sex workers. METHODS: A prospective cohort study of 966 sex workers (first of its kind in China) was conducted in Guangzhou from March 1998 to October 1999. At each visit information was collected on sexual behaviour, condom use and knowledge about HIV transmission and condom use, education was given, STD were diagnosed, and treatment was provided free of charge. We evaluated trends in condom use, knowledge about HIV transmission and condom use, and STD incidences. Generalised estimating equations were applied to control for repeated measurements. RESULTS: The proportion of consistent condom use increased from the intake through the third follow up visit (from 30% to 81%), as well as the proportion of having good knowledge on HIV transmission (4.3% to 98.6%) and condom use (23.6% to 79.3%). The incidence of gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis, and chlamydia decreased over each follow up visit; from 17.5/100 person years (PY), 22.4/100PY, 65.9/100PY at the first follow up visit to 5.1/100PY, 3.0/100PY, 16.1/100PY at the third follow up visit, for each STD respectively. CONCLUSIONS: STD care and prevention programmes targeting sex workers are feasible in China and, more importantly, intervention consisting of prevention education and STD care is likely to reduce unprotected sexual behaviour and STD incidence in this group at high risk for HIV and other STD infection.     

冠脉造影联合动态心电图监测在老年冠心病患者诊断中的应用分析

目的分析冠脉造影联合动态心电图监测在老年冠心病患者患者诊断中的应用价值。方法本次研究选取我院2013年3月至2014年3月治疗的82例冠心病老年患者为例,患者均使用冠脉造影联合12导联动态心电图监测进行诊断。结果 82例患者中,共有63例患者为阳性冠结果,19例患者为阴性结果 ;59例患者12导联动态心电图结果为阳性,23例患者12导联动态心电图结果为阴性。患者冠状动脉病变程度与12导联动态心电图ST低压阳性率差异并不明显,不存在统计学意义(P0.05)。结论只使用12导联动态心电图监测诊断老年冠心病的应用效果较差,可以使用冠脉造影配合诊断,提高老年冠心病的诊断准确率,适合进行临床推广。     

Suprasellar granular cell tumor of the neurohypophysis: surgical outcome of a very rare tumor

Purpose

Granular cell tumors of the neurohypophysis are rare, solitary lesions, mostly presenting in the adult age. They rarely grow to a sufficient size to cause mass effect related symptoms and they may be found in most cases incidentally at autopsy. Because of their rarity as of now they have been described only as case reports or included in small clinical series.

Methods

We report a series of 11 patients, who underwent surgery for granular cell tumors of the neurohypophysis between 1996 and 2013 in a single center.

Results

Mean follow-up time after treatment was 92.2 months (range 9–231 months). Mean age at surgery was 40.7 years (range 12–66 years). There were 7 males (63.6 %) and 4 females (36.4 %). Main symptoms at presentation were: hyperprolactinemia (72.7 %), visual impairment (45.5 %) and headache (36 %). Except for 2 patients, all the others underwent surgery as primary treatment at our Institution, through a transsphenoidal (54.5 %) or a transcranial approach (45.5 %). Overall- and progression-free survival times for the entire series (calculated from the time of diagnosis) were 112.9 and 100.5 months respectively. There was one case of perioperative death in a patient who had undergone repeat transcranial surgery for residual tumor.

Conclusions

Although extremely rare, granular cell tumors of the neurohypophysis have to be considered in the differential diagnosis of suprasellar masses, to avoid misleading interpretation and consequent wrong therapeutic management. Early diagnosis, extensive tumor removal, opportune indication of adjuvant radiotherapy are the keys to manage these cases.

     

A cross-sectional survey of factors associated with the uptake of smoking cessation aids among smokers and ex-smokers

Background: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Germany via the online panel PsyWeb with the aim of assessing factors associated with the uptake of smoking cessation aids among smokers and ex-smokers.

Methods: Of the 10,000 panel members invited to participate in the survey, 624 took part.

Main Outcome Measures: Outcomes were measured via questionnaires to assess the uptake of smoking cessation aids, health literacy, readiness to change smoking behavior, and the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence.

Results: There was no association between gender or educational status and use of smoking cessation aids according to chi-square tests of independence. Logistic regression showed that health literacy, degree of tobacco dependence, and readiness to change were significantly associated with the uptake of smoking cessation aids. Smokers with a high degree of nicotine dependence, high readiness to change, and low health literacy were more likely to use aids.

Conclusion: The survey results can be used to develop psychological approaches and interventions to promote smoking cessation, e.g., interventions to increase readiness to change among smokers may increase the uptake of aids. Moreover, the results may help to improve patient care by disseminating information on effective aids and thereby promoting smoking cessation among relevant patient groups.     

Combination Immunotherapy of MUC1 mRNA Nano-vaccine and CTLA-4 Blockade Effectively Inhibits Growth of Triple Negative Breast Cancer

1. Download high-res image (142KB)
2. Download full-size image