Influence of intranasal steroids during the grass pollen season on bronchial responsiveness in children and young adults with asthma and hay fever

BACKGROUND: It has been reported that intranasal corticosteroids can influence bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) in asthmatic subjects with seasonal rhinitis. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of intranasal fluticasone propionate and beclomethasone dipropionate on BHR and bronchial calibre (forced expiratory volume in one second, FEV(1)) in children and young adults with seasonal rhinitis and mild asthma during two consecutive grass pollen seasons. METHODS: In the first pollen season 25 patients aged 8-28 years were included in a double blind, placebo controlled study. The active treatment group used fluticasone aqueous spray 200 microgram once daily. In the second pollen season 72 patients aged 8-28 years participated in a double blind, placebo controlled study of a similar design to that of the previous year except that an additional treatment group of patients using beclomethasone 200 microg twice daily was included. FEV(1) was measured before and after three and six weeks of treatment; BHR to methacholine (PD(20)) was measured before and after six weeks of treatment. RESULTS: In the first season the mean (SD) logPD(20) of the patients decreased significantly both in the fluticasone group (from 2.43 (0.8) microgram to 1.86 (0.85) microgram) and in the placebo group (from 2.41 (0.42) microgram to 1.87 (0.78) microgram) without any intergroup difference in the change in logPD(20). In the second pollen season the mean logPD(20) in the fluticasone, beclomethasone, and placebo groups did not change significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Intranasal steroids did not influence BHR during two grass pollen seasons in children and young adults with seasonal rhinitis and mild asthma.     

氟伐他汀对高脂血症患者的降脂及改善血液流变学疗效

目的：研究氟伐他汀对高血脂患者的降脂及改善血液流变学临床疗效。方法：选择是血患者４６例,给予氟伐他汀口服４０ｍｇ,每晚一次,一周后改为２０ｍｇ、疗程４－８周,分别观测治疗前、后的血脂及血液流变学指标。结果：治疗后的ＴＣ、ＴＧ及ＬＤＬ均明显降低,而ＨＤＬ升高不明显。全血比粘度、血浆比粘度及红细胞压积均明显降低,结论：氟伐他汀不但能降低ＴＣ、ＴＧ及ＬＤＬ水平,而且能改善流变学指标。     

血红素加氧酶与动脉粥样硬化

目的:分析血红素加氧酶与动脉粥样硬化的关系和目前研究进展。资料来源:应用计算机检索Medline1995-01/2006-03相关文章,检索词“heme oxygenase,carbon monoxide,bilirubin,artherosclerosis”,并限定文章语言种类为“English”。同时用计算机检索CMB数据库1995-01/2006-03期间的相关文章,限定检索词为“血红素加氧酶、血红素氧合酶、一氧化碳、胆红素、动脉粥样硬化”。资料选择:选择血红素加氧酶与动脉粥样硬化相关的研究,并查找全文。纳入标准:①血红素加氧酶与动脉粥样硬化的相关研究。②胆红素、一氧化碳与动脉粥样硬化的关系。排除标准:①重复研究。②综述文章。资料提炼:共收集到有关血红素加氧酶和动脉粥样硬化方面文章214篇,排除重复或类似研究,然后总结血红素加氧酶与动脉粥样硬化的关系。资料综合:血红素加氧酶能将血红素催化降解成具有不同生物活性的铁、一氧化碳及胆红素。目前很多证据显示血红素加氧酶1及其代谢产物是氧化应激时体内一种重要的保护性蛋白。一方面限制血红素对机体的有害作用。另一方面其代谢产物胆红素具有抗氧化的作用。胆红素具有重要的抗氧化和抗血管损伤后内膜增殖的作用;CO有重要的抗炎、抗平滑肌细胞增殖作用。结论:血红素加氧酶可以明显的对抗动脉粥样硬化的发生和发展,并对血管介入术后再狭窄有重要的预防作用。     

Knowledge regarding hepatitis B mother‐to‐child transmission among healthcare workers in South China

To determine the knowledge regarding hepatitis B virus (HBV) mother‐to‐child transmission (MTCT) and its prevention and treatment among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Guangdong Province, China, an HBV endemic area. An HBV knowledge questionnaire was administered to 900 HCWs from the 3rd Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‐Sen University and 2 rural hospitals in Guangdong Province. The 27 items in the questionnaire fell into 3 sections: HBV MTCT general knowledge, respondents’ practices of preventing HBV MTCT and awareness of the resources of preventing HBV MTCT. The data collected were coded and analysed using SPSS software version 20. In total, 503 of 900 HCWs responded to the survey (response rate: 55.9%). Eighty‐four individuals responded correctly to all of the knowledge questions: 58 were doctors, and 26 were nurses (P < .05). Doctors more often performed practices than nurses (t = 3.591, P < .01). Participants from the infectious disease department demonstrated a significantly higher proportion of correct answers and resource utilization than other specialties (χ² = 14.052, 7.998, P < .01). In terms of the average knowledge score, t test or ANOVA showed that there were significant differences between the specialty groups (t = 3.110, P < .01), hospital level groups (t = 2.337, P < .05) and age groups (F = 3.020, P < .05). Respondents’ initiative increased with hospital level and age (t = 2.993, 7.493, P < .01). A considerable percentage of HCWs has misconceptions about HBV MTCT. Healthcare workers, in particular nurses, those working in noninfectious disease departments or township hospitals and younger medical staff, lack systematic and comprehensive knowledge about HBV MTCT and are in urgent need of HBV‐related training.     

Comparison between anatomical polyester (Parietex) mesh and polypropylene (Prolene) mesh with fixation in total extraperitoneal repair for inguinal hernia

Introduction: Laparoscopic inguinal hernia surgery has been gaining in worldwide popularity, with the total extraperitoneal (TEP) repair gaining greater acceptance than the transabdominal pre‐peritoneal repair. Most techniques using TEP advocate some form of fixation of the prosthesis, but newer meshes avoid the use of fixation. Methods: We compared the use of the polyester mesh (Parietex; Tyco, Princeton, USA) without fixation and polypropylene (Prolene; Ethicon, USA) mesh with fixation using either ProTack (Tyco, USA) or EndoAnchor (Ethicon, Cincinnati, USA) in a consecutive series of patients who underwent total TEP endoscopic inguinal hernia repair. Results: Of 127 patients who underwent TEP repairs, 60 had Parietex mesh while 67 had Prolene mesh with fixation. The mean age was 50 years old and 97% were men. There was no difference in patient demographics or complication rate. The most common complication was small seroma or hematoma formation in 14% of patients and none required re‐operation. There was no hernia recurrence in either group with a mean follow‐up period of 13 months. Conclusion: This study shows that in laparoscopic TEP inguinal hernia repair, early results indicate comparable results between the use of polyester (Parietex) mesh without fixation and polypropylene (Prolene) mesh with fixation.     

A cluster of lymphogranuloma venereum among homosexual men in Rotterdam with implications for other countries in Western Europe

In mid-December 2003, a cluster of 15 cases of lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) among male homosexuals was reported to the Municipal Health Service in Rotterdam by the Erasmus Medical Centre's outpatient clinic for sexually transmitted infections (STI). Most patients presented with proctitis and some with constipation. All were Caucasian and between 26 and 48 years of age. Thirteen of them were HIV-positive and eight had a concomitant STI. All men reported having had unprotected insertive and receptive anal sexual contact. Many sexual contacts were anonymous and were reported to have taken place in Germany, Belgium, the United Kingdom and France. This outbreak of LGV may extend through a large part of western Europe. In view of the patients' international contacts, international warnings and alertness are needed. Concerted action of professionals in infectious disease control and curative care is called for.     

Antiarrhythmic activity of 3-amino-3-methyloxindoles.

A series of 3-amino-3-methyloxindoles was synthesized from indoles by modification of previously described procedures. All compounds showed activity against chloroform-induced arrhythmias in mice. One member of the series, 3-methyl-3-piperidinooxindole, displayed activity equal to that of lidocaine while showing only one-third the acute toxicity.     

HPLC-MAXPLOT UV检测法测定血清中丹那唑及其代谢产物

本文建立了同时测定人体血清中丹那唑(Ⅰ)及其主要代谢产物2-羟甲基妊娠素(Ⅱ)和其它代谢产物妊娠素(Ⅲ)的高效液相色谱法。方法用YWG C18柱并以甲醇—水(74:26)作为流动相,应用紫外最大吸收作图法(maxplot)检测技术,以UV 285,240nm分别测定Ⅰ,Ⅱ和Ⅲ。使原型药和代谢产物都达到较高检测灵敏度。同时对方法的专一性、准确性和精密度等方面进行了评价,并应用于临床监测。     

Psoriasis is not associated with IL-12p70/IL-12p40 production and IL12B promoter polymorphism

Psoriasis is a type-1 T cell-mediated, chronic inflammatory disease. Since interleukin (IL)-12p70 promotes the development of type-1 T cells, we investigated whether psoriasis is associated with an increased production of this cyctokine by blood cells. Results revealed that the production of IL-12p70 by cells of psoriasis patients stimulated by 1 and 10 ng per mL, but not 100 ng per mL of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was higher (p=0.03) than that by cells of healthy volunteers. The production of IL-12p40 by patients cells upon stimulation with 0.1 ng per mL LPS, but not higher concentrations, was higher (p=0.02) than that by cells of healthy volunteers. No association between IL-12p70 production by blood cells and the severity of psoriasis was observed, nor was there a difference in the LPS-stimulated production of this cytokine between cells of the early and late onset type of patients. The frequencies of the various genotypes for the promoter region of the gene encoding IL-12p40 (IL12B) did not differ between psoriasis patients and controls. No association was observed between the various IL12B promoter genotypes and the LPS-stimulated production of IL-12p70 or IL-12p40 by blood cells. Together, psoriasis is not associated with a promoter polymorphism in the IL12B gene nor with the production of IL-12p70 by LPS-stimulated blood cells.