Adverse reactions to the preschool (fifth) dose of adsorbed diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccine in Canadian children.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify accurately the rate of adverse reactions after the preschool (fifth) dose of adsorbed diphtheria toxoid-pertussis vaccine-tetanus toxoid (DPT) vaccine and to test the hypothesis that large local reactions are attributable to the diphtheria toxoid. DESIGN: Double-blind randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Suburban community public health unit. PARTICIPANTS: Healthy children 4 to 5 years of age with a history of having received four doses of adsorbed DPT vaccine. INTERVENTIONS: Subjects were given either the standard DPT vaccine (with 25 Lf units of diphtheria toxoid) or a modified DPT vaccine (with 10 Lf units of diphtheria toxoid). They were assessed 24 hours later by a nurse. Serum samples obtained before vaccination were tested for diphtheria and tetanus antitoxin levels by means of neutralization assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rates of large local reactions (an area of redness or swelling or both of 5 cm or greater) 24 hours after vaccination in the two groups. Relation between serum antitoxin levels before vaccination and the rate of large local reactions in each group. RESULTS: Of the 250 subjects enrolled 124 received the standard vaccine and 126 the modified one. Large local reactions occurred in 71% of the subjects receiving the standard vaccine and 52% of those receiving the modified one (p less than 0.01). In the former group large erythematous reactions occurred significantly more often in those with an elevated prevaccination diphtheria antitoxin level than in those without an elevated level; no relation was found between such reactions and the prevaccination tetanus antitoxin level. Reduced arm movement was evident in 45% of the children in the two groups. Few had systemic adverse reactions. CONCLUSIONS: Large local reactions occur frequently after the preschool administration of the DPT vaccine. These reactions are uncomfortable but not serious. They result in part from the large amount of diphtheria toxoid in the standard DPT vaccine.     

Lipid monolayer states and their relationships to bilayers.

Uncommon methods of formation and analysis of lipid monolayers have enabled the recognition of several monolayer states and the identification of that in which molecular organization corresponds closely to that of the bilayer. Monolayers were formed by continuously adding a solution of phospholipid [dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine in hexane/ethanol, 9:1 (vol/vol)] to the air/water interface of a constant-area trough. This procedure generates unconventional surface pressure (pi)-surface concentration (gamma) isotherms, which for liquid-crystalline monolayers consist of straight lines with three prominent intersections, two of which are not apparent in conventional pi-A isotherms. The regions of linear change of pi are explicable in terms of the area dependence of alkyl chain entropy. The two breaks at lower pi delimit states in which both chains lie parallel to the surface. The third occurs at collapse, which corresponds to a true equilibrium for unstressed liposomes. Mechanical and thermodynamic properties of bilayers, particularly phase-transition parameters, correspond closely to those of monolayers with which they are in equilibrium.     

PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS Ⅰ. EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF OPEN NEURAL TUBE DEFECTS BY QUALITATIVE ACETYLCHOLINESTERASE ISOENZYME IN AMNIOTIC FLUID

The measurement of amniotic fluid (AF) acetylcholinesterase isoenzyme (AChEI) is a relatively new method for early diagnosis of open neural tube defects (NTDs). As quantitative methods are of unproven reliability at present, the authors used a high resolving power qualitative method-vertical slab polyaerylamide gel electrophoresis. The benefits of this technique are: simplicity of operation, accuracy, unsophisticated equipment, and easily available reagents. Combined results of 9 NTDs studies revealed that samples from early pregnancy gave more accurate results than those from late pregnancy.     

Treatment of ptosis in chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia.

Seventeen patients with ptosis as a feature of chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia were managed in accordance with a new protocol. An anterior approach levator advancement was performed on seven patients (13 lids) with more than 4 mm of levator function and a brow suspension procedure on eight patients (14 lids) with minimal levator function, in whom the frontalis muscle was relatively spared. Ptosis props were prescribed for two patients with a very weak orbicularis and poor lid closure. Six patients required long term lubricants, and one developed a postoperative corneal abscess associated with a poor Bell's phenomenon. Satisfactory elevation of the lids was achieved in 16 patients (25 lids).     

Effects of subsidising bus travel on the occurrence of road traffic casualties.

Between 1975 and 1 April 1986, public transport by bus in the metropolitan county of South Yorkshire, England, was increasingly subsidised. Trends in road traffic accident casualties between 1974 and 1983 in all the six provincial English metropolitan counties have been compared in order to examine the possible effect of this unique subsidy on the incidence of road traffic accident casualties. During that period the total number of casualties in South Yorkshire did not change significantly compared to the other metropolitan counties. However, the proportion of all casualties in South Yorkshire who were bus occupants did increase relative to other metropolitan counties, indicating either an increase in the amount of bus travel or a decrease in travel by other modes. There was a large increase in bus patronage in South Yorkshire relative to the other metropolitan counties, and the conclusion is that it is the transport policy in South Yorkshire which resulted in an actual increase in distances travelled by bus. Since bus is the safest form of road travel, it is concluded that the public transport subsidy in South Yorkshire has benefited the health of the local population by providing the social amenity of additional travel at the least additional health cost.     

Deaths of heroin users in a general practice population

Recent evidence suggests that heroin users in the UK are 16 times more likely to die than otherwise expected, although causes of death are varied. The present investigation examines deaths of heroin users at a large Scottish general practice over a four-year period prior to 1 July 1985. A mortality rate of 9.72 per 1000 heroin-user patients per year was observed, roughly half that previously reported, although this difference did not prove to be statistically significant. A higher proportion of the observed deaths were attributed to heroin, and fewer to the misuse of other drugs, and it is speculated that this may reflect the practice's policy of not prescribing opiates to heroin users. Factors associated with heroin-user deaths are examined and areas identified where general practitioners may help to avert some of these deaths.     

地塞米松对大鼠生长板软骨细胞TGF-β1表达的影响

目的观察药理剂量地塞米松对大鼠生长板软骨细胞TGF-β1表达的影响，探讨地塞米松抑制大鼠骨骼生长的机制。方法3周龄清洁级纯系雄性SD大鼠，随机分为实验组12只和对照组8只。实验组大鼠腹腔注射地塞米松（200μg／100g，10d）处理，对照组注射等容积的生理盐水。胫骨切片做TGF-β1免疫组化分析。结果对照组大鼠生长板TGF-β1免疫组织化学染色切片肥大带软骨细胞呈现免疫阳性反应。地塞米松处理使大鼠生长板肥大软骨细胞TGF-β1表达增加。结论药理剂量地塞米松促进肥大带软骨细胞表达TGF-β1，从而抑制骨骼纵向生长。     

巴豆醛及其检测方法的研究进展

巴豆醛(CH3-CH=CHCHO,C4H6O)即丁烯醛,是一种重要的工业原料,用途十分广泛。其化学性质很活泼,对人体危害较大。国外,如美国已经建立了工作场所空气中巴豆醛的检测方法,我国还未建立其标准化检测方法;国内外对巴豆醛的生物检测方法研究很少;本文旨在通过对巴豆醛的全面了解,来探索有效的检测方法。1巴豆醛的理化性质巴豆醛为无色透明至淡黄色易燃液体,有窒息性刺激性气味。熔点-74℃,沸点104℃,蒸气压19mmHg(20℃),相对密度(d245)0.8495,蒸气相对密度2.41(空气=1);自燃温度232℃,爆炸范围2.1%~15.5%(体积);易溶于水,水中溶解度为181g/…