Evaluation of a new enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test for rotavirus antigen in faeces

A new commercial test for the diagnosis of rotavirus gastroenteritis was assessed. With some modifications it compared favourably with electron microscopy and immunofluorescence.     

Physical fitness of blind and sighted children

Summary Twenty-seven children (age 7–17 years) with varying degrees of blindness but with no other known disorder were assessed for physical fitness. Twenty-seven randomly selected children with normal eyesight were also assessed. Maximum oxygen uptake ( ) was measured directly during a progressive exercise test on a treadmill. There was a significant and substantial reduction in in totally blind children (mean ± standard deviation 35.0±7.5 ml · min^–1 · kg^–1) compared with normal children (45.9±6.6 ml · min^–1 · kg^–1). Partially sighted children had a significant but smaller reduction in . Fitness assessed by a step-test was significantly reduced in the visually impaired children, and skin-fold thickness was also significantly greater in totally blind children.The level of habitual physical activity for each child, as assessed by a questionnaire, correlated with (r=0.53,p<0.0001). Blind children were significantly less active than normal children, and the difference between mean for blind and normal children became non-significant when their different activity levels were taken into account. It is concluded that totally blind children are less fit than other children at least partly because of their lower level of habitual activity.     

Immunological parameters in girls with Turner syndrome

Disturbances in the immune system has been described in Turner syndrome, with an association to low levels of IgG and IgM and decreased levels of T- and B-lymphocytes. Also different autoimmune diseases have been connected to Turner syndrome (45, X), thyroiditis being the most common.     

A point mutation in the 5' splice site of the dystrophin gene first intron responsible for X-linked dilated cardiomyopathy

X-linked dilated cardiomyopathy (XLDC) is a familial heart disease presenting in young males as a rapidly progressive congestive heart failure, without clinical signs of skeletal myopathy. This condition has recently been linked to the dystrophin gene in some families and deletions encompassing the genomic region coding for the first muscle exon have been detected. In order to identify the defect responsible for this disease at the molecular level and to understand the reasons for the selective heart involvement, a family with a severe form of XLDC was studied. In the affected members, no deletions of the dystrophin gene were observed. Analysis of the muscle promoter, first exon and intron regions revealed the presence of a single point mutation at the first exon-intron boundary, inactivating the universally conserved 5' splice site consensus sequence of the first intron. This mutation introduced a new restriction site for MseI, which cosegregates with the disease in the analyzed family. Expression of the major dystrophin mRNA isoforms (from the muscle-, brain- and Purkinje cell-promoters) was completely abolished in the myocardium, while the brain- and Purkinje cell- (but not the muscle-) isoforms were detectable in the skeletal muscle. Immunocytochemical studies with anti- dystrophin antibodies showed that the protein was reduced in quantity but normally distributed in the skeletal muscle, while it was undetectable in the cardiac muscle. These findings indicate that expression of the muscle dystrophin isoform is critical for myocardial function and suggest that selective heart involvement in dystrophin- linked dilated cardiomyopathy is related to the absence, in the heart, of a compensatory expression of dystrophin from alternative promoters.      

The role of surgery in transmitting ≪ post-transfusion hepatitis ≫

The role of surgery as an additional risk in transmitting post-transfusion hepatitis was investigated in a retrospective study on acute hepatitis occurring in 77 transfused patients, 293 transfused and operated patients and 243 hepatitis cases with history of surgery without transfusion.Hepatitis A patients admitted to the same centres in the same period were utilized as controls. In transfused patients the percentage of NANB hepatitis was higher than that of type B (61.0% vs. 36.4%), while in the operated not transfused group the percentage of type B was twice that of type NANB (63.4% vs. 32.5%).In transfused and operated cases intermediate values were observed. The age-adjusted measures of association between exposures and the different hepatitis types showed a lack of effect of transfusion and a dominant role of surgery in transmitting type B hepatitis. In contrast, NANB post-transfusional cases were actually a mixture of post-transfusional and post-surgical cases, since both these exposures were found to be significantly associated with the disease.Our results suggest that studies on the incidence and the etiology of post-transfusion hepatitis should take into account the risk of surgical exposure which might have occurred.Corresponding author.     

The effect of lengthening the gastrocnemius muscle in chronic therapy resistant plantar fasciitis

BackgroundThe aetiology of chronic therapy resistant plantar fasciitis (CTRPF) is multifactorial with more focus in recent times on the gastroc-soleus complex. This study evaluates the effect of lengthening the gastrocnemius muscle in CTRPF.MethodsAll patients with CRTPF complaints for at least one year underwent the same standard conservative treatment prior to surgery. 32 patients failed this treatment and underwent gastrocnemius recession. Silfverskiöld test, questionnaires and plantar pressure measurements were obtained at 5 visits.ResultsOne year follow up showed a significantly increase in dorsiflexion of the ankle (16 degrees), a decrease in VAS; 78 (SD: 19) to 20 (SD: 24) and significant improved functional scores. Plantar pressure measurements showed an increase of pressure under the medial proximal part of the midfoot and the 1 st metatarsal and a decrease under the hallux.ConclusionsA gastrocnemius recession results in a significant gain in dorsiflexion, altered loading of the foot and good clinical outcome in patients with CTRPF.Level of EvidenceLevel 2