The epidemiology and surveillance of blood lead in Taiwan (R.O.C.): A report on the PRESS-BLL project

 To monitor the lead hazards in industries and to investigate the prevalence of elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) in lead-exposed workers, a lead surveillance system (PRESS-BLLs) has been established and operated in Taiwan, Republic of China, since July 1993. A cohort of lead-exposed workers who received a periodic annual health examination at 55 accredited hospital laboratories was constructed. A total of 9807 separate BLL measurements were reported to the system in 1994. The mean BLL was 15.8 μg/dl in male workers and 11.6 μg/dl in female workers. The mean BLL of lead-exposed workers was significantly (P<0.05, z-test) higher than that of the general Taiwanese population (8.6 μg/dl for males and 6.7 μg/dl for females). In addition, the BLLs of 983 (10.0%) workers exceeded the regulatory action level (40 μg/dl for males; 30 μg/dl for females). The workplaces and homes of 57% of the workers with elevated BLLs were thoroughly investigated to determine the sources of lead contamination. These actions identified the causes of elevated BLLs and set up strategies to reduce workers’ lead exposure. The establishment of this occupational lead surveillance system represents a method for monitoring of lead hazards from occupational and environmental settings to prevent lead poisoning. The information acquired from the system can help in the setting up of a priority of prevention and the development of control measures. It is also useful for further monitoring of changes in the BLLs of the lead-exposed-worker cohort. The Health Department of Taiwan can use this information to evaluate the effectiveness of current industrial hygiene practice. Subjects with elevated BLLs have been medically treated and placed on long-term follow-up for sequelae. Received: 2 September 1996/Accepted: 29 November 1996     

论神经在腧穴针感形成中作用

腧穴针感在针刺防治疾病过程中发挥着重要作用。本文从针刺作用的感受器,腧穴针感的外周传入神经,以及针感与中枢神经的关系,诸方面,列举大量实验结果和理论,阐明针感形成的物质基础是神经系统。     

Rat model of distraction osteogenesis

Prior studies of distraction osteogenesis in dog and rabbit models have shown predominantly intramembranous bone formation. Other models of fracture healing normally display mixtures of both endochondral and intramembranous bone formation. We have established a rat model of tibial lengthening that reliably reproduces the pattern of zonal osteogenesis previously observed in dog and rabbit models. A distraction rate of 0.25 mm twice a day with a 0-day latency period produced intramembranous bone with zones of progressive mineralization from collagen. With this protocol, rats bridged the distraction gap with a 25% increase in the tibial bone length. After 20 days of distraction and 50 days of consolidation, the three-point bending stiffness, as a percentage of the contralateral control, reached a level equivalent to that measured in the canine model for a 15% lengthening (28-day distraction and 84-day consolidation). Radiodensitometric analysis of the regenerate bones measured 97% of the unaffected contralateral tibial densities, and mineral analyses demonstrated that calcium and phosphorus levels in the regenerate bone reached 78% of contralateral tibial levels by day 70. We concluded that a rat model of distraction ostegenesis will be useful for a wide range of studies involving rapid intramembranous bone formation.     

Reversal of diastolic cerebral blood flow in infants without brain death

The reversal of diastolic cerebral blood flow has been regarded as a characteristic waveform of brain death and a useful confirming sign. We report 2 patients who had diastolic flow reversal but survived. One, a 1-month-old boy with status epilepticus, had reversal of diastolic cerebral blood flow detected by Doppler ultrasound soon after admission. Reversal disappeared after medical management for increased intracranial pressure and seizure control. He recovered without sequelae. The other, a 6-month-old girl with choroid plexus papilloma, had reversal of diastolic flow during abrupt clinical deterioration. Emergent surgical removal of the tumor was performed and she survived with hemiparesis and psychomotor retardation. Our patients demonstrated that even in the presence of diastolic reversal of cerebral blood flow, prompt and effective treatment can avoid a fatal outcome.     

Application of median-effect in quantitative analysis of antitumor drugs in vitro

Objective: To analyze quantitatively the synergistic and antagonistic effects of combined oxymatrine (OMT) and 5-fluorouracil (5-GU) on a cell line of human liver cancer (HepG2) with median-effect principle in vitro. Methods: The median-effect principle and MTT method were used in the quantitative analysis of effects of the two drugs. Results: Cytotoxic activity of the individual drugs enhanced as drug concentration increased. As fa=0.41, a CI equal to 1 indicated additivity; fa<0.41, a CI less than 1 indicated synergy; and fa>0.41, a CI greater than 1 indicated antagonism. The sequence of administration did not influence the cytotoxic activity of the combined antitumor drugs. The ratio of drug concentration was a factor that can influence the killing effect. Conclusion: The combined drugs interaction (CI<1) was synergistic at lower concentration and antagonistic at higher concentration. The ratio of drug concentration is a factor that can influence the killing effect. Biography: HE Song(1965–), male, doctor of medicine, associate professor, Chongqing Medical University, majors in gastroenterology.     

Effect of shenmai Injection on SIL-2R NK and LAK cells of patients with advanced carcinoma

Serum interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) level, activities of natural killer cell (NK) and lymphokine activated killer (LAK) cells were determined in 60 patients with advanced carcinoma (AC) before and after treatment with Shenmai Injection (SMI), forty healthy persons were taken as non-carcinoma control (NC). The results showed that: Serum sIL-2R level in AC were much higher than those in NC (P<0.05) and activities of NK and LAK cells in AC were much lower than those in NC (P<0.05) before treatment. There was no significant difference among gastric, colonic and lung cancer (P>0.05). After treatment with SMI, it was found that the level of sIL-2R in all patients were obviously lowered (P<0.05) while the activities of NK and LAK cells were signifficantly higher than that prior the treatment (P<0.05). Relevancy was not found between sIL-2R and NK, LAK cells. These data suggested that the immune function was compromised in AC, and SMI has a wide effect of immuno-regulation.     

中国蒙,汉族酒依赖与醇脱氢酶和醛脱氢酶基因多态性的相关研究

为探讨醇脱氢酶（ＡＤＨ）基因和醛脱氢酶（ＡＬＤＨ）基因多态性与酒依赖患病的相互关系，用耳血干血痕聚合酶链反应、等位基因特异性寡核苷酸探针方法，检测乙醇代谢酶ＡＤＨ和ＡＬＤＨ基因型在我国蒙、汉民族酒依赖与非酒依赖者中分布频率。结果显示在酒依赖组（汉族５２例，蒙族３１例）与正常对照组（汉族４８例，蒙族３５例）之间：汉族的ＡＬＤＨ２基因型频率与等位基因频率的分布差异有非常显著性（Ｐ＜０．０１），而蒙族则表示为ＡＤＨ２基因型频率与等位基因频率的分布差异有非常显著性（Ｐ＜０．０１）。这提示汉族酒依赖的发病与ＡＬＤＨ２基因有关，蒙族则与ＡＤＨ２基因有关。