Combat experience and the acquired capability for suicide

Rising suicide rates are an increasing concern among military personnel. The interpersonal‐psychological theory of suicide proposes that three necessary factors are needed to die by suicide: feelings that one does not belong with other people, feelings that one is a burden on others or society, and an acquired capability to overcome the fear and pain associated with suicide. The current study tests the theory's proposal that acquired capability may be particularly influenced by military experience, because combat exposure may cause habituation to fear of painful experiences such as suicide. Utilizing clinical and nonclinical samples of military personnel deployed to Iraq, results of the current study indicate that a greater range of combat experiences predicts acquired capability above and beyond depression and post‐traumatic stress disorder symptoms, previous suicidality, and other common risk factors for suicide. Combat experiences did not, however, predict perceived burdensomeness or thwarted belongingness. The authors discuss how combat experiences might serve as a mechanism for elevating suicide risk and implications for clinical interventions and suicide prevention efforts. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol: 66:1–13, 2010.     

Properties of HTLV-I transformed CD8 T-cells in response to HIV-1 infection

HIV-1 infection studies of primary CD8⁺ T-cells are hampered by difficulty in obtaining a significant number of targets for infection and low levels of productive infection. Further, there exists a paucity of CD8-expressing T-cell lines to address questions pertaining to the study of CD8⁺ T-cells in the context of HIV-1 infection. In this study, a set of CD8⁺ T-cell clones were originated through HTLV-I transformation in vitro, and the properties of these cells were examined. The clones were susceptible to T-cell tropic strains of the virus and exhibited HIV-1 production 20-fold greater than primary CD4⁺ T-cells. Productive infection resulted in a decrease in expression of CD8 and CXCR4 molecules on the surface of the CD8⁺ T-cell clones and antibodies to these molecules abrogated viral binding and replication. These transformed cells provide an important tool in the study of CD8⁺ T-cells and may provide important insights into the mechanism(s) behind HIV-1 induced CD8⁺ T-cell dysfunction.     

Risk factors and associated problems in the management of infections with methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Purpose: It is necessary to define the problem of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in every hospital to evolve control strategies. The objectives of this study were to determine factors influencing the persistence of MRSA in patients with hospital acquired infection and to identify alternate cost effective antibiotics. Methods: A six month study was carried out for 50 patients with MRSA infection. Treatment modalities and risk factors were determined by a preset protocol. Minimum inhibitory concentration of commonly used antibiotics was determined. Results: The risk factors were prolonged postoperative morbidity, prior antibiotic therapy and emergency admissions. Seventy percent of the isolates were from postoperative cases undergoing emergency surgeries. Isolation was highest during the second week of hospital stay. Emergency admissions had a significantly higher chance of early isolation. Prior treatment with multiple antibiotics in 38% was found to be another major risk factor. Ofloxacin was seen to be efficacious in a small percentage of cases. Rifampicin in combination with ofloxacin and clindamycin were found to be other good alternatives. Ofloxacin was found to be the cheapest and vancomycin the most expensive, for a full course of treatment. Conclusions: Minimizing risk factors and attention to alternate cost effective combination therapy may ease the problem of management of infections with MRSA.     

Regulatory T cell abundance and activation status before and after priming with HIVIS-DNA and boosting with MVA-HIV/rgp140/GLA-AF may impact the magnitude of the vaccine-induced immune responses

Background

Little is known about regulatory CD4 T cells (Tregs) in the context of HIV vaccines. Tregs can be differentiated into resting (FoxP3⁺CD45RA⁺ – rTregs), activated (FoxP3^HighCD45RA^? – aTregs) and memory (FoxP3^LowCD45RA^? – mTregs). Tregs, as CD4 T cells, are also frequent targets for HIV infection. We studied how the abundance and phenotypes of Tregs in terms of activation status and expression of HIV-1 binding molecules would have changed during vaccination in healthy volunteers participating in a phase IIa HIV vaccine clinical trial. Subjects were primed three times with HIVIS-DNA and boosted twice with MVA-CMDR-HIV alone (n?=?12) or MVA-CMDR combined with protein CN54rgp140 (n?=?13). The proportions of β7 integrin in all CD4 T cells and in the Tregs subset decreased moderately after the final vaccination (p?=?0.001 and p?=?0.033, respectively) and the rTregs proportion within the total Tregs were also decreased after the final vaccination (p?=?0.038). All these proportions returned to normal values within the three months after the final vaccination. The magnitude of HIV-Envelope-specific IFNγ?+?T cells after vaccination (r?=?0.66; p?=?0.021) correlated directly with the proportion of Tregs, and correlated inversely correlated with ratios of Th17/Tregs (r?=??0.75; p?=?0.0057) and Th17/mTregs (r?=??0.78; p?=?0.0065). Higher titers of IgG gp140 antibodies were observed in subjects with higher mTregs proportions (r?=?0.52; p?=?0.022). Interestingly, pre-vaccination levels of mTregs correlated with vaccine-induced Env-binding antibodies (r?=?0.57; p?=?0.01) and presence of neutralizing antibodies (r?=?0.61; p?=?0.01), while the pre-vaccination Th17/mTregs ratio correlated inversely with the magnitude of cellular IFN-γ ELISpot responses (r?=??0.9; p?=?0.002). Taken together, these results suggest that pre- and post-vaccination Tregs, their activation status, the Th17/Tregs ratio and other host factors affecting Treg abundance, have an impact on the magnitude of HIV vaccine-induced immune responses. Moreover, the DNA-HIVIS/MVA-HIV regimen, alone or in combination with CN54rgp140 induced moderate and temporary alterations of the Tregs activation status. We also show a decrease in expression of the HIV-1 ligand β7 integrin on Tregs and all CD4 T cells.     

外周血人β-防御素2在下呼吸道感染患者的急、慢性气道炎症中的临床研究

目的 评价外周血中人β-防御素2(hBD-2)在下呼吸道感染患者急、慢性气道炎症的临床价值.方法 选取2007年3月至2008年10月下呼吸道感染患者92例,其中下呼吸道感染患者分别包括社区获得性肺炎40例,慢性阻塞性肺疾病急性加重36例,支气管扩张合并感染(急性期)16例,门诊体检者20例作为对照组,所有下呼吸道感染患者和对照组均留取血浆标本,采用酶联免疫吸附试验法检测下呼吸道感染各疾病组和对照组外周血中hBD-2、白介素1β(IL-1β)和IL-8的浓度.结果 下呼吸道感染患者外周血中hBD-2、1L-1β均明显高于对照组(P值分别为0.047、0.020);社区获得性肺炎组外周血中hBD-2浓度高于对照组(P=0.026),支气管扩张合并感染(急性期)和慢性阻塞性肺疾病急性加重组外周血中hBD-2与对照组比较差异无统计学意义(P值分别为0.334、0.227);外周血中hBD-2与炎性因子IL-1β呈正相关(r=0.280,P=0.01).结论 外周血中hBD-2可以较好反映下呼吸道感染疾病中的急性气道炎症状态.可能是气道局部炎性状态的标记物.     

中性粒细胞CD64在儿童社区获得性肺炎诊断中的价值

目的：探讨外周血中性粒细胞CD64的表达在儿童社区获得性肺炎（CAP）诊断中的价值。方法：依据病原体不同将98例社区获得性肺炎患儿分为细菌感染组（48例）、病毒感染组（29例）以及支原体感染组（21例）;另设健康对照组（20例）。细菌感染组依据患儿的入院情况分为轻症感染组（36例）和重症感染组（12例）。采用流式细胞术检测外周血中性粒细胞CD64的表达,同时免疫比浊法检测外周血C反应蛋白（CRP）的水平。结果：治疗前细菌感染组CD64指数和CRP水平显著高于其他3组,差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。重症组CD64指数和CRP水平较轻症组显著增高,差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。细菌感染组经过有效的抗菌治疗后,CD64表达水平下降,和治疗前相比差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。相关分析结果显示CD64指数与CRP呈正相关（r=0.545,P＜0.01）。 ROC曲线分析结果显示CD64、CRP最佳临界值分别为2.8和8 mg/L,CD64指数的特异性（90%）远高于CRP（74%）。结论：外周血中性粒细胞CD64测定有助于肺部细菌感染的早期诊断,并可以判断病情的严重程度及疗效。     

儿童重症监护病房获得性肺炎病原菌分布及耐药性分析

目的 回顾性分析儿童重症监护病房(PICU)获得性肺炎(HAP)病原菌分布及耐药情况,为临床合理选用抗菌药物提供依据.方法 采用VITEK-32微生物全自动鉴定系统鉴定细菌到种,以纸片扩散法进行药敏试验.结果 共诊断HAP 147例,分离出病原菌274株,革兰阴性(G-)杆菌占78.47%,真菌占12.04%,革兰阳性(G+)球菌占9.49%.鲍曼不动杆菌居首位,大肠埃希菌和肺炎克雷伯菌超广谱β-内酰胺酶(ESBLs)检出率分别为57.69%和59.18%.耐甲氧西林凝固酶阴性葡萄球菌检出率为72.73%.药敏结果显示,G-杆菌均存在不同程度耐药,其中鲍曼不动杆菌和嗜麦芽寡养单胞菌对碳青霉烯类耐药率分别高达74.29%和100%;G+球菌对青霉素类耐药率达81.82%以上;真菌普遍敏感.结论 HAP优势病原菌为G-杆菌.各类细菌对常用抗菌药物表现为严重耐药和多重耐药.不同病原菌对抗生素的敏感性和耐药性差异较大,临床应依据细菌病原学及耐药性资料,合理选择抗菌药物.     

Clinical and microbiological profile of adult inpatients with community acquired pneumonia in Ilorin,North Central,Nigeria

BackgroundThe optimal management of community acquired pneumonia (CAP) depends on the clinical and microbiological profile in the locality.ObjectivesTo determine the clinical and microbiological profile of patients admitted with CAP in Ilorin, Nigeria.MethodsOne hundred and two consenting consecutively selected patients with clinical and radiologic confirmation of CAP were recruited in 12 months. The socio-demographic, physical examination and laboratory/radiologic parameters were documented in a questionnaire. Microbiological evaluation of their sputum was done and blood samples were taken for complete blood count, culture, serum urea and serological evaluation for atypical bacteria and some viral pathogens.ResultsCAP constituted 5.9% of the total medical admissions during the one-year study period. The mean age of the patients was 49 ± 22 years with the largest frequency in those aged 65 years and above. The commonest symptoms were shortness of breath (96.1%) and cough (94.1%), with a median duration of 3 days from symptom onset to admission. Systemic hypertension was the commonest comorbid illness (25/102; 24.5%). Klebsiella pneumoniae was the predominant pathogen isolated (20/102; 28.1%). The susceptible antibiotics were Imipenem, Ceftazidime and Ceftriaxone. Intra-hospital mortality was 17.6%. CURB – 65 score of ≥ 2 and the presence of complications of CAP were the independent predictors of mortality.ConclusionCAP constitutes a significant disease burden in Ilorin, Nigeria. Typical bacteria accounted for over half of the pathogens isolated from the patients with gram negative agents predominating. This highlights a possible shift in the microbiological profile which could guide empirical treatment.     

The sera of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome contain specific antibodies in a latent state

Latent antibodies reacting with antigens of human immunodeficiency virus are detected in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Antibodies are detected by ion-exchange chromatography on QAE-Sephadex. A relationship is noted between the disease stage and the level of latent antibodies. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny Vol. 121, N ^o 3, pp. 315–316, March, 1996 Presented by A. F. Tsyb, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Malignancies in organ transplant recipients

The development of cancer in organ transplant recipients is well known; depressed immunosurveillance induced by the use of immunosuppressive agents for prevention of rejection is a causative factor. The types of malignancies in renal transplant patients vary geographically and are influenced by the type of immunosuppressant used. In the present study in Japan, malignancies had developed in 2.6% of renal transplant recipients; the observed number/expected number ratio was 2.78. For the primary sites, the relative risk in Japan was quite different from that in Western countries, with a lower frequency of skin cancer, an absence of Kaposi's sarcoma and higher frequencies of renal and thyroid cancer in Japan. Epstein-Barr virus is an oncogenic virus causing lymphoproliferative disorders in immunocompromised hosts. In renal transplant recipients, who usually receive hemodialysis before transplantation, human T lymphotrophic virus (HTLV)-1 is also oncogenic and causes adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma. The HTLV-1 in donor blood might be transmitted to transplant recipients via transfusion during hemodialysis. The epidemiology and characteristics of representative malignancies in transplant recipients are described, with a review of pertinent literature.