Early rapid weight gain and current overweight in relation to asthma in adolescents born with very low birth weight

Early catch-up growth and subsequent overweight are suggested to be associated with later cardiovascular diseases and later type II diabetes. However, the impact of early catch-up growth and childhood overweight on the development of asthma has been less studied, particularly in children born with very low birth weight (VLBW). A birth cohort of 74 VLBW children (birth weight < or = 1500 g) was followed from birth and investigated on asthma at 12 yr of age. Early rapid weight gain was in one way defined as an increase of weight > or =1 standard deviation score (SDS) at 6 months of corrected postnatal age. Current overweight was defined by body mass index (BMI) exceeding 21.2 and 21.7 kg/m(2), respectively, for boys and girls at 12 yr of age. Current asthma was diagnosed by a pediatrician, according to asthma ever in combination with a positive response to hypertonic saline bronchial provocation test and/or wheeze at physical examination at 12 yr old. Being overweight at 12 yr of age was associated with an increased risk for current asthma in the VLBW children [crude odds ratio (OR): 5.5, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3-22.2]. After adjustment for early weight gain and neonatal risk, the OR of overweight increased nearly three times (adjusted OR: 15.3, 95% CI: 2.5-90.6). Early rapid weight gain seemed to be inversely associated with current asthma (adjusted OR: 0.49 for an increase of weight equal to 1 SDS, 95% CI: 0.23-1.02, p = 0.06). In addition, early rapid weight gain was inversely associated with the magnitude of bronchial responsiveness at 12 yr (coefficient -1.15, p < 0.01). There was a strong and positive association between overweight and asthma at 12 yr of age in the VLBW children. This strong association had been reduced by early rapid weight gain, possibly via the reduction of bronchial responsiveness.     

Before-birth climatologic data may play a role in the development of allergies in infants

While an exacerbation in allergic symptoms corresponding to seasons has long been reported, few studies have investigated the association between the season of birth and allergic disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the climatologic data before and after birth affected the incidence of atopic dermatitis (AD) and the results of allergy-related blood tests in early infancy. From February 1995 to January 2000, 2136 infants were tested for AD and followed for 12 months. AD patients were tested by using allergy-related blood tests. Data were compared according to the month of birth and the climatologic data using a computed statistical software package. Six hundred and thirty infants had AD before 12 months old, and significant differences were found according to the season of birth (p < 0.0001). Infants born in spring showed the lowest (22.3%) incidence, while those born in autumn showed the highest (34.6%). In 369 patients, total serum IgE levels, and serum specific IgE levels with egg white at 3 months old were also different according to the season of birth. All of these levels were lower in patients born in spring and summer, and higher in patients born in autumn and winter. Furthermore, the cumulative sunshine amount during the 3 months before and after birth was inversely correlated, while the average temperature over the 3 months before birth was positively correlated to the incidence of AD according to the month of birth. The climatologic data around birth may play an important role in whether an infant develops allergies.     

Adipokines in cord blood and risk of wheezing disorders within the first two years of life

BACKGROUND: Adipokines are involved in the regulation of many inflammatory processes and are present at very high concentrations in cord blood of term infants. OBJECTIVE: We analysed data of a large prospective birth cohort study to examine whether adiponectin and leptin concentration in cord blood are determinants of wheezing disorders in children within the first 2 years of life. METHODS: Seven hundred and forty mothers and their newborns were included in this analysis. Adiponectin and leptin concentrations were measured in cord blood. The cumulative incidence of physician-reported asthma or obstructive bronchitis was recorded during a 2-year follow-up. RESULTS: During the first 2 years of life, asthma or obstructive bronchitis was reported by the caring paediatricians for 157 (19.6%) of the children. We found a strong interaction of cord blood adiponectin and history of atopic disease in the mother with respect to the risk of physician-reported asthma or obstructive bronchitis (P=0.006). Compared with children with cord blood levels in the middle quintile (reference category), the odds ratios for physician-reported asthma or obstructive bronchitis in the bottom quintile and top quintile were 0.14 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.02-0.90] and 2.12 (95% CI 0.67-6.66), respectively (P for trend=0.0003), among children of mothers with a history of atopy. This association was independent of other established risk factors. Leptin levels in cord blood were not associated with risk of asthma or obstructive bronchitis. CONCLUSIONS: In children of mothers with a history of atopy, concentrations of adiponectin in cord blood could play an important role in determining risk of wheezing disorders in early childhood.     

The complex enterprise of modelling prenatal exposure to cigarettes: what is ‘enough’?

While there is a burgeoning body of research linking smoking during pregnancy to problem behaviour in offspring, a major criticism of this work has been the crude measurement of exposure in these studies (e.g. retrospective, self-reported only) that could lead to biased estimates. To address this issue, we used a pregnancy cohort with repeated prospective measures of exposure as well as biological assays to generate estimates of exposure patterns using a range of modelling techniques. In this paper we report on the analytical approaches we have developed, including patterns of exposure over time and best-estimate approaches that combine self-report and cotinine measures, and compare their predictive value in relation to different dimensions of fetal growth as a first step towards examining the utility of greater precision of exposure measurement.
Surprisingly, in this sample the more complex assessments of exposure, including biological measures, generally did not perform better than simple indicators of exposure based on repeated self-report measures, with one exception: a combined self-report cotinine 'best estimate' of third trimester exposure was uniquely associated with lower brain : body ratio. Further study is needed using more sophisticated cotinine assays and testing prediction of a range of outcomes to ascertain whether these findings represent true differences or are specific to the sample, methods and outcomes used. Such research will inform the development of guidelines for adequate exposure characterisation in developmental studies.     

颈椎管哑铃形肿瘤的显微外科治疗

目的探讨不同入路显微手术切除颈椎管哑铃形肿瘤的手术方法,总结其主要优点和术后并发症情况。方法2004年5月至2006年7月共收治16例颈椎管哑铃形肿瘤,其中5例肿瘤最大径超过5cm。5例巨大肿瘤中4例位于上颈段,采用侧方改良的极外侧入路（后外侧肌间入路）, 1例外院手术复发的巨大肿瘤位于中颈段,采用分次后正中和前路联合切除并行后方和前方内固定加前方植骨融合;1例肿瘤椎管外部分向前方生长,采用颈前入路切除后行前方植骨融合加内固定,其余10例采用后正中入路,其中1例超过中线的肿瘤采用全椎板切除加椎管成形,7例半椎板切除, 1例复发肿瘤原路切除,1例未切除椎板切除肿瘤。结果手术全切肿瘤14例,次全切2例。所有病例术后症状均有明显改善,其中2例巨大肿瘤患者术后出现低氧血症,重新气管插管后逐渐恢复, 1例巨大肿瘤患者术后脑脊液漏皮下积液,经穿刺置管引流数日后恢复正常。其中12例随访9-18个月,无一例复发或出现脊柱不稳定的情况。结论对于颈椎管哑铃形肿瘤,应尽可能采用创伤小的手术方式,在切除肿瘤的同时,减少棘突、韧带、椎板以及小关节的破坏,减小创伤和对脊柱稳定性的破坏,预防脊柱后凸和侧凸畸形的发生。极外侧入路适用于微创切除体积较大的高颈段椎管哑铃形肿瘤,较小的肿瘤可以采用后正中入路半椎板开窗手术,对骨质破坏严重者需在切除肿瘤后行内固定手术。     

上颌第一磨牙近中颊根第二根管的治疗体会

目的 探讨在临床上上颌第一磨牙近中颊根第二根管（MB2）的发现及扩通。方法 在25例需要进行根管治疗的上颌第一磨牙上寻找MB2，若无法找到，使用超声根管异物清除工作尖10P清理髓底及慢速圆钻去除预计位置部分牙本质，再次寻找。找到后通畅根管，若无法扩通，使用慢速圆钻在MB2根管口处向根方去除少量牙本质。结合使用EDTA再次通畅根管。结果 25颗治疗齿中有13颗找到MB2（52％），其中2颗是在超声根管锉清理髓室底后发现的，4颗在进一步去除MB2根管口位置的牙本质后发现。8颗治疗齿的MB2通畅（32％），其中3颗自然扩通，5颗在去除MB2根管口处部分矛本质并使用EDTA后通畅。结论 临床上上颌第一磨牙MB2发现率为52％。扩通率为32％。掌握MB2的解剖位置，使用超声方法以及EDTA可提高MB2的发现率和扩通率。     

胸腰椎爆裂骨折椎管内骨片侵入倾向与对策

根据98例中获得随访的39例的X线、CT和MRI(24例)影像学资料,分析胸腰椎爆裂骨折椎管内骨片侵入倾向及对策。将爆裂骨折侵入椎管分为四类八型,宜采用Harrington器械钢丝或椎弓根螺钉钢板轴向撑开系统,使骨折复位,椎管容积恢复,毋需行后路椎管减压。本组取得良好效果。仅对骨片游离型需要切开椎管直接摘除骨片。     

腰神经通道卡压综合征病因的探讨

为了探讨腰神经通道狭窄的病因，我们对２２４例腰椎间盘突出及腰椎管狭窄症患者进行了腰神经通道探查手术，结果发现其病因以腰部组织变性为主。除外伤及反复慢性腰部损伤引起腰部病变外，活动少，或很少进行腰部锻炼，体形肥胖也是引起腰神经通道狭窄日趋加重的致病因素。在治疗时强调不只满足于切除突出的椎间盘，应沿神经通道探查，清除一切卡压神经根的病变组织才能获得较好的治疗效果。我们随访１９７例，平均随访３ａ，优良率９３５％。     

Congenital defects of lower limbs and associated malformations: A population based study

As part of a detailed study of limb defects and associated patterns of congenital malformations, cases with lower limb deficiencies were analysed separately. We identified a total of 130 cases with deficiencies of the lower limbs without defects of the upper limbs. This gives an incidence of 1.07/10,000 livebirths, or 1/9,337 for this group of limb defects. Most common were femur deficiencies and deficiencies of the foot. A preponderance of males was found in the group of transverse defects of the leg (fibula/tibia deficiencies) and central axis deficiencies, while females had significantly more often longitudinal tibia defects and preaxial ray defects. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

两种后牙根管预备方法的临床效果比较

目的 :评估 2种后牙根管预备方法的临床效果。方法 :采用机用镍钛扩大锉 (ProFile)和手用不锈钢扩大锉 (K file)扩大后牙根管 ,并对 2组病例术后疼痛以及充填情况加以比较。结果 :发现机用镍钛扩大锉扩大后牙根管 ,具有去除根管感染物质彻底 ,根管形态保持良好 ,速度快 ,术后疼痛率较低的优点 ,但易出现断针。而手用不锈钢扩大锉扩大后牙根管速度较慢 ,术后疼痛率略高 ,但不易出现断针 ,操作上容易掌握。结论 :2种后牙根管方法都有优缺点 ,可结合起来使用。