Adverse reactions in healthy and immunocompromised children under six years of age vaccinated with the Danish BCG vaccine, strain Copenhagen 1331: implications for the vaccination policy in Sweden

A retrospective analysis of the adverse reactions reported between 1979 and 1991, in the 139000 children under six years of age vaccinated in Sweden with the Danish BCG vaccine, strain Copenhagen 1331, showed an incidence of I.9 per 1000 vaccinated children. Regional lymphoglandular swellings and/or abscesses were most commonly reported in 1.4 per 1000. Serious, disseminated, BCG infections developed in four infants vaccinated neonatally. Three of the infants suffered from severe, combined, immunodeficiency syndrome, undiagnosed at the time of vaccination. The incidence of severe, combined, immunodeficiency syndrome was higher in the BCG-vaccinated population (4 per 100000 infants vaccinated within a year of their births), compared with all newborns in Sweden (1 per 100 000). The mean age at the onset of symptoms was 2.4 months for the seven non-BCG-vaccinated infants versus 1.3 months for the four BCG-vaccinated ones, while the immunodeficiency syndrome was diagnosed at an average age of 7.6 months in those who were not vaccinatedversus 5.3 months in those BCG-vaccinated. It is recommended that the selective BCG vaccination of infants at high risk of exposure to tuberculosis should be postponed to six months of age to reduce the risk of inoculating infants suffering from immunodeficiency syndromes.     

Demand–control–support among female and male managers in eight Swedish companies

This work is part of the Swedish project ‘Managers and Stress’. In the report the Swedish version of the Demand–Decision Latitude model was used, which made it possible to compare data with an earlier population study. A total of 179 male and 56 female managers were included. The demands and decision latitude scores were significantly higher than in the population study. Social support buffers high demands but surprisingly the managers did not report higher support than the participants in the population. Psychological demands and skill discretion differed significantly between companies. The hypotheses that psychological demands and decision latitude differ between female and male managers had to be rejected. The period of extensive changes which has taken place in working‐life, especially in the government sector, probably influenced the results. The results did not indicate higher stress in those managers working in the companies that were the most extensive ‘downsizers’. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Depression and anxiety in memory clinic attenders and their carers: implications for evaluating the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation interventions

BACKGROUND: The potential of cognitive rehabilitation (CR) for people who have a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is increasingly being recognised. It has been suggested, however, that interventions targeting memory functioning in AD have negative effects on the well-being of participants and carers in terms of mood and perceived strain. While some 'memory training' studies do report an increase in self-report scores on scales assessing these variables, it is not clear whether the changes are attributable to the intervention. There is some overlap between CR and 'memory training', but CR is a much more individualised approach, and therefore CR intervention studies often adopt within-subjects or single case experimental designs, for which relevant comparison data are required. METHOD: Participant and carer depression and anxiety, and carer strain, were assessed at initial attendance and again by postal survey 6 months later in a consecutive series of 94 Memory Clinic referrals who received standard treatment but no specialised CR interventions. RESULTS: At the group level, there were no statistically significant changes in scores at follow up, although the participants scoring above designated cut-points were not necessarily the same individuals at the two time points. CONCLUSIONS: The study provided useful comparison data for use in evaluating the effects of cognitive rehabilitation interventions on mood and carer strain, showing that in the absence of intervention scores remain generally stable over time. Significant changes observed in intervention studies should be viewed in this context.     

Astrocytes in hemangioblastomas of the central nervous system and their relationship to stromal cells

Summary Thirteen cases of CNS hemangioblastoma were examined with the immunoperoxidase technique for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GEAP) to determine if there were astrocytic elements among the stromal cells of these tumors.In six cases, including two leptomeningeal hemangioblastomas, none of the stromal cells were positive on GFAP stain. Seven cases, however, showed variable presence of GFAP positive cells, including clusters of heavily lipidized cells deep within cerebellar hemangioblastomas. These GFAP positive cells were indestinguishable by other stains from interstitial or stromal cells.Thus, it appears that in at least some hemangioblastomas of the CNS parenchyma, a few or many stromal cells are lipidized astrocytes. All stromal cells, however, cannot be of astrocytic origin, as proposed by Jakobiec et al. (1976), in view of our six cases where no GFAP-positive cells were found in the tumors.It is suggested that cells identified as stromal cells of hemangioblastomas on light microscopy are a heterogeneous group of cells including astrocytic as well as other elements and that they resemble each other on ordinary stains because of the equalizing effect of cell lipidization.     

Inhibitory effect of fuzheng yiliuyin in combination with chemotherapeutics on human gastric carcinoma cell strain

AIM: To study the inhibitory effects of Fuzheng Yiliuyin (Decoction for Suppressing Tumors by Strengthening the Body Resistance) in combination with chemotherapeutics on human gastric carcinoma cell strain. METHODS: Fuzheng Yiliuyin (ZY) combined with various kinds of chemotherapeutics was put into two kinds of cultivated human gastric carcinoma cell strains, then its inhibitory effects on human gastric carcinoma cell strains were determind by the MTT method. Flow cytometer was used to assay the apoptosis rate, and the ultrastructure of gastric carcinoma cells was observed under transmission electron microscope. RESULTS: Obvious apoptosis was seen in gastric carcinoma cells after treatment with ZY for 72 h. ZY and chemical drugs had synergistic inhibition effects on the cultivated gastric carcinoma cells, but the effects were different on various cell strains. The inhibitory effects of ZY could be strengthened by cytotoxic action and apoptosis. ZY combined with fluorouracil, etoposide and cisplatin (EFP) chemotherapeutics had better inhibitory effects on SGC-7901, while ZY combined with EFP or with DDP chemotherapeutics had better inhibitory effects than other drugs on MGC-803. CONCLUSION: ZY induces apoptosis and inhibits the growth of gastric carcinoma cells. ZY has the synergistic function of chemotherapeutics.     

Basis for an FCE Methodology for Patients With Work-Related Upper Limb Disorders

A reported reduction in work-related functional capacity in Work-related Upper Limb Disorders (WRULD) patients is among the most common problems in WRULD. The extent to which this reduction in functional capacity can be objectified remains unknown. A validated instrument to test functional capacity in this patient group is unavailable. The objective of this study was to design a Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) for WRULD patients working with Visual Display Units (VDU) and provide evidence for content validity. A review to epidemiological literature was conducted to identify physical risk factors for VDU-related WRULD. The results indicate that physical risk factors were related to repetition, duration, working in awkward and static positions and forceful movements of the upper extremity and neck. An FCE was designed based on the risk factors identified. Eight tests were selected to cover all risk factors: the overhead lift, overhead work, repetitive reaching, handgrip strength, finger strength, wrist extension strength, fingertip dexterity, and a hand and forearm dexterity test. Content validity of this FCE was established by providing the rationale, specific objectives and operational definitions of the FCE. Further research is needed to establish reliability and other aspects of validity of the WRULD FCE.     

Cement fixation and screw retention: parameters of passive fit. An in vitro study of three-unit implant-supported fixed partial dentures

It is generally assumed that passively fitting superstructures are a prerequisite for long-lasting implant success. In the study presented, the strain development of three-unit implant fixed partial dentures (FPDs) was evaluated at the bone surrounding the implant and on the superstructure using a strain gauge technique. Six groups of three-unit FPDs representing the commonly used techniques of bridge fabrication were investigated with 10 samples each, in order to quantify the influence of impression technique, mode of fabrication and retention mechanism on superstructure fit. Two ITI implants (Straumann, Waldenburg, Switzerland) were anchored in a measurement model according to a real-life patient situation and strain gauges were fixed mesially and distally adjacent to the implants and on the bridge pontics. The developing strains were recorded during cement setting and screw fixation. For statistical analysis, multivariate two sample tests were performed setting the level of significance at P=0.1. None of the investigated bridges revealed a truly passive fit without strains occurring. About 50% of the measured strains were found to be due to impression taking and model fabrication, whereas the remaining 50% were related to laboratory inaccuracies. The two impression techniques used did not reveal any significant differences in terms of precision. Both modes of fixation--i.e. cement and screw retention--provoked equally high stress levels. In the fabrication of screw-retained FPDs, similar results were obtained from the use of burn-out plastic copings and the technique of casting wax moulds to premachined components. Bonding bridge frames onto gold cylinders directly on the implants significantly reduces strain development.     

Bone mass increase specific to the female in a line of transgenic mice overexpressing human osteoblast stimulating factor-1

We have reported that transgenic mice overexpressing human osteoblast stimulating factor-1 (osf1) under the control of the human osteocalcin promoter have a significantly higher bone mineral content and density than nontransgenic littermates. Consequently, bone mass loss due to estrogen deficiency was compensated for in ovariectomized female mice. Here, we show that in this transgenic line, the bone mass increase was evident in female, but not male, mice, as evaluated using the ash assay, double-emission X-ray analysis, and calcein double-labeling to determine the bone formation rate. To elucidate a possible influence on gene expression, we analyzed genomic structures of the inserted transgene and its flanking regions in mouse chromosomes. The results revealed that the transgene was integrated in the mouse repetitive sequences, 234-bp-long -satellite repeats, as inverted multiple (5 + 8) copies. Twelve copies at most seemed to be functional, but no direct evidence supporting female-specific mRNA synthesis of the transgene was obtained.     

Influenza: forecast for a pandemic

Recently, great speculation about a possible influenza pandemic has been made. However, the facts supporting the possibility of this threat are less discussed. During the last decade highly pathogenic strains of avian influenza virus, including the H5N1 subtype, crossed the species barriers from birds to humans and caused fatal disease. The Z strain of H5N1 subtype is characterized by pathogenicity to a larger number of animal species and by resistance to the older class of antiviral drugs. At present, two out of three general conditions for the onset of a pandemic have been met; namely, the emergence of a new virus and its ability to replicate in humans causing serious illness. Should the virus achieve efficient human-to-human transmission, the next influenza pandemic might occur. This review addresses these biological and epidemiological aspects of influenza in the context of history and characteristics of previous epidemics, as well as concrete actions that can be undertaken considering current understanding of influenza pathogenesis, treatment, and control possibilities.     

Pas1 haplotype-dependent genetic predisposition to lung tumorigenesis in rodents: a meta-analysis

Rodent species and strains show wide variations in susceptibility to lung tumorigenesis. In mice, hierarchical clustering of 29 inbred laboratory strains by pulmonary adenoma susceptibility 1 (Pas1) locus polymorphisms separated the strains into either an A/J- or a C57BL/6J-type Pas1 haplotype. A pooled analysis (including >8500 mice) of studies on spontaneous and chemically induced lung tumorigenesis in these strains revealed a significantly higher risk of spontaneous lung tumors [odds ratio (OR) 12.17; 95% confidence interval (CI) 9.00-16.45] as well as of chemically induced lung tumors (OR 15.14; 95% CI 12.51-18.31) in the A/J-type haplotype. Strain differences were observed with six different carcinogens, suggesting that Pas1 locus activity is carcinogen-independent. Thus, the present meta-analysis indicates a link between the genetic control of spontaneous and chemically induced lung tumor susceptibility in mice. The Pas1 susceptibility allele is frequent in the population of inbred mouse strains, whereas a counterpart appears to be absent or rare in rat and hamster strains. These findings might help in the interpretation of results of rodent carcinogenicity bioassays and assessing the risk of lung carcinogenesis from chemicals.