Role of retinol in protecting epithelial cell damage induced by Clostridium difficile toxin A

Vitamin A (retinol), a fat-soluble vitamin, is an essential nutrient for the normal functioning of the visual system, epithelial cell integrity and growth, immunity, and reproduction. Our group has investigated the effect of high doses of oral vitamin A on early childhood diarrhea in our prospective community-based studies from Northeast Brazil and found a beneficial role in reducing the mean duration but not incidence of diarrheal episodes. In this study, we explored the role of retinol supplementation in intestinal cell lines following Clostridium difficile toxin A (TxA) challenge. C. difficile is the most common anaerobic pathogen borne with antibiotic-borne diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis. Since retinol is critical for the integrity of tight junctions and to modulate the cell cycle, we have focused on changes in transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) in Caco-2, a more differentiated intestinal cell line, and on models of cell proliferation, migration and viability in IEC-6 cells, an undifferentiated crypt cell line, following TxA injury. In this model, retinol therapy reduced apoptosis, improved cell migration and proliferation, and prevented the reduction in TEER, following C. difficile TxA challenge in a glutamine-free medium. These results suggest the role of retinol in protecting intestinal epithelial barrier function from C. difficile TxA enterotoxic damage.     

2003-2005年新生儿感染常见致病菌及耐药性的变迁

目的了解本地区新生儿2003至2005年感染常见致病菌的种类及耐药的现状，以指导临床合理应用抗生素。方法收集我院新生儿科2003年1月至2005年12月收治的613份体液培养阳性（痰液、血液、分泌物、胃液等标本）的患儿资料，对常见检出菌及其耐药性的变迁情况进行分析。结果共检出40种613株病原菌，以革兰阴性杆菌为主约占57．6％，而肺炎克雷伯菌和大肠埃希菌分别位于前二位，其产ESBLs菌株检出率分别为78．1％和82．6％。药敏结果显示，常见致病菌对青霉素、第一、二代头胞类抗生素、红霉素类耐药性显著增加，但对第三代头胞类抗生素如头孢曲松、头孢噻肟（凯福隆）、头孢他啶（复达欣）及B内酰胺酶抑制剂复方制剂、碳青霉烯类、万古霉素等较敏感。产ESBLs菌仅对亚胺培南及B内酰胺酶抑制剂复方制剂敏感。结论革兰阴性杆菌特别是肺炎克雷伯菌和大肠埃希菌是新生儿感染主要病原菌，产ESBLs菌比例增加应引起高度重视。碳青霉烯类、哌拉西林／三唑巴坦和头孢哌酮／舒巴坦，可作为新生儿严重医院感染经验用药，应尽量根据药敏试验调整抗生素。     

Immunological responses to pneumococcal vaccine in frail older people

Advanced age has been associated with a wide range of defects in both the innate and adaptive immune systems including diminished specific antibody responses that increase the risk of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and limit the effectiveness of vaccines. However, the elderly are a heterogeneous group and measures of overall frailty may be a better indicator of disease susceptibility (or vaccine response) than chronological age alone.     

Bacterial ghosts (BGs)—Advanced antigen and drug delivery system

Bacterial ghosts (BGs) are empty bacterial envelopes of Gram-negative bacteria produced by controlled expression of cloned gene E, forming a lysis tunnel structure within the envelope of the living bacteria. BGs are devoid of cytoplasmic content and possess all bacterial bio-adhesive surface properties in their original state while not posing any infectious threat. BGs are ideally suited as an advanced drug delivery system (ADDS) for toxic substances in tumor therapy. The inner space of BGs can be loaded with either single components or combinations of peptides, drugs or DNA which provides an opportunity to design new types of (polyvalent) drug delivery vehicles. Uptake of BGs loaded with Doxorubicin (Dox) by CaCo2 cells led to effective Dox release from endo-lysosomal compartments and accumulation in the nucleus. Viability and proliferative capacity of the cells were significantly decreased (2–3 orders of magnitude) after internalization of Dox loaded BGs as compared to cells incubated with free Dox. The same effect was observed with leukemia cells. Melanoma cells also revealed a high capability to internalize BGs. These results indicate that BGs are able to target a range of types of cancer. BGs have also been investigated as DNA delivery vectors. Studies show DNA loaded BGs are efficiently phagocytosed and internalized by both professional APCs and tumor cells with up to 82% of cells expressing the plasmid-encoded reporter gene. Our studies with BGs as an ADDS system contribute (i) to optimize drug delivery for the treatment of cancer; (ii) define specific conditions for selection and preparation of BG formulations; (iii) and provide a background for the clinical application of BGs in cancer therapy.     

德国小蠊抗药性及其抗性衰退情况研究

目的了解德国小蠊的抗药性及抗药性衰退情况.方法以点滴法测定德国小蠊对溴氰菊酯、敌敌畏、二氯苯醚菊酯、残杀威等的抗药性及抗药性衰退情况.结果现场品系分别为0.098、0.490、5.612、0.741ug/虫,正常饲养1年后抗性分别为0.086、0.232、3.412、0.317ug/虫,5年后抗性分别为0.008、0.123、0.410、0.0811ug/虫,LD50最高为二氯苯醚菊酯,1年后抗性衰退倍数范围为1.14～2.39,5年后抗性衰退倍数范围为3.98～13.69.结论具有高等抗性德国小蠊经实验室饲养5年后抗性基本衰退.     

Massive Immune Hemolysis Caused by Anti-D After Dual Kidney Transplantation

Massive immune hemolysis due to passenger lymphocyte-derived anti-D has not been reported in renal transplantation. A 50-year-old (B-positive) male received a dual deceased-donor kidney transplant (B-negative) for diabetic renal failure. Two weeks post-transplant, the patient developed severe hemolytic anemia. The donor anti-D titer was 1:8. The recipient anti-D titer (zero pre-transplant) increased from 1:4 to 1:16 over 4 days. Rapid hemolysis caused severe anemia, minimum Hb = 4.2 g/dL, while selectively lysing the patient's autologous red cells during this time. The hemolytic anemia did not impair the allografts and subsided without monoclonal B-cell pharmacotherapy or apheresis. The anti-D titer decreased to barely detectable levels at four months and had cleared when checked 2 years post-transplant. Transfusion support subsided after two months. If complications of anemia can be avoided, the deleterious effects of hemolysis may be well tolerated by renal allografts using antigen negative transfusion alone.     

耐药对肺结核病治疗效果的影响

目的 评价耐药对地区肺结核病治疗效果的影响.方法 对上海地区2004年2月-9月新登记敏感及耐药肺结核病人1年治疗转归进行分析和比较.结果 在全市各区（县）结核病定点医院新登记1 597例肺结核病病人中,805例培养阳性,其中731例经菌型鉴定为结核分枝杆菌的病人纳入分析.731例病人的总耐药率为18.7%,耐多药率为6.7%.敏感组治疗成功率达到93.0%,非MDR的耐药病人治疗成功率达到85%以上,MDR组治疗成功率为71.4%.经x2检验,差别有统计学意义（x2=83.996 8,P＜0.01）.在68例治疗不成功的病人中,耐药病人占38.2%;而在30例治疗失败的病人中,耐药病人占60%.复治敏感病人的治疗成功率（92.0%）与初治敏感病人（93.1%）相当,但是复治耐药病人的治疗成功率远低于初治耐药病人.结论 （1）上海地区肺结核病病人治疗管理效果良好;（2）耐药是肺结核病治疗失败的重要因素,应加强和改进对耐药结核病的治疗措施;（3）耐药和敏感病人治疗效果存在较大差异,应分别评价.     

烧伤病人耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌及其肠毒素的检测和耐药性分析

目的:评价乳胶结合实验,检测重症监护病房(ICU)耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌(MRSA)及其肠毒素(SE),并进行耐药性分析。方法:收集260株金黄色葡萄球菌临床分离株,通过药敏试验将其分为耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌和甲氧西林敏感金黄色葡萄球菌(MSSA),用反向间接血凝试验(RPHA)检测金黄色葡萄球菌肠毒素。结果:MRSA产肠毒素为134株,MSSA产肠毒素为38株,MRSA产肠毒素率为100％,MSSA产肠毒素率为30％。结论:重症监护病房应重视MRSA的检测和金黄色葡萄球菌肠毒素的检测,合理使用广谱抗菌药物。     

Nutritional-inflammation status and resistance to erythropoietin therapy in haemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease patients who are resistant to erythropoietin (EPO) treatment may suffer from malnutrition and/or inflammation. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study of haemodialysis patients, we investigated the relationship between the natural logarithm of the weekly EPO dose normalized for post-dialysis body weight and outcome measures of nutrition and/or inflammation [BMI, albumin and C reactive protein (CRP)] by means of multiple linear regression analysis. On the basis of the decile distribution of weekly EPO doses, we also evaluated four groups of patients: untreated, hyper-responders, normo-responders and hypo-responders. RESULTS: Six hundred and seventy-seven adult haemodialysis patients were recruited from five Italian centres. BMI and albumin were lower in the hypo-responders than in the other groups (21.3+/-3.8 vs 24.4+/-4.7 kg/m(2), P<0.001; and 3.8+/-0.6 vs 4.1+/-0.4 g/dl, P<0.001), whereas the median CRP level was higher (1.9 vs 0.8 mg/dl, P = 0.004). The median weekly EPO dose ranged from 30 IU/kg/week in the hyper-responsive group to 263 IU/kg/week in the hypo-responsive group. Transferrin saturation linearly decreased from the hyper- to hypo-responsive group (37+/-15 to 25+/-10%, P = 0.003), without any differences in transferrin levels. Ferritin levels were lower in the hypo-responsive than in the other patients (median 318 vs 445 ng/ml, P = 0.01). At multiple linear regression analysis, haemoglobin, BMI, albumin, CRP and serum iron levels were independently associated with the natural logarithm of the weekly EPO dose (R(2) = 0.22). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support a clear association between EPO responsiveness and nutritional and inflammation variables in haemodialysis patients; iron deficiency is still a major cause of hypo-responsiveness.