A model to predict long-term sustained response to interferon therapy in chronic hepatitis C

Interferon therapy is used widely for chronic hepatitis C but only a minority of treated patients achieve a long-lasting sustained response. We have developed, by logistic regression, a mathematical model to estimate the probability of sustained response in an individual patient with chronic hepatitis C when treated with interferon-α (IFN-α). The model, which includes age, sex, disease duration, pretreatment serum γ-glutamyl-transpeptidase, alanine aminotransferase and virus genotype, was developed from a database of 307 patients and validated in a new set of 200 patients. It performed well as goodness-of-fit ( P = 0.71 and P = 0.15 in the development and test sample, respectively) and discrimination (area under receiver operating curve = 0.79 in the development and 0.78 in the test sample, respectively). This model may provide decision support in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C with IFN-α.     

Chronic occupational exposure to organic solvents

Summary Twenty-two persons (20 men and 2 women) were examined for their external and internal exposure to the glycol ether 1-methoxypropan-2-ol (PGME) during the production, leak testing and mounting of brake-hoses. For the measurement of external exposure, personal air monitoring was the method of choice. Average concentrations of PGME of 82.2 mg/m³ (22.3 ppm), 68.6 mg/m³ (18.6 ppm) and 11.3 mg/m³ (3.1 ppm) were found in the air of the brakehose production, leak test and mounting areas, respectively. For the estimation of internal exposure to PGME, this glycol ether was measured in both urine and blood. The biological samples were taken post-shift. The highest internal exposure levels were found in the brakehose production section and in the leak test area. The average post-shift concentrations for PGME in workers in the brakehose production section were 4.6 mg/l in urine and 13.5 mg/l in blood; the corresponding figures for workers in the leak test area were 4.2 mg/l in urine and 11.0 mg/l in blood. In blood and urine samples of workers engaged in the mounting area, PGME levels were below the detection limits. The elimination kinetics of PGME were also studied in three highly exposed persons, and mean excretion half-lives of PGME of approximately 4.4 h were found. On the basis of our results we made a rough calculation of a future biological tolerance value: we would except that concentrations of 38-109 mg per litre of blood and 10–31 mg per litre of urine would correspond to the German MAK value for PGME (375 mg/m³).     

脑电分频积分定量法测定甜菜碱对清醒家兔脑电图的影响

本文采用脑电分频积分定量法测定甜菜碱对清醒家兔脑电的影响。清醒家兔静注甜菜碱250mg/kg后,出现高幅幔波夹杂低幅快波脑电,自发脑电积分值((?)vs)显著提高。动物安静少动。结果表明甜菜碱有中枢抑制作用。     

The pitfalls of the dexamethasone suppression test: A biological marker of endogenous depression?

In the past few years there have been numerous publications which have stressed the value of the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) as a diagnostic marker of endogenous depression. Our own studies in 333 psychiatric inpatients and 121 healthy subjects did not reveal a differential diagnostic use for the DST. This result is in good agreement with other results in the literature. Our data demonstrate that intervening variables such as severity of illness, weight loss, sleep disturbances, situational stress, drug and alcohol withdrawal, and the pharmacokinetics of dexamethasone have an important influence on DST results, regardless of the diagnostic classification.     

Membrane-coated fiber array approach for predicting skin permeability of chemical mixtures from different vehicles.

A membrane-coated fiber (MCF) array approach was developed for quantitative assessment of skin absorption from chemical mixtures, which was based on the similarity in the absorption mechanisms of the MCF membrane and the stratum corneum of the skin. A set of probe compounds were used to detect the relative molecular interaction strengths of chemicals with the vehicle and the membranes, which provided a linkage between the skin permeability (log k) and MCF partition coefficients (log KF). A predictive model was established via multiple linear regression analysis of the data matrix of experimentally measured log k value and log KFm values; log k=a0+a1 log KF1+a2 log KF2+...+an log KFm, where m is the number of diverse MCFs. Twenty-five probe compounds and three MCFs (polydimethylsiloxane for lipophilic, polyacrylate for polarizable, and CarboWax for polar interactions) were used to demonstrate the model development processes in the MCF array approach. The skin permeability of the probe compounds was measured with conventional diffusion cell experiments using dermatomed porcine skin. Three predictive models were established for skin permeability prediction from chemical mixtures in water, 50% ethanol, and 1% sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) with R2 values of 93, 91, and 83, respectively. The log k and log KF values were considerably altered by the addition of ethanol or SLS into the dose vehicle; however, their correlations to skin permeability remained strong under various conditions. These results suggested that the experimentally based MCF array approach can be used to predict skin absorption from chemical mixtures in different vehicles or formulations.     

粤西地区血小板聚集率正常人群参考范围的建立

目的 :为粤西地区血小板聚集率的临床检测提供参考标准。方法 :采用北京普利生仪器有限公司生产的 L BY-NJ型多功能血液凝聚仪。以终浓度 2 .5 μmol/ L ADP为诱导剂 ,对 6 38例正常人按年龄、性别分组 ,分别检测血小板 1m in、3min、5 min及 Max聚集率 ,并进行统计学分析。结果 :各年龄组男女性别 PAG无显著性差异 ( P>0 .0 5 ) ;小于 35岁年龄组与 35～ 5 5岁年龄组比较 ,PAG无显著性差异 ( P>0 .0 5 ) ;35～ 5 5岁年龄组与大于等于 5 5岁年龄组比较 ,1min及 3mim PAG存在显著性差异 ( P<0 .0 5 )、5 min及 Max PAG相差非常显著 ( P<0 .0 1) ;小于 35岁年龄组与大于等于5 5岁年龄组比较 ,PAG有非常显著性差异 ( P<0 .0 1) ;小于 5 5岁年龄组与大于等于 5 5岁年龄组比较 ,PAG差异有极显著性意义 ( P<0 .0 1或 P<0 .0 0 1)。结论 :5 5岁以上年龄组与 5 5岁以下年龄组的 PAG结果 ,可作为粤西地区同类方法PAGT的正常参考值供临床检测参考     

肛肠肌电图对盆底疾病的诊断价值(附360例报告)

对3组患者均检查耻骨直肠肌,肛门内,外括约肌共1098块肉,共检测67880个运动单位电位。结果表明:便秘组肌电异常占82.2％(226/275),肿瘤术后组异常率为66.7％(14/24),脊髓病变组肌电异常率为98.4％(60/61),亦初步探讨肌电图对盆底疾病的诊断价值。     

Quantifying arbitrary magnetic susceptibility distributions with MR.

Magnetic susceptibility, as a physical property of materials, plays important roles in many physical, chemical, engineering, and medical applications. Its quantification becomes of significant interest when MRI becomes a commonly used technique in biomedical applications. A general method is presented here for quantifying arbitrary magnetic susceptibility distributions in a localized region on the basis of first principles of magnetic induction field distributions in space. A proof of the concept was demonstrated by computer simulations. The study establishes the methodological basis for quantitative magnetic susceptibility imaging with MR.     

造影剂到达腹主动脉的峰值大小与患者因素的关系

目的探讨造影剂到达腹主动脉的峰值大小与患者因素之间的关系。方法108例患者以2.5ml/s注射欧乃派克(300mgI/ml)20ml,12s后采用testbolus技术在腹腔干水平同层动态扫描腹主动脉,用dynamic evaluation软件测得腹主动脉的峰值大小,采用单因素回归分析和多因素逐步回归分析法研究患者的性别、年龄、身高、体重、心率、血压、注射位点、达峰时间及是否有心脏病、糖尿病、或化疗史对造影剂到达腹主动脉峰值大小是否有影响及影响程度。结果造影剂到达腹主动脉峰值大小,在男性平均比女性低;其随年龄、身高、体重、达峰时间的增加而逐渐降低,注射位点在手背静脉其值平均比在肘部静脉低;其不受心率、血压、是否有心脏病、糖尿病或化疗史的影响。参考公式:峰值大小(HU)=383.8400-身高(cm)×1.0909-体重(kg)×0.6760 注射位点×16.7878-达峰时间(s)×1.6882。结论可根据患者的性别、年龄、身高、体重、注射位点和达峰时间来适当调整患者CT血管成像时造影剂用量。