Factors associated with recovery and recurrence of depression in older people: A prospective study

The Liverpool Continuing Health in the Community Study has followed up 1070 elderly community subjects over 6 years. In the first year 123 subjects had case-level depression. Three years later 49 (39.8%) of the previously depressed were recovered, 33 (26.8%) were depressed, 16 (13%) were not available for interview and 25 (20.3%) were dead. This study looks at factors associated with the 3-year outcome of patients who were depressed at year 0. Two outcome groups that were compared were a recovered depression group and a recurrent/persistent depression group. The factors that were significantly associated with a recurrence of depression (or persistent depression) at year 3 were bereavement of a close figure in the 6 months before interview, loneliness and life dissatisfaction at year 3. A variety of traditional risk factors for depression (including age, marital status, physical ill-health and incapacity) failed to attain significance in predicting recurrent or persistent depression. When combined, both recovered and recurrently depressed groups at year 3 had significantly higher levels of pain and a higher number of serious upsets in the past 6 months and 6 weeks compared to a compared to a control group. The depressed at year 0 were more likely to have entered more dependent forms of accommodation by year 3.     

Monospecific but not polyreactive human hybridoma rheumatoid factors exhibit preferential binding specificities for IgG3 and IgG4

Summary Among 38 human hybridoma-derived monoclonal rheumatoid factors (RFs) generated from patients with either rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), two groups of RFs can be identified. Monospecific RFs were derived primarily from patients with RA and are characterized by a binding specificity for IgG3 and/or IgG4. Polyreactive RFs were derived largely from patients with SLE and show a broader pattern of reactivity to all four isotypes of IgG. Neither population of RFs was exclusive to either disease. The binding specificities identified appear to be different from the RFs isolated from patients with mixed cryoglobulinemia and may reflect a different antigen selection mechanism.     

妇癌患者的社会心理因素调查

本文以自编病前负性情绪调查表、ＬＳＥ─Ｒ及ＥＰＱ对５６例妇癌住院病人进行了调查，并以５６例内科病住院病人作对照。结果显示，６９．６％的妇癌病人在病前有负性情绪，而内科病病人只有１６．１％；８５．７％的妇癌病人病前经历了负性生活事件，而内科病组则为５８．９％；ＥＰＱ评定结果神经质分亦为前者高于后者，均提示社会心理因素与妇癌的发生密切相关。     

肺癌细胞类型与某些因素关系的分析

不同病因所诱发的肺癌细胞类型不同已被一些研究所肯定。本文对978例肺癌细胞类型的分析表明:男性以鳞癌为主,女性则腺癌较多。将1980—83年与1984—87年的病例进行比较,发现男性有鳞癌下降和腺癌上升的趋势,女性则相反。鳞癌和小细胞癌均中央型多于周围型,但腺癌未见这种差别。各种细胞类型的肺癌均右肺多见于左肺。吸烟可使鳞癌的发生率上升,在男性尤为明显。接触煤烟尘、炊事活动以及居住点大气污染因素对肺癌细胞类型的构成,尚未发现有明显的影响。     

深圳市龙岗区坪地外来工亚健康状态的研究

目的 :探讨深圳市龙岗区坪地外来工亚健康状况及其影响因素 ,为预防亚健康提供科学依据。方法 :采用统一表格对 12 68深圳市龙岗区坪地外来工进行调查。结果 :外来工的平均年龄为 ( 2 4.96± 6.10 )a ,其亚健康状态总体发生率为 65 .3 0 %,男性亚健康状态发生率为 63 .2 1%,女性为 67.91%,男性和女性之间差异无统计学意义。亚健康状态主要影响因素为 :结婚与否、睡眠时间、工作时间、加班时间以及工作是否有压力和居住环境差等因素 ,而与吸烟、饮酒、文化程度等因素无相关。结论 :深圳龙岗区坪地外来工中普遍存在亚健康状态 ,其发生较高且与工作环境、工作时间、加班时间有密切关系 ,故应引起政府部门及社会各界高度重视 ,加强对外来工的健康保护     

加强保健措施 降低孕产妇死亡率的试点研究

经调查河南省七县1988～04～1989～03孕产妇死亡率为136.1/10万,高于全国平均水平(94.7/10万)。从七县中选择了死亡率偏高的三个县(147.9/10万)为样本.进行厂降低农村孕产妇死亡率保健措施的研究。自1990年4月1日～1992年3月31日。在三县采取了以下保健措施:①加强基层妇幼卫生建设,特别是中心乡卫生院的建设,②整顿和完善三级保健网;③建全孕产妇系统管理制度,高危妊娠筛查,转化和转诊制度,④配备必要设备,建立联合小产院,实行定点接生。两年内孕产妇死亡率,由1989年的147.9/10万下降到67.7/10万,下降幅度为54.44%,最高达72.1%。此工作为实现2000年孕产妇死亡率下降一半的规划目标提供了依据。     

Papillary thyroid cancer and its surgical management.

The surgical management in papillary thyroid cancer has been highly controversial. In the Department of Surgery (II), Kanazawa University Hospital, the surgical management especially for cervical lymph node metastases has changed since 1973 from a conservative approach to an aggressive one. In order to determine whether an aggressive approach is warranted, a retrospective multivariate analysis was carried out on 106 cases of papillary thyroid cancer. The patients have been followed for 10-28 years. Multivariate analysis was conducted following Cox's model. By this analysis, aggressive management appeared to have no impact on survival or relapse-free survival. However, age, sex, tumor size, and cervical lymphadenopathy were confirmed to be important prognostic factors in survival and/or relapse-free survival.     

Curative resection of gastric cancer: Limitation of peritoneal lavage cytology in predicting the outcome

Patients with stage T3N0～2M0 gastric carcinoma (n = 108) were studied for relevant prognostic factors. Peritoneal lavage cytology (PLC) was performed in all. In univariate analysis, 5-year survival rates were better with smaller serosal invasion (diameter <3.0 cm vs. ≥3.0 cm, 61% vs. 37%, P < 0.05) and fewer metastatic nodes (≤5 vs. ≥6, 57% vs. 29%, P < 0.05). In multivariate analyses, only these two factors were significant. The predictive value of PLC was not shown in both univariate and multivariate analyses. Peritoneal recurrence occured in 14 (22%) of 77 patients with negative PLC, and in 3 (18%) of 17 with positive PLC, the difference being not significant. Our results indicate that PLC is insensitive in predicting the development of peritoneal recurrence. Its role in the estimation of survival is limited, as many will die of visceral or locoregional recurrence if not of peritoneal dissemination.     

Expression of IGF-I and IGF-II mRNA in breast tissue

Summary Expression of IGF-I and IGF-II was studied in human breast cancer tissues by in situ hybridization. IGF-I mRNA was detected only in stromal cells adjacent to normal breast epithelial cells. Stromal cells associated with the tumor cells did not contain IGF-I, nor did malignant or benign breast epithelial cells. In contrast, IGF-II mRNA was found in both the malignant epithelial cells and their adjacent stromal cells. These data imply that stromal cells associated with breast epithelium may switch expression from IGF-I to IGF-II during breast cancer evolution. This appearance of IGF-II expression may identify cancer-associated stromal cells that have a fetal phenotype.     

Perception and social consequences of tuberculosis: A focus group study of tuberculosis patients in Sialkot, Pakistan

Treatment defaulting is one of the major causes of the failure of TB control programs. In Bethania Hospital. Sialkot, defaulting rates are high: 72% for the standard 12 months course and 56% for the 8 months course. Attrition is especially important in the first weeks of treatment: < 70% of the patients start the 10th week of treatment. A focus group discussion study has been carried out to gain a better understanding of the impact of social stigmatization, treatment cost and pregnancy on defaulting. The study population consisted of 3 male and 3 female groups each with 8 hospitalized TB patients. The study shows that TB is perceived as a very dangerous, infectious and incurable disease. This perception has many social consequences: stigmatization and social isolation of TB patients and their families; diminished marriage prospects for young TB patients, and even for their family members; TB in one of the partners may lead to divorce. Due to fear patients often deny the diagnosis and reject the treatment. While both male and female TB patients face many social and economical problems, female patients are more affected. Divorce and broken engagements seem to occur more often in female patients. Females are usually economically dependent on their husbands and family in law, and need their cooperation to avail of treatment. The belief that pregnancy enhances the risk for relapse decreases their marriage prospects. Pregnancy is also a reason for stopping TB treatment as both are considered as incompatible. The findings of this study reveal the urgent need for a health education campaign to convince the general population that tuberculosis is curable. All health care providers should act as destigmatizers.