A Comparison of Depressive Symptoms in Stroke and Primary Care: Applying Rasch Models to Evaluate the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale

OBJECTIVES: Clinical trials and community-based studies often include the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale (CES-D) as a measure of depression outcome. We compared responses to symptom-related items on the CES-D by depressed stroke and primary-care patients for several purposes: 1) to illustrate the use of Item Response Theory (IRT)-based (Rasch) models for comparing scale functioning across different patient subgroups; and 2) to inform clinicians and outcome researchers about scale functioning and depressive symptomatology in stroke- compared with primary care-based depression. METHODS: Two data sources were analyzed, including 32 depressed patients who were 3 months poststroke, and 366 depressed primary-care patients. Presence of depression was based on a CES-D score 16 or higher. Rasch models were used to assess item fit and compare item hierarchies between depressed primary-care and stroke patients. RESULTS: Item hierarchies were similar for poststroke depression and primary care-based depression. Interpersonal disruption items were the most difficult to endorse for both groups. No items misfit the scale in primary-care depression. Items relating to restless sleep, unfriendliness, and crying slightly misfit the scale in stroke patients, that is, may measure a different trait. Differential item functioning (DIF) between the groups was identified for items relating to appetite, restless sleep, crying, and feeling disliked. CONCLUSIONS: Results generally supported the use of the CES-D as measure of depression outcome, particularly in primary care-based depression. DIF may imply that slightly different clusters of depressive symptoms are reported by depressed stroke patients compared with primary care, but this is conjectural given the small stroke sample size and the same items have been previously associated with bias in studies of large nonstroke samples. This study found Rasch models to be useful tools to investigate scale performance for different clinical applications.     

慢性阻塞性肺疾病呼吸驱动影响因素分析

目的:探讨慢性阻塞性肺疾病(COPD)病人呼吸驱动与肺功能、血气及静息能量代谢之间的关系.方法:26例COPD和21例正常对照者分别测定口腔阻断压P0.1、呼吸肌功能[最大吸气压(PIMAX)、最大呼气压(P EMAX)]、肺通气功能[努力肺活量(FVC)、一秒率(FEV,%)]、残气(RV/TLC)、弥散功能(DLCO)、静息能量代谢(REE)、呼吸商(RQ)、血气分析及Borg分级等.结果:COPD组P0.1和P0.1/PIMAX高于对照组(P＜0.01).相关分析COPD组P0.1与PaO2、SaO2负相关(r分别为-0.62,-0.53,P均＜0.05),而与PaCO2相关性不明显.Borg分级与P0.1正相关(r=0.63,P＜0.05),P0.1与FVC、FEV1%、RV/TLC、DLCO以及RQ无相关性,P0.1/PIMAX与REE有正相关关系(r=0.41,P＜0.05).结论:COPD呼吸驱动增高,不仅与PaO2,SaO2相关,还与静息能量代谢及Borg分级等相关.     

Clinical and immunological effects of azithromycin in Behçet''s disease

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of azithromycin on mucocutaneous manifestations, oral health and immune response in Behçet's disease (BD). Methods: Eight BD patients with active mucocutaneous symptoms were treated with azithromycin for 4 weeks. Oral health, clinical manifestations and in vitro interleukin (IL)‐12, interferon (IFN)‐γ, IL‐10 and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)‐1 responses were evaluated before and after treatment. Results: The number of folliculitic lesions, healing time of oral ulcers and scores of plaque indexes (PLIs) were lower after azithromycin treatment (P < 0.05). Scores of PLIs correlated positively with the healing time of oral ulcers (P = 0.02). Although a trend towards increased stimulated IL‐10 responses with azithromycin was observed, no statistically significant difference was found. Stimulated and unstimulated MCP‐1, IFN‐γ and IL‐12 responses were similar before and after treatment (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Azithromycin was observed to be effective in decreasing folliculitic lesions and fastening the healing time of oral ulcers in BD.     

Haemoglobin at time of referral prior to dialysis predicts survival: an association of haemoglobin with long-term outcomes

Haemoglobin (Hgb) levels are known to be associated with numerousadverse outcomes in both chronic kidney disease (CKD) and non-CKDpatients. This analysis evaluates the association of baseline haemoglobinlevels on survival in CKD patients, who are followed by nephrologists,irrespective of glomerular filtration rate (GFR), prior to initiationof renal replacement therapy (RRT) and erythropoietin hormonereplacement therapy. Analysis of data from the provincial database (PROMIS, PatientRegistration and Outcome Management Information System) in BritishColumbia, Canada, was undertaken. Records used for the analysisincluded all CKD patients at first registration: GFR <60ml/min/1.73 m², not yet on dialysis, starting from May 1998to October 2002, and who had complete data (defined as age andgender, diabetic status, eGFR and Hgb levels). The primary objective of this study was to determine the associationof Hgb and survival controlling for eGFR at first registrationvalue, age, gender and diabetic status. Multivariate Cox proportionalhazards analysis with time to death as outcome variable wasperformed. The cohort included 3028 patients: the mean age was 65 years,28% were diabetic, and the mean eGFR in the cohort was 21 ml/min/1.73m². The cohort is representative of the BC CKD and dialysispopulation regarding ethnicity: 64% Caucasian, 32% Asian. Medianfollow-up was 27 months, 1 year survival was 0.92, 2 year survivalwas 0.85. Hgb at initial registration is a statistically independentpredictor of survival (RR = 0.875 for every 10 g/l, 95% CI:0.835–0.917, P = 0.0001), after adjusting for age, gender,diabetic status and baseline eGFR. Further analysis, controllingfor RRT, demonstrated a similar association between Hgb andsurvival (RR = 0.853 for every 10 g/l, 95% CI: 0.799–0.910,P = 0.0001), after adjusting for above variables. Substantialvariation in Hgb values exists at all GFR levels. These findings underscore the importance of evaluating Hgb atall GFR levels, and the need to study the impact of modificationof Hgb at different GFR levels on survival.     

冠心病同型半胱氨酸与其相关酶基因MTHFR、CBS多态性关系的研究

目的:探讨冠心病血浆同型半胱氨酸(Hcy)水平与其代谢相关酶MTHFR、CBS基因型的关系。方法:采用试剂盒法提取人基因组DNA;采用聚合酶链反应-限制性片段长多态性(PCR-RFLP)法检测MTHFR基因型,采用扩增阻滞实变体系法(ARMS)检测CBS基因型。结果:冠心病患者MTHFR基因型异常者Hcy水平明显高于MTHFR基因型正常者,有显著差异(P<0.05);在本研究中没有检测出CBS基因突变者。结论:MTHFR基因突变是引起血浆Hcy水平升高的主要原因。     

Aptitude for physical exercise in a population of female hospital workers

Summary The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of physical capacity in a female hospital population of Paris and its suburbs. A total of 1505 women working in the selected departments filled in a questionnaire concerning their working conditions, life habits and health and also attended a medical examination. The effort test performed consisted in flexing the legs 20 times with the chest held straigt, in 40 s. The heart rates were measured for the first, the second and the third minutes of recovery (first 15 s multiplied by 4). The blood pressure was measured just after the heart rate, for the first and the third minute. Recovery indices have been constituted from the results. The respective weights of anthropometric and sociodemographic risk factors for recovery indices were studied in multiple logistic regression models. The classification enables us to consider about 25%–30% of our population as having a satisfactory physical capacity, about 26%–27% as having an acceptable capacit, and about 24%–27% as having a weak capacity. About 21% of the population presented an excessive pressure reaction and 44% a questionable pressure reaction. Our results concerning the level of physical capacity of the female nursing staff should be taken into account especially in the future planning of work loads and architectural choices, which must avoid excessive physical burdens in relation to this level. An improvement in the level of physical capacity could be envisaged as well.     

冠心病病人氧化修饰低密度脂蛋白的测定及临床意义

目的 :探讨氧化修饰低密度脂蛋白 (Ox LDL)对冠心病 (CHD)形成和发展的影响。方法 :CHD组 6 0例 ,对照组 5 3例。用酶标多克隆抗体夹心的方法检测血清Ox LDL含量。结果 :CHD组血清Ox LDL含量为 ( 48.6± 32 .8) μg dl。对照组( 2 5 .9± 2 2 .5 ) μg dl,两组之间Ox LDL含量存在显著性差异 (P <0 .0 0 1)。 结论 :Ox LDL和CHD有密切的关系 ,故可作为CHD病人特异性的辅助诊断指标。     

肝源性溃疡的临床观察

目的：研究乙肝后肝硬化患者消化性溃疡的临床特点及治疗转归，探讨内镜下止血及小剂量心得安对肝源性溃疡愈合的影响。方法：肝源性溃疡75例，观察其发病年龄、临床表现、溃疡部位、HP感染率、出血率及7d内止血率及溃疡愈合率等特点，随机分为治疗组37例，内镜下止血 心得安 泰胃美治疗，对照组38例，用维生素B6 泰胃美治疗；另外选单纯性消化性溃疡73例，随机对照2组36例，用维生素B6 泰胃美治疗，对照3组37例，内镜下止血 维生素B6 泰胃美治疗。结果：肝源性溃疡发病年龄较单纯性消化性溃疡晚10年，溃疡部位以复合性溃疡居多和并出血率高，内镜下止血 小剂量心得安可明显提高肝源性溃疡7d内止血率，促进肝源性溃疡愈合率，与对照组具有统计学意义(P＜0．01)。结论：肝源性溃疡难以治愈互易并出血，互以复合性溃疡多见，门静脉高压因素可能从中发挥作用，内镜下注射及喷洒止血剂及口服小剂量心得安及用制酸护肝治疗能有效止血，促进溃疡的愈合。     

老年冠心病患者的动态心电图观察

对97例老年冠心病患者进行动态心电图观察,共检出97例患者缺血性ST段发作347阵,心率减慢时发生缺血48例(49.5％),全程无症状者75例(77.4%),缺血时有无胸痛与ST段下降程度无必然联系。     

脉冲Nd：YAG激光照射对大鼠炎症牙龈组织的作用

患实验性牙龈炎的大鼠牙龈（６例）经脉冲掺钕钇铝柘榴石激光（Ｎｄ：ＹＡＧ激光）照射后进行光镜及超微结构观察。目的在于了解低能量Ｎｄ：ＹＡＧ激光照射对牙龈炎症的治疗作用。炎症牙龈经输出能量为１．５Ｗ，脉冲数为２０ＰＰＳ的激光照射后与对照组相比较，形态学上有如下变化：上皮细胞无变性；牙龈上皮层数较炎症时减少；上皮下炎细胞浸润明显减少；上皮细胞间隙变小；上皮下结缔组织内产生大量的排列致密的胶原纤维。结果提