Changes in tissue optical properties due to radio-frequency ablation of myocardium

The optical properties of pig heart tissue were measured after in vivo ablation therapy had been performed during open-heart surgery. In vitro samples of normal and ablated tissue were subjected to measurements with an optically integrating sphere set-up in the region 470–900 nm. Three independent measurements were made: total transmittance, total reflectance and collimated transmittance, which made it possible to extract the absorption and scattering coefficients and the scattering anisotropy factor g, using an inverse Monte Carlo model. Between 470 and 700 nm, only the reduced scattering coefficient and absorption could be evaluated. The absorption spectra were fitted to known tissue chromophore spectra, so that the concentrations of haemoglobin and myoglobin could be estimated. The reduced scattering coefficient was compared with Mie computations to provide Mie equivalent average radii. Most of the absorption was from myoglobin, whereas haemoglobin absorption was negligible. Metmyoglobin was formed in the ablated tissue, which could yield a spectral signature to distinguish the ablated tissue with a simple optical probe to monitor the ablation therapy. The reduced scattering coefficient increased by, on average, 50% in the ablated tissue, which corresponded to a slight decrease in the Mie equivalent radius.     

空肠弯曲菌HSP43诱导自身免疫机理──分子模拟和抗原优势

我们曾发现空肠弯曲菌４３ｋＤ热休克蛋白（ＨＳＰ４３）能诱导小鼠产生自身免疫应答，本文则进一步分析了这种诱导作用的机理。二株针对ＨＳＰ６０保守区序列的单克隆抗体ＩＩＨ９和ＭＬ－３０不但能结合人及小鼠细胞中ＨＳＰ６０家族成员，而且也能结合ＨＳＰ４３，表明ＨＳＰ４３、人及小鼠ＨＳＰ６０三者均属同一家族成员，具有序列上的高度同源性。小鼠用空肠弯曲菌免疫后出现了针对１０种菌体蛋白的抗体，其中最早被诱导的抗体是针对ＨＳＰ４３的，并且该种抗体在随后８０ｄ观察期间内保持了较高活性，表明ＨＳＰ４３是优势抗原。本文结果提示，ＨＳＰ４３较易被免疫系统识别而产生应答，通过和宿主ＨＳＰ６０高度序列同源性而可能呈现分子模拟，从而诱导自身免疫损伤。     

Purification of bovine conglutinin using pepsin digestion

This paper describes a new method for the purification of bovine conglutinin based on the relative resistance of this protein to pepsin digestion. First, conglutinin is purified by absorption on yeast, then the preparation is treated with 2% pepsin (w/w) at 4°C for 18 hr, and finally gel filtrated on agarose A5m. The yield is 60–75% and conglutinin thus prepared appears physically, immunochemically and functionally intact. This procedure allows for a rapid production of sufficient amounts of conglutinin for immune complex detection or purification methods.     

PCR-based DNA fingerprinting of Staphylococcus haemolyticus to investigate nosocomial infections

Objective: To apply PCR-based DNA fingerprinting in a clinical microbiology laboratory to investigate nosocomial infections with Staphylococcus haemolyticus.
Method: DNA fingerprints were generated by PCR on 99 S. haemolyticus isolates using different primer combinations based on ERIC, REP or arbitrarily chosen simple repeat sequences.
Results: Primer combinations REP1+(GTC)₆ and ERIC1+ERIC2 had sufficient discrimatory power and were chosen to analyze the clinical isolates. DNA fingerprint patterns from strains isolated from the patients nursed in the same hospital ward in the period 1991–94 were approximately 90% similar to each other. One staff member, sampled in 1991, carried a strain with a similar fingerprint.
Conclusions: PCR based DNA fingerprinting is a suitable method to perform in a clinical laboratory. An S. haemolyticus strain appeared to be endemic in the hospital ward and had most probably been transmitted from patient to patient. S. haemolyticus may carry glycopeptide resistance and needs attention as a causative agent of nosocomial infections.     

A Diagnostic Approach to Adrenal Cortical Lesions

The adrenal gland is not a common specimen in surgical pathology practice as, until recently, adrenal tumors were recognized in life only if associated with hypersecretion of hormones or evidence of malignancy. However, adrenal nodules are not uncommon at autopsy, and the number of these found in life is now increasing as they are identified when the abdomen is scanned for the investigation of other diseases using computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. It is therefore becoming increasingly important for the surgical pathologist to be aware of the range of pathology in the gland and to understand how to approach the specimens. This short review will deal with lesions of the adrenal cortex.     

Molecular epidemiological and clinical aspects of hepatitis D virus in a unique triple hepatitis viruses (B,C, D) endemic community in Taiwan

The molecular epidemiological and clinical aspects of hepatitis D virus (HDV) in a unique HBV, HCV, and HDV triple virus endemic community in southern Taiwan were investigated. A total of 2,909 residents aged 45 or older were screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-HCV antibody, and anti-HDV antibody (specifically for HBsAg-positive carriers). Factors that might be associated with HDV infection, viral nucleic acid detection, and genotyping of HBV, HCV, and HDV were investigated. The prevalence of HBsAg and anti-HCV were 12.6% (366/2,909) and 41.6% (1,227/2,909), respectively. For HBsAg carriers, 15.3% (56/366) were positive for anti-HDV assay. Living in a higher endemic district of HCV infection (odds ratio [OR] = 3.2; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.7-6.3), male gender (OR = 1.9; 95% CI = 1.1-3.6) and co-infection with HCV (OR = 1.8; 95% CI = 1.0-3.3) were significantly independent factors associated with HDV infection. The detection rate of HDV RNA among anti-HDV-positive patients was only 12.7% (7/55). The mean HBV titer of triple infection group was significantly lower than in the HBV/HDV co-infection group (2.23 vs 3.05 in log(10), copies/ml, P = 0.046). HCV RNA detection among the triple infection group showed 47.4% (9/19) viremia rate and viral loads of 579,121 IU/ml in median (16,803-1,551,190 IU/ml). The prevalent genotype of HBV was type B (23/25); HCV was 1b (7/9) and HDV was IIa/IIb (4/4). Only the presence of HCV RNA predicted the presence of elevated ALT significantly (OR = 25.0; 95% CI = 3.39-184.6). In conclusion, the geographical aggregation of HDV infection paralleled that of HCV infection in this community. HCV suppressed the replication of HBV among triple vital infection patients. HBV and HDV lapsed into a remission or nonreplicative phase in most cases, and HCV acted as a dominant factor in triple viral-infected individuals. Only the presence of HCV RNA was associated with elevated ALT values, but not HBV or HDV.     

A low molecular weight heparin in hemodialysis

Summary The purpose of our study was to check whether the dosage recommended for the low molecular weight heparin tested here, i.e., 50% of the corresponding unfractionated heparin dose, is adequate to prevent clot formation in the extracorporeal system. Sixteen dialysis treatments of 4–5 h were given to each of six chronic dialysis patients. In dialyses 1, 2, 15 and 16 unfractionated heparin (initial dose 35 IU/kg, continuous dose 20 IU/kg/h) was given, and in dialyses 3–14 low molecular weight heparin (initial dose 17.5 anti-Xa U/kg, continuous dose 10 anti-X U/kg/h). At these dose levels of low molecular weight heparin, clot formation occurred in the extracorporeal system in five of the six patients, despite the fact that the plasma anti-Xa level of 0.5 U/ml recommended by the manufacturer had been attained. For this reason the continuous dose of low molecular weight heparin had to be raised to approx. 80% of the corresponding continuous dose of unfractionated heparin. A plasma anti-Xa level of 0.7 U/ml is necessary to prevent extracorporeal clot formation.Abbreviations anti-Xa U Anti-factor Xa unit - aPTT Activated partial thromboplastin time - AT III Antithrombin III - IU International unit - LMWH Low molecular weight heparin - UFH Unfractionated heparin     

Typing of hepatitis B virus genomes by a simplified polymerase chain reaction

The amplification of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA sequences in sera for molecular epidemiology of HBV is an important application of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with regard to HBV. To simplify the PCR for this purpose, the optimal concentrations of SDS and detergents for carrying out the proteinase K digestion and the amplification of DNA by Taq polymerase were evaluated. It was found that by using 1% deoxycholic acid as detergent for the proteinase K step and diluting the digest 10 times before carrying out the PCR, the phenol extraction of DNA became superfluous. The sensitivity of this procedure equalled that of PCR after phenol extraction on comparable amounts of serum. Four pairs of oligonucleotide primers were compared for amplification of HBV DNA sequences in 48 sera previously subtyped with respect to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and in eight sera with different genotypes of HBV, representing the subtypes of HBsAg P1 to P8, defined at an international meeting [Couroucé-Pauty et al.: "HBs Antigen Subtypes." Basel: Karger, 1976]. Two primer pairs, selected from conserved regions in the X and S genes of HBV, gave a positive PCR with sera harbouring all the eight different strains of HBV, resulting in DNA fragments consistent with the sizes deduced from genome sequence data. Two other primer pairs were selected in order to discriminate genotypes with regard to differences between d/y and w/r strains.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

低分子肝素钙抗凝对多囊卵巢综合征所致不孕症患者来曲唑诱导排卵疗效的影响

目的分析低分子肝素钙抗凝对多囊卵巢综合征(PCOS)所致不孕症患者来曲唑诱导排卵疗效的影响。方法选取2014年1月—2019年1月九江市第三人民医院和彭泽县妇幼保健院收治的156例PCOS所致不孕症患者,采用随机数字表分成两组,每组78例。对照组口服来曲唑治疗,观察组采取口服来曲唑联合低分子肝素钙注射液治疗。比较两组的疗效、子宫内膜容受性、凝血功能指标、促排卵结局及不良反应。结果观察组总有效率[94.87%(74/78)]显著高于对照组[80.77%(63/78)],差异有统计学意义(χ²=7.252,P=0.007)。治疗后,观察组子宫内膜厚度、子宫动脉搏动指数(PI)及阻力指数(RI)分别为(9.75±1.03)mm、(1.30±0.26)及(0.58±0.12),对照组子宫内膜厚度、PI及RI分别为(7.48±0.95)mm、(1.71±0.33)及(0.66±0.11),两组比较差异均有统计学意义(t=14.308,8.619,4.340,均P<0.05)。治疗后,两组凝血功能指标比较差异均有统计学意义(均P<0.05)。观察组妊娠率[52.56%(41/78)]显著高于对照组[32.05%(25/78)],自然流产率[2.44%(1/41)]显著低于对照组[16.00%(4/25)],差异均有统计学意义(均P<0.05)。观察组不良反应发生率[16.67%(13/78)]与对照组[12.82%(10/78)]比较差异无统计学意义(χ²=0.459,P=0.498)。结论PCOS所致不孕症患者在应用来曲唑诱导排卵的同时联合低分子肝素钙抗凝治疗能有效改善患者的凝血-纤溶状态,明显提高患者的子宫内膜容受性,改善促排卵结局。     

Couples d’âge mûr et sexualité : comprendre l’impact des dynamiques relationnelles

Increased life expectancy creates the prospect of prolonged marital intimacy. However, mature couples face many challenges — physiological, cultural, and familial — and they must be able to mobilize their individual and relational resources to maintain good levels of marital and sexual satisfaction. The aim of this study is to highlight various factors that contribute to the conjugal and sexual satisfaction of older couples, and to discuss the stressing of these factors in a crisis context. 534 participants aged between 18 and 74 years old answered several questionnaires measuring their degree of sexual and conjugal satisfaction as well as the areas of strength and fragility in the relational dynamics of their couple. In addition, five couples also accepted a semi-structured interview on their relationship dynamics and their vision of the ageing couple. The results highlight the major impact of several variables contributing to an increase in relational and sexual satisfaction within couples (e.g. health concerns, conflict management, fondness…). Furthermore, a comparison between the scores of the over-51s and the younger ones highlights the areas of strength of older partners. These different factors will be discussed. Finally, we will propone therapeutic advices aimed at supporting the areas of strength of mature couples in order to accompany them towards long-term relational and sexual fulfillment.