Risk factors for oral hairy leukoplakia in HIV-infected adults of Brazil

BACKGROUND: Oral hairy leukoplakia (OHL) may be an indicator of the progression of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-induced immuno-depression, and the evaluation of risk factors leading to OHL is important in the management of these HIV-infected patients. However, there are few studies that analyze risk factors leading to OHL in the Brazilian population. The aim of this case-control study is to present data about prevalence rates and risk factors leading to OHL in a sample of HIV-infected adults in Brazil. METHODS: This case-control study included 111 HIV-infected patients treated at a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. In the initial examinations with dentists, variables were collected from all patients. Diagnosis of OHL was performed in accordance with the International Classification System and cytological features. The Fisher and the chi-squared tests were used for statistical analysis. The proportional prevalence and odds ratio were estimated. RESULTS: Outcome presented a positive, statistically significant association among the presence of OHL and viral load of 3000 copies/mul or greater (P = 0.0001; odds ratio (OR) = 5.8), presence of oral candidiasis (P = 0.0000; OR = 11.1), previous use of fluconazole (P = 0.0000; OR = 24.6), and use of systemic acyclovir (P = 0.032; OR = 4.3). Antiretroviral medication presented a negative, statistically significant association with the presence of OHL (P = 0.002; OR = 8.4). CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of OHL was 28.8%. Viral load, oral candidiasis, previous use of fluconazole, and systemic acyclovir were determined to be risk factors for OHL. Antiretroviral medication proved to be protective against the development of OHL.     

Therapeutic effect of antimicrobial drugs against experimental infections due toYersinia pestis in mice

Although there are effective antibacterial agents against plague, newer antibacterial agents have been developed which show more potent activity against other bacterial organisms, but have not been tested againstYersinia pestis. A strain ofYersinia pestis was selected (no. 22; National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan) that caused a systemic infection in mice.Y. pestis no. 22 was intraperitoneally inoculated into DDY-strain mice, and 13 oral or 6 injectable antibacterial drugs given to the infected mice at varying doses 1 and 24 hours after infection. Levofloxacin, sparfloxacin and ofloxacin were the most effective oral agents against the infection, and prulifloxacin and pazufloxacin were also effective but to a lesser extent. Also, gentamicin and arbekacin were the most potent injectable antibacterial agents againstY. pestis. These results suggest that there are several new drugs, both oral and injectable, which exert excellent in vivo antibacterial activity against a mouse infection model and may be useful for the clinical treatment of plague.     

衣原体、支原体引起的难治性支气管—肺部感染分析

目的 探讨难治性支气管—肺部感染(难治组)衣原体、支原体两种病原体的表达。方法 应用ELISA法检测了29例难治性支气管—肺部感染两种非典型病原体急性感染指标，衣原体抗体IgM、支原体抗体IgM及冷凝集实验，并常规细菌学检查，与同期住院的普通性下呼吸道感染(普通组)40例，门诊及住院的急性上呼吸道感染(上感组)30例进行比较。结果 难治组衣原体急性感染率68．9％，显著高于普通组、上感组，上感组最低；支原体急性感染率难治组34、5％，显著高于普通组、上感组；衣原体混合支原体、衣原体混合其他致病菌感染均显著高于普通组和上感组。结论 难治性下呼吸道感染中衣原体、支原体感染率较高，且易与多种病原体混合感染，衣原体的慢性感染可能是难治感染的重要原因。     

Mass Protection Program of Perinatal Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Japan and Impact of an Optional Booster Vaccination on Its Efficacy

We assessed the efficacy of a government-sponsored mass protection program in Osaka, Japan, for perinatal HBV infection in infants born to HBeAg positive HBV carrier mothers. We also evaluated the impact of optional follow-up procedures in such infants, including an evaluation of anti-HBs response and a booster dose of HBV vaccine for poor responders. The results demonstrated that this mass protection program protected 94.4% of the infants from perinatal HBV infection in the Osaka area. However, the proportion of infants with an unprotective level of anti-HBs was higher in the standard group than in the follow-up group both at 1.0 and 1.5 years of age, which was also the case for HBV events. Furthermore, the present study showed that a booster dose of vaccine in poor responders was very effective in promoting an anti-HBs response. In conclusion, we recommend that a follow-up blood test to confirm a response of anti-HBs to HBV vaccine should be performed at 4–8 weeks after the third injection of HBV vaccine in infants born to HBeAg positive HBV carrier mothers. We also recommend that a booster injection of HBV vaccine should be immediately given to poor responding infants who otherwise are at a considerable risk of developing HBV infection in late infancy.     

肾移植术后肺部感染的诊断与治疗

目的探讨肾移植术后肺部感染的诊断与治疗。方法对21例肾移植术后肺部感染的病原体及其致病特点、诊断、治疗等临床资料进行分析。结果21例肾移植术后肺部感染患者中单纯细菌感染6例(28.57%),真菌感染2例(9.52%),巨细胞病毒(CMV)感染2例(9.52%),结核菌感染1例(4.76%),混合感染9例(42.86%),病原体不清1例。2例予以呼吸机辅助治疗。19例治愈,治愈率为90.48%,2例直接死于肺部感染。结论肾移植术后肺部感染患者应早期行病原学诊断,积极有效抗感染,及时调整免疫抑制方案。     

The role of infection and vaccination in the genesis of optic neuritis and multiple sclerosis in children

This article describes the association between previous infection and/or vaccination and the development of optic neuritis (ON) in 18 children. Ten of these children subsequently developed clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS), while in 8 patients a clinically definite etiology could not be confirmed. Vaccination preceded the first ON attack in 6 patients, all but one of whom subsequently developed MS. It also preceded subsequent demyelinating events in 6 patients. Ten of the patients had a bacterial or viral infection within the 2 weeks prior to the first symptoms of ON. Intrathecal antibody synthesis against 2 or more viruses could be shown in 5 out of 8 patients studied; 5 out of 6 patients had oligoclonal antibodies in CSF and 12 out of 16 patients a high IgG index. Neither intrathecal antibody synthesis against 2 or more viruses nor elevated IgG indexes could be found in the control patients. Measles and mumps occurred at a significantly later age in the children who subsequently developed MS than in the control children, and these patients had significantly more events that might have impaired the blood-brain barrier than the controls. These results indicate that immunological events leading to MS may be triggered during childhood. Vaccination and infection often precede ON in childhood. Intrathecal viral antibody production can occur already in childhood at the time of the first symptoms of MS.     

检验专业医学生HBsAg感染率的调查

目的：了解检验专业学生入学时和毕业前的HBsAg感染率的情况，找出引起检验专业学生HBsAg感染率升高的原因，为制定切实有效的预防措施打下牢固的基础。方法：对该专业学生进行入学时和毕业前采用ELISA法检查HB-sAg。结果：3届学生入学时HBsAg感染率差异无显著性，性别间HBsAg感染率差异无显著性，社区医学专业学生HBsAg感染率入学时与毕业前比较差异无显著性，而检验专业学生HBsAg感染率入学时与毕业前比较差异有显著性。结论：部分检验专业学生没有树立正确的安全范意识，自我保护能力较差，从而造成了自身的感染。     

Increased occurrence of free immunoglobulin light chains in cerebrospinal fluid and serum in human immunodeficiency virus-1 infection

The presence of free immunoglobulin light chains (FLCs) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and sera of patients with human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection, multiple sclerosis (MS), and neurologically healthy control individuals was investigated by paying special attention to ensure that only truly free light chains would be detected. The FLCs were extracted by specifically binding them to Sepharose-coupled anti-FLC monoclonal antibodies, and thereafter they were electrophoresed and immunoblotted with monoclonal antibodies to both light chain (LC) isotypes. A frequent occurrence of kappa and lambda FLCs was found in both CSF and sera of HIV-1 infected patients. In HIV-1 infection and in MS, the frequency of FLCs of the CSF was equal. In healthy controls, only occasional weak FLCs were observed in either CSF or serum. FLC bands of the CSF from patients with HIV-1 infection tended to be more intensive than those of the appropriately diluted sera. Both intrathecal synthesis of FLCs and their transudation from sera through the impaired blood-brain barrier (BBB) may contribute to this. Increasing severity of general HIV-1 infection was accompanied by an increase of FLC intensity in sera. A qualitative demonstration of FLC in the CSF may be meaningful only in the absence of altered BBB function.