Viridans group streptococci: a reservoir of resistant bacteria in oral cavities

The worldwide spread of erythromycin A-resistant streptococci, including Streptococcus pneumoniae , is of concern. Many studies have demonstrated that the viridans group streptococci can be a reservoir of erythromycin A resistance. Within oral streptoccoci, an important difference in the susceptibility pattern has been noted. The purpose of this short editorial is to highlight the importance of this group of bacteria as a reservoir of resistance to erythromycin A and the possible transfer of resistance to S. pneumoniae and S. pyogenes.     

Renal vascular resistance in normal children – a color Doppler study

To investigate the relationship between age and renal vascular resistance and to establish nomative data of the systolic/diastolic ratio (S/D ratio), pulsatility index (PI), and resistant index (RI) of the renal artery in the normal pediatric population, we studied 252 normal children aged newborn to 13 years (a total of 449 kidneys) with a color Doppler unit. After the normality of the kidney was established, color flow mapping was performed to localize the segmental portion of the renal artery. Flow velocity waveforms were then obtained by pulsed Doppler, and S/D ratio, PI, and RI were calculated. Multiple regression analysis confirmed the age dependence of the S/D ratio, PI, and RI of the renal artery in normal children. Renal vascular resistance continuously declines after birth and stabilizes at the age of 102 – 130 months. Normative data for S/D ratio, PI, and RI of the renal artery in normal children were established for each age group. Since renal vascular resistance decreases with age and stabilizes at 8 – 10 years, we suggest using different normal ranges for each age group when studying renal vascular resistance in pediatric patients. Received October 5, 1995; received in revised form and accepted April 24, 1996     

便携式野战真空注油设备的研制

本文将介绍在野战条件下，便携式真空注油设备，可以方便的更换X－线机球管及给变压器注油。并阐述了该设备的结构及原理。     

Hospital outbreak caused by a carbapenem-resistant strain of Acinetobacter baumannii: patient prognosis and risk-factors for colonisation and infection

Between October 2001 and August 2002, 30 hospital patients became infected or colonised by a multiresistant (including to carbapenems) epidemic strain of Acinetobacter baumannii (AbMR) in a hospital outbreak. This study analysed the risk-factors associated with acquisition of this epidemic strain and investigated the prognosis of patients infected by AbMR, with the aim of elucidating factors which lead to mortality. A case-control study of the acquisition of AbMR in patients infected or colonised in the hospital outbreak was performed. Independent risk-factors leading to death were studied by logistic regression analysis. Multivariate analysis of the risk-factors for colonisation/infection with AbMR revealed an independent association with the presence of an arterial catheter (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.03-1.25) and administration of imipenem as monotherapy (OR, 11.12; 95% CI, 2.33-53.09). Multivariate analysis of the prognostic features leading to mortality revealed a significant association with hypotension or shock (OR, 24.63; 95% CI, 1.56-387.56) at the time of bacterial isolation.     

Oxidative stress: does it play a role in the genesis of essential hypertension and hypertension of uraemia?

Reactive oxygen species: general aspects Reactive oxygen species, including superoxide radicals, hydrogenperoxide, nitric oxide, peroxynitrite, hydroxyl radicals andhypochlorous acid are by-products of normal metabolic processesin cells. Reactive oxygen species can be found in several cellsincluding macrophages and vascular smooth muscle cells. At lowconcentrations reactive oxygen species can act as physiologicalmediators of cellular responses whereas higher concentrationsmay cause cell damage [1,2]. The major sources of reactive oxygenspecies are leakages from the electron transport chains of mitochondriaand endoplasmic reticulum. Cellular energy metabolism is basedon the production of ATP through the electron transport reactionin which O₂ accepts electrons and H⁺ and then is eventuallyreduced to water. Only 1–2% of the electrons are leakedto generate superoxide radicals in reactions mediated by coenzymeQ and ubiquinone and its complexes. During ageing (and probablyin patients     

人肝癌裸鼠移植模型阿霉素诱导法建立肝癌多药耐药细胞系

目的:建立人肝癌多药耐药细胞系研究其耐药特性及机制.方法:给予移植人肝癌细胞的裸小鼠腹腔注射阿霉素(ADM)长期诱导,获得多药耐药细胞系BEL-7402/ADM.相差显微镜和HE染色观察细胞,MTT法检测耐药细胞的多药耐药性,流式细胞术检测耐药细胞表面多药耐药基因(mdr)的表达产物P糖蛋白(P-gp)、多药耐药相关蛋白(MRP)及谷胱甘肽硫转移系统(GSH/GST)的表达.结果:BEL-7402/ADM对多种抗癌药物产生耐药,对阿霉素的耐药性提高了20.33倍.BEL-7402/ADM细胞表面P-gp和MRP表达阳性,与对照细胞BEL-7402表达比较,差异十分显著(P<0.01).GSH/GST表达无明显变化.结论:BEL-7402/ADM具有明确的多药耐药性,该模型的建立对研究肝癌多药耐药的产生及逆转具有重要价值.     

Treatment of essential tremor with the barbiturate T2000 (1,3-dimethoxymethyl-5,5-diphenyl-barbituric acid).

The effect of the barbiturate T2000 (1,3-dimethoxymethyl-5,5-diphenyl-barbituric acid; DMMDPB) on essential tremor, given in twice daily doses of 400 and 300 mg, was assessed in two brief, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, double-blinded, single-center trials in 12 and 22 patients, respectively. These trials represent the first clinical use of T2000 for a specific indication. The primary endpoint was the change in the mean scores of the treated and control groups based on the Fahn-Tolosa-Marin tremor scale. In the first study of 12 patients treated with 400 mg or placebo twice daily for 14 days, the mean change from baseline at day 14 was 19.3 (P < 0.0001) in the treated group and 9.0 (P = 0.0121) in the control group. Using a two-factor mixed ANOVA model to evaluate within group and between group changes, the effect of T2000 was significantly different from that of the placebo group (P = 0.03). In the second study of 22 patients treated with 300 mg of T2000 or placebo twice daily for 20 days, statistically significant changes were seen in treated patients compared to baseline, but the ANOVA model did not demonstrate a significant treatment effect of T2000 compared to placebo. When the treated groups from each study are compared, the 800-mg daily group is significantly different from the 600-mg daily group (P = 0.02). Some treated patients in each study, but no placebo patients, experienced marked improvement. These results support further evaluation of T2000 in the treatment of essential tremor.     

Early assessment of renal resistance index after kidney transplant can help predict long-term renal function.

BACKGROUND: Color Doppler ultrasonography of intrarenal arterial resistance index (RI), performed early after kidney transplant, has proven to reliably predict short-term allograft function. The aim of this study was to assess whether it could also predict long-term renal function. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed 76 kidney transplant patients who underwent RI assessment within 1 month after the transplant, subdivided into two groups according to RI values, lower (group A) or higher (group B) than its median value (0.635). RESULTS: Compared with group A subjects, the patients of group B were older at the time of transplant (42 +/- 9 vs 35 +/- 8 years; P = 0.001), the donor age was also older (41 +/- 16 vs 33 +/- 13 years; P = 0.02) and had a slightly higher proteinuria (0.54 +/- 0.5 vs 0.32 +/- 0.2 g/24 h; P = 0.02). Serum creatinine, ciclosporin or tacrolimus trough level, arterial blood pressure, number of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) mismatches, anti-hypertensive medications and incidence of delayed graft function were not significantly different between the two groups. By univariate analysis, RI turned out to directly correlate with the recipient age, donor age and daily proteinuria (P = 0.007, P = 0.0007 and P = 0.02, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that only donor and recipient age maintained their independent predictive value on RI. Kaplan-Meier analysis, considering a serum creatinine increase >50% as the endpoint of the study, showed a statistically significant different graft survival in the two groups (log-rank test = 5.489; P = 0.01). The univariate relative risk of deterioration of graft function among patients with higher RI was 3.77. Proteinuria and recipient age increased the risk as well. CONCLUSIONS: Our data seem to suggest that early determination of RI can help predict long-term graft function in kidney transplant recipients.