Immunogenicity study of low-dose administration of hepatitis B virus vaccine in newborn infants: A cost reduction trial

Different doses of hepatitis B virus vaccine—prepared by Korea Green Cross Corporation, were given to healthy infants born to HBsAg-negative mothers at birth, 1 and 6 months of age. A dose of 2 μg was administered intradermally in Group A and, in the three other groups, the vaccine was given intramuscularly (i.m.). An adequate follow-up observation was possible for 9 months after birth in 22, 25, 23 and 21 infants in Groups A, B, C and D, respecvely.
Group C (5 μg, i.m.) produced seroconversion most rapidly, showing the highest rate (96%) at 9 months of age. The lowest seroconversion rate (5%) was found at the age of 1 month in Group A subjects, but the rate increased to 91% after a booster dose was given at 6 months of age.
While it can be concluded that a 5 μg i.m. dose of vaccine at 0, 1 and 6 months of age is optimum for the immunization of infants in efficacy and economy, a 2 μg intradermal dose can also be considered as an immunogenic and economical regimen, though the immune response is slower and a special technique is required for immunization.     

中医药治疗肝囊肿验案2例

肝囊肿是临床较为常见的肝脏良性疾病,有单发和多发之分,其大小不一,从1cm至10cm以上不等,大于10cm称巨大肝囊肿,容易引起压迫症状,继发感染、出血、囊肿扭转等,严重者影响生活和工作.古代中医由于受历史条件的制约,没有现代医学的B超、计算机断层扫描(CT)等检测仪器,对肝囊肿缺乏认识,也缺乏明确的记载.近代对肝囊肿逐渐认识,根据肝囊肿的症状、体征多归属于中医的“胁痛”、“癥瘕”、“积聚”、“痰饮”、“痞症”等范畴.     

机器人辅助胃癌根治术的应用评价

微创技术与器械设备的进步给外科治疗模式提供了广阔的发展空间。在这一进程中,手术机器人系统正在扮演着重要角色,已经并将继续带给医生更多潜在的技术获益及患者更大的疗效获益。胃癌手术是外科最常见的手术之一。已有许多研究证实．机器人胃癌手术具有满意的短期疗效（如快速的术后康复）,而且与开腹手术具有相同的根治效果。但是,机器人胃癌手术也存在一些不足和隐患,如手术时间延长,费用较高。远期疗效不明确。因此,机器人胃癌手术的作用还存在争议。本文基于现有的循证医学证据,对机器人胃癌根治手术的技术特点和疗效及临床应用前景进行评述。     

Immunohistochemical analysis of Fas and FLIP in prostate cancers

Fas‐mediated apoptosis is considered a principal pathway for apoptosis induction in normal and cancer cells. Expression of Fas has been reported in prostate tissues several times, but the data were not consistent. Expression of FLICE‐like inhibitory protein (FLIP), an inhibitor of Fas‐mediated apoptosis, has not been studied by immunohistochemistry in prostate tissues. The aim of this study is to explore whether alterations of Fas and FLIP expression occur in prostate cancer tissues. We analyzed the expression of Fas and FLIP in 107 prostate adenocarcinoma tissues by immunohistochemistry using a tissue microarray approach. Normal glandular cells of the prostates strongly expressed both Fas and FLIP proteins. Prostate intraepithelial neoplasm also showed a strong Fas immunoreacitity. Fas expression was strongly positive in 60 cancers (56.1%), but the remaining 47 cancers showed no (6.5%) or markedly decreased (37.4%) Fas immunostaining compared with the normal glandular cells of the same patients. By contrast, FLIP expression was strong in most (103/107; 96.3%) of the cancers, and only four cancers (3.7%) showed decreased immunoreactivities compared with the normal cells. The decreased expression of Fas was not associated with pathologic characteristics, including FLIP expression, size of the cancers, age, Gleason score and stage. The decreased expression of Fas in a large fraction of prostate cancers compared with their normal cells suggested that loss of Fas expression might play a role in tumorigenesis in some prostate cancers possibly by inhibiting apoptosis mediated by Fas.     

Morphogenesis and Regulation of Bergmann Glial Processes During Purkinje Cell Dendritic Spine Ensheathment and Synaptogenesis

星形胶质细胞在突触形成中发挥重要作用,但星形胶质细胞突起如何在发育过程中与突触结构相联系还不是很清楚。本文分析在小脑突触发生过程中Bergmann胶质细胞(BG)突起生长的类型。本文发现在这个过程中,BG突起向外生长与树突棘增多的包被作用相关。此外,双光子时间分辩显像显示BG突起是高度动态的,在棘包被过程中突起趋于稳定。虽然突触活力依赖于肌动蛋白的聚合作用,但细胞骨架调节器Rac1和RhoG的活动在胶质细胞突起的动力或密度上并未发挥作用,而是对于保持突起长度起关键性作用。本文扩展这个发现,探查突起形态和包被之间的关系,发现缩短的突起导致棘覆盖的减少。本文进一步发现在BG表达dn-Rac1和低水平突触包被的区域,显示突触数量的增加。这些分析提示BG突起如何生长并包围突触结构,阐明BG突起结构对突触包被适当发育的重要性,并提示包被在突触形成中的作用。     

The Effect and Safety of the Antithrombotic Therapies in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation and CHADS2 Score 1

Anticoagulation in CHADS₂ Score 1 . Background: The revised ACC/AHA/ESC 2006 guideline recommends either aspirin or warfarin for the prevention of ischemic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) in CHADS₂ score 1. We hypothesized that warfarin is superior to aspirin therapy for the prevention of stroke without increasing bleeding complication in AF patients with CHADS₂ score 1. Methods and Results: Among 1,502 patients (mean 62.4 ± 13.8 years old, male 65.4%) who were treated for nonvalvular AF without previous stroke, the number of patients with CHADS₂ score 1 was 422 (62.9 ± 10.7 years old, male 290 [68.7%]) and their antithrombotic therapies were as follows: warfarin (n = 143), aspirin (n = 124), other antiplatelet (n = 45), and no antithrombosis (none: n = 110). We reviewed the incidences of ischemic stroke, mortality, and bleeding complications during the follow‐up period. Results were: (1) during 22.3 ± 17.8 months of follow‐up, the incidence of ischemic stroke was significantly lower in warfarin (6 patients, 4.2%, mean international normalized ratio [INR] 2.0 ± 0.5 IU) than in aspirin (16 patients, 12.9%, P = 0.008) than none (23 patients, 20.9%, P < 0.001) without differences in all‐cause mortality. (2) The incidence of major bleeding (decrease in hemoglobin ≥2 g/dL, requiring hospitalization or red blood cell transfusion ≥2 pints) was not different between warfarin (2.1%) and aspirin (0.8%, P = NS), but minor bleeding was more common in warfarin (10.5%) than in aspirin (2.4%, P = 0.007). Conclusion: In AF patients with CHADS₂ score 1, warfarin was better to prevent ischemic stroke than aspirin without increasing the incidence of major bleeding complications. However, the incidence of minor bleeding was higher in the warfarin group than the aspirin group. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 21, pp. 501‐507, May 2010)