Health-Related Quality of Life in Children with Asthma from Different Ethnic Origins

This study aimed to identify and explain differences in health-related quality of life (QoL) between immigrant and non-immigrant children with asthma. In 274 children (7-17 years of age) generic and asthma-related QoL were assessed. The association between ethnicity and QoL was studied in linear regression model analyses. For the asthma-related QoL, unadjusted analyses showed significant ethnic differences. The non-immigrant children had the highest scores, which implies a better QoL. After adjusting for asthma control and socioeconomic status (SES), ethnic differences disappeared. These results suggest that immigrant children have a similar QoL to that of non-immigrant children from a comparable SES, when their asthma is under control.     

European seroepidemiology network 2: Standardisation of assays for seroepidemiology of varicella zoster virus.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the European Sero-Epidemiology Network (ESEN2) is to harmonise the serological surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases in Europe. OBJECTIVE: To allow comparison of antibody prevalence in different countries by standardising results into common units. STUDY DESIGN: For varicella zoster virus (VZV), a reference laboratory established a panel of 148 samples, characterised by indirect enzyme-immunoassay (ELISA), indirect immunofluorescence, and complement fixation test. Fifty-seven samples were also studied by the fluorescence antibody to membrane antigen test. The geometric mean of the antibody activity (GMAA) obtained from four ELISA determinations was used to characterise each sample of the panel as positive (GMAA: >100 mIU/ml), equivocal (GMAA: 50-100 mIU/ml) or negative (GMAA: <50 mIU/ml) for antibody to VZV (anti-VZV). Thirteen laboratories, using five different ELISA tests, tested the panel. RESULTS: Agreement with the reference laboratory was above 85% in all cases, and the R(2) values obtained from regression analysis of the quantitative results were always higher than 0.87. Finally, the regression equations could be used to convert national values into a common unitage. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed that results for anti-VZV obtained by different ELISA methods can be converted into common units, enabling the comparison of the seroprevalence profiles obtained in the participant countries.     

Designing effective HIV/AIDS social and behavioral interventions for the population of those age 50 and older

Social and behavioral HIV/AIDS prevention interventions designed to test their effects on older cohorts are sorely lacking in the scientific literature even though middle-aged and older people represent a significant minority of both existing and new AIDS cases. This article raises key issues relevant in developing and evaluating HIV/AIDS social and behavioral interventions for older cohorts. These interventions must build on our current understanding of behavior change and HIV prevention successes with younger populations while considering important intervention principles gathered from work with older populations in other health arenas. In addition, the authors expand on recent national panels and published reviews relevant to the topic and provide a set of intervention recommendations for use in tandem with these intervention principles. The article also calls for additional research into the sociocultural contexts that influence risk-taking among older cohorts and for the development of interventions at multiple levels. Pragmatic considerations such as identifying and dismantling ageism in interventions, delineating intervention outcomes, and planning for intervention transferability, dissemination, and sustainability also are raised.     

Ontogeny of J chain expression in pig lymphocytes

The ontogeny of lymphocytes expressing J chain in the cytoplasm (J+) was studied in pig foetuses by the immunofluorescent technique. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were the first J+ cells in prenatal life. The spleen and lymph nodes contained J+ cells in the last days of gestation. J+ cells were found in the lamina propria of the gut and some glands of conventional but not of germ-free piglets. J chain was not detected on or in cell membranes at any developmental stage.     

Persistent human herpesvirus 8 viremia before Kaposi's sarcoma development in a liver transplant recipient

HHV8 DNA has been detected in essentially all Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) lesions investigated, including those associated with transplantation. However, the possibility of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) detection in serum before appearing in the tumor is unknown. We therefore studied the natural history of HHV8 infection in a liver transplant recipient who developed KS 9 months after receiving the hepatic allograft. The presence of HHV8 DNA was retrospectively analyzed by using polymerase chain reaction in frozen stored follow-up serum specimens and KS tissues (skin and lymph node biopsies). Although KS was diagnosed the day +279 posttransplant by histopathological examination of KS tissues, retrospective analysis showed that HHV8 DNA was present in all successive serum specimens taken from the day +119 onward. Accordingly, asymptomatic and persistent HHV8 viremia may precede the appearance of typical KS lesions. Monitoring transplant recipients for HHV8 could be useful for developing therapeutic and prophylactic strategies.