Reproducibility of Two Four-Point Clinical Severity Scores for Lateral Canthal Lines (Crow''s Feet)

BACKGROUND: Several clinical scoring systems have been used to evaluate the efficacy of botulinum toxin A in the treatment of hyperkinetic wrinkles. So far very few have been investigated for their reproducibility. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the reproducibility of two clinical four-point scales for lateral canthal lines (crow's feet), at rest and at maximum smile. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Based on standardized photographs, a consensus atlas depicting the different severity grades [from 0 (none) to 3 (severe)] was developed. After training based on the atlas, 49 photographs at rest and 48 at maximum smile were graded by the same group of investigators on 2 consecutive days (n=9 on Day 1; n=8 on Day 2). The scores were compared for reproducibility using kappa statistics. RESULTS: Overall, reproducibility was good for both scales. Interobserver reproducibility showed an agreement of 0.6 at rest and 0.58 at maximum smile (unweighted kappa). Intraobserver reproducibility showed an agreement between 0.47 and 0.86 at rest and between 0.62 and 0.81 at maximum smile (unweighted kappa). Using weighted kappa analysis, the agreement ranged between 0.63 and 0.91 at rest and between 0.71 and 0.85 at maximum smile. CONCLUSION: The clinical scales using scores of 0 to 3 for crow's feet, both at rest and at maximum smile, show a good inter- and intraobserver reproducibility. The use of these scores in clinical trials can be recommended.     

Effect of metoprolol on death and cardiac events during a 2-year period after coronary artery bypass grafting

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of long-term treatment with metoprololafter coronary bypass grafting on death and cardiac events. METHODS: Patients in western Sweden on whom coronary artery bypass graftingwas performed between June 1988 and June 1991 were evaluatedfor inclusion during the first 3 weeks after surgery. Majorexclusion criteria were age >75 years, concomitant valvesurgery, traditional contraindications to beta-blockers andunwillingness to participate. Patients were randomized in adouble-blind fashion to 100 mg of metoprolollplacebo daily for2 weeks and thereafter 200 mg daily for 2 years. RESULTS: Of 2365 patients who were operated on, 967 were randomized toeither metoprolol (n=480) or placebo (n=487). Primary end points(death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, unstable angina pectoris,need for coronary artery bypass grafting or percutaneous transluminalangioplasty), were reached by 42 patients in the metoprololgroup (8·8%) as compared with 39 in the placebo group(8·0%) (P=0·73). Of all the patients randomizedto metoprolol, 34% withdrew from blind treatment prematurelycompared with 44% for placebo (P<0·01) CONCLUSION: Prophylactic treatment with metoprolol over a 2-year periodafter coronary artery bypass grafting did not reduce death orthe development of cardiac events. However, the 95% confidencelimits ranged from the possibility of a 30% reduction in eventsto a 68% increase in events if patients were treated with metoprololas compared with placebo.     

Endocrine therapy with or without radical prostatectomy for T1b-T3N0M0 prostate cancer

BACKGROUND: We retrospectively compared the 5-year survival rates of T1b-T3N0M0 prostate cancer patients treated either by endocrine therapy plus radical prostatectomy or endocrine therapy alone. METHODS: Clinical T1b-T3N0M0 prostate cancer patients were enrolled at 104 institutions in Japan. They were assigned to study 1 (n = 176), if they were indicated to prostatectomy, if not indicated, they were assigned to study 2 (n = 151). The indication of prostatectomy was based on the clinical judgement of physicians and/or patients. Those assigned to study 1 underwent prostatectomy and adjuvant endocrine therapy with or without preoperative androgen deprivation. Those assigned to study 2 were treated with leuprorelin acetate with or without chlormadinone acetate. They were followed-up every 3 months until death or for 5 years and over. RESULTS: Those assigned to study 1 were younger (mean age 67.2 vs 75.7 years), less advanced in clinical stage, and had lower prostate specific antigen levels (mean 43.8 vs 103.6 ng/mL). Death for any reason was observed less frequently in study 1 (n = 29, 16%) than study 2 (n = 50, 33%), and the 5-year overall survival rate was higher in study 1 (87 vs. 68%). However, prostate cancer deaths were comparatively seldom (9% in study 1 and 7% in study 2), resulting in the identical 5-year cause specific survival rate in both study groups (91%). In both study groups the overall survival was almost equal to the natural survival of age-matched men. CONCLUSIONS: Endocrine therapy offers a reasonable survival rate in T1b-T3 prostate cancer patients within a 5-year follow-up. Observation will be extended to determine 10-year outcomes.     

General Practitioners' Use of Health Education Material. Results From a Nationwide Survey in Denmark in 1991

In November 1991 69% of a random sample of 998 Danish generalpractitioners (GPs) participated in a survey by anonymouslyfilling in a mailed questionnaire concerning the way in whichthey use health education in their practices. Among the participatingGPs, 97% used health education material. The study showed differencesin attitudes towards and use of health education material. Thematerial most often used by GPs at the consultation concerneddiet/overweight, allergy and pregnancy. Pamphlets and postersin the waiting room mainly dealt with vaccination, alcohol andsmoking. The female practitioners were generally most sympatheticto the use of health education material, but they are also thosemost critical, of material advertising for medicine. The malepractitioners thought that there was too much material and thatthey did not have enough time to use it.     

全层缝合在预防阑尾炎术后切口感染中的应用

目的：探讨全层缝合在预防阑尾炎术后切口感染的治疗效果。方法：将皮肤、皮下组织、腹外斜肌腱膜全层褥式缝合(腹膜不予缝合)。结果：56例患者无一例感染，也未发现近期并发症。结论：此方法对预防切口感染有较好疗效，且能缩短手术时间，操作简单，建议值得临床应用。     

267株烧伤感染细菌的调查分析

目的：回顾性分析1995年1月至2003年12月间本院烧伤科细菌分布和菌种耐药情况，以指导临床合理用药。方法：收集烧伤病人创面分泌物、血液、痰液及静脉导管末端行普通细菌培养，统计细菌分布情况及常用药物的敏感性。结果：9年来共检出19种267株细菌．其中铜绿假单胞菌和金黄葡萄球菌占83．14％，并有逐渐增加的趋势。铜绿假单胞菌以亚胺培南、头孢哌酮／舒巴坦和多粘菌素B最敏感；氨曲南亦较敏感，且敏感性呈逐渐上升趋势。金黄色葡萄球菌以万古霉素最敏感．呋喃妥因、利福平次之，青霉素类和大部分头孢菌素则高度耐药。结论：目前烧伤感染仍以铜绿假单胞菌和金黄色葡萄球菌为主．防治该两种细菌感染是抗烧伤感染的主要任务。     

SKALP/elafin gene polymorphisms are not associated with pustular forms of psoriasis

Psoriasis is a multifactorial skin disease characterised by epidermal abnormalities and infiltration by lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). Skin-derived antileukoproteinase (SKALP), also known as elafin, is a potent inhibitor of human leukocyte elastase and proteinase 3, two PMN-derived proteinases implicated in tissue destruction and leukocyte migration. We have shown that, at least at the protein level, SKALP is significantly decreased in lesional skin of patients with pustular psoriasis compared with plaque-type psoriasis. This finding raised the possibility that SKALP could be one of the candidate genes for pustular forms of psoriasis. We therefore performed single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis on the SKALP gene to screen for mutations/polymorphisms in the exons of 30 patients with plaque-type psoriasis, 15 patients with pustular psoriasis and 48 healthy controls. In exon 1 a polymorphism was detected at position + 43 relative to the translation start site, resulting in a substitution of threonine for alanine in the signal peptide. In the promoter region a dinucleotide repeat polymorphism was identified. Both polymorphisms were not associated with pustular psoriasis, or psoriasis in general. Our data indicate that the decrease in SKALP activity in pustular psoriasis is not caused by mutations in the coding region of the gene, and that there is no allelic association between pustular psoriasis and SKALP gene polymorphisms.     

HLA-DR4 SUBTYPE AND -B ALLELES IN DQB1*0302-POSITIVE HAPLOTYPES ASSOCIATED WITH IDDM

We determined the distribution of DR4 subtypes in 309 DQB1*0302-positive haplotypes found in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) patients and 70 control haplotypes present only in healthy family members. An increased frequency of DRB1*0401 allele (74.4% vs. 55.7%, P = 0.003) and a decrease of DRB1*0404 allele (23.6% vs. 40.0%, P = 0.0064) was revealed. A further analysis of extended haplotypes demonstrated strong linkages between various B alleles and DRB1*04 subtypes. HLA-B39 was more frequent in DRB1*0404–DQB1*0302-positive IDDM haplotypes compared with control ones (37.0% vs. 14.3%, P = 0.049), suggesting an involvement of the region telomeric to HLA-DRB1 in the susceptibility to IDDM.     

Evolution of coronary stenoses is related to baseline severity--a prospective quantitative angiographic analysis in patients with moderate coronary disease

A correlation of the angiographic evolution of coronary stenoses(stenosis diameter 20%) with morphological stenosis parametersat baseline could help to identify the risk of progressive stenoses.Therefore, the data of the prospective INTACT study (InternationalNifedipine Trial on Antiatherosclerotic Therapy) were reviewed.In 348 patients with moderate coronary artery disease, standardizedcoronary angiograms were taken 3 years apart and were quantitativelyanalysed. Changes in the minimal diameter of the 1063 preexistingcoronary stenoses compared between both angiograms were setin relation to a number of conventional stenosis parametersat baseline. Regression analysis demonstrated a significantcorrelation of the changes in minimal diameter with baseline% diameter stenosis (r=0.30; P<0.001), minimal diameter (r=—0.28;P<0.001) and reference diameter of stenoses (r=–0.14;P<0.001). The changes were not correlated with stenosis lengthand plaque area. The baseline parameters of 22 preexisting stenosesprogressing to occlusions differed from those remaining patentonly with regard to the % diameter stenosis (43 ± 9%vs 39 ± 11%; P<0.05). Additional progression of coronarydisease became manifest through development of 228 stenosesand 19 occlusions at arterial sites free from definitive stenosesin the baseline angiograms. Thus, progression of atherosclerosis predominantly occurredin mild preexisting coronary stenoses and developed at previouslyangiographically normal sites. Since the conventional angiographicparameters analysed in this study failed to identify individualarterial sites with an increased risk for progression, definitionof new angiographic parameters or application of new techniquesseem mandatory to this end.