Skin problems after a tsunami

BACKGROUND: On December 26, 2004, the biggest earthquake for 40 years, measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale, triggered a tsunami that pounded the coastal areas of South Asia and East Africa. The effects of the tsunami on skin conditions have not been evaluated. OBJECTIVE: To determine the influence of the tsunami on skin conditions by evaluating the skin problems of patients presenting at hospitals after the tsunami. METHODS: Between 5 and 25 January 2005, two dermatologists evaluated patients who complained of skin problems at an outpatient clinic and emergency room of a general hospital in Banda Aceh, Aceh Province, Indonesia. RESULTS: The total number of patients that presented during the study period was 235 (131 males and 104 females), and they had a total of 265 skin problems. In terms of age distribution, most subjects were in their fourth decade (23.0%), followed by the third (22.6%) and fifth decade (16.6%). The most prevalent skin problems were infections-infestations (32.5%), followed by eczemas (29.8%) and traumatic skin disorders (29.4%). In males, traumatic skin disorders were most common. The great majority of infection-infestation cases involved superficial fungal infections. Contact dermatitis accounted for three-quarters of eczema cases, and mainly involved the arms (40.0%) and legs (27.1%). The majority of traumatic skin disorders were lacerations, punctures and penetrations, and the feet (44.7%) and hands (18.8%) were most frequently affected. CONCLUSIONS: Unhygienic conditions, exposure to a hazardous environment and contact with various objects during and after the tsunami probably increased the prevalence of infections-infestations, traumatic skin disorders and contact dermatitis. To prevent these problems and associated secondary bacterial infections, health-related education and early medical management are required.     

Pesticide assessment: Protecting public health on the home turf

Pesticide regulation is examined in the context of Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency’s assessment of the chlorophenoxy herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) for turf. 2,4-D is the most common herbicide used to kill weeds in grass.The medical literature does not uniformly indicate harms from herbicides. However, the balance of epidemiological research suggests that 2,4-D can be persuasively linked to cancers, neurological impairment and reproductive problems. These may arise from 2,4-D itself, from breakdown products or dioxin contamination, or from a combination of chemicals.Regulators rely largely on toxicology, but experiments may not replicate exposures from 2,4-D application to lawns because environmental breakdown products (eg, 2,4-dichlorophenol) may not accumulate and selected herbicides are possibly less contaminated. Dioxins are bioaccumulative chemicals that may cause cancer, harm neurological development, impair reproduction, disrupt the endocrine system and alter immune function. No dioxin analyses were submitted to the Pest Management Regulatory Agency, and the principal contaminants of 2,4-D are not among the 17 congeners covered in pesticide regulation. Independent assessment of all dioxins is needed, in tissues and in the environment.The 2,4-D assessment does not approach standards for ethics, rigour or transparency in medical research. Canada needs a stronger regulator for pesticides. Potentially toxic chemicals should not be registered when more benign solutions exist, risks are not clearly quantifiable or potential risks outweigh benefits. Until landscaping pesticides are curtailed nationally, local bylaws and Quebec’s Pesticide Code are prudent measures to protect public health. Physicians have a role in public education regarding pesticides.     

成纤维细胞的力学生物学(下)

一、肌腱内成纤维细胞的力学生物学反应 肌腱内的成纤维细胞可以合成胶原蛋白及其他一些大分子。成纤维细胞可以将这些分子排列成组织性较高的单元，并使纤维的方向与张力方向平行。无论是培养的肌腱还是独立的成纤维细胞都可以对力做出相应的反应。     

Die Erythrokinetik bei Osteomyelofibrose

Zusammenfassung Bei 20 Patienten mit Osteomyelofibrose wurden Erythrocytenbildung und Erythrocytenzerstörung mit Hilfe von Cr⁵¹ und Fe⁵⁹ z. T. nach simultaner Verabreichung dieser Isotope untersucht. Die Erythrocytenlebensdauer war oft verkürzt, jedoch meist nicht hochgradig. Nur bei wenigen Kranken war eine aktive Beteiligung der Milz an der vorzeitigen Zerstörung der Erythrocyten nachweisbar. Das Plasmaeisenturnover war fast stets erhöht, die Eiseninkorporation in die Erythrocyten vermindert. Eine extramedulläre Erythropoese war meist, aber nicht ausnahmslos, durch Oberflächenmessung nachzuweisen. Sie fand überwiegend in der Milz statt, doch war die Leber in zwei Fällen der wichtigste Ort der Erythrocytenbildung. Eine Produktion von Erythrocyten im Knochenmark war bei der Hälfte der entsprechend untersuchten Fälle noch in geringem Maße vorhanden. Die komplexe Korrelation dieser Befunde mit den hämatologischen Daten wurde besprochen und die Indikation zur Splenektomie erörtert.

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Summary Production and destruction of erythrocytes were investigated in 20 patients suffering from myelofibrosis. Cr⁵¹ and Fe⁵⁹ were administered simultaneously. The erythrocyte life span was shortened frequently, but only moderately in most instances. In few patients only the spleen played an active part in the accelerated red cell destruction. The plasma iron turnover was increased in most cases, the incorporation of iron into the erythrocytes was decreased. Extramedullary erythropoiesis was demonstrated by means of surface activity measurements in most but not in all patients. It was localised most frequently in the spleen. In two cases, however, the liver was the most important site of erythrocyte production. Some degree of medullary erythropoiesis was seen in 50 percent of our cases. The correlation between these results and the remaining hematological findings as well as the question of when to remove the spleen are discussed.

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Unter technischer Mitarbeit von FräuleinRenate Roesch, FräuleinMargret Philips und FräuleinIngrid Westmattelmann.

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Die Arbeit wurde durchgeführt mit Unterstützung der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft.     

Detection of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis in human fragmented embryos

In human in-vitro fertilization (IVF)-embryo transfer, the in-vitro culture environment differs from in-vivo conditions in that the oxygen concentration is higher, and in such conditions the mouse embryos show a higher concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in simple culture media. ROS are believed to cause damage to cell membranes and DNA fragmentation in somatic cells. This study was conducted to ascertain the level of H2O2 concentration within embryos and the morphological features of cell damage induced by H2O2. A total of 62 human oocytes and embryos (31 fragmented, 15 non-fragmented embryos, 16 unfertilized oocytes) was obtained from the IVF-embryo transfer programme. The relative intensity of H2O2 concentrations within embryos was measured using 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate by Quanti cell 500 fluorescence imaging and DNA fragmentation was observed with transmission electron microscopy and an in-situ apoptosis detection kit. The H2O2 concentrations were significantly higher in fragmented embryos (72.21 +/- 9.62, mean +/- SEM) compared to non-fragmented embryos (31.30 +/- 3.50, P < 0.05) and unfertilized oocytes (30.75 +/- 2.67, P < 0.05). Apoptosis was observed only in fragmented embryos, and was absent in non-fragmented embryos. Electron microscopic findings confirmed apoptotic bodies and cytoplasmic condensation in the fragmented blastomeres. We conclude that there is a direct relationship between increased H2O2 concentration and apoptosis, and that further studies should be undertaken to confirm these findings.