Serum lipids, apoproteins and nutrient intake in rural Cretan boys consuming high-olive-oil diets

A high intake of olive oil has produced high levels of high-density and low levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in short-term dietary trials. To investigate long-term effects of olive oil we have studied the diet and serum lipids of boys in Crete, where a high olive oil consumption is the norm. Seventy-six healthy rural Cretan boys aged 7-9 years were studied. The diet was assessed by a 2-day dietary recall. Blood was collected according to a standardized protocol and sera were analyzed in a rigidly standardized laboratory. The mean daily intake of energy was 11.0 MJ (2629 kcal). The intake of fat (45.0% of energy) and oleic acid (27.2% of energy) was high, and that of saturated fat low (10.0% of energy), reflecting a high consumption of olive oil. The high consumption of olive oil was confirmed by a high proportion of oleic-acid (27.1%) in serum cholesteryl fatty acids. Mean concentration of serum total cholesterol was 4.42 mmol l-1 (171 mg dl-1), of HDL-cholesterol 1.40 mmol l-1 (54 mg dl-1), of serum triglycerides 0.59 mmol l-1 (52 mg dl-1), of apo-AI 1210 mg l-1 and of LDL apo-B 798 mg l-1. The body mass index of the Cretan boys (18.2 kg m-2) was on average 2 kg m-2 higher than that of boys from other countries. Contrary to our expectation, the Cretan boys did not show a more favourable serum lipoprotein pattern than boys from more westernized countries studied previously using the same protocol. Our hypothesis that a typical, olive-oil-rich Cretan diet causes a relatively high HDL- to total cholesterol ratio is not supported by the present findings.     

Ausfallhonorar wegen Nichterscheinens zu einem Exklusiv-Termin

Abstrakt 1. Nimmt ein Patient einen ihm von seinem (Zahn-)Arzt einger?umten Exklusiv-Termin nicht wahr, obwohl er auf dessen Eigenschaft ausdrücklich hingewiesen wurde, so hat er dem (Zahn-)Arzt den Behandlungsausfall abzüglich eines angemessenen Eigenanteils des (Zahn-)Arztes zu ersetzen. 2. Die Ersatzpflicht tritt auch dann ein, wenn der Patient den Termin nicht in der in dem Behandlungsvertrag vorgesehenen Frist absagt. Eine hierfür seitens des (Zahn-)Arztes bestimmte Frist von zwei Tagen vor Behandlungsbeginn stellt sich für den Patienten grunds?tzlich auch nicht als unangemessene Benachteiligung i.S. des § 307 BGB dar. 3. Ein Anspruch des Arztes entf?llt auch bei nur mündlicher Vereinbarung nicht unter dem Gesichtspunkt des § 4 Abs. 5b BMV-Z, denn diese Vorschrift ist teleologisch dahin zu reduzieren, dass nur zahn?rztliche Honoraransprüche aus erfolgten Behandlungen schriftlich vereinbart werden müssen. Soweit es jedoch um einen vertraglichen Anspruch wegen einer Leistungsst?rung geht, vermag das Schriftformerfordernis des § 4 Abs. 5b BMV-Z grunds?tzlich nicht einzugreifen. (Leits?tze des Bearbeiters)     

Role of IL-2 in rat fetal thymocyte development

Early during rat thymus ontogeny, an important proportion of thymocytes expresses IL-2R and contains IL-2 mRNA. To investigate the role of the IL-2-IL-2R complex in rat T cell maturation, we supplied either recombinant rat IL-2 or blocking anti-CD25 mAb to rat fetal thymus organ cultures (FTOC) under several experimental conditions. The IL-2 treatment initially stimulated the growth of thymocytes and, as a result, induced T cell differentiation, but the continuous addition of IL-2 to rat FTOC, as well as the anti-CD25 administration, resulted in cell number decrease and inhibition of thymocyte maturation. These results indicate that immature rat thymocytes bear functional high- affinity IL-2R and that IL-2 promotes T cell differentiation as a consequence of its capacity to stimulate cell proliferation. Modifications in TCR alpha beta repertoire and increased numbers of NKR- P1+ cells, largely NK cells, were also observed in IL-2-treated FTOC. Furthermore, IL-2-responsiveness of different thymocyte subsets changed throughout thymic ontogeny. Immature CD4-CD8-cells responded to IL-2 in two stages, early in thymus development and around birth, in correlation with the maturation of two distinct waves of thymic cell progenitors. Mature CD8+ thymocytes maximally responded to IL-2 around birth, supporting a role for IL-2 in the increased proliferation of mature thymocytes observed in vivo in the perinatal period. Taken together, these findings support a role for IL-2 in rat T cell development.      

A rapid microagglutination test for the diagnosis of Legionella pneumophila (serogroup 1) infection

A rapid microagglutination test has been developed which can be performed in 30 minutes. Ninety-seven percent of 96 patients diagnosed as having Legionella pneumophila (serogroup 1) infection by indirect immunofluorescence were also detected by the rapid microagglutination test.     

Application of a noninvasive oral fluid test for detection of treponemal IgG in a predominantly HIV-infected population

The performance of a time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay (TRFIA) for detection of treponemal IgG from oral fluid specimens has been assessed in a predominantly HIV-infected population. Serological investigation is the method of choice for confirming clinical suspicion of syphilis; however, in the primary stage of disease, direct detection of treponemes in lesion fluid or Treponema pallidum DNA is recommended because of the reduced sensitivity of serological tests. There may be occasions when blood for serological investigation is difficult to obtain due to individual patient preference or logistical necessity to improve participation in screening initiatives, particularly in outreach situations. Collection of oral fluid for detection of treponemal antibody may prove an attractive alternative and, with this in mind, an oral fluid assay for detection of treponemal IgG was developed. Time-resolved fluorescence was used to detect treponemal IgG extracted from commercially available oral fluid collection devices. Paired serum and saliva samples were obtained from 210 individuals, 101 of whom were diagnosed with syphilis on the grounds of medical examination confirmed by serological testing. Oral fluid specimens from 14 subjects were rejected because they contained insufficient control antibody or were inhibitory. The population tested was predominantly men who have sex with men, many of whom were HIV infected. The overall sensitivity and specificity of the oral fluid assay was 95.8 and 86.1%, respectively, based on the 5th percentile of the positive results, and 93.7 and 91.1%, respectively, based on a cutoff derived by mixture model analysis. For individuals with primary syphilis, the optimum sensitivity of the oral fluid assay was 87.5%, whereas in those with disease classified as secondary syphilis and early latent syphilis, the sensitivity of the oral fluid assay was 100 and 94.7%, respectively. The oral fluid assay is a useful alternative to serological testing in certain situations, and further development of this technology to enable detection of treponemal IgM should increase its sensitivity for detecting cases of primary syphilis.