The posterior urethral valve uropathy: Results of treatment

Nineteen children treated for posterior urethral obstruction due to congenital valve in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria, over a 9-year period have been analysed. Their ages ranged from birth to 12 years. Results show that associated kidney pathology may be irreversible even after successful excision of the valve. This determines the final prognosis, which is worse the younger the child at presentation.     

Epstein-Barr viral load as a marker of lymphoma in AIDS patients

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is implicated in the pathogenesis of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) lymphoma, and viral DNA is present within the malignant cells in about half of affected patients. We examined the extent to which EBV viral load is elevated in the plasma of AIDS lymphoma patients compared to AIDS patients with opportunistic infections. Sixty-one AIDS patients were studied including 35 with lymphoma (24 non-Hodgkin, six Hodgkin, and five brain lymphoma) and 26 with various opportunistic infections. In situ hybridization revealed EBV encoded RNA (EBER) expression in the malignant cells of 17/28 AIDS lymphomas (61%). In 232 serial plasma samples from 35 lymphoma patients and in 128 samples from AIDS controls, EBV viral load was assayed by quantitative-polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) using a TaqMan probe targeting the BamH1W sequence. EBV was detected in plasma from all 17 EBER-positive AIDS lymphoma patients, with viral loads ranging from 34 to 1,500,000 copies per ml (median 3,210). Viral load usually fell rapidly upon initiation of lymphoma therapy and remained undetectable except in two patients with persistent tumor. In 11 AIDS patients, whose lymphoma lacked EBER expression, and in 26 control patients without lymphoma, levels of EBV in plasma were usually low or undetectable (range 0-1,995 and 0-2,409, median 0 and 0, respectively). There was no association between EBV viral load and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) load or CD4 count. In conclusion, EBV viral load shows promise as a tool to assist in diagnosis and management of EBV-related lymphoma patients.     

Ivermectin levels in human breastmilk

Summary Ivermectin levels were measured in breastmilk and plasma of 4 healthy mothers after an oral 150 g/kg dose. Mean ± S.D. plasma and milk values were 37.9±0.54 and 14.13±0.43 (ng/ml) respectively. Steady-state ivermectin levels in milk were low. Our results suggest that exclusion of lactating mothers from mass chemotherapy with ivermectin may be unnecessary.     

Effects of some common additives on the antimicrobial activities of alcohol-based hand sanitizers

Objective: To study the effects of some common additives on the antimicrobial activities of alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Methods: The antibacterial activities of varying aqueous concentrations of ethanol and isopropyl alcohol were tested by the agar well diffusion method. The influences of different concentrations of glycerin was similarly tested. Finally, isopropyl alcohol and benzalkonium chloride were combined in different ratios within the sate use concentrations of each, and the effects of these combinations were compared with values obtained for the two agents used alone. Statistical methods, such as student t test and one-way ANOVA were used when appropriate to evaluate the differences in activity. Results: The activities of the alcohols showed marked concentration dependence, and both showed peak activity at 85%-95% concentration range. Over the concentration range of 60%-100%, isopropyl alcohol inhibited more bacterial and fungal organisms than ethanol, though the inhibition zone diameters it produced were not statistically different from those of ethanol for organisms which were sensitive to both of them.Addition of glycerin reduced the antimicrobial activities of the isopropyl alcohol, as shown by reduction in the inhibition zone diameters produced in vitro, which may be due to reduced drug diffusion with increase in viscosity. Addition of benzalkonium to isopropyl alcohol systems improved the activity of the alcohol, but the overall activity of the combination was not superior to that seen in the use of benzalkonium alone. Conclusion: Alcohol-based hand sanitizers should not be used outside the concentration range of 85%-95% and isopropyl alcohol inhibits more bacterial and fungal organisms than ethanol for most concentrations. Inclusion of benzalkonium improves the antimicrobial spectrum and activity of isopropyl alcohol, and the combination may justifiably be used to achieve both immediate and long lasting effect. Glycerin may adversely affect the antimicrobial activities of isopropyl alcohol-based hand sanitizers and should be used with caution.     

Examination of anticoagulation prescription among elderly patients with atrial fibrillation after in-hospital fall

Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis - Mechanical fall is common among elders and has been associated with a lack of anticoagulant therapy among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However,...     

HepaRG culture in tethered spheroids as an in vitro three‐dimensional model for drug safety screening

Conventional two‐dimensional (2D) monolayer cultures of HepaRG cells allow in vitro maintenance of many liver‐specific functions. However, cellular dedifferentiation and functional deterioration over an extended culture period in the conventional 2D HepaRG culture have hampered its applications in drug testing. To address this issue, we developed tethered spheroids of HepaRG cells on Arg–Gly–Asp (RGD) and galactose‐conjugated substratum with an optimized hybrid ratio as an in vitro three‐dimensional (3D) human hepatocyte model. The liver‐specific gene expression level and drug metabolizing enzyme activities in HepaRG‐tethered spheorids were markedly higher than those in 2D cultures throughout the culture period of 7 days. The inducibility of three major cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, namely CYP1A2, CYP2B6 and CYP3A4, was improved in both mRNA and activity level in tethered spheroids. Drug‐induced cytotoxic responses to model hepatotoxins (acetaminophen, chlorpromazine and ketoconazole) in tethered spheroids were comparable to 2D cultures as well as other studies in the literature. Our results suggested that the HepaRG‐tethered spheroid would be an alternative in vitro model suitable for drug safety screening. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Targeting mitochondrial dysfunction with elamipretide

Heart Failure Reviews - Although currently employed therapies for heart failure decrease overall mortality and improve patient quality of life temporarily, the disease is known to progress even for...