Renal growth after neonatal urinary tract infection

This study presents the result of 12–21 years' follow-up in a group of children with neonatal urinary tract infection (onset within 1 month after birth) in whom early renal growth retardation was noted without concomitant classical renal scarring. In all cases the neonatal infection was diagnosed and treated within a few days of onset and the patients were closely supervised thereafter. Renal length, parenchymal thickness and area were measured at urography. At first follow-up (22 children, mean age 4.1 years) a significant reduction of renal parenchymal thickness was noted. Long-term follow-up (18 patients, mean age 17 years) demonstrated a normalization of renal size in the entire group, although less complete in the subgroup with reflux. There were two major findings in the present study. Firstly, renal growth retardation was seen after neonatal infection, both with and without reflux. Secondly, normalization of renal size in previously small kidneys was demonstrated, suggesting that growth retardation can be a reversible phenomenon. The tendency for such normalization was slightly more marked in children without reflux. Reduction of parenchymal thickness without calyceal deformity, therefore, does not necessarily mean irreversible damage, and differentiation between permanent scarring and temporary growth retardation can thus only be made at later follow-up, possibly not until after puberty. The demonstration of renal growth retardation in spite of early diagnosis and treatment emphasizes the great vulnerability of the kidney in the newborn.     

腔隙性脑梗死的MRI与CT的诊断价值

目的:探讨腔隙性脑梗死的影像学特点及其临床意义,比较MRI和CT的诊断价值。方法:对120例经临床、MRI诊断明确为腔隙性脑梗死患者的病灶形态大小、部位、数量进行统计。结果:①120例行MRI检查患者共发现病灶890个,最多见于豆状核(占40.8%),其次为放射冠、丘脑、内囊、尾状核、桥脑,可为圆形、椭圆形、条索状病灶。②32例既做CT,又做MRI患者中,MRI检出的病灶数为CT的5.1倍,其中绝大多数CT漏检病灶直径≤5mm或位于幕下。结论:①腔隙性脑梗死常为多发,且第一次临床发病时多数患者颅内已存在无症状性腔隙性脑梗死病灶;②腔隙性脑梗死灶易为CT忽略,尤其是幕下病灶或≤5mm的病灶,这是造成既往文献报道腔隙性脑梗死好发部位差异较大的一个主要原因;③尽管腔隙性脑梗死病灶较小(≤10mm),但大部分(60.0%)急性期存在在周边水肿,需要相应的临床治疗。     

Dotlike Hemosiderin Spots Are Associated With Past Hemorrhagic Strokes in Patients With Lacunar Infarcts

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Dotlike hemosiderin spots ongradient-echo T2(*)-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of the brain have been histologically diagnosed as old microbleeds associated with small vessel disease (SVD). The authors hypothesize that the presence of many dotHSs may be correlated with the fragility of small vessels and the recurrence of SVD, including lacunar infarction and deep intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). METHODS: To investigate how dotHSs are related to past history of SVD, the number of subcortical or deep dotHSs was investigated in 146 patients with lacunar infarctions (95 men, 51 women, age 38 to 90 [66.6+/-9.4] years). They were divided into 2 subgroups according to history of deep ICHs or lacunar infarctions. The odds ratio (OR) for past history was estimated from logistic regression analyses with the number of subcortical or deep dotHSs as well as other factors. RESULTS: Of 146 patients with lacunar infarctions, 11 had past symptomatic ICHs and 19 had past symptomatic lacunar infarctions. An elevated rate of history of ICH was found for lacunar infarction patients with many deep dotHSs (>or=3; OR, 9.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.6-51, P=.015). However, history of lacunar infarction was not significantly associated with the number of subcortical or deep dotHSs. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that many deep dotHSs on T2(*)-weighted magnetic resonance imaging may be correlated with deep ICH-lacunar infarction type of SVD recurrence but not lacunar infarction-lacunar infarction type.     

Predicting spontaneous early neurological recovery after acute ischemic stroke

We assessed predictors of spontaneous early neurological recovery after acute ischemic stroke by means of multivariate analysis in a cohort of 1,473 consecutive patients treated at one academic center. At hospital discharge, spontaneous neurological improvement or good outcome was defined as grades 0-2 of the Rankin scale, and poor outcome (no improvement or in-hospital death) as grades 3-5. Spontaneous recovery of neurological deficit at the time of discharge from the hospital was observed in 16% of patients with cerebral infarction (n = 238). Dysarthria-clumsy hand syndrome improved in 44% of patients and was the only variable significantly associated with in-hospital functional recovery in three logistic regression models that in addition to lacunar syndromes, included demographic variables, cardiovascular risk factors, and clinical variables [odds ratio (OR) 2.56], neuroimaging findings (OR 2.48), and outcome data (OR 2.39), respectively. Clinical factors related to severity of infarction available at stroke onset have a predominant influence upon in-hospital outcome and may help clinicians to assess prognosis more accurately. Our work gives a contribution into prognostic factors after acute ischemic stroke. With regard to patterns of stroke, dysarthria-clumsy hand syndrome was a significant predictor of spontaneous in-hospital recovery in ischemic stroke patients.     

Asymptomatic nerve hypertrophy in lepromatous leprosy: a clinical,electrophysiological and morphological study

Summary In order to learn more about early nerve lesions observed in leprosy, we performed a clinical, electrophysiological and morphological study in seven patients with untreated lepromatous leprosy, palpably enlarged radial cutaneous nerve and preserved sensation in the corresponding territory. The conduction velocity of the cutaneous radial nerve, which was decreased in all patients, did not significantly differ from that of a group of patients with lepromatous leprosy, hypertrophy of the radial cutaneous nerve and sensory loss. In contrast, the sensory action potential was significantly lower in patients with sensory loss, which demonstrates that axon loss is more important than demyelination in producing sensory loss. In all patients nerve enlargement was due to thickening of the epineurium and of the perineurium subsequent to inflammatory infiltrates and proliferation of fibroblasts and perineurial cells. In several fascicles, the inflammatory infiltrates and the infected cells infiltrated endoneurial connective tissue septa and blood vessels.Mycobacteria leprae were abundant in peri neurial cells, fibroblasts, macrophages, Schwarm cells and endothelial cells, and lymphocytic vasculitis present in all cases. The average density of myelinated fibres was 2600 SD 880 fibres/mm² (control: 7700 fibres/mm²), with marked differences between individual fascicles, versus 420 fibres/mm² in patients with nerve hypertrophy and sensory loss (range 0–2080 fibres/mm²). Single fibre preparations showed that segmental demyelination pre dominated in two patients, axonal degeneration in one, while inflammatory infiltrates and proliferation of connective tissue adhering to individual fibres were prominent in the others. Both infection of Schwann cells and secretory products released by mononuclear cells involved in the inflammatory process are likely to play a role in the lesions of nerve fibres observed in early stages of lepromatous leprosy.Presented in part at the Second Meeting of the European Neurological Society, Brighton (UK), June 1990     

西安市新型冠状病毒肺炎无症状感染者特征分析

目的 分析西安市新型冠状病毒肺炎(COVID-19)无症状感染者的特征,为更好地防控疫情提供参考依据。方法 收集疫情应急处置期间无症状感染者的现场流行病学调查资料,采用描述性流行病学方法进行分析。结果 截至2020年5月10日,西安市共报告无症状感染者25例(男12例,女13例),中位年龄46.0(18.5,65.0)岁,占全市17.24%(25/145)。其中15例(60.00%)为确诊病例密切接触者,8例(32.00%)有湖北旅居史,2例(8.00%)为无症状感染者的密切接触者;23例(92.00%)经聚集性疫情传染源溯源和确诊病例/无症状感染者密切接触者排查发现,1例(4.00%)为协查外市确诊病例密切接触者发现,1例(4.00%)为筛查高危地区来陕人群发现。25例无症状感染者末次暴露到首次核酸检测阳性中位时间为17.0 d,集中医学观察开始至首次核酸检测阳性中位时间为8.0 d,首次核酸检测阳性至转阴出院中位时间为14.0 d。CT显示78.57%(11/14)无症状感染者肺部存在不同程度的小结节影、斑片状影、磨玻璃样影和边界欠清晰状况。结论 无症状感染者主要经聚集性疫情调查和确诊病例/无症状感染者密切接触者排查发现。及时全面排查密切接触者并对其进行集中医学观察,能减少其可能造成的疫情持续传播。肺部影像学特征性改变可作为早期排查的重要参考。     

Immune cell landscape in symptomatic and asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infected adults and children in urban Dhaka,Bangladesh

ObjectivesThe study of cellular immunity to SARS-CoV-2 is crucial for evaluating the course of the COVID-19 disease and for improving vaccine development. We aimed to assess the phenotypic landscape of circulating lymphocytes and mononuclear cells in adults and children who were seropositive to SARS-CoV-2 in the past 6 months.MethodsBlood samples (n = 350) were collected in a cross-sectional study in Dhaka, Bangladesh (Oct 2020-Feb 2021). Plasma antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 were determined by an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay while lymphocyte and monocyte responses were assessed using flow cytometry including dimensionality reduction and clustering algorithms.ResultsSARS-CoV-2 seropositivity was observed in 52% of adults (18–65 years) and 56% of children (10–17 years). Seropositivity was associated with reduced CD3⁺T cells in both adults (beta(β) = ?2.86; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = ?5.98, 0.27) and children (β = ?8.78; 95% CI = ?13.8, ?3.78). The frequencies of T helper effector (CD4⁺T_EFF) and effector memory cells (CD4⁺T_EM) were increased in seropositive compared to seronegative children. In adults, seropositivity was associated with an elevated proportion of cytotoxic T central memory cells (CD8⁺T_CM). Overall, diverse manifestations of immune cell dysregulations were more prominent in seropositive children compared to adults, who previously had COVID-like symptoms. These changes involved reduced frequencies of CD4⁺T_EFF cells and CD163⁺CD64⁺ classical monocytes, but increased levels of intermediate or non-classical monocytes, as well as CD8⁺T_EM cells in symptomatic children.ConclusionSeropositive individuals in convalescence showed increased central and effector memory T cell phenotypes and pro-resolving/healing monocyte phenotypes compared to seronegative subjects. However, seropositive children with a previous history of COVID-like symptoms, displayed an ongoing innate inflammatory trait.     

HBV基因型与慢性乙型肝炎疾病谱的关系

目的　探讨乙型肝炎病毒 (HBV)基因型与慢性乙型肝炎疾病谱相关性。方法　用S基因聚合酶链式反应 -限制片段长度多态性 (PCR -RFLP)的基因型分型方法对广东地区HBV感染者中无症状携带者 (AsC)组 80例和肝硬化组 (LC) 12 0例血清标本分型 ,比较两组基因型分布的异同。结果　基因型在AsC组分布 :B型 45 0 % ( 3 7/ 80 ) ;C型 3 3 75 % ( 2 6/ 80 ) ;D基因型 2 1 2 5 % ( 17/80 ) ;LC组HBV基因型分布B型 3 2 5 % ( 3 9/ 12 0 ) ;C型 65 8% ( 79/ 12 0 ) ;D基因型 1 6% ( 2 / 12 0 )。广州地区未发现A、E和F基因型 ,基因型在两组中的分布均与e抗原状态无显著性差异 (P >0 0 5 ) ;ASC与LC组两组间基因型的分布有显著性差异 ( χ2 =3 1 92 4,P=0 0 0 0 )。结论　可初步认为广东地区HBV感染者以B和C型为优势基因型 ,AsC组中以B型为优势基因型 ,感染HBVD基因型病情轻 ,感染HBVC基因型病情更易于加重。