European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) Technical Notes on antimicrobial susceptibility testing

The main objectives of the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) are to harmonise breakpoints for antimicrobial agents in Europe, and to act as the breakpoint committee for the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) during the registration of new antimicrobial agents. Detailed EUCAST procedures for harmonising and setting breakpoints for antimicrobial agents are available on the EUCAST website. Beginning with the current issue, a series of EUCAST Technical Notes will be published in CMI, based on the rationale documents produced by EUCAST for each of the antimicrobial agents studied, with the aim of highlighting important background information underlying decisions on breakpoints made by EUCAST.     

Failure of ivalon to provide permanent hepatic arterial occlusion

Ivalon (polyvinyl alcohol) is a commonly used embolic agent, generally considered to be permanent. In a patient with the carcinoid syndrome, embolization of hepatic metastases with Ivalon failed to produce permanent occlusion, and recurrent tumor was supplied by many of the same small arteries identified on the original arteriogram. Occasionally, Ivalon may have only a temporary occlusive effect. A possible explanation for this phenomenon is proposed.     

An association between plastic mattress covers and sheepskin underbedding use in infancy and house dust mite sensitization in childhood: a prospective study

BACKGROUND: Higher house dust mite (HDM) allergen exposure during infancy has been associated with increased HDM sensitization. Infant bedding has been associated with the accumulation of varying levels of HDM. Prospective data on the relationship between infant bedding and the development of HDM sensitization has not been previously examined. OBJECTIVES: To determine if particular types of bedding used in infancy are associated with increased risk of house dust mite sensitization in childhood. METHODS: A population-based sample (n = 498) of children born in 1988 or 1989, and who were resident in Northern Tasmania in 1997, participated in this study. These children were part of a birth cohort study (1988-95), the Tasmanian Infant Health Survey. Data on infant underbedding and mattresses was available on 460 and 457 children, respectively. The main outcome measure was HDM sensitization defined as a skin prick test (SPT) reaction of 3 mm or more to the allergens of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and/or Dermatophagoides farinae. RESULTS: The use of either sheepskin underbedding or plastic mattress covers in infancy was associated with an increased risk of sensitization to HDM allergens at age 8 years. The adjusted risk ratio (RR) for sensitization to HDM with sheepskin in infancy was 2.27 (95% CI: 1.14, 4.55), P = 0.020. The adjusted RR for sensitization to HDM with the use of plastic mattress covers in infancy was 2.06 (95% CI: 1.22, 3.51), P = 0.007. The use of a foam mattress in infancy was not related to subsequent HDM sensitization. CONCLUSION: Infant's bedding plays a role in the development of HDM sensitization in childhood. Intervention studies to examine mite allergen levels and the role of underbedding on the development of HDM sensitization are required.     

Disposition Characteristics of Macromolecules in Tumor-Bearing Mice

As part of the strategy for the design of macromolecular carriers for drug targeting, the disposition characteristics of macromolecules were studied in mice bearing tumors that served as target tissues. Eight kinds of macromolecules including four polysaccharides and four proteins with different molecular weights and electric charges were used; tissue distribution and tumor localization after intravenous injection were studied. Pharmacokinetic analysis revealed that the tissue radioactivity uptake rate index calculated in terms of clearance was different among the tested compounds; especially, the urinary radioactivity excretion clearances and the total hepatic radioactivity uptake clearances varied widely. Compounds with low molecular weights (approximately 10 kD) or positive charges showed lower tumor radioactivity accumulation; radioactivity was rapidly eliminated from the plasma via rapid urinary excretion or extensive hepatic uptake, respectively. On the other hand, large and negatively charged compounds, carboxymethyl dextran, bovine serum albumin, and mouse immunoglobulin G, showed higher radioactivity accumulation in the tumor (calculated total amounts were 15.6, 10.8, and 20.8% of the dose, respectively) and prolonged retention in the circulation. These results demonstrated that the total systemic exposure rather than the uptake rate index was correlated with total tumor uptake. Molecular weight and electric charge of the macromolecules significantly affected their disposition characteristics and, consequently, determined radioactivity accumulation in the tumor. It was concluded that a drug–carrier complex designed for systemic tumor targeting should be polyanionic in nature and larger than 70,000 in molecular weight.     

Dipyridamole technetium 99m sestamibi myocardial tomography as an independent predictor of cardiac event-free survival after acute ischemic events

Background  

A total of 137 consecutive patients with recent uncomplicated myocardial infarction (n=31) or unstable angina (n=106) were studied to determine the relative prognostic value of predischarge clinical risk stratification and intravenous dipyridamole stress sestamibi (MIBI) myocardial tomography in patients unable to exercise maximally after an acute ischemic coronary event.     

沙棘汁对致癌物N-二甲基亚硝胺(NDMA)在大鼠体内合成及诱癌的阻断与防护作用

在饲料中加入氨基比林和NaNO_2各2g/kg饲与Wistar大鼠38周后诱发出肝、肺及肾脏肿瘤,其中以肝肿瘤的发生率为100％(17/17),大鼠平均寿命195天。而同时给予沙棘汁饮用的大鼠其肿瘤发生较晚,发癌率较低(88％,15/17),平均寿命270天,显著长于对照组和单纯抗坏血酸组(P<0.01),且肝脏癌变范围较小,病变较轻。结果表明,沙棘汁能有效地阻断N-亚硝基化合物在大鼠体内合成及诱癌,其防癌效果优于等量的抗坏血酸。     

荧光分光光度法测定水产品中烷烃类、芳烃类污染物

目的：对使用荧光分光光度法测定水产品中烷烃类、芳烃类污染物的方法进行验证,并检测三类样品。方法：通过氢氧化钠-乙醇皂化处理,用正已烷萃取,用石油醚溶解,测量萃取物荧光强度值进行定量。结果：测得标准油在0.00～12.0μg/ml范围内线性关系良好,相关系数0.9999,检出限为0.2 mg/kg,平均回收率90.2%,RSD5.4%。结论：本法准确度、灵敏度高,检出限低,操作稳定性好。     

三联疗法根除幽门螺杆菌治疗对肠道微生态的影响

目的 探讨抗幽门螺杆菌(Hp)治疗对患者肠道菌群状态(肠道微生态)及耐药性的影响。方法 分别称取60例患者治疗前后新鲜粪便0．5g，选择肠道菌群中具代表性的4种需氧菌和6种厌氧菌分别进行需氧和厌氧培养，从培养出的菌落中挑选相同的菌株进行治疗前后药敏试验。结果 (1)治疗后肠道菌群中肠杆菌、葡萄球菌、拟杆菌、双歧杆菌、消化球菌、梭菌、乳杆菌、真杆菌均较治疗前明显降低(P＜0．05)；(2)治疗后肠道菌群中大肠埃希氏菌、消化链球菌、赛氏葡萄球菌、普氏梭杆菌、肺炎致病性链球菌群、产气真杆菌等对庆大霉素、红霉素、环丙沙星、特美丁、头孢噻肟钠等药耐药率明显增加，且存在多重耐药(P＜0．05)；(3)治疗后超广谱β—内酰氨酶阳性的消化链球菌、表皮葡萄球菌、普氏梭杆菌、肺炎致病性链球菌群、赛氏葡萄球菌等较治疗前分别增加26．2％、33．3％、28．6％、35．3％、28．6％。结论 三联抗Hp治疗后肠道菌群失调、耐药菌株的增加、传播与扩散对广大人群存在潜在危险。