肺炎支原体感染与小儿支气管哮喘急性发作的关系

目的:研究肺炎支原体(MP)感染与支气管哮喘急性发作的相关性。方法:选择我院2012年10月~2013年9月收治的支气管哮喘急性发作和缓解期患儿,作为观察组和对照组,分析两组患儿血清中MP特异性IgM(MP-IgM)和咽拭子MP-DNA的检测结果。结果:观察组MP-IgM和MP-DNA阳性率以及MP-DNA拷贝量均显著高于对照组(P0.05)。结论:MP感染与小儿支气管哮喘急性发作具有密切关系,MP-IgM和MP-DNA检测,可为临床诊疗提供一定的参考依据。     

Season of Birth in Schizophrenia in the Mexico City Area: Comparison with General Population

The relationship between seasonal changes and mental disorders has been extensively studied in the northern and southern hemispheres. In both cases, the results show that there is a higher rate of schizophrenic births during the winter months. The present study attempts to prove the existence of this phenomena in Mexico City, an area that does not undergo extreme weather variations throughout the year. A total of 2,288 schizophrenic patients was considered for this study. Their date of birth was compared to that of the general population of the Mexico City area, a total of 4,848,119 individuals. The number of births was evaluated according to the number of days in each month. The distribution of the births of schizophrenics was compared to the reference population by means of a Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and a X 2 contrast. The annual rhythm of births of schizophrenics was determined through an analysis of the Estimated Seasonal Component. There was a slight, non-significant increment in schizophrenic births in December and autumn, as compared with the general population birth rate. Interestingly, it was found that births in the control population decreased significantly in December when compared with all the other months. Results were discussed in relation to the geographical location of Mexico, which lies in a tropical zone, and as a consequence minimal seasonal effects.     

Season of Birth in Schizophrenia in the Mexico City Area: Comparison with General Population

The relationship between seasonal changes and mental disorders has been extensively studied in the northern and southern hemispheres. In both cases, the results show that there is a higher rate of schizophrenic births during the winter months. The present study attempts to prove the existence of this phenomena in Mexico City, an area that does not undergo extreme weather variations throughout the year. A total of 2,288 schizophrenic patients was considered for this study. Their date of birth was compared to that of the general population of the Mexico City area, a total of 4,848,119 individuals. The number of births was evaluated according to the number of days in each month. The distribution of the births of schizophrenics was compared to the reference population by means of a Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and a X 2 contrast. The annual rhythm of births of schizophrenics was determined through an analysis of the Estimated Seasonal Component. There was a slight, non-significant increment in schizophrenic births in December and autumn, as compared with the general population birth rate. Interestingly, it was found that births in the control population decreased significantly in December when compared with all the other months. Results were discussed in relation to the geographical location of Mexico, which lies in a tropical zone, and as a consequence minimal seasonal effects.     

Viral Prevalence in Wild Serval Population is Driven by Season and Sex

EcoHealth - One of the key factors influencing the population dynamics of threatened species such as felids is disease, but long-term studies of the factors influencing seroprevalence of wild...     

Prenatal and Postnatal Exposure to Phthalate Esters and Asthma: A 9-Year Follow-Up Study of a Taiwanese Birth Cohort

Previous studies have shown that phthalate exposure in childhood is associated with the development of respiratory problems. However, few studies have assessed the relative impact of prenatal and postnatal exposure to phthalates on the development of asthma later in childhood. Therefore, we assessed the impact of prenatal and postnatal phthalate exposure on the development of asthma and wheezing using a Taiwanese birth cohort. A total of 430 pregnant women were recruited, and 171 (39.8%) of them had their children followed when they were aged 2, 5, and 8 years. The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire was used to assess asthma and wheezing symptoms and serum total immunoglobulin E levels were measured at 8 years of age. Urine samples were obtained from 136 women during their third trimester of pregnancy, 99 children at 2 years of age, and 110 children at 5 years. Four common phthalate monoester metabolites in maternal and children’s urine were measured using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. Maternal urinary mono-benzyl phthalate [MBzP] concentrations were associated with an increased occurrence of wheezing in boys at 8 years of age (odds ratio [OR] = 4.95 (95% CI 1.08–22.63)), for upper quintile compared to the others) after controlling for parental allergies and family members'' smoking status. Urinary mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate [MEHP] levels over the quintile at 2-year-old were associated with increased asthma occurrence (adjusted OR = 6.14 (1.17–32.13)) in boys. Similarly, the sum of di-2-ethyl-hexyl phthalate [DEHP] metabolites at 5 years was associated with asthma in boys (adjusted OR = 4.36 (1.01–18.86)). Urinary MEHP in maternal and 5-year-old children urine were significantly associated with increased IgE in allergic children at 8 years. Prenatal and postnatal exposure to phthalate was associated with the occurrence of asthma in children, particularly for boys.     

体重指数与支气管哮喘的相关性研究

目的：探讨体重指数（BMI）对支气管哮喘的影响,进一步揭示肥胖与哮喘在肺功能方面的内在联系,从而对哮喘的防治提供新的研究方向。方法：选取我院肺功能室2009年3月至2011年1月支气管哮喘患者97例,其中男性51例,女性46例,年龄20-42岁,依据体重指数分级,分为正常体重组35例,超重组32例,肥胖组30例。进行肺功能及支气管舒张试验测定,分组比较。结果：（1）超重组和肥胖组改善率高于正常体重组（P=0.012,P=0.002）。（2）FVC和FEV1/FVC在哮喘患者中下降明显（P〈0.05）,有显著差异。结论：（1）体重指数影响哮喘改善率,随体重指数的增加改善率也相应增加（2）肥胖哮喘患者仍以阻塞性通气功能障碍为主。     

Season of Birth and Sleep-Timing Preferences in Adolescents

The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between season of birth and sleep-timing preferences in adolescence. To this end, the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (MEQ-CA) was administered to 1912 adolescents (1058 females and 854 males), ranging in age between 10 and 17 yrs. To assess preferred sleep habits, the authors considered the answers to the open-ended questions of the MEQ-CA (items 1 and 2), regarding the preferred arising time and the preferred going to bed time. Combining the answers to these two questions, the authors also indirectly computed the preferred sleep duration and preferred midpoint of sleep. Season of birth did not significantly modulate the overall MEQ-CA score; however, spring-born participants preferred to go to bed and reached the preferred midpoint of sleep later than those born in autumn. Agreeing with a previous study on young adults, the present data point to a significant season-of-birth effect on the two parameters of the sleep-timing preferences in adolescents. (Author correspondence: lorenzo.tonetti2@unibo.it)     

Trial of Disodium Cromoglycate in Bronchial Asthma

In a double-blind cross-over trial of disodium cromoglycate on 11 patients nine were symptomatically improved, and in all of these daily measurements of peak expiratory flow increased. The forced expiratory volume in the first second and specific airway conductance did not increase in all patients. In most cases the average values for residual volume and functional residual capacity fell; exercise capacity and ventilation did not change, but the pulse rate on exercise was lower. It is suggested that the changes produced by disodium cromoglycate are worth while.     

Interaction between HLA-B60 and HLA-B27 as a Better Predictor of Ankylosing Spondylitis in a Taiwanese Population

Objective

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a form of chronic inflammatory spondyloarthritis (SpA) that causes pain and stiffness in spines or joints. Human leukocyte antigen B27 (HLA-B27) and B60 (HLA-B60) have been reported as major genetic risk factors of AS. In addition, rs13202464, located on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region, showed high sensitivity (98.7%) and specificity (98.0%) for HLA-B27.

Design

The aim of our study is to test whether the interaction between HLA-B60 and HLA-B27 (rs13202464) can serve as a better predictor of AS. We have genotyped HLA-B60 and rs13202464 among 471 patients with AS and 557 healthy subjects. Combined risk factors were investigated to test the biological interaction.

Results

Our results indicated that the relative risk (RR) for HLA-B27+/HLA-B60− was 152 (95% CI 91 to 255) and it increased to 201 (95% CI 85 to 475) in HLA-B27+/HLA-B60+ patients (with HLA-B27−/HLA-B60− as reference). Combinational analysis of two risk factors (HLA-B27+/HLA-B60+) showed a relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI) of 46.79 (95% CI: -117.58 to 211.16), attributable proportion (AP) of 0.23 (95% CI: -0.41 to 0.88) and a synergy index (S) of 1.31 (95% CI: 0.56 to 3.04).

Conclusion

In conclusion, genetic interaction analysis revealed that the interaction between HLA-B60 and HLA-B27 is a better marker for the risk of AS susceptibility in a Taiwanese population.     

支气管哮喘遗传因子研究

研究谷胱甘肽-S-转移酶 （glutathione S-transferase, GST）M1和T1基因多态性与支气管哮喘（asthma bronchial）的关系。采取聚合酶链反应对60名支气管哮喘患者和60名正常对照进行了GSTM1和GSTT1基因非缺失（+）和缺失（0）等位基因分布频率研究。结果表明,与对照组相比,支气管哮喘患者GSTM1基因缺失的纯合子（0/0）频率（81.2%）显著升高（χ2=32.46,P<0.001;wχ2=28.75,P<0.001）。对于GSTT1也得到类似资料。而支气管哮喘患者GSTT1基因缺失等位基因（0/0）频率（71.7%）比对照组（11.7%）显著升高（χ2=26.72,P<0.001;wχ2=35.75,P<0.001）。表明GSTM1、GSTT1缺失等位基因纯合性在哮喘患者中最有特征性的。GSTM1 0/0、GSTT1 0/0结合的频率患者组为61.7%,对照组仅为1.7%（χ2=27.3,P<0.001）。提示GSTM1和GSTT1基因多态性与哮喘有显著性关联,两个基因的突变可以被视为发生支气管哮喘遗传风险因子。     

家族性支气管哮喘的遗传方式分析

为研究家族性支气管哮喘的遗传方式, 进一步确定在群体中的传递规律,用群体研究法调查邯郸地区有家族史的支气管哮喘家系。采用家系分析法和Smith无偏差校正法, 进行理论值与观察值符合程度的卡方检验分析。72个家族性支气管哮喘的家系, 包括109个核心家系, 其亲属的患病率为0.46。分析结果表明, 有单基因遗传的倾向。用家系法分析, 符合常染色体显性遗传。对D-× dd婚配家系用Smith法分析, χ² = 3.181, P > 0.05, 所得结果支持常染色体显性遗传(Autosomal domiant inheritance, AD), 并提示不同的婚 配类型, 遗传方式可能不同, 存在着遗传异质性, 研究结果可为家族性支气管哮喘的预防、诊断和治疗提供参考依据。     

Close Correlation between the First Cleavage Plane and the Body Axis in Early Xenopus Embryos

To examine whether the first cleavage plane demarcates the dorsal-ventral axis (Klein, 1987) or it is random in relation to the plane of bilateral symmetry (Danilchik and Black, 1988), one blastomere of two-cell-stage Xenopus laevis embryos was labeled with injected fluorescein dextran amine. In resulting embryos, the first cleavage plane was represented by the boundary between the labeled and non-labeled cells. In more than 90% of the embryos whose first cleavage plane had coincided with or inclined by 45 degrees to the plane of bilateral symmetry of surface pigmentation, the boundary fell within 30 degrees of the midline at the early gastrula stage. By contrast, in most embryos (10 out of 11) whose first cleavage plane was perpendicular to the plane of bilateral symmetry (up to 0.4% of a batch), the boundary fell between the dorsal and ventral regions. When randomly taken out from batches, more than 90% of the embryos had the first cleavage plane lying within 30 degrees of the dorsal midline at the initial gastrula stage. Thus the present results support neither Klein's nor Danilchik and Black's results, but confirm the currently accepted view that the first cleavage plane marks the dorsal midline with some range of deviation.     

Focus: Health Equity: Asthma Prevalence and its Risk Factors Among a Multi-Ethnic Adult Population

Asthma is a substantial global health problem characterized by chronic airway inflammation, leading to intermittent symptoms. This study aims to establish the prevalence and risk factors of asthma in a multi-ethnic adult population. Data for the study were extracted from the Singapore Mental Health Study 2016, a population-based, cross-sectional, epidemiological study of Singapore residents aged 18 years and above. The data relating to asthma prevalence was captured using the modified World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) version 3.0 chronic conditions checklist. The prevalence of lifetime asthma in this population was 11.9% (95% CI, 10.83-13.12). Those of Malay and Indian ethnicity (versus Chinese), ex-smokers (versus never smoked) and those who were overweight and obese (versus normal weight) were more likely to be associated with asthma. Participants belonging to the age group of 35 years and above (versus 18-34 years of age), male gender (versus female) were less likely to be associated with lifetime asthma. Asthma was also more likely to be associated with bipolar disorder. Those with current asthma (ie, those who had received treatment during the past 12 months) were significantly associated with lower health-related quality of life in the physical component score (PCS) than those without asthma. The high prevalence and association with lowered health-related quality of life makes asthma a significant public health concern. Our study’s findings can help create awareness and encourage integrated approaches for managing asthma in the health sector.     

支气管哮喘伴发抑郁大鼠模型的建立

目的探讨建立支气管哮喘伴发抑郁动物模型的方法。方法选择Wistar大鼠,随机分为对照组与模型组,模型组采用卵蛋白(ovalbumin,OVA)激发法建立哮喘模型,在此基础上给予慢性轻度不可预见性应激(chronic unpredictable mild stress,CUMS)28d,观察大鼠体质量、体征、肺组织结构、支气管肺泡灌洗液白细胞计数等变化,并用Open-field实验评价大鼠活动度和好奇心,通过糖水消耗实验评价大鼠快感缺乏与否。结果与对照组相比,模型组大鼠体质量增长明显缓慢(P0.05);肺组织呈哮喘样病理改变;支气管肺泡灌洗液白细胞总数、嗜酸粒细胞及淋巴细胞增多;Open-field实验,大鼠垂直活动得分、水平活动得分显著降低(P0.05);糖水消耗量明显减少(P0.05)。结论OVA激发复合CUMS可成功制备支气管哮喘伴发抑郁大鼠模型。