Intestinal dysbacteriosis in different age groups of residents of Kemerovo

The state of microflora of the large intestine in 877 persons of different age groups in Kemerovo was studied. The study revealed that intestinal dysbacteriolysis of various degrees of severity was rather widely spread among the residents of the city. The main groups of risk, found to comprise young children, adolescents and people above 60 years of age, were established.     

Microbiocenosis of oral cavity in patients from different age groups

Worsening of state of oral cavity is observed not only in elderly persons, but also in adults aswell as in adolescents and children. The leading role in development of dental caries and periodontal diseases belongs to microorganisms. Oral cavity bacterial landscape was determined in adolescents, adults and elderly people with normal periodont or with gingivitis or periodontitis. The study showed that species and qualitative composition of oral cavity microflora were different in different age groups. In patients with normal periodont, non pathogenic (common commensals) microbial composition was revealed. In abnormal state of oral cavity, its microflora was characterized by the presence of high titers of potentiality pathogenic microorganisms.     

Microbiological and epidemiological aspects of rotavirus and enteric adenovirus infections in hospitalized children in Italy

Rotaviruses and enteric adenoviruses are the most important causative agents of acute infantile gastroenteritis worldwide. From July 2005 to June 2007, 445 stool specimens from pediatric patients hospitalized with acute diarrhea were collected and tested for the presence of rotaviruses and enteric adenoviruses using an immunochromatographic assay. Rotavirus infection was detected in 123 cases (27.6%, ranging from 31.7% in 2005-2006 to 24.2% in 2006-2007); adenovirus infection occurred in 17 cases (3.8%, 13 cases in 2005-2006 (6.3%) and 4 cases in 2006-2007 (1.7%). The highest prevalence was seen in children from 13 to 24 months for rotaviruses, and in children from 25 to 36 months for adenoviruses. Rotavirus infection was detected with significantly higher frequency in children up to 36 months old (32.0%) compared to the older children (19.9%) (P < 0.01). Mixed infections were observed in 10 cases (6 rotavirus-adenovirus, and 4 rotavirus-Salmonella spp.). Rotavirus infection was found predominantly in winter and spring with respect to autumn (P < 0.001) or summer (P < 0.05), with a peak in February. Adenovirus infection had a major epidemic period in spring 2006, peaking in March. Finally, this study indicates that many patients acquired rotavirus infection (37.4%), and enteric adenovirus infection (41.2%) during hospitalization for other underlying diseases.     

不同年龄组阴道炎患者阴道分泌物检查结果分析

目的对比分析不同年龄组女性阴道炎患者阴道清洁度和霉菌、滴虫、纤毛菌、线索细胞检出情况。方法对2 295例女性阴道炎患者按照年龄分组进行阴道分泌物涂片染色检查。结果 2 295例中阴道清洁度为Ⅲ～Ⅳ度占66.19%,霉菌、线索细胞、滴虫和纤毛菌的检出率分别为25.22%、15.69%、0.74%和0.48%;50岁以上年龄组阴道清洁度Ⅲ度检出率较高;20岁以下年龄组Ⅳ度检出率较高;21～30年龄组霉菌检出率较高,41～50年龄组线索细胞和滴虫检出率较高,纤毛菌检出率在各组之间差异无统计学意义。结论大连地区女性阴道炎患者防治形势不容乐观;与年龄相关的生理原因及个人行为因素导致不同年龄组患者阴道感染病因的差异性。     

Clinico-epidemiologic aspects of campylobacteriosis in Moscow and Moscow Province

The clinical course and epidemiological features of campylobacteriosis in Moscow and Moscow Province in 1986-1987 are described. The specific proportion of this infection in the structure of acute enteric infections is, on the average, 4.8%. The level of Campylobacter contamination of animals and birds and their role in the spread of campylobacteriosis have been established. The possible ways and factors of the transfer of this infection are discussed.     

General practitioners' referrals to specialist outpatient clinics. II. Locations of specialist outpatient clinics to which general practitioners refer patients.

Although linkage by computer of hospital administration systems across all clinics in a health district is becoming a practical possibility, complete records of general practitioners'' referrals to outpatient clinics will be difficult to achieve. Data from a large study of general practitioners'' referrals to such clinics were used to calculate the proportion of referrals that crossed district boundaries, the proportion that were made to the private sector; and the number of locations that each practice referred patients to. Of the 17,601 referrals from practices in Oxford Regional Health Authority, 13,857 (78.7%) were made to NHS outpatient clinics within practices'' own districts, 1524 (8.7%) to clinics in other districts in the same region, 420 (2.4%) to NHS clinics in other regions, and 1800 (10.2%) to the private sector; but these proportions varied considerably among the practices. The mean number of different NHS hospitals or clinics that each practice referred patients to was 15.8 (range 4-42).     

Effectiveness of acipole in prevention of enteric dysbacteriosis due to antibacterial therapy]

Acipole (Lactobacillus acidophilus + Kefir greins) was used to manage antibiotic dysbacteriosis as an adverse reaction of antibacterial therapy. 120 patients treated with antibacterial drugs for acute pneumonia and exacerbations of chronic bronchitis were observed. 54 of them were treated under the routine regimen with antibiotics and 66 were additionally treated with the eubiotic acipole: 1 tablet (5 doses) 3 times a day 30 minutes before meal. Routine bacteriological examination of the feces was applied to all the patients. High frequency of bacteriologically revealed dysbacteriosis was stated. The therapy under the antibiotic + acipole regimen lowered the frequency of dysbacteriosis events and their severity. The fact that the use of acipole simultaneously with the routine antibacterial therapy prevented the development of dysbacteriosis clinical signs is of practical importance.     

Some aspects of the comparative analysis of hemodynamic responses to LBNP tests in cosmonauts of different age groups

The age-specific indicators of the functions of the cardiovascular system and its responses to the lower body negative pressure (LBNP) test were studied in career cosmonauts for the first time. The results of 174 LBNP tests implemented within the standard medical monitoring program on board the ??Mir?? orbital station (OS ??Mir??), using a Gamma-01 device, and aboard the International Space Station (ISS), using the Gamma-1M complex, were subjected to comparative analysis. In total, 38 cosmonauts from 25 long-duration space missions on board the ??Mir?? OS and ISS, who were examined in their pre-flight state and during in-flight periods, beginning, typically, on flight day (FD) 120, were subdivided into two age groups: 30- to 39-year-olds (their mean age was 36 ± 0.7 years; 39% of the total number of subjects) and 40- to 55-year olds (their mean age was 46 ± 0.8 years; 61% of the total number of subjects). We have revealed age-specific indicators for the hemodynamic status recorded at each stage of the investigation: at rest in a preflight state; responses of the indicators to the effects of microgravity; the relative dynamics of the indicators due to a simulated orthostatic posture, which was unidirectional but substantially different at the pre-and in-flight stages. For purposes of medical control, our results have shown that we need to establish age-specific references in our methodical approaches to the analysis and interpretation of the data received from monitoring cosmonauts?? health in their preflight state and during the entire mission and, which is particularly important in practical terms, when evaluating the LBNP test intolerance at different flight stages.     

Study on the antioxidant status of vitiligo patients of different age groups in Baroda

One of the major hypotheses in the pathogenesis of vitiligo is the oxidative stress hypothesis. Pollution plays a major role in the production of free radicals. Gujarat, a highly industrialized state in India has a high prevalence of vitiligo patients. No previous studies were done on the age-dependent antioxidant status of vitiligo patients in Baroda city, Gujarat. Blood samples were collected from vitiligo patients of different age groups (5-15, 16-25, 26-35, 36-45 yr) and from age matched healthy volunteers. Antioxidant enzymes in blood such as catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and non-enzymatic antioxidants such as reduced glutathione and plasma vitamin E were estimated. Lipid peroxidation levels in erythrocytes and the reducing equivalent system, i.e. glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were also measured. Significant increase in superoxide dismutase activity and lipid peroxidation levels in erythrocytes was observed in all age groups of vitiligo patients as compared with age-matched healthy controls, wherein an increase of 55% (P < 0.02) was observed in superoxide dismutase activity and lipid peroxidation levels in 36-45 yr age group. Whole blood glutathione levels, erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity were decreased significantly, whereas erythrocyte catalase activity and plasma vitamin E levels were not different in vitiligo patients as compared with age-matched healthy controls. No specific age group showed a significant difference. This is the first report on the age-dependent antioxidant status of vitiligo patients in Baroda. The disease affects individuals of any age group as shown in this study and systemic oxidative stress might precipitate the pathogenesis of vitiligo in susceptible patients.     

Expression of IAP family proteins in colon cancers from patients with different age groups

Members of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family including survivin, are expressed in many tumors. However, age-related changes in their expression in cancer have not been clarified. Thus, we investigated the expression of mRNA-coding for IAP family proteins in colon cancer samples from young (<70 years of age) and elderly (>70 years) patients by real-time quantitative RT-PCR. Samples were collected from cases with well-differentiated adenocarcinoma or moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma and their adjacent normal epithelial tissue. Well-differentiated adenocarcinoma tended to express higher levels of survivin than normal mucosa, and expression in moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma was significantly greater than in normal mucosa in samples from both groups of patients (p<0.05, respectively). When samples were compared between the different age groups, the normal mucosa exhibited similar levels of survivin expression. However, samples from older patients showed a significantly higher level of expression than those from younger patients in well and moderately differentiated adenocarcinomas (p<0.05, respectively). In contrast, the levels of expression of cIAP1, cIAP2, and NAIP in the cancerous tissues were lower than those found in normal mucosa regardless of age. As for age-related changes, the expression of cIAP2 in normal mucosa and moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma was stronger in the elderly group than the young group (p<0.05, respectively), and NAIP expression in well-differentiated adenocarcinoma was higher in the young group than the elderly group (p<0.05). XIAP expression was similar in normal and cancerous tissues in both the young and elderly groups. These results suggest that the expression of IAP family proteins, especially survivin, is associated with the age-related biological characteristics of colon cancer.     

The microbiological characteristics of intestinal dysbacteriosis in children and adults in the city of Moscow

The bacteriological analysis of 302 children has revealed that dysbacteriosis with the increased content of hemolytic Escherichia in the intestine develops more frequently in the presence of the deficiency of bifido- and lactobacteria. The development of other kinds of dysbacteriosis with the increased content of different opportunistic enterobacteria, staphylococci, enterococci and fungi, as well as dysbacteriosis with the decreased content of Escherichia, does not practically depend on the deficiency of bifido- and lactobacteria. In patients with the increased content of Escherichia an increase in the content of opportunistic enterobacteria, staphylococci and fungi is observed more frequently than in patients with the low content of Escherichia.     

Cytokine production by the tumor from patients with breast cancer in different age groups

Dependence of cytokine pattern in the tumor supernatant obtained after cultivation of biopsy samples–on the patients’ age was evaluated among patients with invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast. An increase in VEGF and IL-6 production in a group of younger patients was observed. An increase only in interferon γ concentration was revealed in the supernatants of the tumor after addition of polyclonal activators to the culture medium. This result indicates likely secretion of interferon γ in younger patients. The relation among the production of angiogenic factors by tumor cells, age of the patients, and presence or absence of lymph node metastases shows that in such studies, patients have to be stratified by age.     

Dynamics of spermatogenesis in albino mice of different age groups

The age dynamics (beginning from the 2nd to the 455th days) of histomorphological indicators of testes in mongrel white mice in the process of postnatal development has been investigated. The age phases of spermatogenesis development in white mice and the transitional periods between them, which correspond to 6-15, 25-30, 175, 335 days are determined. An interrelation of spermatogenesis indicators during the postnatal development of white mice is described.     

On evaluation of infection probabilities for different age groups

It is well known that evaluation of parameters for any mathematical model is always very important and often a very difficult problem. This is especially true for agents-based models because as a rule the evaluation of an agent's parameters can be made only based on available information from the higher levels of a complex system. Such problems can be ill-posed or even have a non-unique solution. That is why there is no general algorithm for solving these problems and a researcher has to search for it for every specific model type.