AIM： To examine the psychological impact of chronic hepatitis C （CHC） diagnosis in a large cohort of CHC patients as compared with other stressful life events and chronic diseases carrying a risk of life-threatenin...AIM： To examine the psychological impact of chronic hepatitis C （CHC） diagnosis in a large cohort of CHC patients as compared with other stressful life events and chronic diseases carrying a risk of life-threatening complications. METHODS： One hundred and eighty-five outpatients with compensated CHC were asked to self-grade, using a 100-mm visual analogue scale （VAS）, the degree of stress caused by the learning of CHC diagnosis and the perceived severity of their disease. Diagnosis-related stress was compared to four other stressful life events and perceived CHC severity was compared to four other common chronic diseases. RESULTS： Learning of CHC diagnosis was considered a major stressful event （mean ± SD scores： 72±25）, significantly less than death of a loved-one （89±13, P〈0.0001） and divorce （78 ± 23, P〈0.007）, but more than job dismissal （68 ± 30, P〈 0.04） and home removal （26±24, P〈 0.0001）. CHC was considered a severe disease （74± 19）, after AIDS （94±08, P〈 0.001） and cancer （91± 11, P〈 0.001）, but before diabetes （66±23, P〈0.001） and hypertension （62±20, P〈0.001）. Perceived CHC severity was not related to the actual severity of liver disease, assessed according to Metavir fibrosis score. In multivariate analysis, diagnosisrelated stress was related to perceived disease severity （P〈0.001）, trait anxiety （P〈 0.001） and infection through blood transfusion （P〈 0.001）. CONCLUSION： Our results show the considerable psychological and emotional burden that a diagnosis of CHC represents, even in the absence of significant liver disease. They should be taken into account when announcing a diagnosis of CHC in order to reduce its negative effects.展开更多
More than 40 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been approved for a number of disease indications with only one of these (Synagis) - for a viral disease, and not for therapy but for prevention. However, in the last dec...More than 40 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been approved for a number of disease indications with only one of these (Synagis) - for a viral disease, and not for therapy but for prevention. However, in the last decade novel potent mAbs have been discovered and characterized with potential as therapeutics against viruses of major importance for public health and biosecurity including Hendra virus (HeV), Nipah virus (NiV), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Ebola virus (EBOV), West Nile virus (WNV), influenza virus (IFV) and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Here, we review such mAbs with an emphasis on antibodies of human origin, and highlight recent results as well as technologies and mechanisms related to their potential as therapeutics.展开更多
Background： Pathology of an internal organ causes significant rectification of electrical currents （diode phenomenon） in related skin areas once the resistance ＇breakthrough effect＇ has been induced in the skin. ...Background： Pathology of an internal organ causes significant rectification of electrical currents （diode phenomenon） in related skin areas once the resistance ＇breakthrough effect＇ has been induced in the skin. Objective： Localization of auricular projection area of the liver and evaluation of its usefulness in the monitoring of viral hepatitis. Design, Patients and Setting： Comparative study of the degree of electrical rectification measured at various spots in the auricular concha region, in 19 inpatients with hepatitis B and 15 clinically healthy volunteers, at the Department of Infectious Diseases, Provincial Teaching Hospital, Tychy, Poland. Intervention： Evaluation of electrical rectification at various spots on the auricular concha using a ＂rectification ratio＂ that quantifies the degree of rectification （normal range： 0-60%）. Main outcome measure： The location of the skin area where a statistically significant difference existed between the rectification ratios was observed in patients （82±12% at the time of the ＇peak period＇） versus controls （42±8%）. Results： A location was identified on the ear auricle where the electrical rectification phenomenon demonstrated a dependence on the presence of hepatitis. Conclusions： Liver projection area exists on the ear auricle which is located within the region of cymba conchae, next to anthelix and the cavity of concha. The existence of viral hepatitis causes this skin area to show a higher degree of electrical rectification once the skin resistance ＇breakthrough effect＇ has been induced. Evaluation of the rectification phenomenon of the liver proiection area provides a method of non-invasive monitoring of viral hepatitis.展开更多
Objectives: To explore the relationship betweenquantitative Treponema pallidum DNA (TP-DNA) PCR testingand the Toludine Red Unheated Serum Test (TRUST) inpatients with syphilis before and after treatment, and evaluate...Objectives: To explore the relationship betweenquantitative Treponema pallidum DNA (TP-DNA) PCR testingand the Toludine Red Unheated Serum Test (TRUST) inpatients with syphilis before and after treatment, and evaluatethe clinical value of quantitative TP-DNA testing in thediagnosis and treatment evaluation of syphilis. Methods: 29 patients with primary (12 cases) or secondary(17 cases) syphilis, who met the criteria set for this study wererecruited as subjects. All patients were treated with 2.4 millionunits benzathine penicillin IM weekly for 3 weeks.Quantitative tests of TP-DNA in the patients' plasma wereperformed using FQ-PCR before and after the treatment.Serologic tests including TRUST and TPPA were alsoperformed. Results: Before the treatment, 9 out of 12 primary syphilispatients (75%) and all secondary syphilis patients (17/17)tested positive for Treponema pallidum (TP) by TP-DNAtesting. The average quantitative test values of TP-DNA inprimary and secondary syphilis patients were (3.38±2.34)×10~4and (5.73±1.33)×10~6 copies/ml, respectively. After threemonths of treatment, 1 of the 9 primary and 5 out of 17secondary syphilis patients were positive upon TP-DNAtesting, respectively. The average quantities of TP-DNA were2.01×10~2 copies/ml in primary and 5.87×10~2 copies/ml insecondary syphilis patients with positive TRUST and TP-DNAtests, and 3.09×10~2 copies/ml for those with negative TRUSTrespectively. After nine months of treatment, all the primaryand secondary syphilis patients were negative upon TP-DNAtesting, while all primary and 14 of 17 (82.35%) secondarysyphilis patients showed negative TRUST results. Conclusion: That the results of TP-DNA tests are notconsistent with those or TRUST before and after treatmentindicates that quantitative TP-DNA testing may have valuableclinical significance in the early diagnosis and evaluation oftreatment regimens for syphilis.展开更多
文摘AIM： To examine the psychological impact of chronic hepatitis C （CHC） diagnosis in a large cohort of CHC patients as compared with other stressful life events and chronic diseases carrying a risk of life-threatening complications. METHODS： One hundred and eighty-five outpatients with compensated CHC were asked to self-grade, using a 100-mm visual analogue scale （VAS）, the degree of stress caused by the learning of CHC diagnosis and the perceived severity of their disease. Diagnosis-related stress was compared to four other stressful life events and perceived CHC severity was compared to four other common chronic diseases. RESULTS： Learning of CHC diagnosis was considered a major stressful event （mean ± SD scores： 72±25）, significantly less than death of a loved-one （89±13, P〈0.0001） and divorce （78 ± 23, P〈0.007）, but more than job dismissal （68 ± 30, P〈 0.04） and home removal （26±24, P〈 0.0001）. CHC was considered a severe disease （74± 19）, after AIDS （94±08, P〈 0.001） and cancer （91± 11, P〈 0.001）, but before diabetes （66±23, P〈0.001） and hypertension （62±20, P〈0.001）. Perceived CHC severity was not related to the actual severity of liver disease, assessed according to Metavir fibrosis score. In multivariate analysis, diagnosisrelated stress was related to perceived disease severity （P〈0.001）, trait anxiety （P〈 0.001） and infection through blood transfusion （P〈 0.001）. CONCLUSION： Our results show the considerable psychological and emotional burden that a diagnosis of CHC represents, even in the absence of significant liver disease. They should be taken into account when announcing a diagnosis of CHC in order to reduce its negative effects.
基金This project has been funded in whole or in part with federal funds from the National Cancer Institute,National Institutes of Health, under contract N01-CO-12400
文摘More than 40 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been approved for a number of disease indications with only one of these (Synagis) - for a viral disease, and not for therapy but for prevention. However, in the last decade novel potent mAbs have been discovered and characterized with potential as therapeutics against viruses of major importance for public health and biosecurity including Hendra virus (HeV), Nipah virus (NiV), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Ebola virus (EBOV), West Nile virus (WNV), influenza virus (IFV) and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Here, we review such mAbs with an emphasis on antibodies of human origin, and highlight recent results as well as technologies and mechanisms related to their potential as therapeutics.
文摘Background： Pathology of an internal organ causes significant rectification of electrical currents （diode phenomenon） in related skin areas once the resistance ＇breakthrough effect＇ has been induced in the skin. Objective： Localization of auricular projection area of the liver and evaluation of its usefulness in the monitoring of viral hepatitis. Design, Patients and Setting： Comparative study of the degree of electrical rectification measured at various spots in the auricular concha region, in 19 inpatients with hepatitis B and 15 clinically healthy volunteers, at the Department of Infectious Diseases, Provincial Teaching Hospital, Tychy, Poland. Intervention： Evaluation of electrical rectification at various spots on the auricular concha using a ＂rectification ratio＂ that quantifies the degree of rectification （normal range： 0-60%）. Main outcome measure： The location of the skin area where a statistically significant difference existed between the rectification ratios was observed in patients （82±12% at the time of the ＇peak period＇） versus controls （42±8%）. Results： A location was identified on the ear auricle where the electrical rectification phenomenon demonstrated a dependence on the presence of hepatitis. Conclusions： Liver projection area exists on the ear auricle which is located within the region of cymba conchae, next to anthelix and the cavity of concha. The existence of viral hepatitis causes this skin area to show a higher degree of electrical rectification once the skin resistance ＇breakthrough effect＇ has been induced. Evaluation of the rectification phenomenon of the liver proiection area provides a method of non-invasive monitoring of viral hepatitis.
文摘Objectives: To explore the relationship betweenquantitative Treponema pallidum DNA (TP-DNA) PCR testingand the Toludine Red Unheated Serum Test (TRUST) inpatients with syphilis before and after treatment, and evaluatethe clinical value of quantitative TP-DNA testing in thediagnosis and treatment evaluation of syphilis. Methods: 29 patients with primary (12 cases) or secondary(17 cases) syphilis, who met the criteria set for this study wererecruited as subjects. All patients were treated with 2.4 millionunits benzathine penicillin IM weekly for 3 weeks.Quantitative tests of TP-DNA in the patients' plasma wereperformed using FQ-PCR before and after the treatment.Serologic tests including TRUST and TPPA were alsoperformed. Results: Before the treatment, 9 out of 12 primary syphilispatients (75%) and all secondary syphilis patients (17/17)tested positive for Treponema pallidum (TP) by TP-DNAtesting. The average quantitative test values of TP-DNA inprimary and secondary syphilis patients were (3.38±2.34)×10~4and (5.73±1.33)×10~6 copies/ml, respectively. After threemonths of treatment, 1 of the 9 primary and 5 out of 17secondary syphilis patients were positive upon TP-DNAtesting, respectively. The average quantities of TP-DNA were2.01×10~2 copies/ml in primary and 5.87×10~2 copies/ml insecondary syphilis patients with positive TRUST and TP-DNAtests, and 3.09×10~2 copies/ml for those with negative TRUSTrespectively. After nine months of treatment, all the primaryand secondary syphilis patients were negative upon TP-DNAtesting, while all primary and 14 of 17 (82.35%) secondarysyphilis patients showed negative TRUST results. Conclusion: That the results of TP-DNA tests are notconsistent with those or TRUST before and after treatmentindicates that quantitative TP-DNA testing may have valuableclinical significance in the early diagnosis and evaluation oftreatment regimens for syphilis.
