Epidemiology of Enterobius vermicularis infection among elementary school children in Hualien, Taiwan from 2007 to 2012

Enterobius vermicularis is the most common human intestinal parasite, and its control among school children is an important public health issue. The objective of this study was to document the present situation of E. vermicularis infection in school children in Hualien. The administrative divisions in Hualien county include 13 districts (3 in a mountainous area, 10 in a rural/urban area). Between 2007 and 2012, a total of 41,191 children in 13 districts in Hualien were examined using consecutive 2-day adhesive cellophane paper perianal swabs. Our results showed Enterobius egg-positive infection rates of 5.79% (452/7,089) in 2007, 6.25% (457/7,312) in 2008, 5.37% (385/7,173) in 2009, 4.98% (330/6,804) in 2010, 4.91% (301/6,133) in 2011, and 4.68% (279/5,960) in 2012. Compared to the previously reported national average in Taiwan (range, 1.53–2.23%), the prevalence of E. vermicularis in Hualien is relatively high. The infection rates were 7.55–29.10% in mountainous areas and 0.50– 12.43% in rural/urban areas. All first and fourth grade students in elementary schools in Hualien were selected as study participants. The average infection rate of the first grade students (6.71%) was higher than that of the fourth grade students (4.23%). These results indicate that enterobiasis remains an important parasitic disease among school children in Hualien, especially those in mountainous areas.

MicroRNA (miRNA) expression profiling of peripheral blood samples in multiple myeloma patients using microarray

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are mostly located at cancer-associated genomic regions or in fragile sites, suggesting their important role in the pathogenesis of human cancers. Multiple myeloma (MM) is a cancer of plasma cells, the third most common cancer of the blood after lymphoma and leukaemia. There are several published reports on miRNAs in MM, however most used bone marrow rather than peripheral blood samples. The aim of this study is to characterise miRNA expression in normal and MM patients using peripheral blood samples as it is less invasive and is readily available from patients. Blood samples from 35 MM patients were analysed using the microarray method. We identified up-regulation of 36 miRNAs (57%) and down-regulation of 27 miRNAs (43%). We also identified the CCND2, HMGA2 and IGF1R genes were among the highly predictive target genes (P(CT) > 0.80) for most of the deregulated miRNAs. These genes are known to play important roles in MM as well as other cancers. Five miRNAs (let-7c, miR-16, miR- 449, miR-181a and miR-181b) were found to exhibit similar expression patterns (p < 0.05) in peripheral blood when compared to data obtained by using bone marrow aspirates from MM patients in other studies. In conclusion, our study has demonstrated that miRNAs are also present and differentially expressed in the peripheral blood of MM patients compared to controls and may potentially serve as candidate tumour biomarkers in MM. In particular, let-7c and miR-16 have been shown to be significantly expressed in the bone marrow.

Efeito hipertensäo e normotensäo do avental branco na liga de hipertensäo do Hospital das Clínicas, FMUSP. Prevalência, características clínicas e demográficas / White-coat hypertension and normotension in the league of hypertension of the Hospital das Clínicas, FMUSP. Prevalence, clinical and demographic characteristics

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of white-coat normortension, white-coat hypertension, and white-coat effect. METHODS: We assessed 670 medical records of patients from the League of Hypertension of the Hospital das Clínicas of the Medical School of the University of Säo Paulo. White-coat hypertension (blood pressure at the medical office: mean of 3 measurements with the oscillometric device ³140 or ³90 mmHg, or both, and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring mean during wakefulness < 135/85) and white-coat normotension (office blood pressure < 140/90 and blood pressure during wakefulness on ambulatory blood pressure monitoring ³ 135/85) were analyzed in 183 patients taking no medication. The white-coat effect (difference between office and ambulatory blood pressure > 20 mmHg for systolic and 10 mmHg for diastolic) was analyzed in 487 patients on treatment, 374 of whom underwent multivariate analysis to identify the variables that better explain the white-coat effect. RESULTS: Prevalence of white-coat normotension was 12 percent, prevalence of white-coat hypertension was 20 percent, and prevalence of the white-coat effect was 27 percent. A significant correlation (p<0.05) was observed between white-coat hypertension and familial history of hypertension, and between the white-coat effect and sex, severity of the office diastolic blood pressure, and thickness of left ventricular posterior wall. CONCLUSION: White-coat hypertension, white-coat normotension, and white-coat effect should be considered in the diagnosis of hypertension

Effect of monocular blockade of retinal activity on the development of visual callosal connections in the rat

It has been previously reported that neonatal monocular enucleation in rats and hamsters induces the development of an anomalous band of callosal connections in the middle of area 17 (primary visual cortex) in the hemisphere ipsilateral to the remaining eye. In order to determine whether this effect is due to elimination of retinal activity in one eye, we used the anatomical tracer horseradish peroxidase (HRP) to study the pattern of visual callosal connections in rats in which retinal activity had been blocked by intraocular injections of tetrodotoxin during the first two weeks of life. We found that the callosal pattern in the hemisphere ipsilateral to the eye not treated with tetrodotoxin was not distinguishable from the pattern present in normal rats. In particular, we did not observe the anomalous extra band of callosal connections that occurs in area 17 in the hemisphere ipsilateral to the remaining eye in monocularly enucleated rats. These results indicate that blockade of retinal activity in one eye is not sufficient to cause the marked changes in the pattern of visual callosal connections that are induced by neonatal monocular enucleation

GPI phospholipase C from Trypanosoma brucei causes a GPI-negative phenotype in Leishmania major: I. Implications for GPI-negative mammalian cells; II. Compartmentalization of two GPI biosynthetic pathways

The major surface macromolecules of the protozoan parasite Leishmania major, gp63 (a metalloprotease), and lipophosphoglycan (a polysaccharide) are glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored. We expressed a cytoplasmic glycosylphosphatidylinositol phospholipase C (GPIPLC) in L. major in order to examine the topography of the protein-GPI and polysaccharide-GPI pathways. In L. major cells expressing GPIPLC cell-associated gp63 could not be detected in immunoblots, gp63 was secreted into the culture medium without ever receiving a GPI anchor. Putative protein-GPI intermediates LP-1 and LP-2 decreased about 10-fold. In striking contrast, lipophosphoglycan levels were unaltered. We conclude that reactions specific to the polysaccharide-GPI pathway are compartmentalalized within the endoplasmic reticulum, thereby sequestering those intermediates from GPIPLC cleavage. Protein-GPI synthesis, at least up to production of Man (1Ó6)Man(1Ó4)GlcN(1Ó6)-myo-inositol-1-phospholipid, is cystolic. To our knowledge, this represents the first use of a catabolic enzyme, in vivo, to elucidate the topography of biosynthetic pathways. Intriguingly, the phenotype of GPIPLC-expressing L. major, secretion of proteins with GPI addition signals, and depletion of protein-GPI anchor precursors, is similar to that of some protein-GPI mutants in higher eukaryotes. These findings have implications for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria and Thy-1-negative T-lymphoma

Status and trend of HIV-1 infection and AIDS in Taiwan, December, 1991.

From May 1, 1985 to December 31, 1991, a total of 4,962,707 serum samples from 8 population groups in Taiwan were tested for anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (anti-HIV-1). In total, 256 samples were seropositive; of these individuals, 43 developed acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS): 29 were homosexuals; 5 were hemophiliacs; 8 were heterosexuals and 1 was of unknown risk. Although the prevalence of HIV-1 infection and AIDS remains low compared with other countries, since 1988 the increase has been rapid. Before 1977 the majority were homosexuals and hemophiliacs; thereafter the risk groups diversified, with a trend away from homosexuals and hemophiliacs towards heterosexuals and intravenous drug abusers (IVDAs). A few patients have caused serious social problems for the public, health care workers and families. Active community efforts are needed to achieve future success in the control of HIV-1 infection and AIDS in Taiwan.