ABSTRACT
A variant (rs3129882) in the genome-wide association study (GWAS)-linked variant [in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) gene region] has been reported to associate with an increased risk of Parkinson's disease (PD) in Caucasian population. Studies among Chinese are limited. To address this, we analysed rs3129882 in a total of 1312 subjects of Chinese ethnicity from independent Asian centers comprising of 675 controls and 637 PD cases. The rs3129882 variant was associated with a decreased risk in our ethnic Chinese PD patients. Logistic regression analysis taking into consideration variables of age, gender and race showed that allele A reduced the risk of PD via a dominant model [odds ratio (OR) = 0.77, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.62, 0.96, p = 0.018]. As HLA is a highly polymorphic region, it is possible that ethnic-specific effect or environmental agents may modulate the effect of this GWAS-linked locus in influencing the risk of PD.
Subject(s)
HLA-DR alpha-Chains/genetics , Immunity, Innate/genetics , Parkinson Disease/genetics , Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide , Aged , Asian People , Case-Control Studies , Female , Genetic Association Studies , Genetic Loci , Humans , Inflammation/ethnology , Inflammation/genetics , Male , Middle Aged , Parkinson Disease/ethnologyABSTRACT
Penicilliosis is a rare occurrence among non human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients. We report here two cases of Penicillium marneffei infection in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Both patients had a recent flare of lupus and were on immunosuppressive drugs when they presented with prolonged fever without an obvious foci of infection, unresponsive to broad-spectrum antibiotics. They were leucopaenic upon admission, with rapid deterioration during the course of the illness. Diagnosis of penicilliosis via fungal isolation from blood culture was delayed resulting in the late initiation of antifungal agents. While both patients ultimately recovered, the delay in diagnosis led to a prolonged hospital stay with increased morbidity. Clinicians should be aware of this uncommon but emerging fungal pathogen in SLE patients and maintain a high index of suspicion in diagnosing this potentially fatal but treatable disease.
Subject(s)
Fever/microbiology , Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/microbiology , Mycoses/diagnosis , Penicillium/pathogenicity , Adult , Amphotericin B/therapeutic use , Antifungal Agents/therapeutic use , Delayed Diagnosis , Female , Hospitalization , Humans , Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/complications , Male , Mycoses/drug therapy , Mycoses/microbiology , Penicillium/isolation & purification , Young AdultABSTRACT
Pneumocystis jirovecii (formerly Pneumocystis carinii) pneumonia (PCP) is a rare but serious infection that usually occurs within a year after solid organ transplantation. PCP may occur after 1 year post transplantation, but the rate is reported to be very low. Studies have shown an association between cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in solid organ transplant patients and an increased risk of opportunistic infection. This increased risk is thought to be a result of the immunomodulatory effects of the CMV infection. We present a case of PCP infection occurring 13 years after a renal transplantation. This occurred following a recurrent CMV infection while the patient was on low-dose immunosuppressants.
Subject(s)
Cytomegalovirus Infections/immunology , Kidney Transplantation/adverse effects , Opportunistic Infections/immunology , Pneumocystis carinii , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/immunology , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/microbiology , Adult , Cytomegalovirus , Cytomegalovirus Infections/virology , Female , Humans , Immunosuppressive Agents/administration & dosage , Opportunistic Infections/microbiology , Recurrence , Risk Factors , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Delayed graft function is a potentially challenging problem especially in cadaveric kidney transplant recipients. It adversely impacts long-term graft survival. It is rarely seen in living kidney transplants. Recovery of graft function usually occurs within a month. The chances of recovery of graft function diminish with further prolongation of delayed function. In fact, recovery of graft function after 3 months has rarely been described, we report herein recovery of graft function after 132 days of nonfunction in a living related kidney transplant.
Subject(s)
Delayed Graft Function/physiopathology , Graft Survival/physiology , Kidney Transplantation/physiology , Living Donors , Biopsy , Delayed Graft Function/pathology , Female , Humans , Kidney Failure, Chronic/surgery , Kidney Transplantation/pathology , Middle Aged , Siblings , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
This paper introduces a kind of automatic animal rearing cabin of low oxygen and high carbon dioxide. It can mimic the environment of low oxygen and high carbon dioxide at atmospheric pressure and automatically measure and control the concentrations of oxygen and carbon dioxide as well as temperature and humidity in the cabin. The system may provide the equipment support for clinical COPD study. The clinical applications show that the cabin with accurate measurement and control is practical and reliable.
