Retrospective cohort study of long-term outcomes and prognostic factors for survival after lower extremity amputation in patients with diabetes.

AIMS: Lower extremity amputation (LEA) is a pivotal event for patients with diabetes. This study aimed to provide updated data on the outcomes and prognostic factors after LEA for patients with diabetes. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included all LEAs (n = 1081) performed at Tampere University Hospital between February 2007 and September 2020. Overall survival (OS) and major amputation-free survival were evaluated. RESULTS: Index amputation level was below ankle in 65 % (n = 704) of patients, below knee in 14 % (n = 154) of patients, and above knee in 21 % (n = 223) of patients. In the whole population, OS was 75.8 % (CI 95 %: 73.3-78.3) at one year and 38.3 % (CI 95 %: 34.7-41.7) at five years. Higher age, peripheral artery disease (PAD), more proximal amputation level, and lower glomerular filtration rate (GFR) reduced OS. Multiple amputations and diagnosed dyslipidemia or hypertension associated with improved OS. Further, age, PAD, and GFR were identified as significant factors for major amputation free survival. CONCLUSIONS: OS after LEA is poor. After major amputation, the risk for death is higher compared to minor amputation. Recurrent amputation is associated with improved OS. Further, ischemia and renal disease are significant factors for inferior OS.

Maternal and neonatal characteristics in obstetric intensive care unit admissions.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate the course of pregnancy and delivery of obstetric patients admitted for intensive care, and determine the health status of their infants. METHODS: This was a retrospective register-based study. Four university hospitals in Finland participated. Obstetric patients admitted to the intensive care unit in any trimester of pregnancy, during delivery or up to 42 days post partum were identified from clinical information systems over a five-year study period. Parturient and infant data were collected from the Medical Birth Register. RESULTS: During the study period (2007-2011), 283 obstetric patients were identified from the clinical information system. The most common reason for admission was hypertensive complications (58%), followed by obstetric haemorrhage (25.1%). Advanced maternal age, nulliparity and multiple pregnancies were associated with obstetric intensive care unit admissions. Of patients admitted to intensive care, 68.9% delivered by unscheduled caesarean section. Nearly 60% of neonates were born preterm, 56.1% needed treatment in a neonatal intensive care unit or an observation unit and 4.6% died within one week. CONCLUSION: Advanced maternal age, nulliparity and multiple pregnancy were more common among intensive care unit-admitted women than in the general obstetric population. The main causes for admission were hypertensive complications and obstetric haemorrhage. Compared with the general obstetric population, neonates of intensive care unit-admitted mothers were eight times more likely to require treatment on a neonatal ward and their risk of neonatal death was also eight times greater.

Risk factors for asthma after infant bronchiolitis.

BACKGROUND: Five studies carried out after bronchiolitis at less than 24 months of age, with a follow-up of more than 10 years, reported that atopic dermatitis, family asthma, early-life exposure to tobacco smoke and rhinovirus aetiology were early-life risk factors for later asthma. This study evaluated the long-term outcome at 11-13 years of age of children who were hospitalized for bronchiolitis in early infancy. METHODS: We previously prospectively followed 166 children hospitalized for bronchiolitis at less than 6 months of age until 5-7 years of age. The current study included a structured questionnaire, parental interviews, clinical examinations and bronchodilation test of 138 of those children at 11-13 years of age. RESULTS: Respiratory syncytial virus caused 66% of the bronchiolitis cases, and nearly half of the patients were exposed to tobacco smoke in early life. Doctor-diagnosed asthma was present in 13% of the former bronchiolitis patients at 11-13 years of age. Maternal asthma was the only independently significant risk factor in early life (adjusted OR 3.45, 95% CI 1.07-11.74), as was allergic rhinitis at 5-7 years of age (adjusted OR 4.06, 95% CI 1.35-12.25). CONCLUSIONS: After bronchiolitis at less than 6 months of age, the risk of doctor-diagnosed asthma at 11-13 years was about twice that of the general Finnish population. Maternal asthma was the only independently significant early-life risk factor for current asthma at 11-13 years of age.

Chest-wall contouring surgery in female-to-male transgender patients: A one-center retrospective analysis of applied surgical techniques and results.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Chest-wall contouring surgery is an important part of the gender reassignment process that contributes to strengthening the self-image and facilitating living in the new gender role. Here, we analyze the surgical techniques used in our clinic and report the results. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Female-to-male transgender patients (n = 57) undergoing chest-wall contouring surgery at Tampere University Hospital between January 2003 and April 2015 were enrolled in the study. Breast appearance was evaluated and either a concentric circular approach or a transverse incision technique was used for mastectomy. Patient characteristics and data regarding the technique and postoperative results were collected and analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: In addition to the transgender diagnosis, 40.4% of the patients had another psychiatric diagnosis. For mastectomy, a concentric circular approach was used in 50.9% and a transverse incision approach in 49.1% of the patients. In the transverse incision group, 21.4% of the patients underwent pedicled mammaplasty and 78.6% mastectomy with a free nipple-areola complex graft. Compared with the transverse incision group, breasts were smaller (p < 0.001) and body mass index value was lower in the concentric circular group (p = 0.001). One-third of the patients had complications (hematoma, infection, seroma, fistula, or partial necrosis of nipple-areola complex) and the reoperation rate was 8.8%. Hematoma was the most frequent reason for reoperation. Corrections were required for the scar in 14.0% of the patients, the contour in 28.0%, the areola in 15.8%, and the nipple in 5.3%. Secondary corrections were needed more often in the concentric circular (55.2%) than in the transverse incision group (25.0%; p = 0.031). CONCLUSIONS: The larger the breast, poorer the skin quality, and greater the amount of excess skin, the longer the required incision and resulting scar is for mastectomy of female-to-male patients. Hematoma is the most common reason for acute reoperation and secondary corrections are often needed.

Greater Success of Primary Fascial Closure of the Open Abdomen: A Retrospective Study Analyzing Applied Surgical Techniques, Success of Fascial Closure, and Variables Affecting the Results.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The open abdomen technique is a standard procedure in the treatment of intra-abdominal catastrophe. Achieving primary abdominal closure within the initial hospitalization is a main objective. This study aimed to analyze the success of closure rate and the effect of negative pressure wound therapy, mesh-mediated medial traction, and component separation on the results. We present the treatment algorithm used in our institution in open abdomen situations based on these findings. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Open abdomen patients (n = 61) treated in Tampere University Hospital from May 2005 until October 2013 were included in the study. Patient characteristics, treatment prior to closure, closure technique, and results were retrospectively collected and analyzed. The first group included patients in whom direct or bridged fascial closure was achieved, and the second group included those in whom only the skin was closed or a free skin graft was used. Background variables and variables related to surgery were compared between groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Most of the open abdomen patients (72.1%) underwent fascial defect repair during the primary hospitalization, and 70.5% of them underwent direct fascial closure. Negative pressure wound therapy was used as a temporary closure method for 86.9% of the patients. Negative pressure wound therapy combined with mesh-mediated medial traction resulted in the shortest open abdomen time (p = 0.039) and the highest fascial repair rate (p = 0.000) compared to negative pressure wound therapy only or no negative pressure wound therapy. The component separation technique was used for 11 patients; direct fascial closure was achieved in 5 and fascial repair by bridging the defect with mesh was achieved in 6. A total of 8 of 37 (21.6%) patients with mesh repair had a mesh infection. The negative pressure wound therapy combined with mesh-mediated medial traction promotes definitive fascial closure with a high closure rate and a shortened open abdomen time. The component separation technique can be used to facilitate fascial repair but it does not guarantee direct fascial closure in open abdomen patients.

The effect of adenoidectomy on occlusal development and nasal cavity volume in children with recurrent middle ear infection.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to examine the effect of adenoidectomy on occlusal/dentoalveolar development and nasal cavity volume in children who underwent tympanostomy tube insertion with or without adenoidectomy due to recurrent episodes of middle ear infection. METHODS: This prospective controlled study consisted of two randomly allocated treatment groups of children, younger than 2 years, who had underwent more than 3-5 events of middle ear infection during the last 6 months or 4-6 events during the last year. At the mean age of 17 months tympanostomy tube placement without adenoidectomy (Group I, n=63) tympanostomy tube placement with adenoidectomy (Group II, n=74) was performed. At the age of 5 years 41 children of the original Group I (14 females, 27 males, mean age 5.2 yrs, SD 0.17) and 59 children of the original Group II (17 females, 42 males, mean age 5.2 yrs, SD 0.18) participated in the re-examination, which included clinical orthodontic examination defining morphological and functional craniofacial status and occlusal bite index to measure upper dental arch dimensions. Acoustic rhinometry and anterior rhinomanometry was made by otorhinolaryngologist at the same day. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were found between the groups in the frequencies of morphological or functional characteristics or upper dental arch measurements or in the minimal cross-sectional areas or inspiratory nasal airway resistance measurements. CONCLUSION: Combining adenoidectomy with tympanostomy tube insertion in the treatment of recurrent middle ear infection at an early age (under the age of 2 years) does not seem to make any difference in occlusal development in primary dentition at the age of 5 years as compared to tympanostomy tube insertion only. Since adenoid size was not evaluated, the findings do not allow interpretation that hypertrophic adenoids should not be removed in children with continuous mouth breathing or sleep disordered breathing.

Nurses' perceptions of workplace culture in primary health care in Finland.

AIM: This study aimed to describe nurses' perceptions of workplace culture, especially in regard to stress levels, job satisfaction and the practice environment in primary health care. BACKGROUND: Health care is facing many challenges related to its attractiveness as a place of employment and the maintenance of a sufficient workforce supply. Previous studies report increasing rates of nurse job dissatisfaction and intentions to leave their current positions both in Finland and also globally. Improving workplace culture is thus vital in meeting the challenges related to recruitment and retention. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive design was used to describe nurses' perceptions of workplace culture. Data were collected by questionnaire from 22 units in nine primary healthcare organizations in Finland, and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: Most of the respondents indicated that they were not certain whether their workplace culture was either positive or negative. Profession, age and work shift characteristics had an effect on the respondents' perceptions of workplace culture. Younger licensed practical and registered nurses assessed their workplace culture more positively, whereas older registered nurses and those working rotating rosters viewed workplace culture more negatively. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that both unit and demographic characteristics affect workplace culture. This survey highlights that a positive workplace culture is one of the key factors in retaining and recruiting nurses, and provides an essential evidence that may be considered by other healthcare organizations. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY: Nurse managers and healthcare leaders need to address workload management and take into account the related variables that affect a unit's workplace culture.

Hospital nurses' individual priorities, internal psychological states and work motivation.

AIM: This study looks to describe the relationships between hospital nurses' individual priorities, internal psychological states and their work motivation. BACKGROUND: Connections between hospital nurses' work-related needs, values and work motivation are essential for providing safe and high quality health care. However, there is insufficient empirical knowledge concerning these connections for the practice development. METHODS: A cross-sectional empirical research study was undertaken. A total of 201 registered nurses from all types of Estonian hospitals filled out an electronic self-reported questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis and Spearman's correlation were used for data analysis. RESULTS: In individual priorities, higher order needs strength were negatively correlated with age and duration of service. Regarding nurses' internal psychological states, central hospital nurses had less sense of meaningfulness of work. Nurses' individual priorities (i.e. their higher order needs strength and shared values with the organization) correlated with their work motivation. Their internal psychological states (i.e. their experienced meaningfulness of work, experienced responsibility for work outcomes and their knowledge of results) correlated with intrinsic work motivation. DISCUSSION: Nurses who prioritize their higher order needs are more motivated to work. The more their own values are compatible with those of the organization, the more intrinsically motivated they are likely to be. CONCLUSION: Nurses' individual achievements, autonomy and training are key factors which influence their motivation to work. LIMITATIONS: The small sample size and low response rate of the study limit the direct transferability of the findings to the wider nurse population, so further research is needed. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY: This study highlights the need and importance to support nurses' professional development and self-determination, in order to develop and retain motivated nurses. It also indicates a need to value both nurses and nursing in healthcare policy and management.

Specific antibody deficiency in children with recurrent respiratory infections: a controlled study with follow-up.

Specific antibody deficiency (SAD) to unconjugated pneumococcal vaccine (PPV) is an established primary B cell immunodeficiency. The occurrence and natural history of SAD in children is unclear. We conducted an observational study to identify SAD in children with recurrent respiratory infections. Ninety-nine children, mean age 5·9 (range 2-16) years, with recurrent or severe infections were vaccinated with PPV; serum antibody concentrations for serotypes 4, 6B, 9V, 14, 18C, 19F and 23F were measured before and 2 weeks after vaccination with enzyme immunoassay. The retrospective control group consisted of 89 healthy children matched for age and gender. No children had received previous conjugated pneumococcal vaccine (PCV) or PPV. The structured history of infectious diseases of all participants was collected. Ten of 91 (11%) children (eight excluded due to immunoglobulin G subclass deficiency) with recurrent respiratory infections had SAD. In the control group, three children (3%) responded inadequately to PPV (P = 0·05). Most children with SAD also had many other minor immune defects. After 0·5-5 years (medium 3·8), eight children with SAD were revaccinated with PPV; five responded adequately and three inadequately. Two SAD children were revaccinated with PCV, one developed an adequate and one an inadequate response. Two children with SAD received treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin; the remaining eight children recovered without replacement therapy during the follow-up. SAD is common in young children with recurrent respiratory infections, but it is often transient and resolves itself within a few years without specific treatment.

Wound healing after open appendectomies in adult patients: a prospective, randomised trial comparing two methods of wound closure.

BACKGROUND: The skin is closed in open appendectomy traditionally with few interrupted nonabsorbable sutures. The use of this old method is based on a suggestion that this technique decreases wound infections. In pediatric surgery, skin closure with running intradermal absorbable sutures has been found to be as safe as nonabsorbable sutures, even in complicated cases. Our purpose was to compare the safety of classic interrupted nonabsorbable skin closure to continuous intradermal absorbable sutures in appendectomy wounds in adult patients. METHODS: A total of 206 adult patients with clinically suspected appendicitis were allocated to the study and prospectively randomized into two groups of wound closure: the interrupted nonabsorbable (NA) suture and the intradermal continuous absorbable (A) suture group. Primary wound healing was controlled on the first postoperative day, at 1 week clinically and after 2 weeks by means of a telephone interview. Follow-up data were obtained from 185 patients (90 in group NA and 95 in group A). RESULTS: Continuous absorbable intradermal suturing was as safe as nonabsorbable sutures in regard to wound infections. CONCLUSION: Continuous, absorbable sutures can be used safely even in complicated appendicectomies without increasing the risk of wound infection. Considering the benefits of absorbable suturing, we recommend this method in all open appendectomies.

Loss-of-function mutations within the IL-2 inducible kinase ITK in patients with EBV-associated lymphoproliferative diseases.

The purpose of this study was the appraisal of the clinical and functional consequences of germline mutations within the gene for the IL-2 inducible T-cell kinase, ITK. Among patients with Epstein-Barr virus-driven lymphoproliferative disorders (EBV-LPD), negative for mutations in SH2D1A and XIAP (n=46), we identified two patients with R29H or D500T,F501L,M503X mutations, respectively. Human wild-type (wt) ITK, but none of the mutants, was able to rescue defective calcium flux in murine Itk(-/-) T cells. Pulse-chase experiments showed that ITK mutations lead to varying reductions of protein half-life from 25 to 69% as compared with wt ITK (107 min). The pleckstrin homology domain of wt ITK binds most prominently to phosphatidylinositol monophosphates (PI(3)P, PI(4)P, PI(5)P) and to lesser extend to its double or triple phosphorylated derivates (PIP2, PIP3), interactions which were dramatically reduced in the patient with the ITK(R29H) mutant. ITK mutations are distributed over the entire protein and include missense, nonsense and indel mutations, reminiscent of the situation in its sister kinase in B cells, Bruton's tyrosine kinase.

A novel mutation W388X underlying properdin deficiency in a Finnish family.

Properdin deficiency is a rare immunological disorder inherited as an X-chromosomal recessive trait. Properdin deficiency poses a significant risk for severe meningococcal infections. About 20 mutations have been reported to underlie properdin deficiency. Here we report a large Finnish family with a novel mutation in the properdin gene (CFP). Based on the total absence of properdin activity in a 14-year-old male patient with an infection resembling meningococcal bacteraemia, the coding region and splice sites of the gene were sequenced. The mutation is located in exon 9 and changes guanine to adenine at nucleotide 1164 (c.1164G>A) that causes tryptophan to change to a premature stop codon (W388X). The mother of the patient was shown to be a carrier of the mutation. In total, the mutation was identified in six females and three young males in the family. The mutation must be inherited from the grandfather who had died of an unknown infectious disease. This is the first mutation of the properdin gene identified in Finland.

Preschool asthma after bronchiolitis in infancy.

Asthma risk is lower after wheezing associated with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) than with non-RSV infection in infancy. RSV is the main wheezing-associated virus in infants aged <6 months. We evaluated the outcome of children hospitalised for bronchiolitis at <6 months of age, with special focus on viral aetiology and early risk factors. Out of 205 infants hospitalised for bronchiolitis at <6 months of age, 127 (62%) attended a control visit at a mean age of 6.5 yrs and the parents of an additional 39 children were interviewed by telephone. Thus, follow-up data collected by identical structured questionnaires were available from 166 (81%) children. Viral aetiology of bronchiolitis, studied on admission by antigen detection or PCR, was demonstrable in 97% of cases. Current asthma was present in 21 (12.7%) children: 8.2% in the 110 former RSV patients versus 24% in non-RSV patients (p=0.01). 45 (27%) children had ever had asthma. In adjusted analyses, atopic dermatitis, non-RSV bronchiolitis and maternal asthma were independently significant early-life risk factors for asthma. The risk of asthma was lower after RSV bronchiolitis than after bronchiolitis caused by other viruses in children hospitalised at <6 months of age.

A pilot study of the implementation of WHO surgical checklist in Finland: improvements in activities and communication.

BACKGROUND: World Health Organisation (WHO) has introduced a surgical safety checklist that has reduced post-operative morbidity and mortality. Prior to national checklist implementation, we assessed its possible impact on the operating room (OR) process, safety-related issues and communication among surgical staff in a high-income country. METHODS: In four university and teaching hospitals, a structured questionnaire was delivered to OR personnel involved in consecutive operations over 4-6 weeks before and after the checklist implementation. The questionnaire resembled the WHO checklist and comprised multiple-choice questions relating to performance of safety checks and communication. Anaesthesiologists (A), surgeons (S) and circulating nurses (CN) answered the questions independently. The WHO checklist was modified for national needs. RESULTS: Questionnaires were returned from 1748 operations, 901 before and 847 after the checklist. Patient's identity was more often confirmed (A: 62.7% vs. 84.0%, S: 71.6% vs. 85.5%, CN: 81.6% vs. 94.2%, P < 0.001) and knowledge of names and roles among team members (A: 65.7% vs. 81.8%, S: 71.1% vs. 83.6%, CN: 87.7% vs. 93.2%, P < 0.01) improved with the checklist. Anaesthesiologists and surgeons discussed critical events pre-operatively (A: 22.0% vs. 42.6%, S: 34.7% vs. 46.2%, P < 0.001) more frequently after the checklist. In addition, fewer communication failures (43 vs. 17, P < 0.05) were reported with checklist. CONCLUSIONS: The checklist increased OR teams' awareness of patient-related issues, the procedure and expected risks. It also enhanced team communication and prevented communication failures. Our findings support use of the WHO checklist in various surgical fields.

Twelve-month clinical follow-up study of voice patients' recovery using the Voice Activity and Participation Profile (VAPP).

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of voice treatment including brief voice therapy for 12 months in two groups of voice patients: organic and functional. DESIGN AND METHODS: A clinical prospective follow-up study with repeated measurements in five phases: medical session, first voice therapy session, last voice therapy session, and 6 months and 12 months after voice therapy. The mean number of voice therapy sessions was 3.4. The main outcome measures were the Voice Activity and Participation Profile (VAPP) and the Symptom Questionnaire. Of consenting patients (n=141) with chronic voice disorders, 46 dropped out during follow-up. Ninety-five patients formed the study group. Forty-one of them received only voice therapy, but the rest of them received combined treatment (medication, amplifiers, and voice massage), but also experienced life events affecting voice. Patients with any laryngeal pathology formed the organic group (n=47), others had a functional voice disorder. RESULTS: Using the improvement criterion that the change of the VAPP score should exceed standard error of measurement, the percentage of individual patients achieving improvement was 47% in the mild, 59% in the moderate, and 75% in the severe disorder groups. Effect size for VAPP total score was 0.89. The positive effect continued to progress after the therapy ended. Patients with functional or organic voice disorder improved almost equally, although minor findings indicate that functional patients benefited more. CONCLUSIONS: Voice treatment had a progressive effect for 1 year in half of our patients. No statistical difference was found between the functional and organic patient groups.

Non-absorbable interrupted versus absorbable continuous skin closure in pediatric appendectomies.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: appendectomy wounds are still commonly closed with non-absorbable sutures. Stitch removal has financial costs and causes anxiety in children. Our aim was to compare interrupted non-absorbable (NA) and continuous intradermal absorbable (A) sutures in appendectomy wounds to evaluate whether absorbable suturing increases the risk of complications. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 198 children (age 4-18 years) including perforated cases were prospectively randomized into two groups (NA and A skin closure). The wounds and inflammatory markers were evaluated on the first two postoperative days. The appearance of the wound was evaluated one week postoperatively by a district nurse. Follow-up data were obtained from 166 patients (87 in NA group and 79 in A group). RESULTS: in NA group 86 % and in A group 81 % had appendicitis (8 % and 15.6 % perforated and 9.3 % and 25 % gangrenous cases in NA and A groups, respectively). The total wound infection rate was low, 1.8 % (2.3 % in NA Group and 1.3% in A Group). No differences in the inflammatory markers or the appearance of the wound were noted between the groups, but nine children in NA Group (10.3 %) had a partial wound dehiscence after stitch removal. CONCLUSION: appendectomy wounds in children can be closed with continuous, absorbable sutures, even in complicated cases.

Interaction between CD14-159C>T polymorphism and Helicobacter pylori is associated with serum total immunoglobulin E.

BACKGROUND: Total serum IgE is regulated by both environmental and genetic factors. Association and linkage studies have suggested a role of CD14-159C>T polymorphism in the regulation of serum total IgE, but the results have been contradictory. It seems that gene-environment interactions are involved in this regulation. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the possible gene-environment interactions among Toxoplasma gondii, Helicobacter pylori, CD14-159C>T and Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4+896A>G polymorphism on serum total IgE. For this study, we expanded the scope of our earlier comparison of allergic sensitization and microbial load between Finland and Russian Karelia by studying the CD14-159C>T and TLR4+896A>G polymorphism in a cohort of Russian Karelian children. METHODS: For this study, CD14-159C>T and TLR4+896A>G polymorphisms were analysed in 264 healthy Russian Karelian children. Serum total IgE levels and H. pylori and T. gondii antibodies were also measured. RESULTS: We constructed a multiway anova model to analyse the gene-environment interactions among T. gondii seropositivity, H. pylori seropositivity, CD14-159C>T and TLR4+896A>G polymorphisms on serum total IgE. The model showed that there was an interaction between the CD14-159 allele T carrier status and H. pylori antibodies on serum total IgE (P=0.004). No other interactions were found. CONCLUSION: Our results further emphasize the role of gene-environment interaction in the regulation of serum total IgE.

Characterisation of patients treated at the Red Cross field hospital in Kashmir during the first three weeks of operation.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the characteristics of patients treated at a field hospital in the first month after a major earthquake. METHODS: Age, sex, diagnosis, and operations performed on patients admitted to the field hospital of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Pakistani Kashmir between 21 October and 10 November 2005 were recorded and the data analysed. RESULTS: During the three week period of this study, 316 patients were treated at the hospital; 246 were women and children (77.9%). Two thirds were hospitalised, over 90% because of the need for surgery or surgical consultation. Altogether 345 operations were performed on 157 patients. The majority of patients had infected wounds with or without fractures. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients need medical evaluation in consequence of earthquake-related trauma even weeks after the catastrophe, especially in areas difficult of access.

Isolation of enterovirus strains from children with preclinical Type 1 diabetes.

AIMS: To develop methods for isolation of enterovirus strains from subjects with preclinical Type 1 diabetes and evaluate if their presence in stools is associated with beta-cell damage. METHODS: The study subjects were participants of the Finnish Type 1 Diabetes Prediction and Prevention Study (DIPP). The prospectively followed birth cohort comprised 12 children who turned positive for diabetes-associated autoantibodies during the follow-up (case children) and 53 controls matched for date of birth, sex and HLA-DQB1 alleles. Altogether, 878 stool samples were analysed for the presence of enterovirus RNA by RT-PCR followed by virus isolation and partial sequencing of viral genome. Enterovirus antibodies and RNA were simultaneously analysed from serum. RESULTS: Eleven enterovirus infections were diagnosed in case children and 42 infections in control children by the presence of viral RNA in stools. The proportion of children who were repeatedly enterovirus RNA-positive stools was higher among case than control children (42% vs. 11% of children; P=0.02). Combined serum (antibody and RT-PCR) and stool analyses indicated at least one enterovirus infection in 83% of the case children before the appearance of autoantibodies, while only 42% of the control children had infection by the same age (P=0.006). Twelve enterovirus strains were isolated from case children and 38 strains from control children. CONCLUSIONS: This protocol makes it possible to isolate a large number of enterovirus strains from prediabetic subjects. The findings suggest that enterovirus infections may be associated with the beta-cell damaging process.

IL-10 gene polymorphism and herpesvirus infections.

Genetics has an important role in resistance to various infections and it also may modify the clinical picture of an infectious disease. Here, we briefly review our recent data demonstrating that the polymorphism of the IL-10 gene is associated with resistance to some common herpesviruses and, additionally, that this same gene is involved in the regulation of the severity of the infection and in the reactivation process.