[Dynamics of viral hepatitis A morbidity in Minsk].

The results of the analysis of hepatitis A morbidity during the period of 1996 - 2001, are presented. The cyclic character of this morbidity in its dynamics over the period of several years was noted with the maximum morbidity level reached in 2000. The monthly dynamics of hepatitis A morbidity reflected its seasonal character with the maximum increase in autumn and winter. The virological control of drinking water revealed its contamination in spring and summer, with no subsequent rise in morbidity. The control of sewage reflected the emergence of the virus in the city collector in accordance with the increased morbidity.

A NASBA method to detect high- and low-pathogenicity H5 avian influenza viruses.

Nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) allows the rapid amplification of specific regions of nucleic acid obtained from a diverse range of sources. It is especially suitable for amplifying RNA sequences. A NASBA technique was developed that allows the detection of avian influenza A subtype H5 from allantoic fluid harvested from inoculated chick embryos. The amplified viral RNA is detected by electrochemiluminescence. The described NASBA technique is a specific, rapid, and sensitive method of detection of influenza A subtype H5 viruses. More importantly, it can be used to distinguish high- and low-pathogenicity strains of the H5 subtype.

Self-rated economic condition and the health of elderly persons in Hong Kong.

Studies have documented that health and income are important variables affecting the quality of life in old age. However, there is little knowledge about whether perceived financial sufficiency affects the health of elderly persons. Recent research has documented that in addition to material and behavioural determinants, psychosocial pathways also have an influence on health inequalities. This is the first paper to examine the relation between self-rated economic condition (measured with a single item question) and reported health conditions (i.e., somatic complaints, diagnosed physical diseases, functional health (Activities of Daily Living), self-rated health, and mental health status (General Health Questionnaire-30 [GHQ-30]) among elderly persons in Hong Kong. The respondents of the study were persons aged 65 and over residing in public housing estates in the Southern District of Hong Kong Island. Four hundred and fifty respondents were interviewed in 1995 by means of a structured questionnaire. The study found that although it did not record the actual income levels of the respondents, the subjective measure vividly demonstrated the health differentials among the elderly respondents. Multiple regression analyses suggested that self-rated economic condition was a significant predictor of the number of somatic complaints and physical illnesses reported, as well as of functional health, self-rated health, and mental health status (controlling for socio-demographic variables). However, the measure explained a higher proportion of variance in models related to psychological health than those related to physical health. The findings substantiated the role of psychosocial processes in understanding perceived health and illness and health inequalities in particular.

Vitreous fluorophotometry in patients with crystalline retinopathy.

Patients with various stages of crystalline retinopathy were examined with vitreous fluorophotometry and the results were compared with those of normal subjects. Two patients with glistening crystals without pigment clumps, together with atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium in the posterior pole, showed a normal inward permeability of fluorescein. Three patients with a large area of choriocapillaris atrophy in the posterior pole, in addition to atrophy of retinal pigment epithelium, demonstrated an increase in the rate of inward fluorescein penetration. Three patients with extensive areas of choriocapillaris atrophy throughout the fundus also revealed an increased posterior vitreous penetration ratio.

A biometric study of ocular changes during accommodation.

We performed a biometric study that used A-mode ultrasonography on 106 subjects during ocular accommodation. The subjects were divided into two groups; group 1 included 76 subjects and group 2 included 30 subjects. In group 1, we measured the anterior chamber depth, lens thickness, and axial length in the right eye while the left eye, wearing corrective spectacles, focused at distances of 6 m, 33 cm, and 33 cm with an additional correction of +3.0 diopters to offset any accommodative effect. In group 2, we measured the anterior chamber depth, lens thickness, and axial length in the right eye while the left eye focused at distances of 6 m, 33 cm, and 12.5 cm. Similar to the left eyes in group 1, the left eyes in group 2 wore corrective spectacles during all procedures. During accommodation, decreased anterior chamber depth and thickening of the lens were noted in all cases. In group 1, axial length significantly increased an average of 0.06 +/- 0.01 mm (P < .0005) while the left eye focused at a distance of 33 cm. There were no significant changes with the additional +3.0 diopters (P < .05). In group 2, axial length significantly increased an average of 0.05 +/- 0.01 mm (P < .0005) when the left eye focused at a distance of 33 cm, and there was further significant elongation of 0.05 +/- 0.01 mm when the left eye focused at a distance of 12.5 cm. Collectively, these results suggest that axial length increases along with changes in the lens and anterior chamber depth during ocular accommodation.

A case of monocular nystagmus blockage syndrome and manifest-latent nystagmus.

A 24-year-old man, left eye enucleated at the age of ten months, had jerk-right nystagmus with increasing amplitude in abduction and null position in near-extreme adduction. Under occlusion or in darkness, the nystagmus changed to jerk-left, the amplitude increased in adduction and null position was in abduction; as if his left eye had nystagmus blockage syndrome and he was seeing with this absent left eye! The difference between nystagmus blockage syndrome and latent nystagmus is discussed: nystagmus blockage syndrome is manifested by 'motor' maneuver of adduction and abduction, whereas latent nystagmus is induced with 'sensory' maneuver of occlusion. It suggests that nystagmus blockage syndrome and latent nystagmus may arise from different mechanisms despite their frequent concurrence.

Ocular fundus examination in premature infants.

In order to better acknowledge the ocular fundus picture in premature infants and to determine the incidence and clinical course of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), from October 1987 to April 1989, 187 cases with a gestational age of less than 38 weeks or a birth weight of less than 2,500 g were enrolled for examination and follow-up study with indirect ophthalmoscope. One hundred and fifty cases (80.21%) were free from ROP bilaterally. Thirty-seven cases (19.79%) had ROP. Except for one case that showed unilateral regressed ROP, all were bilaterally affected. The mean birth weight and gestational age in the nonROP group were 1,824 +/- 426 g and 33.6 +/- 2.9 weeks, respectively, and in the ROP group were 1,395 +/- 490 g and 30.7 +/- 3.9 weeks, respectively. The difference for both factors between the two groups were statistically significant (p less than 0.05). Several specific fundus features were noticed in a high percentage of the nonROP group, these included a small cup to disc (C/D) ratio, pigmented ring around the disc, hypopigmented fundus and a greenish-gray color in the peripheral vascularized retina. In addition, 8.2% of this group had persistent primary vitreous remnant, and 5.6% had retinal hemorrhage. The macular development was subdivided into three stages. In both the ROP and nonROP groups, the difference of gestational age at each advancing stage was statistically significant by the Student t-test. No delay in macular development was noticed in the ROP group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Embedded hard contact lens: reports of a case.

Contact lens migration into the upper eye lid with resultant lid mass is a rare complication of hard contact lens wear. We present a case in which a cosmetically unacceptable upper lid mass was the chief problem. The patient had switched to soft contact lenses and tolerated them well for about 13 months. From computed tomographic scan pictures and the keratoscopic change, surgical exploration through the opening of a discharging sinus in the upper forniceal area delivered a 8 x 8 mm hard contact lens and a flux of tenacious mucoid discharge. Double eversion of the upper tarsus, which was advised by Green in 1963, was the most important technique in reaching the correct diagnosis, and it should be stressed again on examining patients with a history of displaced hard contact lens.

[Tear lactoferrin in keratoconjunctivitis sicca].

Keratoconjunctivitis sicca is a commonly encountered disease with decreased lacrimal gland activity. There are several tests to determine the lacrimal gland function, but all have limitations in accuracy, sensitivity or technical difficulty. At present, there is no reliable objective test to render a firm diagnosis of dry eye. Lactoferrin is one of the major proteins secreted by the lacrimal gland. Its concentration was found to correlate well to lacrimal gland activity. In this study we tried to evaluate the diagnostic value of lactoferrin measurement in comparison with other tests for keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Tests including the measurement of tear lactoferrin, Schirmer's-1 test, Schirmer's basal test, tear film break-up time, and rose bengal stain of the cornea were done on 60 healthy eyes and 56 eyes with keratoconjunctivitis sicca. The lactoferrin level was measured by a commercially available "Lactoplate" (Eagle Vision, U.S.A.). It is a plate containing gel loaded with rabbit anti-human-lactoferrin antiserum. Tear-moistened filter paper discs containing lactoferrin were placed on the gel. The lactoferrin concentration could be determined by measuring the concentric ring of precipitate after 72 hours incubation at room temperature. The average concentration of lactoferrin was 1.9 +/- 0.51 mg/ml in the normal group and 1.4 +/- 0.93 mg/ml in the keratoconjunctivitis sicca group. They were significantly different from each other (t-test: p less than 0.05). The results of the other 4 tests also showed a significant difference between the normal and keratoconjunctivitis sicca group, but the lactoferrin measurement had the highest specificity among these 5 tests. Because of the technical simplicity of measurement and its high specificity, lactoferrin measurement could be a valuable tool for the early and accurate diagnosis of keratoconjunctivitis sicca.

Clinical observations on occlusion myopia.

The authors studied the refractive errors and axial lengths on thirty patients. A retrospective analysis suggests some degree of monocular vision deprivation early in life. Axial myopia was found in most of the cases, indicating that emmetropization is a vision-dependent phenomenon. But, some exceptions were found, supporting the concept that multiple factors are involved in the pathogenesis of myopia.

Correlation of optical components with ocular refraction among teen-agers in Taipei.

From 2 senior-high and 2 vocational schools in Taipei, 3251 children with age 16-19 were randomly selected to study the relationship between ocular refraction and its main optical components, corneal curvature and axial length. While the corneal curvature was found to play only a minor role in the determination of ocular refraction, the measurements of axial length parallelled the degree of myopia (r = 0.74). A two-years' longitudinal study of additional 411 children from one junior-high school (age 13 through 15) further pointed to the importance of axial length in the production and progression of myopia.