ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the hygiene practices during ophthalmologists'consultations in Burgundy, France, so as to identify the difficulties they encounter in implementing new professional guidelines. METHOD: The survey was based on an anonymous transversal descriptive survey conducted via a questionnaire sent in May 2006 to 102 ophthalmologists. RESULTS: Data from 51 questionnaires were included in the survey, showing a good response rate (50%). The survey revealed that the perception of the risk of transmitting an infection was "important" to "most important" (59.2%). A steam autoclave was used by 38.8% of the ophthalmologists. Those who did not sterilize instruments disinfected them (30%). Finally, ophthalmologists preferred more information to training (90% versus 50%, p=0.015). CONCLUSION: This survey highlights the need for improvements in education for practitioners and their assistants, especially in the sterilization of instruments and equipment.
Subject(s)
Infection Control/statistics & numerical data , Ophthalmology , Practice Patterns, Physicians'/statistics & numerical data , France , Hand Disinfection , Humans , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Several studies indicate a possible association between different genes and chronic neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (DTA). To further investigate, we have analyzed association between the apolipoprotein E (apo E) and bleomycin hydrolase (BH) polymorphisms and three groups of elderly patients: control subjects (T) (n = 68), late-onset sporadic DTA patients (DTAst) (n = 65) and other non vascular neurodegerative diseases (MNDA) (n = 52). Apo E-epsilon4 and BH-G alleles frequencies (%) are: 8.2 (T), 31.5 (DTAst), 16.4 (MNDA) and 41.4 (T), 35.6 (DTAst). No association has been observed between carrying the G allele and DTA in epsilon4 negative subjects but, our data have confirmed the earlier reports: carrying the epsilon4 allele is a dose-dependent risk factor for the DTAst (OR: 6.0, IC 95 %: 2.6-13.7) and decrease the age of symptom onset (p < 0.005). They have also suggested that apo E genotyping may be of interest to perform differential diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases in elderly subjects.
Subject(s)
Alzheimer Disease/genetics , Apolipoproteins E/genetics , Cysteine Endopeptidases/genetics , Neurodegenerative Diseases/genetics , Polymorphism, Genetic , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Base Sequence , DNA Primers , Genotype , Humans , Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods , Reproducibility of ResultsABSTRACT
Treatment of human synovial cells with interleukin-1 (IL-1) results in a large increase in the production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), a function in which the activation of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) is a key step. In order to identify the enzymes that are linked to IL-1-mediated arachidonate availability and subsequent PGE2 production, we have investigated the changes in gene expression of the 85-kDa cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2), the 14-kDa secretory PLA2 (sPLA2) and the two forms of cyclooxygenase in human synoviocytes after stimulation with recombinant IL-1 beta. Northern-blot analysis revealed that both cPLA2 and cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA were progressively upregulated upon exposure to IL-1 for 5 hours and the glucocorticoid, dexamethasone, blocked the increased expression of these two genes. In contrast, IL-1-induced sPLA2 gene expression determined in the same cell samples was weak and most often rapid, and dexamethasone further stimulated it. In addition, IL-1 did not modify the levels of the constitutive cyclooxygenase-1. The cPLA2 and cyclooxygenase-2 enzymic activities are dependent upon de novo synthesis of mRNA and protein, since they were inhibited by actinomycin D and cycloheximide. Our data suggest that the IL-1-induced production of PGE2 in human synoviocytes can be attributed to the stimulation of both cPLA2 and cyclooxygenase-2. These enzymes may represent appropriate targets for selective blockade of prostanoid production in the inflammed joints.
