ABSTRACT
Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is one of the most frequently used immunosuppressive drugs in solid organ transplant recipients. MMF is an inhibitor of inosine-5'-monophosphate, and is able to preferentially inhibit B-cell and T-cell function. The immunosuppressive abilities of MMF have made it one of the most successful anti-rejection drugs in transplant patients, but patients also appear to have increased susceptibility to infections, specifically cytomegalovirus and BK virus. Despite its association with an increased risk of infection, MMF has also exhibited antimicrobial activity against pathogens including hepatitis C, Pneumocystis jirovecii, and human immunodeficiency virus. A thorough understanding of the functions of MMF on the immune system and interaction with infectious pathogens could be helpful in implementing preventative strategies against opportunistic infections in transplant patients.
Subject(s)
Antifungal Agents/pharmacology , Antiviral Agents/pharmacology , B-Lymphocytes/drug effects , Immunosuppressive Agents/therapeutic use , Mycophenolic Acid/analogs & derivatives , Opportunistic Infections/prevention & control , Organ Transplantation/adverse effects , T-Lymphocytes/drug effects , Animals , B-Lymphocytes/immunology , Clinical Trials as Topic , Graft Rejection/prevention & control , Humans , Immunosuppressive Agents/administration & dosage , Immunosuppressive Agents/pharmacology , Mice , Mycophenolic Acid/administration & dosage , Mycophenolic Acid/pharmacology , Mycophenolic Acid/therapeutic use , Opportunistic Infections/microbiology , Opportunistic Infections/virology , Pneumocystis/drug effects , Rats , T-Lymphocytes/immunology , Viruses/drug effectsABSTRACT
We present a case of an African-American child with vitamin D-deficient rickets. In addition to being solely breast-fed for the period of 1 year, he resided in New England, where exposure to ultraviolet light is limited owing to its northern latitude and long cold winters. He presented with classical signs of nutritional rickets and was immediately responsive to treatment with vitamin D supplementation.
Subject(s)
Rickets , Vitamin D Deficiency , Cholecalciferol/deficiency , Dietary Supplements , Humans , Infant , Male , Rickets/blood , Rickets/etiology , Rickets/therapy , Skin Pigmentation/physiology , Sunlight , Vitamin D/therapeutic use , Vitamin D Deficiency/complications , Vitamin D Deficiency/diet therapy , Vitamin D Deficiency/drug therapyABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze the characteristics of, and the clinical correlates to, concave hymenal variations in a large number of suspected child sexual abuse victims. Thirteen hundred eighty-three female child and adolescent suspected sexual abuse victims were comprehensively evaluated. Photocolposcopy was used for the anogenital examinations. Concave hymenal variations were found in 174 patients (12.6%). Sixty-one (35.1%) were anterior. Of these, 40 (65.6%) were curved and smooth, and 21 (34.4%) were angular and/or irregular. One hundred (57.5%) were posterior/lateral. Of these, 33 (33%) were curved and smooth, and 67 (67%) were angular and/or irregular. Thirteen patients (7.5%) had multiple hymenal concavities. Posterior/lateral location was associated with penile-vaginal contact (P = .004), penetration (P = .006), stranger perpetrator (P = .032), hymenal rim narrowing (P less than .001), and posterior fourchette abnormality (P = .049). Angular and/or irregular features were associated with penile contact (P = .005), vaginal contact (P = .035), penile-vaginal contact specifically (P less than .001), penetration (P = .046), abnormal general physical examination (P = .018), and hymenal rim narrowing (P less than .001). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that age-specific prevalence trends for posterior/lateral (P less than .001) and angular and/or irregular (P = .011) concavities were consistent with acquired anatomic findings. An interobserver exercise with five "blinded" raters evaluating photographs of 49 patients showed significant agreement among observers in sorting posterior/lateral and angular concavities into the diagnostic categories "suggestive of trauma" and "trauma."(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Subject(s)
Child Abuse, Sexual/pathology , Hymen/pathology , Adolescent , Age Factors , Child , Child Abuse, Sexual/diagnosis , Coitus , Colposcopy , Female , Humans , Hymen/anatomy & histology , Hymen/injuries , Logistic Models , Multivariate Analysis , Observer Variation , Prevalence , Vagina/injuries , Vagina/pathologySubject(s)
Delivery of Health Care , Health Services Accessibility , Health Services Needs and Demand , Health Services Research , Home Care Services/statistics & numerical data , Aged , Female , Health Surveys , Home Care Services/supply & distribution , Humans , Male , Maryland , Middle Aged , Rural Health/standards , WorkforceSubject(s)
Health Services Needs and Demand , Health Services Research , Home Care Services , Rural Health , Age Factors , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Maryland , Middle Aged , Sex Factors , Socioeconomic FactorsABSTRACT
Simple exposure to Western goods may not be a sufficient explanation of why isolated village communities increase their participation in external market economies. The degree of market participation by four native villages in central Brazil is related to the difficulty of making a living from slash-and-burn subsistence agriculture as measured by the ratio of labor input to food output.
