Feeding a Multi-Enzyme Blend to Enhance the Nutrient Digestibility of Wheat-Canola Expeller Diets in Ileal-Cannulated Weaned Pigs.

Canola expeller (CE) contains ~200 g/kg residual oil, but also fiber that impairs nutrient digestibility in weaned pigs. To study if feed enzymes increase digestibility, six diets containing either the basal or two CE samples mixed in at 250 g/kg (CE-A or CE-B) were formulated with or without a multi-enzyme blend containing cellulase, xylanase, glucanase, amylase, protease, invertase, and pectinase. The basal diet containing 620 g/kg wheat and 150 g/kg barley served as control. Twelve ileal-cannulated barrows (9-15 kg) were fed the six diets in a replicated 6 (pigs) × 3 (periods) Youden square. Ileal digestibility of gross energy and amino acids was 5% greater for basal than CE diets without differences between CE samples. Diet energy values were 4% greater for CE than basal diets due to residual oil in CE. Inclusion of the multi-enzyme blend increased total tract digestibility of energy of the basal but not CE diets by 2%. Net energy value was greater for CE-A than CE-B because CE-A contained more residual oil. In conclusion, feeding 250 g/kg CE increased diet energy values; thus, CE can substitute added fat in weaned pig diets. Feeding the multi-enzyme blend increased the energy digestibility of wheat and barley-based diets fed to weaned pigs. However, research is needed to identify enzyme combinations that increase the nutrient digestibility of CE.

Is buprenorphine transdermal patch equally safe and effective in younger and elderly patients with osteoarthritis-related pain? Results of an age-group controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: A recent pharmacokinetic study with buprenorphine transdermal patches showed similar systemic exposures of buprenorphine in subjects aged ≥75 and 50-60 years. The current prospective, open-label study aimed to verify this in a clinical setting by evaluating efficacy and safety of buprenorphine patches in patients with chronic osteoarthritis (OA) pain. METHODS: Patients with chronic, moderate to severe osteoarthritic pain (hip and/or knee) were enrolled: 50-60 years (younger group, N = 65) and ≥75 years (elderly group, N = 57). After 2 weeks on paracetamol only, patients received buprenorphine patches (5-40 µg/h) for 12 weeks. Paracetamol rescue was provided. Primary endpoint was the Box-Scale-11 (BS-11) score for pain on average over the last week. WOMAC OA Index, EQ-5D, Patients' and Investigators' Global Assessment of Pain Relief, rescue medication use, sleep disturbance and quality of sleep were secondary efficacy endpoints. RESULTS: Both groups showed a statistically significant (p < 0.0001) and clinically relevant change from baseline to last visit in BS-11 score, with no significant difference between groups. The least squares (LS) mean change from baseline was 2.20 in elderly and 1.87 in younger patients, with an age group difference of 0.33 (95% CI: -0.42, 1.07). Non-inferiority of the elderly versus the younger group was shown. Both age groups showed a significant improvement in WOMAC total score, patients' overall health state (EQ-5D visual analogue scale) and sleep quality, and a significant reduction in rescue use and nights woken due to pain, with no significant differences between groups. Elderly patients tolerated buprenorphine patches at least as well as younger patients. CONCLUSIONS: Efficacy and tolerability of buprenorphine patches was demonstrated in chronic pain patients, regardless of age, supporting the conclusion that no age-related dose adjustment of transdermal buprenorphine is needed. A study limitation is lack of active control but no other opioid was appropriate in elderly patients or this indication.

Effective control measures limited measles outbreak after extensive nosocomial exposures in January-February 2008 in Gothenburg, Sweden.

In January-February 2008, one imported case of measles initiated a series of exposures with around 380 nosocomial secondary contacts. Susceptible individuals were traced early and control measures were initiated that managed to limit the consequences considerably. Only four secondary cases were identified by the end of March. This minor outbreak illustrates the importance and efficiency of early control measures as well as the fact that the risk of measles outbreaks still exists in a country that has high measles, mumps, rubella vaccination coverage among children.

A large Escherichia coli O157 outbreak in Sweden associated with locally produced lettuce.

In 2005 a large outbreak of verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) occurred in Sweden. Cases were interviewed and cohort and case-control studies were conducted. Microbiological investigations were performed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the Shiga-like toxin (Stx) genes followed by cultivation and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. A total of 135 cases were recorded, including 11 cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome. The epidemiological investigations implicated lettuce as the most likely source of the outbreak, with an OR of 13.0 (CI 2.94-57.5) in the case-control study. The lettuce was irrigated by water from a small stream, and water samples were positive for Stx 2 by PCR. The identical VTEC O157 Stx 2 positive strain was isolated from the cases and in cattle at a farm upstream from the irrigation point. An active surveillance and reporting system was crucial and cooperation between all involved parties was essential for quickly identifying the cause of this outbreak. Handling of fresh greens from farm to table must be improved to minimize the risk of contamination.

Sustained reduction of antibiotic use and low bacterial resistance: 10-year follow-up of the Swedish Strama programme.

Increasing use of antibiotics and the spread of resistant pneumococcal clones in the early 1990s alarmed the medical profession and medical authorities in Sweden. Strama (Swedish Strategic Programme for the Rational Use of Antimicrobial Agents and Surveillance of Resistance) was therefore started in 1994 to provide surveillance of antibiotic use and resistance, and to implement the rational use of antibiotics and development of new knowledge. Between 1995 and 2004, antibiotic use for outpatients decreased from 15.7 to 12.6 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day and from 536 to 410 prescriptions per 1000 inhabitants per year. The reduction was most prominent in children aged 5-14 years (52%) and for macrolides (65%). During this period, the number of hospital admissions for acute mastoiditis, rhinosinusitis, and quinsy (peritonsillar abscess) was stable or declining. Although the epidemic spread in southern Sweden of penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae was curbed, the national frequency increased from 4% to 6%. Resistance remained low in most other bacterial species during this period. This multidisciplinary, coordinated programme has contributed to the reduction of antibiotic use without measurable negative consequences. However, antibiotic resistance in several bacterial species is slowly increasing, which has led to calls for continued sustained efforts to preserve the effectiveness of available antibiotics.

Chronic hepatitis B in children in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Sweden is a low prevalence area for hepatitis B, but the number of chronic carriers has increased during the last decade due to immigration. Out of a total of 120 children with identified chronic hepatitis B in Gothenburg, Sweden, 93 were investigated during the 2-year period 1994-95. The children had a mean age of 10.9 years and originated from 21 different countries. Most infections were discovered during various screening programmes after arrival in Sweden. A total of 90 of the 93 children were HBV-DNA positive by Amplicor HBV Monitor (Roche Diagnostics) and 58% (54/93) were HBeAg positive. All children either originated from areas with a high or medium prevalence of HBV infection (81/93, 87%) or were born in Sweden to mothers originating from high or medium prevalence countries (12/93, 13%). Three of these 12 children were vertically infected in spite of adequate immunoprophylaxis and 8 were born to mothers with undiscovered chronic HBV infection. In all, 34 children had mothers who were HBsAg positive. No overt case of transmission was notified in day-care centres or schools, or from a child to a non-immune parent. None of the children reported any symptoms of liver disease, but 38% (35/93) had elevated aminotransferases. Therefore, screening programmes are essential to identify chronic HBV infection in children in order to prevent transmission and to find individuals at risk of progressive liver damage who should be considered for treatment.

Monoclonal, natural antibodies prevent development of diabetes in the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse.

The development of diabetes in the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse is mediated by T cells of both the CD4+CD8- and CD4-CD8+ phenotypes, while B cells are not involved in the effector stage of the disease. We have recently found, however, that treatments with heterologous, polyclonal immunoglobulin (Ig) preparations, as well as suppressing the developing B cell repertoire for the first 4 weeks of life dramatically reduce the incidence of disease and the severity of insulitis, in treated mice. We have further investigated the influence of Igs on the development of autoimmunity by testing the effect of polyclonal mouse-Ig or monoclonal, natural antibodies derived from normal, neonatal BALB/c mice. We found that repeated administration of high doses of polyclonal Ig (of xenogenic or isogenic origin), given at birth, inhibits the development of insulitis, as well as diabetes. Furthermore, single injections of moderate doses of isogenic, natural monoclonal antibodies (mAb) administered at the same age, while failing to significantly alter the degree of insulitis, efficiently prevent the development of disease. The effect of mAbs was found to be related to V-region specificity, as only some mAbs of a given isotype and origin had the observed effect.

The phenotype of lymphoid cells and thymic epithelium correlates with development of autoimmune insulitis in NOD in equilibrium with C57BL/6 allophenic chimeras.

The mechanisms contributing to the development of autoimmune insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus have been analyzed in allophenic mouse chimeras of the NOD in equilibrium with C57BL/6 strain combination (where NOD is nonobese diabetic). Occurrence of lymphoid cell infiltration (insulitis) in pancreatic islets was observed in the majority of such chimeras. The development of insulitis was found to correlate with major histocompatibility complex chimerism in lymphoid cells and in thymus cortical regions. Chimeras with more than 50% of C57BL/6 lymphoid cells rarely developed insulitis. Our data suggest that the correlation with the thymic cortical region is absolute. Thus, all individuals displaying NOD or NOD/C57BL/6 thymic cortical regions developed insulitis, whereas we have not observed insulitis in chimeras with only C57BL/6 thymic cortical regions. Thus the positive selection of T cells appears to play a crucial role in the development of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Immunoglobulin-mediated prevention of autoimmune diabetes in the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse.

We investigated whether the development of spontaneous T-cell-mediated type I diabetes in NOD mice is influenced by B cells and immunoglobulin (Ig). During the first 4 weeks of life, B-cell development was suppressed by repeated administration of rabbit anti-mouse IgM (RaIgM), while controls received polyclonal rabbit Ig (NRIg). A reduction in the incidence of diabetes, as well as in development of insulitis, was observed after either of these treatments. However, the effect on insulitis was more pronounced in mice treated with RaIgM compared with those treated with NRIg. Furthermore, while the optimal effect of NRIg was obtained after a single injection at birth, the additional effect of RaIgM on development of insulitis was observed only after continued treatment for the first 4 weeks of life. Taken together these data suggest a possible role of Ig/B cells in the development of autoimmunity in the NOD mouse. The additional effect observed after continued suppression of the neonatal B-cell development suggests that this population may contribute significantly to the establishment of an auto-aggressive lymphocyte repertoire in the NOD mouse.

High density lipoprotein concentrations after cessation of smoking: the importance of alterations in diet.

Cessation of smoking is followed by a rapid rise in plasma HDL concentrations. An earlier study has demonstrated a significant relationship between the increase in HDL concentrations and spontaneous changes in food intake, specifically an increased fat intake. In this investigation we have dissociated the effects of cessation of smoking as such from those of dietary alterations by monitoring plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations after cessation of smoking in 12 subjects whose diet was kept constant during an initial 2-week control period and during 2 weeks following cessation of smoking. Under these conditions plasma HDL-cholesterol levels did not increase significantly (1.01 +/- 0.26 mmol/l (mean +/- SD) before and 1.04 +/- 0.27 mmol/l after cessation of smoking). Similarly, no significant alterations were recorded for other plasma lipid or lipoprotein concentrations. Activities of lipoprotein lipase and hepatic lipase were unchanged throughout the study. These results suggest that the marked rise in HDL concentrations after stopping smoking is largely related to spontaneous changes in dietary habits which occur upon cessation of smoking.

The symmetry of the breasts in normal and scoliotic girls.

Mammary asymmetry was estimated visually by different investigators in three series of scoliotic girls and in three control groups. The breasts of each girl were classified as being equal in size or as being obviously different in size, note being made of which breast was the larger. Breast asymmetry was significantly more common among the scoliotic than the normal girls. Moreover, the left breast was significantly more often larger in the scoliotic series of girls. On the other hand, there was no significant difference in the frequency of breast asymmetry in respect of the classifications according to curve type (right convex thoracic vs. other types) and to Cobb angle (35 degrees or less vs. more than 35 degrees).

Anthropometric data relating to normal and scoliotic Scandinavian girls.

The increase in height and weight and the age at the menarche have been determined in girls with idiopathic scoliosis and in age-matched normal girls. The scoliotic girls were classified according to the position of the curve. The menarche was found to occur significantly later in girls with either a thoracolumbar or a double primary curve than in the control group; it was also significantly later in those two groups combined than in the girls with a right convex thoracic curve. At the time of the menarche, the girls with a thoracolumbar or a double primary curve were significantly taller than those in the control group. The girls with a double primary curve, and these together with girls with a thoracolumbar curve, were also significantly taller than those with a right convex thoracic curve. Those in the control group were significantly heavier, and in some age groups significantly taller, than children born during the period 1953-1958 and providing earlier Swedish research data. The average age at the menarche did not differ from that for a normal population for this country. The observed differences between the group with a right convex thoracic curve and that with a thoracolumbar or a double primary curve indicate that the pathomechanism, and even the etiology, may vary with the form of idiopathic scoliosis.