Probiotic feeding affects T cell populations in blood and lymphoid organs in chickens.

This study was performed to evaluate the effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria as a probiotic on chicken T cell subset populations in peripheral blood and lymphoid tissues. Thirty chickens were divided into three groups and fed sterilised cow milk, a mixture of milk and L. acidophilus (probiotic), or neither, as the control group. Chickens were euthanised after 14 and 21 days, and whole blood and ileal, bursal, and caecal tonsillar tissues were collected. The populations of T cell subsets, including CD4+, CD8+, and TCR1+ cells, were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. After 21 days of treatment the percentage of blood CD4+, CD8+, and TCR1+ cells was significantly higher in the probiotic-fed group than in the control group. After 14 days of treatment, a significantly greater number of CD4+ T cells were found in the ileum of probiotic-fed chickens than in chickens from the other two groups. This difference was even greater after 21 days. In addition, after 21 days, a significantly greater number of TCR1+ cells were found in the caecal tonsils of milk-fed chickens than in chickens from the control group. The findings indicate that probiotics may alter the distribution of T cells in the blood and lymphoid tissues in young chickens; however, transient changes in lymphoid tissues indicate that probiotics likely do not permanently affect mucosal immunity.

The burn registry program in Iran - First report.

Burn injury is still a major problem in Iran, resulting in many reports which are usually dispersed, uncoordinated and probably unreliable. We created a burn registry comprised of a data entry program with 222 variables for each admitted burn patient. This program was established in August 2010 at the Iran University of Medical Sciences, Motahari Burn Hospital. We had 14,277 burn patients from August 2010 to August 2011, 877 of whom were admitted to the hospital. Of the patients, 65.9% were male and 34.1% were female. The age was 28.85 years (SD = 19.77). The most prevalent cause of burn was flame 78.5% (pipe propane gas 57.2; kerosene 19.9%). The mean total body surface area (TBSA) involvement was 23%. A total of 77.8% of patients were discharged with partial recovery, while mortality was 8.9%. The mean hospital stay was 14.63 days (SD =11.07). The program is designed to help understand the scope of burn injury in Iran, providing information on patients, etiology, and course of treatment. It also highlights differences between various parts of the country in terms of the causes and frequency of burn injuries. Moreover, the burn registry provides a basis for further research and surveys for treatment and preventive programs. Our results showed that, although Emergency Medical Services (EMS) staff are highly capable and well-trained, their coverage seems to be less than 50% and needs to be increased. Marriage status was shown to have no influence on the occurrence of burns, and among our patients, 57.0 % were poorly educated.

Les blessures par brûlure sont toujours un problème majeur en Iran, résultant dans de nombreux rapports qui habituellement sont dispersés, mal coordonnés et probablement peu fiables. Nous avons créé un programme de saisie de données de registre de brûlure avec 222 variables pour chaque patient brûlé admis. Ce programme a été créé en Août 2010 à l'Université des sciences médicales de l'Iran, à l'hôpital Motahari. A partir d'Août 2010 jusqu'à Août 2011 nous avons eu 14,277 patients brûlés, dont 877 ont été hospitalisés. Parmi les patients, 65,9 % étaient des hommes et 34,1% étaient des femmes. L'âge moyen était de 28,85 années (SD = 19,77). La cause de brûlure la plus courante était la flamme (en 78,5% des cas, dont 57,2 % étaiaent causés par le gaz tuyau de propane et 19,9% par le kérosène). La moyenne de la surface corporelle totale (SCT) brulée était de 23%. 77,8 % des patients ont reçu leur congé avec récupération partielle, tandis que la mortalité était de 8,9%. La durée moyenne d'hospitalisation était de 14,63 jours (SD = 11:07). Ce programme a été conçu pour aider à comprendre la portée des brûlures en Iran, fournissant des informations sur les patients, l'étiologie et le traitement. En outre, il met en évidence les différences entre les diverses régions du pays en termes de la fréquence et les causes des brûlures. En plus, le registre fournit une base pour des recherches et des enquêtes sur le traitement et la prévention des brûlures. Nos résultats ont montré que, bien que le personnel EMS sont très capables et bien formés, la couverture des EMS semble être inférieure à 50% et doit être augmentée. Selon les résultats, le statut de mariage n'a aucune influence sur la survenue de brûlures. Enfin, parmi nos patients, 57,0% étaient peu instruits.

The spectrum of pathogenic bacteria in positive blood cultures.

There is compelling evidence to suggest that the profiles of pathogenic bacteria which cause septicaemia shock vary from one region to another due to differences in the source of contamination. Blood cultures were prepared from 3,481 patients with symptoms of systemic bacterial contamination. The blood cultures of 558 (16.02%) patients showed at least one kind of bacterial infection. This rate was markedly higher than that reported in Germany (12.8%) and Japan (12.3%). Systemic bacterial infection was significantly higher in males than in females (82% versus 18%). Most of the patients surveyed (62%) were adults and the rest were either infants (19%) or neonates (19%). When blood samples of these patients were cultured, and isolated bacteria were characterized by a variety of diagnostic tests, over twenty different strains of bacteria were identified and characterized. More than 29% of positive cultures were Enterobacter spp. while Staphylococcus aureus (20%) and Brucella spp. (8%) ranked second and third highest among the infections. The results suggest that agents which cause infections vary with respect to region and that knowledge of local risk factors may aid in patient diagnosis and treatment.