We tested by radioimmunoassay the sera of 22,707 male Chinese government employees in Taiwan for HBsAg and found 15.2% to be positive. Almost all were confirmed as carriers by follow-up testing 1 year later. This paper presents HBsAg positivity rates of these men according to the province of China from which they originated, and compares the rates with published provincial mortality rates for primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Moderate variation in carrier rates between provinces was observed with high prevalence in men from provinces south of the Yangtze River. There was positive correlation between HBsAg prevalence and primary hepatocellular carcinoma incidence giving further support to the possibility of a causal relationship.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Efficacy of hepatitis B immune globulin for prevention of perinatal transmission of the hepatitis B virus carrier state: final report of a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled efficacy trial of hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) for prevention of the mother-to-infant transmitted HBsAg carrier state was conducted in Taiwan where the carrier rate in the general population is 15 to 20%. HBIG was given immediately after birth to infants of e antigen positive HBsAg carrier mothers, and all infants were followed for at least 15 months. Among 61 placebo recipients, the carrier rate was 92%; compared with 26% among 57 infants who received 0.5 ml HBIG at birth, 3 months, and 6 months, and 54% among 67 infants who received a single 1.0 ml dose of HBIG at birth only. Efficacy was 71 and 42%, respectively, for the two treatment schedules. The most common response of HBIG-treated infants was passive-active immunization which was 27% in the single-dose group and 61% in the three-dose group. Some of the infants who became carriers were probably infected as HBIG protection waned, and we expect that higher efficacy can be achieved by hepatitis B vaccine in conjunction with HBIG.

Carrier State↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Cytophotometric measurements of nuclear DNA content in hepatocellular carcinomas.

The nuclear DNA contents of 54 hepatocellular carcinomas were measured on cytologic smears using a scanning microdensitometer at a wavelength of 550 nm. The cellular materials were aspirated under ultrasonographic guidance and stained with modified Feulgen method. The DNA modal values, which could be defined in 51 cases, ranged from 2.2 to 9.8 ploidy, with 46.3% (25/54) in hypertetraploidy. The hepatocellular carcinomas in patients with higher serum levels of alpha-fetoprotein contained more hyperploid cells. The DNA modal values did not correlate with the age, HBsAg status, tumor size and histological grading of hepatocellular carcinoma. The S-phase fraction values, which could be estimated on the DNA histograms in 43 cases (79.6%), ranged from 1 to 35 (mean +/- S.D. = 10.6 +/- 8.1). The S-phase fraction values were higher in high grade hepatocellular carcinomas (13.4 +/- 8.5) than low grade hepatocellular carcinomas (6.1 +/- 4.4), p less than 0.01. The mean S-phase fraction values were also significantly higher in hepatocellular carcinomas with alpha-fetoprotein levels of more than 100 ng per ml than those of less than 100 ng per ml (12.9 +/- 8.0 and 7.8 +/- 5.6, respectively). The S-phase fraction values also did not correlate with the age, HBsAg status and tumor size.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia: demonstration of portosystemic venous shunts using power Doppler sonography and sonographically guided percutaneous transhepatic portovenography.

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia is a rare autosomal dominant inherited disease associated with vascular abnormalities, which may occur in any organ. Cases of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia accompanied by intrahepatic portosystemic venous shunts, however, have rarely been described. We report a case of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia in which intrahepatic portosystemic shunts were detected using power Doppler sonography and portovenography with percutaneous transhepatic contrast agent injection. On gray-scale sonography, the common hepatic artery was dilated, and dilated tubular structures mimicking dilated biliary tracts were found. Power Doppler sonography demonstrated the continuity of tortuous vascular channels connecting a branch of the right portal vein to a branch of the right hepatic vein. The dilated vascular channels and tributaries of the right hepatic vein showed a monophasic waveform pattern on spectral analysis. Portovenography showed a tangle of vascular structures connecting with a branch of the right hepatic vein.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Impaired gallbladder function in spinal cord injury on quantitative Tc-99m DISIDA cholescintigraphy.

BACKGROUND: Patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) have increased prevalences of gallstones and acute acalculous cholecystitis. A possible explanation for the increased prevalence of gallstone disease in SCI patients is decreased gallbladder motility causing gallbladder stasis, a known risk factor for gallstone disease. We investigated gallbladder function in SCI. METHODS: Twenty-five normal control subjects and 50 SCI patients were included in this study. Gallbladder function was measured by technium 99m-labeled imino-diacetic acid analogue (Tc-99m DISIDA) cholescintigraphy and represented by the filling fraction (FF) and the ejection fraction (EF). The SCI patients were assigned to subgroups: old versus young, female versus male, high- versus low-level injury, and long versus short injury duration. RESULTS: Forty-two percent of SCI patients had abnormal FFs and 54% of SCI patients had abnormal EFs. Significantly decreased FF and EF values were found in SCI patients, especially in those who were female and had high-level injuries. CONCLUSION: With the use of quantitative Tc-99m DISIDA cholescintigraphy, we found that SCI can significantly impair gallbladder function.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The pharmacokinetics of ceftibuten in humans.

The pharmacokinetics of ceftibuten, a new oral cephalosporin, has been studied in humans. Ceftibuten is very well absorbed in young and old patients. Absorption may be slightly decreased by food or relatively high doses (800 mg). The pharmacokinetics have been well characterized in rising single-dose and multiple-dose studies. The half-life is relatively long for this class of drugs, being approximately 2-3 hr. Apparent plasma clearance (CL/F), is approximately 40-75 ml/min, and the renal clearance is approximately 30-50 ml/min, corresponding to the fraction excreted unchanged in the urine of approximately 60%-70% of the dose. The apparent volume of distribution after oral dosing (Vd/F) was approximately 0.2 L/kg. The half-life, plasma clearance, renal clearance, and fraction excreted in urine are not affected by increasing dose and are constant during multiple dosing. There is little drug accumulation during multiple dosing. Drug elimination is decreased in patients with renal insufficiency and dosing in these patients should be adjusted relative to creatinine clearance values. The drug penetrates very well to experimentally induced inflammatory fluid but produces negligible levels in breast milk. The drug has no effect on the pharmacokinetics of theophylline. The drug is well tolerated and has pharmacokinetic properties that are clinically advantageous.

Absorption↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Comparative bioavailability of ceftibuten in capsule and suspension forms.

The comparative bioavailability of ceftibuten, a new third-generation cephalosporin antibiotic given orally once daily, in capsule and suspension dosage forms, was assessed in healthy male subjects. In three separate studies, subjects received either a 400-mg dose as a suspension or one laboratory-batch, 400-mg capsule; one laboratory-batch, 400-mg capsule or two laboratory-batch, 200-mg capsules; or one production-batch, 400-mg capsule or two laboratory-batch, 200-mg capsules. Plasma samples were assayed for ceftibuten using high-performance liquid chromatography, and the data were assessed using pharmacokinetic and statistical methods. Confidence intervals for the maximum plasma concentration and the area under the plasma concentration-time curve extrapolated to infinity were within 80% to 125% of guidelines, demonstrating the bioequivalence of the two treatments within each of the three studies. One 400-mg capsule (laboratory or production batch) was bioequivalent to two 200-mg capsules used in a clinical efficacy trial; the 400-mg suspension was bioequivalent to a 400-mg capsule (laboratory batch). Thus we concluded that the capsule and the suspension dosage forms were bioequivalent.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Assessment of left ventricular cardiac shape by the use of volumetric curvature analysis from 3D echocardiography.

A method for three-dimensional shape analysis of left ventricle (LV) is presented in this article. The method uses three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) as the source to derive the 3D wire-frame model and the related shape descriptors. The shape descriptors developed in this article include regional surface changing (RSC), global surface curvature (GSC), surface distance (SD), normalized surface distance (ND), and effective radius (ER) of the endocardial surface. Based on these shape descriptors, the shape of LV could be sketched in both static and dynamic manner. The results show that the new approach provides a robust but easy method to quantify regional and global LV shape from 2D and 3D echocardiograms.

Algorithms↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Patient satisfaction with nursing care as an outcome variable: dilemmas for nursing evaluation researchers.

Evaluation is one of the most critical phases of the nursing process because it supports the basis of the usefulness and effectiveness of nursing practice. Nursing practice is patient driven and patient centered. Accordingly, patient satisfaction has been strongly advocated by nursing professionals to be an important indicator of quality of nursing care delivery. This article discusses the conceptualization and measurement of patient satisfaction with nursing care. Also, this article examines numerous dilemmas related to conceptualization and methodology that nursing evaluation researchers confront when attempting to use patient satisfaction as an outcome variable. Based on the current knowledge regarding the nature of patient satisfaction, implications for future nursing evaluation research are proposed and discussed to overcome these dilemmas in measuring patient satisfaction as an indicator of quality of nursing care.

Humans↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Determination of SCH 39304 by megabore capillary gas-liquid chromatography.

A gas-liquid chromatographic procedure for determination of SCH 39304 at low nanogram concentrations in serum, cerebrospinal fluid, and urine is presented. The methodology combines a high selectivity and sensitivity nitrogen-specific detector, a gas chromatograph equipped with a capillary "megabore" column, and an internal standard that is very similar in chemical structure to the drug being assayed. This method is suitable for both pharmacokinetic studies as well as for monitoring drug levels in patients receiving SCH 39304 for antifungal treatment.

Antifungal Agents↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The constitutive heterochromatin of porcine chromosomes.

The constitutive heterochromatin of porcine chromosomes was cytologically resolved into four types by using a combination of both C-banding techniques and base specific DNA binding fluorochromes. The four types of constitutive heterochromatin are: 1) C-band positive, A-T rich heterochromatin located in the centromeric region of acrocentric chromosomes; 2) faint C-band positive, G-C rich heterochromatin located in the centromeric region of biarm chromosomes; 3) C-band positive heterochromatin located in the long arm of the Y chromosome lacking available binding sites for either A-T or G-C specific fluorochromes; and 4) C-banding negative centromeric heterochromatin of the Y chromosome lacking available binding sites for either A-T or G-C specific fluorochromes.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Mapping of the goat beta-globin gene cluster to a region of chromosome 7 by in situ hybridization.

We mapped the beta-globin gene cluster of the goat (Capra hircus) to a specific chromosomal region of the species, using in situ hybridization. The probe we used was a 1.2-kb Eco RI/Bam HI genomic DNA fragment that was 3H labeled to high specific activity by the random primer method. This DNA fragment contains part of the 5' flanking region and the first two exons of the epsilon IV gene of the goal beta-globin gene cluster. Our results show that this gene cluster is on chromosome 7 in the region of bands 33 to 35 based on BrdU G-banded chromosome preparations of this species.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

In vitro characterization of the occurrence of hemolysis during extracorporeal blood circulation using a mini hemodialyzer.

A minimodule dialyzer was made of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) hollow fibers and tested in an in vitro circuit under varying flow rates and blood volumes. Hemolysis occurred in the open circuit in the inlet and outlet chambers. The module was measured to investigate the hemolysis effect during dialysis. The results show that hemolysis ratio (HR) increased with blood flow rate. When the blood speed was increased from 27 to 70 cm/sec, the damaged fraction of red blood cells increased from 0.8% to 1.5%. Shearing in the hollow fiber contributed approximately 13% of the overall HR. Approximately 55% of the overall HR occurred at the inlet and outlet chambers. With increasing blood volume, the contacting surface area per unit blood volume (S/V) and the frequency of pump squeezing of red cells were decreased; hence the damage to the red blood cells and thus reduction of HR. When S/V was 2 cm(-1), the damaged fraction of red cells was approximately 0.7%. In addition, the tubing and connectors of the circuit caused further damage to the red blood cells. By referring to the linear velocity and blood volume, we can predict the HR in an actual protocol from the results of this experiment. This should improve the quality of hemodialysis and benefit the patient.

Acrylic Resins↗