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Silica gel was confirmed as a useful transport medium for Corynebacterium diphtheriae in the investigation of diphtheria cases in which there is no ready access to laboratory facilities.
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a prevalent malignancy in Southeast Asia and is strongly associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). We investigated the primary diagnostic value of circulating EBV DNA and anti-EBV immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgA levels in Indonesian NPC patients (n = 149). By a 213-bp Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1)-based real-time LightCycler PCR, 72.5% of patients were positive for EBV DNA in whole blood, with 29.5% having levels above a previously determined clinical cutoff value (COV) of 2,000 EBV DNA copies/ml, the upper level in healthy carriers. In a 99-bp LightCycler PCR, 85.9% of patients were positive and 60.4% had levels above the COV. This assay quantified a significantly higher EBV load than the 213-bp PCR assay (P < 0.0001), suggesting that circulating EBV DNA is fragmented. Using data from 11 different studies, we showed a significant inverse correlation between PCR amplicon size and the percentage of patients positive for circulating EBV DNA (Spearman's rho = -0.91; P < 0.0001). EBV DNA loads were unrelated to anti-EBV IgG or IgA levels, as measured by VCA-p18 and EBNA1-specific synthetic peptide-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The presence of circulating tumor cells was assessed by amplification of BamHI-A rightward frame 1 (BARF1) mRNA, a viral oncogene abundantly expressed in EBV-carrying carcinomas but virtually absent from EBV-associated lymphomas. Despite high EBV DNA loads and the presence of EBNA1 and human U1A small nuclear ribonucleoprotein mRNA, BARF1 mRNA was never detected in blood. We conclude that amplicon size significantly influences EBV DNA load measurement in NPC patients. The circulating EBV DNA load is independent of serological parameters and does not reflect intact tumor cells. The primary diagnostic value of the EBV DNA load for the detection of NPC is limited.
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This study has been conducted to establish the relationship between habitual smoking of clove cigarettes and a specific type of dental decay. A retrospective cohort study of 1,160 bus drivers in Jakarta who smoked clove cigarettes and non-smokers showed that a specific type of decay occurs in terms of form, location and pathology. The prevalence was 55.8%. The type of decay is affected by the number of years of smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked each day. Thirty-two percent of the lesions were on the buccal surfaces of the upper teeth, 39.3% on the buccal surfaces of the lower teeth, and 18% of palatal surfaces were affected. The prevalence of clove cigarette caries was related to years of smoking and numbers of cigarettes smoked per day. Of the men who smoked 10 years or less, 27% had caries. The prevalence increased to 79.6% for those smoking for 11-15 years. For those smoking for more than 15 years the prevalence was 89.3%. The relative risk of those smoking 7-12 cigarettes a day was 2.66 (p<0.0001) compared to those smoking 0-6 cigarettes a day. The relative risk increased to 3.19 in those smoking 13-18 cigarettes and 2.96 (p<0.0001) in men smoking more than 18 cigarettes per day.
One hundred and sixty-nine Javanese males were screened for the presence of red cell glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) variants by a dye decoloration screening test and starch gel electrophoresis. The frequency of G6PD deficiency was 14%. Three non-deficient electrophoretic variants with mobilities of 95, 105 and 107% of GdB+ were encountered. Sixteen G6PD-deficient subjects were further investigated for the presence of mutations at nt95 A-->G, nt487 G-->A, nt493 A-->G, nt563 C-->T, nt1024 C-->T, nt1376 G-->T, nt1388 G-->A and the silent mutation (nt1311 C-->T) of the G6PD gene by natural or artificially created amplified restriction sites. They were identified by the polymerase chain reaction and electrophoresis of restriction-digested products. Five subjects had the Mediterranean mutation (nt563 C-->T), but only one had simultaneous presence of nt1311(T). The next common mutations were 1376(T) in three subjects and 487(A) in two subjects. Five of the sixteen subjects had the nt1311(T) mutation giving an overall frequency of 0.31. The other four mutations were absent in this population sample.
Kloss gibbons are the same size and live in the same type of habitat as several other gibbon species, and consequently its diet would be expected to be similar to its closely related congeners. The diet is described in terms of the weight of food items, faecal remains, and time devoted to different foods. Aspects of feeding behaviour are then examined, such as changes in food choice through the day, the relationship between fruit size to feeding bouts and feeding rates, and the effect of forest type quality on ranging. A comparison is made between gibbon species. The diet of Kloss gibbons appears to differ from that of other gibbons in that it contained no tree leaves, and arthropods were a major part of the diet. Possible reasons for this are discussed.
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There is growing concern, even among developed countries, about the increasing incidence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Results are reported from a study investigating ofloxacin used in the treatment of 57 patients with MDR-TB. Patients received ofloxacin 400 mg/day as well as three other sensitive anti-TB drugs based on susceptibility tests. Treatment duration was 9 months. Preliminary results of 35 evaluable patients show 55% of MDR-TB cases converted to smear and culture negative within 3 months of therapy. Ofloxacin in combination with other sensitive anti-TB medication shows promise in the treatment of MDR-TB and further studies are recommended.