OBJECTIVETo study the therapeutic effects of azithromycin in treatment of congenital toxoplasmosis in children.

METHODSDefinite diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis was made on the basis of clinical manifestation combined with one or more positive results of the following laboratory tests and excluded other congenital infectious diseases: toxoplasma DNA (TOX-DNA), circulating toxoplasma antigen (TOX-CAG), and toxoplasma IgM antibody (TOX-IgM). All the patients were given oral azithromycin 10 mg/(kg.d) for 6 days followed by 8 days without medication (one course of treatment), and the regimen was persisted for 2 months and then another 2-month treatment was given at a 1-month interval. The authors continued to provide further treatment according to the state of the illness at one month interval. The patients received 2 to 8 (average 5) courses of treatment. The patients were followed-up for 2.5 to 5 (average 4) years.

RESULTSThe treatment was effective in all the patients and the patient's condition was improved. The authors repeated in 12 cases the four tests for toxoplasma (TOX-DNA, TOX-CAG, TOX-IgM, and TOX-IgG) 9 months to one and a half years after treatment. In 10 cases all these tests showed negative results, in 2 cases TOX-IgG was positive and in the other 4 cases symptoms disappeared.

CONCLUSIONThe results of the study showed that oral azithromycin had significant therapeutic effects with little side effect and was well tolerated. Azithromycin may become an alternative therapy in treatment of congenital Toxoplasma gondii infection in children.

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Azithromycin ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Prognosis ; Toxoplasmosis, Congenital ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Treatment Outcome

In order to prove the feasibility of preparation of the drug-incorporated stent by immersing stent wires in the monoclonal antibody (mAb) solution, fluorescence stain and image analysis were used to evaluate the L-PLA-coated stent. Absorption was measured using a radioisotope technique after preparing the mAb-incorporated stent, and the absorption curve was determined from the absorption data. In an in vitro perfusion circuit, the antibody was eluted from the stent matrices, and the related influence factors were evaluated based on the release data.
Absorption ; Alloys ; chemistry ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; chemistry ; immunology ; Drug-Eluting Stents ; Graft Occlusion, Vascular ; immunology ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Lactic Acid ; chemistry ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors ; chemistry ; immunology ; Platelet Glycoprotein GPIIb-IIIa Complex ; immunology ; Polymers ; analysis ; chemistry ; Time Factors

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of sublingual immunotherapy with dermatophagoides farinae standardized extrace for the treatment in children with allergic rhinitis for 2 years.Methods Two hundred and forty children with allergic rhinitis to dermatophagoides ptero-nyssinus( Der P) were randomly allocated to receive either specific immu-notherapy(n=120)or medical treatment(n=120).Symptom and medica-tion scores were assessed to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety in the baseline and after two year treatment.Results Immunotherapy reduced the symptom [the scores reduced from (10.76 ±1.08) to (3.46 ±0.85)] and medication score [the scores reduced from (1.28 ±0.68) to (0.28 ± 0.43)] in children with allergic rhinitis significantly ( P <0.05), and compared with the control group [ ( 9.76 ±1.14 ) and ( 1.09 ±0.35 ) ] , there was a statistical difference (P<0.05).Eleven local adverse reactions including allergic rash and nasopharyngeal itching occurred observation group, and ten cases of nasal bleeding, fatigue and drowsiness were found in control group, while no fatal systemic reaction occurred in both groups.Conclusion Dermatophagoides farinae standardized extrace for the treat-ment of allergic rhintis is efficacious to treat children sensitive to Der P, al-lergen individualization of dosage is recommended to improve tolerance and security.

OBJECTIVETo explore factors associated with retention in a community-based methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) among heroin addicts in Xichang of Sichuan province.

METHODSAll 206 heroin addicts were first admitted to MMT community-based program between March to September 2004. Baseline data of patients characteristics, social function, drug using behaviors, sexual behaviors, dose of methadone and retention were collected.

RESULTSUp to Oct, 2005, all 206 patients contributed 8.98 +/- 5.74 person-months of following-up. The retention rates were 58.7% after 6 months and 34.6% after 12 months respectively. Cox proportional hazard regression model indicated that the employed (HR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.39 - 0.92), helping family to do housework in past 30 days more than once a day (HR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.42 - 0.82) and previous self-detoxification > or = 3 times (HR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.47 - 0.91) were independently associated with retention.

CONCLUSIONWe should give individual counseling to help heroin addicts increasing compliance.

Adult ; Cohort Studies ; Community Health Services ; methods ; Female ; Heroin Dependence ; epidemiology ; rehabilitation ; Humans ; Male ; Methadone ; therapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Regression Analysis ; Treatment Outcome