Guest guest Posted October 26, 2002 Report Share Posted October 26, 2002 Sorry if you've already seen these. I've been out of commission for a few days or so. Preventing Burkholderia cepacia complex infection in cystic fibrosis: Is there a middle ground? -- Journal of Pediatrics href=http://www.pulmonologylinx.com/thearts.cfm?artid=436414&specid=14> http://www.pulmonologylinx.com/thearts.cfm?artid=436414&specid=14 Summary: Well designed clinical outcomes and risk assessment studies, such as that performed by Walsh et al,5 but which also take into account species and strain differences among B cepacia complex isolates, will provide much needed information. Until then prudence would seem to dictate an unfortunate, steady, and perhaps overly cautious course... ______________________________________________ Risk factors for Burkholderia cepacia complex colonization and infection among patients with cystic fibrosis -- Journal of Pediatrics href=http://www.pulmonologylinx.com/thearts.cfm?artid=436422&specid=14> http://www.pulmonologylinx.com/thearts.cfm?artid=436422&specid=14 Conclusion: Numerous factors inside and outside the health care setting are associated with person-to-person transmission of B cepaciacomplex among patients with CF. Prevention programs should reduce direct or indirect contact between noncolonized and B cepaciacomplex-colonized/infected patients with CF... _________________________________ Ethical issues in cystic fibrosis newborn screening: from data to public health policy -- Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine href=http://www.pulmonologylinx.com/thearts.cfm?artid=436928&specid=14> http://www.pulmonologylinx.com/thearts.cfm?artid=436928&specid=14 We will present an analysis to argue for one set of ethical considerations that point to very specific policy recommendations that would justify CF newborn screening in certain circumstances and make its implementation more ethically appropriate... ________________________________ Potential role of macrolide antibiotics in the management of cystic fibrosis lung disease -- Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine href=http://www.pulmonologylinx.com/thearts.cfm?artid=436927&specid=14> http://www.pulmonologylinx.com/thearts.cfm?artid=436927&specid=14 Their ability to decrease sputum viscosity and increase sputum clearance may complement existing airway clearance therapies. Preliminary clinical trials have shown modest improvement in pulmonary function... ______________________________________________ Proper usage of pancreatic enzymes -- Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine href=http://www.pulmonologylinx.com/thearts.cfm?artid=436930&specid=14> http://www.pulmonologylinx.com/thearts.cfm?artid=436930&specid=14 New insights into the pathogenesis of exocrine pancreatic disease, efficacy and dosing of pancreatic enzyme preparations, occurrence of fibrosing colonopathy, enzyme replacement in the context of enteral nutrition, and assessment of pancreatic function are addressed... ______________________________________________ Selection of patients with cystic fibrosis for lung transplantation -- Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine href=http://www.pulmonologylinx.com/thearts.cfm?artid=436929&specid=14> http://www.pulmonologylinx.com/thearts.cfm?artid=436929&specid=14 Measuring the impact of transplantation on quality of life remains a difficult task, and further studies are needed to determine whether lung-transplantation-derived survival benefit implies quality-of-life benefit. However, judicious use of the survival model to select patients for transplantation is likely to improve survival outcomes... ________________________________ http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/443146 Phage Therapy Targets Intracellular Mycobacteria A new approach that delivers a mycobacteriophage intracellularly using nonvirulent mycobacteria kills Mycobacterium avium and M. tuberculosis in cell culture, according to a report in the October 15th issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases. M. avium is resistant to most antituberculosis drugs, which are also incapable of killing dormant organisms, the authors explain. Dr. Luiz E. Bermudez from Oregon State University in Corvalus and colleagues tested a therapeutic model that used Mycobacterium smegmatis, an avirulent mycobacterium, to deliver lytic phage TM4 to macrophages infected with M. avium or M. tuberculosis. Mycobacteriophage TM4 alone effectively killed M. avium and M. tuberculosis in culture, the authors report, providing a 50% reduction in viable M. avium after 2 hours and a 30-fold reduction in viable M. tuberculosis after 4 hours. However, TM4 in the culture medium had no effect on intracellular mycobacteria, the report indicates. But when delivered intracellularly with M. smegmatis as the vehicle, TM4 produced a 10-fold decrease in intracellular M. avium after 24 hours of infection and a 100-fold decrease in intracellular M. avium after 48 hours. Similarly, M. smegmatis-delivered TM4 reduced viable intracellular M. tuberculosis approximately 10-fold after 2 days and approximately 100-fold after 4 days, the researchers note. " In fact, " the investigators observe, " the decrease in bacterial numbers after 4 days was similar to or better than the anti-M. avium effect obtained with macrolides clinically used as antituberculosis drugs in the same system. " Time-lapse video microscopy experiments aimed at disclosing the mechanism of delivery of TM4 showed that M. avium and M. smegmatis vacuoles within macrophages fused within 24 hours of coinfection. " Our results show that this method of delivery can be useful and, above all, that the potential of this form of therapy needs to be explored, " the authors conclude. " Although M. smegmatis certainly may not be the ideal delivery system, the results shown in this study can be seen as 'proof of concept,' and future studies should address this question, " the researchers add. " Other delivery systems need to be developed if the administration of treatment into the airways proves to be efficacious. " J Infect Dis 2002;186:1155-1160. __________________________________ New hope for cystic fibrosis sufferers SOUTH AUSTRALIA (3) The continuing good health of a black mouse named Freda is the key to Adelaide researchers finding a long-term cure for the lung condition cystic fibrosis. A team at the Women's and Children's Hospital has shown for the first time in a living animal that a gene can be transferred into defective cells to control the condition. Freda, who was bred with cystic fibrosis, had been free of the condition for 110 days since treatment, researcher Parsons said yesterday. The hospital group published results of its discovery yesterday in the international journal Human Gene Therapy, with glowing praise from its reviewers. Becki YOUR FAVORITE LilGooberGirl YOUNGLUNG EMAIL SUPPORT LIST www.topica.com/lists/younglung Pediatric Interstitial Lung Disease Society http://groups.yahoo.com/group/InterstitialLung_Kids/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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