Association between Complex Pulmonary Disease and Mycobacteria in Home Water and Soil.

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), including complex (MAC), are emerging pathogens that can opportunistically cause debilitating pulmonary disease in susceptible human hosts. Potential sources of exposure in homes include point-of-use water sources, such as taps and showerheads, as well as gardening soils. The relative human health impacts of NTM in these home environments remain poorly understood.

Dielectrophoretic characterization of antibiotic-treated Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex cells.

Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has become a serious concern for proper treatment of patients. As a phenotypic method, dielectrophoresis can be useful but is yet to be attempted to evaluate Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex cells. This paper investigates the dielectrophoretic behavior of Mycobacterium bovis (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin, BCG) cells that are treated with heat or antibiotics rifampin (RIF) or isoniazid (INH).

Amperometric immunosensor for rapid detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

(TB) has been a major public health problem, which can be better controlled by using accurate and rapid diagnosis in low-resource settings. A simple, portable, and sensitive detection method is required for point-of-care (POC) settings. This paper studies an amperometric biosensor using a microtip immunoassay for a rapid and low cost detection of (MTB) in sputum.

Semi-automated, occupationally safe immunofluorescence microtip sensor for rapid detection of Mycobacterium cells in sputum.

An occupationally safe (biosafe) sputum liquefaction protocol was developed for use with a semi-automated antibody-based microtip immunofluorescence sensor. The protocol effectively liquefied sputum and inactivated microorganisms including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, while preserving the antibody-binding activity of Mycobacterium cell surface antigens. Sputum was treated with a synergistic chemical-thermal protocol that included moderate concentrations of NaOH and detergent at 60°C for 5 to 10 min.

Shared Mycobacterium avium genotypes observed among unlinked clinical and environmental isolates.

Our understanding of the sources of Mycobacterium avium infection is partially based on genotypic matching of pathogen isolates from cases and environmental sources. These approaches assume that genotypic identity is rare in isolates from unlinked cases or sources. To test this assumption, a high-resolution PCR-based genotyping approach, large-sequence polymorphism (LSP)-mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-variable-number tandem repeat (MIRU-VNTR), was selected and used to analyze clinical and environmental isolates of M.

[Anticancer chemotherapy in the elderly: a review of the literature].

Few elderly cancer patients are included in clinical trials, resulting insuffisant data of the effectiveness and tolerance of anticancer drugs in this patient population. The aim of this study was to analyse the studies concerning the effectiveness and tolerance of chemotherapy prescribed for elderly patients treated for colorectal, breast and lung cancer. The data of this population showed that the older patients are less likely to receive chemotherapy than the younger.

[Multidisciplinary consultation for the prescription of danaparoid in suspected heparin-induced thrombocytopenia].

Introduction: Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a serious immune complication of heparin therapy and presents a risk of severe thromboembolic events. Withdrawal of heparin together with administration of an alternative antithrombotic agent is always necessary in patients with suspected HIT. Diagnosis of this complication, however, is often difficult, particularly in hospitalized patients.

[Anticancer drugs off label used of: what do the experts think about?].

Anticancer drugs off label used in Tenon hospital were analysed by a panel of 12 experts not working at Tenon hospital. They distinguished 3 groups of off-label prescribing according to scientific evidence, labelling anticancer drugs alternative in presence and patient's characteristics: justified off label used (62%), unjustified off label used (26%) and prescriptions for which no consensus had been reached between the experts (12%). Nineteen per cent of unjustified off label used had labelling alternative and 7% did not have anticancer drugs labelling alternative.

[Anticancer drugs use evaluation: limits of the approved labeling].

A practice survey was performed in Tenon hospital on 396 consecutive patients treated for solid tumors during 4 weeks in november 2002. 33% of anticancer drugs were off label used. The wording heterogeneity of the different anticancer drugs approved labeling and the lack of anticancer drugs in a number of cancers can explain those results.