[Type I interferon and bacterial infection].

Interferons (IFNs) are cytokines playing an important role in immune responses. Interferons are classified into two distinct types according to specific interferon receptors(IFNR). Type I IFNs include IFN-α and IFN-β, whereas IFN-γ is type II IFN.

Efficacy and significance of various scores for pneumonia severity in the management of patients with community-acquired pneumonia in China.

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains one of the leading causes of death from infectious diseases around the world. Most severe CAP patients are admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), and receive intense treatment. The present study aimed to evaluate the role of the pneumonia severity index (PSI), CURB-65, and sepsis score in the management of hospitalized CAP patients and explore the effect of ICU treatment on prognosis of severe cases.

Outbreak of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase 2-producing K. pneumoniae with high qnr prevalence in a Chinese hospital.

Forty carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates were recovered from 28 patients from various sites in an intensive care unit in Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, China, over a 6 month period. PFGE analysis indicated that the 40 strains were all closely related. The MICs of carbapenems varied from 16 to >256 µg ml⁻¹.

Hyperoxygenated solution for improved oxygen supply in patients undergoing lung lavage for pulmonary alveolar proteinosis.

Background: At present, the most effective treatment for pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) remains whole-lung lavage in spite of the usually accompanying severe hypoxemia, which is expected to be prevented by hyperoxygenated solution improving oxygen supply during lavage. In this study, the efficacy and safety of the effect of hyperoxygenated solution were evaluated.

Methods: Five patients underwent whole-lung lavage over a 28-month period.

Reduced susceptibility to carbapenems in Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates associated with plasmid-mediated beta-lactamase production and OmpK36 porin deficiency.

Two carbapenem-non-susceptible Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates, Z2554 and Z2110, were collected from a hospital in China and analysed by PFGE. K. pneumoniae Z2554 and Z2110 were genetically unrelated and showed resistance to ertapenem, and reduced susceptibility to imipenem and meropenem.

The diagnostic significance of the detection of cytokeratin 19 mRNA by quantitative RT-PCR in benign and malignant pleural effusions.

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic significance of detecting cytokeratin 19 (CK19) mRNA by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in benign and malignant pleural effusions.

Methods: CK19 mRNA was examined by quantitative RT-PCR and CK19 was detected by Enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA) in 32 patients with malignant pleural effusions and 35 patients with benign pleural effusions.

Results: On the threshold of 200 copies/microl, the positive rate of CK19 mRNA in patients with malignant pleural effusions was 62.