German evidence-based guidelines for the treatment of Psoriasis vulgaris (short version)

Psoriasis vulgaris is a common and chronic inflammatory skin disease which has the potential to significantly reduce the quality of life in severely affected patients. The incidence of psoriasis in Western industrialized countries ranges from 1.5 to 2%. Despite the large variety of treatment options available, patient surveys have revealed insufficient satisfaction with the efficacy of available treatments and a high rate of medication non-compliance. To optimize the treatment of psoriasis in Germany, the Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft and the Berufsverband Deutscher Dermatologen (BVDD) have initiated a project to develop evidence-based guidelines for the management of psoriasis. The guidelines focus on induction therapy in cases of mild, moderate, and severe plaque-type psoriasis in adults. The short version of the guidelines reported here consist of a series of therapeutic recommendations that are based on a systematic literature search and subsequent discussion with experts in the field; they have been approved by a team of dermatology experts. In addition to the therapeutic recommendations provided in this short version, the full version of the guidelines includes information on contraindications, adverse events, drug interactions, practicality, and costs as well as detailed information on how best to apply the treatments described (for full version, please see Nast et al., JDDG, Suppl 2:S1-S126, 2006; or http://www.psoriasis-leitlinie.de ).

Effects of the T-type calcium channel blockade with oral mibefradil on the electrophysiologic properties of the human heart

BACKGROUND

As the calcium T-channel blockade is a new pharmacological category with presumably unique electrophysiological effects, the influence of its only representative yet mibefradil was tested after the single oral dose.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

10 patients underwent the electrophysiologic examination. Normal baseline values in sinus node cycle length (SNCL), sinus node recovery time (SNRT), corrected sinus node recovery time (CSNRT), PA interval, atrial effective refractory period, AH interval, Wenckebach point (WP), atrioventricular nodal refractory period, and HV interval were measured using standard techniques. After that a single dose of 100 mg mibefradil was given and the testing repeated in 90 minutes.

RESULTS

Though non-significantly in a study-group limited in size due to global withdrawal of mibefradil, sinus node automaticity was suppressed (prolongation of SNRT by 5.1% and CSNRT by 11.5%) and heart rate lowered (SNCL prolonged by 2.8%) comparatively more than was the negative dromotropic effect on the atrioventricular node (negligible prolongation of AH interval by 1.1% and WP cycle by 0.4%).

CONCLUSIONS

Demonstrated electrophysiological effects of oral mibefradil with more pronounced influence on the automaticity of the sinus node seem to be in agreement with the preclinical data on the predominant role of T-channels in the pacemaker activity of the sinus node. According to the Framingham data on the risk of heart rate for the cardiovascular as well as all-cause mortality, calcium T-channel blockade offers a desirable profile for antihypertensive treatment. From this point of view development of new representatives of calcium T-channel blockers could be a useful contribution to clinical practice.

[Efforts to eradicate poliomyelitis in the Czech Republic]

The Czech Republic is one of the first countries where the paralytic form of poliomyelitis was eradicated by vaccination with the live attenuated vaccine. The effectiveness of vaccination was monitored every year up to 1992 by assessment of the immunity against polioviruses in a large group of sera from volunteers (cca 1500 subjects). This made it possible to improve occasional drops of immunity of the population, in particular in type 3. However, the absence of the paralytic form of poliomyelitis does not imply eradication of poliomyelitis which means elimination of wild polioviruses from the circulation in the population of a country. The circulation of wild polioviruses is monitored in the Czech Republic in cases of acute mild pareses, in particular, however, in waste waters of some large towns. A wild poliovirus was not detected so far. These investigations must started and be conducted up to the time when the Czech Republic will be granted the status of "country with eradicated poliomyelitis".

A programming course in bioinformatics for computer and information science students

We have created a course entitled "Representations and Algorithms for Computational Molecular Biology" with three specific goals in mind. First, we want to provide a technical introduction for computer science and medical information science students to the challenges of computing with molecular biology data, particularly the advantages of having easy access to real-world data sets. Second, we want to equip the students with the skills required of productive research assistants in molecular biology computing research projects. Finally, we want to provide a showcase for local investigators to describe their work in the context of a course that provide adequate background information. In order to achieve these goals, we have created a programming course, in which three major projects and six smaller assignments are assigned during the quarter. We stress fundamental representations and algorithms during the first part of the course in lectures given by the core faculty, and then have more focused lectures in which faculty research interests are highlighted. The course stressed issues of structural molecular biology, in order to better motivate the critical issues in sequence analysis. The culmination of the course was a challenge to the students to use a version of protein threading to predict which members of a set of unknown sequences were globins. The course was well received, and has been made a core requirement in the Medical Information Sciences program.

[Virologic and morphologic study in sudden and unexpected death in children]

The authors examined a group of 47 children who died at the age of 1-9 months, incl. 19 female and 28 male children. In 23 the death was described as sudden and in 24 as unexpected. From 19 dead children a virus was isolated: in 14 one or two serotypes of enterovirus were found, in two the virus of parainfluenza 3 in two adenoviruses (type 2, 7). A total of 46 viral strains were isolated. By immunofluorescence in tissues antigens of the parainfluenza virus 3 and adenovirus were detected. Immune complexes were not detected in tissues. The distribution of vaccination polioviruses in organs and tissues after a known interval following vaccination was recognized. In some of the infants a possible causal relationship between the virological and morphological findings was found and the authors discuss the possible pathogenetic role of the revealed changes in sudden death.

[Selected cases of prosthetic treatment in patients with lowered height of the occlusion]

In the paper three selected cases that illustrate comprehensive prosthetic treatment in which modern methods and prosthetic materials have been used non-conventional composed bridges with partial crowns on abutment teeth sealed with composites in patients with deep bite are reported. For facing the crowns and bridges such materials as Izosit, porcelain, acryl-derived material--Colorstat which is superior to acrylate considering its physicochemical properties have been used. For the reconstruction of the patients, own teeth Izofil adhesive material has been used for capping the teeth partly or totally establishing a new occlusal situation in anterior and lateral segments.

Properties of poliovirus strains isolated over the period 1969-1978 from the main municipal sewerage system of the city of Prague

Biological properties (rct marker and antigenic relatedness) were compared in vaccine prototype strains and in 62 poliovirus strains isolated during a period 1969-1978 from the main municipal sewerage system of the City of Prague. None of the strains isolated from the municipal sewerage showed biologic properties that would fully differ from those observed in vaccine-derived strains. The strains detected very late postvaccination (after about a year) showed a lesser extent of changes than strains isolated earlier after vaccination. The most frequent changes were recorded in type 2 strains, less frequent in type 3 strains and the least frequency of changes was found in type 1 strains. To facilitate comparisons of these changes in dependence on time of postvaccination virus excretion a supporting evaluation criterion has been developed to help express the dynamics of changes in the isolated poliovirus strains. The recorded degree of the dynamics of changes was highest in type 2 strains, lower in type 3 strains and lowest in type 1 strains. The dynamics of changes detected in strains of various types was not always constant in the course of years: in a given year (or in a period of several years) changes occurred always in strains of the same serologic type, whereas strains of the other two types changed only insignificantly during the respective period.

High and prolonged incidence of poliovirus strains during 1979 in North Bohemia. Isolations from unusual materials

During March 1979 - February 1980, 53 strains of polioviruses types 2 and 3 were isolated from human specimens and from sewage samples, 52.8% of them on secondary monkey kidney cultures, 47.2% on diploid fibroblasts of human embryonic lung. Type 3 grew more often on monkey cell cultures, type 2 on human ones. Both types of poliovirus circulated in children and adult population during the whole year. Polioviruses were isolated from cerebrospinal fluids of 2 patients without any symptom of paralytic poliomyelitis: an intermediate type 3 in the course of a serologically proved tick-borne encephalitis, and a type 2, different in rct-marker from the vaccinal variant, in the course of a serologically proved parotitis with meningoencephalitis and pancreatitis.

Characterization of Nigerian strains of West Nile virus by plaque formation

Seven strains of West nile virus isolated in Nigeria were investigated for their ability to form plaques in monkey kidney cell monolayers. Five strains antigenically related to one another produced plaques of about the same size 3 to 4 days after the addition of the overlay medium. The two other strains closely related to each other produced no plaques. Their inability to produce plaques was regarded as a significant characteristic of the intratypic group to which the two strains belong.