Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Active disease and latent infection in a renal transplant cohort.

AIM: Our aim was threefold: first, to determine the incidence of active TB in our cohort, second to investigate the risk factors for active TB and third, to understand current screening practices. The ultimate goal was to use our findings to inform development of local and national guidelines. METHODS: The records of all adult patients who underwent renal transplantation at our centre from 2005 to 2014 were retrospectively reviewed to assess current screening practices, the risks for and burden of active TB. RESULTS: A total of 660 individuals underwent renal transplantation during this period, totalling 3647 person years of follow up. Two patients were diagnosed with active TB after renal transplant, resulting in an incidence of 55 per 100 000 person-years. Of 656 transplant recipients, 102 (15.5%) were born in high TB incidence countries and 89 (13.5%) had an interferon gamma release assay (IGRA) at any point. Individuals born in high TB risk countries had a much higher incidence of active TB (353 per 100 000 person-years). Ten individuals had positive IGRA tests, of whom two were treated for active TB, two received chemoprophylaxis and six were not treated. CONCLUSIONS: In the absence of formal guidelines, IGRA-based screening for LTBI was infrequently performed. Our data suggest that screening and treatment of renal transplant recipients born in high incidence countries is an important preventive measure

Chemical mechanism development : laboratory studies and model application

Within the German Tropospheric Research Programme (TFS) numerous kinetic and mechanistic studies on the tropospheric reaction/degradation of the following reactants were carried out:oxygenated VOC,aromatic VOC,biogenic VOC,short-lived intermediates, such as alkoxy and alkylperoxy radicals.At the conception of the projects these selected groups were classes of VOC or intermediates for which the atmospheric oxidation mechanisms were either poorly characterised or totally unknown. The motivation for these studies was the attainment of significant improvements in our understanding of the atmospheric chemical oxidation processes of these compounds, particularly with respect to their involvement in photooxidant formation in the troposphere.In the present paper the types of experimental investigations performed and the results obtained within the various projects are briefly summarised. The major achievements are highlighted and discussed in terms of their contribution to improving our understanding of the chemical processes controlling photosmog formation in the troposphere