Smittsamma sjukdomar i Finland 2012

Rapporten Smittsamma sjukdomar i Finland ger en beskrivning av årets viktigaste fenomen, epidemier och förekomsten av sjukdomar. I publikationen finns information om luftvägs- och tarminfektioner, hepatiter, könssjukdomar och antimikrobiell resistens. Följande fenomen var aktuella år 2012: opastöriserad mjölk och kontakt med djur ledde till en ehec-epidemi som resulterade i att flera barn behövde intensivvård; dengueinfektionerna har ökat bland resenärer under de senaste åren och ett nytt fenomen är infektioner som har sitt ursprung på Madeira; i en tredjedel av gonorréfallen härstammade smittan från utlandet; resistensen hos gramnegativa enterobakterier fortsatte att öka och en del av bakteriestammarna härstammar från utlandet. I rapporten jämförs de nyaste uppgifterna med uppgifterna från tidigare år, vilket lyfter fram de förändringar som skett i förekomsten av smittsamma sjukdomar under en längre tid. Rapporten är en sammanställning av de uppgifter som finns i registret över smittsamma sjukdomar vid Institutet för hälsa och välfärd

STOPFLU : is it possible to reduce the number of days off in office work by improved hand-hygiene?

Peer reviewe

Hand washing with soap and water together with behavioural recommendations prevents infections in common work environment: an open cluster-randomized trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hand hygiene is considered as an important means of infection control. We explored whether guided hand hygiene together with transmission-limiting behaviour reduces infection episodes and lost days of work in a common work environment in an open cluster-randomized 3-arm intervention trial.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 21 clusters (683 persons) were randomized to implement hand hygiene with soap and water (257 persons), with alcohol-based hand rub (202 persons), or to serve as a control (224 persons). Participants in both intervention arms also received standardized instructions on how to limit the transmission of infections. The intervention period (16 months) included the emergence of the 2009 influenza pandemic and the subsequent national hand hygiene campaign influencing also the control arm.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the total follow-up period there was a 6.7% reduction of infection episodes in the soap-and water arm (p = 0.04). Before the onset of the anti-pandemic campaign, a statistically significant (p = 0.002) difference in the mean occurrence of infection episodes was observed between the control (6.0 per year) and the soap-and-water arm (5.0 per year) but not between the control and the alcohol-rub arm (5.6 per year). Neither intervention had a decreasing effect on absence from work.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We conclude that intensified hand hygiene using water and soap together with behavioural recommendations can reduce the occurrence of self-reported acute illnesses in common work environment. Surprisingly, the occurrence of reported sick leaves also increased in the soap-and water-arm.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov: <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00981877">NCT00981877</a></p> <p>Source of funding</p> <p>The Finnish Work Environment Fund and the National Institute for Health and Welfare.</p

Immunoglobulin E-specific allergens against leaf in serum of dogs with clinical features of grass leaf allergy

Background: Grass leaf has been suspected of causing immunoglobulin (Ig)E-mediated immediate hypersensitivity reactions in humans and dogs. However, most studies in this area are case-control studies without in vitro data showing the involvement of IgE in the reaction. Laboratory studies have demonstrated the reactivity to a 50–55 kDa protein with clinical signs immediately after contact with grass leaf material. The clinical findings of dogs with atopic-like dermatitis immediately after contact with grass leaf material suggest the involvement of grass leaves as the allergen source. Objectives: This study was designed to test the IgE-reactivity of grass leaf proteins in dogs with clinical signs and positive scratch test results against grass leaf material. Materials and Methods: The serum of 41 patients with a history of allergy and suspected to grass leaf material was immunoblotted against grass leaf extracts from five suspected grass species. The IgE-positive blots were separated with 2D gel electrophoresis and analysed with mass spectrometry (MS). Commercially supplied proteins were used to validate immunoblot activity. Results: The serum of 25 dogs diagnosed with grass dermatitis had positive IgE-specific immunoblot against one or more grass leaf extracts. The MS data indicated a reactive band at 55 kDa to be beta-amylase or RuBisCO (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase) large subunit (RbLS). All tested dog sera showed IgE-reactivity with beta-amylase and some with RbLS. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Canines with clinical signs of grass-related dermatitis had IgE-reactivity against grass leaf proteins. Serum IgE-reactivity to beta-amylase and RuBisCO large subunit may indicate that these proteins act as allergens, possibly causing pruritus and skin lesions.</p

Therapeutic vaccination against cervical cancer – are we near?

Therapeutic vaccines developed to target the papillomavirus antigens that are expressed by cervical cancer induce immune responses, but have yet to show clinical efficacy. Transplantable tumour models expressing human papillomavirus antigens do not predict vaccine outcome in the clinic. Understanding how immune responses are influenced in a tumour antigen experienced host, and what surrogate marker or markers reflect the potential efficacy of therapeutic vaccines in the clinic, will be necessary to provide new approaches to immunotherapy for cervical cancer

Divergent expression changes of telomerase and E6/E7 mRNA, following integration of human papillomavirus type 33 in cultured epithelial cells

Expression of the viral oncogenes E6 and E7, and telomerase, was investigated, using a cell line from a mild dysplastic vaginal lesion containing human papillomavirus (HPV) type 33. During passaging of the cells, there was a change towards a cancer phenotype, and a shift from episomal to integrated HPV. Levels of hTERT (catalytic subunit of telomerase) mRNA, and telomerase activity in cells carrying episomal virus seemed constant during passaging. During passaging of cells containing integrated HPV, however, the levels of oncogene mRNA decreased, while hTERT mRNA and telomerase activity increased sharply. Thus, in those cells there is no direct correlation between changes of oncogene and telomerase expression. Conceivably, viral oncogene expression might trigger telomerase up-regulation in an early subpopulation of cells, which during subsequent passaging could be selected for