RESUMO
The Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen ESAT-6 has been proposed for tuberculosis immunodiagnosis. In The Gambia, 30% of community controls produced gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) in response to ESAT-6. Increased proportions of responders and intensities of responses were found in household contacts. Responses that were initially low in tuberculosis patients increased after treatment. An ESAT-6 IFN-gamma assay will be of limited use in the diagnosis of tuberculosis in countries where tuberculosis is endemic. Its role in contact tracing should be evaluated further.
Assuntos
Antígenos de Bactérias/imunologia , Infecções Comunitárias Adquiridas/imunologia , Doenças Endêmicas , Interferon gama/sangue , Mycobacterium tuberculosis/imunologia , Tuberculose Pulmonar/imunologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Antígenos de Bactérias/farmacologia , Proteínas de Bactérias , Biomarcadores , Células Cultivadas , Feminino , Gâmbia/epidemiologia , Humanos , Leucócitos Mononucleares/citologia , Leucócitos Mononucleares/efeitos dos fármacos , Leucócitos Mononucleares/imunologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estudos Prospectivos , Teste Tuberculínico , Tuberculose Pulmonar/sangue , Tuberculose Pulmonar/epidemiologia , Tuberculose Pulmonar/transmissãoRESUMO
An individually randomised double-blind trial of PRP-T Hib conjugate vaccine was conducted in the Gambia between 1993 and 1995, in which 42,848 children were randomised into one of 10 groups, five corresponding to vaccine and five to placebo. Basic demographic data were collected on all children, and administration details of all doses of EPI vaccines were recorded. In addition, details on all doses of vaccines were recorded on each child's home-based health card; 2,681 episodes of possible Hib disease were investigated and for each episode detailed clinical data were collected. These investigations yielded 50 cases of confirmed Hib disease, which formed the basis of the final efficacy results. In all 50 cases, the data on the children's health card, describing the doses of study vaccine received exactly, matched the vaccination database which was filled with data returned from the clinics. The data-management procedures are described in detail in this paper.
Assuntos
Sistemas de Gerenciamento de Base de Dados , Vacinas Anti-Haemophilus/administração & dosagem , Haemophilus influenzae , Ensaios Clínicos Controlados Aleatórios como Assunto/métodos , Pré-Escolar , Método Duplo-Cego , Gâmbia , Humanos , Lactente , Controle de QualidadeRESUMO
Examination of 20 samples of smoke-dried fish of the Ethmolosa sp. commonly called "Bonga", from homes and markets in Njala (Sierra Leone) revealed the presence of 4 Aspergilli species: A. flavus Links ex Fries, A. ochraceus Wilhelm, A. tamarii Kita and A. niger van Tieghem. Fresh or properly preserved smoke-dried fish showed no signs of fungal contamination. Mouldy fish extracts contained varying amounts of aflatoxins B1, G1, G2 and ochratoxin A. Isolates of A. flavus grown on yeast extract sucrose (YES) medium, produced considerable amounts of aflatoxin B1 and G1 and trace amounts of G2. On YES medium A. ochraceus produced large amounts of ochratoxin A but no penicillic acid.