[Prevalence of visual impairment in school-age children: Data analysis from PlanVue® pilot project]. / Dépistage des troubles visuels à l'âge scolaire : les données du projet pilote PlanVue®.

PURPOSE: To assess the prevalence of visual disturbances among school-aged children in prioritized education zones in France. METHODS: The PlanVue® pilot project was designed to detect and manage visual disturbances in school-aged children in the prioritized education areas of the city of Nanterre, France. During this pilot study, a cohort of 515 children aged 4 to 13 years underwent a school vision screening between January and March 2019, consisting of an overall evaluation of the child's visual behavior, measurement of uncorrected visual acuity in each eye, objective refraction with a photoscreener and strabismus screening. If the examination was abnormal as determined by impaired vision or an algorithm based on the abnormalities found, the children were referred to an ophthalmologist. RESULTS: Decreased visual acuity was found in 20% of school-aged children. Out of the 515 children screened, 22% were referred to an ophthalmologist. Among these children, 13% were diagnosed with amblyopia, 73% with spherical ametropia, 57% with astigmatism and 2% with strabismus. Of the entire population screened, 12% of the children needed optical correction but had not received glasses. CONCLUSION: This study confirms the high prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors among school-age children. A screening program carried out in a school environment by paramedical professionals might make it possible to considerably reduce the rate of uncorrected visual disorders and their consequences.

Augmenting effect of methionine-enkephalin on interleukin-6 production by cytokine-stimulated murine macrophages.

The effects of methionine-enkephalin on the production of interleukin-6 by activated peritoneal murine macrophages were studied. Macrophage were activated with interleukin-1beta or interferon-gamma in the presence or absence of graded concentrations of methionine-enkephalin. Methionine-enkephalin combined with interleukin-1beta or interferon-gamma caused an increase in IL-6 release from cultured macrophages. The opioid receptor antagonist naloxone did not change the stimulatory effect of methionine-enkephalin on IL-6 production by stimulated macrophages. Methionine-enkephalin added to the culture medium of resting macrophages increased IL-6 release from macrophages which were later induced with interleukin-1beta or interferon-gamma. The results of this study suggest that methionine-enkephalin can modulate the proinflammatory cytokine response by controlling, via non-opioid receptor mechanism, the production of IL-6.

Levels of sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and MCP-1 in patients with hyperlipoproteinemia IIa and -IIb.

OBJECTIVE: Hyperlipoproteinemia is one of the factors that are involved in the development of atherosclerosis. One of the mechanisms through which these high plasma lipid levels trigger the formation of atherosclerotic lesions is a change in the expression of adhesion molecules on endothelial and smooth muscle cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the plasma levels of soluble intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in patients with Type IIa (HLP-IIa) and IIb (HLP-IIb) hyperlipoproteinemias. SUBJECTS: Twenty patients with HLP-IIa, 20 patients with HLP-IIb and 23 control subjects were studied. To accurately evaluate adhesion molecule levels, we excluded those hyperlipemic patients and control subjects who had an inflammatory disease. METHODS: Plasma sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and MCP-1 levels were measured by the ELISA method. RESULTS: sVCAM-1 levels in HLP-IIa and HLP-IIb patients (535 +/- 27 ng/ml and 545 +/- 22 ng/ml, respectively) did not differ significantly from those in the control group (558 +/- 20 ng/ml). sICAM-1 levels were significantly higher in patients with HLP-IIa and HLP-IIb (279 +/- 10 ng/ml and 322 +/- 12 ng/ml, respectively) compared to the control group (226 +/- 10 ng/ml). MCP-1 levels were significantly higher in HLP-IIa and HLP-IIb patients (151 +/- 12 pg/ml vs 154 +/- 12 pg/ml, respectively) compared to healthy controls (98 +/- 4 pg/ml). sICAM-1 levels in the HLP-IIb group were significantly higher than in the HLP-IIa group. CONCLUSION: The results of the study suggest that lipid abnormalities affect the levels of adhesion molecules and chemokines in plasma.

Primary immunisations in Liverpool. II: Is there a gap between consent and completion?

The association between completion of primary dipht eria, tetanus and pertussis, measles, mumps, and rubella and polio immunisation courses in Liverpool and five sociodemographic factors, namely the child's sex, position in the family, family type, migration into Liverpool since birth, and local deprivation was examined. Only 68% of children were fully immunised by their second birthday. The immunisation rate for pertussis was 74%, compared with 85-89% for the other antigens. Children who had older siblings, were recorded as living with one parent, had moved into Liverpool or who lived in areas of high deprivation were less likely to complete the full set of antigens and individual courses. Boys were significantly less likely than girls to be fully immunised against pertussis. Differences in the completion of pertussis immunisation associated with the child's sex and with local deprivation were a direct reflection of differences in rates of parental consent. Parental consent did not wholly account for significantly lower rates among children with older siblings, those living with a lone parent, and those who had moved into Liverpool, however. This may reflect the practical difficulties of attending immunisation clinics. To achieve immunisation targets, a more flexible and targeted approach is required of health professionals. This may include the careful targeting of efforts to increase consent and the improvement of access to immunisations by providing domiciliary services or by opportunistic immunisation of infants when they are in contact with primary and community health care services.

Primary immunisations in Liverpool. I: Who withholds consent?

The association between parents in Liverpool consenting to their children being invited for primary immunisations and five sociodemographic factors, namely sex, position of child in the family, family type, migration into Liverpool since birth, and local deprivation was examined. Rates of consent to invitation were over 97% for each antigen except pertussis, which had a consent rate of 83%. Consent to invitation for pertussis vaccine was least likely to have been given for boys, children with older siblings, those recorded as living with a single parent, and those in the most deprived areas. Local deprivation also had an effect on consent to the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine. Migration into Liverpool had a significant effect on consent to invitation for all antigens except pertussis. The child's sex, family type, and local deprivation had no effect on consent to diphtheria, tetanus, and polio immunisations. Maximising pertussis vaccine uptake will require more attention to be paid to those parents who have been identified as being less likely to give consent. It is particularly important that consistent and clear advice about immunisations is made available to parents with two or more children, lone parents, and those living in materially deprived areas. Our findings challenge some of the assumptions underlying the principles of 'first parent visiting', at least so far as pertussis is concerned.