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Pro-apoptotic molecules are generated during sepsis which may be responsible for alteration of organ function in sepsis. Removal of systemic apoptotic activity may affect recovery from sepsis. Current high flux membranes might not be sufficiently permeable to eliminate pro-apoptotic factors. We evaluated the elimination of pro-apoptotic factors induced by LPS in human whole blood by a super-permeable cellulose triacetate membrane (SUREFLUX FH 150, Nipro, Osaka, Japan) in comparison to a standard high flux cellulose triacetate membrane (UT 700, Nipro, Osaka, Japan) and a polyethersulfone plasmafilter (Bellco, Mirandola Italy) in an in vitro blood circulation.We spiked human whole blood with lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli (Serotype 026–86, 10 mg/ml), incubated it for 3 hours to allow cytokine generation and recirculated it at 300 ml/min for 3 hours. The UF line was first returned to the blood module at 10 min. After this, the UF was drained from 10 to 60 min at a rate of 1000 ml/h. Zero balance was obtained by re-infusion of bicarbonate buffered hemofiltration fluid.Apoptosis was assessed on U937 monocytes (incubated with plasma or ultrafiltrate) by fluorescence microscopy dyes (Hoechst 33342, propidium iodide) and annexin V flow cytometry. Caspase-3 and Caspase-8 activity was assessed on the recirculated blood monocytes by spectrophotometric methods. IL-2, IL-10 and TNFa were determined by commercially available ELISAs. Sieving coefficients and clearances were determined for the different cytokines.Caspase-3 and Caspase-8 were activated by LPS and remained either stable or increased during in vitro circulation.Apoptosis activity of U937 cells, when incubated with the ultrafiltrate, increased in parallel with arterial plasma values (for Uf: UT700=23.1%; Sureflux FH150=42.5%). However, by 60 min the apoptotic activity recorded with the ultrafiltrate was reduced to the levels of arterial plasma (for Uf: UT700=19.8%; Sureflux FH150=11.2%).Sieving coefficients in the super-permeable membrane were significantly higher for all measured cytokines in comparison to the standard high flux membrane (e.g. TNFa 0.72 vs 0.03 p<0.001) and close to the values observed for the plasmafiltration membrane. Nevertheless protein losses measured by albumin leakage were much lower with the Sureflux filter in comparison to the plasmafilter.In conclusion, pro-apoptotic factors can be eliminated by dialytic membranes with the removal rate maximized by using super high flux dialysers which may represent a compromise between hemofiltration and plasmafiltration membranes.

AbstractAims: Low molecular weight heparins (LMWH) permit safe and effective treatment of uncomplicated deep venous thrombosis (DVT) at home. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost minimization, cost shifting and patient satisfaction associated with at-home DVT treatment using the LMWH enoxaparin, compared to standard inpatient care in an Australian health-care setting. Methods: Subjects presenting with a principal diagnosis of uncomplicated DVT to the Emergency Department at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, were recruited over 1997–1999. Costs to the hospital, to Federal funding (Medicare) and to patients were tracked prospectively, and satisfaction was also measured. Subjects were matched to historical controls (1994–1997) for age, gender and level of comorbidity (same or lower) by two medical officers who were blinded to costs. Control costs were obtained using the clinical costing system Trendstar®, and adjusted for consumer price index. Results: Twenty-eight subjects participated in the at-home programme. Of these, 26 were discharged without any inpatient admission (including one who agreed to self-injection) and two were admitted briefly. Audit demonstrated that only 29% of eligible subjects were managed at home. Mean (SEM) total treatment cost was $756 (76) per patient for at-home, and $2208 (146) for controls. Minimal cost shifts to patients and to Medicare occurred, and satisfaction was high. Conclusions: At-home treatment of uncomplicated DVT using enoxaparin in an Australian metropolitan setting provides effective cost minimization, with little cost-shifting. Our cost minimisation estimates are conservative as most at-home subjects received enoxaparin twice daily (now used once per day) and controls had at least as high comorbidity. However, uptake of the at-home programme was limited. (Intern Med J 2002; 32: 29–34)

The major objectives are to report on coronary event mortality, incidence and attack rates and changes over time observed in the Italian MONICA populations and to assess if trends are consistent when different disease definitions are considered. An analysis of diagnostic agreement between clinical and MONICA categories is presented in the context of developing a model for estimating disease incidence in a population, based on currently available data.

Population-based data on coronary events are generally lacking for large areas, such as at the nation-wide level. While mortality data are currently and exhaustively collected in all developed countries and in a few developing countries, incidence and prevalence are often available only for certain subgroups of the population under study.

Over the last years - late 1970s to early 1990s - the incidence of prostate carcinoma has nearly doubled, even though many more patients die suffering from prostate cancer than because of it. This finding, together with the slow growth of this tumor and the absence of a controlled trial that would suggest a benefit from screening, makes early diagnosis of this disease quite questionable. On the other hand, it is well known that prostatic carcinoma is curable as long as it is intracapsular, and that there is an ever increasing encouragement to early detection in all diseases. The costs of screening and the difficulty in balancing the benefits of screening against its negative effects, such as psychological impact and overtreatment, must be taken into account as well. In our opinion, one of the advantages of early diagnosis should be that the patients’ quality of life improves, because the stage at diagnosis and, as a result, the number of patients suffering from bone metastasis decrease, and unknown benign pathologies can be cured. These observations are not at all negligible. Our study aims to demonstrate that by using PSA as an initial test, the screening costs are reasonable and the disease incidence is just as expected.

The human health effects of exposure to indoor nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are unclear, and few studies have examined the effects of short-term peak levels of exposure.

Skin exposure to cyanobacteria and their toxins may occur during recreational water activities, but their effects have been difficult to quantify in previous studies. The aim of this study was to assess the dermal irritant effects (induced erythema) of a range of laboratory grown cyanobacterial species using skin patch testing on human volunteers.