Hripavac (pertusis) klinički je i javnozdravstveno
važna visokokontagiozna akutna infekcija
dišnog sustava koju uzrokuje gram-negativni pleomorfni
bacil Bordetella pertussis (BP), u tipičnim ...slučajevima
obilježena intenzivnim iscrpljujućim kašljem kod dojenčadi
i male djece, s razmjerno učestalim težim, potencijalno i
fatalnim komplikacijama, koja i danas obvezuje stručnjake i
širu javnost na stalan oprez. I u visokorazvijenim sredinama
hripavac se ističe kao problem među preventibilnim
dječjim zaraznim bolestima. Porastom procijepljenosti i
smanjenjem cirkulacije Bordetelle pertussis (BP) dramatično
opada ukupna pojavnost hripavca, ali rastu pojavnost i
epidemiološko značenje u male dojenčadi i odraslih osoba.
Pojavnost hripavca u Hrvatskoj se kreće u zavidnom
rasponu od 2,7 do 18,8 oboljelih na 100.000 stanovnika
i procijepljenost od oko 90% kod primovakcinacije
i revakcinacije. Ukupni letalitet od hripavca danas se
procjenjuje na 0,1%, kod dojenčadi on doseže 0,5%-1%, a
75% umrlih su djeca mlađa od 12 mjeseci. Jedini poznati
domaćin BP je čovjek. Hripavac se prenosi kapljičnim putem,
kontagioznost mu kod osjetljivih osoba doseže i 100%, a kod
kućnih kontakata 70-100%. Uz BP sindrom hripavca mogu
izazvati i Bordetella bronchiseptica, adenovirusi, respiratorni
sincicijski virus (RSV), Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia
trachomatis i drugi respiratorni virusi. Klinička slika infekcije
bordetelom znatno ovisi o dobi oboljelih, ranijoj infekciji ili
imunizaciji, pasivno stečenim protutijelima i dopunskim
čimbenicima, poput stupnja izloženosti, naslijeđenih i
stečenih značajki oboljelih, genotipa bordetele. Može biti
tipična ili atipična, specifi čna u nekim subpopulacijama
(novorođenčad, dojenčad, trudnice, odrasle infi cirane
osobe). Zlatni standard etiološke dijagnoze ostaje dokaz
BP kultivacijom, dokaz uzročnika iz nazofaringalnog
sekreta direktnom imunofl uorescencijom (DFA) i lančanom
reakcijom polimerazom (PCR). U serološkoj dijagnostici
rabi se imunoenzimska metoda - ELISA. Etiološka terapija
obuhvaća makrolide, a nadopunjava se uz simptomatsku
i suportivnu terapiju. Prevencija i profi laksa obuhvaćaju
cijepljenje, izolaciju i kemoprofi laksu.
Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is an important respiratory pathogen, especially among young children. The genetic characteristics of HMPV circulating in Croatia have not been studied so far. The aim of ...this study was to determine the incidence of HMPV infection in hospitalized children with acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI) in the season 2005/2006 in Croatia, as well as to perform the genotypic analysis of detected HMPV strains. From December 1 to March 31 nasopharyngeal secretions (NPSs) were collected from 402 inpatients up to 5 years of age with ARTI. NPSs were tested by real-time RT-PCR assay targeting the nucleoprotein (N) gene of HMPV. HMPV infection was detected in 33 patients (8.2%). To perform the phylogenetic study, partial nucleotide sequences were obtained for HMPV fusion (F) gene of 30 HMPV positive samples. Phylogenetic analysis showed the circulation of two main genetic lineages (A and B), with B lineages being prevalent. It also showed the existence of two sublineages within the group B (B1 and B2) and three subclusters within lineage A (A1, A2a and A2b). Further molecular analysis revealed point mutations in HMPV strains of sublineage B1. J. Med. Virol. 80: 1282-1287, 2008.
The epidemic pattern of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is quite different in regions of Europe (biennial epidemics in alternating cycles of approximately 9 and 15 months) than in the Western ...Hemisphere (annual epidemics). In order to determine if these differences are accounted for by the circulation of different RSV subtypes, we studied the prevalence of RSV subtype A and B strains in Zagreb County from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2007.
RSV was identified in the nasopharyngeal secretions of 368 inpatients using direct fluorescence assays and/or by virus isolation in cell culture. The subtype of recovered strains was determined by real-time PCR. Of 368 RSV infections identified in children during this interval, subtype A virus caused 94 infections, and subtype B 270. Four patients had a dual RSV infection (subtypes A and B). The period of study was characterized by two epidemic waves of RSV infections-one, smaller, in the spring of 2006 (peaking in March), the second, larger, in December 2006/January 2007 (peaking in January). The predominant subtype in both outbreaks was RSV subtype B. Not until November 2007 did RSV subtype A predominate, while initiating a new outbreak continuing into the following calendar year.
Though only two calendar years were monitored, we believe that the biennial RSV cycle in Croatia occurs independently of the dominant viral subtype.
Akutni infekciozni gastroenterokolitis ubrajamo
među najčešće bolesti koje ugrožavaju život i zdravlje
ljudi, a bakterije roda Campylobacter česti su uzročnici gastroenterokolitisa
diljem svijeta. ...Cilj je studije usporediti djelotvornost
i podnošljivost jednokratno primijenjenog azitromicina
u liječenju gastroenterokolitisa uzrokovanog s Campylobacter
jejuni i Campylobacter coli kod djece s djelotvornosti i
podnošljivosti višekratne primjene eritromicina, koji je za sada
lijek izbora u ovoj indikaciji kod djece. U istraživanje je
uključeno 60 bolesnika u dobi od jednog mjeseca do sedam
godina. Bolesnici su podijeljeni u dvije skupine. Skupina A:
azitromicin primijenjen jednokratno u dozi od 30 mg/kg,
skupina E: eritromicin u ukupnoj dnevnoj dozi od 30 mg/kg
tijekom 5 dana. Klinička djelotvornost procijenjena je 72 sata
nakon početka liječenja. Bakteriološka djelotvornost primijenjene
terapije procijenjena je osmi dan od početka liječenja.
Azitromicin primijenjen jednokratno u dozi od 30 mg/kg
učinkovit je i siguran u liječenju bolesnika dječje dobi s akutnim
gastroenterokolitisom uzrokovanim Campylobacterom.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) glycoprotein G mimics fractalkine, a CX3C chemokine, which mediates chemotaxis of leukocytes expressing its receptor, CX3CR1. The aim of this study was to examine ...the relationship between RSV infection and expression of perforin and IFN‐γ in CX3CR1‐expressing peripheral blood CD8+ T cells. Samples were collected from infants with RSV bronchiolitis, both in the acute and convalescence phase (n = 12), and from their age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls (n = 15). Perforin expression and IFN‐γ secretion in CX3CR1+ CD8+ T cells were assessed by four‐color flow cytometry. The NF‐κB p50 and p65 subunit levels were also determined as markers of RSV‐induced inflammation. Study results showed perforin and CX3CR1 expression to be significantly lower in the convalescent phase of infected infants than in healthy controls. There was no significant difference in IFN‐γ secretion and NF‐κB binding activity between two time‐points in RSV‐infected infants, or when compared with healthy controls. Infants with prolonged wheezing had lower acute‐phase CX3CR1 levels in peripheral blood. These data indicate existence of an event persisting after acute RSV infection that is able to modulate effector functions of cytotoxic T cells, and also link disease severity with CX3CR1 expression.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) glycoprotein G mimics fractalkine, a CX
3
C chemokine, which mediates chemotaxis of leukocytes expressing its receptor, CX
3
CR1. The aim of this study was to ...examine the relationship between RSV infection and expression of perforin and IFN‐
γ
in CX
3
CR1‐expressing peripheral blood CD8
+
T cells. Samples were collected from infants with RSV bronchiolitis, both in the acute and convalescence phase (n = 12), and from their age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls (n = 15). Perforin expression and IFN‐
γ
secretion in CX
3
CR1
+
CD8
+
T cells were assessed by four‐color flow cytometry. The NF‐
κ
B p50 and p65 subunit levels were also determined as markers of RSV‐induced inflammation. Study results showed perforin and CX
3
CR1 expression to be significantly lower in the convalescent phase of infected infants than in healthy controls. There was no significant difference in IFN‐
γ
secretion and NF‐
κ
B binding activity between two time‐points in RSV‐infected infants, or when compared with healthy controls. Infants with prolonged wheezing had lower acute‐phase CX
3
CR1 levels in peripheral blood. These data indicate existence of an event persisting after acute RSV infection that is able to modulate effector functions of cytotoxic T cells, and also link disease severity with CX
3
CR1 expression.
In a study of the prevalence of hepatitis A virus antibody in urban Yugoslav children aged 0-7 years, 18.2% were positive; most of them were only a few months old. The maternal origin of antibody in ...these very young children could be inferred from the rapid decrease of antibody during the first 5-7 months of life, following which period until the age of 7 years, there was no significant increase in the proportion with antibody. It was concluded that the age range included in this study (0-7 years) does not represent a time of life when most urban Yugoslav children come into contact with hepatitis A virus.
This paper examines the impact of regulatory policies on banking market efficiency using a sample of 678 commercial banks from 21 European Union countries for the post-crisis year 2010, controlling ...for bank-specific and country-specific variables. Data on regulation, supervision and monitoring variables, and activity restrictions are from the most recent Bank Regulation and Supervision Survey database conducted by the World Bank, published 2012. Besides these we incorporate bank size, equity, market share, government ownership, and growth of Gross Domestic Product per capita, employing an Ordinary Least Squares method. Focus is on two alternative measures of banking market efficiency: net interest margin and overhead costs (operating expenses to assets). Elevated levels of these two ratios should indicate a low level of banking efficiency. The evidence suggests that the link between capital regulation and banking efficiency is not robust enough to control for other regulatory variables. Results confirm that activity restrictions have a negative and significant impact on banking efficiency. Policies encouraging official supervisory power do not enhance efficiency of the banking sector. The only approach positively and statistically significantly associated with efficiency is private monitoring. This leads to the suggestion that government regulation and supervision should be more focused on promoting transparency of information.
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