Biomedical subjects

Chizuko Suzuki

Publications and source records attributed to Chizuko Suzuki.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Ganciclovir therapy for congenital cytomegalovirus infection in six infants.

BACKGROUND: Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is common, and its morbidity rate is high. Ganciclovir (GCV) treatment has been used for congenital CMV infection, but there are few reports on viral loads associated with GCV therapy. METHODS: A real-time PCR assay was used to monitor viral load in 6 cases of symptomatic CMV infection that received GCV therapy. Initially GCV was given at a dose of 5-12 mg/kg/d for 2-7 weeks. In 2 cases, additional doses were given as symptoms returned. RESULTS: After GCV administration, active signs of chorioretinitis, thrombocytopenia and anemia disappeared or improved in all cases. During GCV therapy, viral loads decreased while patients improved clinically and increased again when GCV therapy was stopped. Although CMV DNA continued to be detectable for a long period, clinical findings did not always worsen. In 2 cases, an improvement of hearing loss was observed. CONCLUSION: GCV therapy transiently suppresses the CMV concentrations. Subsequent increases of viral titers do not appear to be correlated with the clinical course or neurologic outcome.

Cytomegalovirus↗

PubMed2005

Effects of a school-based education program for schistosomiasis control.

The role and effect of school-based education for schistosomiasis control needs to be explored further to raise the standard of health in the widely infected areas over the world. This study investigated the effect, particularly the retention or duration of effect, of a school education program for schistosomiasis control. The study was conducted from September 2000 to February 2001 in a district of Mount Darwin, Zimbabwe. Two hundred ninety-nine fifth graders from 8 primary schools were examined for their knowledge, attitude, beliefs and practice regarding schistosomiasis, based on a KABP form, three times in succession. The examinations were a baseline examination, a pre-examination checking for the effect of the program, and a post-examination assessing retention after three-months. Analyses of the examination results indicated a considerable effect of the program in all aspects except for practice. Further detailed analyses on 161 matched pair subjects comparing the difference between the pre- and post-examination results demonstrated how the subjects maintained or rather increased what they had learned, illustrating an amplifying resonance or percussion effect, that is, a group dynamic effect in the school setting. No clear correlation, however, was shown between the education effect and the infection rate of the subject groups. Ways to prevent the deterioration of the practice aspect, and the cause of the negative correlation between the infection rate and education effect need to be closely investigated, while trying out more participatory-type education is an absolute necessity.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Combating HIV/AIDS in Mainland China: an epidemiological review of prevention and control measures.

Two decades have already passed since the first HIV/AIDS case was described in 1981. Cumulatively, over 20 million people have unfortunately lost their lives, and more than 40 million people are now living with HIV, and most of them are from developing countries. China, as the biggest developing country, has an impact on the epidemic of HIV/AIDS. From the first case of AIDS diagnosed in Mainland China in 1985, the epidemic has spread at an alarming rate. The feature of HIV/AIDS spread in Mainland China concerns its geographical characteristics that can be described as occurring in three phases. According to data from World Health Organization (WHO), it was estimated that about 840,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS in China, and 80,000 of them have already developed AIDS. WHO warned that, if there were no effective preventive measures adopted, that the number of HIV/AIDS infected cases would reach 10 million in China by 2010. In this study, we described the current situation of the epidemic of HIV/AIDS, as well as an historic review. The development of policy-making and the control measures are also highlighted. The experience from China described in this study would hopefully be for more public awareness of this crisis that is threatening all the citizenry of China.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed2003

Evaluation of cytomegalovirus infections transmitted via breast milk in preterm infants with a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay.

OBJECTIVE: Preterm infants are at greater risk of symptomatic cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection than term infants. Breast milk is the main source of perinatal CMV infections. This study evaluated the kinetics of CMV load in breast milk and the rate of postnatal CMV transmission via breast milk from mothers to their preterm infants. METHODS: This was a prospective study of 30 mothers and their 43 preterm infants. The infants either had a gestational age of <34 weeks or weighed <2000 g at birth. Breast milk, serum, and urine samples were collected every 2 weeks until discharge, and screened for CMV infection using a real-time PCR assay. Most of the breast milk had been preserved at -20 degrees C before feeding to the preterm infants. RESULTS: Twenty-four mothers (24 of 30, 80%), who had 34 preterm infants, were CMV immunoglobulin G positive. Twenty-one (87.5%) of the 24 seropositive mothers, who had 30 preterm infants, had detectable CMV deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in breast milk during the study period. Most breast milk became positive for CMV DNA 2 weeks after delivery. Viral DNA copy numbers increased until they peaked at 4 to 6 weeks. Afterward, the CMV DNA copy numbers decreased. Of the 30 infants who were fed CMV DNA-positive breast milk, CMV infection was confirmed in 3 infants. However, they had no clinical symptoms of CMV infection. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the high rate of CMV DNA in breast milk, symptomatic infections in the preterm infants did not occur. These results might be associated with the method of breast milk preservation and the population we studied. CMV infections transmitted via breast milk feeding did not have much impact on preterm infants in our institutes.

Antibodies, Viral↗