Læknaneminn - 01.04.2004, Page 70

The aim of this study was to see if IL-6 could pass the
placenta in a rat pregnancy.
Material and Methods: Timed pregnant Wistar dams were
injected intravenously (i.v.) with 1.4ml/kg 125I-IL-6. The
amount of IL-6 used is considered to be physiological
equivalent to maternal infection. Blood samples were collected
before and during 30 minutes. Then section was performed
and amniotic fluid, placentas, fetuses, right atrium and kidney
collected from each dam. The radioactivity was measured
with a gamma-counter.
Results: Radioactivity was detected in all samples except
amniotic fluid. Results are given on a per gram basis as
sample/blood ratio R ((L/g) ( S.E.M. Right atrium = 3,92 (
1,04; Placenta = 8,59 ( 1,13; Fetus = 0,18 ( 0,08; Kidney =
67,59 ( 14,9.
Discussion: IL-6 passes the placenta with non-mediated
transport. Highest values were in blood rich organs like the
kidney and placenta. Radioactivity in the fetuses is low but
could be enough to change the fetal IL-6 concentration so it
can affect the fetal homeostasis.
Key words: Fetal programming, lnterleukin-6, placental
passage
Immunization Coverage in the Monkey Bay Head Zone Malawi
Þórður Þórarinn Þórðarsonl Halldór Jónsson2 Ásgeir Haraldsson3
Geir Gunnlaugsson4
1 University of lceland, Faculty of Medicine. 2lcelandic International
Development Agency. 3Children’s Hospital lceland, Landspitali
University Hospital, lceland. 4Centre for Child Health Services,
Reykjavik, lceland.
Introduction
In context of ICEIDA's efforts to improve health care services
in the Monkey Bay area in Malawi, a survey was conducted
to estimate immunization coverage of children aged 12-
23 months in the Monkey Bay head zone. The head zone
consists of 97 villages with a population of around 105000.
Five health centres provide immunization services in the area.
Methods
The method used was a 30 by 7 cluster sample survey, as
defined by WHO’s Expanded Programme on Immunization
(EPI). Two hundred and seventeen children in 30 clusters
were randomly selected and their immunization status as
registered by immunization card or history was evaluated.
Results
Immunization coverage by card or history was 97,2% for
BCG, and 99,1%, 94,9% and 84,7% for DTP1, DTP2 and
DTP3 respectively. Coverage of OPV1, OPV2 and OPV3 by
card or history was 99,1%, 93,1% and 85,2% respectively.
Coverage for measles by card or history was 78,2%. Fully
immunized children by card or history were 152 or 70,4%.
Drop-out rate from DTP1 to DTP3 vaccination by card or
history was 14,5%, and drop-out from DTP1 to Measles by
card or history was 21,0%. Only two children had not received
any immunizations.
Discussion - According to this survey, immunzation coverage
in the Monkey Bay head zone is higherthan previous estimates
indicate, and in general above national levels of 2002. The
results indicate that access to the immunzation system ín the
Monkey Bay Head Zone is good, but drop-out is high which
indicates that coverage could be raised through improved
utilization of the immunization system available.
Keywords
Immunization Coverage, Monkey Bay, Malawi
Hvað stjórnar tjáningu á mRKS fyrir IL-13 og IL-13R(1 í hnatt-
kjarna frumum úr blóði astmasjúklinga?
Hallgerður Lind Kristjánsdóttirl, Ásta Sóllilja Guðmundsdóttir2,
Hákon Hákonarson2 og Unnur Steina Björnsdóttir3.
1) Háskóli íslands, 2) Islensk erfðagreining, 3)Landspítali
Háskólasjúkrahús
Inngangur: Astmi erflókinn bólgusjúkdómur ílungum og tilurð
hans er ekki að fullu skilin. Ljóst er að IL-13 á þátt í miðlun
sjúkdómsins þar sem sýnt hefur verið fram á að tilvist þess er
bæði nauðsynleg og nægjanleg til að valda helstu einkennum
astma, svo sem berkjuauðreitni, slímofframleiðslu, auknum
fjölda rauðkyrninga (eosínófíla) og aukinni bandvefsmyndun
undir þekju öndunarvega. Markmið rannsóknarinnar var að
komast nær því hvað stjórnar tjáningu á mRKS fyrir IL-13
og IL-13R( 1 í hnattkjarna frumum úr blóði (peripheral blood
mononuclear cells) astmasjúklinga.
Efni og aðferðir: Fengið var blóð úr 8 astmasjúklingum, 4
með og 4 án ofnæmi. Hnattkjarna frumur voru einangraðar
úr blóðinu og ræktaðar við 30 mismunandi meðferðarskilyrði
í 0, 6,12 eða 24 tíma. Flotið var hirt eftir ræktun og magn
IL-13 próteinsins mælt með ensímtengdri mótefnamælingu.
RKS var einangrað úr frumunum og tjáning á mRKS fyrir
IL-13 og IL-13R(1 var mæld með rauntíma-öfugumritunar-
keðjumögnun (RT-PCR).
Niðurstöður: Örvun með ofnæmisvökum, Lípópólysakkaríði
(LPS) og Phytohemagglutíníni (PHA) olli marktækt aukinni
örvun á tjáningu á mRKS fyrir IL-13 eftir 6- eða 12 tíma
ræktun hjá astmasjúklingum með og án ofnæmis. IL-4
og 9 ollu ekki marktækt aukinni tjáningu á IL-13 mRKS
en IL-5 smávægilegri en tölfræðilega marktækri. PHA
var eina áreitið sem leiddi til markvissar aukinnar seytunar
á IL-13 próteininu. Ekkert af áreitunum eykur marktækt