The Medical journal of Australia
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Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is an important pathogen in persons who are immunocompromised or who have received organ transplants. The rate of symptomatic CMV infection is relatively higher after liver transplantation, and CMV hepatitis may be difficult to differentiate from rejection or cholangitis without recourse to liver biopsy and tissue culture. In this study we have used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify and detect CMV-DNA sequences directly from the saliva and urine of liver transplant recipients. The procedure is simple, rapid and specific, and was found to be as sensitive as tissue culture for the diagnosis of CMV.
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Comparative Study
The North Coast Cholesterol Check Campaign. Results of the first three years of a large-scale public screening programme.
Although cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality has been declining, CVD is still the major cause of death in Australia and an elevated blood cholesterol level is considered a major contributor. Large-scale community-based screening programmes in other countries have demonstrated that a population approach can be effective in reducing cholesterol levels and the risk of CVD. The North Coast Cholesterol Check Campaign is the largest community-based cholesterol intervention programme in Australia. ⋯ North Coast general practitioners have played a major role by catering for the increased community demand for cholesterol testing and by providing an effective referral service for the Campaign. Community-based screening programmes in Australia can detect and beneficially influence large numbers of persons with elevated cholesterol levels. Interventions like the North Coast Cholesterol Check Campaign, when conducted over a number of years, do attract higher risk and less compliant people.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)