Hepatitis B can be prevented by hepatitis B vaccine in most individuals. However about 5 –10% of all individuals fail to produce a protective antibody level to hepatitis B surface antigen(anti-HBs), after standard vaccination procedure with three vaccine doses. The mechanismsfor non-response are multi-factorial and not clearly understood. Non-response in this studywas defined as anti-HBs < 10 mIU/ml after at least 4 doses of intradermal hepatitis B vaccine.In this study we vaccinated relatives to known non-responders to hepatitis B vaccine. Thestudy subjects were chosen among relatives to non-responders with known HLA class IIhaplotypes. Recombinant hepatitis B vaccine was administered intradermally at 0, 1 and 6months. For those with anti-HBs <10 mIU/ml after three doses an additional dose was givenfollowed by new anti-HBs measurement. A total of 8 probands and 26 relatives wereincluded. Of the 26 relatives 15/26 (58%) responded to the vaccination schedule compared tothe expected 90-95%. This data therefore support the theory that genetic factors play animportant role in the antibody response to hepatitis B vaccine. The study population wasthough too small to conclude the role of specific genetic factors related to response and nonresponse.

Typical and atypical exit wounds are well described in the forensic literature. Included in the descriptions of atypical exit wounds are perforating, 'shored' exit wounds, in which the perforation of the skin is associated with an abrasion, whether or not the bullet fully exits the body. The authors describe an atypical, incomplete, shored exit wound in which the skin was abraded by supporting material at the site the bullet was recovered, but there was no associated perforation of the skin. Recognition of this injury pattern can be important in reconstruction of the crime scene in relation to the victim at the time of the shooting.

We hypothesized that genetic variations of cytokines could contribute to the risk of developing a fatal immunological reaction in the heart of infants. Thus, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-10 gene polymorphisms versus induction of cardioimmunologxical responses in victims of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) were explored. We genotyped 35 infants (23 cases of SIDS and 12 infants with a known cause of death), and 100 healthy adult controls for IL-10 –1082 G/A, −592 C/A and TNF-α-238 G/A, −308 G/A. We found a higher frequency of the ATA haplotype and ATA/ATA genotype of IL-10 associated with SIDS (13%). The frequency of homozygote infants for IL-10 haplotypes in SIDS was higher (52%) than the control group (34%). All SIDS cases were homozygotice for the TNF-α-238 G allele and 20 infants were homozygous for the TNF-α-308 G allele in the same group. None of the infants with higher levels of infiltrated T-cells (n=8) was homozygous for IL-10 gene polymorphisms, whereas in contrast 3 cases of the 6 that displayed higher levels of cardiac mast cells were homozygous. In this study, the increased number of interstitial T-cells, mast cells, and macrophages in the myocardial interstitium demonstrated no correlation with the genotype for either cytokines.

The aim of the present study was to determine the frequency of atlanto-axial rotatory subluxations (AARS) in multi detector computed tomography (MDCT) performed on human corpses for forensic purposes and to investigate whether these are a physiological postmortem finding or indicate a trauma to the neck region.

80 forensic cases examined with MDCT from November 2003 to March 2007 were included in the study. The study was approved by the regional ethics committee. For each case volumes were rendered and investigated with reference to suspected AARS and any other anomalies of the head and neck region. The rotation of the head as well as in the atlanto-axial joint were measured and occurring AARS were judged according Fielding's classification. The finding of AARS was correlated to case criteria such as postmortem head rotation, sex, age, cause of death, time since death and further autopsy results. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher's exact test, Wilcoxon's rank sums test and Chi-square test with Pearson approximation.

70% (n = 56) of the cases included in the study presented with an AARS. A strong correlation (P < .0001) between suspected AARS and postmortem head rotation was found. Two cases presented with an atlanto-axial rotation greater than the head rotation. One showed an undiscovered lateral dislocation of the atlas, and one an unfused atlas-ring. There was no correlation to any further investigated case criteria. Ipsilateral AARS with head rotation alone does not indicate trauma to the neck.

PmCT can substantially support forensic examinations of the skeleton, especially in body regions, which are elaborate to access at autopsy, such as the cervical spine. Isolated AARS (Fielding type I) on pmCT is usually a normal finding associated with ipsilateral head rotation.

Introduction: Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) infection is very common worldwide. A reliable diagnosis is crucial for patients with H.pylori related diseases. At follow-up it is important to confirm that eradication therapy has been successful. There is no established gold standard for the diagnosis of H.pylori infection.

Material and Methods: A sample of 304 volunteers from the general population was screened for H.pylori infection with serology, ¹³C-urea breath test (UBT), rapid urease test (RUT) on fresh biopsy, culture from biopsy and histological examination. Each method was tested against the other methods (except serology) taken together as gold standard.

Result: The sensitivity was 0.99 for serology 0.92 for UBT, 0.96 for RUT, 0.99 for culture and 0.95 for histological examination. Corresponding specificities were 0.82, 0.94, 0.93, 0.90 and 0.92, respectively. The accuracy was 0.86 for serology, 0.94 for UBT, 0.94 for RUT, 0.93 for culture and 0.93 for histology. There was a strong correlation between the results of UBT and histological scores for H.pylori colonization as well as between the results of UBT and the scores of RUT.

Conclusion: There were only minor differences in accuracy between three invasive tests for H.pylori infection in this population. RUT may be recommended as first choice since a result is obtained within hours. The accuracy of UBT was comparable to the invasive tests and it is recommended for situations when endoscopy is not needed.