Serum immunoglobulins E are related to menstrual cycle

During a cross sectional epidemiological survey on a general population sample, 596 fertile women underwent total serum IgE determination. They completed an interviewer-administered standardized questionnaire and were categorized according to their menstrual period. They were divided into two groups: those from days 10 to 20, who were considered to be in the periovulatory phase, and those in the other phases. IgE mean values were significantly different (p = 0.01) in the two groups: particularly, lower IgE values were found in those in periovulatory phase, after accounting for smoking habit and atopic status. By multiple regression analysis, taking into account the independent effects of menstrual period, age, smoking habit, hours of fast, skin prick test reactivity and presence of cough, significantly lower IgE values in the periovulatory phase were found. We hypothesize the possibility that a decrease of IgE concentration occurs during midcycle: a reduced immune response might facilitate the ovuli implantation. Further studies are necessary to longitudinally investigate the trend of IgE in the same women, as well as the distributions and the trends of other immunoglobulins.     

Cardiovascular risk factors prior to the development of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in persons with impaired glucose tolerance: the Hoorn Study

The aim of the study was to analyze cardiovascular risk factors as predictors for developing non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) in people with impaired glucose tolerance. A cross-sectional survey of glucose tolerance was conducted in people, aged 50-74, who were randomly selected from the registry of the middle-sized town Hoorn (The Netherlands). Based on the mean values of two oral glucose tolerance tests, people were classified in glucose tolerance categories according to the WHO criteria. The mean follow-up time was 36 months (range 13-55 months). The cumulative incidence of NIDDM was 34% (95% CI 16.9-45.1). In multiple logistic regression analysis, cardiovascular risk factors at baseline did not predict the conversion from impaired glucose tolerance to NIDDM, in contrast with the two-hour plasma glucose level (odds ratio 3.56, p < 0.001) and the fasting proinsulin level, as one of the determinants of beta-cell dysfunction (Odds ratio 2.1, p < 0.05). The baseline HDL-cholesterol level, one of the components of the insulin resistance syndrome, was associated with the conversion from impaired glucose tolerance to normal glucose tolerance (Odds ratio 1.58, p < 0.05). The results of our study seem to support the hypothesis that conversion from impaired glucose tolerance to normal glucose tolerance depends on insulin resistance and the development of NIDDM from impaired glucose tolerance depends on beta-cell dysfunction.     

Nutrient intake and food group consumption of 10-year-olds by sugar intake level: the Bogalusa Heart Study

We studied the occurrence of nocturnal enuresis (bedwetting) after the age of 4 years, using a questionnaire in a well-defined population, the Finnish Twin Cohort, which consists of 11,220 subjects aged 33-60 years, including 1298 monozygotic and 2419 dizygotic twin pairs. Structural equation modeling techniques were used to estimate variance components to compare different genetic models. Females reported enuresis in childhood "often" in 3.4% (males in 4.0%) and "sometimes" in 5.7% (8.0%). As adults, females had experienced enuresis "weekly" in 0.3% (males in 0.2%) and "monthly" in 0.07% (0.1%). Those who had experienced enuresis in childhood had had "at least sometimes" enuresis as adults in 5.4% of males and in 5.5% of females. Among those who reported they never had experienced enuresis as adults, 70.8% of males and in 77.9% of females had never experienced enuresis in childhood. For enuresis in childhood, the probandwise concordance rate was 0.43 for monozygotic and 0.19 for dizygotic pairs, and in adults 0.25 and 0, respectively. The proportion of total phenotypic variance attributed to genetic influences (due to dominance) was 67% in males (95% confidence interval 57-76%) and 70% in females (61-78%) in childhood enuresis. In conclusion, nocturnal enuresis is common in childhood and rare in adulthood. Our results confirm the central role of genetic liability in enuresis.     

Serum homocysteine and risk of coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease in elderly men: a 10-year follow-up

Hyperhomocysteinemia is an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic disease in the middle-aged. We investigated whether a high serum homocysteine level is a risk factor for vascular disease in 878 elderly men (mean age at baseline, 71.5 years; range, 64 to 84 years) in a population-based, representative cohort followed up for 10 years in Zutphen, the Netherlands. Thirty-one percent had nonfasting homocysteine levels >/=17 micromol/L. After adjustment for other major risk factors, high homocysteine levels at baseline (the third compared with the first tertile) were associated with an increased baseline prevalence of myocardial infarction (odds ratio [OR], 1.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07 to 3.08; P for trend, 0.03) and with a marginally significant increase in the risk of dying of coronary heart disease (relative risk [RR], 1.58; 95% CI, 0.93 to 2.69; P for trend, 0.09) but not with an increased risk of first-ever myocardial infarction. In addition, high homocysteine levels at baseline were associated with an increased baseline prevalence of stroke (OR, 4.61; 95% CI, 1.79 to 11.89; P for trend, 0.002) and with an increased risk of dying of cerebrovascular disease in subjects without hypertension (RR, 6.18; 95% CI, 2.28 to 16.76) but not in those with hypertension. High homocysteine levels were associated with an increased risk of first-ever stroke among normotensive subjects that was not statistically significant (RR, 1. 77 [95% CI, 0.83 to 3.75; P for trend, 0.14]). In a general population of elderly men, a high homocysteine level is common and is strongly associated with the prevalence of coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease. It is a strong predictive factor for fatal cerebrovascular disease in men without hypertension but less so for coronary heart disease.     

Respiratory symptoms and bronchial responsiveness are related to dietary salt intake and urinary potassium excretion in male children

Six men were accidentally exposed to NO2 when they were changing a propeller using a gas burner in the poorly ventilated hold of a ship. All of them were admitted to hospital with shortness of breath and cough. Chest X-ray on admission revealed diffuse, patchy and infiltrative shadows, leading to the diagnosis of pulmonary edema in all five patients. Steroid therapy was effective and followed by a quick recovery in all patients. None developed third phase manifestations characterized pathologically by bronchiolitis obliterans.     

Serum levels of parathyroid hormone are related to the mortality and severity of illness in patients in the emergency department

Hypocalcaemia is a common finding in intensive care patients. In addition, raised levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH) have been described. The explanation and clinical importance of these findings are yet to be revealed. To investigate the occurrence of hypocalcaemia and elevated PTH levels and their relationship to morality and the severity of disease, serum levels of PTH, ionized calcium (Ca2+) and the cytokines interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) were measured on arrival in the emergency department in a broad spectrum of 140 acutely ill patients patients suffering from common diseases such as stroke, acute abdominal disorders, obstructive lung diseases, heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, trauma and infectious diseases. A score (APACHE II) was calculated to assess the severity of disease. Elevated PTH levels (> 55 pg ml-1) were seen in 16% of the patients, being most frequent in patients with myocardial infarction (28%) and congestive heart failure (42%). The levels were significantly correlated with the APACHE II score (r = 0.48, P < 0.0001) and with the length of stay in hospital (r = 0.26, P < 0.002). PTH was also significantly (P < 0.03) elevated in non-survivors compared with survivors and was found to be a stronger predictor of mortality (P < 0.01) than the APACHE II score (P < 0.02) in Cox's proportional hazard analysis. No close relationships were found between the cytokine levels and the indices of calcium metabolism. In conclusion, a rise in serum levels of PTH was common and related to the severity of disease and mortality in a mixed emergency department population.     

Dietary fat intake and the risk of incident dementia in the Rotterdam Study

OBJECTIVE: To document prospectively variation in penile morphology and clinical findings in children. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study comprised a consecutive sample of 468 boys whose consultation with a physician included a genital examination in a primary-care paediatric practice in rural northern Wisconsin. RESULTS: Circumcised boys under 3 years of age were significantly more likely to have a partially or completely covered glans, a reddened meatus, balanitis, or trapped epithelial debris, and less likely to have a fully exposed glans than were circumcised boys of 3 years or older. Among the 238 boys under 3 years, those circumcised were significantly more likely to have non-cosmetic problems, including coronal adhesions, trapped epithelial debris, a reddened meatus, preputial stenosis (phimosis) and balanitis, than were boys with a foreskin. Findings in the circumcised group under 3 years included: fully exposed glans (n = 78, 35.6%), partially covered glans (n = 67, 30.6%), adhesions (25.6%), completely covered glans (20.1%), entrapped desquamated epithelial debris (24.7%), reddened meatus (19.1%), balanitis (15.5%), and preputial stenosis (0.9%). Only two genital examinations in boys with foreskins revealed pertinent findings. Coronal adhesions develop in circumcised boys at 2-6 months of age and usually resolve by 24 months. The degree of skin covering the glans after neonatal circumcision peaks at 6 months of age. CONCLUSIONS: There are significant variations of appearance in circumcised boys; clinical findings are much more common in these boys than previously reported in retrospective studies. The circumcised penis requires more care than the intact penis during the first 3 years of life. Parents should be instructed to retract and clean any skin covering the glans in circumcised boys, to prevent adhesions forming and debris from accumulating. Penile inflammation (balanitis) may be more common in circumcised boys; preputial stenosis (phimosis) affects circumcised and intact boys with equal frequency. The revision of circumcision for purely cosmetic reasons should be discouraged on both medical and ethical grounds.     

Vitamin nutrition status and homocysteine: an atherogenic risk factor

In an epidemiologic survey, a marginal status of folic acid, vitamin B12, and vitamin B6 was shown to be associated with hyperhomocysteinemia. In a case-control study, a low plasma folate concentration was associated with increased coronary heart disease risk. This phenomenon appears to be mediated by folate's effect on homocysteine metabolism. Both studies offer further perspectives on homocysteine as an atherogenic risk factor.     

Iron intake and the risk of colorectal cancer

Prospectively gathered data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey I and the National Health Evaluation Follow-Up Study were analyzed to evaluate the risk of colorectal cancer due to consumption of iron. Morbidity and mortality data due to colorectal cancer were available on 14,407 persons first interviewed in 1971 and followed through 1986. A total of 194 possible colorectal cancers occurred in this group over the 15-year period. Subsite analysis showed that the risk of colon cancer due to iron intake was elevated throughout the colon for both men and women, with the highest adjusted risks for the interquartile range seen in the proximal colon for females (relative risk, 1.51; 95% confidence interval, 1.41-1.60). The risk of rectal cancer was not significantly elevated for men or women. Elevated serum iron was also associated with increased risk; however, this effect was strongest in the distal (rather than proximal) colon and was significant only among females (adjusted relative risk, 1.73; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-2.92). The mean transferrin saturation was higher among cases than controls (30.7 versus 28.7%), but total iron-binding capacity did not seem to predict the occurrence of colorectal cancer. Proportional hazards models confirmed that the effects of iron and serum iron were not confounded by age, gender, energy consumption, fat intake, or other known risk factors for colorectal cancer. These data suggest that iron may confer an increased risk for colorectal cancer, and that the localization of risk may be attributable to the mode of epithelial exposure. It seems that luminal exposure to iron increases risk proximally, whereas humoral exposure increases risk distally. These differences may be due to such factors as oxidation state, binding proteins and the presence of other cofactors such as bile acids, products of bacterial metabolism.     

Aspects of the self-concept related to level of self-esteem.

Studied aspects of the phenomenal self-concept of 30 male Ss varying in self-esteem, using a numerical self-report approach. 10 Ss were from each of the 3 categories (high, medium, low) of the Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI). Numerical ratings of importance and salience of self-enumerated positive and negative characteristics were used to generate a series of scores. Significant differences were found on an overall self-esteem score, which correlated .59 with scores on the SEI. No significant differences were found on ratings of positive characteristics, while striking differences were noted for negative characteristics. Results suggest that it is how individuals experience negative rather than positive characteristics that plays a determining role in self-esteem. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Caffeine intake in relation to the risk of primary cardiac arrest

We report the case of a patient with a rare miliary variant of osteosarcoma associated with symptomatic hypocalcemia and review the literature regarding the pathogenesis of multifocal osteosarcoma, treatment options, and the associated hypocalcemia.     

Nutrient intake and gastrointestinal disorders related to masticatory performance in the edentulous elderly

The effects of chewing efficiency on nutrient intake and the prevalence of gastrointestinal disorders were determined in edentulous elderly subjects. Three hundred sixty-seven noninstitutionalized individuals aged 60 years and over were interviewed. Denture masticatory performance and the collection of dietary information were assessed with the "Swallowing Threshold Test Index" and a food-frequency questionnaire. Approximately half (47%) of the participants exhibited a low masticatory performance classification. Thirty-nine percent used the same prosthesis for more than 10 years and 28% were taking some medication for gastrointestinal disorders. Lower intakes of fruits and vegetables for both sexes and of vitamin A by women were observed in subjects with poor masticatory performance. Furthermore, subjects with poor masticatory performance took significantly more drugs (37%) than those with superior performance (20%). A reduced consumption of high-fiber foods could therefore induce the development of gastrointestinal disorders in edentulous elderly subjects with a deficient masticatory performance.     

Interrelationships between dietary protein level, energy intake, and nitrogen retention in pregnant gilts

Two experiments were conducted to study the effects of dietary protein levels and DE intake on N retention in pregnant gilts. Thirty-two gilts were used in Exp. 1 to investigate the response to eight levels of dietary CP ranging from 50 to 235 g/kg (3.3 to 14.5 lysine/kg). Gilts were given 1,400 g of feed daily throughout pregnancy; diets contained similar balances of amino acids and similar amounts of DE (3.60 to 3.63 Mcal/kg). Thirty gilts in Exp. 2 were allocated during pregnancy to six levels of feeding ranging from 1.1 to 3.1 kg/d. The common diet given to gilts contained 3.49 Mcal of DE/kg, 155 g of CP/kg, and 10.7 g of lysine/kg and was considered adequate in protein. Nitrogen balance trials were conducted during early, mid-, and late pregnancy and collection periods of 5 d duration commenced on d 30, 58, and 86 in Exp. 1 and d 30, 58, and 93 in Exp. 2. The average live weights of pigs on all treatments within each collection period were similar and were 112.5, 123.3, and 136.6 kg and 120.7, 136.3, and 158.3 kg in Exp. 1 and 2, respectively. At each stage of pregnancy increments of dietary protein increased N retention up to an inflection point, after which N retention remained at a constant level. The maximum rates of N retention, 10.0, 12.1, and 16.5 g/d during early, mid-, and late pregnancy, occurred at 142, 133, and 162 g of CP/kg, respectively; the corresponding dietary lysine:DE values were 2.4, 2.3, and 2.7 g of lysine/Mcal of DE.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Well-done meat intake and the risk of breast cancer

BACKGROUND: Heterocyclic amines, mutagens formed in meats cooked at high temperatures, have been demonstrated as mammary carcinogens in animals. We conducted a nested, case-control study among 41836 cohort members of the Iowa Women's Health Study to evaluate the potential role of heterocyclic amines and intake of well-done meat in the risk for human breast cancer. METHODS: A questionnaire was mailed to individuals in the cohort who had breast cancer diagnosed during the period from 1992 through 1994 and a random sample of cancer-free cohort members to obtain information on usual intake of meats and on meat preparation practices. Color photographs showing various doneness levels of hamburger, beefsteak, and bacon were included. Multivariate analysis was performed on data from 273 case subjects and 657 control subjects who completed the survey. RESULTS: A dose-response relationship was found between doneness levels of meat consumed and breast cancer risk. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for very well-done meat versus rare or medium-done meat were 1.54 (95% confidence interval [CI]=0.96-2.47) for hamburger, 2.21 (95% CI=1.30-3.77) for beef steak, and 1.64 (95% CI=0.92-2.93) for bacon. Women who consumed these three meats consistently very well done had a 4.62 times higher risk (95% CI=1.36-15.70) than that of women who consumed the meats rare or medium done. Risk of breast cancer was also elevated with increasing intake of well-done to very well-done meat. CONCLUSIONS: Consumption of well-done meats and, thus, exposures to heterocyclic amines (or other compounds) formed during high-temperature cooking may play an important role in the risk of breast cancer.     

Industrial accidents are related to relative body weight: the Israeli CORDIS study

OBJECTIVES: The accident rate might be influenced by intrinsic characteristics of the workers, by risks inherent in the work environment, or a combination of these factors. As increased weight may be associated with sleep disturbances and fatigue, a high body mass index (BMI) might be an independent risk factor for accidents in industrial workers. METHODS: 3801 men were examined and followed up for two years for the occurrence of accidents. The objective environmental conditions were recorded and translated into a single score of ergonomic stress levels. Height and weight were recorded, as were possible confounding factors including measures of fatigue, type A personality, total night time sleep, job satisfaction, somatic complaints, smoking, and education levels. RESULTS: Both BMI and ergonomic stress levels independently predicted involvement in accidents (two or more) with those in the highest BMI quartile who worked in an environment with high ergonomic stress levels having a 4-6 times increased risk of accidents compared with those in the lowest BMI quartile who worked in an environment with low ergonomic stress levels (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 2.4-9.0, P < 0.001). Although increasing somatic complaints and a low educational level also were predictors of accidents, they did not mediate the effect of the BMI on the accident rate. Increasing age, less smoking, and decreased sleep hours were significantly associated with an increased BMI, but the association of BMI and involvement in accidents also could not be explained by those factors or the other confounders. CONCLUSIONS: BMI independently influences the accident rate. Further studies warranted to confirm these findings and to explore mechanisms supporting biological plausibility.     

Starch intake and colorectal cancer risk: an international comparison

Intakes of starch, non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs), protein and fat have been compared with colorectal cancer incidence in 12 populations worldwide. There were strong inverse associations between starch consumption and large bowel cancer incidence (large bowel r = -0.70, colon r = -0.76). There was no significant relation with NSPs, although the association with large bowel cancer incidence was still significant when NSP was combined with resistant starch (RS) to give an estimate of fermentable carbohydrate (large bowel r = -0.52, colon r = -0.60). The relationships between starch, RS and NSPs and cancer incidence remained statistically significant after adjusting for fat and protein intakes. The strong inverse associations found here suggest a potentially important role for starch in protection against colorectal cancer and correspond with the hypothesis that fermentation in the colon is the mechanism for preventing colorectal cancer. Measures of both starch and NSPs need to be included in future epidemiological studies of diet and bowel cancer.     

High plasma homocysteine: a risk factor for vascular disease in the elderly

Homocysteine is an intermediate compound formed during the metabolism of methionine. Several studies have shown that plasma homocysteine concentrations rise with age. Overt or borderline deficiencies of folate, vitamin B12 or B6 and possibly age-related kidney dysfunction are the major causes of homocysteine elevation in the elderly population. Multiple case-control and prospective studies have shown that a high plasma homocysteine concentration is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases; this association persists in the elderly. Supplementation with folic acid either alone or with vitamins B12 and B6 can lower plasma homocysteine. Intervention studies to assess the effects (if any) of such treatment on prognosis are now in progress in patients with vascular disease.     

Dietary calcium, protein, and phosphorus are related to bone mineral density and content in young women

In aggressive interactions, animals often use a discrete set of signals, while the properties being signalled are likely to be continuous, for example fighting ability or value of victory. Here we investigate a particular model of fighting that allows for conventional signalling of subjective resource value to occur. Perfect signalling and no signalling are not evolutionarily stable strategies (ESSs) in the model. Instead, we find ESSs in which partial information is communicated, with discrete displays signalling a range of values rather than a precise one. The result also indicates that communication should be more precise in conflicts over small resources. Signalling strategies can exist in fighting because of the common interest in avoiding injuries, but communication is likely to be limited because of the fundamental conflict over the resource. Our results reflect a compromise between these two factors. Data allowing for a thorough test of the model are lacking; however, existing data seem consistent with the obtained theoretical results. Copyright 1998 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.     

Microalbuminuria is strongly associated with NIDDM and hypertension, but not with the insulin resistance syndrome: the Hoorn Study

Microalbuminuria is a strong predictor of cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to investigate whether microalbuminuria is part of a cluster of risk factors, the insulin resistance syndrome (IRS), or whether it is only associated with, and presumably a complication of, hypertension and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). An age-, sex- and glucose tolerance-stratified random sample from a 50-75 year old general population (n = 622) was investigated. The urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio was measured in an early morning spot urine sample. Microalbuminuria was defined as an albumin-to-creatinine ratio greater than 2.0 mg/ mmol. We considered, as IRS-related variables, fasting hyperinsulinaemia, insulin resistance (IR; calculated from the formula of the homeostasis model assessment), dyslipidaemia, glucose intolerance, hypertension and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Dyslipidaemia was defined as levels of HDL-cholesterol in the lowest and/or levels of triglyceride in the highest tertile. Fasting insulin levels, IR and WHR were divided into tertiles; the highest tertiles were compared to the lowest tertiles. Age-, sex- and glucose tolerance-adjusted analyses showed microalbuminuria to be significantly associated with hypertension, NIDDM and WHR. In multiple logistic regression analyses, microalbuminuria showed independent associations with hypertension, NIDDM and WHR, with odds ratios (ORs [95% confidence interval]) of 3.33 (1.86-5.96), 2.26 (1.14-4.48) and 2.49 (1.09-5.70), respectively. No associations were found with impaired glucose tolerance, hyperinsulinaemia, IR or dyslipidaemia. Multiple logistic regression analyses in diabetic and non-diabetic subjects separately showed that microalbuminuria was independently associated only with hypertension (ORs 4.31 and 2.69). In this Caucasian population, microalbuminuria was associated with hypertension, NIDDM and WHR and not with other variables of the IRS. It is therefore likely that microalbuminuria is a complication of hypertension and NIDDM, and not an integral part of the IRS.     

Serum selenium contents and the risk of cancer

To investigate the relationship between serum Se contents and the risk of cancer, 4857 serum samples were obtained from cancerous (2730) and non-cancerous patients (2127). In this cohort, the incidence of cancer in the non-cancerous patients was followed for the subsequent 3 years. The serum Se level of non-cancerous patients who later developed cancer during the 3 years was determined and compared with that of the non-cancerous patients. A high incidence of cancer was observed in the lower serum Se patients of the non-cancerous group. The serum Se levels of cancerous patients were significantly lower than in non-cancerous patients. These results suggest that the low serum Se level in cancerous patients may not be induced by the tumor but it was more likely already present before the tumor. To calculate the odds ratio, cancerous and non-cancerous patients were divided into group of less than 110 ppb and more than 111 ppb group in serum Se. The odds ratio was estimated to be 1.95, suggesting the high risk of cancer in the low serum Se group.