Development of Dietary Patterns Spanning Infancy and Toddlerhood: Relation to Body Size,Composition and Metabolic Risk Markers at Three Years

Little is known about the development of dietary patterns during toddlerhood and the relation to growth and health. The study objective was to characterise the development of dietary patterns from 9–36 mo of age and investigate the association to body size, body composition and metabolic risk markers at 36 mo. Food records were filled out at 9, 18 and 36 mo of age (n = 229). Dietary patterns were identified by principal component analysis (PCA). Three dietary patterns were identified: Transition Food, Healthy Food and Traditional Food. The course of development in dietary patterns from 9–36 mo indicated tracking for a relatively large group of participants in the three patterns. Transition Food and Healthy Food were associated with some of the investigated outcomes. Children with lower adherence to the Transition Food pattern than average at 18 and 36 mo irrespectively of intake at 9 mo had higher BMI z-scores at 36 mo. Similar trend was identified for higher fat mass indices. Children with lower adherence to the Healthy Food pattern than average at all three ages compared to children with higher adherence to the Healthy Food pattern at the first two registrations, 9 and 18 mo had higher total cholesterol and LDL. Hence, this could represent undesirable development of dietary patterns in toddlers. In conclusion, development of dietary patterns can be exploratory characterised by PCA and related to potential cardiovascular risk markers in toddlers even within a relatively homogeneous population with a high socioeconomic status. The tracking of dietary patterns from 9 mo of age indicates a need for early and sustained promotion of healthy diets.     

运动障碍疾病与脑内金属铜、铁、钙沉积

在过去的20年,金属及其代谢过程对神经疾病的影响引起了神经科学家的极大兴趣。近年来大量文献报道,铁、铜、锰和锌作为重要的神经化学因子与目的蛋白相互作用导致了与疾病病理生理密切相关的反应。     

Increased hexosaminidase activity in antipsychotic-induced extrapyramidal side effects: possible association with higher occurrence in bipolar disorder patients

Dystonic movements and Parkinsonism are frequently seen in gangliosidoses and these conditions have been reported to modify dopaminergic plasticity. We investigated whether the activity of hexosaminidase, a type-two ganglioside (GM2) degrading enzyme, correlates with drug-induced extrapyramidal system (EPS) side effects in psychiatric patients. We compared hexosaminidase activity in the lymphocytes of 29 EPS-positive patients, 13 EPS-negative patients, and 30 healthy volunteers. The activities of A and B isoforms of hexosaminidase were higher in EPS-positive patients than EPS-negative patients and healthy controls. Multivariate analysis suggested an interaction with increased B isoform activity and EPS side effects in female bipolar disorder patients. Higher levels of hexosaminidase enzyme activity may explain the frequent occurrence of antipsychotic-induced extrapyramidal side effects in mood disorder patients.     

Initial Management of Burns

Burns is a preventable tragedy, which is unfortunately still common in India. The possibility of disfigurement, death and emotional trauma as a result of burns is a shattering experience to the victim as well as his/her family. Proper initial management can salvage many such unfortunate victims. Burns patients require close monitoring, barrier nursing and sympathetic attitude of medical and paramedical staff in a burns ICU to have a reasonable chance of survival.Key Words: Burns, Inhalation injury, Resuscitation, Wound management     

High-resolution real-time ultrasonography of thyroid nodules

High-resolution real-time ultrasonography was used to evaluate 98 patients with palpable abnormalities of the thyroid and positive isotopic studies. It confirmed 37 of 73 (51%) suspected solitary nodules. Of 25 patients thought to have multinodular goiter, sonography was supportive in 21 (84%). In patients with adenoma or adenomatous nodules, characteristic features included a sonolucent "halo". Colloid nodules tended to be more sonolucent than normal thyroid tissue, whereas Hashimoto thyroiditis was characterized by an enlarged gland and decreased echogenicity.     

Organization, expression and polymorphism of the human persyn gene

Persyn is a recently identified member of the synuclein family with a distinct pattern of expression during pre- and postnatal development of the mouse peripheral and central nervous systems. As with other synucleins, persyn is believed to be involved in the pathogenesis of human neurodegenerative diseases. However, in contrast to other synucleins, high levels of persyn mRNA expression were also found in advanced breast carcinomas, suggesting an involvement of the encoded protein in breast tumour progression. Here we have used an antibody specific to human persyn to demonstrate that the level of this protein is increased in ageing cerebral cortex and in breast tumours. We cloned, characterized and sequenced the human persyn genomic locus and localized it to the long arm of chromosome 10 in the q23.2-q23.3 region. Sequence information was used to search for specific mutations in the protein coding regions of persyn mRNA and the persyn gene in breast tumours and tumour cell lines. No tumour-specific mutations were found, but two linked polymorphisms in the coding region were detected, both in mRNA and exons III and IV of the gene. These results suggest that development of breast tumours correlates with overexpression of the wild-type persyn protein. Detailed characterization of the human persyn locus is important for further studies of the involvement of persyn in neurodegeneration and malignancy.      

Adrenal abscess in the neonate

Adrenal abscess in the neonate is a rare complication of adrenal hemorrhage. The radiographic and clinical findings of 12 previously published cases and two new cases of adrenal abscess in the newborn are presented. Sonography was the most helpful examination in distinguishing a suprarenal lesion from an intrarenal lesion and in demonstrating the morphology of the abscess.     

Human leukocyte cathepsin G and elastase specifically suppress thrombin- induced prostacyclin production in human endothelial cells

Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) when activated release products that can potentially injure endothelial cells or alter endothelial function. Exposure of cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells to cathepsin G and elastase isolated from human PMN at concentrations reached in vivo (100 ng/mL to 10 micrograms/mL) selectively inhibited thrombin-induced prostacyclin production and the thrombin-induced rise in cytosolic free calcium ([Ca++]i) concentration. These proteases also blocked thrombin-induced release of arachidonic acid from prelabeled endothelial cells (EC). In contrast, induction of prostacyclin (PGI2) production by arachidonate, histamine, or the calcium ionophore A23187 was not altered by treatment of EC with these proteases. The effects of the proteases were concentration-dependent, were blocked by serum or serum protease inhibitors, and were reversed when the endothelial cells were further cultured for 24 hours in the absence of the proteases. Elastase, but not cathepsin G, also produced detachment of endothelial cells. Thus, the major leukocyte proteases selectively suppress thrombin-induced prostacyclin production by human vascular endothelial cells and may alter the hemostatic balance at sites of PMN activation.