Western-designed total knee implants mismatch Saudi patient knees: Anatomical bony measurements documented by computed tomography

Objectives:To determine the anthropometric features of Saudi knees compared with knees of other ethnicities and reveal mismatches among different knee implant systems.Methods:All knee computed tomography images obtained between January 2016 and September 2016 for varying medical reasons in a tertiary care hospital in Southwestern Saudi Arabia were retrospectively evaluated. Patients aged <18 years, with trauma or soft tissue or bone tumors were excluded. Eleven parameters were measured for each knee joint.Results:We evaluated 100 knees of 50 Saudi patients (25 men, 25 women) aged 28-85 (mean, 57.3) years. No statistically significant differences were found in age and Sasaki angle measurements between male and female patients. All other parameters were significantly larger in male than female knees. Our measurements were close to those published for Chinese, Thai, and Korean patients; however, published measurements were larger for Caucasian and Indian knees than our measurements.Conclusion:The Saudi population has morphological features of knee bone anatomy that do not match with the widely available prostheses designed for Caucasian knees. As several studies of different ethnicities have documented considerable prosthesis mismatch; our study further indicates the need for new implant designs that take these variations into account.     

东亚群体中高血压6WAS阳性9个SNP在中国傣族及蒙古族群体中的验证研究

目的为了验证GwAs研究发现的3个高血压一个基因的相关性。方法本研究选取了3个在东亚群体中被GWAS研究证实了与高血压发生相关的基因（AKAP13,ENPEP和CNNM2）上的9个SNP,在傣族和蒙古族群体中进行验证。对这9个SNPs用SNaPshot的方法在774例傣族群体和409例蒙古族群体中进行了分型,排布单倍型并进行了统计学分析。结果发现统计学上无法证明这9个SNPs与高血压相关。但是在ENPEP基因的一连锁区段中,rs1126483在傣族群体中呈现与收缩压升高弱阳性关联（χ2=4．53,P=0.033）。同时rs3796889在蒙古族群体中也与收缩压的升高呈现弱阳性关联（χ2=4．35,P=0．037）。虽然这一阳性在进行统计学矫正后消失。结论本研究同时在起源不同,生活环境均差异较大的两个群体中均观察到ENPEP基因这一区段与高血压的关联,这也许暗示了此基因确实可能与。高血压发生相关。另一方面本研究的阴性结果,也暗示了中国一些相对封闭的群体可能具有更窄的高血压遗传变异谱。     

Ethnic differences in stress among residents in a deprived neighbourhood in Denmark

The present research aimed to explore how stress varies by socio-demographic characteristics among immigrants compared to the host population in a deprived neighbourhood. Data used in the analyses were collected through questionnaires from 1160 inhabitants in Esbjerg, Denmark. Logistic regression analyses were conducted separately for ethnic Danes and immigrants to examine the stress' association with gender, age, education, marital status, economic situation, social deprivation, unemployment, sick leave and loneliness. Although stress frequency was higher among immigrants than ethnic Danes, stress was significantly associated only with gender among immigrants and with all variables but gender and marital status among ethnic Danes. The association of stress with socio-demographic characteristics shows a different pattern between immigrants and the host population residents in a deprived neighbourhood. Socio-demographic characteristics by themselves cannot explain significant differences in stress levels between people. Specific circumstances in people's life may change the experience's meaning and eventually health outcomes.     

Risk factors for renal disease in systemic lupus erythematosus and their clinical implications

Lupus nephritis is one of the most common severe manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Genetic, ethnic and hormonal factors may influence the presence and severity of renal involvement and therefore affect the outcome and overall prognosis of patients. In this review, we will discuss the association of known lupus risk factors in developing renal disease and explore the recent literature to identify potential risk factors and their clinical implications in terms of diagnostic vigilance, management and prognosis.     

Inflammatory bowel disease in Asia: a systematic review

The incidence and prevalence of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are lower in Asia than in the West. However, across Asia the incidence and prevalence of IBD has increased rapidly over the last two to four decades. These changes may relate to increased contact with the West, westernization of diet, increasing antibiotics use, improved hygiene, vaccinations, or changes in the gut microbiota. Genetic factors also differ between Asians and the Caucasians. In Asia, UC is more prevalent than CD, although CD incidence is rapidly increasing in certain areas. There is a male predominance of CD in Asia, but a trend towards equal sex distribution for UC. IBD is diagnosed at a slightly older age than in the West, and there is rarely a second incidence peak as in the West. A positive family history is much less common than in the West, as are extra-intestinal disease manifestations. There are clear ethnic differences in incidence within countries in Asia, and an increased incidence in IBD in migrants from Asia to the West. Research in Asia, an area of rapidly changing IBD epidemiology, may lead to the discovery of critical etiologic factors that lead to the development of IBD.