Body mass index,waist-to-hip ratio and waist/height in adult population from Backa and Banat – the Republic of Serbia

Abstract

Background: Nutritional status is vital in the assessment of physical fitness and health status of populations.

Aim: This study aimed to describe relationships between BMI, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and waist/height (W/Ht) and factors such as education, residence, origin and ethnic belonging among adults in Backa and Banat.

Subjects and methods: The study was conducted in 47 villages in the north of Serbia. The tested group consisted of 4247 individuals, aged 20+.

Results: The problem of overweight and obesity was more common among men (66%) than women (49.71%). In the group with normal BMI, the majority of men and women were characterized by normal WHR and W/Ht values, but among them there were also groups with incorrect WHR (males ≥?0.95, females ≥?0.8) and W/Ht (≥?0.5). Socio-demographic factors had a little impact on BMI, WHR and W/Ht in men in certain age groups while their impact was higher in women. These factors, especially education and origin, had a significant impact on nutritional status in young and middle-aged women, whereas they were not significant in older female participants (>?60).

Conclusion: Despite the fact that this part of the country has undergone intensive social changes since the last decade of 20th century, the nutritional status of the population has not significantly changed.     

VMAT2 gene expression and function as it applies to imaging β-cell mass

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia. The two main forms of the disease are distinguished by different pathogenesis, natural histories, and population distributions and indicated as either type 1 (T1DM) or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). It is well established that T1DM is an autoimmune disease whereby beta-cells of pancreatic islets are destroyed leading to loss of endogenous insulin production. Albeit less dramatic, beta-cell mass (BCM) also drops in T2DM. Therefore, it is realistic to expect that noninvasive measures of BCM might provide useful information in the diabetes-care field. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that BCM measurements by positron emission tomography scanning, using the vesicular monoamine transporter type 2 (VMAT2) as a tissue-specific surrogate marker of insulin production and [11C] Dihydrotetrabenazine (DTBZ) as the radioligand specific for this molecule, is feasible in animal models. Unfortunately, the mechanisms underlying beta-cell-specific expression of VMAT2 are still largely unexplored, and a much better understanding of the regulation of VMAT2 gene expression and of its function in beta-cells will be required before the full utility of this technique in the prediction and treatment of individuals with diabetes can be understood. In this review, we summarize much of what is understood about the regulation of VMAT2 and identify questions whose answers may help in understanding what measurements of VMAT2 density mean in the context of diabetes.     

LH/HCG as a monthly injectable contraceptive?

Dear Sir, We read with interest the article by Loumaye et al. (2003) inwhich the authors conclude that recombinant LH (rLH) administeredduring the     

Antibiotics may act as growth/obesity promoters in humans as an inadvertent result of antibiotic pollution?

The growth promoting effects of antibiotics were first discovered in the 1940s. Since then, many antimicrobials have been found to improve average daily weight gain and feed efficiency. The total production of antibiotics can be estimated between 100,000-200,000 tons annually and the human population is being influenced, directly or indirectly (from the environment) by this amount of drug. The twentieth-century increase in human height and the obesity of the population is roughly observed since the mass consumption of antibiotics 40-50 years ago. The association between antibiotic consumption and the increase of human growth/obesity is suspected.     

Secular change in height,sitting height and leg length in rural Oaxaca,southern Mexico: 1968–2000

Objective: To evaluate secular changes in height, sitting height and estimated leg length between 1968 and 2000 in residents in a rural Zapotec-speaking community in Oaxaca, southern Mexico.

Materials and methods: Height and sitting height were measured in school children 6–13 years (1968, 1978, 2000), in adolescents 13–17 years (1978, 2002) and adults 19–29 years (1978, 2000). Leg length was estimated as height minus sitting height. The sitting height/height ratio was calculated. Subjects were grouped by sex into four age categories: 6–9, 10–13, 13–17 and 19–29 years for analysis. The Preece–Baines Model I growth curve was fitted to cross-sectional means for 1978 and 2000.

Results: There were no differences between children 6–9 and 10–13 years in 1968 and 1978 with the exception of the sitting height ratio in girls 6–9 years. Children of both sexes 6–13 years and adolescent boys 13–17 years were significantly larger in the three dimensions in 2000 compared to 1978; adolescent girls differed only in height and sitting height. Adult males in 2000 were significantly taller with longer legs than those in 1978, but the samples did not differ in sitting height and the ratio. Adult females in 1978 and 2000 did not differ significantly in the three dimensions. Rates of secular change in height and sitting height between 1978 and 2000 were reasonably similar in the three age groups of male children and adolescents, but the rate for estimated leg length was highest in 10–13-year-old boys. Secular gains were smaller in adult males, but were proportionally greater in estimated leg length. Girls 6–9 and 10–13 years experienced greater secular gains in height, sitting height and estimated leg length than adolescent and young adult females, while secular gains and rates decreased from adolescent girls to young adult women. Ages of peak velocity for height, sitting height and estimated leg length declined in boys, while only ages of peak velocity for height and estimated leg length declined in girls.

Conclusions: There are major secular increases in height, sitting height and estimated leg length of children and adolescents of both sexes since 1978. Secular gains in height are of similar magnitude in boys and girls 6–13 years, but are greater in adolescent and young adult males than females. The secular increase in height of young adults of both sexes is smaller than that among adolescents. Estimated leg length accounts for about 60% of the secular increase in height in children of both sexes. Estimated leg length and sitting height contribute equally to the secular increase in height in adolescent boys, whereas estimated leg length accounts for about 70% of the secular increase in height in young adult males. Sitting height contributes about two-thirds of the secular increase in height in adolescent and young adult females.     

Two-partner secretion: as simple as it sounds?

The two-partner secretion (TPS) pathway is a branch of type V secretion. TPS systems are dedicated to the secretion across the outer membrane of long proteins that form extended β-helices. They are composed of a ‘TpsA’ cargo protein and a ‘TpsB’ transporter, which belongs to the Omp85 superfamily. This basic design can be supplemented by additional components in some TPS systems. X-ray structures are available for the conserved TPS domain of several TpsA proteins and for one TpsB transporter. However, the molecular mechanisms of two-partner secretion remain to be deciphered, and in particular, the specific role(s) of the TPS domain and the conformational dynamics of the TpsB transporter. Deciphering the TPS pathway may reveal functional features of other transporters of the Omp85 superfamily.     

Development of a stigmatic mass microscope using laser desorption∕ionization and a multi-turn time-of-flight mass spectrometer

A novel stigmatic mass microscope using laser desorption∕ionization and a multi-turn time-of-flight mass spectrometer, MULTUM-IMG, has been developed. Stigmatic ion images of crystal violet masked by a fine square mesh grid with a 12.7 μm pitch as well as microdot patterns with a 5 μm dot diameter and a 10 μm pitch made with rhodamine B were clearly observed. The estimated spatial resolution was about 3 μm in the linear mode with a 20-fold ion optical magnification. Separating stigmatic ion images according to the time-of-flight, i.e., the mass-to-charge ratio of the ions was successfully demonstrated by a microdot pattern made with two different dyes, crystal violet and methylene blue. Stigmatic ion images of a microdot pattern made with crystal violet were observed after circulation in MULTUM-IMG, and the pattern of the ion image was maintained after ten cycles in MULTUM-IMG. A section of a mouse brain stained with crystal violet and methylene blue was observed in the linear mode, and the stigmatic total ion image of crystal violet and methylene blue agreed well with the optical microphotograph of the hippocampus for the same section.     

Estrogen receptor α gene relationship with peak bone mass and body mass index in Chinese nuclear families

Estrogen receptor alpha (ER-) plays an important role in mediating estrogen signaling. Studies in Caucasian populations have shown that it is involved in endocrine-related diseases such as osteoporosis and obesity. In the present study, we first used a quantitative transmission disequilibrium test (QTDT) to examine the relationship between this gene and both the osteoporosis-related phenotype bone mineral density (BMD), and the obesity-related phenotype body mass index (BMI), in 384 Chinese nuclear families. We genotyped a dinucleotide repeat marker (TA)_n, and a long-range haplotype was reconstructed using this marker and two other restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) markers at PvuII and XbaI loci. Although we found significant total association [allele (TA)₂₁ with hip BMD (P=0.001), and haplotype Px(TA)₂₁ with spine (P=0.0007) and hip (P=0.0006) BMD], the more reliable within-family associations were not significant between these phenotype pairs. No linkage signal was obtained for either spine BMD or hip BMD. We found no association or linkage between any of the three studied polymorphisms and the long-range haplotypes of the ER- gene and BMI. Our study does not support an association of the ER- gene with BMD and BMI in the Chinese population.     

Genetic health messages in the mass media: Do the general public perceive non‐personalized genetic health message as personally relevant?

Objectives . Although health messages communicating the role of genetics in health and disease development are increasingly prevalent in our society, no research has examined whether the general public perceives such messages as believable or personally relevant. We examined whether the general public accepted genetic health messages and viewed them personally relevant in promoting their preventive behaviour. Design . Experimental pre‐test–post‐test measurement design was employed to contrast the information acceptance and perceived personal relevance of the genetic health message with a general health message. Methods . We presented a randomly selected group of Dutch participants (N=1,319) with either a health message about the genetic risk factors for salt sensitivity or with a general health message about salt sensitivity without reference to genetic risk factors. Risk perception and intention to restrict salt intake was assessed before and after participants read the messages while information acceptance and perceived personal relevance was only assessed post‐test. Results . Although we observed no effects of health message type on information processing, previously aware participants perceived the genetic health message as less personally relevant compared to the general health message. This difference in personal relevance resulted in lower estimates of susceptibility and a lower intention to engage in preventive behaviour among previously unaware participants. Conclusions . Genetic health messages in the mass media may not be effective in promoting (intentions to engage in) preventive behaviour due to their low perceived personal relevance by the public. Hence, identifying strategies to increase personal relevance for genetic education is needed.     

Platelet-rich fibrin as a material for alveolar ridge preservation significantly reduces the resorption of alveolar bone height and width after tooth extraction: A meta-analysis北大核心

OBJECTIVE: At present, platelet-rich fibrin is widely used in site retention after tooth extraction, but the effect of platelet-rich fibrin in alveolar ridge preservation is not very clear compared with other materials. This study evaluated the effect of applied platelet-rich fibrin in the preservation of alveolar ridge after tooth extraction to provide theoretical basis for clinical application of platelet-rich fibrin to reduce alveolar bone resorption. METHODS: Up to June 2020, all clinical randomized controlled studies on platelet-rich fibrin for alveolar ridge preservation, including platelet-rich fibrin alone and platelet-rich fibrin combined with heterogeneous bone, were collected by using The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of science core set, EMbase, CNKI, and Wanfang databases. Two researchers extracted data from the retrieved documents and used Cochrane bias risk assessment tools to evaluate the bias risk included in the study. RevMan 5.3 software was used for meta-analysis. RESULTS: (1) Totally 159 articles were retrieved, and 11 randomized controlled trials were finally included, involving 531 patients and 575 implants. (2) The results of meta-analysis showed that the difference in the height absorption of tooth alveolar bone was not statistically significant when platelet-rich fibrin was applied alone (SMD=-0.38, 95%CI:-0.83 to-0.06, P > 0.05). There were significant differences between platelet-rich fibrin composite heterogeneous bone and simple xenogeneic bone in alveolar bone resorption height (3 months: SMD=-1.40, 95%CI:-1.79 to-1.01, P < 0.05; 6 months: SMD=-1.37, 95%CI:-1.68 to-1.06, P < 0.05), alveolar bone resorption width at 3 and 6 months after tooth extraction (SMD=-0.18, 95%CI:-0.25 to-0.11, P < 0.05), and mouth mucosa healing rate at 2 weeks after tooth extraction (SMD=9.90, 95%CI:8.61-11.19, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Applying platelet-rich fibrin composite heterogeneous bone after tooth extraction can remarkably reduce the resorption of alveolar bone both in height and width and accelerate soft tissue healing. Because of the small sample size included in the study, clinical studies with a large sample size are needed to verify the above conclusions. © 2022, Publishing House of Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research. All rights reserved.     

Parallel minisequencing followed by multiplex matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry assay for β-thalassemia mutations

-thalassemia is a common monogenic disease caused by mutations in the human -globin gene (HBB), many of which are differentially represented in human subpopulations stratified by ethnicity. This study describes an efficient and highly accurate method to screen for the eight most-common disease-causing mutations, covering more than 98% of HBB alleles in the Taiwanese population, using parallel minisequencing and multiplex assay by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). The MALDI-TOF MS was optimized for sensitivity and resolution by mass tuning the PinPoint assay for eight HBB SNPs. Because of the close proximity and clustering of mutations in HBB, primer extension reactions were conducted in parallel. Efficient sequential desalting using POROS and cationic exchange chromatography allowed for an unambiguous multiplex genotyping by MALDI-TOF MS. The embellishing SNP assay allowed for highly accurate identification of the eight most-common -thalassemia mutations in homozygous normal control, carrier, and eight heterozygous carrier mixtures, as well as the diagnosis of a high-risk family. The results demonstrated a flexible strategy for rapid identification of clustering SNPs in HBB with a high degree of accuracy and specificity. It can be adapted easily for high-throughput diagnosis of various hereditary diseases or to establish family heritage databases for clinical applications.     

Marijuana as medicine?

Recent laws in California and Arizona allow doctors to legally recommend marijuana for the pain and discomfort associated with AIDS and other serious illnesses. Federal authorities continue to oppose this legislation, and promise to prosecute physicians who recommend or prescribe the drug. A 1990 survey of cancer specialists showed that 54 percent were in favor of the law, and 44 percent had already broken the law by recommending marijuana to their patients.     

Bosutinib Acts as a Tumor Inhibitor via Downregulating Src/NF-κB/Survivin Expression in HeLa Cells

Efforts have been made to find effective medical drugs for cervical cancer treatment. The incidence of cervical cancer ranks second among women, and is a serious threat to women's health. Aberrant activation of the nonreceptor protein tyrosine kinases such as Src is commonly observed in progressive stages of human tumors. Thus, targeting Src kinase could be a promising strategy for cervical cancer therapy. In this study, we explored the potential utility of bosutinib in the treatment of cervical cancer. We found that bosutinib, as a potent dual Src/Abl inhibitor, could exert anti-tumor effects on cervical cancer. Bosutinib inhibited cervical cancer cells proliferation and colony formation ability in a dose-dependent manner, and also induced apoptosis. Mechanistically, bosutinib effectively decreased the activity of Src/NF-κB/survivin signaling pathway. Our study provided a biological rationale to test bosutinib as a valuable therapeutic option for cervical cancer patients. Anat Rec, 302:2193–2200, 2019. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy     

Characterization of bifunctional sphingolipid Δ4-desaturases/C4-hydroxylases of trypanosomatids by liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

Six genes encoding putative sphingolipid desaturases have been identified in trypanosomatid genomes: one in Trypanosoma brucei (TbSLdes protein), one in Trypanosoma cruzi (TcSLdes) and four in Leishmania major (LmSLdes1-4), tandemly arrayed on chromosome 26. The six amino acid sequences showed the three characteristic histidine boxes, with a long spacer between the first and second box, as in fungal desaturases and bifunctional desaturases/hydroxylases, to which they are phylogenetically related. We functionally characterized the trypanosomatid enzymes by their expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae sur2Δ mutant, which lacks C4-hydroxylase activity. The sphingoid base profile (dinitrophenyl derivatives) of each yeast mutant transformed with each one of the different parasite genes was analyzed by HPLC, using a sur2Δ mutant expressing the Schyzosaccharomyces pombe sphingolipid desaturase (SpSLdes) as positive control. TbSLdes was capable of desaturating endogenous sphingolipids at levels comparable to those found in SpSLdes. By contrast, L. major and T. cruzi enzymes showed either no or negligible activities. Using the HPLC system coupled to electrospray tandem quadrupole/time of flight mass spectrometry we were able to detect significant levels of desaturated and hydroxylated sphingoid bases in extracts of all transformed yeast mutants, except for those transformed with the empty vector. These results indicate that S. pombe, T. brucei, T. cruzi and L. major enzymes are all bifunctional. Using the same methodology, desaturated and hydroxylated sphingoid bases were detected in T. cruzi epimastigotes and L. major promastigote cells, as described previously, and in T. brucei procyclic and bloodstream forms for the first time.