Dimensions of perfectionism and suicide ideation

Two studies were conducted to examine the relation between dimensions of perfectionsim and suicide ideation: whether perfectionism is important in suicide ideation when considered in the context of other predictors of suicide (i.e., depression, hopelessness), and whether perfectionism moderates the association between life stress and suicide ideation. Samples of 91 psychiatric patients (Study 1) and 160 college students (Study 2) completed the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, the Hopelessness Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Scale For Suicide Ideation. The subjects in Study 2 also completed a measure of negative life stress. Overall, the results confirmed that self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism are associated with greater suicide ideation. Moreover, these two perfectionism dimensions contributed uniquely to the discrimination of suicide groups and both moderated the link between life stress and suicide ideation. The findings are discussed in terms of their practical and theoretical implications. This research was supported by grant 410-91-1690 from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada as well as by a grant from the Research and Program Evaluation Committee, Brockville Psychiatric Hospital. An earlier version of this paper was presented at a symposium on perfectionism at the annual meeting of the Canadian Psychological Association, Quebec City, June 1992. The authors wish to thank Barbara Calvert, Marjorie Cousins, Mary Kronenwald, and Lois Ritchie for their assistance and Norman Endler, Ron Norton, Rick Ingram, and two reviewers for their comments and suggestions.     

Specificity of cytotoxic effector cells directed against trinitrobenzene sulfonate-modified syngeneic cells. Failure to recognize cell surface- bound trinitrophenyl dextran

Mouse splenic lymphocytes and lymphoid tumor cells were modified with the trinitrophenyl (TNP) group either by treatment with trinitrobenzene sulfonate (TNBS) (which covalently modifies cell surface proteins) or with TNP stearoyl dextran (TSD) (which binds to the cell by noncovalent forces). These cell preparations were compared for their ability to: (a) sensitive syngeneic splenic lymphocytes leading to the generation of cytotoxic effector cells; (b) serve as lysable targets in a 4-h(51)Cr- release assay for effector cells generated in (a); and (c) act as blocking cells in the lysis of TNBS-medified targets lysed by TNP self effector cells generated in (a). In none of these three experimental systems did TSD-medified syngeneic spleen or H-2-matched tumor cells act either as a sensitizing immunogen or as a target antigen, despite the demonstration that quantitatively equivalent mounts of TNP were exposed on the cell surface in the TNBS- and TSD-modified cells. In contrast, TNBS-modified spleen cells sensitized syngeneic lymphocytes to generate effectors against TNBS-modified syageneic targets. Furthermore, TNBS- modified, H-2-matched cells served as specific lysable targets and as inhibiting cells for such effectors. These results indicate that the manner in which TNP is associated with the cell surface is important in the immunogenicity and antigenicity of hapten-modified syngeneic stimulating cells in generating H-2-associated cell-mediated lympholysis (CML) reactions. These findings raise the possibility that a covalent or at least a stable linkage with cell surface proteins (possibly H-2- controlled products) is important for immunological function. Furthermore, these observations do not favor the dual receptor model for H-2-restricted syngeneic CML if it is assumed in such a model that one receptor is specific for the TNP moiety and the second for unmodified self major histocompatibility products.     

Transmission of human T-lymphotropic virus type I by blood components from a donor lacking anti-p24: a case report. The Transfusion Safety Study Group

The present criteria for confirmation of human T-lymphotrophic virus types I and II (HTLV-I/II) infection in blood donors are based on seroreactivity to p24 (gag) and gp46 and/or gp61 (env) on Western blot (WB) and radioimmunoprecipitation assays (WB/RIPA). Any single band and other combinations are classified as indeterminate. This case report documents infection in a donor with a repeatedly indeterminate pattern. The blood donor was anti-HTLV-I/II positive on enzyme-linked immunoassay, and two sera taken 5 years apart were WB/RIPA-indeterminate (p19 and gp68 only). His donations in the interval were associated with transmission of HTLV-I to four of the six recipients available for study. Other recipients of blood from donors whose WB/RIPA results were indeterminate by present criteria should be examined to determine if additional patterns are at least occasionally associated with transmission. The likelihood that such donors are infected is important to those who are counseling them and making decisions concerning recipients of their bloody.     

Clinical features of chromosome 22q11.2 microdeletion syndrome in 208 Chilean patients

Patients with chromosome 22q11 deletion syndrome exhibit significant phenotypic variability. Epidemiologic data suggest a higher incidence in Hispanics, but limited clinical information is available from Latin-American patients. We describe the clinical features of Chilean patients with 22q11 deletion syndrome and compare their findings with those reported in large European, Japanese and US series. Data were obtained from 208 patients from five medical centers. Mean age at diagnosis was 5.2 years, with a median of 2.3 years. Congenital heart defects were present in 59.6%, lower than other large series that averaged 75.8%. Palate abnormalities were present in 79%, higher than previous reports averaging 56%. Patients with congenital heart disease were diagnosed earlier (median 0.3 years of age) than those without heart defects (median 5.6 years) and had greater mortality attributable to the syndrome (9.8% vs 2.4%, respectively). The differences in frequencies of major anomalies may be due to growing awareness of more subtle manifestations of the syndrome, differences in clinical ascertainment or the presence of modifier factors. These observations provide additional data useful for patient counseling and for the proposal of health care guidelines.     

Statins and fenofibrate affect skeletal muscle chloride conductance in rats by differently impairing ClC-1 channel regulation and expression

Background and purpose:

Statins and fibrates can produce mild to life-threatening skeletal muscle damage. Resting chloride channel conductance (gCl), carried by the ClC-1 channel, is reduced in muscles of rats chronically treated with fluvastatin, atorvastatin or fenofibrate, along with increased resting cytosolic calcium in statin-treated rats. A high gCl, controlled by the Ca²⁺-dependent protein kinase C (PKC), maintains sarcolemma electrical stability and its reduction alters muscle function. Here, we investigated how statins and fenofibrate impaired gCl.

Experimental approach:

In rats treated with fluvastatin, atorvastatin or fenofibrate, we examined the involvement of PKC in gCl reduction by the two intracellular microelectrodes technique and ClC-1 mRNA level by quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction. Direct drug effects were tested by patch clamp analysis on human ClC-1 channels expressed in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells.

Key results:

Chelerythrine, a PKC inhibitor, applied in vitro on muscle dissected from atorvastatin-treated rats fully restored gCl, suggesting the involvement of this enzyme in statin action. Chelerythrine partially restored gCl in muscles from fluvastatin-treated rats but not in those from fenofibrate-treated rats, implying additional mechanisms for gCl impairment. Accordingly, a decrease of ClC-1 channel mRNA was found in both fluvastatin-and fenofibrate-treated rat muscles. Fenofibric acid, the in vivo metabolite of fenofibrate, but not fluvastatin, rapidly reduced chloride currents in HEK 293 cells.

Conclusions and implications:

Our data suggest multiple mechanisms underlie the effect of statins and fenofibrate on ClC-1 channel conductance. While statins promote Ca²⁺-mediated PKC activation, fenofibrate directly inhibits ClC-1 channels and both fluvastatin and fenofibrate impair expression of mRNA for ClC-1.     

Clinical correlates of low-risk variants in FGFR2, TNRC9, MAP3K1, LSP1 and 8q24 in a Dutch cohort of incident breast cancer cases

Introduction

Seven SNPs in five genomic loci were recently found to confer a mildly increased risk of breast cancer.

Methods

We have investigated the correlations between disease characteristics and the patient genotypes of these SNPs in an unselected prospective cohort of 1,267 consecutive patients with primary breast cancer.

Results

Heterozygote carriers and minor allele homozygote carriers for SNP rs889312 in the MAP3K1 gene were less likely to be lymph node positive at breast cancer diagnosis (P = 0.044) relative to major allele homozygote carriers. Heterozygote carriers and minor allele homozygote carriers for SNP rs3803662 near the TNCR9 gene were more likely to be diagnosed before the age of 60 years (P = 0.025) relative to major allele homozygote carriers. We also noted a correlation between the number of minor alleles of rs2981582 in FGFR2 and the average number of first-degree and second-degree relatives with breast cancer and/or ovarian cancer (P = 0.05). All other disease characteristics, including tumour size and grade, and oestrogen or progesterone receptor status, were not significantly associated with any of these variants.

Conclusion

Some recently discovered genomic variants associated with a mildly increased risk of breast cancer are also associated with breast cancer characteristics or family history of breast cancer and ovarian cancer. These findings provide interesting new clues for further research on these low-risk susceptibility alleles.     

Perfectionistic traits and self‐presentation are associated with negative attitudes and concerns about seeking professional psychological help

Numerous factors influence whether an individual is able and willing to seek professional help for psychological difficulties. One of these may be perfectionism, a multidimensional personality construct that has been linked to poor psychological adjustment. The current study investigated whether perfectionism traits and self‐presentational facets were associated with negative help‐seeking attitudes and concerns about psychotherapy. Samples of university (N = 299) and community (N = 77) men and women completed the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, Perfectionistic Self‐Presentation Scale, Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Help Scale, and Thoughts About Psychotherapy Survey. Various components of perfectionism were associated with both negative help‐seeking attitudes and concerns about psychotherapy. The findings suggest that perfectionistic behaviour may be an important dispositional factor that interferes with seeking and obtaining help for psychological difficulties. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.