The metabolic syndrome in an Arab population: a first look at the new International Diabetes Federation criteria.

AIMS: To report the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in Arab men and women using the new International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria, and to compare this with the prevalence using the 1999 World Health Organization (WHO) and 2001 National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NECP ATPIII) definitions. METHODS: The study involved 863 subjects (343 men and 520 women) aged > or = 40 years living in Tunis, Tunisia, taken from an initially randomized, population sample. RESULTS: The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome using the IDF criteria was found to be 45.5%; 55.8% in women and 30.0% in men (P < 0.001), higher than the rates of 28.7% (WHO) and 24.3% (NECP ATPIII) using the previous definitions. Using all the definitions, the prevalence was higher in women than in men predominantly because of significant differences in central obesity and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and, to a lesser extent, hypertension. CONCLUSION: The increased prevalence using the IDF criteria compared with the 1999 WHO criteria and the 2001 NCEP ATPIII definitions is striking and has huge implications for public health worldwide. The major reason for the higher rate using the new definition seems to be the predominant focus placed on central obesity. Using tighter criteria for fasting glycaemia has also played a factor. The question remains as yet unanswered as to whether the new IDF criteria are better at predicting hard outcomes such as diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases.     

The factors controlling stem cell recirculation. i. Migration of hemopoietic stem cells in adrenalectomized mice

The influence of bilateral adrenalectomy on hemopoietic stem cell (CFU) migration in mice has been studied. Formation of endogenous spleen colonies in lethally irradiated, leg-shielded mice was sharply increased by prior adrenalectomy, and this increase was not dependent on the volume of shielded bone marrow. Adrenalectomy was shown to increase endogenous spleen colony formation in sublethally irradiated mice as well. However, it had no affect on formation of spleen colonies in lethally irradiated mice injected with syngeneic bone marrow. The CFU content of murine bone marrow decreased acutely after removal of the adrenals, and this decrease was accompanied by a concomitant increase in the peripheral blood and splenic CFU. Thus, adrenalectomy appeared to have no affect on the splenic plating efficiency or proliferative rate of hemopoietic stem cells, but it did result in increased migration of stem cells from the bone marrow to the blood, and thence to the spleen. It is concluded that the adrenal steroids may be of physiologic importance in the regulation of ehmopoietic stem cell migration.     

Bladder calcification in the prune-belly syndrome

Calcification of the bladder wall is described in two neonates with the prune-belly syndrome. The radiological and pathological findings are discussed and four additional cases are reviewed.     

A prophylactic transfusion program for children with sickle cell anemia complicated by CNS infarction

CNS infarction is a devastating complication in sickle cell anemia. Episodes are frequently repetitive and often result in permanent neurologic abnormalities. In an attempt to prevent such recurences a periodic transfusion program was begun at the Children's Hospital of Michigan in 1969. Twenty-one children currently on the program receive buffy-coat poor transfusions on an out-patient basis every 3 weeks. Of 15 who have been on the program for periods of from 9 months to 5 ¾ years, none have had progression of neurologic abnormalities, and several have had definite improvement in neurologic function. One child who was not brought in regularly had recurrent CNS infarction. The only recognized complication has been one instance of serum hepatitis. While such a transfusion of neurologic abnormalities resulting from recurrent CNS infarction in sickle cell anemia.     

Elastase in gingival crevicular fluid from smokers and non-smokers with chronic inflammatory periodontal disease

OBJECTIVE: To compare elastase concentrations in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) from individual sites of smokers and non-smokers.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve pairs of smokers and non-smokers with untreated, moderate to advanced chronic inflammatory periodontal disease were matched for gender, age, ethnicity and the clinical and radio-graphic extent of disease. Durapore filter strip samples were collected over 30 s from two mesiopalatal sites on upper left posterior teeth. Samples were analysed for: I) polymorphonuclear neutrophil leucocyte (PMNL) cell counts; 2) PMNL elastase-αI-antitrypsin complex in the GCF supernatant by ELISA; and 3) functional elastase, free or bound to α2-macroglobulin, estimated from activity against N-tert-butoxycarbonyI-alanyl-prolyl-nor-valylg-chlorothiobenzyl ester in supernatant and lysates of GCF PMNLs.
RESULTS: There were no differences in disease parameters between groups except that bleeding on probing was less extensive in smokers (P< 0.001). Cell counts and elastase content of crevicular PMNLs showed no differences between groups. Lower concentrations of elastase were found in GCF supernatants from smokers than non-smokers. This difference was observed for functional elastase (mean [s.d.] = 30.21 [17.60] against 73.77 [75.26] ng μI^-1, P <0.05) and elastase complexed with αl-antitrypsin (8.97 [6.54] ng μl^-1 against 25.71 [22.07] ng μI^-1, P < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: Smokers have lower elastase concentrations in GCF than non-smokers. Further investigation is required to elucidate the underlying cause and its relationship with periodontal disease.