Umbilical cord plasma interleukin-6 and fetal growth restriction in preeclampsia: a prospective study in Norway

OBJECTIVE: To study the association between umbilical plasma levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in relation to fetal growth in subgroups of preeclampsia, and in control pregnancies. METHODS: Umbilical cord plasma was collected from 12,804 consecutive births. A total of 271 singleton cases of preeclampsia were identified, and classified as mild or severe, and as disease with early or late onset. As controls, 611 singleton pregnancies without preeclampsia were selected, and the ratio between observed and expected birth weight was used as a measure of fetal growth. In the analysis, we also included maternal smoking during pregnancy. Umbilical cord plasma IL-6 concentration was measured with an IL-6 bioassay. Comparing controls with subgroups of preeclampsia (severe and early onset), this study had a statistical power of 90% to detect a difference in cord IL-6 of 10 pg/mL. RESULTS: In severe preeclampsia, cord plasma IL-6 concentration was lower than among controls (P <.001), and there was a sharp decrease in cord plasma IL-6 with decreasing birth weight ratio (P trend <.001). By further dividing the preeclampsia group into early or late onset, the strong association between low IL-6 levels and low birth weight ratio appeared to be present mainly in early-onset disease. These results were not confounded by maternal smoking. CONCLUSION: Restricted fetal growth related to preeclampsia is associated with reduced umbilical cord plasma IL-6 concentration in cases with early-onset disease. In these cases, fetal growth restriction could be mediated by impaired trophoblast function.     

Cross-sectional measurement of nutrient intake among adolescents in 1996

BACKGROUND: Many components are involved in an assessment of diet and health among youth. To address these issues and document the major contributions of fat, fiber, vitamins, and minerals to the diet, we analyzed baseline cross-sectional data from a cohort of 16,882 youth. METHODS: Cross-sectional analyses were conducted on the Growing Up Today Study dietary data reported by 16,882 9- to 14-year-olds in 1996. The adolescent food frequency questionnaire was used to assess this age group's eating habits. Arithmetic means and standard deviations were calculated on energy-adjusted and unadjusted data. RESULTS: Mean intake (including vitamin/mineral supplementation) for all nutrients met 100% of the RDAs, except calcium for girls. Comparing the servings of foods with the USDA Food Pyramid, neither boys nor girls met recommended number of servings except for dairy. Overweight participants consumed fewer kilocalories and lower levels of nutrients than their nonoverweight peers. CONCLUSION: These cross-sectional data from 1996 indicate that this cohort is consuming foods and nutrients comparable with national data of less fat and more carbohydrates in their diet. Overweight participants have similar dietary patterns except for total energy. The cohort's diet (with vitamin/mineral supplementation) is meeting the RDAs, but actual foods consumed suggest a lack of balance in the diet.     

Comparison of a short food frequency questionnaire with the Youth/Adolescent Questionnaire in the Growing Up Today Study.

INTRODUCTION: Our purpose was to design and evaluate a shorter version of our 126-item food frequency questionnaire (long FFQ) for use with adolescents. A shorter FFQ is needed that can reliably rank research subjects according to their intakes of energy, macronutrients and selected micronutrients. METHODS: Dietary data were collected annually, for 3 years, using the full-list FFQ from 16 882 participants of the Growing Up Today Study (GUTS). From this full-list FFQ data, the top ten food contributors for energy and each macronutrient, and the top five food contributors for eight other selected micronutrients were compiled to create a 26-item (short-list) FFQ. Arithmetic means and Pearson correlations were computed to assess relationships between nutrient intakes estimated from the short- and full-list FFQs. We further compared both FFQs with three 24-hour recalls (approximately every 4 months over a 1-year period). Linear regression models were fitted, using energy and nutrients estimated from the short-list FFQ and separately from the full-list FFQ, to see how results may differ. RESULTS: As expected, mean nutrient values from the short-list FFQ were substantially below those from the full-list FFQ. Pearson correlations >0.85 between the short- and full-list FFQs were found for most nutrients. However, correlations between nutrients from the short-list FFQ and the three 24-hour recalls were lower (mean correlation =0.40) than the full-list FFQ. Linear regression models suggested that the short-list FFQ performed nearly as well as the full-list FFQ, for studying associations between energy and several nutrients (trans fatty acids, saturated fat, and glycemic load) and the non-dietary factor, TV viewing. Model betas for energy and nutrients from the short-list FFQ were slightly smaller than betas obtained from the full-list FFQ, but all were statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The short-list FFQ can assess nutrient values of a population for analytic research purposes, such as studying associations between certain dietary intakes and non-dietary factors.     

TUBULAR PROTEINURIA AFTER PERINATAL HYPOXIA

ABSTRACT. Milt7eacute;nyi, M., Pohlandt, F., Bóka, G. and Kun, E. (2nd Department of Paediatrics, Semmelweis University, Medical School, Budapest, Hungary, and the Section of Neonatology, Centre of Paediatrics, University of Ulm, Federal Republic of Germany). Tubular proteinuria after perinatal hypoxia. Acta Paediatr Scand, 70:399, 1981.–Urinary total protein (UTP) and urinary protein pattern have been studied in 23 newborn infants with Apgar scores ±S3 at one minute or acidosis (pH ±7.15) on the first day. On the first and second day UTP excretion was increased in 13 out of 18 patients. At this time the excretion of low molecular weight microproteins (T-4 and T-5) was elevated in 12 patients without increased plasma urea concentration in any case. The increased excretion of the smallest microproteins T-4/T-5 is an early sign of an impaired tubular function.     

Multiple sclerosis: increased expression of interleukin-2 receptors on lymphocytes

The percentage of interleukin-2-receptor-positive peripheral blood lymphocytes in MS patients was significantly higher in acute relapse than in remission or in controls. After stimulation by phytohemagglutinin, the expression of interleukin-2 receptor on peripheral blood lymphocytes of MS patients was within the range of healthy controls, implying no general impairment of receptor expression. These results confirm other evidence that there is a small population of activated T lymphocytes in acute relapse of MS.     

Scintigraphic manifestation of iliotibial band injury in an endurance athlete.

The scintigraphic appearance of an overuse injury at the insertion of the iliotibial band is described. This injury was depicted on three-phase bone scintigraphy as focally increased radionuclide concentration in the anterolateral tibial condyle (lateral tibial tubercle) where the iliotibial band inserts. Overuse injuries involving the insertion of the iliotibial band are uncommon and are not to be confused with a stress fracture or other bony lesion involving the lateral tibial condyle.     

Subtle gastric abnormalities in a canine model: detection with low-dose imaging with storage phosphors and its equivalence to conventional radiography

The authors compared low-dose (32% of standard exposure) storage phosphor digital imaging (system resolution: 0.2-mm pixels, 10 bits) with isovoltage 75-kVp conventional radiography (standard exposure) in the detection of subtle simulated gastric abnormalities by using air contrast barium studies. Subtle simulated abnormalities (3-7-mm polyps, 4-15-mm ulcer craters, 4-11-mm-diameter edema, and 11-12-mm linear ulcers) were produced in resected canine stomachs. Receiver operating characteristic analysis of 1,800 observations by six readers indicated that the digital images with and without high-frequency edge enhancement were equivalent to conventional radiographs (mean receiver operating characteristic areas [+/- standard deviation]: 0.76 +/- 0.06, 0.78 +/- 0.04, and 0.77 +/- 0.04, respectively). The accuracy of the diagnosis was equivalent for all three modalities. The following mean accuracies of negative and positive responses, respectively, for unenhanced digital, edge-enhanced digital, and conventional images were determined: 0.71 +/- 0.05 and 0.41 +/- 0.07, 0.71 +/- 0.04 and 0.51 +/- 0.09, and 0.68 +/- 0.04 and 0.43 +/- 0.05. It was concluded that low-dose storage phosphor air-contrast barium studies were equivalent to conventional radiography in the detection of subtle gastric abnormalities.     

DNA arrays to monitor gene expression in rat blood and uterus following 17beta-estradiol exposure: biomonitoring environmental effects using surrogate tissues.

We propose that gene expression changes in accessible tissues such as blood often reflect those in inaccessible tissues, thus offering a convenient biomonitoring method to provide insight into the effects of environmental toxicants on such tissues. In this pilot study, gene expression changes in peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) were compared to those in the uteri of adult rats to identify genes that were altered in both tissues following estradiol treatment. Ovariectomized rats were treated with either 17beta-estradiol or vehicle control (corn oil) for 3 days. PBL and uterine RNAs were hybridized to arrays containing 1185 genes. One hundred and ninety three genes were expressed in common between the PBL and uterus. Eighteen were changed significantly in both tissues, 9 of which were treatment- but not tissue-specific (e.g., jun-D, phospholipase A2, thymidine kinase). These results demonstrate that many genes are coexpressed between PBL and uterus, and that some are coregulated by estradiol. Given the limited number of genes examined in this study and the estimated size of other mammalian genomes, we conclude that many more genes will also be coregulated and suggest that accessible tissues such as PBL can serve as surrogate tissues for observing gene expression changes in inaccessible target tissues.