Incidence of major depression diagnoses in the Canadian Armed Forces: longitudinal analysis of clinical and health administrative data

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology - Major depression is a leading cause of morbidity in military populations. However, due to a lack of longitudinal data, little is known about the...     

Germline mutations of the p53 tumor-suppressor gene in children and young adults with second malignant neoplasms.

BACKGROUND. Acquired mutations in the p53 tumor-suppressor gene have been detected in several human cancers, including colon, breast, and lung cancer. Inherited mutations (transmitted through the germline) of this gene can underlie the Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a rare familial association of breast cancer in young women, childhood sarcomas, and other malignant neoplasms. We investigated the possibility that p53 mutations in the germline are associated with second primary cancers that arise in children and young adults who would not be considered as belonging to Li-Fraumeni families. METHODS. Genomic DNA was extracted from the blood leukocytes of 59 children and young adults with a second primary cancer. The polymerase chain reaction, in combination with denaturant-gel electrophoresis and sequencing, was used to identify p53 gene mutations. RESULTS. Mutations of p53 that changed the predicted amino acid sequence were identified in leukocyte DNA from 4 of the 59 patients (6.8 percent). In three cases, the mutations were identical to ones previously found in the p53 gene. The fourth mutation was the first germline mutation to be identified in exon 9, at codon 325. Analysis of leukocyte DNA from close relatives of three of the patients indicated that the mutations were inherited, but cancer had developed in only one parent at the start of the study. CONCLUSIONS. These findings identify an important subgroup of young patients with cancer who carry germline mutations in the p53 tumor-suppressor gene but whose family histories are not indicative of the Li-Fraumeni syndrome. The early detection of such mutations would be useful not only in treating these patients, but also in identifying family members who may be at high risk for the development of tumors.     

重复胃镜检查的原因分析

0　引言　胃镜检查是上消化道疾病诊断的重要方法之一 .了解重复胃镜检查的原因及结果 ,有利于探讨疾病发生发展的基本规律 ,有利于发现诊断和治疗中存在的问题 ,从而提高对消化疾病的诊治水平 .1　材料和方法1.1　材料　随机抽检 1996 / 1998胃镜检查资料为调查对象7812例 ,其中行 2次以上胃镜检查者 937例 .调查内容包括性别、年龄、职业、主要症状和体征、病程、初步诊断、内镜检查时间、次数、内镜诊断、病理诊断、确诊时间 .1.2　方法　回顾性调查上述材料的临床特征 .列表统计研究对象一般情况的分布状况 ,计算各年龄段比例构成 ,各病…     

Childhood cardiac function after twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome – a 10-year follow up

Aim:  To perform a 10-year follow up of cardiac structure and function after twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) – a severe foetal circulatory complication associated with myocardial hypertrophy in the recipient twin.
Methods:  Cardiac dimensions, systolic and diastolic function as assessed by echocardiography including flow and tissue Doppler velocimetry in 22 healthy survivors of TTTS with a mean age of 9.6 (7.2–11.8) years.
Results:  The donor and recipient twin did not show any differences in end-diastolic ventricular size, interventricular septum thickness, diameter of right ventricular outflow tract, cardiac valves, coronary arteries or in systolic blood flow velocities. However, compared with the donors, the recipients had significantly lower E/A ratios because of lower E-waves in both mitral (−0.15 ± 0.10, p < 0.01) and tricuspid (−0.09 ± 0.07, p < 0.01) valves, indicating reduced early diastolic ventricular fillings compared with donors.
Conclusion:  At school age, twins surviving TTTS had a cardiac structure and function within normal range. There were no differences in heart structure or systolic ventricular function between twins but, compared with the donor twin, we found a reduced early diastolic function in the recipient.     

Risk factors associated with having psoriatic arthritis in patients with cutaneous psoriasis

The aim of this study was to determine if the following characteristics were associated with the presence of psoriatic arthritis in a sample of psoriasis patients: race, family history of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, age of onset of psoriasis, smoking, alcohol consumption and the maximum body surface area (BSA) affected by psoriasis. This was a case–control study involving 400 psoriasis patients who attended the Psoriasis and Photo‐medicine clinic in the National Skin Center of Singapore over a 1‐year period. Cases were psoriasis patients with psoriatic arthritis while controls were psoriasis patients without psoriatic arthritis. The diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis was made by rheumatologists and participants completed a self‐administered standardized questionnaire. The maximum BSA involved was determined from the case notes. Psoriatic arthritis was not significantly associated with sex, race, age of onset of psoriasis, a family history of psoriasis, smoking and alcohol consumption but was significantly associated with a family history of psoriatic arthritis (P < 0.001) and the maximum body surface involved (P = 0.05). Using multivariate analysis to control for variables, the presence of psoriatic arthritis was significantly associated with a family history of psoriatic arthritis (odds ratio [OR] = 20.5; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.49–169.10) and the maximum BSA involved (OR = 2.52; 95% CI = 1.33–4.75). Indian psoriatic patients were more likely to have psoriatic arthritis compared to the other races. A family history of psoriatic arthritis and a greater maximum body surface involved may be associated with having psoriatic arthritis in this study population of psoriasis patients.     

Construct Validity of Childhood Bipolar Disorder: A Developmental Perspective

The assessment and diagnosis of bipolar disorder in children remains challenging and controversial. How can the debate be resolved? This article highlights the components of a nomological network that can be applied to the validation of the construct of child-onset bipolar disorder, including phenomenology, course and prognosis, etiology, and treatment response. That is, if a particular set of symptoms coheres, has a similar time course and outcome, is explained by the same etiological mechanisms, and responds similarly to treatment, then it is reasonable to conclude that the construct is a valid representation of the disorder. Additionally, developmental issues relevant to each aspect of the network (e.g., continuity over time and between typical and atypical development) are discussed.