Serum soluble endothelial-cell specific adhesion molecules in children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Endothelial-cell specific adhesion molecules are reported to be elevated in patients with diabetes mellitus and related to diabetic vascular complications. We studied serum concentrations of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), endothelial-leukocyte adhesion molecule (sE-selectin) in 30 healthy children and 35 children with type 1 diabetes without symptomatic vascular complications. sE-selectin levels were higher in diabetics than in controls (p < 0.001). sVCAM-1 and sICAM-1 levels were not different between the groups (p > 0.05). In seven newly diagnosed diabetics with ketoacidosis, concentrations of these molecules were not different before and after one month of insulin therapy (p > 0.05). In the combined group, only sE-selectin was correlated positively with serum glucose, HbA1c (r = 0.3, p < 0.05 for both) and negatively with C-peptide levels (r = -0.4, p < 0.05). In diabetic children without symptomatic vascular complications, sE-selectin but not sICAM and sVCAM levels was elevated; this finding might reflect ongoing endothelial-cell activation rather than endothelial damage.     

过度训练大鼠骨骼肌总蛋白含量和雄激素受体结合容量的变化

在建立过度训练动物模型的基础上,通过测定过度训练状态下,大鼠血浆总睾酮（ＴＴ）,股四头肌、腓肠肌总蛋白百分含量及胞浆雄激素受体（ＡＲ）的最大结合容量,探讨骨骼肌中总蛋白和ＡＲ的变化及其相互关系。结果显示,过度训练状态下,大鼠股四头肌、腓肠肌总蛋白百分含量和胞浆ＡＲ的最大结合容量显著下降（Ｐ＜０．０１）,骨骼肌胞浆ＡＲ最大结合容量的下降幅度约为血浆ＴＴ的２倍。提示低血Ｔ及低骨骼肌ＡＲ水平协同作用,共同导致骨骼肌总蛋白含量的下降,而其中ＡＲ可能起到更重要的作用。     

Decomposition and analysis of laparoscopic suturing task using tool-motion analysis (TMA): improving the objective assessment

Purpose  

The laparoscopic suturing task is a complex procedure that requires objective assessment of surgical skills. Analysis of laparoscopic suturing task components was performed to improve current objective assessment tools.     

The effect of alcohol binge drinking in early pregnancy on general intelligence in children

Please cite this paper as: Kesmodel U, Falgreen Eriksen H, Underbjerg M, Kilburn T, St?vring H, Wimberley T, Mortensen E. The effect of alcohol binge drinking in early pregnancy on general intelligence in children. BJOG 2012;119:1222-1231. Objective To examine the effects of binge alcohol consumption during early pregnancy, including the number of binge episodes and the timing of binge drinking, on general intelligence in 5-year-old children. Design Follow-up study. Setting Neuropsychological testing in four Danish cities 2003-2008. Population A cohort of 1617 women and their children sampled from the Danish National Birth Cohort. Methods Participants were sampled on the basis of maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. At 5?years of age the children were tested with six subtests from the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence - Revised (WPPSI-R). Parental education, maternal IQ, prenatal maternal smoking, the child's age at testing, the gender of the child, and tester were considered core confounding factors, whereas the full model also controlled for prenatal maternal average alcohol intake, maternal age, maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), parity, home environment, postnatal parental smoking, health status, and indicators for hearing and vision impairment. Main outcome measure WPPSI-R. Results There were no systematic or significant differences in general intelligence between children of mothers reporting binge drinking and children of mothers with no binge episodes, except that binge drinking in gestational weeks 1-2 significantly reduced the risk of low, full-scale IQ (OR 0.54; 95% CI 0.31-0.96) when adjusted for core confounding factors. The results were otherwise not statistically significantly related to the number of binge episodes (with a maximum of 12) and timing of binge drinking. Conclusions We found no systematic association between binge drinking during early pregnancy and child intelligence. However, binge drinking reduced the risk of low, full-scale IQ in gestational weeks 1-2. This finding may be explained by residual confounding.     

Serum visfatin levels, adiposity and glucose metabolism in obese adolescents

Objective: Visfatin, an adipokine, has insulin-mimetic effects. The main determinants of both the production and the physiologic role of visfatin are still unclear. The aim of this study is to determine the relation of serum visfatin to adiposity and glucose metabolism.Methods: 40 pubertal adolescents (20 females, 20 males; age range: 9-17 years) with exogenous obesity and 20 age- and sex-matched healthy adolescents (10 females, 10 males) were enrolled in the study. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed in the obese group. Serum glucose, insulin and visfatin levels were analyzed in the fasting state in the controls and at 0, 60 and 120 minutes during the OGTT in the obese group.Results: The obese group had higher serum visfatin levels than the control group [11.6 (3.3-26) ng/mL vs. 7.5 (3.3-10.5) ng/mL, p<0.001]. Visfatin levels were correlated positively with body mass index, waist/hip ratio, insulin, and homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance and negatively with glucose/insulin ratio in the combined group (obese subjects plus controls). Visfatin levels were essentially similar in obese subjects with and without insulin resistance (p>0.05). Serum visfatin levels did not change at 60 and 120 minutes of the OGTT compared to the baseline levels (p>0.05).Conclusions: Serum visfatin levels are elevated in obese adolescents and do not change with acute changes in glucose metabolism. Visfatin levels are related with adiposity and glucose metabolism parameters. However, the role and contribution of adiposity and glucose metabolism to the circulating visfatin levels in obese patients remain to be explored. Conflict of interest:None declared.     

A comparison of sural nerve conduction studies in patients with impaired oral glucose tolerance test

OBJECTIVE: Monitoring of the sural nerve is a sensitive method for detection of neuropathies. We examined different methods of studying sural nerve conduction in a group of patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in the same study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Several parameters of sural nerve were investigated in 20 patients. First, sensory nerve conduction studies of the sural nerve were performed on the distal-leg and the proximal-leg segments. Second, dorsal sural nerve studies were conducted. Third, the sural/radial sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) amplitude ratios were calculated. The results were compared with those obtained from 21 healthy controls. RESULTS: Abnormal results revealing peripheral neuropathy were found in only one patient and dorsal sural SNAP was absent in another patient (5%). Although the results of nerve conduction studies were within normal ranges except the patient with peripheral neuropathy, the lower extremity nerves and especially sural nerves have been found to be more affected and the parameters revealed large differences between groups (P < 0.05). Only dorsal sural nerve latency related to fasting blood glucose level in patients (<0.05). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Sural nerve studies should be of value to determine neuropathy in IGT patients. This study supported the idea that IGT is a transitional state before diabetes and also the importance of the dorsal sural nerve latencies for early detection of neuropathy.