Inadequate sunlight exposure in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

OBJECTIVE

Inadequate sun exposure impairs vitamin D activity and favors low bone density, especially in patients at increased risk for osteoporosis, such as those affected by inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In this study, sun exposure was investigated in a large series of patients with IBD in a Mediterranean country, Italy, where this risk is considered less likely to occur than in higher latitudes.

METHODS

This is a case‐control study of 292 patients with IBD [132 with Crohn's disease (CD) and 160 with ulcerative colitis (UC)], 80 diseased and 540 healthy controls, conducted via a validated questionnaire to quantify sunlight exposure. Data were also compared with controls matched by age and gender.

RESULTS

In total 78 of the 292 patients with IBD had low, 169 had moderate and 45 had high exposure to sunlight, significantly differing from controls (P < 0.001). The 132 patients with CD were more likely to have abnormal levels of sunlight exposure (49 low, 72 moderate and 11 high) than those with UC (29 low, 97 moderate and 34 high) (P < 0.001). The controls were significantly more exposed to sunlight than both men and women with IBD (P < 0.001 and 0.004, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

IBD patients are significantly less exposed to sunlight than matched controls in Italy, often to an extent that may impair vitamin D activation. Increasing responsible sunlight exposure, thus promoting adequate vitamin D concentrations, may prove beneficial in IBD, in geographical areas in which this risk factor is not generally taken into consideration.     

Organ-specific growth of a murine lymphoma of spontaneous origin in nude mice

The MOC-25 tumour arose spontaneously in a female nude mouse and was established as a continuous line intraperitoneally in nude mice, where it reproduces the topological features of its origin, growing preferentially in the uterus, ovaries and liver. Karyotype analysis showed that MOC-25 cells are hyperdiploid. Tumorigenicity and malignant behaviour were studied by transplanting tumour cells into different sites in nude mice. The comparison of tumour take after i.p. and s.c. injections of scaled concentrations of MOC-25 cell suspension showed preferential growth in the peritoneum. Regardless of the route of implantation (s.c., i.v., i.p.), this tumour rapidly and preferentially disseminated to the liver, uterus, ovaries, spleen and bone marrow. No significant differences in tumour growth and metastatic behaviour were observed when MOC-25 was injected in ovariectomized nude mice or in male nude mice. Morphology studies using light and electron microscopy, immunophenotyping and molecular analysis indicated a B-lymphoid origin of the MOC-25 tumour.     

Ambulatory heart rate and target organ damage in never-treated essential hypertensives

Limited evidence is available about the relationship between ambulatory heart rate (HR) and target organ damage (TOD) in uncomplicated hypertension. We sought to investigate the association between ambulatory HR and subclinical cardiac, vascular and renal markers of TOD in never-treated essential hypertensives. A total of 580 subjects with recently diagnosed (相似文献   

Restriction-fragment-length polymorphisms in the A-I-C-III gene complex occurring in a family with hypoalphalipoproteinemia

Two restriction-fragment-length polymorphisms in the apolipoprotein A-I-C-III gene complex were defined by digestion with PstI and SacI in a family with hypoalphalipoproteinemia. These polymorphisms established a PstI + /SacI - haplotype which may constitute a linkage marker for this condition within the family.     

Paradoxical effect of long-term treatment of nifedipine on total ischemic load in patients with stable angina pectoris.

In 50 patients with stable effort angina the effect of three drugs, metoprolol, nifedipine, and diltiazem was assessed by analyzing exercise stress test response and ambulatory ECG recordings. Both metoprolol and diltiazem caused a significant increase in time to ischemic threshold during exercise and a significant decrease of maximum ST-segment depression (during exercise and ambulatory ECG monitoring) and in the average number of daily ischemic episodes. Only metoprolol significantly reduced heart rate and rate-pressure product at the ischemic threshold during exercise. In the group of patients treated with nifedipine no significant improvement was observed in exercise tolerance or in number of ischemic episodes/24 h. Moreover, the subset of nonresponders in the two methods was larger than in the other two groups. In some of these patients a clearcut worsening of total ischemic load was observed, despite the control of symptoms. This adverse effect might be attributed to the different consequences of the vasodilatory effect of nifedipine on blood flow through stenosed vessels.     

T-cell receptor delta gene rearrangement in childhood T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

During the development of functional T lymphocytes, a variety of genes involved in antigen recognition undergo somatic rearrangement. These include the alpha, beta, and gamma chain genes. Recently a fourth rearranging gene, the delta chain gene, embedded in the alpha chain locus, has been described. We have determined the structure of the beta, gamma, and delta chain genes in 15 cases of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) representing stage I (CD7+, CD1-, CD3-) and stage II (CD7+, CD1+, CD3-) of intrathymic T-cell development. The alpha-delta locus was rearranged in 14 of the 15 cases. In three cases the delta constant region was deleted on both chromosomes, suggesting biallelic V-J alpha rearrangement. A limited pattern of rearrangement of the delta locus was observed in the remaining 11 cases. When the alpha-delta region was rearranged, there was rearrangement of the beta and gamma TcR in all cases except two; in these cases the beta chain was in the germline configuration. These findings support the hypothesis that delta chain gene rearrangement is an early event in T- cell development, possibly contemporary to gamma gene rearrangement, and that the delta locus has a limited repertoire.     

Artrhoscopic Rotator Cuff Repair with Augmentation: The V‐sled Technique

Numerous techniques have been described for patch positioning in rotator cuff shoulder arthroscopic surgery. These techniques seem to be difficult challenges for the majority of arthroscopic surgeons, and because of that they are called “highly demanding” techniques. Without the use of dedicated instruments and cannulas, the authors propose a V‐sled technique that seems to be more reproducible, quicker and less difficult to perform for arthroscopic shoulder surgeons. The patient is placed in the lateral position. All arthroscopic procedures are performed without the use of cannulas. The standard posterior portal is used for the glenohumeral (GH) joint arthroscopy with fluid inflowing through the scope. After an accurate evaluation of the GH space, the scope is then introduced into the subacromial space. With the use of a spinal needle, a lateral portal is performed. The great tuberosity is prepared with a bur to place two 5.5 mm triple‐loaded radiolucent anchors. In addition, two free high strength sutures are passed through the muscle, respectively. The repair is performed using two high strength sutures from each anchor. The third wire from each anchor is retrieved out of the accessories portals used for the insertion of the anchors. In addition, two free high strength sutures are passed through the muscle, and the patch sizing is done using a measuring probe introduced through the lateral portal. Next, the patch is then prepared and is introduced into the subacromial space, and then the patch is stabilized, and the free sutures are tied.     

Potentiating effect of a supine position on ischemia induced by exercise

Though sitting bicycle and treadmill are the commonest devices used in exercise stress testing, supine ergometric test shows some advantages, especially in research investigations. The latter allows better ECG and blood pressure recordings during exercise. Recently, a greater frequency of ST-segment depression has been reported with supine vs upright exercise, but some doubt as to the ischemic significance of this result has been raised. Thus, we compare the ECG and hemodynamic pattern during upright and supine bicycle exercise in 50 subjects with chest pain, without prior myocardial infarction: 31 had documented coronary artery disease (CAD) and 19 had normal coronary vessels. In a subgroup (22 CAD patients and all subjects without CAD) a measurement of myocardial perfusion was performed during exercise using thallium-201 radionuclide ventriculography. Initial work-load and the further graded increases were identical for both postures. The frequency of ST-segment depression was higher during supine exercise (84% vs 74%). The increase in sensitivity (+7% vs CAD) was wider if a more direct measurement of myocardial ischemia was adopted as gold standard (+13% vs TI-201 responses) and was not associated with a decreased specificity (Tab. II). In the supine position the threshold of exercise-induced ST-segment depression was significantly lower. Chest pain appeared more frequently and at a lower work-load. Accentuation and precocity of exercise-induced ischemia in the supine-position could be attributed to an increased imbalance between supply and demand of MVO2 at equivalent work-load, heart rate changes, systolic blood pressure and double product were significantly higher.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The evolution of African swine fever virus in Sardinia (1978–2014) as revealed by whole‐genome sequencing and comparative analysis

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious and lethal viral disease of pigs and wild boars, which is enzootic in many African countries and on the Italian island of Sardinia, where it has been present since 1978. Previous genetic analyses of Sardinian ASF virus (ASFV) isolates have revealed that they all belong to p72 genotype I, with only minor sequence variations. However, these studies examined only a few selected genes. To distinguish between these closely related isolates and better investigate ASFV evolution in Sardinia, we sequenced the complete genomes of 12 Sardinian ASFV isolates collected between 1978 and 2012, and compared them with 47/Ss/2008 and 26544/OG10. Most of the observed changes occurred in a time‐dependent manner; however, their biological significance remains unclear. As a whole, our results demonstrate the remarkable genetic stability of these strains, supporting a single‐source introduction of the virus.