Aboriginal status is a prognostic factor for mortality among antiretroviral naïve HIV-positive individuals first initiating HAART

Background  

Although the impact of Aboriginal status on HIV incidence, HIV disease progression, and access to treatment has been investigated previously, little is known about the relationship between Aboriginal ethnicity and outcomes associated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). We undertook the present analysis to determine if Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal persons respond differently to HAART by measuring HIV plasma viral load response, CD4 cell response and time to all-cause mortality.     

A second locus (GLC3B) for primary congenital glaucoma (Buphthalmos) maps to the 1p36 region

Primary congenital glaucoma (gene symbol: GLC3) is an ocular disorder that occurs for 0.01-0.04% of blind people. In the majority of familial cases reported so far, this condition is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. We have recently used a group of 17 GLC3 families with a minimum of two affected offspring and consanguinity in most of the parental generation and mapped the first GLC3 locus (GLC3A) to the 2p21 region. Six families did not show any linkage to the GLC3A locus and thus provided evidence for genetic heterogeneity of this disorder. A total of eight families unlinked to the 2p21 region were used to search for the chromosomal location of the second GLC3 locus. Herein, we describe mapping of a new locus (designated GLC3B) for primary congenital glaucoma to the short arm of chromosome 1 (1p36.2-36.1) that is situated centromeric to the neuroblastoma and Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2A (CMT2A) loci. A total of 17 DNA markers were genotyped from this region of chromosome 1. Four families showed no recombination with the two markers D1S2834 and D1S402 with a maximum lod score of 4.510 and 4.157 respectively. Pairwise and multipoint linkage analysis and inspection of the haplotypes revealed that the remaining four families are not linked to this part of chromosome 1, thus providing further evidence that at least one more locus for the autosomal recessive form of GLC3 must exist in the genome. Based on the recombination events, the overall linkage map of this region is: tel-D1S1192-D1S1635-D1S1193 - (D1S1597/-D1S489/D1S228)- [GLC3B/D1S2834/D1S402] - (D1S1176/D1S507/D1S407) - D1S2728-(MFAP2/D1S170) - D1S1368 - D1S436- D1S1592-cen.      

Pneumocephalus secondary to colonic perforation by ventriculoperitoneal shunt catheter

We present a case of colonic perforation as a complication arising from ventriculoperitoneal shunt catheter. A 58-year-old woman with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt catheter inserted for obstructive hydrocephalus was admitted to hospital with signs and symptoms of meningitis. CT showed an air-fluid level within both lateral ventricles, raising the possibility of colonic perforation since no other aetiology for the pneumocephalus could be found. The CT demonstration of the colonic perforation played a crucial role in patient management.     

Bed‐sharing among six‐month‐old infants in western Sweden

Aim: In spite of several reports of an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in connection with bed‐sharing, it is not an uncommon practice. The aim of this study was to examine bed‐sharing at 6 months of age and the factors that are associated with bed‐sharing. Methods: Our cohort comprised 8176 randomly chosen families. At 6 month of age, the families received an invitation to the study, with a questionnaire, which was completed by 5605 families (response rate 68.5%). Results: Of the families, 19.8% bed‐shared. In the multivariate analysis, we found a correlation between breast‐feeding and bed‐sharing (breast‐feeding at 6 months: OR 1.94; 95% CI 1.56, 2.41). Moreover, we found an association with 3+ nightly awakenings at 6 months (2.70; 2.20, 3.32). It was more common to share a bed if the parent was single (2.04; 1.19, 3.51) and less common if the infant was bottle‐fed in the first week (0.70; 0.54, 0.90). Never using a pacifier was associated with a higher frequency of bed‐sharing. Conclusion: We found a correlation between breast‐feeding and bed‐sharing as well as between sleeping problems and a single parent. A lower percentage of infants sleeping in the parental bed were seen in association with formula feeding in the first week after birth.