Incidence and Trend of a Metabolic Syndrome Phenotype Among Tehranian Adolescents: Findings from the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study, 1998�C2001 to 2003�C2006

OBJECTIVE

To assess the incidence and trend of the metabolic syndrome phenotype in adolescents from the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study during 3.6 years of follow-up.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A total of 932 adolescents, aged 10–19 years, who had complete data and returned for reassessment 3.6 years later were investigated.

RESULTS

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome at baseline and after 3.6 years was 7.4 and 6.7%, respectively, based on the Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) III definitions; 3.5 and 8.0%, respectively, based on the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) definitions; 4.1 and 9.4%, respectively, based on the American Heart Association (AHA) definitions; and 13.6 and 13.4%, respectively, based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) definitions. Incidence rates were 5.2% (95% CI 3–6) based on ATP III, 6.8% (5–8) based on IDF, 8.3% (6–10) based on AHA, and 8.8% (6–10) based on NHANES definitions.

CONCLUSIONS

Incidence of metabolic syndrome is high in Tehranian adolescents.The metabolic syndrome, defined as a group of risk factors, including obesity, impaired glucose metabolism, dyslipidemia, and hypertension, is associated with a heightened risk for developing cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes and an enhanced mortality from all causes (1–3). The aim of this study was to assess incidence and trend of metabolic syndrome prevalence in adolescents of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS) after 3.6 years of follow-up.     

Adult-onset calorie restriction attenuates kainic acid excitotoxicity in the rat hippocampal slice

Lifelong calorie restriction is the only known intervention that has been shown to consistently increase life span and reduce the effects of aging on the brain. Given the difficulties of replicating lifelong calorie restriction within human populations, we have sought to assess the effects of short-term adult-onset calorie restriction upon acute excitotoxic insults in the rat hippocampus. Adult animals (approximately 6 months of age) underwent calorie restriction (alternate day feeding) for 7-10 weeks. Utilizing both electrophysiological and immunocytochemical techniques, we report that calorie restriction had no effect upon long-term potentiation (LTP), a measure of neuronal function. In control animals, application of kainic acid (20 microM) resulted in only 35% recovery of CA1 population spikes post-insult. However calorie-restricted animals showed significantly improved recovery after kainic acid treatment (64%). This data was supported by immunocytochemical studies which noted widespread loss of microtubule-associated protein (MAP 2) immunoreactivity in control slices following treatment with kainic acid; however MAP 2 staining was preserved in the CA1 and CA3 regions of calorie-restricted animals. Interestingly there was no significant difference in the recovery of population spikes between groups when slices were treated with N-methyl-d-aspartate (15 microM). We conclude that short-term adult-onset calorie restriction does not alter normal neuronal function and serves to protect the hippocampus from acute kainic acid excitotoxicity.     

EBV and CMV in chronic periodontitis: a prevalence study

Periodontitis is an infectious disease involving specific bacteria and viruses. Herpesviruses believed to play roles in it. The present study examines the presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) in subgingival and supragingival plaque of 61 patients with chronic periodontitis and 40 healthy controls. A nested polymerase chain reaction method was used. The clinical parameters, clinical attachment level (CAL), probing depth (PD) and bleeding on probing (BOP) were examined. Prevalence of EBV- 1, EBV-2 and CMV were 73.8%, 4.9% and 59%; respectively. There was no association between the presence of EBV-1, EBV-2 and CMV with bleeding on depth.     

Constitutive expression of the ATP-binding cassette transporter ABCG2 enhances the growth potential of early human hematopoietic progenitors

The ATP-binding cassette transporter, ABCG2, is a molecular determinant of the side population phenotype, which is enriched for stem and progenitor cells in various nonhematopoietic and hematopoietic tissues. ABCG2 is highly expressed in hematopoietic progenitors and silenced in differentiated hematopoietic cells, suggesting a role of ABCG2 in early hematopoiesis. To test whether ABCG2 is involved in human hematopoietic development, we retrovirally transduced umbilical cord blood-derived early hematopoietic cells and analyzed hematopoiesis in vitro and in vivo. ABCG2 increased the number of clonogenic progenitors in vitro, including the most primitive colony-forming unit-granulocyte, erythroid, macrophage, megakaryocyte, by twofold (n = 14; p < .0005). Furthermore, ABCG2 induced a threefold increase in the replating capacity of primary colonies (n = 9; p < .01). In addition, ABCG2 impaired the development of CD19+ lymphoid cells in vitro. In transplanted NOD/SCID mice, the ATP-binding cassette transporter decreased the number of human B-lymphoid cells, resulting in an inversion of the lymphoid/myeloid ratio. ABCG2 enhanced the proportion of CD34+ progenitor cells in vivo (n = 4; p < .05) and enhanced the most primitive human progenitor pool, as determined by limiting dilution competitive repopulating unit assay (p < .034). Our data characterize ABCG2 as a regulatory protein of early human hematopoietic development.     

Diagnostic Yield of Touch Imprint Cytology of Prostate Core Needle Biopsies

Touch imprint cytology may provide additional information to core needle biopsy interpretation according to previous reports. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic yield of this method in the diagnosis of prostate carcinoma. For this purpose, 452 transrectal prostate needle biopsies were evaluated from 56 patients. All patients were clinically suspicious of having prostate carcinoma. Two touch imprints were prepared from each fresh biopsy cylinder. Results of the standard histology and of the touch imprint evaluation were compared. Histologically negative biopsy cylinders were further evaluated for prostate carcinoma by fine step serial sectioning. The standard histological examination showed adenocarcinoma in 27 patients. Touch imprint cytology revealed atypical cells suspicious of carcinoma in 38 patients. This group included all 27 patients with positive standard histology and further 11 patients with initially negative core biopsy. Following serial sectioning, in three out of these 11 samples, histological evidence of a carcinoma could be proven. Fine step serial sectioning of all 29 core biopsies negative for carcinoma by standard histological examination, 26 patients remained negative. All three core biopsies initially negative by standard histology but positive after serial sectioning had cytology findings suspicious of carcinoma. We conclude, that in problematic cases the additional use of touch imprint cytology and serial sectioning of prostate core needle biopsies significantly improve the diagnostic accuracy.     

Atlanto-axial segmentation defects and os odontoideum in two male siblings with opsismodysplasia

We report two siblings aged 11 and 7 years, respectively, who presented with the clinical and radiographic features of opsismodysplasia (non-lethal type). 3D computed tomography scans of the craniocervical region revealed a split atlas and os odontoideum in both siblings. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first clinical report detailing craniocervical malformations in two siblings with opsismodysplasia.     

Preventive effect of onion juice on selenite-induced experimental cataract

Purpose:

To evaluate the effects of onion juice on sodium-selenite induced cataract formation.

Materials and Methods:

Thirty-two 10-day-old Wistar-albino rat pups were divided into four equal groups. Group 1 received only subcutaneous saline injection. In Group 2, sodium-selenite (30 nmol/g body weight) was injected subcutaneously. In Group 3, subcutaneous sodium-selenite was injected and one drop 50% diluted fresh juice of crude onion was instilled every 8 h into the right eye for 14 days; the left eye received no treatment. Group 4 rats were similar to those of Group 3, the only difference being that of undiluted fresh juice of crude onion. The development of cataract was assessed. Rat lenses were analyzed for total antioxidant (TA) level, and for activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD).

Results:

Both eyes of all rats in Group 1 did not exhibit cataract formation. In Group 2, all rats developed Grade 3 cataract in the lenses of both eyes. The difference in exhibited cataract in the lens of the right eyes in all rats between Group 2 and any eyes of groups 3 or 4 were significant (P = 0.001). The mean TA level and mean activities of SOD and GPX in Group 2 rat lenses were significantly lower than the values in lenses of all rats in Group 1 (P = 0.001, 0.003, 0.001), and in the lenses of the right eyes of rats in Groups 3 and 4 (P = 0.001, 0.020, 0.001).

Conclusion:

Instillation of onion juice into the rat eyes can effectively prevent selenite-induced cataract formation. This effect was associated with increased TA level, SOD and GPX activities in the lens.     

Outbreak of Imported Seventh Pandemic Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor,Algeria, 2018

After a lull of >20 years, Algeria experienced a cholera outbreak in 2018 that included 291 suspected cases. We found that outbreak isolates were Vibrio cholerae O1 serotype Ogawa from seventh pandemic El Tor sublineage AFR14, which corresponds to a new introduction of cholera into Africa from South Asia.