Association of angiotensin II type 1 receptor gene polymorphism with essential hypertension

The renin-angiotensin system is involved in control of blood pressure and salt and fluid homeostasis. Genes for components of this system have been of major focus in research on the causation of the common, complex, polygenic trait, essential hypertension (HT). Association of an A→C variant at nucleotide 1166 of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT₁R) gene with HT, but an absence of linkage of this locus with this disease, has been reported recently. Since confirmation in a different setting is imperative, we performed a cross-sectional case-control study of the A1166C variant in a well-characterized group of 108 Caucasian HT subjects with a strong family history (two affected parents) and early onset disease. Genotyping was by mismatch polymerase chain reaction/ Bfr I restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Frequency of the C¹¹⁶⁶allele was 0.40 in HTs and 0.29 in normotensives. The difference in genotype (χ²= 13, P = 0.0015) and allele (χ²= 5.3, P = 0.02) frequencies between the two groups was significant (odds ratio for CC vs AA+AC = 7.3 [95% CI, 1.9–31.9). The present results implicate the AT₁R gene, or a locus in linkage disequilibrium with the variant tested, in the causation of essential HT.     

Immunoassays for proteins alkylated by nicotine-derived N-nitrosamines

Polyclonal antibodies recognizing the pyridyloxobutyl (POB) moiety of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) were produced in rabbits immunized either with POB-bovine albumin or POB-Sepharose. The POB intermediates necessary to modify the protein were generated by alkaline (pH 9.0) treatment of the synthetic precursor 4-(carbethoxynitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone. In a competitive enzyme linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA), 70 pmole NNK inhibited 50% of the binding of the anti-POB antibodies to POB-protein absorbed on microtiterplates. This 50% inhibition varied from 70 pmole to 200 nmole using a series of NNK analogues, depending on the integrity of the POB moiety. Immunological techniques initiated in this study detect NNK-protein conjugates or measure the quantity of POB groups liberated upon alkaline or acid treatment of NNK modified protein.     

Management of cerebral hemispherectomy in children

Surgical removal of a cerebral hemisphere may be undertaken in patients with intractable seizure disorders. Anesthetic management of such patients has not been reviewed in detail before. This study retrospectively analyzed hospital records of ten patients undergoing cerebral hemispherectomy at the Johns Hopkins Hospital between July 1983 and February 1988. Patient records were reviewed for diagnosis, physical characteristics, preoperative medications, anesthetic management, and postoperative course in the intensive care unit (ICU). Massive and sudden blood loss was a common finding in these patients, and during the intraoperative and postoperative periods, fluid resuscitation frequently was an ongoing process. In some patients, the blood loss exceeded one blood volume and was associated with coagulopathy, hypokalemia, and hypothermia. Urine output was elevated by a glucose-induced diuresis in some patients, giving misleading information as to intravascular volume status. Seizures and hemorrhage into the hemispherectomy cavity were management problems in the ICU. From this review, the authors conclude that blood loss may be marked and precipitous during surgical removal of a cerebral hemisphere. Monitoring of intra-arterial pressure and central venous pressure (CVP) is necessary for patient management during the intraoperative and postoperative periods. Intravenous (IV) access should allow rapid intravascular volume administration as it becomes necessary. Patients should remain intubated and observed closely during the immediate postoperative period due to difficulties with hemodynamic stability, seizures, and hemorrhage.     

Three-Year Prospective Adherence to Three Breast Cancer Screening Modalities

Background.This study prospectively examined rates of adherence to mammography, clinical breast examination (CBE), and breast self-examination (BSE) in a cohort of women over 3 years to determine whether participation in BSE influenced participation in the other two screening modalities.Methods.Women ages 51 and older (n= 450) who attended a small group educational session to learn BSE and to hear about CBE and mammography guidelines were assessed annually by telephone for 3 consecutive years to determine their subsequent breast cancer screening behavior.Results.Annual CBE and mammography screening are highly positively associated. Regular performance of BSE has a modest positive association with both CBE and mammography adherence over time.Conclusions.Women who perform BSE regularly over time may be more likely to adhere to the other breast cancer screening guidelines.     

The parenting partnership: The evaluation of a human service/corporate workplace collaboration for the prevention of substance abuse and mental health problems,and the promotion of family and work adjustment

A partnership between corporate worksites, a community-based prevention agency, and families in those worksites is described. Its primary goals were the reduction of family risk and enhancement of family protective factors that predispose children and youth to substance abuse and related social and emotional difficulties. A related goal of the program is to reduce family stress levels and attitudes that may influence the parents' levels of risk for substance abuse and related disorder. The program delivery strategy is conceived of as part of the necessart efforts of prevention programs to reach target populations in host settings in which they may naturally participate, thereby reducing obstacles and barriers to participation that often impede prevention efforts. Evaluation revealed that the program was generally better able to retain parents for a fairly lengthy period, and with high rates of attendance. Program attendance was also not affected by parental background characteristics that, in other delivery approaches, are often associated with poor attendance and high drop-out levels. Results also indicated that levels of program exposure (dosage) do make a significant difference in the efficacy of such efforts as those parents in the program who participated in higher percentages and numbers of sessions (i.e. more than 80% of sessions) showed both short-term and longer-term (i.e. across 18 month follow-ups) gains in their ratings of the target child's behavior problems and strengths, substance abuse resistance related knowledge and attitudes, reduced parental stress, depression and irritability, and increased utilization of social support. By contrast, parents who received a low program exposure exhibited a more restricted set of short-term gains. The findings are discussed in terms of their importance for consideration of program dosage for prevention programs, and the need to attend to the context in which programming is offered as it may facilitate or impede efforts to provide levels of dosage and fidelity to create enduring impacts     

Adverse effects associated with physical restraint.

OBJECTIVE: Restraint use is not monitored in the US, and only institutions that choose to do so collect statistics. In 1999, investigative journalists reported lethal consequences proximal to restraint use, making it a life-and-death matter that demands attention from professionals. This paper reviews the literature concerning actual and potential causes of deaths proximal to the use of physical restraint. METHOD: Searching the electronic databases Medline, Cinahl, and PsycINFO, we reviewed the areas of forensics and pathology, nursing, cardiology, immunology, psychology, neurosciences, psychiatry, emergency medicine, and sports medicine. CONCLUSIONS: Research is needed to provide clinicians with data on the risk factors and adverse effects associated with restraint use, as well as data on procedures that will lead to reduced use. Research is needed to determine what individual risk factors and combinations thereof contribute to injury and death.