Cyclic time patterns of death from suicide in northern Finland

BACKGROUND: Time patterns of suicide have been attributed not only to social and psychological factors but also to direct geophysical effects. Seasonal variations in day length and temperature seem likely to contribute to the timing of the suicide process. METHODS: We analysed all suicides (n=1658) committed in a northern province of Finland during a period of 153 months. Daily data on the number of suicides, local weather conditions and geomagnetic storms were compiled and modelled with Poisson regression using the province population as the denominator, and with the means of harmonic series for seasonal variation. Time series analysis of monthly numbers of suicides was carried out using the seasonal-trend decomposition procedure based on loess. RESULTS: Marked fluctuations in the number of suicides occurred during the study period (P=0.01). There was significant seasonal variation in death from suicide (P=0.01), but analysis of the meteorological data showed no evidence of effect on the risk of suicide. LIMITATIONS: Assessment of mental disorder or alcohol consumption was missing, since only data derived from death certificate was available for each case. CONCLUSIONS: The seasonal effect was significant, but remained modest compared to sex and age as risk factors for suicide. Preventive measures need to be tailored according to time of the year.     

Smoking from adolescence to adulthood: the effects of parental and own socioeconomic status

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to examine the effects of parental socioeconomic status, own socioeconomic status and social mobility upon the development of smoking from adolescence to adulthood. METHODS: Subjects were the participants of the North Karelia Youth Project study from six schools in Eastern Finland. At the baseline in 1978 they were 13 year-olds (n=903) and in the last of the six surveys in 1993 they were 28-year-olds. The parents were studied in 1978 and 1980. The association between smoking and socioeconomic status was measured by education, occupation and income in adolescence and adulthood, and social mobility was measured by the difference between parental and own education. RESULTS: In general, parental socioeconomic status was not significantly associated with the subjects' smoking in adolescence or adulthood. Own socioeconomic status measured at the age of 21 and 28 was strongly related to smoking. Those who were most educated in adulthood had smoked the least already from the age of 13. Social mobility was not significantly associated with smoking. CONCLUSION: The study stresses the importance of own socioeconomic status in relation to smoking, but parental socioeconomic status or social mobility does not have direct effects on smoking. Socioeconomic differences in smoking should be understood as an important determinant for health inequalities.     

Life events, social support, and onset of major depressive episode in Finnish patients

We investigated differences in life events and social support between subgroups of depressed patients and the distribution of life events in phases preceding or during depression. In the Vantaa Depression Study, 269 psychiatric patients with DSM-IV major depressive disorder were diagnosed with Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry, Version 2.0, and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R personality disorders (SCID-II). Life events during the 12 months preceding the interview were investigated with the Interview for Recent Life Events, and social support with the Interview Measure of Social Relationships and the Perceived Social Support Scale-Revised. Nearly all patients (91%) reported life events, on average 4.1 per preceding year. No major differences between sociodemographic or clinical subgroups were found; the frequency of events was somewhat greater among the younger subjects, whereas those with comorbid alcoholism or personality disorders perceived less social support. Although events were distributed evenly between the time preceding depression, the prodromal phase, and the index major depressive episode, two thirds of the patients attributed their depression to some event. Despite clinical and sociodemographic heterogeneity, patients with major depressive disorder are fairly homogeneous in terms of life events during the preceding year. Events do not cluster in any particular phase of the progression to an episode.     

Suicide in alcohol-dependent individuals: epidemiology and management

The association of alcohol dependence with suicidal behaviour is well established although complex. On the basis of epidemiological and clinical evidence, alcohol dependence is known to increase the risk for suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and completed suicide. However, this risk is modulated by a wide variety of factors including sociodemographic, clinical, treatment-related and life situational characteristics as well as current drinking status and the effect of inebriation. Treatment and management of patients with alcohol dependence and concomitant suicidal communication or suicide attempts is crucial, as is the recognition of these patients in emergency and other healthcare service contacts. The treatment strategies cannot be based on evidence derived from randomised clinical trials as such data do not exist. They must rather be based on current knowledge of risk factors for suicidal behaviour, efficacy of treatment for alcohol dependence or relevant co-morbid conditions and problems known to be common in treatment settings. In this article, we review the essential literature on the epidemiological and clinical research in the areas of alcohol dependence and suicidal behaviour. On the basis of current data and clinical experience, we suggest the following principles be followed in the management of alcohol-dependent individuals: (i) suicidal threats or communication by alcohol-dependent individuals in emergency and other contacts should be taken seriously; (ii) other mental disorders should be well evaluated, a consequent treatment plan initiated and follow-up arranged; (iii) appropriate and up-to-date pharmacological treatment should focus on both reducing the amount of drinking and treating symptoms of other mental disorders; (iv) psychotherapeutic efforts should be focused on emerging symptoms of both alcohol use and other mental disorders; and (v) known epidemiological and clinical risk factors, adverse life events in particular, should be recognised and taken into account.     

Cytokines and adhesion molecules in duodenal mucosa of children with delayed-type food allergy

OBJECTIVES: The aim was to investigate the expression of cytokines, adhesion molecules, and activation and proliferation markers in duodenal biopsies from children with delayed-type food allergy (FA). METHODS: Seven children with untreated FA (uFA), seven children with treated FA (tFA) to cow milk and/or cereals, and five normal controls furnished duodenal biopsy specimens. Additionally, five pediatric patients with celiac disease were included, serving exclusively as positive controls for in situ hybridization. Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin-4 (IL-4), adhesion molecules, and activation markers were detected by immunohistochemistry, and expression of IFN-gamma and IL-4 messenger RNA was revealed by in situ hybridization. RESULTS: uFA patients had a higher density of IFN-gamma positive cells in the lamina propria than did tFA patients and controls (P = 0.053 and P = 0.018). Moreover, the uFA patients exhibited a higher proportion of crypt cells in mitosis than did tFA patients (P = 0.026), and stronger staining of HLA-DR in the crypts and increased density of gammadelta-T cell receptor-positive intraepithelial lymphocytes than did controls (P = 0.048 and P = 0.010). The densities of alpha(4)beta(7) positive cells in the lamina propria tended to be higher in controls than in uFA or tFA patients (P = 0.106, P = 0.073). Expression of IL-4 mRNA was significantly higher in celiac patients than in the other study groups (uFA P = 0.006, tFA P = 0.010; controls P = 0.029), and celiac patients showed higher expression of IFN-gamma mRNA than did tFA patients or controls (P = 0.017 and P = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS: As expected, Th1 dominance was present in the lamina propria of children with delayed-type FA. It may cause activation of epithelial cells and increase their turnover.     

The effects of transdermal estrogen therapy on bone mass and turnover in early postmenopausal smokers: a prospective, controlled study

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether smoking reduces the effects of transdermal estrogen replacement therapy on bone. STUDY DESIGN: One hundred forty-eight women (0.5-5 years after menopause, aged 46-58 years) completed the study. Smokers were assigned randomly to receive either 1.0 mg (n=32 women) or 1.5 mg (n=31 women) of transdermal estradiol in gel daily, and nonsmokers (n=46 women) were assigned to receive 1.0 mg of transdermal estradiol for 2 years. The control group consisted of 17 smokers and 22 nonsmokers. Bone mineral density was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Bone turnover was assessed by measurements of urinary aminoterminal telopeptide of type I collagen and serum aminoterminal propeptide of type I procollagen. RESULTS: Lumbar spine bone mineral density increased similarly in smoking (+3.6%) and nonsmoking (+2.6%) estrogen users (P<.0001 to a decrease of 2.5% in the control group). Femoral neck bone mineral density increased 2.2% to 2.4% in smoking and nonsmoking estrogen users but decreased 0.2% in control subjects (P<.05). Urinary aminoterminal telopeptide of type I collagen decreased similarly in all estrogen-using groups (P<.05 to control group), but serum aminoterminal propeptide of type I procollagen decreased more in smoking than in nonsmoking estrogen users (P=.006). Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D was 20% lower (P=.004) in smokers than in nonsmokers. CONCLUSION: Transdermal estrogen treatment protects smoking women as effectively as nonsmokers from osteoporosis. Smoking worsens the vitamin D state of postmenopausal women.     

Idiopathic inflammatory medial meatal fibrotizing otitis

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic inflammatory medial meatal fibrotizing otitis (IMFO) is rare. Only a few cases with unknown cause have been reported. OBJECTIVE: To report 3 cases of IMFO as a specific diagnostic entity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two adults and 1 child with bilateral IMFO were observed for several years at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology of Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. RESULTS: Only the osseous part of the external ear canals was affected by IMFO. The skin and skin organs over the lateral cartilage of the ear canals remained rigorously and constantly uninflamed through the active, relentless progression of the disease over several years, resulting in the formation of a fibrous plug of the medial meatal canal. The middle ears and mastoid air cells were not affected during the active inflammatory phase. CONCLUSION: IMFO has its own specific pathophysiologic characteristics, and perhaps also etiopathologic characteristics, which are still unknown.     

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase genotype modulates the improvement of coronary blood flow by pravastatin: a placebo-controlled PET study

The objective was to study whether coronary blood flow or its response to pravastatin are affected by genetic variation in the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene. Vascular endothelial nitric oxide maintains endothelium-dependent vasodilatation and also mediates antithrombotic actions. Its formation is catalyzed by eNOS, a constitutive enzyme, which has a polymorphic site in intron 4 (4a/b). Some clinical studies have suggested an association of the rare a-allele of eNOS with coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction. We carried out a double-blind placebo-controlled study involving 43 men (aged 35+/-4 years), who were randomized to receive either 40 mg/day pravastatin ( n=21) or placebo ( n=22) for 6 months. Myocardial blood flow was measured by positron emission tomography (PET) using (15)O-labeled water. PET was performed at rest and after stimulation by adenosine infusion. PET and lipid analyses were carried out at baseline and after 6 months. eNOS genotyping was done by PCR. At baseline there were no differences in basal or adenosine-stimulated coronary blood flow between subjects with either eNOS bb or ba genotypes. At the end of the study genotypes reacted differently between pravastatin and placebo groups with respect to the change in adenosine-stimulated flow (ANCOVA P=0.008). More specifically, after pravastatin treatment the adenosine-stimulated flow increased by 54.5% in men with the eNOS ba genotype, whereas in the men with the bb genotype no significant change in flow was observed ( P=0.002 for ba versus bb). In the placebo group there were no significant changes in blood flow from the baseline values ( P=0.916 for ba versus bb). After pravastatin treatment both genotype groups showed a similar decrease in serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( P<0.00001 for both). Our results suggest that adenosine-stimulated myocardial perfusion improves after treatment with pravastatin in subjects with the eNOS ba genotype but not in those with the bb genotype. This effect is not dependent on the decrease of serum cholesterol.     

Microvascular reconstructions of full-thickness oncological chest wall defects

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the suitability of microvascular flaps for the reconstruction of extensive full-thickness defects of the chest wall. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Chest wall defects are conventionally reconstructed with pedicular musculocutaneous flaps or the omentum. Sometimes, however, these flaps have already been used, are not reliable due to previous operations or radiotherapy, or are of inadequate size. In such cases, microvascular flaps offer the only option for reconstruction. METHODS: From 1988 to 2001, 26 patients with full-thickness resections of the chest wall underwent reconstruction with microvascular flaps. There were 8 soft tissue sarcomas, 8 recurrent breast cancers, 5 chondrosarcomas, 2 desmoid tumors, 1 large cell pulmonary cancer metastasis, 1 renal cancer metastasis, and 1 bronchopleural fistula. The surgery comprised 5 extended forequarter amputations, 5 lateral resections, 8 thoracoabdominal resections, and 8 sternal resections. The mean diameter of a resection was 28 cm. The soft tissue defect was reconstructed with 16 tensor fasciae latae, 5 tensor fascia latae combined with rectus femoris, and 3 transversus rectus abdominis myocutaneous flaps. In 2 patients with a forequarter amputation, the remnant forearm was used as the osteomusculocutaneous free flap. RESULTS: There were no flap losses or perioperative mortality. Four patients needed tracheostomy owing to prolonged respiratory difficulties. The mean survival time for patients with sarcomas was 39 months and for those with recurrent breast cancer 18 months. CONCLUSIONS: Extensive chest wall resections are possible with acceptable results. In patients with breast cancer, the surgery may offer valuable palliation and in those with sarcomas it can be curative.