The dietary intake of homeless males sleeping rough in Central London

Data concerning the food and beverage intake (including alcohol) of 79 males, aged 19–50 years, sleeping rough in Central London, who did not appear to be under the influence of drink, drugs or suffering from mental illness were collected by prompted 24-h recall and food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The source of food was noted and the subjects were asked about food availability and food needs. The group had intakes significantly lower than Dietary Reference Values (DRV) for the UK for energy, carbohydrate, non-starch polysaccharides (NSP), folate, zinc and magnesium. Significantly higher values were seen for protein, fat, vitamin B₁₂, calcium and iron. Alcohol intake was higher than that assumed to approximate current intakes of the UK population. Mean macronutrient intakes for the group were similar to means for British adult men (OPCS, 1990), only protein and NSP were significantly lower. The FFQ showed very low consumption/week of fruit, vegetables, salad, fruit juice and wholewheat/brown products. Organized charities provided the major source of food energy for the group as a whole. Self-supplied sources provided the major source of total energy. It is suggested that the group may benefit from an increase in dietary fibre and energy, with an increase in the proportion of energy supplied by carbohydrate and a reduction in energy from fat and alcohol. A varied supply of food and hot meals during weekends as well as during the week may benefit the group both aesthetically and nutritionally. It may be advisable to increase the supply of wholemeal/brown bread, fruits, vegetables and salad foods without decreasing the energy content of the food available.     

Quantitative neuropathology by high resolution magic angle spinning proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy

We describe a method that directly relates tissue neuropathological analysis to medical imaging. Presently, only indirect and often tenuous relationships are made between imaging (such as MRI or x-ray computed tomography) and neuropathology. We present a biochemistry-based, quantitative neuropathological method that can help to precisely quantify information provided by in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹HMRS), an emerging medical imaging technique. This method, high resolution magic angle spinning (HRMAS) ¹HMRS, is rapid and requires only small amounts of unprocessed samples. Unlike chemical extraction or other forms of tissue processing, this method analyzes tissue directly, thus minimizing artifacts. We demonstrate the utility of this method by assessing neuronal damage using multiple tissue samples from differently affected brain regions in a case of Pick disease, a human neurodegenerative disorder. Among different regions, we found an excellent correlation between neuronal loss shown by traditional neurohistopathology and decrease of the neuronal marker N-acetylaspartate measured by HRMAS ¹HMRS. This result demonstrates for the first time, to our knowledge, a direct, quantitative link between a decrease in N-acetylaspartate and neuronal loss in a human neurodegenerative disease. As a quantitative method, HRMAS ¹HMRS has potential applications in experimental and clinical neuropathologic investigations. It should also provide a rational basis for the interpretation of in vivo ¹HMRS studies of human neurological disorders.     

Exploring the nature of the relationship between child sexual abuse and substance use among women

Aims. This study investigated whether child sexual abuse (CSA) was associated with earlier substance use and greater severity of substance dependence and what aspects of CSA might predict substance abuse. Design. The study compared (a) drug and alcohol treatment clients with and without a history of CSA and (b) CSA survivors outside drug and alcohol treatment who did or did not have current substance abuse. Settings. Semi-structured interviews took place at participants' homes, treatment agencies or the research centre. Participants. Volunteer participants included 100 women recruited from drug and alcohol treatment programmes and 80 CSA survivors recruited through CSA counselling services and media advertising. Measurements. The results focus on data from the Opiate Treatment Index, Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire, Substance Dependence Scale, Self-Esteem Inventory and self-reported histories of CSA. Findings. There were no differences between CSA survivors and other drug and alcohol treatment clients in their severity of dependence. Women with a history of CSA more frequently identified stimulants as their main problem drug and reported an earlier age of first intoxication and earlier use of inhalants. Among CSA survivors outside drug and alcohol treatment, women with current substance abuse had typically been abused during adolescence by someone outside the family, whereas those without current substance abuse were typically abused by family members before adolescence. Conclusions. The results suggest that adolescence is a crucial time for the influence of CSA experiences on substance abuse.     

Phospholipase activity of Mycobacterium leprae harvested from experimentally infected armadillo tissue.

Three types of phospholipase activity--phospholipase A1, A2, and lysophospholipase--were detected in Mycobacterium leprae harvested from armadillo tissue at about 25% of the specific activity found in a slowly growing mycobacterium, Mycobacterium microti, which was grown in medium to optimize its phospholipase activity. The highest activity found was lysophospholipase, which released fatty acid from 2-lyso-phosphatidylcholine. Phospholipase activity was detected by using phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. Differences in relative activities with these three types of substrate distinguished phospholipase activity in M. leprae extracts from armadillo liver extracts. Furthermore, retention of activity in M. leprae after NaOH treatment showed that the activity associated with M. leprae was not host derived. The specific activity of phospholipase was 20 times higher in extracts of M. leprae than in intact M. leprae organisms. Diazotization, a treatment which abolishes activities of surface enzymes exposed to the environment by the formation of covalent azide bonds with exposed amino groups, did not affect M. leprae's phospholipase activity, with one exception: release of arachidonic acid from phosphatidylcholine, which was partially inhibited. Phenolic glycolipid I, the major excreted amphipathic lipid of M. leprae, inhibited phospholipase activity, including release of arachidonic acid, for both M. leprae- and armadillo-derived activity.     

Clinical use of a standard kit-preparation of radiolabeled monoclonal antibody 96.5 in the diagnostic imaging of metastatic melanoma

We studied the efficiency of a standard-kit preparation using 1 mg 111In-labeled 96.5 monoclonal antibody in combination with 19 mg of unlabeled antibody in the diagnostic imaging of 27 patients with documented metastatic melanoma. Twenty-three of 26 patients (88%) demonstrated immunoscintigraphic localization of tumor. Of 104 metastatic sites previously documented by conventional studies, 62 (60%) were identified by immunoscintigraphy. A total of 77 sites demonstrated localization of radiolabeled antibody. Fifty-four (70%) corresponded to known sites of disease; eight sites (10%) were "discovered" by immunoscintigraphy and subsequently confirmed by conventional studies; 15 imaged sites (20%) could not be confirmed by conventional studies. Size and location of metastasis appear to be important features that influence imaging efficiency. Tumor size (greater than or equal to 2 cm v less than 2 cm) appears to be the statistical dominant determinant. The feasibility and potential clinical use of radioimmune imaging of tumors is discussed.