Isoflavone intake in four different European countries: the VENUS approach

The aim of this study was to identify the level of isoflavone intake (total isoflavones, daidzein and genistein) in four European countries: Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands and the UK. For this purpose national food composition databases of isoflavone content were created in a comparable way, using the Vegetal Estrogens in Nutrition and the Skeleton (VENUS) analytical database as a common basis, and appropriate food consumption data were selected. The isoflavone intake in Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands and the UK is on average less than 1 mg/d. Small groups of consumers of soya foods could be identified in Ireland, The Netherlands and the UK. The estimated intake levels are low compared with those found in typical Asian diets (approximately 20-100 mg/d) and also low compared with levels where physiological effects are expected (60-100 mg/d). The results (including a subgroup analysis of soya product consumers) showed that such levels are difficult to achieve with the European diets studied here.     

Predictive Association of Smoking with Depressive Symptoms: a Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Twins

Prevention Science - Longitudinal, genetically informative studies of the association between cigarette smoking and depressive symptoms among adolescents are limited. We examined the longitudinal...     

Impaired executive performance in healthy siblings of schizophrenia patients in a population-based study

There is increasing evidence that healthy siblings of schizophrenia patients have similar, although milder, neuropsychological deficits than their affected family members. However, the interpretation of these findings has been complicated by methodological differences, for example the selection of relatives studied and the sensitivity of tests used. We studied neuropsychological functioning in schizophrenia families in representative, population-based samples of schizophrenia patients (n=81) and healthy siblings (n=78) from 58 families, and control subjects (n=70). We found that the healthy sibling group was impaired in tests measuring performance speed and executive functions. The patients were significantly impaired in all neuropsychological variables studied when compared with the control subjects, and also when compared with the healthy siblings. The effects of age, sex and education were controlled for. In conclusion, in a study of representative, population-based sample the healthy siblings of schizophrenia patients demonstrated deficits in processing speed and executive functions.     

Depression: an important comorbidity with metabolic syndrome in a general population

OBJECTIVE—There is a recognized association among depression, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to examine in a sample representative of the general population whether depression, anxiety, and psychological distress are associated with metabolic syndrome and its components.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Three cross-sectional surveys including clinical health measures were completed in rural regions of Australia during 2004–2006. A stratified random sample (n = 1,690, response rate 48%) of men and women aged 25–84 years was selected from the electoral roll. Metabolic syndrome was defined by the Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults, Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III), and International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. Anxiety and depression were assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and psychological distress by the Kessler 10 measure.RESULTS—Metabolic syndrome was associated with depression but not psychological distress or anxiety. Participants with the metabolic syndrome had higher scores for depression (n = 409, mean score 3.41, 95% CI 3.12–3.70) than individuals without the metabolic syndrome (n = 936, mean 2.95, 95% CI 2.76–3.13). This association was also present in 338 participants with the metabolic syndrome and without diabetes (mean score 3.37, 95% CI 3.06–3.68). Large waist circumference and low HDL cholesterol showed significant and independent associations with depression.CONCLUSIONS—Our results show an association between metabolic syndrome and depression in a heterogeneous sample. The presence of depression in individuals with the metabolic syndrome has implications for clinical management.Recent definitions of metabolic syndrome (1,2) specify the following quantitative criteria: large waist circumference, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia (high triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol), and fasting hyperglycemia with underlying insulin resistance as the likely mechanism. The combination of these components is a strong predictor of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Understanding the mechanisms involved and factors associated with the metabolic syndrome is of great interest given the pandemic of obesity and increasing prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (32% in the U.S. adult population in 1999–2000 [3] using the Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults, Adult Treatment Panel III [NCEP ATP III] [1], criteria and 28% in our region [4]).There is an increasing interest in the association between metabolic syndrome and depression and whether causal relationships are involved. The proposed link is consistent with reports that depression is associated with development of diabetes and with poor glycemic control in established diabetes (5). For instance, Björntorp (6) has hypothesized that psychological problems are associated with metabolic disorders via visceral fat accumulation. The postulated role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in the pathogenesis of central adiposity and metabolic syndrome has led to the conceptualization of the metabolic syndrome as a neuroendocrine disorder (7).To investigate the link between metabolic syndrome and depression, several studies have been conducted with results generally supporting an association of metabolic syndrome with depression. However, the groups studied were not representative samples from the general population with metabolic syndrome, being either relatively young (8,9), men only (10), premenopausal women only (11,12), or a clinically targeted population (13) (

A novel mutation in the third extracellular domain of the tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 in a Finnish family with autosomal-dominant recurrent fever

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the presence of TRAPS (tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic syndrome), which is a recently defined, dominantly inherited autoinflammatory syndrome caused by mutations in the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily 1A gene (TNFRSF1A, CD120a), in a Finnish family with recurrent fever. METHODS: The TNFRSF1A gene was sequenced in both affected and unaffected family members. Flow cytometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay analyses were used to assess membrane expression and serum levels of the TNFRSF1A protein, respectively. RESULTS: A missense mutation in exon 4, located in the third extracellular domain of TNFRSF1A and resulting in an amino acid substitution (F112I) close to a conserved cysteine, was found in all 4 affected family members and in 1 asymptomatic individual. The mutation was clearly associated with low levels of soluble TNFRSF1A as well as with the clinical symptoms of recurrent fever and abdominal pain. Impaired shedding of TNFRSF1A after phorbol myristate acetate stimulation was detected in blood granulocytes and monocytes from the 3 adult family members with the mutation, but in the child bearing the mutation and showing clinical symptoms of recent onset, the shedding defect was less marked. CONCLUSION: TRAPS should be suspected in any patient who presents with a history of intermittent fever accompanied by unexplained abdominal pain, arthritis, or skin rash, particularly in the presence of a family history of such symptoms. Screening for low serum levels of soluble TNFRSF1A identifies individuals who are likely to have TNFRSF1A mutations.     

Presence of α -Naphthyl Acetate Esterase Activity in Human Haematopoietic Cell Lines and in Fresh Biopsy Specimens of Lymphoma and Myeloma

We have previously shown that non-proliferating human T- but not B-lymphocytes contain demonstrable amounts of acid α-naphthyl acetate esterase (ANAE). The usefulness of this histochemical marker for the diagnosis and classification of malignant lymphoid tumors was investigated by use of a panel of established normal and malignant human haematopoietic cell lines and fresh biopsy cells from malignant lymphomas and myelomas. The results showed that not only the T-cell derived acute leukaemia lines, but also histiocytic lymphoma and myeloma lines and some of the lymphoma (Burkitt and lymphocytic) and non-neoplastic lymphoblastoid cell lines with B-cell surface markers expressed strong ANAE reactivity. Some but not all of the immunoglobulin producing myeloma and lymphocytic lymphoma biopsies were ANAE-positive. Inhibition experiments with sodium fluoride and E-600 demonstrated that although the T-lymphocyte specific esterase is predominantly of ‘A’-type, the malignant lines contain also non-specific ‘B’ esterase and pseudocholinesterase. As the presence of the various esterases did not demonstrate any specific distribution pattern among he haematopoietic cell lines of different origin, we concluded that the ANAE marker is no longer T-specific when malignant lymphoid cells are considered, and that the usefulness of this marker in routine diagnostic work therefore is limited.     

In vitro T- and B-cell reactivity in cartilage hair hypoplasia

We have investigated in vivo and in vitro parameters of cellular immunity in ten patients with cartilage hair hypoplasia, CHH. All ten patients displayed a negative skin test to 1 Tu tuberculin, eight patients did not respond to 10 Tu and seven not even to 100 Tu. Six patients were skin test-negative to 1:50 oidiomycin; and three were negative to even 1:10 oidiomycin. The absolute and relative distribution of blood T lymphocytes was normal. The absolute distribution of blood B lymphocytes was slightly decreased in three patients, but all patients had normal levels of IgM, IgG and IgA. Major changes were observed in the proliferative responses of blood leucocytes to mitogens and antigens. Five patients responded suboptimally to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), two to concanavalin A, three patients were hyporesponsive to Staphylococcus aureus strain Cowan I bacteria, six to tuberculin (PPD) and six to oidiomycin. The in vitro responses of two patients were entirely normal. Except for three patients responding suboptimally to PPD or oidiomycin only, the reduced responses were all confined to the five patients responding suboptimally to PHA. The suboptimally responding patients displayed normal dose–response profiles to both PHA and Con A.

The in vitro hyporeactivity was a persistent phenomenon, as the pattern of PHA and Con A reactivity was essentially similar when the same patients had been tested to the same mitogens 5 years earlier. Except for the skin test hyporeactivity, none of these patients displayed any detectable clinical handicap, suggesting that the Finnish variant of the syndrome is dissimilar from the Amish variant, where the in vitro deficiency to mitogens and antigens is related to susceptibility to severe and often fatal infections, especially to varicella and vaccinia.

     

Humans as reservoir for enterotoxin gene--carrying Clostridium perfringens type A

We found a prevalence of 18% for enterotoxin gene-carrying (cpe+) Clostridium perfringens in the feces of healthy food handlers by PCR and isolated the organism from 11 of 23 PCR-positive persons by using hydrophobic grid membrane filter-colony hybridization. Several different cpe genotypes were recovered. The prevalence was 3.7% for plasmidial IS1151-cpe, 2.9% for plasmidial IS1470-like-cpe, 0.7% for chromosomal IS1470-cpe, and 1.5% for unknown cpe genotype. Lateral spread of cpe between C. perfringens strains was evident because strains from the same person carried IS1470-like cpe but shared no genetic relatedness according to pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis. Our findings suggest that healthy humans serve as a rich reservoir for cpe+ C. perfringens type A and may play a role in the etiology of gastrointestinal diseases caused by this organism. The results also indicate that humans should be considered a risk factor for spread of C. perfringens type A food poisoning and that they are a possible source of contamination for C. perfringens type A food poisoning.     

The incidence of spina bifida in Sweden 1973-2003: the effect of prenatal diagnosis

BACKGROUND: Many studies have been conducted on the accuracy of prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of foetal CNS-malformations. These studies were mostly hospital-based or, sometimes, multicentre studies. We present here a population-based study of the prenatal diagnosis of spina bifida in Sweden over a period of 31 years. METHODS: We compared the number of newborns with spina bifida and the elective terminations because of the prenatal diagnosis of spina bifida for different periods. RESULTS: The rate of spina bifida among newborns diminished gradually from 0.55 per 1000 to 0.29 per 1000 during the study period. In M county the rate of spina bifida at birth decreased very rapidly and from 1993 onwards was about half of that in the rest of the country. CONCLUSION: There has been a decline in the rate of spina bifida at birth. This decline can be seen earlier in the southern part of the country, M county. The decline is probably, to a great extent, a consequence of prenatal ultrasound screening.