Alcohol intake and diet in France, the prominent role of lifestyle.

AIM: Moderate alcohol intake is related to a decrease of coronary heart disease. This protective effect may be attributed to ethanol but may also depend on the type of alcoholic beverages. However, these differences may be confounded by lifestyle and diet. We investigated the relationships between alcohol consumption, beverage type preference and socio-economic status, diet and lifestyle. METHODS AND RESULTS: A cross-sectional survey on cardiovascular risk factors and nutrition was carried out from 1995 to 1997 by the French MONICA Centres. A sample of 1110 middle-aged men (45-64 years) was randomly recruited; 12.8% of men were abstainers and 16.3% reported a consumption of #10878;60 g/d alcohol. Smoking, waist-to-hip ratio and hypertension increased along with the amount of alcohol intake. Physical activity (from 40.9% in abstainers to 23.8% in heavy drinkers, p=0.0025), educational level (from 11.9+/-4.4 to 11.1+/-3.8 years, p=0.01), socio-economic status and diet quality index (from 7.1+/-2.3 to 6.3+/-2.0, p<0.0001 after multivariate adjustment) decreased along with the increase of alcohol consumption and were higher among wine drinkers than among beer or mixed drinkers. Diet quality index was 7.1+/-1.9, 6.4+/-1.8 and 6.6+/-1.9 among wine, beer and mixed drinkers, respectively (p=0.007 after multivariate adjustment). CONCLUSION: Moderate alcohol drinkers or wine drinkers have healthy diet and behaviours compared to other drinkers or abstainers. The living area plays a significant role in the dieting behaviours.     

Follicular lymphoma international prognostic index

The prognosis of follicular lymphomas (FL) is heterogeneous and numerous treatments may be proposed. A validated prognostic index (PI) would help in evaluating and choosing these treatments. Characteristics at diagnosis were collected from 4167 patients with FL diagnosed between 1985 and 1992. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to propose a PI. This index was then tested on 919 patients. Five adverse prognostic factors were selected: age (> 60 years vs 60 years), Ann Arbor stage (III-IV vs I-II), hemoglobin level (< 120 g/L vs 120 g/L), number of nodal areas (> 4 vs 4), and serum LDH level (above normal vs normal or below). Three risk groups were defined: low risk (0-1 adverse factor, 36% of patients), intermediate risk (2 factors, 37% of patients, hazard ratio [HR] of 2.3), and poor risk ( 3 adverse factors, 27% of patients, HR = 4.3). This Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) appeared more discriminant than the International Prognostic Index proposed for aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Results were very similar in the confirmation group. The FLIPI may be used for improving treatment choices, comparing clinical trials, and designing studies to evaluate new treatments.      

Detection of myocardial iron overload by two-dimensional speckle tracking in patients with beta-thalassaemia major: a combined echocardiographic and T2* segmental CMR study

We aimed to evaluate the role of two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (2DSTI) in detecting early changes of myocardial deformation in patients affected by thalassemia major (TM) and its relation with myocardial iron overload (MIO) detected by T2* cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). We studied 28 TM patients (15 males, 37.4?±?10 years). All patients underwent CMR and echocardiography in the same day. Segmental and global T2* values were measured. Values of global longitudinal strain (GLS) were derived from the three apical views, while radial and circumferential strain were obtained as average strain from the short axis views at basal, mid and apical level. Six patients (21.4%) showed significant MIO (global heart T2*?<?20 ms). GLS showed a significant correlation with T2* values (R?=??0.49; P?=?0.001) and it was significantly lower in patients with a significant MIO than in those with no significant MIO (?18.3?±?2 vs. ?21.3?±?2.7, P?=?0.02). No significant difference was found for radial and circumferential strain in relation to the severity of MIO. Patients with impaired GLS (<?19.5%) had a significant higher risk of showing significant MIO (Odds-ratio-OR?=?17; 95%). GLS is related with global T2* in TM patients. Moreover, GLS can identify TM patients with severe MIO detected by CMR.     

Positive association between beta-chemokine-producing T cells and HIV type 1 viral load in HIV-infected subjects in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

The role of beta-chemokines in controlling HIV replication in vivo is still controversial. Therefore, the association between HIV-1 plasma viral load and the capacity of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells to produce beta-chemokines was studied in 28 antiretroviral drug-na?ve HIV-1-infected female sex workers in Abidjan, C?te d'Ivoire. Percentages of beta-chemokine-positive T cells were measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells by flow cytometry after intracellular staining for RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T expressed and secreted), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1alpha, and MIP-1beta. HIV-1-infected subjects had higher percentages of MIP-1alpha- and MIP-1beta-positive CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells (p < 0.02) and of RANTES-positive CD8(+) T cells (p = 0.054) than uninfected controls. Percentages of RANTES- and MIP-1beta-positive CD8(+) T cells correlated directly with HIV-1 plasma viral load (p < 0.02). Percentages of beta-chemokine-positive CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells correlated directly with percentages of HLA-DR-positive T cells (p < 0.02) and inversely (except RANTES in CD4(+) T cells) with absolute numbers of CD4(+) T cells (p < 0.05) in peripheral blood. These data indicate that increased percentages of beta-chemokine-producing T cells in HIV-1-infected subjects correlate with disease progression and are a sign of viremia-driven chronic T cell activation.     

Cellular human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-protective factors: a comparison of HIV-exposed seronegative female sex workers and female blood donors in Abidjan,Côte d'Ivoire

Cellular factors that may protect against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection were investigated in 27 HIV-exposed seronegative (ESN) female sex workers (FSWs) and 27 HIV-seronegative female blood donors. Compared with blood donors, ESN FSWs had significantly decreased expression levels of C-X-C chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4), but not of C-C chemokine receptor 5, on both memory (P<.001) and naive (P=.041) CD4(+) T cells. CXCR4 down-regulation was associated with prolonged duration of commercial sex work by ESN FSWs. CD38 expression on CD8(+) T cells was significantly increased among ESN FSWs, compared with that among blood donors (P=.017). There were no differences in HLA-DR and CD62L expression between blood donors and ESN FSWs. Proportions of T cells producing the beta-chemokines RANTES (regulated on activation, normally T cell-expressed and -secreted), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1alpha, and MIP-1beta or the cytokines interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, interferon-gamma, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, were similar in the 2 groups. These data indicate that ESN FSWs differ from HIV-seronegative female blood donors with respect to immunological factors that have no clear protective potential against HIV transmission.