Prevalence of cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases and risk factors by region and urbanization in the United States.

Cardiovascular and pulmonary mortality rates vary among US regions and places of varying levels of urbanization. Morbidity rarely has been analyzed within regions by urbanization level. Therefore, data from the National Health Interview Survey were examined for geographic patterns for 1983 through 1987. The most consistent finding was high rates of self-reported cardiovascular disease in non-metropolitan areas of the South. Otherwise, geographic variation of rates of self-reported disease prevalence with region and urbanization was not consistent across age and sex groups. Nor did rates consistently parallel patterns reported for mortality, with the exception of high rates in the nonmetropolitan South and relatively low rates in some groups in metropolitan areas outside central cities. Heart disease and ischemic heart disease patterns did not parallel patterns of high blood pressure, smoking, or low education, except for the tendency of all to be high in the nonmetropolitan South. In white men aged 45 to 64, the ischemic heart disease prevalence rate in the nonmetropolitan South was nearly twice that in the West or in the metropolitan Northeast. In blacks, rates of heart disease were lowest in metropolitan areas outside central cities and similar in central cities and nonmetropolitan areas. In the South, a similar pattern was seen in the only region with adequate numbers of nonmetropolitan-dwelling blacks in the sample. In blacks aged 45 to 64, rates of high blood pressure were lowest in metropolitan areas outside central cities and highest in nonmetropolitan areas, with little variation among regions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Discrepancies in racial designations of school children in Minneapolis

To determine the frequency of inaccuracies in racial designations of school children in a health survey, racial designations were examined for a sample of 1,509 children in Minneapolis public schools who participated in the first home interview of the Minneapolis Children's Blood Pressure Study. The data were obtained from three sources: the school enrollment data based on parentally supplied information and teachers' visual judgments, school survey interviewers participating in a research project, and the parents themselves, at home interviews. Assuming the correctness of the information obtained from the parent in the home interview, cross tabulation comparisons were made of the accuracy of the information obtained from the other sources, and within sources. Results show a high degree of agreement between the parents' or teachers' designations at enrollment, and survey interviewers' sight judgments. Furthermore, sight judgments of interviewers show high repeatability. There was a significant degree of disagreement between the designations by teachers' and screeners' visual judgments, obtained in school, and the interviews with the parents. Misidentification occurred for up to 20 percent of Native American children, a rate which, if prevalent, may significantly affect public health studies which are based on racial identifications of school children. When possible, researchers studying Native American or mixed race populations should verify racial designations from school documents or sight judgments. Questionnaires to be answered by parents need to have sufficiently detailed categories to enable parents of different racial groups to identify different racial groups accurately.     

Acquired cystic kidney disease: occurrence in patients on chronic peritoneal dialysis

Acquired cystic kidney disease (ACKD) is a well-known complication of long-term hemodialysis. To the best of our knowledge, only six patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis have been reported to develop this disease. We herein report two such cases, and concluded that the morphology of ACKD seems to be independent of the type of dialysis and that hemodialysis is not necessary for the development of ACKD.     

Characterization of the interstitial cellular infiltrate in experimental chronic cyclosporine nephropathy

In a recently described rodent model of chronic cyclosporine nephropathy (CCN) (consisting of irregularly distributed areas of interstitial inflammation, interstitial fibrosis, and tubular atrophy) we have characterized the interstitial inflammatory cells. Using a modified avidin-biotin peroxidase technique, kidney tissue was examined with monoclonal antibodies directed against leukocyte-common antigen (LCA), T lymphocytes, T helper and T nonhelper lymphocytes, Ia (B cell marker), and macrophages. Injured cortex from cyclosporine-treated animals demonstrated increased numbers of T helper and B lymphocytes, macrophages, and cells bearing LCA. Cytotoxic (T nonhelper) cells were scant. Non-injured areas of cortex from CsA-treated animals demonstrated only a modest increase in macrophages when compared with vehicle controls and normal rats. We conclude that CCN in rodents is characterized by an interstitial inflammatory infiltrate of T helper cells, B cells, and macrophages. The role of these cells in the pathogenesis of CCN, however, remains speculative.