Association between anthropometric indexes and cardiovascular risk factors

The aim of this study was to assess the associations of the body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) with ischemic heart disease (IHD) and risk factors of IHD in the Lithuanian population aged 25 to 70 years. The cross-sectional health survey was carried out in Kaunas, which is the second largest city in Lithuania, and in five regions randomly selected from the northern, southern, eastern, western and central parts of Lithuania. Data from 2048 subjects (936 men and 1112 women) were analyzed. In both sexes, the odds ratios for reduced high density lipoprotein cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, high fasting blood glucose, and hypertension rose with an increasing quartile of BMI, WC, and WHtR. The likelihood of having IHD was statistically significantly higher in the fourth quartile of these anthropometric measures when compared to the first one. Comparison of the logistic regression models revealed that the models with WHtR best fit the prediction of IHD risk. Compared with BMI and WC, WHtR showed a stronger association with IHD and its risk factors in the Lithuanian adult population.     

Patterns and determinants of influenza and pneumococcal immunisation among adults with chronic disease living in Queensland, Australia

Using findings from a random, computer assisted telephone survey of households, this paper examines influenza and pneumococcal immunisation coverage and predictors of immunisation in 2203 adults with asthma, diabetes or a cardiovascular condition living in Queensland, Australia. 47% and 31% of high-risk persons were immunised against influenza and pnemococcus respectively. Immunisation coverage varied across chronic conditions and increased with age, being significantly higher for those aged 65 years and older and consequently eligible for free vaccination. Poor self reported health status was an independent predictor of pneumococcal vaccination status for people with asthma, diabetes or a cardiovascular condition; however it was only an independent predictor of influenza immunisation status for people with diabetes. Extending free vaccination to all people at risk may increase immunisation rates for younger people with a chronic condition     

DNA vaccines expressing the duck hepatitis B virus surface proteins lead to reduced numbers of infected hepatocytes and protect ducks against the development of chronic infection in a virus dose-dependent manner

We tested the efficacy of DNA vaccines expressing the duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) pre-surface (pre-S/S) and surface (S) proteins in modifying the outcome of infection in 14-day-old ducks. In two experiments, Pekin Aylesbury ducks were vaccinated on days 4 and 14 of age with plasmid DNA vaccines expressing either the DHBV pre-S/S or S proteins, or the control plasmid vector, pcDNA1.1Amp. All ducks were then challenged intravenously on day 14 of age with 5 x 10(7) or 5 x 10(8) DHBV genomes. Levels of initial DHBV infection were assessed using liver biopsy tissue collected at day 4 post-challenge (p.c.) followed and immunostained for DHBV surface antigen to determine the percentage of infected hepatocytes. All vector vaccinated ducks challenged with 5 x 10(7) and 5 x 10(8) DHBV genomes had an average of 3.21% and 20.1% of DHBV-positive hepatocytes respectively at day 4 p.c. and 16 out of 16 ducks developed chronic DHBV infection. In contrast, pre-S/S and S vaccinated ducks challenged with 5 x 10(7) DHBV genomes had reduced levels of initial infection with an average of 1.38% and 1.93% of DHBV-positive hepatocytes at day 4 p.c. respectively and 10 of 18 ducks were protected against chronic infection. The pre-S/S and the S DNA vaccinated ducks challenged with 5 x 10(8) DHBV genomes had an average of 31.5% and 9.2% of DHBV-positive hepatocytes on day 4 p.c. respectively and only 4 of the 18 vaccinated ducks were protected against chronic infection. There was no statistically significant difference in the efficacy of the DHBV pre-S/S or S DNA vaccines. In conclusion, vaccination of young ducks with DNA vaccines expressing the DHBV pre-S/S and S proteins induced rapid immune responses that reduced the extent of initial DHBV infection in the liver and prevented the development of chronic infection in a virus dose-dependent manner.     

Hypercholesterolemia and smoking habits of Lithuanian military personnel

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease, namely, hypercholesterolemia and current smoking, among 25- to 54-year-old men and women among Lithuanian active duty military personnel. METHODS: Serum cholesterol levels were measured enzymatically for 200 persons (126 men and 74 women). Interviews regarding smoking habits were performed for 82.5% of those persons (98 men and 67 women). RESULTS: Hypercholesterolemia (total cholesterol level of > or = 6.2 mmol/L) was determined for 45.2% of men and 40.5% of women. After distribution of men and women into three age groups (25-34, 35-44, and 45-54 years), it was determined that the rate of hypercholesterolemia increased with age (among groups of men, 29.6%, 46.7%, and 74.0%; among groups of women, 18.8%, 51.5%, and 40.0%, respectively). The proportion of current smokers among men was 2.6 times higher than that among women (45.9% vs. 17.9%; p < 0.001). The highest rate of current smoking was in the 35- to 44-year group of men (64.5%). The coexistence of hypercholesterolemia and current smoking among men was 3.1 times higher than that among women (23.5% vs. 7.5%; p < 0.01). The highest rates of current smoking with hypercholesterolemia were in the 35- to 44-year and 45- to 54-year groups of men (32.2% and 31.8%, respectively). CONCLUSION: The data demonstrated a relatively high rate (32.1%) of coexistence of two independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease (hypercholesterolemia and current smoking) among men 35 to 54 years of age from Lithuanian military personnel.     

Dielectric Properties of Hybrid Polyethylene Composites Containing Cobalt Nanoparticles and Carbon Nanotubes

Polymer composites with electrically conductive inclusions are intensively developed for microwave shielding applications, where lightweight and elastic coatings are necessary. In this paper, dielectric properties of hybrid polyethylene composites containing cobalt nanoparticles and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were investigated in the wide frequency range of 20–40 GHz for electromagnetic shielding applications. The percolation threshold in the hybrid system is close to 6.95 wt% MWCNT and 0.56 Co wt%. Cobalt nanoparticles (up to highest investigated concentration 4.8 wt%) had no impact on the percolation threshold, and for the fixed total concentration of fillers, the complex dielectric permittivity is higher for composites with bigger MWCNT concentrations. Moreover, the microwave complex dielectric permittivity of composites with high concentration of fillers is quite high (for composites with 13.4 wt% MWCNT and 1.1 wt% Co ε′ ≈ ε″ ≈ 20 at 30 GHz, it corresponds to microwave absorption 50% of 1 mm thickness plate); therefore, these composites are suitable for electromagnetic shielding applications.     

Rat pancreas secretes particulate ecto-nucleotidase CD39

In exocrine pancreas, acini release ATP and the excurrent ducts express several types of purinergic P2 receptors. Thereby, ATP, or its hydrolytic products, might play a role as a paracrine regulator between acini and ducts. The aim of the present study was to elucidate whether this acinar-ductal signalling is regulated by nucleotidase(s), and to characterize and localize one of the nucleotidases within the rat pancreas. Using RT-PCR and Western blotting we show that pancreas expresses the full length ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase, CD39. Immunofluorescence shows CD39 localization on basolateral membranes of acini and intracellularly. In small intercalated/ interlobular ducts, CD39 immunofluorescence was localized on the luminal membranes, while in larger ducts it was localized on the basolateral membranes. Upon stimulation with cholecystokinin-octapeptide-8 (CCK-8), acinar CD39 relocalizes in clusters towards the lumen and is secreted. As a result, pancreatic juice collected from intact pancreas stimulated with CCK-8 contained nucleotidase activity, including that of CD39, and no detectable amounts of ATP. Anti-CD39 antibodies detected the full length (78 kDa) CD39 in pancreatic juice. This CD39 was confined only to the particulate and not to the soluble fraction of CCK-8-stimulated secretion. No CD39 activity was detected in secretion stimulated by secretin. The role of secreted particulate, possibly microsomal, CD39 would be to regulate intraluminal ATP concentrations within the ductal tree. In conclusion, we show a novel inducible release of full length particulate CD39, and propose its role in the physiological context of pancreatic secretion.     

Ventricular outflow tract obstruction, systolic anterior motion and acute mitral regurgitation in Tako-Tsubo syndrome

Tako-Tsubo syndrome is characterized by ECG changes mimicking acute myocardial infarction, left ventricular wall motion abnormalities in the apical region with preserved function of base, and normal coronary arteries. We report the cases of two old women, presenting apical akinesis, basal hyperkinesis, severe systolic dysfunction and severe mitral regurgitation (MR). Doppler echocardiography showed a left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO), systolic anterior motion (SAM) of the mitral valve anterior leaflet. The patients recovered and, early later, left ventricular ejection fraction was documented as normal at echocardiography. The contemporary presence of LVOTO, SAM and MR might explain worsening of heart failure or incidence of cardiogenic shock in some patients with Tako-Tsubo syndrome.     

Oligodendroglial gliomatosis cerebri. Case report

Gliomatosis cerebri of oligodendroglial origin is very unusual. In the present article we illustrate a case of this pathology, outlining his severity and suggesting it seems to be more aggressive than the astroglial type. We give a short focus about the diagnosis and the therapy of this neoplastic disease.