Alloantibodies to glycoprotein La/LLa (anti-HPA-5a and -5b) and IIb/IIIa (anti-HPA1a, -3a and -4a) in Nigerian parous women

Human platelet antibodies are often implicated in conditions such as neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (NAIT), idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and platelet refractoriness; however, the frequency of such alloantibodies has not been reported in Nigeria and West Africa. A cross section of apparently healthy adult female staff at a tertiary health facility in the Niger Delta, Nigeria, was screened for alloantibodies to human platelet antigens (HPA) using the GTI PakPlus qualitative solid-phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Among the 100 women screened, no anti-glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (anti-HPA-Ia,-3a and -4a) antibodies were detected; however, prevalence of anti-glycoprotein Ia/IIa (anti-HPA-5b) was 30% and pf anti-glycoprotein Ia/IIa (anti-HPA-5a) was 18%. Parity had a significant influence on the development to HPA antibodies (Fisher's Exact test: 11.683, P < 0.05; 13.577, P < 0.01). Platelet count did not have an influence on the development of antibodies (P > 0.05). Clearly, there is need to initiate platelet serology in this setting and also a need to educate women about the risk associated with frequent pregnancies. Furthermore, caution should be exercised when recruiting parous women as blood donors     

Internet gambling is common in college students and associated with poor mental health

This study evaluated prevalence of Internet gambling and its association with pathological gambling and mental health status in college students. The South Oaks Gambling Screen and General Health Questionnaire were administered to 1356 undergraduates, and 23% reported ever gambling on the Internet, with 6.3% reporting Internet gambling weekly. Almost two-thirds (61.6%) of regular Internet gamblers were pathological gamblers, compared with 23.9% of infrequent Internet gamblers and 5.0% of non-Internet gamblers. Internet gambling frequency was significantly associated with poor mental health, after controlling for demographics and pathological gambling. These data call for prevention and treatment efforts of Internet gambling in students.     

Loneliness and risk of Alzheimer disease

CONTEXT: Social isolation in old age has been associated with risk of developing dementia, but the risk associated with perceived isolation, or loneliness, is not well understood. OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that loneliness is associated with increased risk of Alzheimer disease (AD). DESIGN: Longitudinal clinicopathologic cohort study with up to 4 years of annual in-home follow-up. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 823 older persons free of dementia at enrollment were recruited from senior citizen facilities in and around Chicago, Ill. Loneliness was assessed with a 5-item scale at baseline (mean +/- SD, 2.3 +/- 0.6) and annually thereafter. At death, a uniform postmortem examination of the brain was conducted to quantify AD pathology in multiple brain regions and the presence of cerebral infarctions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical diagnosis of AD and change in previously established composite measures of global cognition and specific cognitive functions. RESULTS: During follow-up, 76 subjects developed clinical AD. Risk of AD was more than doubled in lonely persons (score 3.2, 90th percentile) compared with persons who were not lonely (score 1.4, 10th percentile), and controlling for indicators of social isolation did not affect the finding. Loneliness was associated with lower level of cognition at baseline and with more rapid cognitive decline during follow-up. There was no significant change in loneliness, and mean degree of loneliness during the study was robustly associated with cognitive decline and development of AD. In 90 participants who died and in whom autopsy of the brain was performed, loneliness was unrelated to summary measures of AD pathology or to cerebral infarction. CONCLUSION: Loneliness is associated with an increased risk of late-life dementia but not with its leading causes.     

IGOB131, a novel seed extract of the West African plant Irvingia gabonensis, significantly reduces body weight and improves metabolic parameters in overweight humans in a randomized double-blind placebo controlled investigation

Background  

A recent in vitro study indicates that IGOB131, a novel seed extract of the traditional West African food plant Irvingia gabonensis, favorably impacts adipogenesis through a variety of critical metabolic pathways including PPAR gamma, leptin, adiponectin, and glycerol-3 phosphate dehydrogenase. This study was therefore aimed at evaluating the effects of IGOB131, an extract of Irvingia gabonensis, on body weight and associated metabolic parameters in overweight human volunteers.