Predictors of Variation in Serum IGFI and IGFBP3 Levels in Healthy African American and White Men

BackgroundIndividual variation in circulating insulinlike growth factor-1 (IGF1) and its major binding protein, insulinlike growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP3), have been etiologically linked to several chronic diseases, including some cancers. Factors associated with variation in circulating levels of these peptide hormones remain unclear.MethodsMultiple linear regression models were used to determine the extent to which sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, personal and family history of chronic disease, and common genetic variants, the (CA)_n repeat polymorphism in the IGF1 promoter and the IGFBP3-202 A/C polymorphism (rs2854744) predict variation in IGF1 or IGFBP3 serum levels in 33 otherwise healthy African American and 37 white males recruited from Durham Veterans Administration Medical Center.ResultsPredictors of serum IGF1, IGFBP3, and the IGF1: IGFBP3 molar ratio varied by race. In African Americans, 17% and 28% of the variation in serum IGF1 and the IGF1:IGFBP3 molar ratio, were explained by cigarette smoking and carrying the IGF1 (CA)₁₉ repeat allele, respectively. Not carrying at least 1 IGF1 (CA)₁₉ repeat allele and a high body mass index explained 8% and 14%, respectively, of the variation IGFBP3 levels. These factors did not predict variation of these peptides in whites.ConclusionIf successfully replicated in larger studies, these findings would add to recent evidence, suggesting known genetic and lifestyle chronic disease risk factors influence IGF1 and IGFBP3 circulating levels differently in African Americans and whites.     

Insulin resistance in Nigerians with essential hypertension

Background

Reports on the association between hypertension and insulin resistance have been inconsistent even though most studies show a definite association. It is also not certain if the association between insulin resistance and hypertension applies to all populations.

Objective

To determine the prevalence of insulin resistance in hypertensive Nigerians and to examine the association of insulin resistance with hypertension and some anthropometric indices.

Methods

Thirty five adults with essential hypertension and thirty five normotensives were studied. Anthropometric parameters, blood pressure, fasting glucose and insulin were measured. Homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) was used to determine insulin resistance (IR).

Results

The hypertensive subjects had significantly higher fasting insulin and HOMA-IR compared with normotensives (p =0.02 and 0.04) respectively. There were significant correlations between HOMA-IR, BMI, waist and hip circumference in subjects with hypertension. At multiple linear regression, hypertension and body mass index were found to be the only significant predictors of insulin resistance.

Conclusion

The hypertensives we studied had a higher occurrence of insulin resistance compared to the normotensives. This makes it necessary for persons with hypertensive to have regular screening for diabetes and other categories of glucose intolerance as the increased insulin increases their risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus.     

Antihypercholesterolemic activity of ethanolic extract of Buchholzia coriacea in rats

Background

Hypercholesterolemia is a condition characterised with high level of cholesterol in the blood.

Objectives

The effect of ethanolic extract of Buchholzia coriacea (EEBC) on the lipid profile levels and extent of lipid peroxidation in hypercholesterolemic albino rats was investigated in this study.

Methods

Thirty albino rats were divided into six different groups which consist of group 1 (control), group 2 (hypercholesterolemic rats), group 3 (hypercholesterolemic rats treated with ethanolic extract of EEBC), group 4 (hypercholesterolemic rats treated with questran), group 5 (normal rats treated with EEBC) and group 6 (normal rats treated with questran). The rats were sacrificed at the end of the sixth week and assay conducted for Aspartate Transaminase (AST), Alanine Transaminase (ALT), lipid profile and biomarker of oxidative stress.

Results

The serum and liver total cholesterol and LDL - cholesterol levels as well as lipid peroxidation in the EEBC-treated hypercholesterolemic rats were significantly reduced (p < 0.05) when compared with the untreated hypercholesterolemic rats. The activities of AST and ALT in EEBC - treated hypercholesterolemic rats were not significantly different (p > 0.05) from the control.

Conclusions

The results suggest that Buchholzia coriacea seeds contain potent antihypercholesterolemic agent which may find clinical application in ameliorating hypercholesterolemia and its attendant complications.     

Use of new Nordic criteria for classification of SIDS to re-evaluate diagnoses of sudden unexpected infant death in the Nordic countries

To investigate whether changes in diagnostic practice might be the cause of the SIDS epidemic in the Nordic countries in the 1970s and 1980s a cooperative study was initiated in 1990. Common morphologic diagnostic criteria for SIDS were established in 1992 and 127 randomly selected sudden unexpected infant deaths from all Nordic countries from 1970 to 1995 and 205 cases from the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Oslo, Norway (RMI) from 1984 to 1995 were re-evaluated blindly using the new criteria. Neither the increase nor the decline in the SIDS rate since 1989 seemed to be due to changed diagnostic practices. SIDS seemed to have been under-diagnosed before the new criteria came into operation in 1992. There were fewer discrepancies between the original and revised diagnoses in the RMI cases than in the rest of the Norwegian cases, both before and after 1992.     

Are elevated cerebrospinal fluid levels of IL-6 in sudden unexplained deaths,infectious deaths and deaths due to heart/lung disease in infants and children due to hypoxia?

Many SIDS cases probably die after periods of hypoxia and it has been shown that hypoxia may stimulate IL-6 production. The purpose of this paper was to examine if there were any correlations between hypoxanthine in vitreous humour and II-6 in CSF. The concentration of IL-6, IL-1 β and TNF α in cerebrospinal fluid of 50 Sudden Infant Death syndrome (SIDS) cases, 9 borderline SIDS cases, 18 infectious deaths, 8 violent deaths and 22 cases with heart/lung disease were measured by ELISA. The hypoxanthine (Hx) vitreous humour concentrations in the same groups were determined by high performance liquid chromatography. The IL-6 levels in cases of infectious death, heart/lung disease and borderline cases were significantly higher than in the SIDS cases ( p < 0:01). The Hx levels were in the same range in cases of SIDS, borderline SIDS and infectious death, and they were significantly higher than the levels in cases of violent death and heart/lung disease ( p < 0:01). There was no correlation between hypoxanthine and IL-6 in any of the groups. In the cases studied IL-6 elevation is probably not induced by hypoxia, but is rather a result of immunological stimulation.     

温阳方治疗慢性心力衰竭的临床研究

目的：探讨温阳方联合西药治疗慢性心力衰竭（ CHF）的临床疗效。方法70例CHF 患者随机分温阳方＋西药治疗组35例（试验组）和西药治疗组35例（对照组）。对照组给予降血压、β受体阻滞剂、利尿剂、强心等药物治疗;试验组在对照组的基础上予以温阳方,2组患者治疗1个月。治疗1个月后评价2组患者神经内分泌指标及左室射血分数（LVEF）。结果治疗1个月后,试验组与对照组血浆去甲肾上腺素（NE）、血管紧张素Ⅱ（AngⅡ）和醛固醇（ALD）均明显降低（P ＜0．05）,左室射血分数（LVEF）均显著升高（P ＜0．05）,但试验组与对照组相比变化更为显著（P ＜0．05）。治疗后试验组总有效率显著高于对照组（P ＜0．05）。结论温阳方联合西药治疗CHF 可显著提高LVEF,改善心力衰竭症状。     

系统性硬化症肺部高分辨率CT表现

目的 提高对系统性硬化症（SSc）肺部高分辨率CT（HRCT）表现的认识。方法 回顾性分析62例SSc肺部HRCT表现，并对其中的12例随访病例进行动态观察。结果 11例肺基本正常，51例均表现为不同程度的肺间质纤维化。HRCT表现：（1）小叶间隔增厚（23例，45．1％）；（2）胸膜下孤形线（8例，15．7％）；（3）磨玻璃密度影（19例，37．3％）；（4）网格样影（13例，25．5％）；（5）囊状影（9例，17．6％）；（6）支气管血管束增粗（6例，11．8％）；（7）蜂窝征（19例，37．3％）；（8）胸膜下小结节（3例，5．9％）。上述征象大多先后出现，并以两肺外围分布为主。12例随访病例中，2例CT征象消失，7例无明显变化，3例进展为蜂窝肺。结论 SSc肺部HRCT主要表现为以两肺外围分布为主的间质性纤维化。磨玻璃密度影及胸膜下孤形线是病变的早期表现，蜂窝肺为其结局。