Folate status and adenomatous colonic polyps

PURPOSE: The aim of our study was to assess any association of folate with development of colonic adenomas. METHODS: Serum and red blood cell folate levels were measured in 62 colonoscopically and histologically evaluated patients with colon adenomas (Group A) and in 50 selected colonoscopically negative controls (Group B). Patients with colon polyps underwent colonoscopy for alterations of bowel habits or abdominal pain, and detected polyps were found coincidentally. Controls underwent colonoscopy for alterations of bowel habits or abdominal pain. There was no difference in hematocrit between the two groups. RESULTS: The mean serum folate level in patients with colonic adenomas was 4.57 ng/ml±2.8 standard deviations (SD), and the mean red blood cells folate levels were 536 ng/ml±273.3 (SD). In controls the mean folate levels in serum and red blood cells were 5.09 ng/ml±2.7 (SD) and 7438 ng/ml±297.1 (SD), respectively. The red blood cell folate level of colon adenoma patients was statistically lower than the respective level of controls at a highly significant level (P <0.01). CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that depressed red blood cell folate levels are associated with development of colonie adenomas.Read in part at the meeting of the American Gastroenterological Association, Boston, Massachusetts, May 16 to 19, 1993.     

Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potentials in Patients With Ischemic Heart Disease

The authors of this study used the method of increased stimulus rate on brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) in 30 patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) and in an equal number of healthy age-matched control subjects. The BAEPs were recorded using 100- to 3000-Hz alternating polarity clicks at a rate of 22.6 per second. Measurements included the absolute latencies of waves I through V, the interpeak latencies I-III, III-V, and I-V, and the peak amplitudes of peaks I, III, and V. The measured absolute latencies and interpeak latencies were found to be significantly increased, and the peak amplitudes were found to be diminished. The audiometric tests revealed no significant hearing loss in IHD patients. This study is the first to demonstrate prolongation of BAEPs in IHD patients. BAEP recording may become an additional noninvasive tool for detecting IHD patients with impaired microcirculation.     

Adiponectin and body composition in cystic fibrosis.

The aim of the study was to evaluate adiponectin (AD) serum concentrations in 43 stable CF patients and 27 healthy subjects and to correlate them with their nutritional status. Body Composition (Bioelectrical Impedance), visceral/subcutaneous adipose tissue (VAT-SAT) in CF patients (CT-scan at L4), insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and AD serum concentrations (ELISA) were studied. CF patients and controls had comparable weight, height, %BF, %FFM, fasting glucose, insulin and insulin resistance. CF patients had significantly lower BMI-SDS. CF males had higher %FFM and total FFM and lower %BF and total BF than females (p<0.001). Serum AD was higher in CF patients than controls (11.53+/-5.37 vs. 9.07+/-4.41 microg/ml) and comparable between females and males. AD was lowest among young malnourished patients (8.06+/-1.85 microg/ml) and highest among young patients with normal nutrition (14.56+/-7.69 microg/ml). Patients with biliary cirrhosis had higher levels than patients with normal liver (10.52+/-5.49 vs. 14.04+/-4.52 mug/ml, p<0.05). AD correlated with %BF, %FFM, FFM (kg) (p<0.05).VAT was significantly increased in malnourished patients. AD was not affected by VAT. CONCLUSIONS: Adiponectin is higher in CF patients than healthy individuals. It is decreased in malnourished young patients and increased in patients with normal nutrition and in patients with liver disease. This may be attributed to the reduced BF and to the energy deficit inherent to the disease.     

P18 Theoretical and practical issues of methodology in teaching Pharmacology

Introduction Although methodology of teaching has been developed extensively the last years, teachers of science and biological sciences usually use a methodology of teaching, which is about 70 years old. The aim of this work is to present modern methods of teaching, especially theories of constructivism, with special emphasis on teaching Pharmacology. Constructivism and theories of learning The genetic psychology of Piaget, the social constructivism of Durkheim and the radical constructivism of von Glaserfeld are presented briefly, with special emphasis on their impact on modern methods of teaching in Pharmacology, like problem based teaching. Models of the construction of knowledge are also presented.     

Myopia and visual acuity impairment: a comparative study of Greek and Bulgarian school children

Purpose:  To compare the proportions of school children with myopia and impaired visual acuity in Greece and Bulgaria.
Methods:  A sample of 898 children, aged 10–15 years, was selected from two primary and two secondary schools in a Greek city (Heraklion), and one primary and secondary school in a Bulgarian city (Stara Zagora). Five hundred and eighty eight children were Greek (65.5%, mean age 12.5 ± 0.08 years) and 310 Bulgarian (34.5%, age 12.4 ± 0.07 years). VA was assessed with the habitual refractive correction. Refractive error was measured in the absence of cycloplegia using an auto-refractor.
Results:  The percentage of children, tested with their habitual refractive correction, with decimal VA <0.5 in at least one eye was 11.7% (95% CI 9.1–14.3%) for Greek and 5.2% (95% CI 2.7–7.6%) for Bulgarian pupils. The percentage of myopic children also differed between the two countries with the proportion with myopic refractive error ≤−0.75 D and decimal VA <0.8 at primary school level being 14.1% and 28.9% in Stara Zagora and Heraklion respectively and 13.0% and 46.9% (95% CI 18.2–29.2%, p  < 0.0001) at secondary school level. Among the myopic pupils only 35.8% used corrective spectacles in Stara Zagora, compared to 70.7% of the children in Heraklion. Finally, myopia appeared more prevalent in female adolescents with the effect being statistically significant only for Greek children (55% vs 40% of males, p  = 0.015).
Conclusions:  The increased proportion of myopic children in Heraklion, compared to Stara Zagora, may arise from a number of environmental and socio-economic factors, which need to be further investigated in order to understand the differences observed among European populations.