Anthropometric measurements and growth as predictors of low-back pain: a cohort study of children followed up from the age of 11 to 22 years

Body height is an alleged risk factor for low-back pain (LBP) in adulthood, but its importance is obscure during childhood and adolescence. We studied growth for its association with the incidence of LBP in a population study of 430 children who were examined five times: at the age 11,12,13,14 and 22 years. Body height and weight and the degrees of trunk asymmetry, thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis were measured at every examination. The history of LBP was obtained by a structured questionnaire at the ages of 14 and 22 years. The incidence of LBP was defined as pain, which occurred on eight or more days during the past year among those 338 children who had been free from LBP until 14 years of age. Growth of body height between 11 years and 14 years of age predicted the incidence of LBP. Adjusted for sex, the odds ratio (with 95% confidence interval) per an increment of one SD (4.3 cm) was 1.32 (1.06–1.65), the P value for trend being 0.03. Growth after 14 years of age was inversely related to the incidence of LBP, but the association did not reach statistical significance (P for trend = 0.06). Other anthropometric measurements or their changes were not found to predict LBP. Our results are not compatible with the old myth that spinal growth actually contributes to LBP. But abundant growth in early adolescence may be a risk factor for subsequent LBP.     

Patients with organic acidaemias have an altered thiol status

Aim: To study whether patients with organic acidaemias have altered glutathione (GSH) levels and thiol redox status. Previously, organic acidaemias have been associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress, suggesting an increased need for antioxidant protection. Furthermore, dietary protein restriction may impair GSH synthesis in these diseases. Methods: In children with organic acidaemias, cysteine (CYSH) and GSH concentrations in plasma and erythrocytes as well as erythrocyte GSH peroxidase, GSH reductase, GSH S‐transferase and glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase activities were studied. In addition, GSH and CYSH concentrations were measured in human fibroblasts exposed to organic acids. Results: Patients with organic acidaemias had lower plasma GSH concentration than their controls. A greater fraction of GSH and CYSH in the patients’ plasma was oxidized, suggesting decreased GSH synthesis and increased consumption. Conclusion: Patients with organic acidaemias may have a relative GSH deficiency. With further research, these results could also have therapeutic implications.     

Coronary events in persons aged 75 years or older in Finland from 1995 to 2002: the FINAMI study

The authors used population-based myocardial infarction (MI) register data to examine trends in incidence, case fatality, treatment strategies of MI, and coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality in persons aged 75 to 99 years in 4 areas of Finland during 1995 through 2002. This age group contributed 53% (n=13,977) of all CHD events, and 65% occurred in women. CHD mortality declined among men annually by 3.5% and 1.0% in the 75- to 84-year-old and 85- to 99-year-old age groups, respectively. Among women, it declined by 2.2% per year in the 75- to 84-year-old age group but increased by 1.3% per year in the 85- to 99-year-old age group. MI attack rate did not change in men but increased significantly in women aged 85 to 99 years. Clinical management of MI in elderly patients was more conservative than in middle-aged patients. In conclusion, one-half of all CHD events occur among persons aged 75 years or older, and elderly patients with CHD represent an increasing burden to the health care system.     

Craniofacial cephalometric morphology in six-year-old girls with submucous cleft palate and isolated cleft palate

Ninety-three girls with cleft palate (53 submucous cleft palate (SMCP) and 40 isolated cleft palate (ICP)), mean age 6.2 years (range 5.5-7.5), were compared retrospectively from lateral cephalograms. Forty-three patients with SMCP had had surgical treatment at the mean age of 3.4 years (range 0.9-6.8), 10 of the SMCP patients were unoperated. Twenty-six patients with ICP had clefts of the hard and soft palate, and 14 had clefts of the soft palate only. Palatal closure of ICP had been done at the mean age of 1.5 years (range 1.0-2.1). The skeletal craniofacial morphology was similar in SMCP and ICP. The maxilla and mandible were well related to each other but slightly retrusive in relation to the cranial base. The slight skeletal retrusion was significantly more masked by soft tissue in patients with SMCP. The patients with SMCP showed higher values for soft tissue maxillary and mandibular prominence.     

Challenges and approaches to the culture of pluripotent human embryonic stem cells

Since the establishment of the first human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines, several groups have described the derivation and culture of hESC lines in various culture conditions. In this review, we describe how hESC lines have been derived from the inner cell mass of blastocysts or morula-stage embryos and the culture conditions used. In order to be used for therapeutic purposes, the pluripotent hESC lines must be established and propagated according to good manufacturing practice quality requirements. In addition, any use of animal-derived components should be avoided to gain safer hESC lines for clinical purposes. Here, we will describe the development in derivation and chemically defined culturing conditions of hESC towards good manufacturing practice and discuss the future challenges for hESCs in clinical use. Similarly, we discuss the challenges and future directions in optimization of standard culture conditions of hESCs for research purposes.