Effects of training and anabolic steroids on collagen synthesis in dog heart

Summary The effects of endurance training and anabolic steroid (Methandienone 1.5 mg · kg^–1 p. o. daily) and their combination on regional collagen biosynthesis and concentration in the hearts of male beagle dogs were studied by measuring prolyl 4-hydroxylase (PH) activity and hydroxyproline (HYP) concentration. The PH (P<0.05) and HYP (P<0.05) were both greater in the subendocardinal layer than in the subepicardium (EPI) of the left ventricular wall in controls, whereas opposite gradients (P<0.05) were observed in the right ventricle. Endurance exercise caused an increase of PH activity in EPI of the left ventricular wall (P<0.01). The HYP concentration increased in both layers of the right ventricle in the exercise plus steroid group (P<0.05). The results suggest that transmural differences exist in the rate of collagen synthesis and concentration in canine cardiac ventricles and that endurance exercise may accelerate collagen synthesis in EPI of the left ventricle and the combination of exercise and anabolic steroid causes an increase in collagen concentration in the right ventricular wall.     

Modified and new approaches for pelvic and acetabular surgery

We analysed outcomes of new operative techniques for open reduction and internal fixation in 120 consecutive patients with fractures of the pelvic ring and 164 patients with acetabular fractures treated between 1989 and 1999. An anterior extraperitoneal approach was performed through a low midline incision to fix the anterior and lateral parts of the pelvis and for central involvement of different types of acetabular fractures. The anterior approach was combined with a lateral incision on the lateral crest for fractures of the iliac wing and with a posterior approach for sacroiliac injuries, or with Kocher-Langenbeck approach for posterior acetabular involvements. The complication rate of the new techniques was low. Heterotopic ossification was rare. The functional recovery was good in 66 of the 81 patients with an unstable C-type pelvic injury, in 18 out of the 20 patients with a lateral compression, B-2-type injury and 13 out of 19 patients with a open book, B-1-injury. Neurological recovery was observed after adequate reduction in those patients suffering from lesions of the sacral plexus. The radiographic result was good in 73, 20 and 17 of the patients groups, respectively. The Harris Hip Score was more than 80 in 75% of the 164 patients with an acetabular fracture. The radiological result was good (residual displacement 0-2mm) in 84%, fair (3-5mm) in 9% and poor (more than 5mm) in 7%. The new methods are less invasive than the basic approaches described in the literature. The whole pelvic ring, as well as all the acetabular fracture combinations may be treated with the combination of approaches used in the present study.     

Total and cause specific mortality among participants and non-participants of population based health surveys: a comprehensive follow up of 54 372 Finnish men and women

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To assess total and cause specific mortality among participants and non-participants of large population based health surveys. DESIGN: A prospective follow up study. Baseline surveys were conducted in 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, and 1992. Study end points were overall, cardiovascular, cancer and violent mortality, and deaths related to smoking and alcohol. Study cohorts were followed up until the end of 2000 through computerised record linkage. All analyses were adjusted for age. SETTING: Finland. PARTICIPANTS: Participants and non-participants of five population based risk factor surveys. The samples included 54 372 men and women aged 25 to 64 years at baseline. MAIN RESULTS: The average participation rate was 81.7% among men and 87% among women. At eight year follow up, the non-participating men had twice and non-participating women 2.5-fold higher overall mortality than the participating men and women. Non-participants had also significantly higher cause specific mortality, except cancer and smoking related mortality among women. Relative differences in mortality were largest in violent and alcohol related deaths. Non-participants had considerably higher overall mortality than smoking participants, and their mortality was threefold compared with non-smoking participants. CONCLUSIONS: Observed differences in mortality show that health behaviour and health status substantially differ between non-participants and participants. Low participation rate may considerably bias the results of population based health surveys.     

Classification of Work Ability Index among young employees

BACKGROUND: The reference values of the Work Ability Index (WAI) are best known for people aged over 45 years. However, the WAI score is highly dependent on age and population-based reference values for young employees are needed. AIM: To present WAI scores calculated for a population-based sample of employees in their early 30s. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire including the items of the WAI was used. The study included 3725 employees (2021 men and 1704 women) aged 31 from part of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 Study (NFBC-66) and who were working in a wide range of occupations in northern Finland or in the Helsinki region during 1997-1998. RESULTS: The WAI scores among young employees varied from 15 to 49 with a mean of 40.7 points (SD 4.2). The 15th percentile, median and 85th percentile of the WAI scores were 37, 41 and 45 points, respectively. The WAI scores were relatively high for both men and women. CONCLUSIONS: When classification of WAI scores into four work ability categories is used, the scores of employees in their early 30s should be evaluated separately from those of older age groups. For young employees work ability categories poor (7-36 points), moderate (37-40 points), good (41-44 points) and excellent (45-49 points) are suggested.     

Modifiable risk factors have an impact on socio-economic differences in coronary heart disease events

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association of socio-economic status, defined by occupational class, income and education, with coronary heart disease (CHD) morbidity and mortality, and further to analyse to which extent modifiable risk factors may explain socio-economic differences in CHD risk. DESIGN: A population-based prospective cohort study including 9,061 men and 10,211 women aged 35-64 at baseline who participated in a cardiovascular risk factor survey in 1982, 1987, 1992 or 1997 in Finland. The subjects were followed for CHD events up till the end of 2001. Cox's proportional hazards model was used in the analysis. RESULTS: Male manual workers had a double risk of CHD death compared with upper-level employees (HR=2.00, 95% CI 1.35-2.97). This excess risk was reduced by 31% when adjusted for traditional cardiovascular risk factors and most of this reduction was due to smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Modifiable risk factors explained about a third of the excess CHD mortality between manual workers and upper-level employees in men. Among women the differences between socio-economic groups were not statistically significant.     

Comprehensive Functional Mapping Scheme for Non-Invasive Primary Sensorimotor Cortex Mapping

We introduce a novel multimodal scheme for primary sensorimotor hand area (SM1ha) mapping integrating multiple functional indicators from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and magnetoencephalography (MEG). Ten right-handed healthy subjects (19–33 years; 5 females, 5 males) and four patients (24–64 years; 2 females, 2 males) suffering from space-occupying brain lesion close to the central sulcus were studied. Functional indicators of the SM1ha were obtained from block-design fMRI motor protocol, and six MEG protocols: somatosensory evoked fields to electrical median-nerve stimulation, mu-rhythm suppression (~10 and ~20 Hz), corticomuscular coherence, and corticokinematic coherence with and without finger contacts. To assess the spatial spread of the functional indicators, their coordinates were subjected to principal component analysis to produce a centered ellipsoid with axis along principal components. Five to seven functional indicators were obtained for each participant. In all participants, the ellipsoid co-localized with the anatomical SM1ha. In healthy subjects, 50–100 % of functional indicators were located within 10 mm from the center of the ellipsoid. In patients, 17–100 % of functional indicators were located within 10 mm from the center of the ellipsoid. In conclusion, the multimodal scheme proposed led to a functional mapping of SM1ha that co-localized with anatomical SM1ha in all participants. The spread of the SM1ha functional indicators in some patients with brain lesions highlights the potential benefit of the proposed multimodal approach to assess the reliability of the non-invasive SM1ha mapping.     

Long-term stability of anterior open bite closure corrected by surgical-orthodontic treatment

In adults, superior repositioning of posterior maxilla with or without mandibular surgery has become the treatment method of choice to close anterior open bite. Study aim was to examine the long-term stability of anterior open bite closure by superior repositioning of maxilla or by combining maxillary impaction with mandibular surgery. The sample comprised 24 patients who underwent anterior open bite closure by superior repositioning of maxilla (maxillary group, n = 12, mean age 29.3 years) or by maxillary impaction and mandibular osteotomy (bimaxillary group, n = 12, mean age 30.8 years). Lateral cephalograms were studied prior to surgery (T1), the first post-operative day (T2) and in the long term (T3, maxillary group mean 3.5 years; bimaxillary group mean 2.0 years). Paired and two-sample t-tests were used to assess differences within and between the groups. The vertical incisal bite relations were -2.6 and -2.2 mm at T1; 1.23 and 0.98 mm at T2; and 1.85 and 0.73 mm at T3 in the maxillary and bimaxillary groups. At T3, all subjects had positive overbite in the maxillary group, but open bite recurred in three subjects with bimaxillary surgery. For both groups, the maxilla relapsed vertically. Significant changes in sagittal and vertical positions of the mandible occurred in both groups. In the bimaxillary group, the changes were larger and statistically significant. In general, the maxilla seems to relapse moderately vertically and the mandible both vertically and sagittally, particularly when both jaws were operated on. Overbite seems to be more stable when only the maxilla has been operated on.