Impact of early lifetime trauma in later life: depression among Holocaust survivors 60 years after the liberation of Auschwitz.

RATIONALE: Holocaust survivors, who experienced trauma 60 years ago, provide an opportunity to explore the impact of early lifetime trauma in later life and, in particular, the interplay of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this study, the authors contrast depressed Holocaust survivors (HD), nondepressed Holocaust survivors (HND), and older depressed persons (CD). METHODS: The sample consisted of 36 consecutive Holocaust survivors (mean age: 79 years) treated in a primary care practice, among whom 20 (56%) were diagnosed as having a major depressive disorder and 16 as nondepressed; 18 depressed non-Holocaust Jewish primary care patients served as controls (mean age: 84 years). The authors examined nine clinical and social variables. The Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U, and chi(2) tests were used to contrast the groups. The authors used a conservative significance level of .01. RESULTS: In contrast to the CD group, the HD group was significantly older, more likely to report PTSD and guilt symptoms, to have higher Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) scores, and to have more impaired social functioning. In contrast to the HND group, the HD group was significantly more likely to report PTSD and guilt feelings, to have higher Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D), BAI, and BPRS scores, and to have more impaired social functioning. In contrast to the CD group, the HND group was significantly more likely to have PTSD symptoms and to have lower HAM-D and BPRS scores. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of depression and PTSD symptoms were very high among survivors. Depressed survivors had significantly worse psychologic and social functioning than depressed controls. Depressed survivors had more PTSD symptoms than nondepressed survivors, although it is unclear as to the causal direction of the relationship between depression and PTSD.     

Chronic Inhalation Toxicity and Carcinogenicity Testing of Respirable Fibrous Particles

On May 8–10, 1995, a workshop on chronic inhalation toxicity and carcinogenicity testing of respirable fibrous particles was held in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The workshop was sponsored by the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in collaboration with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The goal of the workshop was to obtain input from the scientific community on a number of issues related to fiber testing. Major issues for discussion were: (i) the optimal design and conduct of studies of the health effects of chronic inhalation exposure of animals to fibers; (ii) preliminary studies which would be useful guides in designing the chronic exposure study; (iii) mechanistic studies which would be important adjuncts to the chronic exposure study to enable better interpretation of study results and extrapolation of potential effects in exposed humans; and (iv) available screening tests which can be used to develop a minimum data set for (a) making decisions about the potential health hazard of the fibers and (b) prioritizing the need for further testing in a chronic inhalation study. After extensive discussion and debate of the workshop issues, the general consensus of the expert panel is that chronic inhalation studies of fibers in the rat are the most appropriate tests for predicting inhalation hazard and risk of fibers to humans. A number of guidances specific for the design and conduct of prechronic and chronic inhalation studies of fibers in rodents were recommended. For instance, it was recommended that along with other information (decrease in body weight, systemic toxicity, etc.), data should be obtained on lung burdens and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid analysis to assist in establishing the chronic exposure levels. Lung burden data are also important for quantifying aspects of risk assessment related to dosimetric adjustments before extrapolation. Although mechanistic studies are not recommended as part of the standard chronic inhalation studies, the expert panel stressed the need for obtaining mechanistic information as far as possible during the course of subchronic or chronic inhalation studies. At present, no single assay and battery of short-term assays can predict the outcome of a chronic inhalation bioassay with respect to carcinogenic effects. Meanwhile, several short-termin vitroandin vivostudies that may be useful to assess the relative potential of fibrous substances to cause lung toxicity/carcinogenicity have been identified.     

Withdrawing from Dialysis

It is not a question of dying earlier or later, but of dying well or ill, and dying well means escape from the danger of living ill. (Seneca, 4 BC)     

Flow Cytometric Analysis of Lymphocyte Subsets of Mice Maintained on an Ethanol-Containing Liquid Diet

Alcoholic patients often have impaired immune function, yet little is known about the precise mechanism(s) of this impairment. We have previously shown that ethanol consumption by mice alters copolymer-specific humoral and cellular immune responses. In this study, we asked whether alcohol consumption by mice would phenotypically alter lymphocyte populations. Female C57BL/6 mice were fed a nutritionally complete liquid diet containing 35% ethanol-derived calories for up to 8 days. As controls, mice either were fed a liquid control diet that isocalorically substitutes sucrose for ethanol or remained on a standard solid diet and water ad libitum. Although mice fed ethanol-containing liquid or pair-fed control liquid diets have decreased numbers of spleen cells compared with solid diet controls, only the ethanol-containing diet allowed normally nonresponder C57BL/6 spleen cells to make antibody responses to the poly(Glu⁵⁰Tyr⁵⁰) synthetic copolymer antigen. Flow cytometric analysis of splenic lymphocyte populations of mice on the ethanol-containing diet shows an increase in the relative proportion of T-lymphocytes as compared with mice on either solid or liquid control diets. No such change is seen for either B-cell or natural killer cell populations in these same mice. Both liquid control and liquid ethanol diets caused a slight decrease in the CD4:CD8 ratios of splenic T-lymphocytes. We see the relative percentage of T-cells bearing the αβ-cell receptor (TcR) increases in the spleens of liquid ethanol diet mice; a smaller increase TcRαβ usage is seen in the spleens of liquid control mice, compared with solid diet mice. Flow cytometric analysis shows that little, if any, difference exists in TcRγδ expression between the liquid ethanol and either the liquid control or solid diet groups. Preliminary analysis of TcRαβ subsets suggest that ethanol increases the percentage of T-cells expressing Vβ5 and Vβ8, and decreases the percentage of Vβ11 expressing cells. These findings suggest that, in addition to modifying the immune response, ethanol alters the phenotypic expression of lymphocyte subsets.     

Daughters caregiving for hispanic and non-hispanic alzheimer patients: Does ethnicity make a difference?

This study assessed Cuban-American Hispanic and White non-Hispanic daughters who were major caregivers for their mothers suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. Although patients in both ethnic groups did not differ in their level of cognitive and functional impairment, Cuban-American Hispanic patients were significantly more likely to be living in their daughters' homes while the White non-Hispanic patients resided in institutional settings. Caregivers were equivalent in their knowledge and utilization of community services, but Cuban-American daughters were significantly more aware of financial aid resources. Cuban-American patients were significantly more depressed than their White non-Hispanic counterparts with daughters showing similar but nonsignificant trends. The impact of cultural factors on caregiving is discussed.     

Evidence for a glycosaminoglycan on the nudel protein important for dorsoventral patterning of the drosophila embryo.

Dorsoventral patterning of the Drosophila embryo requires Nudel, a large mosaic protein with a protease domain. Previous studies have implicated Nudel's protease domain as the trigger of a proteolytic cascade that activates the Toll signaling pathway to establish dorsoventral polarity in the embryo. However, the function of other regions of Nudel has been unclear. By using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and site-directed mutagenesis, we have obtained evidence that the N-terminal region of Nudel contains a site for glycosaminoglycan (GAG) attachment that is required for dorsoventral patterning. Disruption of this site blocks a disulfide-based association between N- and C-terminal Nudel polypeptides and proteolytic activation of Nudel's protease domain. We discuss how a GAG chain on Nudel might be required for Nudel protease activation.