Impact of thyroid function and polymorphisms in the type 2 deiodinase on blood pressure: the Rotterdam Study and the Rotterdam Scan Study

Introduction  Thyroid function and genetic variation in the hypothalamus–pituitary–thyroid axis have been implicated in blood pressure regulation and susceptibility to hypertension. However studies conducted thus far were small with controversial results.
Objective  To examine whether serum thyroid parameters and polymorphisms in the type 2 deiodinase and the TSH receptor are associated with blood pressure and the presence of hypertension in two large cohorts of elderly subjects.
Design and participants  We studied a random sample of 1444 subjects of the Rotterdam study, and 997 subjects of the Rotterdam Scan study, two population-based cohort studies among elderly individuals aged 55–90 years.
Outcome measurements  Data on blood pressure and hypertension were obtained, and serum thyroid parameters, D2-Thr92Ala, D2-ORFa-Gly3Asp and TSHR-Asp727Glu polymorphisms were determined.
Results  In contrast to previous findings, no consistent and/or significant associations were found between serum TSH and FT4 and blood pressure in both cohorts. In addition, the D2-Thr92Ala, D2-ORFa-Gly3Asp and TSHR-Asp727Glu polymorphisms were not associated with blood pressure or the risk of hypertension.
Conclusions  In two large populations of elderly subjects, neither serum thyroid parameters nor polymorphisms in the type 2 deiodinase and the TSH receptor, were associated with blood pressure or the presence of hypertension. Our data suggest that thyroid function is not an important determinant of hypertension in elderly Dutch subjects.     

Social Role Participation and Satisfaction With Life: A Study Among Patients With Ankylosing Spondylitis and Population Controls

Objective

Participation in society of persons with chronic diseases receives increasing attention. However, little is known about which components of participation are most relevant to life satisfaction. This study examines the association between several aspects of social role participation and satisfaction with life (SWL) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) compared to population controls.

Methods

In a cross‐sectional study, participants completed the Social Role Participation Questionnaire (SRPQ) and SWL scale. The SRPQ assesses several dimensions of participation (importance, satisfaction with performance, and satisfaction with time and physical difficulty) in 11 roles representing 3 domains (interpersonal relations, leisure, and work). For individuals with AS and controls, the association between role domains and SWL was examined using linear regression for each participation dimension separately, in the total and the employed population, adjusting for age, sex, education, and income.

Results

A total of 246 AS patients (mean ± SD age 51 ± 12 years, 62% males, mean ± SD disease duration 17 ± 12 years) and 510 controls (mean ± SD age 42 ± 15 years, 70% males) were included. AS patients were more frequently (extremely) dissatisfied with life (17.9% versus 8.6%; P < 0.05). In the total and the employed population, less physical difficulty and higher satisfaction with interpersonal relations and leisure were associated with higher SWL, and this was somewhat stronger in patients than in controls (P < 0.1). In employed controls, but not in employed patients, satisfaction with work was independently associated with SWL.

Conclusion

These findings highlight the importance of supporting persons with AS in ameliorating social role participation, particularly in areas like close relationships and leisure activities, which are typically ignored when treating AS.

     

Primary genotypic resistance of HIV-1 to CCR5 antagonists in CCR5 antagonist treatment-naive patients

Resistance to CCR5 antagonists can be driven by mutations in gp120. Sequences from 323 anti-CCR5 naive patients were analyzed for the presence of previously described in-vivo or in-vitro resistance mutations to CCR5 antagonists located in the V3 loop of gp120. The V3 loop region was rather polymorphic, and 7.3% of patients showed viruses with combinations of mutations in V3 loop previously described to be involved in maraviroc resistance, a licensed CCR5 antagonist.