Relationship between skin fold thickness and insulin resistance in the essential hypertensive patients in Vietnam

Background Previous studies reported a close relationship between obesity and insulin resistance in the essential hypertensive patients. Objective In this study, we examined the relationship between the skin fold thickness and insulin resistance then developed a formula to estimate the insulin resistance index according to the skin fold thickness in the essential hypertensive patients. Subjects and Methods Medical records of 80 patients (37 males, 43 females) were reviewed and the data were tabulated. Anthropometric indexes (including height, weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, and skins fold thickness at 5 fatty difference points on the Erdheim diagram), fasting plasma glucose and insulin concentration were recorded. The mean age was 57.0 ?9.2 years. The insulin resistance index was calculated following the Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA) formula. Results Compared with the group with BMI < 23 kg/m2, the group with BMI≥23 kg/m2 had higher fasting insulin concentration (8.85±4.97 pmol/L vs 15.60±8.70 pmol/L, P<0.001 ) and higher insulin resistance index in ( 2.15±1,24 vs 3.76±2.22, P<0.001). No significant difference in fasting plasma insulin concentration, insulin resistance index between male and female was observed (P > 0.05). There was a positive correlation between skin fold thickness and the fasting insulin concentration and insulin resistance index. The skin fold thickness at point A8 had the best coefficient correlated with fasting plasma insulin(r=0.79, P < 0.001) and insulin resistance index (r= 0.79, P < 0.001). A formula to estimate the insulin resistance index by skin fold thickness at point A8 as: Insulin resistance index = 0.12×[skin fold thickness at A8 point (mm)] - 1. Conclusion: In the essential hypertensive patients, the formula to estimate insulin resistance index as 0.12×[skin fold thickness at A8 point (mm)]-1 may predict accurately the level of insulin resistance. (J Geriatr Cardiol 2005; 2(4):228-232 )     

On the mechanism of wing size determination in fly development

A fundamental and unresolved problem in animal development is the question of how a growing tissue knows when it has achieved its correct final size. A widely held view suggests that this process is controlled by morphogen gradients, which adapt to tissue size and become flatter as tissue grows, leading eventually to growth arrest. Here, we present evidence that the decapentaplegic (Dpp) morphogen distribution in the developing Drosophila wing imaginal disk does not adapt to disk size. We measure the distribution of a functional Dpp-GFP transgene and the Dpp signal transduced by phospho-Mad and show that the characteristic length scale of the Dpp profile remains approximately constant during growth. This finding suggests an alternative scenario of size determination, where disk size is determined relative to the fixed morphogen distribution by a certain threshold level of morphogen required for growth. We propose that when disk boundary reaches the threshold the arrest of cell proliferation throughout the disk is induced by mechanical stress in the tissue. Mechanical stress is expected to arise from the nonuniformity of morphogen distribution that drives growth. This stress, through a negative feedback on growth, can compensate for the nonuniformity of morphogen, achieving uniform growth with the rate that vanishes when disk boundary reaches the threshold. The mechanism is demonstrated through computer simulations of a tissue growth model that identifies the key assumptions and testable predictions. This analysis provides an alternative hypothesis for the size determination process. Novel experimental approaches will be needed to test this model.     

Iron overload in Africans and African-Americans and a common mutation in the SCL40A1 (ferroportin 1) gene

The product of the SLC40A1 gene, ferroportin 1, is a main iron export protein. Pathogenic mutations in ferroportin 1 lead to an autosomal dominant hereditary iron overload syndrome characterized by high serum ferritin concentration, normal transferrin saturation, iron accumulation predominantly in macrophages, and marginal anemia. Iron overload occurs in both the African and the African-American populations, but a possible genetic basis has not been established. We analyzed the ferroportin 1 gene in 19 unrelated patients from southern Africa (N = 15) and the United States (N = 4) presenting with primary iron overload. We found a new c. 744 C-->T (Q248H) mutation in the SLC40A1 gene in 4 of these patients (3 Africans and 1 African-American). Among 22 first degree family members, 10 of whom were Q248H heterozygotes, the mutation was associated with a trend to higher serum ferritin to amino aspartate transferase ratios (means of 14.8 versus 4.3 microg/U; P = 0.1) and lower hemoglobin concentrations (means of 11.8 versus 13.2 g/dL; P = 0.1). The ratio corrects serum ferritin concentration for alcohol-induced hepatocellular damage. We also found heterozygosity for the Q248H mutation in 7 of 51 (14%) southern African community control participants selected because they had a serum ferritin concentration below 400 microg/L and in 5 of 100 (5%) anonymous African-Americans, but we did not find the change in 300 Caucasians with normal iron status and 25 Caucasians with non-HFE iron overload. The hemoglobin concentration was significantly lower in the African community controls with the Q248H mutation than in those without it. We conclude that the Q248H mutation is a common polymorphism in the ferroportin 1 gene in African populations that may be associated with mild anemia and a tendency to iron loading.     

The Novel Electrophysiology of Complex Fractionated Atrial Electrograms: Insight from Noncontact Unipolar Electrograms

Unipolar Characteristics of CFAEs. Background: The noncontact mapping (NCM) system possesses the merit of global endocardial recording for unipolar and activation mapping. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the unipolar electrogram characteristics and activation pattern over the bipolar complex fractionated atrial electrogram (CFAE) sites during atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods: Twenty patients (age 55 ± 11 years old, 15 males) who underwent NCM and ablation of AF (paroxysmal/persistent = 13/7) were included. Both contact bipolar (32–300 Hz) and NCM virtual unipolar electrograms (0.5–300 Hz) were simultaneously recorded along with the activation pattern (total 223 sites, 11 ± 4 sites/patient). A CFAE was defined as a mean bipolar cycle length of ≤ 120 ms with an intervening isoelectric interval of more than 50 ms (Group 1A, n = 63, rapid repetitive CFAEs) or continuous fractionated activity (Group 1B, n = 59, continuous fractionated CFAEs), measured over a 7.2‐second duration. Group 2 consisted of those with a bipolar cycle length of more than 120 ms (n = 101). Results: The Group 1A CFAE sites exhibited a shorter unipolar electrogram cycle length (129 ± 11 vs 164 ± 20 ms, P < 0.001), and higher percentage of an S‐wave predominant pattern (QS or rS wave, 63 ± 13% vs 35 ± 13%, P < 0.001) than the Group 2 non‐CFAE sites. There was a linear correlation between the bipolar and unipolar cycle lengths (P < 0.001, R = 0.87). Most of the Group 1A CFAEs were located over arrhythmogenic pulmonary vein ostia or nonpulmonary vein ectopy with repetitive activations from those ectopies (62%) or the pivot points of the turning wavefronts (21%), whereas the Group 1B CFAEs exhibited a passive activation (44%) or slow conduction (31%). Conclusions: The bipolar repetitive and continuous fractionated CFAEs represented different activation patterns. The former was associated with an S wave predominant unipolar morphology which may represent an important focus for maintaining AF. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 21, pp. 640‐648, June 2010)     

Homing receptors on human and rodent lymphocytes--evidence for a conserved carbohydrate-binding specificity

Lymphocyte recirculation begins with the attachment of circulating cells to the structurally distinctive postcapillary venules of lymphoid organs termed high-endothelial venules (HEVs). In both rodents and humans, the attachment of lymphocytes to the HEVs of peripheral lymph nodes (PNs) on the one hand and gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALTs) on the other appears to involve discrete adhesive structures on the surfaces of the interacting cells. In rodents, we previously showed that a carbohydrate-binding receptor at the lymphocyte surface participates in the attachment to the HEV of peripheral nodes. The studies reported herein document the involvement of a similar receptor in the selective attachment of human peripheral blood lymphocytes to the HEVs of PNs. We argue that the close functional relationship between the human and rodent receptors indicates that this component of the adhesive interaction has been conserved through evolution.     

The effect of lithium on growth factor production in long-term bone marrow cultures

We have previously reported that lithium chloride (LiCl) stimulates the production of granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming cells (GM-CFC), pluripotent stem cells (CFU-S), and differentiated granulocytes, macrophages and megakaryocytes in murine Dexter marrow cultures and that this effect appears to be mediated indirectly by a radioresistant adherent marrow cell. In this study we have established that exposure of murine Dexter cultures to LiCl (4 mEq/L) causes an increase of colony-forming cell megakaryocytes (CFU-meg) over 1 to 6 weeks of culture in both supernatant (188% to 611%) and stromal phases (123% to 246%). Moreover, we have shown that lithium treatment of either irradiated (1,100 rad) or unirradiated stromal cells increased production of activities stimulating formation of megakaryocyte, granulocyte, macrophage, and mixed lineage colonies and proliferation of the factor-dependent cell line, FDC-P1. This FDC-P1 stimulatory activity was completely blocked by an antibody to purified recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (rGM-CSF). The baseline or lithium-induced--stromal-derived bone marrow colony stimulating activity was partially blocked by the antibody to rGM-CSF and by an antibody to purified colony stimulating factor I (CSF-1); the two antibodies combined resulted in greater than 90% inhibition of the lithium-induced marrow stimulatory activity. In addition, radioimmunoassay (RIA) showed that although CSF-1 was detectable in supernatants of these cultures, exposure to lithium did not increase CSF-1 levels. These data indicate that Dexter stromal cells produce CSF- 1 and GM-CSF and that lithium appears to exert its stimulatory effects on in vitro myelopoiesis by inducing production of GM-CSF.     

三维电解剖系统指导房性心律失常射频导管消融的价值

目的探讨电解剖系统指导在房性心律失常射频导管消融中的作用和优势。方法对25例心房颤动（阵发性15例、持续性10例）在电解剖系统指导下进行重建左心房后行线性消融，7例持续性房性心动过速（右心房性4例、左心房性3例）在电解剖系统指导下重建左／右心房标测激动顺序后行消融。结果25例心房颤动均完成预定的线性消融，其中14例阵发性者在窦性心律下电学隔离成功，10例持续性和1例阵发性者在心房颤动时电学隔离成功。7例持续性房性心动过速均在消融过程中转为窦性心律。电解剖系统指导下平均手术时间心房颤动为220min，房性心动过速为86min；平均X线透视时间心房颤动为48min，房性心动过速为20min。所有患者手术过程中均无并发症。结论在电解剖系统指引下，环肺静脉电隔离治疗心房颤动安全有效；有助于设计房性心动过速消融径线，缩短手术时间，提高成功率。     

Factors affecting the transduction of pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells: long-term expression of a human adenosine deaminase gene in mice

An amphotropic retroviral vector, LgAL(delta Mo + PyF101) containing a human adenosine deaminase (ADA) cDNA was used to optimize procedures for the lasting genetic modification of the hematopoietic system of mice. The highest number of retrovirally infected cells in the hematopoietic tissues of long-term reconstituted mice was observed after transplantation of bone marrow (BM) cells that had been cocultured in the presence of both interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) and IL-3. A significantly lower number was detected when IL-1 alpha was omitted from such cocultures. The yield of cells that generate spleen colony-forming cells (CFU-S) in the BM of lethally irradiated recipients (MRA-CFU-S) significantly improved on inclusion of the adherent cell fraction of cocultures in the transplant. Retroviral integration patterns in MRA-CFU-S-derived spleen colonies showed that an MRA-CFU-S can produce many CFU-S during BM regeneration. Expression of hADA was detected in the circulating white blood cells of long-term reconstituted animals, demonstrating that the LgAL(delta Mo + PyF101) vector is capable of directing the sustained expression of hADA, and in approximately 35% of the transduced MRA-CFU-S-derived spleen colonies. These results should facilitate the development of gene therapy protocols for the treatment of severe combined immunodeficiency caused by a lack of functional ADA.     

Oral fungal and bacterial infections in HIV-infected individuals: an overview in Africa

Oral opportunistic infections developing secondary to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection have been reported from the early days of the epidemic and have been classified by both the EC-Clearinghouse and the World Health Organisation (WHO). Among the fungal infections, oral candidiasis, presenting in African HIV-infected patients has been sporadically documented. We review the literature with respect to candidal carriage, oral candidiasis prevalence and the predictive value of oral candidiasis for a diagnosis of underlying HIV disease in African HIV-infected patients. The use of oral candidiasis as a marker of disease progression, the species of yeasts isolated from the oral cavity in Africa and the resistance of the yeasts to antifungal agents and treatment regimens are discussed. Orofacial lesions as manifestations of the systemic mycoses are rarely seen in isolation and few cases are reported in the literature from Africa. In spite of the high incidence of noma, tuberculosis, chronic osteomyelitis and syphilis in Africa, surprisingly there have been very few reported cases of the oral manifestations of these diseases in HIV-positive individuals. Orofacial disease in HIV-infected patients is associated with marked morbidity, which is compounded by malnutrition. The authors indicate specific research areas, initially directed at the most effective management strategies, which would complete data in this important area.