Poverty and health. Prospective evidence from the Alameda County Study

To examine the reasons for the association between socioeconomic status and poor health, the authors examined the nine-year mortality experience of a random sample of residents aged 35 and over in Oakland, California. Residents of a federally designated poverty area experienced higher age-, race-, and sex-adjusted mortality over the follow-up period compared with residents of nonpoverty areas (relative risk = 1.71, 95 per cent confidence interval 1.20-2.44). This increased risk of death persisted when there was multivariate adjustment for baseline health status, race, income, employment status, access to medical care, health insurance coverage, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, body mass index, sleep patterns, social isolation, marital status, depression, and personal uncertainty. These results support the hypothesis that properties of the sociophysical environment may be important contributors to the association between low socioeconomic status and excess mortality, and that this contribution is independent of individual behaviors.     

Radiation dose reduction during hysterosalpingography: an application of scanning-beam digital radiography

Hysterosalpingography was performed in 31 patients by means of a low-dose scanning-beam digital radiographic system. The technique permits adequate evaluation of gynecologic abnormalities while allowing significant reduction in radiation: 2.4-mR (6.1 X 10(-7) C/kg) exposure to the skin and 0.7-mrad (7 X 10(-6) Gy) mean dose to the ovaries per image obtained. Sixteen patients demonstrated readily recognizable and documented abnormalities, corroborated by laparoscopy, laparotomy, or other supportive evidence.     

Seasons and other factors affecting the quality of life of asthmatic children.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of seasons on the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of asthmatic children. METHODS: Four groups of asthmatic children 7 to 14 years old were recruited by pediatricians during each season of the year. Their HRQL was assessed by means of the Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ). Other factors surveyed were asthma severity, atopy, medical treatment, immunotherapy, obesity, parental smoking, and anti-allergic measures. RESULTS: The mean (SD) overall PAQLQ score was highest in summer at 6.2 (1.0) and lowest in autumn at 5.5 (1.2). The same trend was found for domains in summer and autumn, respectively: symptoms, 6.2 (1.0) vs 5.4 (1.4); emotions, 6.5 (0.8) vs 6.0 (1.0); and activities, 5.9 (1.4) vs. 5.0 (1.5). Factors such as male gender (odds ratio [OR], 0.60; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.41-0.87), being on immunotherapy (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.38-0.92), living in an urban environment (OR, 0.56; 0.33-0.93), and residing on the northern coast of Spain along the Bay of Biscay (OR, 0.56; 0.36-0.89) were independent protective factors against having a total PAQLQ score in the lower tertile. Conversely, being recruited in a primary care setting (OR, 1.55; 1.01-2.38) and having more severe asthma were risks for being in the lower tertile. CONCLUSIONS: Irrespective of the severity of the disease, season has a significant influence on the HRQL of asthmatic children.     

Causes of B chromosome variant substitution in the grasshopper Eyprepocnemis plorans

We have analysed B chromosome frequency for three consecutive years, B transmission rate at population and individual levels, clutch size, egg fertility and embryo–adult viability in a natural population of the grasshopper Eyprepocnemis plorans containing two different B chromosome variants, i.e. B₂ and B₂₄, the second being derived from the first and having replaced it in nearby populations. From 2002 to 2003 the relative frequency of both variants changed, although the differences did not reach significance. A mother–offspring analysis showed no significant effect of any of the two B variants on clutch size, egg fertility or embryo–adult viability, but B₂₄ was more efficiently transmitted than B₂ through males from the 2002 season, which explains the observed frequency change. Controlled crosses, at individual level, showed significant drive through some females for B₂₄ but not for B₂, suggesting that this difference in transmission rate might also be important for the substitution process. The analysis of relative fitness for B₂ and B₂₄ carriers for all fitness components, as a whole, showed a significantly better performance of B₂₄-carrying individuals, suggesting that the cumulative effect of these slight differences might contribute to the replacement of B₂ by B₂₄. Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at .     

Occurrence of immunoblastic B-cell lymphoma in hairy cell leukemia

A 47-year-old man, was referred for evaluation of asymptomatic splenomegaly in September 1981, and a diagnosis of hairy cell leukemia (HCL) at the initial clinical stage was made. The patient remained asymptomatic until May 1985, when splenectomy was performed because of anemia and splenomegaly. Bone marrow and liver biopsy specimens showed diffuse infiltration by abnormal tartase resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) positive lymphocytes with typical aspect of hairy cells. Four months later, he developed fever of unknown origin and, at laparotomy, diffuse retroperitoneal lymph node enlargement and metastatic liver nodules were seen. Lymph node and liver biopsy specimens showed diffuse infiltration by abnormal large lymphocytes, which bore monoclonal surface immunoglobulin M and light chain kappa. Only six cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma associated with HCL have been published to date. This report describes an additional case of immunoblastic B-cell lymphoma, preceded 4 years earlier by the diagnosis of HCL.