Diabetes news

Martin J. Kurian, Peter J. Rentzepis, Ann M. Carracher, and Kelly L. Close are of Close Concerns ( http://www.closeconcerns.com ), a healthcare information company focused exclusively on diabetes and obesity care. Close Concerns publishes Closer Look, a periodical that brings together news and insights in these areas. Each month, the Journal of Diabetes includes this News feature, in which Kurian, Rentzepis, Carracher, and Close review the latest developments relevant to researchers and clinicians.     

Cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana are related to pyospermia in infertile men

The relationship of current use of cigarettes, marijuana and alcohol to the parameters of seminal fluid analysis, sperm penetration assay and sperm autoimmunity was studied in 164 men from infertile couples. Current cigarette smokers, marijuana users and heavy alcohol users showed greater numbers of leukocytes in the seminal fluid than did nonusers (p less than 0.02, less than 0.007 and less than 0.01, respectively). In addition, cigarette smokers had lower sperm penetration assay scores than nonsmokers (median 2.5 versus 8.0, p = 0.05). Users of cigarettes, marijuana or alcohol showed no decrease in sperm count, motility or percentage of oval sperm, and no difference in prevalence of antisperm antibodies compared to nonusers. After controlling for past sexually transmitted diseases and multiple substance exposures in a multivariate model, use of cigarettes (p = 0.006), marijuana (p = 0.12) or alcohol (p = 0.098) continued to be associated with a trend toward increased number of seminal fluid leukocytes. Cigarette smoking continued to show a significant decrease in sperm penetration assay score (p = 0.03).     

Primary biphasic lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma of the lung. A mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma with compartmentalization of plasma cells in the lung and lymph nodes.

A primary mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma of the lung in a 27-year-old man was found. The tumor was composed mainly of centrocyte-like cells and plasma cells. These two components were demarcated sharply from each other, resulting in a zoning or biphasic pattern. This characteristic pattern also was present in the involved regional lymph nodes. Monoclonality of tumor cells was shown immunohistochemically and by in situ hybridization techniques. This article also highlights the use of in situ hybridization in detecting light chain mRNA in paraffin sections.     

Predictors of Maternal Responsiveness

PURPOSE: To explore maternal responsiveness in the first 2 to 4 months after delivery and to evaluate potential predictors of maternal responsiveness, including infant feeding, maternal characteristics, and demographic factors such as age, socioeconomic status, and educational level. DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey design was used to assess the variables of maternal responsiveness, feeding patterns, and maternal characteristics in a convenience sample of 177 mothers in the first 2 to 4 months after delivery. The 60-item self-report instrument included scales to measure maternal responsiveness, self-esteem, and satisfaction with life as well as infant feeding questions and sociodemographic items. An online data-collection strategy was used, resulting in participants from 41 U.S. states. FINDINGS: Multiple regression analysis showed that satisfaction with life, self-esteem, and number of children, but not breastfeeding, explained a significant portion of the variance in self-reported maternal responsiveness scores. In this analysis, sociodemographic variables such as age, education, income, and work status showed little or no relationship to maternal responsiveness scores. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides additional information about patterns of maternal behavior in the transition to motherhood and some of the variables that influence that transition. Satisfaction with life was a new predictor of maternal responsiveness. However, with only 15% of the variance explained by the predictors in this study, a large portion of the variance in maternal responsiveness remains unexplained. Further research in this area is needed.     

Silent supraglottic carcinoma

In a review of 51 consecutive patients with previously untreated squamous cell carcinoma of the supraglottic larynx, five (9.8%) patients were found to have no mucosal abnormality on initial evaluation by both computed tomography (CT) and direct laryngoscopy. All five patients who manifested submucosal disease had at least one endoscopic procedure done with a biopsy negative for cancer before definitive diagnosis, resulting in an average delay from initial endoscopy to diagnosis of 19.8 weeks. These inapparent or "silent" neoplasms present unique problems in regard to establishing a diagnosis by routine biopsy techniques, even though CT reliably demonstrates their presence. Early diagnosis requires aggressive biopsy techniques based on CT findings.