Health care use among young children in day care. Results in a randomized trial of early intervention

Exposure of young children to group day-care settings increases the risk of illness and may result in higher use of medical care. These observations raise concerns that the use of such settings for early intervention programs for low-birth-weight infants may increase the already high burden of medical care costs incurred by these children and their families. To address the question of medical care use associated with center-based care, we examined the hospital-based and ambulatory care reported for participants of the Infant Health and Development Program. This project is a multisite randomized trial of an early intervention program for preterm low-birth-weight infants with an intervention including 2 years of center-based care. The Intervention group did not differ in hospital-based care and averaged only two more physicians' visits over the 3-year observation period than the comparison group. We conclude that early intervention programs involving high-quality group care are not accompanied by substantial increases in health care use.     

Satellite cells express distinct patterns of myogenic proteins in immature skeletal muscle.

Satellite cells are the myogenic cells lying between the myofiber sarcolemma and basal lamina. The objective of this study was to determine the expression patterns of MyoD, myogenin, and Pax7 within the satellite cell population in the growing rat soleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles. Secondly, the expression of the myogenic markers was also studied within the interstitial cell compartment and myonuclei. It was discovered that the soleus contained a higher number of Pax7, MyoD, or myogenin-positive nuclei compared with the EDL. Similarly, myogenin was expressed at a lower level in the myonuclei of the soleus compared with the EDL, and myogenin was expressed at a higher level in the interstitial compartment of the soleus compared with the EDL. When interstitial nuclei, myonuclei, and double-labeled nuclei were used in the estimate of the satellite cell population, it was discovered that approximately of 13% of the myofibers in a transverse section of the soleus muscle and 4.1% of EDL myofibers exhibit a labeled satellite cell nucleus. Overall, results from this study suggest that expression patterns of these markers vary predictably among muscles with different growth dynamics and phenotypic characteristics.     

Secretion of cathepsin B by human gliomas in vitro

There is evidence from investigations of non-CNS neoplasms that secreted proteolytic enzymes may facilitate tumour invasion by partially degrading extracellular matrix (ECM). Among the enzymes which may be involved are members of the cysteine proteinase superfamily and especially cathepsin B (CB). In the present investigation we have studied CB in human gliomas in vitro , concentrating particularly on CB secretion, as extracellular enzyme is of prime importance in this context. We have found that CB is secreted by gliomas in vitro as a latent zymogen, requiring activation. This has been confirmed by gel chromatography which indicated that CB is secreted as a 42 kDa proenzyme which may be proteolytically processed to an enzymatically active 29 kDa molecule. The inactive, high molecular weight, latent CB is stable at extracellular pH in contrast to the activated low molecular weight form which rapidly loses activity at this pH. We have also measured secretion of cysteine proteinase inhibitors (CPI), as their presence would have a direct influence on the effective activity of CB, and found that all of the gliomas secreted significant amounts of a CPI as assessed by papain inhibition. Our experiments suggest that a number of factors are involved in the regulation of extracellular glioma-derived CB activity. These include: rate of secretion of pro-CB, rate of CB activation, destabilization of CB at neutral pH and the presence of cysteine proteinase inhibitors.     

Preliminary evidence for a role of apolipoprotein E alleles in identifying haemodialysis patients at high vascular risk

Conventional risk factors have very low predictive power in identifying haemodialysis patients at high risk of vascular accidents. A role for apolipoprotein E isotypes was looked for in a small, but rigorously defined, cohort of longterm haemodialysis patients. In individuals with high vascular risk, as identified by higher common carotid intima/media thickness, we found an excess of apolipoprotein E4 alleles. This preliminary result requires confirmation in large patient cohorts.      

Changes in height of choroidal melanomas after plaque therapy.

Serial ultrasonic measurements of 82 uveal melanomas treated with brachytherapy plaques (cobalt-60 and iodine-125) and followed up for up to 141 months revealed that no two patients had identical patterns of change. The mean absolute change in tumour height after treatment was 1.8 mm at six months, 5.6 mm at 48 months for large tumours, and 0.9 and 1.9 mm for medium sized tumours. Eighty of the 82 patients fell into one of three patterns of response: 57 patients had a decrease in height after treatment (type D), 13 patients had the same height after treatment (type S), and 10 patients had a progressive increase in height (type I). Life table comparison showed no correlation between survival and location of tumour, sex of patient, size of tumour when treated, or laterality. There was a slight correlation between age and survival. Patients older than 60 died more frequently from metastatic melanoma than those under 60 (p = 0.06). Life table analysis showed a significant correlation between tumour regression type and survival. At 48 months the best cumulative probability of survival was in patients with type D (88% alive) compared with those of type I (34% alive, p = 0.0004).     

Hospital use and health status of women during the 5 years following the birth of a premature, low-birthweight infant.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the health status and hospital use of women after the birth of a premature, low-birthweight infant. METHODS: The subjects were women with infants who participated in a multisite, randomized trial of an early intervention program. The outcomes examined were (1) a maternal health rating of poor or fair (i.e., poorer health) 5 years following delivery and (2) hospital use for a non-pregnancy-related condition. RESULTS: By the fifth year after delivery, 29.7% of the women had been hospitalized for a non-pregnancy-related condition. Women who reported poorer health status (adjusted relative risk [RR] = 2.39; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.86, 3.07) or who had asthma (RR = 2.24; CI = 1.31, 3.80) were at greatest risk. After 5 years, 16.9% of the women said they were in poorer health. The number of intervening years in poorer health (1 year, RR = 3.17; CI = 2.04, 4.94; > 1 year, RR = 8.42; CI = 2.20, 12.88), more than 1 year of poverty (RR = 3.28; CI = 1.90, 5.66), obesity (RR = 3.30; CI = 1.44, 7.55), and more than 1 year of employment (RR = 0.55; CI = 0.36, 0.86) were all significantly associated with poorer health. CONCLUSIONS: The continued, substantial morbidity and hospital use of women with a premature, low-birthweight infant has not previously been reported. This observation needs to be verified.