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Selected AbstractsExposure to opioid maintenance treatment reduces long-term mortalityADDICTION, Issue 3 2008Amy Gibson ABSTRACT Aims To (i) examine the predictors of mortality in a randomized study of methadone versus buprenorphine maintenance treatment; (ii) compare the survival experience of the randomized subject groups; and (iii) describe the causes of death. Design Ten-year longitudinal follow-up of mortality among participants in a randomized trial of methadone versus buprenorphine maintenance treatment. Setting Recruitment through three clinics for a randomized trial of buprenorphine versus methadone maintenance. Participants A total of 405 heroin-dependent (DSM-IV) participants aged 18 years and above who consented to participate in original study. Measurements Baseline data from original randomized study; dates and causes of death through data linkage with Births, Deaths and Marriages registries; and longitudinal treatment exposure via State health departments. Predictors of mortality examined through survival analysis. Findings There was an overall mortality rate of 8.84 deaths per 1000 person-years of follow-up and causes of death were comparable with the literature. Increased exposure to episodes of opioid treatment longer than 7 days reduced the risk of mortality; there was no differential mortality among methadone versus buprenorphine participants. More dependent, heavier users of heroin at baseline had a lower risk of death, and also higher exposure to opioid treatment. Older participants randomized to buprenorphine treatment had significantly improved survival. Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander participants had a higher risk of death. Conclusions Increased exposure to opioid maintenance treatment reduces the risk of death in opioid-dependent people. There was no differential reduction between buprenorphine and methadone. Previous studies suggesting differential effects may have been affected by biases in patient selection. [source] Epilepsy Patients Treated with Antiepileptic Drug Therapy Exhibit Compromised Ocular Perfusion CharacteristicsEPILEPSIA, Issue 11 2002Emma J. Roff Hilton Summary: ,Purpose: Reduced cerebral blood flow and decreased cerebral glucose metabolism have been identified in patients with epilepsy treated with antiepileptic drug (AED) therapy. The purpose of this study was to determine whether ocular haemodynamics are similarly reduced in patients with epilepsy treated with AEDs. Methods: Scanning laser Doppler flowmetry was used to measure retinal capillary microvascular flow, volume, and velocity in the temporal neuroretinal rim of 14 patients diagnosed with epilepsy (mean age, 42.0 ± 0.9 years). These values were compared with those of an age- and gender-matched normal subject group (n = 14; mean age, 41.7 ± 0.3 years). Student's unpaired two-tailed t tests were used to compare ocular blood-flow parameters between the epilepsy and normal subject groups (p < 0.05; Bonferroni corrected). Results: A significant reduction in retinal blood volume (p = 0.001), flow (p = 0.003), and velocity (p = 0.001) was observed in the epilepsy group (13.52 ± 3.75 AU, 219.14 ± 76.61 AU, and 0.77 ± 0.269 AU, respectively) compared with the normal subject group (19.02 ± 5.11 AU, 344.03 ± 93.03 AU, and 1.17 ± 0.301 AU, respectively). Overall, the percentage mean difference between the epilepsy and normal groups was 36.31% for flow, 28.92% for volume, and 34.19% for velocity. Conclusions: Patients with epilepsy exhibit reduced neuroretinal capillary blood flow, volume, and velocity compared with normal subjects. A reduction in ocular perfusion may have implications for visual function in people with epilepsy. [source] The effects of maximal treadmill graded exercise testing on haemorheological, haemodynamic and flow cytometry platelet markers in patients with systolic or diastolic heart failureEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION, Issue 3 2008I. Chung ABSTRACT Background, Acute exercise has been associated with activation of thrombosis, and this risk may be accentuated in patients with heart failure. Given the relation of platelets to atherothrombosis, we tested the hypothesis that acute exercise would adversely affect platelet indices and platelet activation markers in patients with systolic and diastolic heart failure. Materials and methods, We studied 20 patients with systolic heart failure (17 men, 3 women; mean age 64 ± 10 years, all with ejection fraction (EF) , 40%) and 20 patients with diastolic heart failure (14 men, 6 women; mean age 64 ± 8 years, mean EF = 66%) who were exercised to maximal intensity, who were compared to 13 healthy controls (6 men, 7 women; mean age 60 ± 4 years, mean EF = 73%). We measured platelet indices (platelet volume, mass and component) and platelet activation markers (platelet-bound CD62P%G, CD63%G and CD40L%G using flow cytometry, as well as plasma sCD40L and soluble P-selectin (sP-sel) levels). Results, Baseline Mean Platelet Volume (MPV), sP-sel, CD40L%G and CD63%G levels were significantly higher in patients with systolic and diastolic heart failure, when compared with controls. The mean exercise duration and VO2 peak in patients with systolic and diastolic heart failure were not significantly different, but lower than that seen in healthy controls. Following exercise, mean haematocrit, CD62P%G, and CD63%G significantly increased in all three subject groups (all P < 0·05). The proportional change in CD62P%G and CD63%G were not significantly different between healthy controls and heart failure patients (P > 0·05). Conclusion, Acute maximal graded exercise increases platelet activation markers, with no disproportionate differences between heart failure patients and healthy controls, despite the former group having a lower exercise tolerance and VO2 peak. [source] HUMAN STUDY: Preconscious attentional bias in cigarette smokers: a probe into awareness modulation on attentional biasADDICTION BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2009Xiaodan Yan ABSTRACT It has been frequently reported that smokers showed attentional bias toward smoking-related stimuli. The current study aimed to examine whether such bias was also present when subjects were unaware of the presented stimuli and the possible role of awareness modulation on attentional bias. With a psychophysical approach (interocular suppression), we suppressed subjects' awareness to the cigarette pictures presented to one of their eyes. The visual dot probe task was modified to increase the perceptual load and to control the physical features between two rivaling images. Twenty-eight male smokers and 25 male non-smokers participated in the experiment. We found a significant interaction between experiment conditions and subject groups, with only the smoker group showed attentional bias toward cigarette pictures in unaware condition. Moreover, smokers' attentional bias in unaware condition was negatively correlated with their scores on Cigarette Dependence Scale while their attentional bias in aware condition was positively correlated with scores on Questionnaires of Smoking Urges. Such dissociation indicates the possibility of awareness modulation on attentional bias: it is possible that in aware condition, the attentional bias was modulated by smoking urge in awareness, thus concealed the effect of dependence degree. Further studies indicated that awareness modulated attentional bias through many factors, such as craving, quit attempt, attitude and disgust. Interestingly, non-smokers also showed attentional bias in aware condition, which further suggested that due to awareness modulation, attentional bias could even be addiction-unrelated. [source] Evaluation of a new venom-based clotting assay of protein CINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LABORATORY HEMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2008P. C. COOPER Summary Congenital protein C deficiency significantly increases the risk of venous thromboembolism, a serious and potentially lethal condition. Protein C levels can be determined by chromogenic, clotting and antigenic assays, each type of assay has differences in specificity and sensitivity to protein C deficiency. In principle, clotting-based assays of protein C are preferred over chromogenic assays, as they can detect some rare mutations that are missed by the chromogenic assay, however, clotting-based assays may be prone to inaccuracy because of poor specificity. We have evaluated a new venom-based clotting assay of protein C, and optimized it for use on Sysmex CA-1500 analyser. The assay was linear from 0 to 130 U/dl, a normal plasma demonstrated good inter-assay precision, with a coefficient of variation of 4.8%. The assay compared well with antigenic- and venom-based chromogenic protein C assay in normal individuals, subjects with lupus anticoagulant, and subjects with FV Leiden. Median protein C levels by clotting, chromogenic and antigen for the three subject groups were 108 U/dl, 108 IU/dl and 109 IU/dl for normal subjects, 94 U/dl, 106 IU/dl and 103 IU/dl for subjects with lupus anticoagulant, and 102 U/dl, 104 IU/dl and 100 IU/dl for subjects heterozygous for FV Leiden. Comparing levels of clotting protein C with protein C antigen by ratio (clotting/antigen), the three groups showed small differences that did not quite reach statistical significance, (mean ratios ranged from 0.95 to 1.01, anovaP = 0.0561), the lowest ratio was with the lupus anticoagulant group. Comparing clotting assay with chromogenic assay by ratio (clotting/chromogenic), the three groups did show a statistically significant difference (P = 0.0033) which was due to a difference in mean ratios between normal and lupus anticoagulant groups (ratios 1.00 and 0.91, respectively, P < 0.01). There was no statistical difference in any of the groups when comparing chromogenic protein C with protein C antigen (mean ratios ranged from 1.02 to 1.05, P = 0.3925). In a normal sample, the clotting-based protein C level was unaffected by increasing FVIII level by up to 1000 IU/dl, using intermediate purity FVIII concentrate. The new assay is considered to be a suitable assay for the routine diagnosis of protein C deficiency. [source] Mood Symptoms and Cognitive Performance in Women Estrogen Users and Nonusers and MenJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 11 2002Karen J. Miller PhD OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have suggested sex differences in mood and cognition and that estrogen effects may partially explain such differences. In this study, we explore sex differences for a range of mood symptoms and for neuropsychological performance in men and postmenopausal women and assess the potential influence of estrogen on these measures. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of men and women examining mood, neuropsychological test data, and estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) use. SETTING: Outpatient study at an urban teaching hospital with subjects recruited from the community. PARTICIPANTS: All subjects (N = 96) were between the ages of 57 and 75 and included 31 women using ERT, 16 non-ERT users, and 49 men. Subjects did not have major depression and were nondemented. MEASUREMENT: The three groups were compared according to profile of mood states and neuropsychological performance, and statistical analyses were controlled for socioeconomic status, age, and education level. RESULTS: Female ERT users were less depressed and less angry and performed better on measures of verbal fluency and working memory than the other subject groups. CONCLUSION: Postmenopausal estrogen use is associated with better mood and cognitive performance on tasks of fluency and working memory. These results suggest that estrogen should be examined as a potentially critical variable influencing late-life sex differences in mood and cognition. [source] A Study of Corporate Disclosure Practice and Effectiveness in Hong KongJOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT & ACCOUNTING, Issue 1 2001Simon S. M. Ho The recent economic turmoil in Asia has led to a wider recognition of the importance of corporate transparency and disclosures in financial dealings. The objective of this study is to provide comprehensive and up-to-date evidence of current practice and perceived effectiveness of corporate disclosure of listed companies in an emerging economy,Hong Kong. The study compares the perceptions of chief financial officers (CFOs) and financial analysts about a variety of information flow, disclosure and capital market efficiency issues. It also seeks to determine whether there is a perceived need for increased financial reporting regulations and to what extent this and other alternative means might improve market functioning. While both subject groups believed that a majority of firms only adopt a conservative one-way disclosure strategy and the existence of a communication gap, analysts perceived a much higher need than CFOs for increased financial reporting regulations. Neither group thought that enhancing disclosure requirements alone would suffice to close this gap. Instead, they suggested an improvement in the quality of the communication and disclosure processes through means such as choosing more appropriate communication media, formulating a more proactive disclosure strategy, enhancing investor relationship, and voluntarily reporting more information desired by users. [source] Simultaneous feedforward recruitment of the vasti in untrained postural tasks can be restored by physical therapyJOURNAL OF ORTHOPAEDIC RESEARCH, Issue 3 2003Sallie M. Cowan Abstract Background and purpose: Physical therapy rehabilitation strategies are commonly directed at the alteration of muscle recruitment in functional movements. The aim of this study was to investigate whether feedforward strategies of the vasti in people with patellofemoral pain syndrome can be changed by a physical therapy treatment program in a randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial. Subjects: Forty (25 female, 15 male) subjects aged 40 yrs or less (27.2 ± 7.8 yrs). Methods: Subjects were allocated to either a placebo treatment or a physical therapy intervention program. The postural challenge used as the outcome measure was not included in the training program. Electromyography (EMG) onsets of vastus medialis obliquus (VMO), vastus lateralis (VL), tibialis anterior and soleus were assessed before and after the six week standardised treatment programs. Results: At baseline the EMG onset of VL occurred prior to that of VMO in both subject groups. Following physical therapy intervention there was a significant change in the time of onset of EMG of VMO compared to VL with the onsets occurring simultaneously. This change was associated with a reduction in symptoms. In contrast, following placebo intervention the EMG onset of VL still occurred prior to that of VMO. Conclusion and discussion: The results indicate that the feedforward strategy used by the central nervous system to control the patella can be restored. Importantly, the data suggest that this intervention produced a change that was transferred to a task that was not specifically included in the training program. Furthermore, the change in motor control was associated with clinical improvement in symptoms. © 2002 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. [source] Differential platelet-activating factor synthesis by monocytes and polymorphonuclear leukocytes from subjects with localized aggressive periodontitisJOURNAL OF PERIODONTAL RESEARCH, Issue 3 2007C. R. Shin Background and Objective:, Platelet-activating factor is elevated in localized aggressive periodontitis. We previously demonstrated that the elevated level of platelet-activating factor in localized aggressive periodontitis is at least partially attributable to low levels of platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase, the enzyme that catabolizes platelet-activating factor. The objective of this study was to determine if platelet-activating factor synthesis was also elevated in localized aggressive periodontitis. To test this, platelet-activating factor synthesis was quantified in the monocytes and polymorphonuclear neutrophils of periodontally healthy patients and of subjects with localized aggressive periodontitis. Material and Methods:, Cells were labeled with [3H]acetate and treated with vehicle or stimulated with calcium ionophore A23187. Platelet-activating factor was extracted and quantified by scintillation counting. Results:, For both subject groups, resting monocytes and polymorphonuclear neutrophils produced platelet-activating factor, and calcium ionophore A23187 stimulated platelet-activating factor production in both cell types. However, calcium ionophore A23187-activated monocytes from subjects with localized aggressive periodontitis produced less platelet-activating factor than did activated periodontally healthy monocytes (p < 0.0001), suggesting an aberrant calcium ionophore A23187 response in monocytes from subjects with localized aggressive periodontitis. Indeed, when the data were expressed as fold induction of platelet-activating factor synthesis in response to calcium ionophore A23187, monocytes from subjects with localized aggressive periodontitis exhibited only a fourfold increase in platelet-activating factor synthesis, whereas calcium ionophore A23187-stimulated monocytes from periodontally healthy, chronic periodontitis and generalized aggressive periodontitis subjects produced ,,12 times more platelet-activating factor than did resting monocytes. In contrast, both resting and activated localized aggressive periodontitis polymorphonuclear neutrophils synthesized more platelet-activating factor than did periodontally healthy polymorphonuclear neutrophils. Conclusion:, These data suggest that high levels of platelet-activating factor in subjects with localized aggressive periodontitis result from both increased synthesis and reduced catabolism. While localized aggressive periodontitis polymorphonuclear neutrophils contribute to increased platelet-activating factor mass through synthesis, the contribution of monocytes is probably the result of reduced catabolism by platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase. [source] Working and Episodic Memory in HIV Infection, Alcoholism, and Their Comorbidity: Baseline and 1-Year Follow-Up ExaminationsALCOHOLISM, Issue 10 2009Rosemary Fama Background:, Selective memory deficits occur in individuals with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and those with chronic alcoholism, but the potential compounded effect of these conditions is seldom considered, despite the high prevalence of alcohol use disorders in HIV infection. Methods:, Here, we examined component processes of working and episodic memory in HIV infection and chronic alcoholism (ALC) in 4 subject groups (HIV, ALC, HIV + ALC, and normal controls) at baseline and 1-year follow-up. Accuracy scores, response times, and rate of information processing were assessed with subtests of the computerized neuropsychological test battery, the MicroCog. Results:, Although individuals with either HIV infection or alcoholism generally performed at normal levels, individuals comorbid with HIV infection and alcoholism were impaired relative to controls and to the single diagnosis groups on selective memory processes. Immediate episodic memory was impaired, whereas working memory remained intact. Ability to retain information over time was not impaired in the clinical groups. Little performance change between groups was detected over 1 year. Results could not be explained by amount of alcohol consumed over a lifetime, CD4 cell count, AIDS diagnosis, or HAART medication. Conclusions:, This study provides behavioral support for adverse synergism of HIV infection and chronic alcoholism on brain function and is consistent with neuroimaging reports of compromised hippocampal and associated memory structures related to episodic memory processes in these 2 conditions. [source] Effects of the History of Conduct Disorder on the Iowa Gambling TasksALCOHOLISM, Issue 3 2006Yang Tae Kim Background: Recent research conducted with the Iowa Gambling Task (GT) suggests decision-making impairments in substance dependence, as well as behavior disorders such as conduct disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. However, little is known about the past history of conduct disorder on decision making. The purpose of this study was to test the possible effect of past history of conduct disorder on GT performance and how this factor could contribute to the performance on GT in alcohol-dependent patients. Methods: Four subject groups were tested: (1) alcohol-dependent patients with (n=28) and (2) alcohol-dependent patients without (n=28), a history of conduct disorder and (3) normal controls with (n=10) and (4) normal controls without (n=30) a history of conduct disorder. Demographic and alcohol-related variables were evaluated, and a decision-making task, "Iowa GT," both original and variant version, were applied. Results: As a whole, normal controls with a history of conduct disorder and alcohol-dependent patients with or without a history of conduct disorder show impaired decision making because of hypersensitivity to reward and hyposensitivity to punishment. However, no significant differences were noted between alcohol-dependent patients either with or without a history of conduct disorder on gambling performance. Conclusions: These results indicate that the history of conduct disorder may contribute to impaired decision making on GT. Furthermore, this kind of decision-making pattern may represent one of common underlying mechanisms in both conduct disorder and alcohol dependence. [source] Human CD4+ T-cell epitope repertoire on the C2 domain of coagulation factor VIIIJOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS, Issue 8 2003M. T. Reding Summary., Approximately 25% of severe hemophilia A patients develop antibodies (Ab) that neutralize the procoagulant function of factor (F)VIII (inhibitors). Autoimmune FVIII inhibitors may develop in individuals without congenital FVIII deficiency and cause acquired hemophilia. Low titers of anti-FVIII Ab may be present in hemophilia A patients without inhibitors and in healthy blood donors. FVIII-specific CD4+ T-cells drive the synthesis of anti-FVIII Ab. We examined the epitope repertoire of CD4+ T-cells from 15 healthy subjects, 10 hemophilia A patients without inhibitors, 11 hemophilia A patients with inhibitors, and six acquired hemophilia patients. Blood CD4+ T-cells were challenged in proliferation assays with a panel 16 overlapping synthetic peptides, spanning the sequence of the FVIII C2 domain. The sequence region 2291,2330 contained the most frequently and strongly recognized peptides in each of the four subject groups. Crystallographic B factor data and the location of these peptides within the three-dimensional structure of the C2 domain confirm that this region has a high degree of solvent exposure and flexibility within the peptide backbone, which are structural features typical of immunodominant universal CD4+ epitopes. Furthermore, this sequence region overlaps inhibitor-binding sites, suggesting that CD4+ T-cells recognizing peptide sequences within this region might be involved in inhibitor synthesis. The sequence regions 2191,2210 (recognized strongly by each study group except hemophilia A patients with inhibitors) and 2241,2290 (recognized primarily by acquired hemophilia patients and healthy subjects) share the same structural features, and also overlap inhibitor-binding sites. Although similar, there appear to be important differences in the CD4+ epitope repertoires of congenital and acquired hemophilia patients. [source] Time Development Models for Perfusion Provocations Studied with Laser-Doppler Flowmetry, Applied to Iontophoresis and PORHMICROCIRCULATION, Issue 7 2009Frits F.M. De Mul ABSTRACT Objective: Clinical acceptance of laser-Doppler perfusion monitoring (LDPM) of microcirculation suffers from lack of quantitatively reliable signal data, due to varying tissue constitution, temperature, hydration, etc. In this article, we show that a novel approach using physiological models for response upon provocations provides quantitatively and clinically relevant time constants. Methods: We investigated this for two provocation protocols: postocclusive reactive hyperemia (PORH) and iontophoresis shots, measured with LDPM on extremities. PORH experiments were performed on patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) or diabetes mellitus (DM), and on healthy controls. Iontophoresis experiments were performed on pre-eclamptic patients and healthy controls. We developed two dynamical physical models, both based on two characteristic time constants: for PORH, an "arterial" and a "capillary" time constant and, for iontophoresis, a "diffusion" and a "decay" time constant. Results: For the different subject groups, we could extract time constants that could probably be related to physiological differences. For iontophoresis, a shot saturation constant was determined, with very different values for different groups and administered drugs. Conclusions: With these models, the dynamics of the provocations can be investigated and quantitative comparisons between experiments and subject groups become available. The models offer a quantifiable standard that is independent of the type of LDPM instrumentation. [source] Incentive-elicited mesolimbic activation and externalizing symptomatology in adolescentsTHE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 7 2010James M. Bjork Background:, Opponent-process theories of externalizing disorders (ExD) attribute them to some combination of overactive reward processing systems and/or underactive behavior inhibition systems. Reward processing has been indexed by recruitment of incentive-motivational neurocircuitry of the ventral striatum (VS), including nucleus accumbens (NAcc). Methods:, We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with an incentive task to determine whether externalizing symptomatology in adolescence is correlated with an enhanced VS recruitment by cues for rewards, or by deliveries of rewards. Twelve community-recruited adolescents with externalizing disorders (AED) and 12 age/gender-matched controls responded to targets to win or avoid losing $0, $0.20, $1, $5, or an unknown amount (ranging from $0.20 to $5). Results:, Cues to respond for rewards activated the NAcc (relative to cues for no incentive), in both subject groups similarly, with greatest NAcc recruitment by cues for the largest reward. Loss-anticipatory NAcc signal increase was detected in a volume-of-interest analysis , but this increase occurred only in trials when subjects hit the target. Relative to controls, AED showed significantly elevated NAcc activation by a linear contrast between reward notification versus notification of failure to win reward. In a post hoc reanalysis, VS and pregenual anterior cingulate activation by the reward versus non-reward outcome contrast also directly correlated with Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) Externalizing total scores (across all subjects) in lieu of a binary diagnosis. Finally, both groups showed right insula activation by loss notifications (contrasted with avoided losses). Conclusions:, Externalizing behavior, whether assessed dimensionally with a questionnaire, or in the form of a diagnostic categorization, is associated with an exaggerated limbic response to outcomes of reward-directed behavior. This could be a neurobiological signature of the behavioral sensitivity to laboratory reward delivery that is characteristic of children with externalizing symptomatology. Of interest is future research on incentive-motivational processing in more severe, clinically referred AED. [source] Partial-body exposure of human volunteers to 2450,MHz pulsed or CW fields provokes similar thermoregulatory responses,BIOELECTROMAGNETICS, Issue 4 2001Eleanor R. Adair Abstract Many reports describe data showing that continuous wave (CW) and pulsed (PW) radiofrequency (RF) fields, at the same frequency and average power density (PD), yield similar response changes in the exposed organism. During whole-body exposure of squirrel monkeys at 2450 MHz CW and PW fields, heat production and heat loss responses were nearly identical. To explore this question in humans, we exposed two different groups of volunteers to 2450,MHz CW (two females, five males) and PW (65,,s pulse width, 104,pps; three females, three males) RF fields. We measured thermophysiological responses of heat production and heat loss (esophageal and six skin temperatures, metabolic heat production, local skin blood flow, and local sweat rate) under a standardized protocol (30,min baseline, 45,min RF or sham exposure, 10,min baseline), conducted in three ambient temperatures (Ta,=,24, 28, and 31°C). At each Ta, average PDs studied were 0, 27, and 35,mW/cm2 (Specific absorption rate (SAR),=,0, 5.94, and 7.7,W/kg). Mean data for each group showed minimal changes in core temperature and metabolic heat production for all test conditions and no reliable differences between CW and PW exposure. Local skin temperatures showed similar trends for CW and PW exposure that were PD-dependent; only the skin temperature of the upper back (facing the antenna) showed a reliably greater increase (P,=,.005) during PW exposure than during CW exposure. Local sweat rate and skin blood flow were both Ta - and PD-dependent and showed greater variability than other measures between CW and PW exposures; this variability was attributable primarily to the characteristics of the two subject groups. With one noted exception, no clear evidence for a differential response to CW and PW fields was found. Bioelectromagnetics 22:246,259, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Anti-inflammatory effects of probiotic yogurt in inflammatory bowel disease patientsCLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 3 2007M. Lorea Baroja Summary Our aim was to assess anti-inflammatory effects on the peripheral blood of subjects with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who consumed probiotic yogurt for 1 month. We studied 20 healthy controls and 20 subjects with IBD, 15 of whom had Crohn's disease and five with ulcerative colitis. All the subjects consumed Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and L. reuteri RC-14 supplemented yogurt for 30 days. The presence of putative regulatory T (Treg) cells (CD4+ CD25high) and cytokines in T cells, monocytes and dendritic cells (DC) was determined by flow cytometry from peripheral blood before and after treatment, with or without ex vivo stimulation. Serum and faecal cytokine concentrations were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The proportion of CD4+ CD25high T cells increased significantly (P = 0·007) in IBD patients, mean (95% confidence interval: CI) 0·84% (95% CI 0·55,1·12) before and 1·25% (95% CI 0·97,1·54) after treatment, but non-significantly in controls. The basal proportion of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-,+/interleukin (IL)-12+ monocytes and myeloid DC decreased in both subject groups, but of stimulated cells only in IBD patients. Also serum IL-12 concentrations and proportions of IL-2+ and CD69+ T cells from stimulated cells decreased in IBD patients. The increase in CD4+ CD25high T cells correlated with the decrease in the percentage of TNF-,- or IL-12-producing monocytes and DC. The effect of the probiotic yogurt was confirmed by a follow-up study in which subjects consumed the yogurt without the probiotic organisms. Probiotic yogurt intake was associated with significant anti-inflammatory effects that paralleled the expansion of peripheral pool of putative Treg cells in IBD patients and with few effects in controls. [source] Low molecular weight analysis of tears using matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometryCLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL OPHTHALMOLOGY, Issue 3 2000Irene Mulvenna BSc ABSTRACT Many low molecular weight substances in human tears, including protein and lipid species, have yet to be characterized. Some of these uncharacterized substances may well be important in the pathogenesis of ocular surface disease or in ocular discomfort. The aim of this study was to build a biochemical profile of low molecular weight species in tears, and to determine its repeatability. A total of 80 tear samples were collected from 11 subjects. Tear samples were dialysed to remove salts, added to a matrix of ,-cyano-4- hydroxycinnamic acid, and analysed using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. Species were separated based on their mass to charge ratio (m : z). The repeatability of the appearance of the different species was analysed using logistic regression and diurnal and day-to-day repeatability were ascertained. Peptides were identified in the range of 848,3897 Da. Of these, 39 peptides were found to be present in more than 10 / 80 samples. There was no diurnal variation in the peptides. All species were found to occur repeatably, with the exception of peptide 1653 Da. This study has demonstrated that the majority of low molecular weight species in tears are repeatably present and do not exhibit diurnal variation. Further study aims to characterize these species and to identify changes in tear profiles between subject groups. [source] Subclinical aspirin sensitivity in subjects with nasal polyposisCLINICAL OTOLARYNGOLOGY, Issue 6 2003J.W.W. Killen Subclinical aspirin sensitivity in subjects with nasal polyposis It is unclear whether subclinical airway responses to aspirin occur in subjects with nasal polyps and/or asthma without overt sensitivity. Sixty-three subjects without known aspirin sensitivity (13 controls, 17 nasal polyps alone, 15 nasal polyps and asthma and 18 asthma alone) inhaled increasing concentrations of nebulized lysine aspirin. Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), symptoms and other potential markers of an airway response were measured. Four subjects (one polyps alone, one asthma alone, two with both) had a positive response to lysine aspirin predefined as symptoms plus a >10% fall in FEV1 from baseline. However, there was no evidence of a general subclinical response in any of the subject groups: mean (95% CI) change in FEV1; control 0.07 (,0.02,0.16) L, nasal polyps alone ,0.05 (,0.16,0.05) L, nasal polyps with asthma ,0.03 (,0.10,0.04) L, asthma alone ,0.03 (,0.09,0.03) L. We concluded that in the absence of a suggestive clinical history, only a small proportion of patients with nasal polyposis are likely to be sensitive to aspirin. There is no evidence of general subclinical sensitivity to aspirin in subjects with nasal polyps and no relevant history. [source] | |||||||||||||