Determination of haptoglobin genotype in an Iranian population with idiopathic generalized epilepsy

Background:

Haptoglobin (Hp) is a plasma α₂-sialoglycoprotein that contains alpha and beta chains. It displays in three common phenotypes, Hp1-1, Hp2-1, and Hp2-2. Proteins expressed by polymorphic genes have grossly different molecular sizes resulting in different diffusion rates in the brain. Haptoglobin expressed by the Hp2-2 genotype has lower hemoglobin-binding capacity than Hp1-1 or Hp2-1 and is associated with idiopathic generalized epilepsy.

Methods:

To determine polymorphism in haptoglobin genes in patients with idiopathic generalized tonic-clonic seizures, 42 men, 42 women, and 50 controls were selected for this study. Genomic DNA was extracted from blood and studied by polymerase chain reactions (PCR).

Results:

The amplified fragments for the Hp1-1 and Hp2-2 genotypes were 1757 and 3481 base pairs (bp) respectively, and the Hp2-1 genotype had both fragments, in addition to a 349-bp fragment. The distribution of the three major Hp phenotypes in epilepsy patients was 28.6 (1-1), 38.1 (2-1), and 33.3% (2-2) in the men, and 31 (1-1), 40.5 (2-1), and 28.6% (2-2) in the women. The distribution of Hp genotypes in controls was 22 (1-1), 40 (2-1), and 38% (2-2).

Conclusion:

We show that all Hp genotypes participate in idiopathic generalized epilepsy.Key Words: Epilepsy, Haptoglobin, Iran     

The Effect of Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonists on Weight Loss in Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Mixed Treatment Comparison Meta-Analysis

Aims

To determine the effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists compared with placebo and other anti-diabetic agents on weight loss in overweight or obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods

Electronic searches were conducted for randomised controlled trials that compared a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist therapy at a clinically relevant dose with a comparator treatment (other type 2 diabetes treatment or placebo) in adults with type 2 diabetes and a mean body mass index ≥ 25kg/m². Pair-wise meta-analyses and mixed treatment comparisons were conducted to examine the difference in weight change at six months between the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and each comparator.

Results

In the mixed treatment comparison (27 trials), the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists were the most successful in terms of weight loss; exenatide 2mg/week: -1.62kg (95% CrI: -2.95kg, -0.30kg), exenatide 20μg: -1.37kg (95% CI: -222kg, -0.52kg), liraglutide 1.2mg: -1.01kg (95%CrI: -2.41kg, 0.38kg) and liraglutide 1.8mg: -1.51 kg (95% CI: -2.67kg, -0.37kg) compared with placebo. There were no differences between the GLP-1 receptor agonists in terms of weight loss.

Conclusions

This review provides evidence that glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist therapies are associated with weight loss in overweight or obese patients with type 2 diabetes with no difference in weight loss seen between the different types of GLP-1 receptor agonists assessed.     

Protien purification: Principles,high resolution methods,and applications

Book Review

Protien purification: Principles, high resolution methods, and applicationsJan-Christer janson and Lars Ryden (Eds.), Weinheim: Verlag Chemie, 1989. xi + 502 pages. DM124.00; £44.45. ISBN 3-527-261-84-2     

Haptoglobin2-2 phenotype is an additional risk factor of retinopathy in type 2 diabetes mellitus

AIMS:

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between haptoglobin (Hp) phenotypes and risk of the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

This cross-sectional study included 45 normotensive type 2 diabetic patients (duration more than 5 years) admitted in the hospital divided into two groups (with and without DR) on the basis of fundus examination by direct ophthalmoscopy. Serum samples of all patients were subjected for Hp phenotyping by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

RESULTS:

DR was associated significantly in diabetic patients with Hp2-2 phenotype (79.31%) than diabetic patients with Hp2-1 phenotype (43.75%) and Hp2-2 had higher odds ratio (OR) for DR in univariate analysis (OR 4.929, [95% confidence interval [CI] (1.297-18.733)], P = 0.016) and multivariate analysis (OR 7.704 [95% CI (0.887-66.945)], P = 0.064). Furthermore, Hp2-2 was associated significantly with severe forms of DR.

CONCLUSION:

Hp2-2 phenotype is associated with susceptibility to DR showing a graded risk relationship to the number of Hp2 alleles. Determination of Hp phenotype may be useful in the risk assessment and management of DR.     

Tobacco Use and Suicide Attempt: Longitudinal Analysis with Retrospective Reports

Background

Suicide has been associated with smoking/tobacco use but its association of and change in smoking/tobacco use status with suicide attempt (SA) is not well established.

Methods

We investigated whether persistent, former tobacco use, initiation, quitting tobacco use, relapse to tobacco use, and DSM-IV nicotine dependence predict independently SA using Wave 1 and 2 data of the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions. Data from 34,653 US adults interviewed at Wave 1 (2001-02) and Wave 2 (2004-05) were analyzed. The main outcome measure was SA between Wave 1 and Wave 2 as reported at Wave 2.

Results

Among the 1,673 respondents reporting lifetime SA at Wave 2, 328 individuals reported SA between Wave 1 and Wave 2. Current and former tobacco use at Wave 1 predicted Wave 2 SA independently of socio-demographic characteristics, psychiatric history, and prior SA (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 1.49; 95% CI: 1.13-1.95, AOR: 1.31; 95% CI:1.01-1.69, respectively versus never tobacco users). The strongest association with SA was observed among former tobacco users who relapsed after Wave 1 (AOR: 4.66; 95% CI: 3.49-6.24) and among tobacco use initiators after Wave 1 (AOR: 3.16; 95% CI: 2.23-4.49). Persistent tobacco use (current tobacco use at both Wave 1 and Wave 2) also had an increased risk of SA (AOR: 1.89; 95% CI: 1.47-2.42). However, former tobacco users in both Waves 1 and 2 did not show a significantly elevated risk for SA in Wave 2 (AOR:1.09, 95% CI: 0.78-1.52) suggesting that the risk resided mainly in Wave 1 former tobacco users who relapsed to tobacco use by Wave 2. DSM-IV nicotine dependence did not predict SA at Wave 2.

Conclusion

In a representative sample of US adults, relapse, tobacco use initiation, and persistent tobacco use, which are amenable to intervention, were associated with risk of SA.     

Pesticide formulations: Innovations and developments

Book Review

Pesticide formulations: Innovations and developmentsB. Cross and H.B. Scher (Eds.), ACS Symposium Series 371. Washington DC: American Chemical Society, 1988. xi + 288 pages. £54.00. ISBN 0-8412-1483-2     

Photosynthesis

Book Review

PhotosynthesisA. Amesz (Ed)., Amsterdam: Elsevier 1987. 355 pages. £57.27. ISBN 0-444-80864-7     

Biomathematics and its applications in plant cultivation

Book Review

Biomathematics and its applications in plant cultivationI. Ban, Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1988. 204 pages. US$97.25. ISBN 0-444-98970-6     

Techniques in molecular biology

Book Review

Techniques in molecular biologyJ.M. Walker and W. Gaastra (Eds.), vol. 2. London: Croom Helm, 1987. iv + 332 pages. £14.95. ISBN 0-7099-3673-7     

Biotechnology in agriculture,volumes 4 and 7: Medicinal and aromatic plants I and II

Book reviews

Biotechnology in agriculture, volumes 4 and 7: Medicinal and aromatic plants I and II Y.P.S. Bajaj (Ed.), Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 1988 and 1989. 550 and 545 pages. Price DM 398 and 448. ISBN 3-540-18414-7 and 3-540-19196-8     

Plant protoplasts and genetic engineering II

Book Review

Plant protoplasts and genetic engineering IIY.P.S. Bajaj (Ed.), (Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry, Vol. 9). Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 1989. 510 pages. DM398.00. ISBN 3-540-50789-2     

Improving vegetatively propagated crops

Book reviews

Improving vegetatively propagated cropsA.J. Abbott and R.K. Atkin (Eds.), London: Academic Press, 1987. xvii + 416 pages. £37.00. 0-12-041410-4     

Plant cmolecular biology manual

Book Review

Plant cmolecular biology manualS.B. Galvin, R.A. Schilperoort and D.P.S. Verma (Eds.), Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1989. £52.00. ISBN 0-7923-0236-2     

Effect of iron chlorosis on mineral nutrition and lipid composition of thylakoid biomembrane in Prunus persica (L.) Bastch.

The effect of iron chlorosis on mineral, thylakoid lipids and fatty acids composition of field grown peach tree leaves was studied. Significant differences were found in iron extracted by using , -dipyridyl (active iron), total iron, P, K, Cu and the P/Fe and Fe/Mn ratios. The levels of total chlorophyll, total glycolipids and phospholipids were reduced under iron chlorosis. A slight iron deficiency does not modify the fatty acid composition of thylakoid membranes, while a strong deficiency changes the proportion of some fatty acids.Abbreviations Chl chlorophyll - DGDG digalactosyldiglycerol - MGDG mono-galactosyldiglycerol - PC phosphatidycholine - PE phophatidylethanolamine - PG phophatidylglycerol - TLC thin layer chromatography - 16:0 palmitic acid - 16:1 palmitoleic acid - 16:lt trans-hexadecenoic - 18:0 steric acid - 18:1 oleic acid - 18:2 linoleic acid - 18:3 linolenic acid     

Gender and respiratory factors associated with dyspnea in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Rationale

We had shown that COPD women expressed more dyspnea than men for the same degree of airway obstruction.

Objectives

Evaluate gender differences in respiratory factors associated with dyspnea in COPD patients.

Methods

In a FEV₁ % matched population of 100 men and women with COPD we measured: age, MMRC, FEV₁, FVC, TLC, IC/TLC, PaO₂, PaCO₂, D_LCO, P_imax, P_0.1, Ti/Ttot, BMI, ffmi, 6MWD and VAS scale before and after the test, the Charlson score and the SGRQ. We estimated the association between these parameters and MMRC scores. Multivariate analysis determined the independent strength of those associations.

Results

MMRC correlated with: BMI (men:-0.29, p = 0.04; women:-0.28, p = 0.05), ffmi (men:-0.39, p = 0.01), FEV₁ % (men:-0.64, p < 0.001; women:-0.29, p = 0.04), FVC % (men:-0.45, p = 0.001; women:-0.33, p = 0.02), IC/TLC (men:-0.52, p < 0.001; women: -0.27, p = 0.05), PaO₂ (men:-0.59, p < 0.001), PaCO₂ (men:0.27, p = 0.05), D_LCO (men:-0.54, p < 0.001), P_0.1/P_imax (men:0.46, p = 0.002; women:0.47, p = 0.005), dyspnea measured with the Visual Analog Scale before (men:0.37, p = 0.04; women:0.52, p = 0.004) and after 6MWD (men:0.52, p = 0.002; women:0.48, p = 0.004) and SGRQ total (men:0.50, p < 0.001; women:0.59, p < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that P_0.1/P_imax in women (r² = 0.30) and BMI, DL_CO, PaO₂ and P_0.1/P_imax in men (r² = 0.81) were the strongest predictors of MMRC scores.

Conclusion

In mild to severe COPD patients attending a pulmonary clinic, P_0.1/P_imax was the unique predictor of MMRC scores only in women. Respiratory factors explain most of the variations of MMRC scores in men but not in women. Factors other than the respiratory ones should be included in the evaluation of dyspnea in women with COPD.     

Plant biotechnology

Book Review

Plant biotechnologyS.-D. Kung and C.J. Arntzen (Eds.) Boston: Butterworths, 1989. xxi + 423 pages. £60.00. ISBN 0-409-90068-0     

Seed dormancy and germination (tertiary level biology)

Book review

Seed dormancy and germination (tertiary level biology)J W Bradbeer, Glasgow: Blackie &; Son 1988. x + 146 pages. £23.00 hardback; £10.95 paperback. ISBN 0-216 91635-6; ISBN 0-216-91636-4 PbK     

Aspects of floral development

Book Review

Aspects of floral developmentP. Leins, S.C. Tucker and P.K. Endress (Eds.), Berlin: J. Cramer, 1988. vii + 239 pages. ISBN 3-443-50011-0