Relation between infection with Helicobacter pylori and living conditions in childhood: evidence for person to person transmission in early life.

OBJECTIVES--To relate the prevalence of infection with Helicobacter pylori in adults to their living conditions in childhood to identify risk factors for infection. DESIGN--Prevalence study of IgG antibodies to H pylori (> 10 micrograms IgG/ml, determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)) and reported living conditions and other socioeconomic factors in childhood. SETTING--Three factories in Stoke on Trent. SUBJECTS--471 male volunteers aged 18 to 65 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Seroprevalence and variables in childhood. RESULTS--Seroprevalence of H pylori increased with age (22/74 (29.7%) at < 30 years v 29/46 (63%) at 55-65 years; P < 0.001 for trend) and was related to manual occupation (14/65 (21.5%) for non-manual v 162/406 (39.9%) for manual; P = 0.003). After data were adjusted for age and occupation subjects from large families, whose childhood homes were crowded or who regularly shared a bed in childhood, were significantly more likely to be seropositive (adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) 2.15 (1.41 to 3.30) for crowding and 2.13 (1.38 to 3.30) for sharing a bed), but there was no relation with possession of a bathroom, inside toilet, refrigerator, or household pets in childhood. CONCLUSIONS--Close person to person contact in childhood is an important determinant of seroprevalence of H pylori in adulthood, suggesting that the infection is transmitted directly from one person to another and may be commonly acquired in early life.     

Satellite DNA sequences in the New World primateCebus apella (Platyrrhini,Primates)

Two satellite DNAs, designated CapA and CapB, were isolated from the neotropical primate,Cebus apella. The satellites exhibit nonoverlapping distributions onC. apella chromosomes. CapA is a major component of interstitial regions of constitutive heterochromatin, a very large block of heterochromatin comprising most of the long arm of chromosome 11, and some telomeres. The CapA monomer has a length of about 1500 bp and appears recently to have undergone an amplification episode in theC. apella genome. CapA-like sequences are probably present in members of the family Cebidae (to whichC. apella belongs), but not in members of the family Callitrichidae (marmosets). CapB sequences can be detected at the centromeres of manyC. apella chromosomes, and similar sequences are present in all neotropical primates. The 342 bp CapB monomer shares 60%–64% sequence identity with several alpha satellite sequences of human origin. Because of its structure, sequence, and location, it appears that CapB is the New World primate homolog of Old World primate alpha satellite DNA.     

Combined effects of diflunisal and nifedipine on uterine contractility in dysmenorrhoeic patients

In eight nulliparous women with severe primary dysmenorrhoea, intrauterine pressure was recorded on the first day of menstruation before and after administration of diflunisal 1000 mg. Uterine activity was significantly decreased in all patients but abolished in none. Seven women experienced almost complete relief of pain. To four of the patients, including the one who did not become pain-free after diflunisal, nifedipine 30 mg was also given. Uterine activity was abolished in all, but the patient not responding to diflunisal had persistent pains. It is suggested that diflunisal may be used for treatment of pain in primary dysmenorrhoea. Addition of nifedipine can produce a further decrease in uterine activity, but whether combined therapy may offer therapeutic advantages remains to be established.     

Accumulation of cocaine in maternal and fetal hair; the dose response curve.

Cocaine and its major metabolites are incorporated into hair during the growth of the shaft and stay there for the whole life of the hair. Cocaine crosses the placenta and its metabolites for example Benzoylecgonine (BZ), have been found in neonatal urine, meconium and hair. In order to utilize hair measurements of cocaine as a biological marker of systemic exposure, we conducted both animal and human investigations on the dose response characteristics of this phenomenon. Our data suggest that both maternal and fetal accumulation of cocaine and its metabolite follow a linear pattern within the clinically used doses. Similarly, a good correlation was observed in animals between maternal dose and fetal hair accumulation.     

Vanadate inhibits saltatory organelle movement in a permeabilized cell model

A method has been developed for sustaining saltatory organelle movement in permeabilized cells. Fibroblasts are permeabilized using the nonionic detergent, Brij 58, with a 2-step procedure modified from the methods of Cande [1–4]. Saltatory movement continues for 20–40 min in the permeabilized cells, provided that ATP is present in the lysis medium, although the saltations are less frequent and slower than those seen before detergent treatment. Vanadate rapidly and reversibly inhibits saltatory movement in the permeabilized cells. Inhibition by vanadate suggests that a dynein-like molecule may be involved in the mechanism of saltatory movement.     

Rat alveolar macrophages require NADPH for superoxide production in the respiratory burst. Effect of NADPH depletion by paraquat

Alveolar macrophages can be stimulated by concanavalin A to produce extracellular superoxide. Conflicting opinions exist, however, concerning the relative importance of the oxidation of either NADPH or NADH in the generation of (Formula: see text) by surface membrane-stimulated phagocytic cells. Alveolar macrophages were obtained from adult male rats by lavage with phosphate-buffered saline. Cells (approximately 10(6)/ml) were incubated in Krebs-Ringer phosphate 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid buffer and ferricytochrome c for 15 min at 37 degrees C before addition of concanavalin A. Release of (Formula: see text) was detected as the difference in cytochrome c reduction, followed at 550 nm, in the absence and presence of superoxide dismutase. Superoxide production by concanavalin A-stimulated alveolar macrophages was markedly increased in the presence of glucose but fructose, lactate, and pyruvate were without effect. Paraquat (methylviologen), an oxidation-reduction dye, significantly reduced concanavalin A-stimulated (Formula: see text) production when incubated at 1 mM with alveolar macrophages in the absence of glucose. The effect of paraquat was reversed by glucose, but fructose, lactate, and pyruvate could not reverse paraquat inhibition. Paraquat enhanced oxidation of NADPH (but not NADH) by cell supernatant and increased pentose phosphate shunt activity in resting macrophages, but did not affect mitochondrial respiration or ATP content of alveolar macrophages. These results suggest that paraquat is able to specifically deplete NADPH in alveolar macrophages while not affecting NADH or ATP. Our conclusion is that NADPH is essential for the production of (Formula: see text) by concanavalin A-stimulated alveolar macrophages.