Analysis of the Drosophila female sterile mutation fs(1) 1304 by pole cell transplantation experiments

The Drosophila melanogaster mutant fs(1)1304 is an ovary autonomous female sterile mutant that causes abnormal morphology of the egg. Vitellogenesis proceeds at an abnormally slow rate in homozygous females. We have used pole cell transplantation to construct germ line mosaics in order to determine whether the 1304 defect depends upon the genotype of the germ line cells (oocyte or nurse cells) or the somatic line (follicle cells). We have found that the germ line is the primary target tissue where the mutant gene is expressed.     

Ovarian defects in hybrids of the species pair Drosophila virilis and Drosophila texana

In interspecific matings between Drosophila virilis and Drosophila texana female sterility is observed in F₂ hybrid females. A previous study has shown that no vitellogenin synthesis occurs in the fat body of sterile hybrid females. The results presented in this paper show that hybrid ovaries of sterile females transplanted into the abdomens of females of the parental species are not able to develop upon maturity. With few exceptions, the hybrid ovaries remained alive in the host environment, but their oocytes failed to develop to vitellogenic stages. Thus, in hybrid females between Drosophila virilis and Drosophila texana sterility is the result of defects in both the two main developmental processes of egg maturation, the synthesis of vitellogenins in the fat body and the uptake of vitellogenins by the ovary. Dev Genet 20:47–52, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Association between obesity and patient satisfaction

Objective: To examine the relationship between BMI and patient satisfaction with health care providers using a nationally representative survey. Research Methods and Procedures: This analysis examined the 9914 adult patients who completed the 2000 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and had visited a health care provider within 12 months of the survey. Linear regression models were employed with patient satisfaction as the dependent variable. The patient satisfaction scale was based on ratings from five questions assessing the quality of provider interactions. The independent variable was BMI, with adjustments for the domains of demographics, social‐economic status, health attitudes and behavior, health status, and health care use. BMI (weight in kilograms/square of height in meters) was classified as normal weight (18.5 to 24.9), overweight (25.0 to 29.9), or obese (≥30.0). Hierarchical models were used to evaluate how each domain modified the BMI‐satisfaction association. Results: Obese patients reported significantly greater satisfaction with their health care providers than their normal‐weight counterparts did (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in satisfaction between normal‐weight and overweight patients or between overweight and obese patients. The health status domain produced the largest modification in the BMI‐satisfaction relationship. Examination of interaction effects revealed that the association between BMI and satisfaction was confined to older persons. Discussion: In this nationally representative sample of individuals, obese persons were more satisfied than their normal‐weight counterparts. This finding counters those of previous studies. Incomplete adjustments for health care use and insurance status may have led to those conclusions.     

Evidence for association of endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphism with earlier progression to end-stage renal disease in a cohort of Hellens from Greece and Cyprus

Nitric oxide (NO) is thought to be an important factor in the deterioration of renal function. A variable-number tandem 27-bp repeat in intron 4 of the endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) gene has been found to be associated with the plasma levels of NO metabolites. Two alleles are of varied frequencies in different populations (a and b). The shorter allele a has been associated in Japanese populations with the progression of renal disease. Here we investigated this hypothesis by studying the putative role of this polymorphism in a Hellenic population of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We analyzed the genotypes of 361 ESRD patients and 295 healthy Hellens from Greece and Cyprus. The frequencies of NOS3-4bb, NOS3-4ab, and NOS3-4aa were 0.69, 0.27, and 0.03, respectively, in the control group and 0.71, 0.24, and 0.04 in the group of patients. The data in the two populations were analyzed by the chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. The frequencies of these three genotypes of NOS3-4 polymorphism in the Hellenic population of Greece and Cyprus are similar to those observed in other Caucasian populations. Moreover, our results from three patient groups, autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), diabetes mellitus (DM), and non-DM, showed that the frequencies of aa and ab genotypes in the patient populations were not significantly different from those observed in the control group. This work indicates that NOS3-4 polymorphism does not show any association with the development of ESRD in this studied European population. However, examination of the data regarding progression to ESRD within 5 years or after more than 5 years following clinical diagnosis of ADPKD provided evidence of statistical difference (p = 0.048, before Bonferroni correction), with faster progression in the group of ADPKD patients who carried allele a.     

On the association between daily mortality and air mass types in Athens,Greece during winter and summer

In this study, we examined the short-term effects of air mass types on mortality in Athens, Greece. An objective air mass types classification was used, based on meteorological parameters measured at the surface. Mortality data were treated with generalized additive models (GAM) and extending Poisson regression, using a LOESS smoother to control for the confounding effects of seasonal patterns, adjusting also for temperature, long-term trends, day of the week, and ambient particle concentrations. The introduced air mass classification explains the daily variation of mortality to a statistically significant degree. The highest daily mortality was observed on days characterized by southerly flow conditions for both the cold (increase in relative risk for mortality 9%; with a 95% confidence interval: 3-14%), and the warm period (7%; with a 95% confidence interval: 2-13%) of the year. The northeasterly flow is associated with the lowest mortality. Effects on mortality, independent of temperature, are observed mainly for lag 0 during the cold period, but persist longer during the warm period. Not adjusting for temperature and/or ambient particle levels slightly alters the results, which then reflect the known temperature and particle effects, already reported in the literature. In conclusion, we find that air mass types have independent effects on mortality for both the cold and warm season and may be used to predict weather-related adverse health effects.     

Cholesteryl ester-transfer protein (CETP) polymorphism and the association of acute coronary syndromes by obesity status in Greek subjects: the CARDIO2000-GENE study

OBJECTIVE: Cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) regulates plasma lipid distribution. The present study aimed to investigate whether the CETP gene (Taq1B) polymorphism predisposes to Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS) depending on obesity status. METHODS: We studied demographic, lifestyle and clinical information in 237 hospitalized patients (185 males) with a first event of an ACS and 237 controls matched by age and sex. CETP Taq1B genotyping was performed by PCR-RFLP analysis. RESULTS: Overall, the CETP genotype frequencies were, in patients: 14% (n = 33), 35% (n = 83) and 51% (n = 121) and in controls: 17% (n = 39), 33% (n = 78) and 50% (n = 120) for B2B2, B1B1 and B1B2 respectively (p = 0.72). A significant interaction (p for interaction <0.001) was observed between obesity status and CETP concerning the likelihood of having ACS. Therefore, we stratified our analysis by obesity status and observed that B2B2 was associated with a 0.27 times lower likelihood of having ACS among normal-weight people (OR = 0.27, p = 0.02). No significant relationships were observed among overweight or obese participants. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide evidence of a protective effect of the B2B2 genotype of the CETP Taq1B polymorphism on the likelihood of having a first event of ACS in normal-weight persons.     

Short-term effects of ambient sulphur dioxide and particulate matter on mortality in 12 European cities: results from time series data from the APHEA project. Air Pollution and Health: a European Approach.

OBJECTIVES: To carry out a prospective combined quantitative analysis of the associations between all cause mortality and ambient particulate matter and sulphur dioxide. DESIGN: Analysis of time series data on daily number of deaths from all causes and concentrations of sulphur dioxide and particulate matter (measured as black smoke or particles smaller than 10 microns in diameter (PM10)) and potential confounders. SETTING: 12 European cities in the APHEA project (Air Pollution and Health: a European Approach). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Relative risk of death. RESULTS: In western European cities it was found that an increase of 50 micrograms/m3 in sulphur dioxide or black smoke was associated with a 3% (95% confidence interval 2% to 4%) increase in daily mortality and the corresponding figure for PM10 was 2% (1% to 3%). In central eastern European cities the increase in mortality associated with a 50 micrograms/m3 change in sulphur dioxide was 0.8% (-0.1% to 2.4%) and in black smoke 0.6% (0.1% to 1.1%). Cumulative effects of prolonged (two to four days) exposure to air pollutants resulted in estimates comparable with the one day effects. The effects of both pollutants were stronger during the summer and were mutually independent. CONCLUSIONS: The internal consistency of the results in western European cities with wide differences in climate and environmental conditions suggest that these associations may be causal. The long term health impact of these effects is uncertain, but today''s relatively low levels of sulphur dioxide and particles still have detectable short term effects on health and further reductions in air pollution are advisable.