Level of daily physical activity in individuals with COPD compared with healthy controls

Background

Persons with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), performing some level of regular physical activity, have a lower risk of both COPD-related hospital admissions and mortality. COPD patients of all stages seem to benefit from exercise training programs, thereby improving with respect to both exercise tolerance and symptoms of dyspnea and fatigue. Physical inactivity, which becomes more severe with increasing age, is a point of concern in healthy older adults. COPD might worsen this scenario, but it is unclear to what degree. This literature review aims to present the extent of the impact of COPD on objectively-measured daily physical activity (DPA). The focus is on the extent of the impact that COPD has on duration, intensity, and counts of DPA, as well as whether the severity of the disease has an additional influence on DPA.

Results

A literature review was performed in the databases PubMed [MEDLINE], Picarta, PEDRO, ISI Web of Knowledge and Google scholar. After screening, 11 studies were identified as being relevant for comparison between COPD patients and healthy controls with respect to duration, intensity, and counts of DPA. Four more studies were found to be relevant to address the subject of the influence the severity of the disease may have on DPA. The average percentage of DPA of COPD patients vs. healthy control subjects for duration was 57%, for intensity 75%, and for activity counts 56%. Correlations of DPA and severity of the disease were low and/or not significant.

Conclusions

From the results of this review, it appears that patients with COPD have a significantly reduced duration, intensity, and counts of DPA when compared to healthy control subjects. The intensity of DPA seems to be less affected by COPD than duration and counts. Judging from the results, it seems that severity of COPD is not strongly correlated with level of DPA. Future research should focus in more detail on the relation between COPD and duration, intensity, and counts of DPA, as well as the effect of disease severity on DPA, so that these relations become more understandable.     

Nicotine metabolism in healthy smokers and patients with cardiovascular diseases

In this study, we measured the excretion rate of nicotine and its two major metabolites, cotinine and trans-3′-hydroxycotinine (THOC), in the urine of 25 healthy smokers and 15 smokers who underwent a coronary artery bypass surgery or coronary angioplasty. After 1 day of smoking cessation, urine samples were collected in the morning, before smoking two cigarettes, and then three times after smoking, approximately 4 h apart. The results show that (i) in healthy smokers, nicotine and its two major metabolites were present at high concentration in the first urine sample after smoking, (ii) in smokers with cardiovascular disease nicotine and cotinine were less excreted whereas THOC was more excreted, mainly in the second urine sample. We conclude that this shift in nicotine metabolism may contribute to smoking-induced cardiovascular disease. (Mol Cell Biochem xxx: 241–244, 2005)     

Knee efforts and weight-bearing asymmetry during sit-to-stand tasks in individuals with hemiparesis and healthy controls

The asymmetrical weight-bearing distribution of individuals with hemiparesis rising from a chair might be used to produce similar muscular efforts at the lower limbs. The aim of this study was to determine if individuals with hemiparesis have symmetrical levels of effort at the knee during spontaneous sit-to-stand transfers. Nineteen subjects with hemiparesis and 16 healthy controls participated. Their weight-bearing (WB) distribution during sit-to-stand was assessed with a force platform setup while the knee effort distribution was quantified using electromyographic (EMG) data normalized to maximal EMG values then expressed relative to the sum of the bilateral efforts. The healthy individuals presented symmetrical weight-bearing and knee effort distributions during the sit-to-stand transfer. The participants with hemiparesis, classified in three subgroups based on knee extensors’ strength asymmetries (mild, moderate and severe), yielded different results. The mild group (n = 6) behaved like the controls, with almost symmetrical WB and knee efforts. The moderate group (n = 7) had similar WB and effort asymmetries while the severe group (n = 6) exhibited a WB distribution difference between sides but had almost symmetrical knee effort. These results for the severe group suggest that a control is exerted on the levels of effort when rising from a chair, which might be required when a certain threshold of effort is reached on the nonparetic side.     

MR assessment of bile duct size in healthy individuals: comparison with US measurements

The purpose of the study was to determine the difference in extrahepatic bile duct (EBD) size measured by magnetic resonance (MR) compared with those measured by ultrasound (US). Changes of EBD size related to aging were analyzed too. Size of EBD was measured in 76 randomly selected healthy individuals. Three radiologists blinded to the result of other study preformed measurements by US and three different T2 weighted MR sequences. Correlation and linear regression analysis of obtained data were performed. The mean diameter of EBD measured by US was 3.17 mm and by MR was 3.14 mm on thick slab rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement (TSE), 3.26 mm on thin section single-shot TSE (HASTE) and 3.30 mm on coronal fully rewound gradient echo (True FISP). There was no statistical difference between US and different MR sequences (p < 0.05). A trend of increase of EBD with age (0.0155 mm per year, p = 0.0954) was observed. Size of EBD highly correlated for each MR sequence with US measurement validating use of MR as a reliable method for evaluation of EBD size. This conclusion is stressed by increase of EBD size with age demonstrated by all measuring methods.     

Cadmium and cardiovascular diseases: cell biology,pathophysiology, and epidemiological relevance

Today cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the killer number one world wide. In 2004 an estimated 17.1 million people died due to CVDs and this number will further increase to an estimated 23.6 million by 2030. Importantly, currently known risk factors, like hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia, can only be made responsible for about 50–75% of all CVDs, highlighting the urgent need to search for and define new CVD risk factors. Cadmium (Cd) was shown to have the potential to serve as one such novel risk factor, as it was demonstrated—in vitro, in animal studies, and in human studies—that Cd causes atherosclerosis (the basis of most CVDs). Herein, we discuss the molecular and cellular biological effects of Cd in the cardiovascular system; we present concepts on the pathophysiology of Cd-caused atherosclerosis, and provide data that indicate an epidemiological relevance of Cd as a risk factor for CVDs.     

A comparison of craniocervical and cervicothoracic muscle strength in healthy individuals

The purpose of this study was to compare maximal torque exerted about the craniocervical (CC) and cervicothoracic (CT) axes in the sagittal plane using a novel dynamometry device. Maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) recordings in newton-meters (N·m) were measured in 20 males and 20 females for each of 4 tests: CT extension, CT flexion, CC extension, CC flexion. Twenty of the volunteers repeated the testing procedure on a second occasion to determine the test-retest repeatability of the measures. MVC recordings at the CT axis (extension, 30.24 ± 12.15 N·m; flexion, 18.90 ± 8.21 N·m) were 1.4-2 times greater than recordings at the CC axis (extension, 16.46 ± 7.26 N·m; flexion, 13.34 ± 5.97 N·m). Extensor to flexor strength ratios reduced from 1.75 at the CT axis to 1.24 at the CC axis, but were similar for both males and females. Good to excellent test-retest repeatability was demonstrated for all tests (ICC = 0.75-0.99, SEM = 0.50-2.44 N·m). Consistent with differences in the muscle morphology at the CC and CT axes, torque exerted about these axes differ. Separate measurement of torque about these axes potentially offers a more comprehensive profile of cervical muscle strength.     

The interaction between breathing and swallowing in healthy individuals

In this article, we aimed at investigating the interaction between breathing and swallowing patterns in normal subjects. Ten healthy volunteers were included in the study. Diaphragm EMG activity was recorded by a needle electrode inserted into the 7th or 8th intercostal space. Swallowing was monitored by submental EMG activity, and laryngeal vertical movement was recorded by using a movement sensor. A single voluntary swallow was initiated during either the inspiration or expiration phases of respiration, and changes in EMG activity were evaluated. When a swallow coincided with either inspiration or expiration, the duration of the respiratory phase was prolonged. Normal subjects were able to voluntarily swallow during inspiration. During the inspiration phase with swallowing, diaphragmatic activity did not ceased and during the expiration phase with swallowing, there was a muscle activity in the diaphragm muscle.     

Growth and cardiovascular measures in hyperactive individuals as young adults and in matched normal controls.

Height, weight, pulse rate and blood pressure were measured in 65 hyperactive individuals 17 to 24 years of age who had not taken stimulant medication during childhood and in 39 control subjects matched for age, sex, intelligence quotient and socioeconomic class. There were no significant differences in the physiologic measures between the two groups. Both the hyperactive and the control subjects seemed to have reached their growth plateau by the age of 17 to 24 years, though the exact time the plateau was reached was not determined. Hyperactive individuals who had taken phenothiazines during childhood were significantly taller (P less than 0.046) than those who had never taken medication. This finding may reflect stimulation of growth by phenothiazines at a critical period of growth, but more detailed reserach on this finding is necessary. The physiologic measures obtained in the hyperactive individuals who had never taken stimulant medication provide an important baseline against which to assess values in hyperactive individuals who have taken such medication.     

Expression of human B-Cell specific receptor FCRL1 in healthy individuals and in patients with autoimmune diseases

The expression levels of the FCRL1 gene, which encodes a human B-cell surface receptor, were compared in healthy individuals and patients with autoimmune diseases. The expression levels were evaluated using DNA dot hybridization on membranes with spotted cDNA samples derived from blood-cell sub-populations of patients with autoimmune diseases. Quantification of the hybridization signals showed that FCRL1 expression in peripheral blood B-lymphocytes of patients with multiple sclerosis, lupus anticoagulants, Takayasu’s arteritis, and von Willebrand disease was significantly higher than in healthy individuals. Monoclonal and polyclonal FCRL1-specific antibodies that enable FCRL1 detection in Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and flow-cytometry assays were generated. It was found that FCRL1 is expressed on the surfaces of mature CD19+ B-cells. In the tonsils, FCRL1-positive cells were located in the crypt area, i.e., in the mantle zone of secondary lymphoid follicles and among the cells of lymphoid epithelium. FCRL1-positive cells were also found in B-cell follicles of the spleen.     

IgA肾病患者与健康人肠道菌群的比较

目的通过16S rRNA高通量基因测序方法对IgA肾病患者与健康人的肠道菌群进行比较。方法纳入生活于同一地区的40例IgA肾病患者与10例健康人,收集研究对象的新鲜粪便样本,提取粪便细菌总DNA,通过PCR扩增后上机测序,然后进行可操作分类单元聚类、物种分类分析及Alpha多样性分析、Beta多样性分析,最后比较两组之间的肠道菌群差异。结果与健康人相比,IgA肾病患者肠道菌群丰富度指数(Ace、Chao1)下降(u=2.308,P=0.033;u=2.259,P=0.039),多样性指数(Shannon、Simpson)升高(u=5.370,P0.001;u=4.601,P=0.007);相对丰度方面,IgA肾病患者的厚壁菌门、拟杆菌门、放线菌门细菌数量增加(t=2.301,P=0.037;t=6.729,P=0.005;t=5.285,P=0.006),而变形菌门细菌数量减少(t=4.138,P=0.009);拟杆菌属、链球菌属细菌数量增加(t=9.037,P=0.003;t=6.001,P=0.008),而unidentified_Enterobacteriaceae数量减少(t=2.198,P=0.033)。PCoA图提示两组肠道菌群有显著差异。LDA差异贡献分析发现两组之间共有15个物种存在显著差异,其中造成显著差异影响力最大的5个物种依次是γ-变形菌纲、unidentified_Enterobacteriaceae、肠杆菌科、肠杆菌目、变形菌门(t=9.930,P=0.002;t=2.198,P=0.033;t=2.604,P=0.015;t=2.393,P=0.021;t=4.138,P=0.009),它们刚好落在同一个进化树上,在IgA肾病组的相对丰度显著降低。结论 IgA肾病患者存在肠道菌群失调,显著减少的肠杆菌科的未知属可能是IgA肾病的特征菌,其对机体免疫的影响及在IgA肾病发生发展中的作用尚不清楚,进一步研究可能为IgA肾病的防治提供新的靶点。     

The relationship between short-term antibiotic treatments and fatigue in healthy individuals

Antibiotic treatment tends sometimes to result in sensations of fatigue and decreased physical performance. The effects of antibiotics were therefore studied in 50 healthy, male trainees, aged 18–25 years, assigned in a random, double-blind fashion to one of the following treatments: tetracycline, ampicillin, trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole, placebo I and placebo II. Duration of treatment was five times the half-life of each agent and the placebo was matched accordingly. Muscle enzyme activity (serum glutamine oxaloacetate transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase, creatine phosphokinase), maximal aerobic capacity ( O_2max), muscle strength (MS), and rating of subjective sensation of fatigue were assessed prior to and upon conclusion of treatment. Compared to pretreatment values, plasma enzymes activity was elevated in all five groups (P<0.005). No differences in O_2max or in MS were found among the subjects treated with either one of the antibiotics or those given a placebo. A significant difference in O_2max was found between the groups treated for 1 day (antibiotic and placebo) and the groups treated for 3 days (antibiotic and placebo) (P<0.0001). The rating of subjective sensation was not affected by any of the agents. We concluded that in healthy individuals, a short-term antibiotic treatment had no deleterious effect on aerobic capacity or on muscle strength and was not associated with subjective side effects. The time interval between the two maximal tests could, however, have affected the aerobic capacity. Physiological disturbances associated with a sensation of fatigue following a longer period of antibiotics cannot be excluded.     

Differences between the fecal microbiota of coeliac infants and healthy controls

Coeliac disease (CD) is an immune-mediated enteropathy with a multifactorial aetiology, characterized by chronic inflammation of the small intestinal mucosa. Although evidence suggests that the gut microbiota contributes to other chronic inflammatory disorders, its possible role in CD has not been determined. In this study, the composition of the fecal microbiota of coeliac children and age-matched controls was investigated by culture-dependent and -independent methodologies, using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). The levels of Bacteroides, Clostridium and Staphylococcus were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in fecal samples from coeliac patients than in healthy subjects when analysed by culture methods. The numbers of Bacteroides-Prevotella, Clostridium histolyticum, Eubacterium rectale-C. coccoides, Atopobium, and sulfate reducing bacterial groups were also significantly higher (p < 0.05) in fecal samples from coeliac infants when analysed by FISH. The counts of Bifidobacterium tended to be higher in healthy controls by the two type of analysis but the differences were not significant. This is the first report on the identification of the specific bacterial groups responsible for alterations in the intestinal microecology of children with active CD. The bacterial pattern detected in coeliac patients, correlates with the epidemiological data and metabolic deviations associated with CD, and involve bacterial groups link to other chronic inflammatory disorders.     

Element profiles in blood and teeth samples of children with congenital heart diseases in comparison with healthy ones

BackgroundSome elements were claimed to play a role in the pathogenesis of congenital heart defects (CHD) and influence the general well-being and health of these children.ObjectivesWe aimed to assess the levels of some elements simultaneously in the blood and teeth samples of children with cyanotic and acyanotic CHD compared with healthy children.MethodsA total of 39 children with CHD (11 with cyanotic and 28 with acyanotic CHD) and 42 age- and sex-adjusted controls were enrolled. Levels of 13 elements, including magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, chromium, manganese, iron, copper, zinc, strontium, cadmium, lead, mercury, and molybdenum, were assessed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.ResultsChildren with cyanotic and acyanotic CHD had significantly lower teeth calcium and calcium/phosphorus ratio as compared to the controls after adjusting for confounders. The mean blood iron level was found to be significantly higher in the cyanotic CHD group compared to the other groups. In addition, children with acyanotic CHD had significantly higher teeth copper levels, higher blood molybdenum and lower blood magnesium levels compared to the healthy control group. Blood cadmium and mercury levels were found to be significantly elevated in both the cyanotic and acyanotic CHD groups compared to the healthy control group. There were no differences in toxic metal levels of teeth in cases with CHD.ConclusionMonitoring adequate and balanced gestational micronutrient intake might support not only maternal health but also fetal cardiac development and infant well-being. Supplementation of magnesium should be evaluated in patients having CHD.