Seasonal changes in mood and behavior are linked to metabolic syndrome

Background

Obesity is a major public health problem worldwide. Metabolic syndrome is a risk factor to the cardiovascular diseases. It has been reported that disruptions of the circadian clockwork are associated with and may predispose to metabolic syndrome.

Methodology and Principal Findings

8028 individuals attended a nationwide health examination survey in Finland. Data were collected with a face-to-face interview at home and during an individual health status examination. The waist circumference, height, weight and blood pressure were measured and samples were taken for laboratory tests. Participants were assessed using the ATP-III criteria for metabolic syndrome and with the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire for their seasonal changes in mood and behavior. Seasonal changes in weight in particular were a risk factor of metabolic syndrome, after controlling for a number of known risk and potential confounding factors.

Conclusions and Significance

Metabolic syndrome is associated with high global scores on the seasonal changes in mood and behavior, and with those in weight in particular. Assessment of these changes may serve as a useful indicator of metabolic syndrome, because of easy assessment. Abnormalities in the circadian clockwork which links seasonal fluctuations to metabolic cycles may predispose to seasonal changes in weight and to metabolic syndrome.     

The Zn(2+) complex of 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane as an artificial nucleobase

{2-Deoxy-3-O-[2-cyanoethoxy(diisopropylamino)phosphino]-5-O-(4,4'-dimethoxytrityl)-α-D- erythro-pentofuranosyl}-N-{2-[4,7,10-tris(2,2,2-trifluoroacetyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecan-1- yl]ethyl}acetamide (1) was prepared and incorporated into a 2'-O-methyl oligoribonucleotide. The hybridization of this oligonucleotide with complementary 2'-O-methyl oligoribonucleotides incorporating one to five uracil bases opposite to the azacrown structure was studied in the absence and presence of Zn(2+). Introduction of Zn(2+) moderately stabilized the duplex with U-bulged targets.     

Genome-wide Association Study in a High-Risk Isolate for Multiple Sclerosis Reveals Associated Variants in STAT3 Gene

Genetic risk for multiple sclerosis (MS) is thought to involve both common and rare risk alleles. Recent GWAS and subsequent meta-analysis have established the critical role of the HLA locus and identified new common variants associated to MS. These variants have small odds ratios (ORs) and explain only a fraction of the genetic risk. To expose potentially rare, high-impact alleles, we conducted a GWAS of 68 distantly related cases and 136 controls from a high-risk internal isolate of Finland with increased prevalence and familial occurrence of MS. The top 27 loci with p < 10⁻⁴ were tested in 711 cases and 1029 controls from Finland, and the top two findings were validated in 3859 cases and 9110 controls from more heterogeneous populations. SNP (rs744166) within the STAT3 gene was associated to MS (p = 2.75 × 10⁻¹⁰, OR 0.87, confidence interval 0.83–0.91). The protective haplotype for MS in STAT3 is a risk allele for Crohn disease, implying that STAT3 represents a shared risk locus for at least two autoimmune diseases. This study also demonstrates the potential of special isolated populations in search for variants contributing to complex traits.     

Serologically diagnosed infection with human papillomavirus type 16 and risk for subsequent development of cervical carcinoma: nested case-control study.

OBJECTIVE--To study human papillomavirus type 16 in the aetiology of cervical carcinoma. DESIGN--Within a cohort of 18814 Finnish women followed up to 23 years a nested case-control study was conducted based on serological diagnosis of past infection with human papillomavirus type 16. SUBJECTS--72 women (27 with invasive carcinoma and 45 with in situ carcinoma) and 143 matched controls were identified during the follow up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE--Relative risk of cervical carcinoma in presence of IgG antibodies to human papillomavirus type 16. RESULTS--After adjustment for smoking and for antibodies to various other agents of sexually transmitted disease, such as herpes simplex virus type 2 and Chlamydia trachomatis, the only significant association was with infection with human papillomavirus type 16 (odds ratio 12.5; 95% confidence interval 2.7 to 57, 2P<0.001). CONCLUSION--This prospective study provides epidemiological evidence that infection with human papillomavirus type 16 confers an excess risk for subsequent development of cervical carcinoma.