Is There Any Association between Use of Smokeless Tobacco Products and Coronary Heart Disease in Bangladesh?

Background

Most epidemiological studies exploring the association between smokeless tobacco (SLT) use and coronary heart disease (CHD) have been in Western populations, and have focused on SLT products used in those countries. Few studies come from South Asian countries. Our objective was to determine the association between SLT use and CHD among non-smoking adults in Bangladesh.

Methods

A matched case-control study of non-smoking Bangladeshi adults aged 40–75 years was conducted in 2010. Incident cases of CHD were selected from two cardiac hospitals. Community controls, matched to CHD cases, were selected from neighbourhoods, and hospital controls were selected from outpatient departments of the same hospitals. The Rose Angina Questionnaire (RAQ) was also used to re-classify cases and controls.

Results

The study enrolled 302 cases, 1,208 community controls and 302 hospital controls. Current use was higher among community controls (38%) compared to cases (33%) and hospital controls (32%). Current use of SLT was not significantly associated with an increased risk of CHD when community controls were used (adjusted OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.63–1.19), or when hospital controls were used (adjusted OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.63–1.60), or when both control groups were combined (adjusted OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.74–1.34). Risk of CHD did not increase with use of individual types except gul, frequency, duration, past use of SLT products, or using the RAQ to re-classify cases and controls. There was a significant association between gul use and CHD when both controls were combined (adjusted OR 2.93, 95% CI 1.28–6.70).

Conclusions

There was no statistically significant association between SLT use in general and CHD among non-smoking adults in Bangladesh. Further research on the association between gul use and CHD in Bangladesh along with SLT use and CHD in other parts of the subcontinent will guide public health policy and interventions that focus on SLT-related diseases.     

Separate loci underlie resistance to root infection and leaf scorch during soybean sudden death syndrome

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivars show differences in their resistance to both the leaf scorch and root rot of sudden death syndrome (SDS). The syndrome is caused by root colonization by Fusarium virguliforme (ex. F. solani f. sp. glycines). Root susceptibility combined with reduced leaf scorch resistance has been associated with resistance to Heterodera glycines HG Type 1.3.6.7 (race 14) of the soybean cyst nematode (SCN). In contrast, the rhg1 locus underlying resistance to Hg Type 0 was found clustered with three loci for resistance to SDS leaf scorch and one for root infection. The aims of this study were to compare the inheritance of resistance to leaf scorch and root infection in a population that segregated for resistance to SCN and to identify the underlying quantitative trait loci (QTL). “Hartwig”, a cultivar partially resistant to SDS leaf scorch, F. virguliforme root infection and SCN HG Type 1.3.6.7 was crossed with the partially susceptible cultivar “Flyer”. Ninety-two F5-derived recombinant inbred lines and 144 markers were used for map development. Four QTL found in earlier studies were confirmed. One contributed resistance to leaf scorch on linkage group (LG) C2 (Satt277; P = 0.004, R ² = 15%). Two on LG G underlay root infection at R8 (Satt038; P = 0.0001 R ² = 28.1%; Satt115; P = 0.003, R ² = 12.9%). The marker Satt038 was linked to rhg1 underlying resistance to SCN Hg Type 0. The fourth QTL was on LG D2 underlying resistance to root infection at R6 (Satt574; P = 0.001, R ² = 10%). That QTL was in an interval previously associated with resistance to both SDS leaf scorch and SCN Hg Type 1.3.6.7. The QTL showed repulsion linkage with resistance to SCN that may explain the relative susceptibility to SDS of some SCN resistant cultivars. One additional QTL was discovered on LG G underlying resistance to SDS leaf scorch measured by disease index (Satt130; P = 0.003, R ² = 13%). The loci and markers will provide tagged alleles with which to improve the breeding of cultivars combining resistances to SDS leaf scorch, root infection and SCN HG Type 1.3.6.7. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Size-distribution analysis of proteins by analytical ultracentrifugation: strategies and application to model systems.

Strategies for the deconvolution of diffusion in the determination of size-distributions from sedimentation velocity experiments were examined and developed. On the basis of four different model systems, we studied the differential apparent sedimentation coefficient distributions by the time-derivative method, g(s*), and by least-squares direct boundary modeling, ls-g*(s), the integral sedimentation coefficient distribution by the van Holde-Weischet method, G(s), and the previously introduced differential distribution of Lamm equation solutions, c(s). It is shown that the least-squares approach ls-g*(s) can be extrapolated to infinite time by considering area divisions analogous to boundary divisions in the van Holde-Weischet method, thus allowing the transformation of interference optical data into an integral sedimentation coefficient distribution G(s). However, despite the model-free approach of G(s), for the systems considered, the direct boundary modeling with a distribution of Lamm equation solutions c(s) exhibited the highest resolution and sensitivity. The c(s) approach requires an estimate for the size-dependent diffusion coefficients D(s), which is usually incorporated in the form of a weight-average frictional ratio of all species, or in the form of prior knowledge of the molar mass of the main species. We studied the influence of the weight-average frictional ratio on the quality of the fit, and found that it is well-determined by the data. As a direct boundary model, the calculated c(s) distribution can be combined with a nonlinear regression to optimize distribution parameters, such as the exact meniscus position, and the weight-average frictional ratio. Although c(s) is computationally the most complex, it has the potential for the highest resolution and sensitivity of the methods described.     

Studies on Bacillus stearothermophilus. Part 1. Transformation of progesterone to a new metabolite 9,10-seco-4-pregnene-3,9,20-trione

When Bacillus stearothermophilus, a thermophilic bacterium isolated from the Kuwaiti desert, was incubated with exogenous progesterone for 24 h, three monohydroxylated metabolites were produced. 20α-Hydroxyprogesterone was the major metabolite produced in 60.8 relative percentage yield. The other two monohydroxylated metabolites were identified as 6β-hydroxyprogesterone and the rare 6α-hydroxyprogesterone in 21.0 and 13.6 relative percentage yields, respectively. A new metabolite 9,10-seco-4-pregnene-3,9,20-trione was isolated in 3.7 relative percentage yield. All metabolites were purified by preparative TLC and HPLC followed by their identification using ¹H, ¹³C NMR and other spectroscopic data.     

Streptomyces maghwi, a new species producing roflamycoin

A new Streptomyces species is described for which the name S. maghwi is proposed. The organism is characterized by a pink mass of aerial mycelium, spiral spore chains, spores with smooth surfaces and a nonchromogenic vegetative mycelium. S. maghwi produces roflamycoin (Schlegel et al. 1981) formerly known as flavomycoin (Schlegel et al. 1971). The type strain of S. maghwi is deposited with CBS, Netherland.