Prevalence Of CC Research Articles

Prevalence and associated factors of chronic constipation among Japanese university students.

Chronic constipation (CC) is one of the most frequently reported gastrointestinal disorders in the general population and a prominent problem among university students. The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and the associated factors of CC among Japanese university students. This cross-sectional study was conducted among university students at Hiroshima University, Japan. Students answered the web questionnaire when making a web reservation for the health checkup (April 1 to May 31, 2023). The web questionnaire consisted of four sections, including baseline characteristics, lifestyle factors, family history of CC, and three scales to assess depression and eating disorders: the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Eating Attitudes Test (EAT)-26 and Bulimic Investigatory Test (BITE). CC was diagnosed using Rome IV criteria. The multivariate logistic regression model was used to determine CC-related factors. Out of 10,500 individuals who participated in the annual health checkup, 7,496 participants answered the web questionnaire, of whom 5,386 answered all the survey questions. The mean age of the students was 21.1 ± 4.1 years. The male-to-female ratio was 1:1.17. The prevalence of CC was 13.7%. Factors significantly associated with CC in the multivariate model were first-degree family members with CC [Odd ratio (OR): 2.77, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.31-3.31], severe depression according to BDI scale (OR: 2.59, 95% CI: 1.96-3.43), female sex (OR: 2.00, 95% CI: 1.69-2.36), and short sleep duration of 6 hours or less per day (OR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.09-1.50). Lack of physical exercise tended to be associated with CC (OR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.00-1.40). CC is prevalent among Japanese university students. Significant risk factors for CC included the first-degree family history of CC, severe depression, female sex, and short sleep duration. Lack of physical exercise tended to be associated with CC. This may contribute to implementing suitable education health programs, health care professionals, and public health policies to identify individuals at risk for CC to prevent and treat CC effectively.

Lack of Association of the HMGA1 Gene Variants with Metabolic Syndrome Risk and Response to Oral Anti-Diabetic Drugs

Background: Metabolic syndrome (Mets) is partially heritable. High mobility group AT-hook1 (HMGA1), an architectural transcription factor, affects the homeostasis of glucose. The marked inter-individual differences between T2DM patients in response to oral anti-diabetic drugs have become an issue for effective prescribing and dosing. The objective of this study was designed to assess whether different SNPs of the HMGA1 gene are associated with metabolic syndrome, and clarify the effect of these variants on response to combination therapy of metformin, sitagliptin, and glimepiride used by Mets with diabetes patients.
 Methods: From February until Augusts 2022, a total of 91 Iraqi participants (61 patients with metabolic syndrome and 30 controls). The diabetes patients were divided into two groups’ responders and non-responders, based on their HbA1c. Polymorphisms in HMGA1 and genotyping were identified by Sanger sequencing of genomic DNA.
 Results: The high prevalence of CC and GG genotypes of rs1023028442 and rs112081775 respectively was seen in the Iraqi population. Minor allele frequency of rs1023028442 was higher among metabolic patients without diabetes with (MAF=0.08) compared to the control group with (MAF= 0%). While (MAF=0.1) of rs112081775 was seen in metabolic patients without diabetes compared to (MAF=0.02) in the control group. The non-significant difference in genotyping and allele carriage frequencies of the HMGA1 gene was seen between total metabolic syndrome patients and the control group. Based on their response to therapy non-significant difference was seen between those with wild and carrier genotypes.
 Conclusions: This study suggests a lack of association of the rare HMGA1 gene variants with metabolic syndrome risk and response to oral anti-diabetic drugs.

COGNITIVE COMPLAINT IN HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS

Objective: To describe the prevalence of CC in hypertensive patients and its link to an increased cardiovascular risk (CVR) profile. Design and method: Observational, descriptive, analytical and cross-sectional study. Inclusion criteria: hypertensive patients over 18 years old presenting Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Exclusion criteria: motor or sensory difficulties, psychiatric disease, illiteracy. Qualitative variables are presented as absolute and relative frequencies. Chi-square test was used for association analysis. Differences were studied through Student's t-test for independent samples. A significance level of alpha = 0.05 was set. The statistical software used was STATA v.17.0. Results: This study included 111 patients, with a 1:4 women:men rate and an average of 60 years old. Cognitive complaint was present in 45.9% of patients. Of all patients, 81% presented grade 3 arterial hypertension according to 2018 ESC guidelines, 31.5% having been diagnosed at least 20 years prior. 35.1% showed a non-dipper pattern and 45.9% nocturnal hypertension. Around 52.3% of patients had less than 8 years of studies and 33.3% had a MoCA score higher than 23. Dyslipidemia was present in 34.2% of patients, 72.1% were overweight/obese and 36% were smokers. 40.5% of patients had established heart disease (HD). The cognitive complaint patient group was associated with those with non-dipper pattern (p = 0.034), coronary artery disease and ischemic cardiopathy, with p-values of 0.019 and 0.045 respectively. This study observed a link between CC and transient ischemic cerebrovascular stroke (p = 0.027). Out of all patients suffering CC (51), 58.8% (30) presented unaltered MoCA, while association to an altered MoCA was significant (p = 0.039). Conclusions: Cognitive Complaint is related to a cardiovascular risk profile in hypertensive patients. Association with an altered MoCA in patients suffering CC highlights the risk of evolution towards Mild Cognitive Decline and dementia.

Role of A Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in Thrombospondine 4 Gene in Premature Myocardial Infarction among Population of Southern Iran.

Coronary Artery Diseases (CAD) are the leading cause of Myocardial Infarction (MI). However, their underlying etiology can be found in the interplay between environmental and genetic factors. On the other hand, it has been shown that Extracellular Matrix (ECM) proteins, such as Thrombospondins (TSP), play a crucial regulatory role in vascular pathologies, including atherogenesis. TSPs are extracellular proteins responsible for intercellular and cell-ECM interactions and are involved in regulating functional responses. Recently, a missense mutation in the TSP-4 gene has been reported to potentially increase the risk of CADs. The present study aimed to investigate the role of rs1866389 Guanosine to Cytosine (G/C) Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) of the TSP-4 gene on the prevalence of premature MI in southern Iran. The present case-control study included 100 patients with premature MI and 100 healthy individuals. The DNA extracted from the blood samples of the participants underwent Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for the sequence of the TSP-4 gene. Afterward, the frequency of C (mutated) and G (normal) alleles of the TSP-4 gene was evaluated in the case and control groups. According to our findings, there was no significant intergroup difference in gender, age, and smoking status. However, the case group was significantly higher in the prevalence of Diabetes mellitus (DM), Hyperlipidemia (HLP), and Hypertension (HTN) compared to the control group. Moreover, 22%, 49%, and 29% of the case group had CC, GC, and GG genotypes in the TSP-4 gene, respectively, while the prevalence of CC, GC, and GG genotypes were 10%, 44%, and 46% in the control group. Also, the prevalence of allele C was significantly higher in the case group (47%) compared to the control group (33%, P=0.043), showing its significant association with the increased risk of premature MI (OR = 1.80; 95% CI = 1.01-3.19). The rs1866389 G/C SNP of the TSP-4 gene significantly increased the risk of premature MI in the population of southern Iran. Thus, such mutated gene can be used as a target for gene therapy or a marker for early detection of individuals at high risk for CADs.

The disease burden and quality of life of chronic cough patients in South Korea and Taiwan

BackgroundChronic cough (CC) is a common condition, but the burden of CC in general populations remains largely unknown. This study aims to investigate the disease prevalence and burden among community-based CC patients in South Korea and Taiwan, using structured tools. MethodsA population-based cross-sectional study uses data from the 2020 South Korea and Taiwan National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS) as well as a CC survey conducted between January–February 2020 and March–April 2020, respectively. Health outcome measures included health-related quality of life (HRQoL), health state utilities, work productivity and activity impairment (WPAI), and measurement of depression, anxiety, and insomnia among CC patients. ResultsThe weighted lifetime and 12-month prevalence of CC was 6.20% and 4.34% in South Korea, and 8.27% and 5.55% in Taiwan. Compared to matched non-CC controls, CC patients reported poorer HRQoL (SF-12v2) in terms of physical component summary (PCS) score (South Korea: 47.69 ± 7.68 vs. 50.08 ± 7.29; Taiwan: 48.58 ± 7.15 vs. 50.50 ± 7.30) and mental component summary (MCS) score (44.15 ± 8.85 vs. 46.28 ± 8.50; 42.44 ± 7.78 vs. 44.60 ± 8.08), health state utilities EQ-5D index (0.73 ± 0.23 vs. 0.82 ± 0.16; 0.82 ± 0.13 vs. 0.86 ± 0.14), and more visits to healthcare professionals (7.80 vs. 4.61; 6.09 vs. 4.20) (p < 0.05). In terms of WPAI, CC patients reported higher impairments in presenteeism (32.8% vs. 21.0%; 25.9% vs. 19.4%), total work productivity (36.2% vs. 22.3%; 27.7% vs. 20.6%), and total activity (34.2% vs. 23.2%; 27.7% vs. 20.3%) than non-CC controls (p < 0.001). CC patients in South Korea and Taiwan experienced anxiety, depression, and insomnia more than non-CC controls. Poorer health outcomes were associated with the severity of CC. Patients with severe CC (visual analogue scale [VAS]>4) in both nations reported lower PCS score (45.80 vs. 49.48; 47.41 vs. 49.22) and higher absenteeism (8.5% vs. 3.6%; 5.5% vs. 1.8%) than patients with mild CC (VAS≤4) (p < 0.05). ConclusionsThe findings revealed that the disease burden of CC in general populations of South Korea and Taiwan is considerable with a negative impact on the overall quality of life, social and work life, and psychological comorbidities and is significantly associated with increased severity of the CC. There is an unmet need for further treatment interventions for CC patients to relieve the burden of CC in both nations.

Referrals, etiology, prevalence, symptoms, and treatments of chronic cough: A survey of allergy specialists

BackgroundChronic cough (CC) affects 11% of the US adult population, and these patients experience persistent symptoms despite adherence to recommended treatment protocols. Further research is needed to identify effective therapies to treat CC. ObjectiveTo describe the referral sources, etiology, prevalence, symptoms, and treatments for patients diagnosed with having CC who present to allergy specialists (AS). MethodsAn online survey was administered to 177 AS. The survey queried each AS experience with patients with CC, including the prevalence of CC, source of referrals for patients with CC, and perceived efficacy of treatments. ResultsA total of 103 (58%) AS reported that the patients with CC they treated were primarily of female sex (58.26%) and White (65.69%). Family physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and primary care internists were the most common source of referrals of patients with CC to AS. Furthermore, 20% of the respondents reported a complete resolution of the symptoms for more than 75% of their patients with CC. The top 4 “very common complaints” reported by the patients with CC were social embarrassment, loss of sleep, decreased quality of life, and sleep disruption. The top 4 most frequent treatments prescribed for CC were antireflux treatments, inhaled corticosteroids alone or in combination with long-acting β-agonist, short-acting bronchodilators, and first-generation antihistamines. None of the therapies were rated “very effective” in greater than 50% of the patients with CC. ConclusionThe available treatments for CC do not effectively resolve the symptoms of this condition, and additional treatments need to be developed.

High prevalence of cervical cancer in the Marajó archipelago: an active search study

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and risk factors associated with cervical cancer in priority municipalities of the Marajó archipelago. We conducted a study from March 2013 to February 2015 in four municipalities of Marajó. Women were recruited through oral communication. After signing the informed consent form and answering a structured questionnaire the women underwent the Papanicolaou test. The descriptive analyses were performed using frequency distribution and by medians with the standard deviation. The association of risk factors with cervical cancer was evaluated through non-parametric tests. A total of 405 women was included, with a mean age of 40.5 years. The majority had low literacy level and 42% living with a monthly family income below U$ 200. Suggestive results of invasive cervical cancer (ICC) were demonstrated in seven samples, with an overall prevalence of 1.7% and a total of 75 cases of cellular atypia was observed (18.5%). The results of ICC were more expressive between women without full primary education (p=0.0481) and between housewives (p=0,0219). We demonstrated a high prevalence of CC in isolated municipalities of the Marajó archipelago, Brazilian Amazon. Furthermore, the observed prevalence was vastly higher than that found in northern Brazil, which has the most worrisome picture in the country. CC cases were more frequent among women with low literacy level and among those who declared themselves homemakers. Our results emphasize the necessity for improvement of the screening program in the region.

Burden and impact of chronic cough in UK primary care: a dataset analysis

ObjectiveChronic cough (CC) is a debilitating respiratory symptom, now increasingly recognised as a discrete disease entity. This study evaluated the burden of CC in a primary care setting.DesignCross-sectional, retrospective cohort...

Chronic cough in Germany: results from a general-population survey.

BackgroundChronic cough (CC) which is defined ≥8 weeks is a common condition in clinical practice. However, estimates of prevalence and associated comorbidities in German adults and key subgroups of age and gender are lacking.MethodsCross-sectional study based on a representative panel of 15 020 adult subjects of the general population who completed the German National Health and Wellness Survey, reporting CC and questions about comorbidities. Lifetime and 12-month prevalence are presented as unweighted estimates.ResultsThe lifetime CC prevalence was 6.5% (range across age groups 5.1%–8.3%) and the 12-month prevalence was 4.9% (range 3.7–5.7%). The prevalence of diagnosed CC was 2.8% (range 0.9–4.1%) and the prevalence of persons currently on any prescription to treat CC was 0.6% (range 0.2–1.4%). Respondents who experienced CC were 52.0±17.0 years old, with a higher prevalence in those aged 50 years and older. Persons with CC had higher morbidity scores and were diagnosed with an increased number of comorbidities, most frequently diagnoses of the respiratory system (71.0%), followed by digestive tract disorders (34.0%) and sleep disorders (37.6%).ConclusionsIn a broadly representative sample of German adults, lifetime and 12-month prevalence of CC was greatest in current and former smokers and those older ≥50 years of age. Comorbidities are frequent and may complicate management of these patients.

How detrimental is coincidental correctness to coverage‐based fault detection and localization? An empirical study

AbstractAccording to the reachability–infection–propagation (RIP) model, three conditions must be satisfied for program failure to occur: (1) the defect's location must bereached, (2) the program's state must becomeinfectedand (3) the infection mustpropagateto the output.Weak coincidental correctness(orweak CC) occurs when the program produces the correct output, while condition (1) is satisfied but conditions (2) and (3) are not satisfied.Strong coincidental correctness(orstrong CC) occurs when the output is correct, while both conditions (1) and (2) are satisfied but not (3). The prevalence ofCCwas previously recognized. In addition, the potential for its negative effect on spectrum‐based fault localization (SBFL) was analytically demonstrated; however, this was not empirically validated. UsingDefects4J, this paper empirically studies the impact ofweakandstrong CCon three well‐researched coverage‐based fault detection and localization techniques, namely, test suite reduction (TSR), test case prioritization (TCP) and SBFL. Our study, which involved 52 SBFL metrics, provides the following empirical evidence. (i) The negative impact ofCCtests on TSR and TCP is very significant. In addition, cleansing theCCtests was observed to yield (a) a 100% TSR defect detection rate for all subject programs and (b) an improvement of TCP for over 92% of the subjects. (ii) The impact ofCCtests on SBFL varies widely w.r.t. the metric used. The negative impact was strong for 11 metrics, mild for 37, non‐measurable for 1 and non‐existent for 3 metrics. Interestingly, the negative impact was mild for the 9 most popular and/or most effective SBFL metrics. In addition, cleansing theCCtests resulted in the deterioration of SBFL for a considerable number of subject programs. (iii) Increasing the proportion ofCCtests has a limited impact on TSR, TCP and SBFL. Interestingly, for TSR and TCP and 11 SBFL metrics, small and large proportions ofCCtests are strongly harmful. (iv) Lastly,weakandstrong CCare equally detrimental in the context of TSR, TCP and SBFL.

Prevalence of Cognitive Complaints and Impairment in Patients with Chronic Subdural Hematoma and Recovery after Treatment: A Systematic Review.

Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a frequently occurring neurological disease associated with older age and use of anticoagulants. Symptoms vary from headaches to coma, but cognitive deficits can also be present. However, exact prevalence and severity of cognitive deficits in CSDH are still unknown. In this systematic review, we aim to assess cognitive status of patients with CSDH, at presentation and after treatment. PubMed, Embase and PsycInfo were searched for articles concerning cognition in CSDH. We divided cognitive changes into subjective cognitive deficit (cognitive complaints [CC]) and objective cognitive deficit (cognitive impairment [CI]). Two reviewers independently selected studies for inclusion and subsequently extracted data. Quality assessment was done by means of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Reported prevalence of CC and CI was pooled with random effects meta-analysis. Out of 799 identified references, 22 met inclusion criteria. Twenty-one articles reported on prevalence of CC/CI and one study reported solely on CSDH patients with cognitive deficit. Estimated pooled prevalence of both CC and CI in CSDH at presentation was 45% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 36-54%). Four studies concerned a prospective evaluation of the effect of surgical treatment on cognition. These proved to be of fair to good quality after quality assessment. The estimated pre-treatment prevalence of objectified cognitive impairment was 61% (95% CI: 51-70%) decreasing to 18% (95% CI: 8-32%) post-surgery. From this review it can be concluded that CC and CI are very common in CSDH, with a tendency to improve after treatment. Therefore, we underline the importance of increased attention to cognitive status of these patients, with proper testing methods and treatment-testing intervals.

Predictive power of Interleukin–28B gene variants for outcome of Hepatitis C Virus genotype 4 in Egyptians: A systematic review and meta-analysis

An advanced liver fibrosis did not abolish an Egyptian ethnicity as a favourable predictor for hepatitis C genotype 4 (HCV-GT4) outcome, that raises genetic issues. Multiple databases were searched from inception up to 1 April, 2020 for all studies included Egyptians, whose were genotyped for Interleukin-28B (IL-B28) in the setting of HCV. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) were based on a fixed or random effect model as appropriate. In total, 33 studies included 5,538 Egyptians from 9 governorates. Of these, 4088 patients had chronic HCV-GT4, 373 resolvers (spontaneously cleared the virus), and 1077 non-infected subjects. The pooled prevalence of CC and CT/TT rs12979860 genotypes among chronic HCV-GT4 were 32%, and 68%, respectively. The pooled sustained virologic response (SVR) was achieved in 54% of 2,622 patients received Pegylated-interferon and Ribavirin. Compared with chronic HCV-infected patients, the favorable CC genotype was over-represented in the healthy subjects (30% vs. 45%), and HCV resolvers (28% vs. 59%). The CC genotype carriers were two-times more likely to resist HCV infection (vs. OR=1.93, P<0.001), three-times (OR=3.31, P<0.001) to clear the virus spontaneously, and six-times to achieve interferon-induced SVR (ORcorrected=6.03; P<0.001). The rs8099917 TT carriers were associated with a higher rate of SVR (vs. wild GT/GG, 74% vs. 38%), with 3-fold probability achieving SVR (ORcorrected=3.42, P<0.001). Polymorphisms near the IL-28B gene protect against infection and persistence of HCV, and predict SVR.

Research of prevalence of polymorphism of the TLR 9 type gene in patients with infectious mononucleosis, caused by Epstein-Barr virus

There was studied the prevalence of -1486 T/C polymorphism of TLR-9 gene in 52 patients with infectious mononucleosis (IM), caused by Epstein-Barr virus. Three main genotypes of - 1486 T/C of TLR-9 gene: TT, TC, CC were identified based on obtained results. The study of the frequency of appearance of separate genotypes in patients with IM revealed the dominance of CC and TT genotypes compared with the control group. The study of the distribution frequency of -1486 T/C-polymorphism of TLR-9 gene for different genotypes demonstrated the specificity of CC genotype changes in patients with IM and the absence of such changes for TT and TC genotypes.Aim of research. The study of the frequency of - 1486 T/C polymorphism of TLR-9 gene in patients with IM, caused by Epstein-Barr virus.Materials and methods. The study for determining -1486 T / C polymorphism of TLR-9 gene was realized in 52 patients with IM. Among them women - 31 (59,6 %), men - 21 (40,4 %) in the age diapason from 18 to 34 years. The control group for studying the prevalence of - 1486 T/Cpolymorphism of TLR-9 gene consisted of 40 healthy donors. The mean age 24,2 ± 2,4 years, from 18 to 44 years.For revealing DNA of EBV by the method of the reverse transcription of PCR with hybridization-fluorescent detection of amplification products, sets of reagents Amplisens (Russia) were used. The polymorphic zone - 1486 T / C, rs187084 of TLR9 gene was used by PCR amplification in real time by determining the length of restrictive fragments of PCR using Ncol restrictive fragment and oligonucleotide primers.Results. The analysis of results of - 1486 T/C polymorphism of TLR-9 gene allowed to identify three main genotypes - TT, TC, CC. The study of the frequency of separate genotypes detection allowed to establish the prevalence of CC and TT genotypes compared with the heterozygotic TC genotype. The study of the distribution frequency of -1486 T/C-polymorphism of TLR-9 gene for different genotypes demonstrated the specificity of CC genotype changes in patients with IM and the absence of such changes for TT and TC genotypes.Our research established the correlation between - 1486 TLR-9 C/Cpolymorphism with IM that proves the important role of mediated TLR signalization in the pathogenesis of EBV infection. The study of genes polymorphism among receptors that take part in recognizing a virus is necessary for determining the genetic background, connected with the infection risk, disease course and possible IM results. It allows to reveal risk groups among patients and to carry out the timely therapy.Conclusions: 1. It was proved, that - 1486 T/C polymorphism of TLR-9 gene is detected reliably more often in patients with IM than in the control group.2. The distribution of -1486 Т / С polymorphism of TLR-9 allowed to reveal the association of CC genotype with manifest forms of IM

The Impact of Interleukin-28B rs12979860 Polymorphism on Peginterferon-alpha and Ribavirin Combination Therapy in Iranian Patients with Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 1 Infection

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a global health problem. Most cases of HCV infection do not resolve spontaneously. Combination therapy with pegylated interferon-α (PegIFN-alpha) and ribavirin (RBV) is the standard treatment for patients with HCV infection. The success of treatment is affected by several host, viral, and treatment factors. Available works have demonstrated significant role of interleukin 28B (IL28B) polymorphisms in predicting HCV infection treatment outcomes. This suggests the possibility of tailored therapy in HCV infected patients. HCV is one of the most common causes of liver disease worldwide. If untreated, this infection can develop chronic hepatitis in 50%-85% of patients. The aim of current study is to determine the association of interleukin-28B (IL-28B) rs-12979860 polymorphism in response to peginterferon-alpha (PegIFN-alpha) and ribavirin combination therapy in Iranian patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 infection. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 70 Iranian patients with chronic hepatitis C infection (genotype 1) receiving PegIFN-alpha and ribavirin. DNA was extracted from blood samples. Specific primers were used to amplify targeted polymorphisms. Results: In this study, 71.4% of patients reached sustained virological response (SVR). The prevalence of CC, CT and TT genotypes were 38.6%, 42.8% and 18.6% respectively. The rate of SVR was 96.3 for CC genotype, whereas this rate was 66.7 for CT and 30.8 for TT genotypes. We found an association between end of treatment response (ETR) and IL-28B genotypes as 100% of patients bearing CC genotype reached ETR, but ETR rate was 45.85% in CT group and 10.2% in TT group. Six months follow-up showed that there was a significant difference between response to treatment in patients IL-28B-CC and TT (P &lt; 0.001). Data regression analysis showed that CC genotype was an independent predicting factor, significantly associated with higher SVR (P = 0.005 (OR=36.1; 95% CI = 3 - 434.2)). In contrast, absence of C allele (TT genotype) was significantly correlated with the failure of response (P = 0.005 (OR = 36.1; 95% CI = 3 - 434.2)). Conclusions: The results showed that IL-28B rs12979860 was an important predictor of HCV treatment response.

Impact of interleukin 28B rs12979860 C/T polymorphism on severity of disease and response to treatment in hepatitis delta.

Pegylated-interferon alpha (Peg-IFN α) is the therapy most commonly used to treat chronic hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection. In the present study, we planned to investigate effect of IL28B polymorphism on response to Peg-IFN α therapy and disease progression in patients with chronic HDV. A total of 47 patients who received Peg-IFNα therapy for at least one year were investigated. The patients were divided into three groups based on their response to treatment: sustained viral response (SVR) (32%), unresponsive (53%), and relapse (15%). The groups were compared in terms of age, gender, blood biochemistry (albumin, total bilirubin, lactic acid dehydrogenase, ALT, AST, ALP, GGT), complete blood count, HBeAg, HBsAg, HBV-DNA, HDV-RNA, IL28B genotypes (CC, CT, TT), and results of liver biopsy. Regarding the investigation of IL28B genotype, the prevalence of CC, CT, and TT showed no difference among the three groups. In the SVR group, the prevalence of CC was 53%, CT was 47%, but there was no patient with TT. In the unresponsive group, prevalence of CC was 52%, CT was 32%, and TT was 16%. In the relapse group, prevalence of CC was 43%, CT was 57%, but there was no patient with TT genotype. No significant difference was found among the groups with sustained response, no response, and relapse in terms of CC and CT polymorphisms (p>0.05). No relationship was found between IL28B rs12979860 polymorphism and response to treatment and disease severity in patients with chronic HDV infection.

Childhood chronic physical condition, self-reported health, and life satisfaction in adolescence

The present study investigates the prevalence and type of chronic conditions at 7 years of age-with special reference to atopic conditions-and their longitudinal associations with self-reported health and life satisfaction in adolescence. The data were obtained from Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 (NFBC 1986), which is a longitudinal 1-year birth cohort from an unselected, regionally defined population (n = 9,432). The present study investigated a sample of 8,036 children with data of chronic conditions at 7 years of age and a sample of 6,680 children with data of chronic conditions at 16 years of age. According to parents' report the prevalence of CC at 7 years of age was 14.8 % among boys and 13.2 % among girls, these figures being at 16 years of age 20.7 and 19.4 %, respectively. Atopic conditions were the most common chronic conditions at 7 years of age (12.7 % vs. other chronic conditions 4.7 %). Childhood chronic condition was associated with subsequent self-reported health in adolescence, but not with subsequent self-reported life satisfaction. Chronic condition at 7 years of age increased the risk of reporting health as "poor" even if the chronic condition was no longer prevalent at 16 years of age. Atopic conditions seemed to be linked with self-reported poor/moderate health more often than other chronic conditions among girls. Conclusion Childhood chronic conditions seem to affect adolescent's subjective health, but fortunately, they do not affect adolescents' subjective well-being to such an extent that it could lower their life satisfaction.

CD14 C-159T polymorphism and its association with chronic lung diseases: A pilot study on isocyanate exposed population of Central India.

CONTEXT:CD14 functions as a multifunctional receptor for bacterial cell wall components including endotoxin and lipopolysaccharide and is likely to influence the cytokine profile and subsequent immunoglobulin E production in response to antigen/allergen contact in allergic phenotypes.AIMS:The present study was to investigate genetic polymorphism in CD14 gene - 159C/T, which may be one of the risk factor for increased prevalence of Chronic Lung Diseases in the Central India.SETTINGS AND DESIGN:Survivors of Methyl isocyanates toxicity in Bhopal still suffering from various respiratory ailments were examined.MATERIALS AND METHODS:Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism was performed to determine the polymorphism of C-159T.RESULTS:The genotype and allelic frequencies were in Hardy-Weinberg’s equilibrium. Prevalence of CC, CT, and TT were 5.5%, 22.2% and 9.25% respectively in asthmatics; 16.6%, 20.3% and 5.5% respectively in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and 5.5%, 14.8% and 1.85 respectively among interstitial lung disorder (ILD) patients; whereas the control cohort with no methyl isocyanate exposure displayed (CC, CT, and TT) cytosine, thymine as 2%, 1.6% and 2% respectively. Increased risk of Asthma among those carrying TT genotype and T allele (odds ratio [OR] =2.61 and 2.02 respectively).CONCLUSION:COPD risk significantly found among those with CC genotype and C allele (OR = 2.81 and 1.50 respectively), whereas ILD risk found significantly among CT genotype and C allele (OR = 1.75 and 1.40 respectively). Therefore, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) C-159T polymorphism in CD14 gene might be a risk factor for development of CLD in this population.

A polymorphism in the inhibin alpha-subunit gene is associated with bone mineral density (BMD) and serum inhibin b (INH b) concentrations in men

Event Abstract Back to Event A polymorphism in the inhibin alpha-subunit gene is associated with bone mineral density (BMD) and serum inhibin b (INH b) concentrations in men S Sim1*, I Fogelman2 and G Hampson1 1 St Thomas' Hospital, Department of Clinical Chemistry, United Kingdom 2 Guy's Hospital, Osteoporosis Clinic, United Kingdom {BR}Osteoporosis is a common complex polygenic disorder. However, the genes identified so far explain only a small proportion of the total genetic variation. New pathways may be implicated, particularly in men. The endocrine pathway involving the inhibins may be of importance. The inhibin alpha-subunit (INH-alpha) gene is proposed as a candidate gene because of its role in a feedback loop with sex hormones and gonadotrophins and its direct effect on bone remodelling. The aim of the study was to investigate the possible association between a polymorphic variant in the INH-alpha gene with BMD and circulating inh B in men. {BR}We studied 146 men aged mean [SD] 57 [13.7] years, 54 with osteoporosis and 92 controls. The polymorphism -16C>T in the 5'UTR of INH-alpha gene was screened in all subjects. BMD was measured at lumbar spine (LS), femoral neck (FN) and total hip (TH). Serum concentrations of FSH, LH, testosterone, inh B were determined. {BR}The prevalence of CC was 60%, CT: 37% and TT: 3%. After correction for age, height, weight and risk factors such as smoking habits, alcohol intake, exercise, dietary calcium intake , previous fracture, we found a significant independent association between INH-alpha genotype and BMD at the LS (p= 0.042). Z- score at the LS was lower in subjects with 'CT' and 'TT' genotype compared to 'CC' ( mean [SEM] ; CT/TT : - 1.03 [0.17], CC : -0.5[0.21] p=0.08). In a multi-linear regression model, which included the gonadotrophins and serum testosterone, INH-alpha genotype was found to be independently associated with serum inh B (p= 0.043). Subjects with the 'CC' genotype had higher serum inh B concentrations compared to 'CT' and 'TT' genotypes (mean [SEM]; CC: 129.8 [9.34], CT/TT: 106 [8.4] pg/ml, p=0.06). {BR}These preliminary data suggest that INH-alpha gene and the endocrine pathway involving the gonadal peptides, inhibin A and B, may be involved in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis in men. Further larger studies are needed for confirmation. Keywords: Bones, Bone Research Conference: 2011 joint meeting of the Bone Research Society & the British Orthopaedic Research Society, Cambridge, United Kingdom, 27 Jun - 29 Jun, 2011. Presentation Type: Poster Topic: Abstracts Citation: Sim S, Fogelman I and Hampson G (2011). A polymorphism in the inhibin alpha-subunit gene is associated with bone mineral density (BMD) and serum inhibin b (INH b) concentrations in men. Front. Endocrinol. Conference Abstract: 2011 joint meeting of the Bone Research Society & the British Orthopaedic Research Society. doi: 10.3389/conf.fendo.2011.02.00061 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 30 Sep 2011; Published Online: 30 Sep 2011. * Correspondence: Ms. S Sim, St Thomas' Hospital, Department of Clinical Chemistry, London, United Kingdom, selina.sim@kcl.ac.uk Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers S Sim I Fogelman G Hampson Google S Sim I Fogelman G Hampson Google Scholar S Sim I Fogelman G Hampson PubMed S Sim I Fogelman G Hampson Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

TP53 mutations in squamous-cell carcinomas of the conjunctiva: evidence for UV-induced mutagenesis.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the conjunctiva is associated with sun exposure and often occurs in HIV-positive individuals. We have analysed TP53 mutations in 21 cases of squamous cell carcinoma and 22 controls with benign conjunctival lesions from a region (Uganda, Africa) with a high prevalence of heavy sun exposure and HIV infection. TP53 mutations were detected in 11 cases (52%) and 3 controls (14%). Seven of the mutations (6 in cases and 1 in controls) were CC-->TT transitions, a molecular signature of mutagenesis by solar UV rays. A similar prevalence (56%) of TP53 mutations was found in 18 squamous cell carcinoma cases positive for epidermodysplasia verruciformis human papillomavirus types. The prevalence of CC-->TT transitions reported here is the highest observed in any cancer type and matches that of skin cancers in subjects with xeroderma pigmentosum, an inherited disease with hypersensitivity to UV damage. These results confirm at the molecular level the causal role of solar UV rays in the aetiology of squamous cell carcinoma of the conjunctiva and suggest that infection with epidermodysplasia verruciformis types of human papillomavirus may act as a cofactor to increase the sensitivity of conjunctiva cells to UV-induced mutagenesis.

Prevalence of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677C > T mutation in the Mediterranean Spanish population. Association with cardiovascular risk factors.

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MT-HFR) is a key enzyme involved in folate metabolism. A common cytosine (C) to a thymine (T) mutation at nucleotide 677 (677C > T) in the MTHFR gene which converts an alanine residue to a valine, has been related with several biochemical phenotypes and with cardiovascular risk, depending on the population studied. Our objective was to estimate the prevalence of the 677C > T mutation in a large and randomly selected sample (289 men and 427 women) from the Mediterranean Spanish population, and to test the association between this genetic variant and some cardiovascular risk factors. For both genders, the prevalence of CC, CT and TT subjects was 32.0, 52.2 and 15.8%, respectively. The frequency (95% confidence interval) of the 677T allele was 0.44 (0.40-0.48) in men and 0.40 (0.37-0.44) in women. This prevalence was significantly different from other European countries, and among the highest reported in the world for any healthy population. We found no association between the 677C > T gene variants and age, body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides or diastolic blood pressure in men and women. However, in men, a statistically significant increase of systolic blood pressure with the number of mutant alleles was found (122.2 mmHg in CC, 125.1 mmHg in CT and 128.5 mmHg in TT subjects; p for trend = 0.030). This association remained significant (p = 0.047) even after adjustment for age, BMI, alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking, education and physical activity.