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International Circumpolar Surveillance System for invasive
pneumococcal disease, 1999-2005
Bruce, M. G., Deeks, S. L., Zulz, T., Bruden, D., Navarro, C., Lovgren, M., Jette, L., Kristinsson, K., Sigmundsdottir, G., Brinklov, K., Lovoll, O., Nuorti, J. P., Herva, E., Nystedt, A., Sjostedt, A., Koch, A., Hennessy, T. W. and Parkinson, A. J. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2008; 14(1): 25-33. Article. IF 5.094 The International Circumpolar Surveillance System is a population-based surveillance network for invasive bacterial disease in the Arctic. The 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) was introduced for routine infant vaccination in Alaska (2001), northern Canada (2002-2006), and Norway (2006). Data for invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) were analyzed to identify clinical findings, disease rates, serotype distribution, and antimicrobial drug susceptibility; 11,244 IPD cases were reported. Pneumonia and bacteremia were common clinical findings. Rates of IPD among indigenous persons in Alaska and northern Canada were 43 and 38 cases per 100,000 population, respectively. Rates in children <2 years of age ranged from 21 to 153 cases per 100,000 population. In Alaska and northern Canada, IPD rates in children <2 years of age caused by PCV7 serotypes decreased by >80% after routine vaccination. IPD rates are high among indigenous persons and children in Arctic countries. After vaccine introduction, IPD caused by non-PCV7 serotypes increased in Alaska. Chourbaji, S., Brandwein, C., Gau, D., Depner, M., Saam, C., Johansson, C., Schalling, M., Partonen, T., Kasper, S., Adolfsson, R., Urani, A., Lemberger, T., Schutz, G., Schumann, G. and Gass, P. Medical Hypotheses. 2008; 70(1): 117-121. Article. IF 1.299 Activation of the transcription factor CREB by Ser142 phosphorylation is implicated in synchronizing circadian rhythmicity, which is disturbed in many depressive patients. Hence, one could assume that emotional behaviour and neuroendocrinological markers would be altered in CREBS142A mice, in which serine 142 is replaced by alanine, preventing phosphorylation at this residue. Moreover, associations of CREB Ser142 and seasonal affective disorder (SAD) might be detectable by the analysis of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the CREB gene close to the Ser142 residue in SAD patients. However, neither CREBS142A mice demonstrate features of depression, nor there is evidence for an association of SAD with the CREB genotypes. Nevertheless, in humans there is an association of a global seasonality score and circadian rhythmicity with the CREB genotypes in healthy control probands, but not SAD patients. This parallels the phenotype of CREBS142A mice, presenting alterations of circadian rhythm and light-induced entrainment. Thus it is reasonable to assume that CREB Ser142 represents a molecular switch in mice and men, which is responsible for the (dys)regulation of circadian rhythms. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Enattah, N. S., Jensen, T. G., Nielsen, M., Lewinski, R., Kuokkanen, M., Rasinpera, H., El-Shanti, H., Seo, J. K., Alifrangis, M., Khalil, I. F., Natah, A., Ali, A., Natah, S., Comas, D., Mehdi, S. Q., Groop, L., Vestergaard, E. M., Imtiaz, F., Rashed, M. S., Meyer, B., Troelsen, J. and Peltonen, L. Am J Hum Genet. 2008; 82(1): 57-72. IF 12.629 The T(-13910) variant located in the enhancer element of the lactase (LCT) gene correlates perfectly with lactase persistence (LP) in Eurasian populations whereas the variant is almost nonexistent among Sub-Saharan African populations, showing high prevalence of LP. Here, we report identification of two new mutations among Saudis, also known for the high prevalence of LP. We confirmed the absence of the European T(-13910) and established two new mutations found as a compound allele: T/G(-13915) within the -13910 enhancer region and a synonymous SNP in the exon 17 of the MCM6 gene T/C(-3712), -3712 bp from the LCT gene. The compound allele is driven to a high prevalence among Middle East population(s). Our functional analyses in vitro showed that both SNPs of the compound allele, located 10 kb apart, are required for the enhancer effect, most probably mediated through the binding of the hepatic nuclear factor 1 alpha (HNF1 alpha). High selection coefficient (s) approximately 0.04 for LP phenotype was found for both T(-13910) and the compound allele. The European T(-13910) and the earlier identified East African G(-13907) LP allele share the same ancestral background and most likely the same history, probably related to the same cattle domestication event. In contrast, the compound Arab allele shows a different, highly divergent ancestral haplotype, suggesting that these two major global LP alleles have arisen independently, the latter perhaps in response to camel milk consumption. These results support the convergent evolution of the LP in diverse populations, most probably reflecting different histories of adaptation to milk culture. Cutaneous CpG administration reduces Th2-type airway inflammation but induces airway hyperreactivity Haapakoski, R., Fyhrquist-Vanni, N., Savinko, T., Wolff, H., Turjanmaa, K., Palosuo, T., Reunala, T., Lauerma, A. and Alenius, H. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2007; 119(1): S3-S3. Meeting Abstract. IF 8.829 Hansen, S., Schwab, F., Behnke, M., Carsauw, H., Heczko, P., Lyytikaeinen, O., Savey, A. and Gastmeier, P. International Journal of Medical Microbiology. 2007; 297: 70-71. Meeting Abstract. IF 2.760 Coffee and tea consumption and the risk of Parkinson's disease Hu, G., Bidel, S., Jousilahti, P., Antikainen, R. and Tuomilehto, J. Mov Disord. 2007; 22(15): 2242-8. IF 3.323 Several prospective studies have assessed the association between coffee consumption and Parkinson's disease (PD) risk, but the results are inconsistent. We examined the association of coffee and tea consumption with the risk of incident PD among 29,335 Finnish subjects aged 25 to 74 years without a history of PD at baseline. During a mean follow-up of 12.9 years, 102 men and 98 women developed an incident PD. The multivariate-adjusted (age, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, education, leisure-time physical activity, smoking, alcohol and tea consumption, and history of diabetes) hazard ratios (HRs) of PD associated with the amount of coffee consumed daily (0, 1-4, and > or = 5 cups) were 1.00, 0.55, and 0.41 (P for trend = 0.063) in men, 1.00, 0.50, and 0.39 (P for trend = 0.073) in women, and 1.00, 0.53, and 0.40 (P for trend = 0.005) in men and women combined (adjusted also for sex), respectively. In both sexes combined, the multivariate-adjusted HRs of PD for subjects drinking > or = 3 cups of tea daily compared with tea nondrinkers was 0.41 (95% CI 0.20-0.83). These results suggest that coffee drinking is associated with a lower risk of PD. More tea drinking is associated with a lower risk of PD. The metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk Hu, G., Qiao, Q. and Tuomilehto, J. Curr Diabetes Rev. 2005; 1(2): 137-43. There are four definitions of the metabolic syndrome that have been recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Group for Study of Insulin Resistance (EGIR), the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel (NCEP), and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) separately since 1998. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome reported from different studies has varied widely, mainly because of differences in the definitions of the syndrome and in the characteristics of the populations studied. Prospective studies on the relationship between the metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk are still scanty. Results from several studies including a large population-based Italian study, the Framingham Offspring Study, the Botnia Study, the Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Study, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey II Mortality Study, the San Antonio Heart Study, and the DECODE study have shown that the presence of metabolic syndrome using different definitions is associated with a significantly increased risk of total mortality and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. VAP-1 and CD73, endothelial cell surface enzymes in leukocyte extravasation Jalkanen, S. and Salmi, M. Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology. 2008; 28(1): 18-26. Article. IF 6.883 Leukocyte extravasation from the blood into tissues is crucial for normal immune surveillance and in inflammation. Traditionally molecules belonging to selectin, chemokine, integrin, and immunoglobulin super families are thought to mediate the multiple adhesive and activation events needed for a successful emigration cascade. Recently, emerging evidence suggests that enzymes expressed on the surface of endothelial cells and leukocytes also contribute to the leukocyte extravasation cascade. Here we briefly review the role of vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1) and CD73, 2 cell surface enzymes, in leukocyte migration form the blood into the tissues. Importantly, specific enzyme inhibitors, gene-deficient mice, and recombinant enzymes have recently unambiguously shown that the catalytic activity of these enzymes regulates the leukocyte traffic. The concept of enzymatic regulation of leukocyte extravasation provides new insight into the multi-step adhesion cascade and opens new possibilities for inhibiting inappropriate inflammatory reaction through the use of small molecule enzyme inhibitors. Keski-Nisula, L., Jarvelin, M. R. and Pekkanen, J. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 2007; 17(6): 416-7. IF 8.829 Sindbis virus infection in resident birds, migratory birds, and humans, Finland Kurkela, S., Raetti, O., Huhtamo, E., Uzcateguli, N. Y., Nuorti, J. P., Laakkonen, J., Manni, T., Helle, P., Vaheri, A. and Vapalahti, O. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2008; 14(1): 41-47. Article. IF 5.094 Sindbis virus (SINV), a mosquito-borne virus that causes rash and arthritis, has been causing outbreaks in humans every seventh year in northern Europe. To gain a better understanding of SINV epidemiology in Finland, we searched for SINV antibodies in 621 resident grouse, whose population declines have coincided with human SINV outbreaks, and in 836 migratory birds. We used hemagglutination-inhibition and neutralization tests for the bird samples and enzyme immunoassays and hemagglutination-inhibition for the human samples. SINV antibodies were first found in 3 birds (red-backed shrike, robin, song thrush) during their spring migration to northern Europe. Of the grouse, 27.4% were seropositive in 2003 (1 year after a human outbreak), but only 1.4% were seropositive in 2004. Among 2,529 persons, the age-standardized seroprevalence (1999-2003) was 5.2%; seroprevalence and incidence (1995-2003) were highest in North Karelia (eastern Finland). Grouse may contribute to the epidemiology of SINV in humans. Laaksonen, E., Koski-Jannes, A., Salaspuro, M., Ahtinen, H. and Alho, H. Alcohol and Alcoholism. 2008; 43(1): 53-61. Article. IF 2.061 Aim: To compare the effects in alcohol-dependent patients of three pharmacotherapies, disulfiram (DIS), naltrexone (NTX), and acamprosate (ACA), when used with a brief manual-based cognitive-behavioural intervention. Method: We conducted a randomized, open label, multicentre naturalistic study in two phases; first, a 12-week continuously supervised medication, followed by targeted medication (TM) up to 52 weeks in addition to a 67-week follow-up period; altogether 119 weeks (2.5 years), in 243 voluntary treatment-seeking alcohol-dependent adult outpatients. Subjects were randomized 1:1:1 to receive supervised NTX, ACA or DIS, 50, 1998, or 200 mg, respectively, per day, plus a brief manual-based cognitive-behavioural intervention. The patients were met in the second and sixth weeks, and then after 3, 6, and 12 months. The primary outcome measures were the time (days) to first heavy drinking day (HDD), and time during the first 3 months to the first drinking day after medication started. Secondary variables were abstinent days/week (0 drinks/day), average weekly alcohol intake, Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT), Severity of Alcohol Dependence Data (SADD), and quality of life (QL) measures. Results: All three study groups showed marked reduction in drinking, from baseline to the end of the study. During the continuous medication phase, treatment with DIS was more effective in reducing HDDs and average weekly alcohol consumption, and increasing time to the first drink, as well as the number of abstinent days. During the TM period, there were no significant differences between the groups in time to first HDD and days to first drinking, but the abstinence days were significantly more frequent in the DIS group than ACA and NTX. There were no differences between the NTX and ACA groups in either phase of the study of drinking outcomes. However, SADD scores improved more in the NTX group than the ACA group. Conclusions: Patients allocated to ACA, NTX and DIS combined with brief manual-based cognitive behavioural intervention significantly reduce their alcohol consumption and report improved QL. Supervised DIS appeared superior, especially during the continuous medication period, to NTX and ACA. Lehtola, M. J., Miettinen, I. T., Hirvonen, A., Vartiainen, T. and Martikainen, P. J. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health. 2007; 210(6): 725-732. Article. IF 1.733 The numbers of bacteria generally increase in distributed water. Often household pipelines or water fittings (e.g., taps) represent the most critical location for microbial growth in water distribution systems. According to the European Union drinking water directive, there should not be abnormal changes in the colony counts in water. We used a pilot distribution system to study the effects of water stagnation on drinking water microbial quality, concentration of copper and formation of biofilms with two commonly used pipeline materials in households; copper and plastic (polyethylene). Water stagnation for more than 4 h significantly increased both the copper concentration and the number of bacteria in water. Heterotrophic plate counts were six times higher in PE pipes and ten times higher in copper pipes after 16 h of stagnation than after only 40 min stagnation. The increase in the heterotrophic plate counts was linear with time in both copper and plastic pipelines. In the distribution system, bacteria originated mainly from biofilms, because in laboratory tests with water, there was only minor growth of bacteria after 16 h stagnation. Our study indicates that water stagnation in the distribution system clearly affects microbial numbers and the concentration of copper in water, and should be considered when planning the sampling strategy for drinking water quality control in distribution systems. (c) 2006 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved. Physical work and chronic shoulder disorder. Results of a prospective population-based study Miranda, H., Punnett, L., Viikari-Juntura, E., Heliovaara, M. and Knekt, P. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 2008; 67(2): 218-223. Article. IF 5.767 Objectives: A study of whether occupational physical load predicted subsequent chronic shoulder disorders. Methods: A comprehensive national survey was carried out among a representative sample (n = 7217) of the Finnish adult population in 1977-80. Twenty years later, 1286 participants from the previous survey were invited to be re-examined, and 909 (71%) participated. After excluding those with diagnosed shoulder disorders at baseline, 883 subjects were available for the analyses. Results: At follow-up, a physician diagnosed chronic shoulder disorders in 63 subjects (7%) using a standardised protocol. Work exposure to repetitive movements and vibration at baseline increased the risk of shoulder disorder: adjusted ORs 2.3 (95% CI 1.3 to 4.1) and 2.5 (1.2 to 5.2), respectively. Exposure to several physical factors increased the risk further, the adjusted OR was nearly 4 for at least three exposures. The adverse effects of physical work were seen even among those older than 75 years at follow-up. The statistically significant risk factors differed between genders: for men vibration and repetitive movements, and for women lifting heavy loads and working in awkward postures. Age and body mass index modified the effects of the physical exposures. The results remained similar after excluding those with any shoulder pain at baseline. Conclusions: This is the first prospective study in a general population showing that occupational physical loading increases the risk of a subsequent clinical shoulder disorder and the effects seem to be long-term. Early preventive measures at the workplace may have long-lasting health benefits for the shoulder. Weak association between sweeteners or sweetened beverages and diabetes - Reply to Dr. White Montonen, J., Heliovaara, M., Reunanen, A., Knekt, P. and Jarvinen, R. Journal of Nutrition. 2008; 138(1): 139-139. Letter. IF 4.009 Latex Allergy: Low prevalence of IgE to highly purified Hev b 2 and Hev b 13 Palosuo, T., Lehto, M., Kotovuori, A., Kalkkinen, N., Blanco, C., Poza, P., Carillo, T., Hamilton, R. G., Alenius, H., Reunala, T. and Turjanmaa, K. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2007; 119(1): S33-S33. Meeting Abstract. IF 8.829 Mood symptoms and disorders in association with dietary intake Rintamaki, R., Partonen, T., Haukka, J., Virtamo, J., Albanes, D. and Lonnqvist, J. International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice. 2007; 11(4): 337-337. Meeting Abstract. IF 0.495 Saarni, S. I., Suvisaari, J., Sintonen, H., Koskinen, S., Harkanen, T. and Lonnqvist, J. J Clin Epidemiol. 2007; 60(12): 1288-97. IF 2.440 OBJECTIVE: To estimate the individual- and population-level impact of major chronic conditions on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) at different ages, to test whether the HRQoL impact of conditions varies with age, and to predict future changes of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) lost due to morbidity. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: HRQoL was measured using two preference-based instruments, the 15D and the EQ-5D, in a representative sample of 8,028 Finns. Information on chronic somatic conditions was obtained by interviews. Psychiatric disorders were diagnosed using a structured interview (Munich version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview). RESULTS: The impact of chronic conditions on HRQoL increased fourfold when comparing people aged 30-44 years to people over 75 years. This was mostly due to increase in prevalence, but the severity of some conditions also varied with age. Musculoskeletal disorders had the largest and rather stable impact across ages on the population level. Psychiatric disorders placed the largest burden on HRQoL at 30-44 years, but their impact declined after 55 years. The aging of the Finnish population was predicted to increase annual QALYs lost due to morbidity by one quarter by year 2040. CONCLUSION: The impact of conditions on HRQoL varied with age for each condition. Temporary parental separation at birth and substance use disorder in adulthood Veijola, J., Laara, E., Joukamaa, M., Isohanni, M., Hakko, H., Haapea, M., Pirkola, S. and Maki, P. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. 2008; 43(1): 11-17. Article. IF 1.577 Background Adversities in the early mother-infant relation pose a hypothetical risk for addiction. We studied the association between very early separation and later development of substance use disorder. Methods A follow-up study was performed of subjects temporarily isolated from their family immediately after birth to adequate nursing homes in order to protect them against morbidity and mortality for tuberculosis. The average separation time was 7 months. The index cohort consisted of 3,020 subjects born in 1945-1965. For every index subject, two reference subjects were matched for sex, year of birth and place of birth. We were able to obtain the SES of the family of origin as recorded in 1971 from Statistics Finland. Finnish Hospital Discharge Register was used to identify subjects with substance use disorder arising from childhood to middle age, between January 1,1971 and December 31, 1998. Results The 28-year cumulative incidence of alcohol use disorders was 4.2% in the index cohort and 3.1% in the reference cohort (rate ratio, RR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.8). The incidences of hospital-treated drug abuse or dependence were 0.6% and 0.2% (RR 2.5, 95% CI 1.2-5.1), respectively. The differences in socioeconomic status of the family of origin did not explain the differences found. Conclusions Substance use disorders were more prevalent among subjects temporarily separated at birth from their mothers because of tuberculosis in the family than in the reference cohort. While risks experienced during pregnancy, delivery and childhood are alternative explanations, this result suggests that very early temporal separation from the mother at birth may have had unfavourable but modest effects on later psychological development, including vulnerability to addiction. Viljanen, A., Kaprio, J., Pyykko, I., Sorri, M., Kauppinen, M., Koskenvuo, M. and Rantanen, T. International Journal of Audiology. 2007; 46(12): 772-779. Article. IF 0.858 The purpose of the present study was to examine the relative contribution of genetic and environmental effects on the air-conducted hearing threshold levels at low (0.125 - 0.5 kHz), mid (1 - 2 kHz), and high (4 - 8 kHz) frequencies separately for the better and worse hearing car in older women. We also examined the distribution of audiogram configurations. Data was analysed using quantitative genetic modelling. As part of the Finnish twin study on aging (FITSA), hearing was measured in 103 monozygotic and 114 dizygotic female twin pairs aged 63 - 76 years. Approximately every third subject had a flat type, and two-thirds a descending type of audiogram configuration. No significant difference was observed in the distribution of audiogram configurations between zygosity groups. In the better ear, additive genetic effects accounted for 64% - 74% of the total variance at different frequencies. For the worse ear, environmental effects were larger. Although overall heritability is rather constant across the frequency spectrum, it is noteworthy that at low and high frequencies frequency-specific genetic and environmental effects together accounted for the majority of the total variance. |