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New articles - Uudet artikkelit 9.1.2009 - ISI Web of Knowledge & PubMed Search Alert
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Levels of apolipoprotein M are not associated with the risk of coronary heart disease in two independent case-control studies
Ahnstrom, J., Axler, O., Jauhiainen, M., Salomaa, V., Havulinna, A. S., Ehnholm, C., Frikke-Schmidt, R., Tybjaerg-Hansen, A. and Dahlback, B. Journal of Lipid Research. 2008; 49(9): 1912-1917. Article. IF 4.336 Apolipoprotein M (apoM), a 25 kDa plasma protein belonging to the lipocalin protein family, is predominantly associated with HDL. Studies in mice have suggested apoM to be important for the formation of pre-beta-HDL and to increase cholesterol efflux from macrophage foam cells. Overexpression of human apoM in LDL receptor-deficient mice reduced the atherogenic effect of a cholesterol-rich diet. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the apoM levels in man predict the risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). ApoM was measured in samples from two separate case-control studies. FINRISK '92 consisted of 255 individuals, of whom 80 developed CHD during follow-up and 175 were controls. The Copenhagen City Heart Study included 1,865 individuals, of whom 921 developed CHD during follow-up and 944 were controls. Correlation studies of apoM concentration with several analytes showed a marked positive correlation with HDL and total cholesterol as well as with apoA-I and apoB. There was no significant difference in mean apoM level between CHD and control subjects in either study. In conditional logistic regression analyses, apoM was not a predictor of CHD events, [odds ratio (95% CI) 0.97 (0.74-1.27) and 0.92 (0.84-1.02), respectively]. In conclusion, no association between apoM and CHD could be found in this study.-Ahnstrom, J., O. Axler, M. Jauhiainen, V. Salomaa, A. S. Havulinna, C. Ehnholm, R. Frikke-Schmidt, A. Tybjaerg-Hansen, and B. Dahlback. Levels of apolipoprotein M are not associated with the risk of coronary heart disease in two independent case-control studies. Bachman, P., Kim, J., Yee, C. M., Therman, S., Manninen, M., Lonnqvist, J., Kaprio, J., Huttunen, M. O., Naatanen, R. and Cannon, T. D. Schizophrenia Research. 2008; 103(1-3): 293-297. Article. IF 4.240 Background: The present analyses aimed to test the prediction that schizophrenia patients and their non-schizophrenic co-twinswould display reduced efficiency of the neurocognitive mechanisms subserving active maintenance of spatial information in working memory. Methods Upper alpha frequency band EEG event-related desynchronization and synchronization (ERD/ERS) were calculated as percent changes in power relative to an inter-trial baseline across 4 memory loads in a spatial delayed-response task. Results: During the delay, the diagnostic groups showed equivalent ERD/ERS activity over posterior scalp regions at the lowest memory load; however, as memory load increased, patients, and to an intermediate degree, their non-schizophrenic co-twins (monozygotic and dizygotic pairs collapsed together), showed significantly greater increases in ERD/ERS amplitude as compared with controls. Conclusions: These findings dernonstrate abnormally increased ERWERS amplitudes with increasing memory load in patients with schizophrenia and their co-twins, consistent with inefficiency of the neurocognitive mechanisms supporting active maintenance of information across a delay. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Borodulin, K., Laatikainen, T., Juolevi, A. and Jousilahti, P. Eur J Public Health. 2008; 18(3): 339-44. IF 1.910 BACKGROUND: The aim of this article was to investigate time trends 1972-2002 in leisure time, occupational and commuting physical activity across birth cohorts in Finnish adults. METHODS: The study population comprised 59 028 men and women aged 25-64 years who participated in the FINRISK Study. The first birth cohort was born in 1913 and the last in 1977. Prevalence of physical activity was reported across birth cohorts and study years and change in the prevalence was tested using log-linear regression analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of leisure-time physical activity increased between 1972 and 2002 from 66% to 77% in men and from 49% to 76% in women. In each study year, the younger people were more active than the older ones. However, within the birth cohorts, physical activity tended to increase with age. The prevalence of physically demanding work decreased from 60% to 38% in men and from 47% to 25% in women and the prevalence of daily commuting activity decreased from 30% to 10% in men and from 34% to 22% in women, in the same time period. In the 1970s and the 80s, the older people had more physically demanding work than the younger ones, but within the birth cohorts, occupational activity decreased with age. CONCLUSION: During the past 30 years, the prevalence of leisure-time physical activity has increased, while the prevalence of occupational and commuting physical activity has decreased. The cross-sectional association of age with different types of physical activity was different from that assessed within the birth cohorts. Holma, K. M., Melartin, T. K., Holma, I. A. K. and Isometsa, E. T. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2008; 69(8): 1267-1275. Article. IF 5.060 Objective: In this naturalistic Study, we investigated the rate, time course, and predictors of a diagnostic switch from unipolar major depressive disorder (MDD) to bipolar disorder type I or If during a 5-year follow-up. Method: The Vantaa Depression Study included at baseline 269 psychiatric Outpatients (82.9%) and inpatients (17.1%) with DSM-IV MDD, diagnosed using Structured and semi-structured interviews and followed up at 6 months, 18 months, and 5 years between February 1, 1997 and April 30, 2004. Information on 248 MDD patients (92.2%) was available for analyses of the risk of diagnostic switch. Cox proportional hazards models were used. Results: Twenty-two subjects (8.9%) with previous unipolar MDD switched to bipolar disorder type 11 and 7 (2.8%) to type I. Median time for switch to bipolar type I was significantly shorter than to type II. In Cox proportional hazards analyses, severity of MDD (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.00 to 1.15, p = .036), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) (HR = 5.00, 95% CI = 2.04 to 12.5, p < .001), social phobia (HR = 2.33, 95% CI = 1.00 to 5.26, p = .050), and large number Of Cluster B personality disorder symptoms (HR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.02 to 1.20, p = .022) predicted switch. Conclusion: Among outpatients with MDD in secondary level psychiatric settings, diagnostic switch to bipolar disorder usually refers to type II rather than type I. The few switching to bipolar type I do so relatively early. Predictors for diagnostic switch include not only features of mood disorder, such as severity, but may also include some features of psychiatric comorbidity, such as concurrent social phobia, OCD, and symptoms of cluster B personality disorders. Jallinoja, P., Pajari, P. and Absetz, P. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences. 2008; 22(3): 455-462. Article. IF 0.652 This paper analyses participants' accounts on their experiences of lifestyle change during and after the intervention to prevent type 2 diabetes. This paper explores whether the individual is seen as capable of autonomously seeking for a healthier lifestyle or as dependent on external controls and support. The study is based on focus group interview data collected among intervention participants one-and-a-half years after the intervention ended. Those who had been successful in the weight reduction and those whose weight had increased after the intervention were interviewed in separate interview groups. Both weight-losers and weight-gainers agreed with the health-related objectives of the intervention. Despite this agreement, we found three distinct repertoires concerning individuals' potential to proceed in and maintain lifestyle change. The hopelessness repertoire was used mainly by the weight-gainers to describe experiences where lifestyle change was seen to be very difficult. The struggle repertoire was used frequently especially by the weight-gainers but also by the weight-losers to describe struggling against external temptations and one's weaknesses. The self-governing individual repertoire was used most often by weight-losers to describe experiences where new, healthier lifestyle had to a significant extent become a routine and the individual was seen as in charge of his/her lifestyle. The study revealed that the interviewees hold an ambivalent stance towards self-responsibility. The individual was seen as both a sovereign actor and a dependent object of interventions. Most of our interviewees called for continuous controls and even surveillance but at the same time rejected the idea of authoritarian health education. This ambivalence was most clearly present in the struggle repertoire and could be a fruitful target of clarification in health interventions. For a major part of intervention participants, lifestyle change is characterized as a constant struggle and hence interventions should plan the continuation of a support system. Local immune response to upper urinary tract infections in children Kantele, A., Palkola, N., Arvilommi, H., Honkinen, O., Jahnukainen, T., Mertsola, J. and Kantele, J. M. Clinical and Vaccine Immunology. 2008; 15(3): 412-417. Article. IF 1.995 Vaccines are needed against urinary tract infections (UTIs) in children, as episodes of pyelonephritis (PN) may cause renal scarring. Local immune mechanisms are regarded to confer protection, yet they have been poorly characterized for children. This study explores the local immune response in children by looking for newly activated pathogen-specific antibody-secreting cells (ASC), expected to appear transiently in the circulation as a response to UTI. Urinary tract-originating ASC specific to each patient's own pathogen or P fimbria were studied in 37 children with PN. The children were examined for recidivism and renal scarring in a 6-month follow-up study. Pathogen-specific ASC were found in 33/37 children, with the magnitude increasing with age. In contrast to the case for adults, with immunoglobulin A (IgA) dominance, in 18/33 cases IgM dominated the response, and this occurred more frequently in infants (63%) than in older children (30%). The most vigorous response was found to whole Escherichia coli bacteria (geometric mean, 63 +/- 2,135 ASC/10(6) peripheral blood mononuclear cells [ PBMC]), yet responses were found to P fimbriae (13 +/- 33 ASC/10(6) PBMC), too. The response peaked at 1 to 2 weeks and was low/negligible 3 to 7 weeks after the beginning of symptoms. Recidivism was seen in seven patients, and renal scarring was seen in nine patients. In conclusion, a response of circulating ASC was found in children with UTIs, with the magnitude increasing with age. Since IgM is not present in urine, the IgM dominance of the response suggests that systemic immune mechanisms are more important in the immune defense in children than in adults. In 81% of patients, no recidivism was seen, suggesting a successful immune defense. One-year course and predictors of outcome of adolescent depression: a case-control study in Finland Karlsson, L., Kiviruusu, O., Miettunen, J., Heila, H., Holi, M., Ruuttu, T., Tuisku, V., Pelkonen, M. and Marttunen, M. J Clin Psychiatry. 2008; 69(5): 844-53. IF 5.060 BACKGROUND: Clinical studies on the outcome of adolescent depression beyond treatment trials are scarce. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of characteristics of the depressive episode and current comorbidity on the 1-year outcome of depression. METHOD: A sample of 174 consecutive adolescent psychiatric outpatients (aged 13 through 19 years) and 17 school-derived matched controls, all with unipolar depressive disorders at baseline, were reinterviewed for DSM-IV Axis I and Axis II disorders at 12 months. The study was conducted between January 1998 and May 2002. RESULTS: The outpatients had equal recovery rate and episode duration but shorter time to recurrence than the controls. Among the outpatients, Axis II comorbidity predicted shorter time to recurrence (p = .02). Longer time to recovery was predicted by earlier lifetime age at onset for depression (p = .02), poor psychosocial functioning (p = .003), depressive disorder diagnosis (p <or= .05), and longer episode duration by study entry (p = .001), with an interaction between episode duration and depressive disorder diagnosis (p = .04). CONCLUSIONS: Characteristics of depression generally predicted the outcome better than co-morbidity. Axis II comorbidity has prognostic value in adolescent depression. Kerttula, A. M., Mero, S., Pasanen, T., Vuopio-Varkila, J. and Virolainen, A. Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2008; 40(8): 663-666. Editorial Material. IF 1.209 An in-house PCR was compared with the GenoType (R) MRSA and the MRSA EVIGENE (TM) tests, both of which corresponded 100% with the results of in-house PCR. The cefoxitin disk diffusion method was superior to both the oxacillin disk diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration tests for predicting the mecA status. Trends and geographical variation in invasive pneumococcal infections in Finland Klemets, P., Lyytikainen, O., Ruutu, P., Kaijalainen, T., Leinonen, M., Ollgren, J. and Nuorti, J. P. Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2008; 40(8): 621-628. Article. IF 1.209 We evaluated regional variation and trends in invasive pneumococcal infections (IPI) in Finland by using data from national, population-based laboratory surveillance and number of blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cultures performed by all microbiology laboratories during 1995-2002. The overall annualized IPI incidence was 10.6/100,000 (range by region, 7.9-15.1): 9.9 for bacteraemias (range 7.3-14.2) and 0.6 for meningitis (range 0.4-1.1). The rate in children aged < 5 y was 23.5/100,000. Regional pneumococcal bacteraemia rates were correlated with blood culture sampling rates (p=0.015), but meningitis rates did not correlate with CSF culture rates. During 1995-2002, the overall annual IPI rate increased by 35.1%, from 8.2 to 11.5/100,000 (p < 0.001). The annual blood culturing rate increased by 29.6% (p=0.015 for the correlation with IPI rate). Temporal increase and higher regional IPI rates were significantly associated with higher blood culturing rates. Pneumococcal serotypes included in the 7- and 10-valent conjugate vaccines caused 69.8% and 85.2% of IPIs among children aged < 5 y and 49.5% and 59.3% in adults, respectively. The true incidence of pneumococcal bacteraemia in Finland may be higher than previously estimated. Introduction of universal childhood pneumococcal conjugate immunization would provide substantial health benefits to Finnish children and adults. Klemets, P., Lyytikainen, O., Ruutu, P., Ollgren, J. and Nuorti, J. P. BMC Infectious Diseases. 2008; 8. Article. IF 2.021 Background: The 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) is recommended for persons aged < 65 years with chronic medical conditions. We evaluated the risk and mortality from invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) among persons with and without the underlying medical conditions which are considered PPV23 indications. Methods: Population-based data on all episodes of IPD (positive blood or cerebrospinal fluid culture) reported by Finnish clinical microbiology laboratories during 1995-2002 were linked to data in national health care registries and vital statistics to obtain information on the patient's preceding hospitalisations, co-morbidities, and outcome of illness. Results: Overall, 4357 first episodes of IPD were identified in all age groups (average annual incidence, 10.6/100,000). Patients aged 18-49 and 50-64 years accounted for 1282 (29%) and 934 (21%) of IPD cases, of which 372 (29%) and 427 (46%) had a current PPV23 indication, respectively. Overall, 536 (12%) IPD patients died within one month of first positive culture. Persons aged 18-64 years accounted for 254 (47%) of all deaths (case-fatality proportion, 12%). Of those who died 117 (46%) did not have a vaccine indication. In a survival model, patients with alcohol-related diseases, non-haematological malignancies, and those aged 50-64 years were most likely to die. Conclusion: In the general population of non-elderly adults, almost two-thirds of IPD and half of fatal cases occurred in persons without a recognised PPV23 indication. Policymakers should consider additional prevention strategies such as lowering the age of universal PPV23 vaccination and introducing routine childhood pneumococcal conjugate immunisation which could provide substantial health benefits to this population through indirect vaccine effects. Serum vitamin D and subsequent occurrence of type 2 diabetes Knekt, P., Laaksonen, M., Mattila, C., Harkanen, T., Marniemi, J., Heliovaara, M., Rissanen, H., Montonen, J. and Reunanen, A. Epidemiology. 2008; 19(5): 666-71. IF 5.283 BACKGROUND: Low vitamin D status has been suggested as a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Although the epidemiologic evidence is scarce, 2 recent studies have suggested an association. The present study investigated the relation of serum vitamin D with type 2 diabetes incidence using pooled data from these 2 cohorts. METHODS: Two nested case-control studies, collected by the Finnish Mobile Clinic in 1973-1980, were pooled for analysis. The study populations consisted of men and women aged 40-74 years and free of diabetes at baseline. During a follow-up period of 22 years, 412 incident type 2 diabetes cases occurred, and 986 controls were selected by individual matching. Serum vitamin D (serum 25(OH)D) was determined from frozen samples, stored at baseline. Pooled estimates of the relationship between serum vitamin D concentration and type 2 diabetes incidence were calculated. RESULTS: Men had higher serum vitamin D concentrations than women and showed a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes in their highest vitamin D quartile. The relative odds between the highest and lowest quartiles was 0.28 (95% confidence interval = 0.10-0.81) in men and 1.14 (0.60-2.17) in women after adjustment for smoking, body mass index, physical activity, and education. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the hypothesis that high vitamin D status provides protection against type 2 diabetes. Residual confounding may contribute to this association. Isolated populations and complex disease gene identification Kristiansson, K., Naukkarinen, J. and Peltonen, L. Genome Biol. 2008; 9(8): 109. IF 6.589 ABSTRACT: The utility of genetically isolated populations (population isolates) in the mapping and identification of genes is not only limited to the study of rare diseases; isolated populations also provide a useful resource for studies aimed at improved understanding of the biology underlying common diseases and their component traits. Well characterized human populations provide excellent study samples for many different genetic investigations, ranging from genome-wide association studies to the characterization of interactions between genes and the environment. Healthcare-associated infections in Finnish acute care hospitals: a national prevalence survey, 2005 Lyytikainen, O., Kanerva, M., Agthe, N., Mottonen, T. and Ruutu, P. Journal of Hospital Infection. 2008; 69(3): 288-294. Article. IF 2.470 The objectives of the first national prevalence survey on healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in Finland were to assess the extent of HAI, distribution of HAI types, causative organisms, prevalence of predisposing factors and use of antimicrobial agents. The voluntary survey was performed during February-March 2005 in 30 hospitals, including tertiary and secondary care hospitals and 10 (25%) other acute care hospitals in the country. The overall prevalence of HAI was 8.5% (703/8234). Surgical site infection was the most common HAI (29%), followed by urinary tract infection (19%) and primary bloodstream infection or clinical sepsis (17%). HAI prevalence was higher in mates, among intensive care and surgical patients, and increased with age and severity of underlying illness. The most common causative organisms, identified in 56% (398/703) of patients with HAIs, were Escherichia coli (13%), Staphylococcus aureus (10%) and Enterococcus faecalis (9%). HAIs caused by multi-resistant microbes were rare (N = 6). A total of 122 patients were treated in contact isolation due to the carriage of multi-resistant microbes. At the time of the survey, 19% of patients had a urinary catheter, 6% central venous line and 1% were ventilated. Antimicrobial treatment was given to 39% of patients. These results can be used for prioritising infection control measures and planning more detailed incidence surveillance of HAI. The survey was a useful too[ to increase the awareness of HAI in participating hospitals and to train infection control staff in diagnosing HAIs. (C) 2008 The Hospital Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Association of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection with HLA-B*35 in patients with coronary artery disease Palikhe, A., Lokki, M. L., Saikku, P., Leinonen, M., Paldanius, M., Seppanen, M., Valtonen, V., Nieminen, M. S. and Sinisalo, J. Clinical and Vaccine Immunology. 2008; 15(1): 55-59. Article. IF 1.995 The immune system may interplay between Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and coronary artery disease (CAD). Major histocompatibility complex genes regulate innate and adaptive immunity. Patients with CAD (n = 100) and controls (n = 74) were enrolled. Human leukocyte antigens (HLA-A, HLA-B, and HLA-DRB1), four lymphotoxin alpha single-nucleotide polymorphisms, and complement C4A and C4B allotypes were typed, and their haplotypes were inferred. The presence of serum C. pneumoniae immunoglobulin A (IgA) (titer, >= 40) or IgG (titer, >= 128) antibodies or immune complex (IC)-bound IgG antibodies (titer, >= 2) was considered to be a serological marker suggesting chronic C. pneumoniae infection. C. pneumoniae IgA antibodies were found more frequently in patients than in controls (P = 0.04). Among the patients, multiple logistic regression analysis showed the HLA-B*35 allele to be the strongest-risk gene for C. pneumoniae infection (odds ratio, 7.88; 95% confidence interval, 2.44 to 25.43; P = 0.0006). Markers of C. pneumoniae infection were found more frequently in patients with the HLA-A*03-B*35 haplotype than in those without the haplotype (P = 0.007 for IgA; P = 0.008 for IgG; P = 0.002 for IC). Smokers with HLA-B*35 or HLA-A*03-B*35 had markers of C. pneumoniae infection that appeared more often than in smokers without these genes (P = 0.003 and P = 0.001, respectively). No associations were found in controls. In conclusion, HLA-B*35 may be the link between chronic C. pneumoniae infection and CAD. High birth weight, asthma and atopy at the age of 16 yr Remes, S. T., Patel, S. P., Hartikainen, A. L., Jarvelin, M. R. and Pekkanen, J. Pediatric Allergy and Immunology. 2008; 19(6): 541-543. Article. IF 2.454 The association between high birth weight and asthma has been suggested. The Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986, a longitudinal cohort originally including 9479 participants, has been followed up since birth until the age of 16 yr. Using the data of this study, we analyzed the association of high birth weight with asthma and atopic sensitization at the age of 16 yr. The analysis included the 5995 subjects with complete skin prick test data and the 5500 subjects with data on doctor-diagnosed asthma (written questionnaire) at the age of 16 yr. Atopy was defined as at least one positive skin prick test reaction, which definition was also used to separate atopic and non-atopic asthma. There was a significant association between high birth weight (> 4510 g) and asthma among the atopic subjects (OR 2.40, 95% CI 1.33-4.32). When looking at atopy, the highest risk was observed among the subjects with highest birth weight category (> 4510 g) (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.05-1.97) and the adjacent (4200-4500 g) birth weight category (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.01-1.53), when compared with the reference category (2500-3340 g). Our results support the notion that high birth weight is associated with an increased risk of asthma and suggest that the association is mostly explained by an increased risk of atopy. The biological mechanisms behind the associations are unknown, but they could be related to obesity. Saarinen, N. M., Bingham, C., Lorenzetti, S., Mortensen, A., Makela, S., Penttinen, P., Sorensen, I. K., Valst, L. M., Virgili, F., Vollmer, G., Warri, A. and Zierau, O. Genes and Nutrition. 2006; 1(3-4): 143-158. Review. Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring plant-derived polyphenols with estrogenic potency. They are ubiquitous in diet and therefore, generally consumed. Among Europeans, the diet is rich in multiple putative phytoestrogens including flavonoids, tannins, stilbenoids, and lignans. These compounds have been suggested to provide beneficial effects on multiple menopause-related conditions as well as on development of hormone-dependent cancers, which has increased the interest in products and foods with high phytoestrogen content. However, phytoestrogens may as well have adverse estrogenicity related effects similar to any estrogen. Therefore, the assessment of estrogenic potency of dietary compounds is of critical importance. Due to the complex nature of estrogenicity, no single comprehensive test approach is available. Instead, several in vitro and in vivo assays are applied to evaluate estrogenic potency. In vitro estrogen receptor (ER) binding assays provide information on the ability of the compound to I) interact with ERs, II) bind to estrogen responsive element on promoter of the target gene as ligand-ER complex, and III) interact between the co-activator and ERs in ligand-dependent manner. In addition, transactivation assays in cells screen for ligand-induced ER-mediated gene activation. Biochemical in vitro analysis can be used to test for possible effects on protein activities and E-screen assays to measure (anti) proliferative response in estrogen responsive cells. However, for assessment of estrogenicity in organs and tissues, in vivo approaches are essential. In females, the uterotrophic assay is applicable for testing ERa agonistic and antagonistic dietary compounds in immature or adult ovariectomized animals. In addition, mammary gland targeted estrogenicity can be detected as stimulated ductal elongation and altered formation of terminal end buds in immature or peri-pubertal animals. In males, Hershberger assay in peri-pubertal castrated rats can be used to detect (anti) androgenic/(anti)estrogenic responses in accessory sex glands and other hormone regulated tissues. In addition to these short-term assays, sub-acute and chronic reproductive toxicity assays as well as two-generation studies can be applied for phytoestrogens to confirm their safety in long-term use. For reliable assessment of estrogenicity of dietary phytoestrogens in vivo, special emphasis should be focused on selection of the basal diet, route and doses of administration, and possible metabolic differences between the species used and humans. In conclusion, further development and standardization of the estrogenicity test methods are needed for better interpretation of both the potential benefits and risks of increasing consumption of phytoestrogens from diets and supplements. Coronary artery disease-associated locus on chromosome 9p21 and early markers of atherosclerosis Samani, N. J., Raitakari, O. T., Sipila, K., Tobin, M. D., Schunkert, H., Juonala, M., Braund, P. S., Erdmann, J., Viikari, J., Moilanen, L., Taittonen, L., Jula, A., Jokinen, E., Laitinen, T., Hutri-Kahonen, N., Nieminen, M. S., Kesaniemi, Y. A., Hall, A. S., Hulkkonen, J., Kahonen, M. and Lehtimaki, T. Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology. 2008; 28(9): 1679-1683. Article. IF 7.221 Background-Genome-wide association studies have recently identified a locus on chromosome 9p21 that influences risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). The effect of the locus on early markers of atherosclerosis is unknown. We examined its association with carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and brachial flow-mediated dilatation (FMD). Methods and Results-We genotyped 2277 individuals, age 24 to 39 years, from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study with CIMT and FMD measurements and 1295 individuals, age 46 to 76 years, from the Health 2000 Survey with CIMT for rs1333049, the chromosome 9p21 variant showing the strongest association with CAD. Both mean and maximum CIMT were significantly higher (P < 0.001) in the older subjects of the Health 2000 Survey compared with the Young Finns Study. However, there was no association of the rs1333049 genotype with either mean or maximum CIMT at either age (P=0.959 and 0.977 for the 2 phenotypes in the Young Finns Study and P=0.714 and 0.725 in the Health 2000 Survey). Similarly, there was no association of the locus with variation in FMD in the Young Finns cohort (P=0.521). Conclusions-The chromosome 9p21 locus does not influence CAD risk through a mechanism that also affects CIMT or induces early changes in FMD. Simen-Kapeu, A., Kataja, V., Yliskoski, M., Syrjanen, K., Dillner, J., Koskela, P., Paavonen, J. and Lehtinen, M. Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2008; 40(9): 745-751. Article. IF 1.209 The natural history of oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) infections results from interactions of the virus, the host, and multiple cofactors. We studied the association between humoral immune response to HPV and smoking in 191 HPV infected women prospectively. Two follow-up samples (first and last) were analysed for serum cotinine levels, IgA and IgG antibodies to HPV16 and 18, and Chlamydia trachomatis using ELISA methods. HPV DNA analyses were also performed, and HPV16/18 antibodies were detectable in 23 of 40 (57.5%) HPV DNA-positive women. We performed age-stratified analyses and found that young smokers were less likely to develop HPV16/18 antibodies than non-smokers (OR: 0.2, 95% CI 0.0-0.9). Furthermore, they had a significantly decreased tendency of maintaining constant HPV16/18 IgG antibody positivity by the end of the follow-up (OR: 0.1, 95% CI 0.0-0.8). Smoking did not affect the development of HPV antibody responses in women over 30 y of age. Our results suggest that smoking may induce impaired antibody response in HPV16/18-infected young women. Sims, A. M., Timms, A. E., Bruges-Armas, J., Burgos-Vargas, R., Chou, C. T., Doan, T., Dowling, A., Fialho, R. N., Gergely, P., Gladman, D. D., Inman, R., Kauppi, M., Kaarela, K., Laiho, K., Maksymowych, W., Pointon, J. J., Rahman, P., Reveille, J. D., Sorrentino, R., Tuomilehto, J., Vargas-Alarcon, G., Wordsworth, B. P., Xu, H. and Brown, M. A. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 2008; 67(9): 1305-1309. Article. IF 6.411 Objectives: The aim of the current study was to determine the contribution of interleukin (IL) 1 gene cluster polymorphisms previously implicated in susceptibility for ankylosing spondylitis (AS) to AS susceptibility in different populations worldwide. Methods: Nine polymorphisms in the IL1 gene cluster members IL1A (rs2856836, rs17561 and rs1894399), IL1B (rs16944), IL1F10 (rs3811058) and IL1RN (rs419598, the IL1RA VNTR, rs315952 and rs315951) were genotyped in 2675 AS cases and 2592 healthy controls recruited in 12 different centres in 10 countries. Association of variants with AS was tested by Mantel-Haenszel random effects analysis. Results: Strong association was observed with three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the IL1A gene (rs2856836, rs17561, rs1894399, p = 0.0036, 0.000019 and 0.0003, respectively). There was no evidence of significant heterogeneity of effects between centres, and no evidence of non-combinability of findings. The population attributable risk fraction of these variants in Caucasians is estimated at 4-6%. Conclusions: This study confirms that IL1A is associated with susceptibility to AS. Association of the other IL1 gene complex members could not be excluded in specific populations. Prospective meta-analysis is a useful tool in confirmation studies of genes associated with complex genetic disorders such as AS, providing sufficiently large sample sizes to produce robust findings often not achieved in smaller individual cohorts. Sinisalo, M., Vilpo, J., Itala, M., Vakevainen, M., Taurio, J. and Aittoniemi, J. Vaccine. 2008; 26(32): 3959-3959. Letter. IF 3.377 Association of a nonsynonymous variant of DAOA with Visuospatial ability in a bipolar family sample Soronen, P., Silander, K., Antila, M., Palo, O. M., Tuulio-Henriksson, A., Kieseppa, T., Ellonen, P., Wedenoja, J., Turunen, J. A., Pietilainen, O. P. H., Hennah, W., Lonnqvist, J., Peltonen, L., Partonen, T. and Paunio, T. Biological Psychiatry. 2008; 64(5): 438-442. Article. IF 8.456 Background: Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are hypothesized to share some genetic background. Methods: In a two-phase study, we evaluated the effect of five promising candidate genes for psychotic disorders, DAOA, COMT, DTNBP1, NRG1, and AKT1, on bipolar spectrum disorder, psychotic disorder, and related cognitive endophenotypes in a Finnish family-based sample ascertained for bipolar disorder. Results: In initial screening of 362 individuals from 63 families, we found only marginal evidence for association with the diagnosis-based dichotomous classification. Those associations did not strengthen when we genotyped the complete sample of 723 individuals from 180 families. We observed a significant association of DAOA variants rs3916966 and rs2391191 with visuospatial ability (Quantitative Transmission Disequilibrium Test [QTDT]; p = 4 X 10(-6) and 5 X 10(-6), respectively) (n = 159) with the two variants in almost complete linkage disequilibrium. The COMT variant rs165599 also associated with visuospatial ability, and in our dataset, we saw an additive effect of DAOA and COMT variants on this neuropsychological trait. Conclusions: The ancestral allele (Arg) of the nonsynonymous common DAOA variant rs2391191 (Arg30Lys) was found to predispose to impaired performance. The DAOA gene may play a role in predisposing individuals to a mixed phenotype of psychosis and mania and to impairments in related neuropsychological traits. Psychological distress and attitudes of emergency personnel towards suicide attempters Suokas, J., Suominen, K. and Lönnqvist, J. Nord J Psychiatry. 2008; 62(2): 144-6. IF 0.752 Emergency personnel attitudes towards suicide attempters are important because they have a key role in the management of these patients. We examined the association between staff members' psychological distress and the attitudes towards suicide attempters. We also compared the attitudes towards suicide attempters among emergency personnel between a general and a psychiatric hospital. The Understanding Suicidal Patients (USP) Questionnaire and the 12-item version of General Health Questionnaire were given to all staff in the emergency rooms of a general hospital and a psychiatric hospital (n=151). There was a general tendency among emergency room staff to view attempted suicide patients positively and sympathetically. However, there were clear differences in staff attitudes between the two hospitals: those working in the general hospital expressed more negative attitudes than those in the psychiatric hospital. No evidence emerged of association between staff members' psychological distress and negative attitudes towards suicide attempters. There was no association between psychological distress and negative attitudes towards suicide attempters. |