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Halpern W, McArthur M, Galbreath E, Uhl E, Buck W, Whitley E. Stems to GEMs: impact of stem cell technology on engineered animal models. Vet Pathol 2011; 48:1041-3. [PMID: 21865606 DOI: 10.1177/0300985811413093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Collectively, these presentations introduced the audience to the roles of ES cells in generating phenotypes of transgenic animals,and they provided examples where the GEMs were used to define molecular mechanisms of disease or where ES cells were used as a therapeutic modality. Points of discussion among audience members reinforced the importance of strain-associated background lesions in animal models, technological advances in imaging functional biology, opportunities for stem cell therapies, and ubiquitination in regulation of cell proliferation. The 2012 American College of Veterinary Pathologists symposium ‘‘Evolutionary Aspects of Animal Models’’ will focus on the proper selection of a relevant animal model in biomedical research as critical to investigative success. Recent work characterizing rapid evolutionary changes and differences in physiology between species questions the validity of some comparative models. Dr. Robert Hamlin will be speaking on cardiovascular disease in ‘‘Animals as Models of Human Cardiovascular Disease: Or the Search to Overcome Outdated Evolutionary Homeostatic Mechanisms.’’ Dr. Stefan Niewiesk will discuss evolutionary factors that affect modeling the human immune system in ‘‘Of Mice and Men: Evolutionarily, What Are the Best Rodent Models of the Human Immune System for Infectious Disease Research?’’ Dr. Steven Austad will consider evolution in ‘‘Evolutionary Aspects of Animal Models of Aging.’’Finally, Dr. Elizabeth Uhl will conclude the session with ‘‘Modeling Disease Phenotypes: How an Evolutionary Perspective Enhances the Questions.’’
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Bond L, Kearns A, Mason P, Tannahill C, Egan M, Whitley E. P1-402 Psychosocial pathways to mental well-being in deprived areas. Br J Soc Med 2011. [DOI: 10.1136/jech.2011.142976f.93] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Atkinson C, Whitley E, Ness A, Baker I. Associations between types of dietary fat and fish intake and risk of stroke in the Caerphilly Prospective Study (CaPS). Public Health 2011; 125:345-8. [PMID: 21636104 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2011.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2010] [Revised: 10/14/2010] [Accepted: 03/01/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Few population-based longitudinal studies on diet and stroke have been conducted, and associations between dietary fat and fish intake and risk of stroke are unclear. OBJECTIVES To prospectively examine relationships between intakes of total fat, saturated fat, unsaturated fat, white fish and oily fish and risk of stroke in a well-defined population of 2710 middle-aged men. STUDY DESIGN Prospective cohort study. METHODS Detailed information on health and lifestyle factors was collected via interview, and diet was assessed on three occasions using a food frequency questionnaire. Stroke ascertainment was by self-report and inspection of clinical records. Extracted data were assessed by two independent experts. RESULTS During a median follow-up of 18 years, 225 strokes (209 ischaemic and 19 haemorrhagic) were eligible for inclusion in the analyses. For most recent diet (i.e. food frequency questionnaire data collected immediately prior to the stroke event), there was a slightly lower risk of stroke with higher intakes of unsaturated fat and oily fish. Multiple adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for the lowest vs highest quintiles of unsaturated fat and oily fish intakes were 0.66 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.41-1.05, P trend = 0.13] and 0.66 (95% CI 0.41-1.05, P trend = 0.09), respectively. Baseline and cumulative diets showed a slightly higher risk of stroke with higher intake of white fish; HRs for the lowest vs highest quintiles were 1.16 (95% CI 0.76-1.77, P trend = 0.22) and 1.28 (95% CI 0.77-2.13, P trend = 0.48), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Overall, strong associations were not found between intakes of different types of fat and fish and risk of stroke in middle-aged men. The inverse associations between unsaturated fat and oily fish intakes and risk of stroke were weak, but the direction of association was broadly consistent with other studies; however, these relatively weak associations were not conventionally statistically significant.
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Noble H, Whitley E, Norton S, Thompson M. Laparoscopic bile duct exploration seems to be safe in higher-risk patients compared to endoscopic sphincterotomy and subsequent laparoscopic cholecystectomy, in a high-volume centre. Surg Endosc 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s00464-011-1577-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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Hendren SK, Raich PC, Winters P, Thorland W, Loader S, Rousseau S, Valverde P, Whitley E, Fiscella K. Barriers to care faced by newly diagnosed patients with cancer. J Clin Oncol 2011. [DOI: 10.1200/jco.2011.29.15_suppl.9095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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Batty GD, Whitley E, Kivimaki M, Tynelius P, Rasmussen F. Batty et al. Respond to "BMI and Suicide--Untangling an Unlikely Association". Am J Epidemiol 2010. [DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwq279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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Whitley E, Martin RM, Davey Smith G, Holly JMP, Gunnell D. The association of childhood height, leg length and other measures of skeletal growth with adult cardiovascular disease: the Boyd-Orr cohort. J Epidemiol Community Health 2010; 66:18-23. [PMID: 20736489 DOI: 10.1136/jech.2009.104216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Taller adults have a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, and there is some evidence that pre-adolescent exposures, indexed by leg length, underlie this association. Associations with other aspects of skeletal size in childhood have not previously been investigated. METHODS We have examined associations of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity with childhood height, shoulder breadth, leg, trunk and foot length using a cohort of children whose families participated in a 1937-9 survey of diet and health followed up for 59 years. RESULTS Altogether 2642 traced participants had at least one anthropometric measurement; a subsample (n=1043), completed the Rose angina questionnaire and provided information about doctor-diagnosed ischaemic heart disease (IHD) in 1997-8. Childhood stature was weakly inversely associated with cardiovascular mortality, and leg length was the component with the strongest associations. There was evidence from secondary analyses that childhood anthropometric measurements were inversely related to early (age <65 years) rather than late cardiovascular mortality. Childhood stature was inversely associated with self-reported IHD and associations with leg length were strongest. Associations were somewhat attenuated in models including terms for having been breastfed and socioeconomic position. CONCLUSION Pre-adult exposures are more strongly associated with cardiovascular morbidity than mortality, and they affect premature cardiovascular mortality more than later mortality.
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Whitley E, Batty GD, Gale CR, Deary IJ, Tynelius P, Rasmussen F. Intelligence in early adulthood and subsequent risk of unintentional injury over two decades: cohort study of 1 109 475 Swedish men. J Epidemiol Community Health 2010; 64:419-25. [PMID: 19955099 PMCID: PMC4170759 DOI: 10.1136/jech.2009.100669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is growing evidence of an inverse association between intelligence (IQ) and unintentional injuries. METHODS Analyses are based on a cohort of 1 109 475 Swedish men with IQ measured in early adulthood. Men were followed up for an average 24 years, and hospital admissions for unintentional injury were recorded. RESULTS 198 133 (17.9%) men had at least one hospital admission for any unintentional injury during follow-up. The most common cause of unintentional injury was falling, followed by road accidents, poisoning, fire and drowning. In addition, 14 637 (1.3%) men had at least one admission for complications of medical care. After adjusting for confounding variables, lower IQ scores were associated with an elevated risk of any unintentional injury (HR (95% CI) per SD decrease in IQ: 1.15 (1.14 to 1.15)) and of cause-specific injuries other than drowning (poisoning (1.53 (1.49 to 1.57)), fire (1.36 (1.31 to 1.41)), road traffic accidents (1.25 (1.23 to 1.26)), medical complications (1.20 (1.18 to 1.22)) and falling (1.17 (1.16 to 1.18))). These gradients were stepwise across the full IQ range. CONCLUSIONS Low IQ scores in early adulthood were associated with a subsequently increased risk of unintentional injury. A greater understanding of mechanisms underlying these associations may provide opportunities and strategies for prevention.
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Boddicker RL, Whitley E, Nilsen‐Hamilton M, Birt DF, Spurlock ME. Adiponectin and body weight regulate colon cancer tumorigenesis in obese mice. FASEB J 2010. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.24.1_supplement.931.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Ramsey S, Whitley E, Mears VW, McKoy JM, Everhart RM, Caswell RJ, Fiscella K, Hurd TC, Battaglia T, Mandelblatt J. Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of cancer patient navigation programs: conceptual and practical issues. Cancer 2010; 115:5394-403. [PMID: 19685528 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.24603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Patient navigators-individuals who assist patients through the healthcare system to improve access to and understanding of their health and healthcare-are increasingly used for underserved individuals at risk for or with cancer. Navigation programs can improve access, but it is unclear whether they improve the efficiency and efficacy of cancer diagnostic and therapeutic services at a reasonable cost, such that they would be considered cost-effective. In the current study, the authors outline a conceptual model for evaluating the cost-effectiveness of cancer navigation programs. They describe how this model is being applied to the Patient Navigation Research Program, a multicenter study supported by the National Cancer Institute's Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities. The Patient Navigation Research Program is testing navigation interventions that aim to reduce time to delivery of quality cancer care (noncancer resolution or cancer diagnosis and treatment) after identification of a screening abnormality. Examples of challenges to evaluating cost-effectiveness of navigation programs include the heterogeneity of navigation programs, the sometimes distant relation between navigation programs and outcome of interest (eg, improving access to prompt diagnostic resolution and life-years gained), and accounting for factors in underserved populations that may influence both access to services and outcomes. In this article, the authors discuss several strategies for addressing these barriers. Evaluating the costs and impact of navigation will require some novel methods, but will be critical in recommendations concerning dissemination of navigation programs.
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Green N, Boothe DM, Smith A, Henderson R, Whitley E. Ex vivo viability of canine and feline sarcomas: a pilot study. VETERINARY THERAPEUTICS : RESEARCH IN APPLIED VETERINARY MEDICINE 2010; 11:E1-E11. [PMID: 20957615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Assay-based chemotherapeutic protocols are common in human gynecologic oncology, most notably for patients with ovarian or breast cancer. The current study examines ex vivo incubation conditions necessary for the assessment of sarcomatous tumor response to potential chemotherapeutic drugs. Slices of sarcomatous tumors were incubated in one of two culture media. Viability indices were measured and compared across time and between media. Neither medium was sufficient to support the growth of sarcomatous tumor tissue slices based on the indices studied. It is likely that sarcomatous tumors require a different approach for ex vivo assessment than their epithelial counterparts. Our long-term goal is to incubate tumor slices with chemotherapeutic agents to predict the in vivo tumor response based on the maintenance or loss of slice viability within this system.
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Whitley E, Everhart R, Sanchez M, Carter M. Indigence, Incarceration and Indifference Impairs Health of Vulnerable Denver Men. JOURNAL OF MEN'S HEALTH 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jomh.2009.08.151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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Cupp MS, Cupp EW, Zhang D, Yue X, Todd L, Panangala V, Navarre C, Whitley E. Salivary gland thrombostasin isoforms differentially regulate blood uptake of horn flies fed on New Zealand White rabbits. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2009; 46:351-357. [PMID: 19351087 DOI: 10.1603/033.046.0221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Thrombostasin (TS) is a previously characterized anticlotting protein with multiple isoforms found in the saliva of horn flies. In this report, the effect of TS isoforms on blood feeding was assessed using individual flies that carried corresponding ts allelles. Laboratory studies of horn fly blood feeding were conducted using colony-reared flies fed on New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. After timed 20-min feeding periods, each fly was characterized for gender, blood volume uptake, and ts genotype. The results showed that mean blood volumes obtained by individual flies were not related to fly gender but were correlated to the ts genotype(s) carried by each fly. A fly having one or both ts alleles coding for the TS9 isoform took less blood than those possessing one or both ts alleles coding for the TS10 isoform. These results confirm the significant role that TS plays in horn fly feeding and highlight the differential impact of TS protein isoforms that vary by as few as three amino acids.
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Yates PJ, Burston BJ, Whitley E, Bannister GC. Collarless polished tapered stem: clinical and radiological results at a minimum of ten years' follow-up. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008; 90:16-22. [PMID: 18160493 DOI: 10.1302/0301-620x.90b1.19546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
We retrospectively reviewed 175 patients (191 hips) who had undergone primary cemented total hip replacement between November 1992 and November 1995 using a collarless polished double-tapered femoral component after a minimum of ten years (mean 11.08; 10 to 12.8). All stems were implanted using contemporary cementing techniques with a distal cement restrictor, pressurised lavage, retrograde cementing with a gun and proximal pressurisation. Clinical outcome was assessed using the Harris Hip score. Radiological analysis was performed on calibrated plain radiographs taken in two planes. Complete radiological data on 110 patients (120 hips) and clinical follow-up on all the surviving 111 patients (122 hips) was available. The fate of all the hips was known. At final follow-up, the mean Harris Hip score was 86 (47 to 100), and 87 of 116 patients (75%) had good or excellent scores. Survival with revision of the stem for aseptic loosening as the endpoint was 100%; and survival with revision of the stem for any reason was 95.9% (95% confidence interval 87.8 to 96.8) at ten years. All the stems subsided vertically at the stem-cement interface in a predictable pattern, at an overall mean rate of 0.18 mm per year (0.02 to 2.16), but with a mean rate of 0.80 mm (0.02 to 2.5) during the first year. The mean total subsidence was 1.95 mm (0.21 to 24). Only three stems loosened at the cement-bone interface. There was excellent preservation of proximal femoral bone stock. There was a high incidence of Brooker III and IV heterotopic ossification affecting 25 patients (22%). The collarless polished tapered stem has an excellent clinical and radiological outcome at a minimum of ten years' follow-up. The pattern and magnitude of subsidence of the stem within the cement mantle occurred in a predictable pattern, consistent with the design philosophy.
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Ramiah RD, Ashmore AM, Whitley E, Bannister GC. Ten-year life expectancy after primary total hip replacement. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008; 89:1299-302. [PMID: 17957067 DOI: 10.1302/0301-620x.89b10.18735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
We determined the ten-year life expectancy of 5831 patients who had undergone 6653 elective primary total hip replacements at a regional orthopaedic centre between April 1993 and October 2004. Using hospital, general practitioner and the local health authority records, we recorded the dates of death for those who died following surgery. The mean age at operation was 67 years (13 to 96) with a male:female ratio of 2:3. Of 1154 patients with a ten-year follow-up 340 (29.5%) had died a mean of 5.6 years (0 to 10) after surgery. Using Kaplan-Meier curves, the ten-year survival was 89% in patients under 65 years at surgery, 75% in patients aged between 65 and 74 years, and 51% in patients over 75. The standardised mortality rates were considerably higher for patients under 45 years, 20% higher for those between 45 and 64 years, and steadily reduced in patients aged 65 and over. The survival of cemented hip replacement derived from the Swedish Hip Arthroplasty Register Annual Report 2004 exceeds the life expectancy of patients over the age of 60 in our area, suggesting that cemented hip replacement is the procedure of choice in this population.
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Ford PNR, Thomas I, Cook TM, Whitley E, Peden CJ. Determinants of outcome in critically ill octogenarians after surgery: an observational study. Br J Anaesth 2007; 99:824-9. [PMID: 17959590 DOI: 10.1093/bja/aem307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The population in the UK is growing older and the number of elderly patients cared for on intensive care units (ICU) is increasing. This study was designed to identify risk factors for mortality in critically ill patients of >80 yr of age after surgery. METHODS We identified 275 patients, aged 80 yr or greater, admitted to the ICU after surgery. After exclusions, 255 were selected for further analysis. Multivariate analysis was then performed to determine the covariates associated with hospital mortality. RESULTS The overall ICU and hospital mortality was 20.4% and 33.3%, respectively. Patients who received i.v. vasoactive drugs on days 1 and 2 had hospital mortality of 54.4% and 60.5%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that requirement for i.v. vasoactive drugs within the first 24 h on ICU [odds ratio (OR) 4.29; 95% CI, 2.35-7.84, P<0.001] and requirement for i.v. vasoactive drugs for a further 24 h (OR 3.63; 95% CI, 1.58-8.37, P<0.01) were associated with hospital mortality. The requirement for i.v. vasoactive drugs was also strongly associated with hospital mortality in all the subgroups studied (elective surgery, emergency surgery, and emergency laparotomy). CONCLUSIONS For patients aged 80 yr and more, admitted to ICU after surgery, the requirement for i.v. vasoactive drugs in the first and second 24 h was the strongest predictor of hospital mortality.
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Hook S, Moulder E, Yates PJ, Burston BJ, Whitley E, Bannister GC. The Exeter Universal stem: a minimum ten-year review from an independent centre. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007; 88:1584-90. [PMID: 17159168 DOI: 10.1302/0301-620x.88b12.18345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
We reviewed 142 consecutive primary total hip replacements implanted into 123 patients between 1988 and 1993 using the Exeter Universal femoral stem. A total of 74 patients (88 hips) had survived for ten years or more and were reviewed at a mean of 12.7 years (10 to 17). There was no loss to follow-up. The rate of revision of the femoral component for aseptic loosening and osteolysis was 1.1% (1 stem), that for revision for any cause was 2.2% (2 stems), and for re-operation for any cause was 21.6% (19 hips). Re-operation was because of failure of the acetabular component in all but two hips. All but one femoral component subsided within the cement mantle to a mean of 1.52 mm (0 to 8.3) at the final follow-up. One further stem had subsided excessively (8 mm) and had lucent lines at the cement-stem and cement-bone interfaces. This was classified as a radiological failure and is awaiting revision. One stem was revised for deep infection and one for excessive peri-articular osteolysis. Defects of the cement mantle (Barrack grade C and D) were found in 28% of stems (25 hips), associated with increased subsidence (p = 0.01), but were not associated with endosteal lysis or failure. Peri-articular osteolysis was significantly related to the degree of polyethylene wear (p < 0.001), which was in turn associated with a younger age (p = 0.01) and male gender (p < 0.001). The use of the Exeter metal-backed acetabular component was a notable failure with 12 of 32 hips (37.5%) revised for loosening. The Harris-Galante components failed with excessive wear, osteolysis and dislocation with 15% revised (5 of 33 hips). Only one of 23 hips with a cemented Elite component (4%) was revised for loosening and osteolysis. Our findings show that the Exeter Universal stem implanted outside the originating centre has excellent medium-term results.
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Roaf HE, Whitley E. The Action of Acids and Alkalies, and of Acid Alkaline and Neutral Salts upon the Tadpole of Rana Temporaria. Biochem J 2006; 1:88-110. [PMID: 16742018 PMCID: PMC1276125 DOI: 10.1042/bj0010088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Whitley E. The Properties and Classification of the Oxidizing Enzymes, and Analogies between Enzymic Activity and the Effects of Immune Bodies and Complements. Biochem J 2006; 4:136-67. [PMID: 16742135 PMCID: PMC1276296 DOI: 10.1042/bj0040136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Moore B, Whitley E, Webster A. The Basic and Acidic Proteins of the sperm of Echinus esculentus. Direct Measurements of the Osmotic Pressure of a Protamine or Histone. Biochem J 2006; 7:142-7. [PMID: 16742233 PMCID: PMC1276454 DOI: 10.1042/bj0070142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Moore B, Edie ES, Whitley E, Dakin WJ. The Nutrition and Metabolism of Marine Animals in relationship to (a) Dissolved and (b) Particulate Organic Matter of Sea-Water. Biochem J 2006; 6:255-96. [PMID: 16742208 PMCID: PMC1550537 DOI: 10.1042/bj0060255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Gunnell D, Harrison G, Whitley E, Lewis G, Tynelius P, Rasmussen F. The association of fetal and childhood growth with risk of schizophrenia. Cohort study of 720,000 Swedish men and women. Schizophr Res 2005; 79:315-22. [PMID: 16125903 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2005.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2005] [Revised: 07/07/2005] [Accepted: 07/09/2005] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Previous investigations of the association of schizophrenia with patterns of pre- and post-natal growth have been based on small numbers of cases or have not taken account of the effects of prematurity on birthweight. We investigated the association of fetal growth with schizophrenia in a large cohort of Swedish males and females. We linked data from the Swedish Medical Birth Register (1973-1980), Inpatient and Discharge Register (1988-2002), Military Service Conscription Register (1990-1997), and the Population and Housing Censuses (1970 and 1990). Altogether 719,476 males and females were followed up from the age of 16 for a mean of 9.9 years. There were 736 incident cases of schizophrenia. Even in models that did not control for gestational age there was little evidence of an association between birthweight and schizophrenia (hazard ratio per kg increase in birthweight: 0.90 (95% CI 0.78 to 1.03); the hazard ratio in babies weighing <2.5 kg compared to 3.5-4.0 kg was 1.29 (95% CI 0.85 to 1.96). There was an inverse association of birth length with schizophrenia across the range of birth lengths. Short babies were at an increased risk (hazard ratio per 10 cm increase in birth length: 0.53, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.89 (fully adjusted model)). All associations were little changed when analyses were restricted to term (>36 week gestation) babies. In males, low body mass index and short height at age 18 were associated with increased risk. There is some evidence that patterns of risk in relation to fetal growth differ depending on post-natal growth patterns: the increased risk associated with low body mass index was restricted to long babies who became light adults. The exposures underlying these associations and the biological mechanisms mediating them require clarification.
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Darby S, Hill D, Auvinen A, Barros-Dios JM, Baysson H, Bochicchio F, Deo H, Falk R, Forastiere F, Hakama M, Heid I, Kreienbrock L, Kreuzer M, Lagarde F, Mäkeläinen I, Muirhead C, Oberaigner W, Pershagen G, Ruano-Ravina A, Ruosteenoja E, Rosario AS, Tirmarche M, Tomásek L, Whitley E, Wichmann HE, Doll R. Radon in homes and risk of lung cancer: collaborative analysis of individual data from 13 European case-control studies. BMJ 2005; 330:223. [PMID: 15613366 PMCID: PMC546066 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.38308.477650.63] [Citation(s) in RCA: 882] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the risk of lung cancer associated with exposure at home to the radioactive disintegration products of naturally occurring radon gas. DESIGN Collaborative analysis of individual data from 13 case-control studies of residential radon and lung cancer. SETTING Nine European countries. SUBJECTS 7148 cases of lung cancer and 14,208 controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Relative risks of lung cancer and radon gas concentrations in homes inhabited during the previous 5-34 years measured in becquerels (radon disintegrations per second) per cubic metre (Bq/m3) of household air. RESULTS The mean measured radon concentration in homes of people in the control group was 97 Bq/m3, with 11% measuring > 200 and 4% measuring > 400 Bq/m3. For cases of lung cancer the mean concentration was 104 Bq/m3. The risk of lung cancer increased by 8.4% (95% confidence interval 3.0% to 15.8%) per 100 Bq/m3 increase in measured radon (P = 0.0007). This corresponds to an increase of 16% (5% to 31%) per 100 Bq/m3 increase in usual radon--that is, after correction for the dilution caused by random uncertainties in measuring radon concentrations. The dose-response relation seemed to be linear with no threshold and remained significant (P = 0.04) in analyses limited to individuals from homes with measured radon < 200 Bq/m3. The proportionate excess risk did not differ significantly with study, age, sex, or smoking. In the absence of other causes of death, the absolute risks of lung cancer by age 75 years at usual radon concentrations of 0, 100, and 400 Bq/m3 would be about 0.4%, 0.5%, and 0.7%, respectively, for lifelong non-smokers, and about 25 times greater (10%, 12%, and 16%) for cigarette smokers. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, though not separately, these studies show appreciable hazards from residential radon, particularly for smokers and recent ex-smokers, and indicate that it is responsible for about 2% of all deaths from cancer in Europe.
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Givens M, Carson R, Riddell K, Stringfellow D, Waldrop J, Whitley E, Kasinathan P, Sullivan E. 35 PRODUCTION OF CLONED MINIATURE CALVES USING CYTOPLASTS FROM COWS OF STANDARD SIZE. Reprod Fertil Dev 2005. [DOI: 10.1071/rdv17n2ab35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous genetically similar cattle for use in research or teaching can be produced with chromatin transfer technology (Sullivan et al. 2004 Biol. Reprod. 70, 146–153). Miniature cattle can provide advantageous biotechnological models for teaching and study of human and animal diseases. Miniature cattle are approximately one fourth the size of standard cattle and, therefore, represent a potentially less expensive, safer, and more easily managed animal model. Our limited attempts to reproduce miniature cattle via in vivo and in vitro production of embryos resulted in poor response to superovulation and logistical challenges in recovering embryos or oocytes due to the small size of the animals. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential of embryos derived by chromatin transfer from fibroblasts of a miniature cow and cytoplasts from cows of standard size to produce viable offspring after transfer into recipient cows of standard size. The donor of somatic cells was a heifer that weighed 7.7 kg at birth. Chromatin transfer resulted in 19% (82/428) blastocyst formation. A total of 66 cloned blastocysts (65 excellent/good quality, 1 fair quality) were transferred into 26 synchronized recipients. While ultrasound revealed 13 pregnancies prior to 67 days of gestation, only 4 pregnancies of 5 fetuses were maintained beyond 100 days. Parturition was induced with dexamethasone and prostaglandin on Day 286 of gestation. One singleton (12.3 kg) and a set of twins (10.2 and 11.1 kg) were healthy at birth and normal at 1 week of age. Two fully developed singletons, weighing 21.4 and 13.6 kg, died in utero. The latter fetus exhibited a fixed dorsolateral deviation of the neck that complicated delivery despite a caudal obstetrical presentation. No abnormalities were noted in the size or structure of any placenta. Our results indicate that healthy miniature calves can be gestated by recipient cows of standard size after transfer of embryos derived by chromatin transfer. Unfortunately, the fetal wastage, fetal anomalies, and stillbirths observed with standard sized cattle also may occur.
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Gunnell D, Whitley E, Upton MN, McConnachie A, Smith GD, Watt GCM. Associations of height, leg length, and lung function with cardiovascular risk factors in the Midspan Family Study. J Epidemiol Community Health 2003; 57:141-6. [PMID: 12540691 PMCID: PMC1732388 DOI: 10.1136/jech.57.2.141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Taller people and those with better lung function are at reduced risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Biological mechanisms for these associations are not well understood, but both measures may be markers for early life exposures. Some studies have shown that leg length, an indicator of pre-pubertal nutritional status, is the component of height most strongly associated with CHD risk. Other studies show that height-CHD associations are greatly attenuated when lung function is controlled for. This study examines (1) the association of height and the components of height (leg length and trunk length) with CHD risk factors and (2) the relative strength of the association of height and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV(1)) with risk factors for CHD. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Cross sectional analysis of data collected at detailed cardiovascular screening examinations of 1040 men and 1298 women aged 30-59 whose parents were screened in 1972-76. Subjects come from 1477 families and are members of the Midspan Family Study. SETTING The towns of Renfrew and Paisley in the West of Scotland. RESULTS Taller subjects and those with better lung function had more favourable cardiovascular risk factor profiles, associations were strongest in relation to FEV(1). Higher FEV(1) was associated with lower blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, fibrinogen, white blood cell count, and body mass index. Similar, but generally weaker, associations were seen with height. These associations were not attenuated in models controlling for parental height. Longer leg length, but not trunk length, was associated with lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Longer leg length was also associated with more favourable levels of cholesterol and body mass index than trunk length. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide indirect evidence that measures of lung development and pre-pubertal growth act as biomarkers for childhood exposures that may modify an individual's risk of developing CHD. Genetic influences do not seem to underlie height-CHD associations.
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