The association between dyslipidaemia and types of antipsychotic medications among patients with chronic schizophrenia

This cross sectional study aimed to explore the association between dyslipidaemia and types of antipsychotics in 100 patients with chronic schizophrenia. Lipid profile, weight, height and waist circumference together with other relevant factors were measured. We found there was a high rate of dyslipidaemia among patients with chronic schizophrenia treated with antipsychotics (66%), however there was no significant difference found between typical or atypical antipsychotics (OR=1). All sociodemographic and clinical factors were not significantly associated with dyslipidaemia. Only non-Malays were found to have significant dyslipidaemia (p<0.1). Effective management is needed to deal with the dyslipidaemia in this group.

Multiple indomethacin-induced colonic perforations in an adolescent

Colonic perforation is an uncommon cause of acute abdomen in paediatric patients, and can present a diagnostic enigma as well as management challenge to the paediatric surgeon. An adolescent developed multiple colonic perforations following a short course of oral indomethacin, requiring emergency hemicolectomy. This is the youngest known case of enteral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-mediated large bowel injury. We review current evidence on NSAID-related enteropathy, and postulate potentiating mechanisms that may have accounted for the unusually rapid clinical course of our patient.

Seroprevalence of cytotoxin-associated gene A positive Helicobacter pylori strains in Changle, an area with very high prevalence of gastric cancer in south China

BACKGROUND

Helicobacter pylori, especially the CagA-positive strains, are closely associated with peptic ulcers and gastric cancers. We performed a large scale gastric cancer screening project and examined the prevalence of H. pylori and CagA-positive strains in Changle, China, an area with one of the World's highest gastric cancer mortality. We also compared the prevalence with that in Hong Kong which has one-tenth of the gastric cancer mortality of that in Changle.

METHODS

A total of 2424 subjects in Changle and 523 subjects in Hong Kong had endoscopic examination and venesection. Sera were tested for anti-H. pylori antibody and anti-CagA antibody and correlated with endoscopic findings.

RESULTS

In Changle, 80. 9% of the subjects were H. pylori carriers. Out of 551 carriers, 408 (74%) were positive for anti-CagA antibody. A total of 76% and 87% of the asymptomatic and gastric cancer patients were positive for anti-CagA antibody, respectively (P > 0.05). Compared to Hong Kong, there was a significantly (P < 0.0001) higher prevalence of CagA-positive strains in asymptomatic subjects in Changle (76%) than in Hong Kong (28%), but not in peptic ulcers or gastric cancers.

CONCLUSIONS

Subjects in Changle had a high prevalence of H. pylori infection and a high prevalence of the CagA-positive strains. The contrast in the prevalence of CagA-positive strains, in asymptomatic subjects in two areas with differing gastric cancer mortality, supports the pathogenic role of CagA-positive strains in gastric carcinogenesis.

Differential Helicobacter pylori infection rates in two contrasting gastric cancer risk regions of South China. China Gastric Cancer Study Group

BACKGROUND

Carriers of Helicobacter pylori are believed to have a three- to six-fold increased risk of developing gastric cancer. We have recently conducted a simultaneous cross-sectional population study on the prevalence of H. pylori infection in a cohort of asymptomatic adult volunteers in two contrasting gastric cancer risk regions of South China, Hong Kong and Changle of Fujian. Their mean annual gastric cancer mortality has been approximately 7.5 and 75/100 000 population, respectively, since the beginning of the last decade. The aim of this study was to evaluate if H. pylori prevalence bears any relationship to gastric cancer mortality rates in these two southern regions of China.

METHODS

Sera were obtained from 397 volunteers in Hong Kong. They were tested for anti-H.pylori immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibody by using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Volunteers of Changle (1456) had upper endoscopy examination and were also tested for anti-H. pylori IgG antibody by the same ELISA method.

RESULTS

The overall H. pylori infection prevalence was significantly higher in Changle (80.4%) than in Hong Kong (58.4%; P< 0.01). The high prevalence is associated with more atrophic gastritis. The overall risk of gastric cancer in people of Changle is approximately five-fold that of Hong Kong (adjusted odds ratio 4.9, 95% CI 2.5-9.8).

CONCLUSIONS

It is concluded that the prevalence of H. pylori infection rates bear a direct relationship to gastric cancer mortality rates in these two southern regions of China. Thus, H. pylori most likely plays a significant aetiopathogenetic role in gastric carcinogenesis in subjects living in Changle.

Evidence suggesting that the ARS elements associated with silencers of the yeast mating-type locus HML do not function as chromosomal DNA replication origins

The silent mating-type loci of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, HML and HMR, are flanked by transcriptional silencers that have ARS activity (i.e., they function as replication origins when in plasmids). To test whether these ARS elements are chromosomal origins, we mapped origins near HML (close to the left telomere of chromosome III). Our results indicate that the HML-associated ARS elements either do not function as chromosomal replication origins or do so at a frequency below our detection level, suggesting that replication from a silencer-associated origin in each S phase is not essential for the maintenance of transcriptional repression at HML. Our results also imply that the ability of a DNA fragment to function as an ARS element in a plasmid does not ensure its ability to function as an efficient chromosomal replication origin. Telomere proximity is not responsible for inactivating these ARS elements, because they are not detectably functional as chromosomal origins even in genetically modified strains in which they are far from the telomere.

A simple adherence test for detection of IgM antibodies in typhoid

A simple adherence test to detect IgM antibodies in patients with typhoid is described. The test utilises the IgM-"capture" approach, in which the test serum is applied to microtitration plate wells previously coated with anti-human IgM, followed by application of a stained Salmonella typhi antigen suspension which shows adherence in positive cases. By this test, 58 (95%) of 61 sera from confirmed cases of typhoid possessed IgM antibodies to the H or O or both antigens of S. typhi. In patients for whom a diagnosis of typhoid was based only on a significant Widal-test titre, 31 (41%) of 76 sera had IgM antibodies to the H or O or both antigens of S. typhi. Some cross-reactivity of the IgM antibodies was detected, especially with the O antigens of S. paratyphi A and B. A total of 82 sera from non-typhoidal fevers (leptospirosis, typhus, dengue fever) showed no reactivity in this test. In normal sera there was no detectable IgM to the O antigen of S. typhi and only a small number (3.9%) had low levels of IgM to the H antigen. The significance and potential importance of this simple, sensitive, specific and economical test is discussed.

Frequency of angiographically significant coronary arterial narrowing in mitral stenosis

Ninety-six consecutive patients older than 40 years with severe mitral stenosis were retrospectively analyzed to determine the relation of angina pectoris (AP) and coexistent coronary artery disease (CAD). Of the 96 patients, 27 (28%) had angiographically significant CAD, 10 (37%) with AP and 17 (63%) without AP. Of the 96 patients, 21 had AP, 10 (48%) with angiographically significant CAD and 11 (52%) without (CAD). Of 75 patients without AP, 17 (23%) had angiographically significant CAD AP had a specificity of 84% and a sensitivity of 37% in its ability to detect significant CAD. The pulmonary artery systolic, diastolic and mean pressures and the pulmonary vascular resistance did not differ between patients with and those without AP (p greater than 0.05). It is concluded that coexistent CAD is commonly found in patients older than age 40 with severe MS, and is usually clinically silent.

Angina pectoris and coronary artery disease in isolated, severe aortic regurgitation

Seventy-eight patients with isolated, severe aortic regurgitation (AR) were studied retrospectively to determine the prevalence of angiographically significant coronary artery disease (CAD) and its relation to angina pectoris (AP). Angiographically, significant CAD was present in 29 of 78 patients (37%), and 36 patients (46%) had AP. Twenty-one of 36 patients (58%) with AP and 8 of 42 patients (19%) without AP had angiographically significant CAD. AP as a predictor of significant CAD had a sensitivity of 73%, specificity of 69% and a risk ratio of 3:1. The predictive accuracy of detecting CAD in the absence of AP was 81%. The benefit from concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting at the time of aortic valve replacement for AR has not been clearly demonstrated; therefore, routine coronary angiography is still recommended for all AR patients older than 40 years undergoing aortic valve replacement.

Relation of angina pectoris to coronary artery disease in aortic valve stenosis

One hundred three patients with isolated, severe aortic stenosis (AS) were retrospectively analyzed to determine the relation of angina pectoris to angiographically significant coronary artery disease (CAD). All patients underwent coronary angiography regardless of the presence or absence of angina. Angina was significantly associated with CAD (p less than 0.002), with a sensitivity of 78% and a specificity of 53%. However, 25% of the patients without angina had angiographically significant CAD, and in these patients there was a 70% prevalence of 1-vessel disease. Patients with isolated, severe AS should undergo coronary angiography to identify coexistent CAD accurately. The absence of angina does not reliably exclude angiographically significant CAD.