Neuronal Intermediate Filaments in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Neuronal intermediate filaments (NIFs) are the most abundant cytoskeletal element in mature neurons. They are composed of different protein subunits encoded by separate genes such as neurofilament light chain (NFL), neurofilament medium chain (NFM), neurofilament heavy chain (NFH), ɑ‐internexin and peripherin. NIFs are dynamic structures playing important functions in cell architecture and differentiation, interactions between proteins or subcellular organelles, and in axonal calibre determination and myelination. Consequently, their presence modulates electrophysiological properties of axons. NIFs have long been assigned a role in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Indeed, accumulation and abnormal phosphorylation of NIF subunits in motor neuron are one of the major pathological features in both sporadic and familial forms of the disease. Moreover, mutations in the NFH and peripherin genes and elevated cerebrospinal fluid NIF levels reported in ALS cases, associated with studies in transgenic mice, provided the evidence that primary defects in NIFs could be causative for motor neuron disease. However, the processes leading to the NIF abnormalities and the links to the pathogenesis of ALS remain unclear, leaving a challenging open field for further investigations in this highly disabilitating disease. Here, we review the main characteristics of these NIFs and their involvement in the pathomechanisms of ALS

The smoking habits, attitudes towards smoking and knowledge regarding anti-smoking legislation of students in institutions of higher learning in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

Background : The study aimed to i) investigate the smoking habits of students attending tertiary institutions of learning in the Eastern Cape Province (ECP) and ii) determine the knowledge of the students about the health hazards of smoking and their attitude towards current government anti-smoking legislation. Methods: This was a questionnaire-based study involving all seven tertiary institutions of learning in the ECP, viz. the Universities of Transkei, Fort Hare, Port Elizabeth and Rhodes University, and the Border, Eastern Cape and Port Elizabeth technikons. A total of 1 728 students were interviewed out of a student population of 30,080. Stratified random sampling was used to select the students. Two-way tables were used to test the independence of the variables and chi-square tests were applied. A ‘p' value of below 5% was used as a test of significance. Results: A total of 1 480 students completed the questionnaires (86%). The racial classification of the respondents was 79% Black, 13% White, 7% Coloured and 2% Indian. Twenty-six per cent of the students were smokers, of which 37% were male and 15% were female. Forty-five per cent of the Coloured students smoked, while the figures for Whites and Blacks were 26% and 25% respectively. Seventy per cent of the students smoked less than 10 cigarettes a day. Fifty-two per cent of the smokers said they wanted to stop smoking. Sixty-one per cent had been influenced to start smoking by their friends and only 13% were influenced by advertisements. Ninety-four percent agreed that smoking was dangerous to the smoker's health, while 73% responded that there was a relationship between mothers who smoke and low birth weight. Thirteen per cent thought the legislation was too tough, while 30% said it was good as it was. On measures to reduce smoking, 86% favoured restricting smoking in public places. Conclusion: This study has demonstrated that smoking is prevalent in tertiary institutions of learning in the Eastern Cape Province. The demographic profile of the smokers reflects the national picture. The knowledge of the harmful effects of smoking is generally good. For full text, click here: South African Family Practice 2006; Vol.48(9):14-14

Risk Factors of Porcine Cysticercosis in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

There is a high prevalence of Taenia solium taeniosis/cysticercosis in humans and pigs in the Eastern Cape Province (ECP) of South Africa. The objective of this study was to identify risk factors of porcine cysticercosis in select districts of the ECP. Data were collected in 2003 by interviewing 217 pig producers from the area. Blood samples were collected from 261 of their pigs, which were tested using two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for the presence of antibodies to cysticercosis. Frequencies of both owner- and pig-level characteristics were determined. For pig-level analysis, all bivariable and multivariable associations were determined using the surveylogistic procedure of the SAS/STAT® software to accommodate for the intraclass correlation that exists for clusters of pigs within one owner and for clusters of owners within a district. All tests for significance were performed at the α = 0.05 level, and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were determined. Among the respondents, 48% of their households lacked a latrine, 98% slaughtered pigs at home, and 99% indicated that meat inspection services were not available. On bivariable analysis, there was a significant association between porcine infection and district (p = 0.003), breed (p = 0.041) and the absence of a latrine (p = 0.006). On multivariable analysis, the absence of a latrine was the only variable significantly associated with porcine infection (aOR = 1.89; 95% CI = 1.07, 3.35) (p = 0.028). The increased odds of porcine infection with households lacking a latrine contributes to our understanding of the transmission of this parasite in the ECP. Determining and addressing the risk factors for T. solium infection can potentially lower the very high prevalence in humans and pigs in this endemic area

A Systematic Review of the Frequency of Neurocyticercosis with a Focus on People with Epilepsy

Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a parasitic infection of the brain caused by the tapeworm Taenia solium, which infects humans and pigs. There have been increasing case reports and epidemiological studies on this disease, but its global frequency has never been determined, partly due to the fact that blood tests are not very good for the diagnosis of NCC. We present here a systematic review of the literature on the frequency of NCC diagnosed with neuroimaging worldwide. Overall, 565 articles were retrieved and 290 (51%) selected for further review. Of those, only 26 had information valid enough to estimate the frequency of NCC in various populations. Only one study estimated the prevalence of NCC in the general population. The most striking finding was that the proportion of NCC among persons with epilepsy was very consistent and estimated at 29.6% (95%CI: 23.5%–36.1%) from 12 studies conducted in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. A reinforcement of the suggested universal guidelines for the diagnostic process, declaring NCC an international reportable disease and standardizing procedures for data collection could improve our understanding of the frequency of NCC worldwide and hence its global burden

Estimation of the cost of Taenia solium cysticercosis in eastern Cape Province, South Africa

This paper provides a comprehensive estimate of the societal costs of Taenia solium cysticercosis for the Eastern Cape Province (ECP), South Africa, as an objective measure of its impact in this endemic area. Epidemiological data on the prevalence of epilepsy, proportion of epilepsy cases due to neurocysticercosis (NCC) and consequences of cysticercosis were gathered from published and unpublished sources. Economical data were mostly obtained from governmental sources. Three methods were used for estimating productivity losses. Monte Carlo sampling was used to represent the uncertainty of the estimates with 95% Credible Intervals (95% CI). The estimation is for 1 year using a societal approach. All costs are reported in 2004 US$. Results Overall, there were an estimated 34 662 (95$) was estimated to vary from US$18.6 (95$9.0–32.9) to US$34.2 (95$12.8–70.0) depending on the method used to estimate productivity losses. The agricultural sector contributed an average of $5.0 million. The prevalence of epilepsy, proportion of productivity reduction and the proportion of epilepsy cases attributable to NCC had the largest impact on the overall estimates. This preliminary estimate suggests that T. solium cysticercosis results in considerable monetary costs to a region that is already economically constrained. Because this infection is preventable, these results could guide stakeholders in deciding where to invest scarce health and agricultural resources in their countries