69 research outputs found
Lead exposure in adult males in urban Transvaal Province, South Africa during the apartheid era
Human exposure to lead is a substantial public health hazard worldwide and is particularly problematic in the Republic of South Africa given the country’s late cessation of leaded petrol. Lead exposure is associated with a number of serious health issues and diseases including developmental and cognitive deficiency, hypertension and heart disease. Understanding the distribution of lifetime lead burden within a given population is critical for reducing exposure rates. Femoral bone from 101 deceased adult males living in urban Transvaal Province (now Gauteng Province), South Africa between 1960 and 1998 were analyzed for lead concentration by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Of the 72 black and 29 white individuals sampled, chronic lead exposure was apparent in nearly all individuals. White males showed significantly higher median bone lead concentration (ME = 10.04 µg·g−1), than black males (ME = 3.80 µg·g−1) despite higher socioeconomic status. Bone lead concentration covaries significantly, though weakly, with individual age. There was no significant temporal trend in bone lead concentration. These results indicate that long-term low to moderate lead exposure is the historical norm among South African males. Unexpectedly, this research indicates that white males in the sample population were more highly exposed to lead
Effect of Ingested Interferon-α on β-Cell Function in Children With New-Onset Type 1 Diabetes
Variability in chemotherapy delivery for elderly women with advanced stage ovarian cancer and its impact on survival
Given the survival benefits of adjuvant chemotherapy for advanced ovarian cancer (OC), we examined the associations of survival with the time interval from debulking surgery to initiation of chemotherapy and with the duration of chemotherapy. Among patients ⩾65 years with stages III/IV OC diagnosed between 1991 and 2002 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database, we developed regression models of predictors of the time interval from surgery to initiation of chemotherapy and of the total duration of chemotherapy. Survival was examined with Cox proportional hazards models. Among 2558 patients, 1712 (67%) initiated chemotherapy within 6 weeks of debulking surgery, while 846 (33%) began treatment >6 weeks. Older age, black race, being unmarried, and increased comorbidities were associated with delayed initiation of chemotherapy. Delay of chemotherapy was associated with an increase in mortality (hazard ratio (HR)=1.11; 95% CI, 1.0–1.2). Among 1932 patients in the duration of treatment analysis, the 1218 (63%) treated for 3–7 months had better survival than the 714 (37%) treated for ⩽3 months (HR=0.84; 95% CI, 0.75–0.94). This analysis represents one of the few studies describing treatment delivery and outcome in women with advanced OC. Delayed initiation and early discontinuation of chemotherapy were common and associated with increased mortality
The genetic architecture of the human cerebral cortex
The cerebral cortex underlies our complex cognitive capabilities, yet little is known about the specific genetic loci that influence human cortical structure. To identify genetic variants that affect cortical structure, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of brain magnetic resonance imaging data from 51,665 individuals. We analyzed the surface area and average thickness of the whole cortex and 34 regions with known functional specializations. We identified 199 significant loci and found significant enrichment for loci influencing total surface area within regulatory elements that are active during prenatal cortical development, supporting the radial unit hypothesis. Loci that affect regional surface area cluster near genes in Wnt signaling pathways, which influence progenitor expansion and areal identity. Variation in cortical structure is genetically correlated with cognitive function, Parkinson's disease, insomnia, depression, neuroticism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Chronic HBV with pregnancy: Reactivation flare causing fulminant hepatic failure
Chronic HBV infection is a dynamic state of interaction between HBV, hepatocytes, and the immune system of the host. A series of reactivation flares and remissions may occur due to multiple causes. Among them, spontaneous reactivation and immunosuppressive drugs including steroids or cancer chemotherapy are well known. This is due to immune-mediated destruction of HBV-expressing cells following withdrawal of immunosuppressive effect. Few cases have been reported in females during postpartum period. We report a case of fulminant hepatic failure during pregnancy in a previously unrecognized hepatitis B positive female requiring emergent liver transplantation
Daily interferon alpha 2b and Ribavirin combination therapy for chronic hepatitis C patients who have relaped or not responded to previous treatment: One year treatment results
Daily use of consensus interferon for chronic hepatitis C among patients who had relapsed or not responded to previous treatment with alpha interferon 2b: One year treatment results
Use and duration of chemotherapy and its impact on survival in early-stage ovarian cancer
Comparison of survival time following tips in cirrhotic patients with ascites or variceal bleeding
Clinical response and survival following tips placement for the treatment of hydrothorax due to liver cirrhosis
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