Iodine and selenium: dietary sources and nutritional status of the population of the Kurdistan Region in Northern Iraq

AimThe primary aim of this study was to determine the selenium (Se) and iodine (I) food concentrations and dietary intake of the population living in the Kurdish controlled region of northern Iraq. We also assessed the extent to which iodised salt contributes to dietary iodine intake.MethodologyFoods and samples of salt and drinking water were analysed, including 300 crops samples from 40 local farms. The results, supplemented by food composition data, were used to assess dietary Se and I intake for 410 volunteers using a semi-quantitative food questionnaire. To directly investigate the nutritional status of individuals, urine samples were also collected from participants.ResultsSelenium intake was mainly supplied by protein and cereal sources. Calculated median dietary intake of Se was 62.7 µg d−1 (mean = 66.3 µg d−1) with c. 72 % of participants meeting or exceeding dietary reference intake recommendations for age. Median dietary intake of I, excluding salt consumption, was 94.6 µg d−1 (mean 100.2 µg d−1), increasing to 607.2 µg d−1 when salt (of which >90 % was iodized) was included. Salt intake was estimated to be c.13.5 g d−1 (5400 mg Na d−1) which greatly exceeds WHO recommended intake (< 2000 mg d−1 of Na). Urine iodine concentrations indicated that 98 % of school aged children had excessive iodine intake (≥300 µg L−1) and 80–90 % of all study participants had above average or excessive iodine intake (≥200 µg L−1).ConclusionsPoultry and rice are the main sources of dietary Se to this population but around a third of children receive an inadequate Se intake. Fresh fruit and vegetables are the main sources of dietary I, but consumption of local foods cannot supply adequate I without iodised salt supplementation. Consumption of iodized salt well above recommended amounts is supplying this population with substantial iodine intake. Interventions to reduce salt intake would help to limit excessive iodine intake whilst also reducing cardio-vascular risks from Na consumption

Prospects for High Energy Resolution Gamma Ray Spectroscopy with Europium-Doped Strontium Iodide

Europium-doped strontium iodide scintillators offer a light yield exceeding 100,000 photons/MeV and excellent light yield proportionality, while at the same time, SrI{sub 2} is readily grown in single crystal form. Thus far, our collaboration has demonstrated an energy resolution with strontium iodide of 2.6% at 662 keV and 7.6% at 60 keV, and we have grown single crystals surpassing 30 cm{sup 3} in size (with lower resolution). Our analysis indicates that SrI{sub 2}(Eu) has the potential to offer 2% energy resolution at 662 keV with optimized material, optics, and read-out. In particular, improvements in feedstock purity may result in crystal structural and chemical homogeneity, leading to improved light yield uniformity throughout the crystal volume, and consequently, better energy resolution. Uniform, efficient light collection and detection, is also required to achieve the best energy resolution with a SrI{sub 2}(Eu) scintillator device

A quantitative PCR (TaqMan) assay for pathogenic Leptospira spp

BACKGROUND: Leptospirosis is an emerging infectious disease. The differential diagnosis of leptospirosis is difficult due to the varied and often "flu like" symptoms which may result in a missed or delayed diagnosis. There are over 230 known serovars in the genus Leptospira. Confirmatory serological diagnosis of leptospirosis is usually made using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) which relies on the use of live cultures as the source of antigen, often performed using a panel of antigens representative of local serovars. Other techniques, such as the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and slide agglutination test (SAT), can detect different classes of antibody but may be subject to false positive reactions and require confirmation of these results by the MAT. METHODS: The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been used to detect a large number of microorganisms, including those of clinical significance. The sensitivity of PCR often precludes the need for isolation and culture, thus making it ideal for the rapid detection of organisms involved in acute infections. We employed real-time (quantitative) PCR using TaqMan chemistry to detect leptospires in clinical and environmental samples. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The PCR assay can be applied to either blood or urine samples and does not rely on the isolation and culture of the organism. Capability exists for automation and high throughput testing in a clinical laboratory. It is specific for Leptospira and may discriminate pathogenic and non-pathogenic species. The limit of detection is as low as two cells

Performance of europium-doped strontium iodide, transparent ceramics and bismuth-loaded polymer scintillators

Recently discovered scintillators for gamma ray spectroscopy, single crystal SrI{sub 2}(Eu), GYGAG(Ce) transparent ceramic and Bismuth-loaded plastics, offer resolution and fabrication advantages compared to commercial scintillators, such as NaI(Tl) and standard PVT plastic. Energy resolution at 662 keV of 2.7% is obtained with SrI{sub 2}(Eu), while 4.5% is obtained with GYGAG(Ce). A new transparent ceramic scintillator for radiographic imaging systems, GLO(Eu) offers high light yield of 70,000 Photons/MeV, high stopping, and low radiation damage. Implementation of single crystal SrI{sub 2}(Eu), Gd-based transparent ceramics, and Bi-loaded plastic scintillators can advance the state-of-the art in ionizing radiation detection systems

HLA Genes, Islet Autoantibodies and Residual C-Peptide at the Clinical Onset of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and the Risk of Retinopathy 15 Years Later

HLA genes, islet autoantibodies and residual C-peptide were studied to determine the independent association of each exposure with diabetic retinopathy (DR), 15 years after the clinical onset of type 1 diabetes in 15-34 year old individuals.The cohort was identified in 1992 and 1993 by the Diabetes Incidence Study in Sweden (DISS), which investigates incident cases of diabetes for patients between 15 and 34 years of age. Blood samples at diagnosis were analyzed to determine HLA genotype, islet autoantibodies and serum C-peptide. In 2009, fundus photographs were obtained from patient records. Study measures were supplemented with data from the Swedish National Diabetes Registry.The prevalence of DR was 60.2% (148/246). Autoantibodies against the 65 kD isoform of glutamate decarboxylase (GADA) at the onset of clinical diabetes increased the risk of DR 15 years later, relative risk 1.12 for each 100 WHO units/ml, [95% CI 1.02 to 1.23]. This equates to risk estimates of 1.27, [95% CI 1.04 to 1.62] and 1.43, [95% CI 1.06 to 1.94] for participants in the highest 25(th) (GADA>233 WHO units/ml) and 5(th) percentile (GADA>319 WHO units/ml) of GADA, respectively. These were adjusted for duration of diabetes, HbA(1c), treated hypertension, sex, age at diagnosis, HLA and C-peptide. Islet cell autoantibodies, insulinoma-antigen 2 autoantibodies, residual C-peptide and the type 1 diabetes associated haplotypes DQ2, DQ8 and DQ6 were not associated with DR.Increased levels of GADA at the onset of type 1 diabetes were associated with DR 15 years later. These results, if confirmed, could provide additional insights into the pathogenesis of the most common microvascular complication of diabetes and lead to better risk stratification for both patient screenings and DR treatment trials

Investigation of varicella-zoster virus variation by heteroduplex mobility assay

Heteroduplex mobility assays of 37 regions were performed on ten UK isolates of varicella zoster virus, four from cases of zoster, and six from cases of chickenpox. The variation between isolates was found to be 0.061%, which is at least five times lower than any other member of the human herpesvirus family. Fifteen of the 37 regions tested had 29 single nucleotide polymorphisms, and over half the polymorphisms were located in four gene fragments. Of the 29 SNPs, eleven were non-synonymous and these were clustered in six genes. Isolates from a child and her mother to whom she had transmitted the virus, were identical at every locus tested. All other viruses could be distinguished by a combination of SNPs and length polymorphisms of the repeat regions R1, R2 and R5

Analysis of islet regenerating (reg) gene polymorphisms in fibrocalculous pancreatic diabetes

Fibrocalculous pancreatic diabetes (FCPD) is a form of diabetes associated with tropical chronic calcific pancreatitis, seen mostly in developing countries. FCPD is likely to be a multifactorial disease with both environmental and genetic components. The reg 1A gene encodes a protein associated with regeneration of pancreatic islets and has a sequence identical to that of pancreatic stone protein. Since FCPD is associated with both diabetes and pancreatitis, we tested the hypothesis that FCPD may be the result of mutations in the coding regions of the reg 1A gene. Restriction length polymorphisms (RFLPs) and possible sequence variants of the reg 1A gene were studied by RFLP analysis, looking for single-stranded conformational polymorphisms (SSCPs) and direct nucleotide sequencing. In 20 patients with FCPD and 20 control subjects, no RFLPs were detected using 10 restriction enzymes. In 50 patients with FCPD and 50 control subjects, no SSCP variants were detected. Finally, direct nucleotide sequencing of the reg 1A gene from 30 patients with FCPD did not show any differences from the published human reg 1A gene sequence. In conclusion, it seems unlikely that mutations in the coding region of the reg 1A gene are a common cause of FCPD

A genetic study of retinopathy in South Indian type 2 (non insulin dependent) diabetic patients

Genetic marker studies in diabetic retinopathy are controversial and frequently complicated by possible independent associations of Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus with the markers so far analysed. We have looked for associations of candidate genes with retinopathy in South Indian Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetic patients; patients were subdivided into those with exudative maculopathy (n=53), proliferative retinopathy (n=40) and patients free from diabetic retinopathy with a minimum disease duration of 15 years (n=45). DNA was extracted from blood samples and studied by Southern blot hybridisation techniques and the following probe enzyme combinations: HLA-DQB1; Taq 1, HLA-DQA1; Taq 1, HLA-DRA; Bgl II, insulin gene hypervariable region; Pvu II and the switch region of the immunoglobulin IgM heavy chain gene (Sµ); Sac I. Differences in genotype distributions between the study groups were only detected with the S probe which detects polymorphism of both Sµ and Sα1 (the switch region of IgA). Two alleles of Sα1 were detected sized 7.4 kilobase and 6.9 kilobase. The frequency of 6.9 kilobase homozygotes was lower in proliferative retinopathy (19%) compared to patients free from diabetic retinopathy (54%, p=0.005) and exudative maculopathy (46%, p=0.03). This data suggests that there is a genetic predisposition to proliferative retinopathy in Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes of South Indian origin and that this is determined by polymorphism of the heavy chain immunoglobulin genes located on chromosome 14