Menarche delay and menstrual irregularities persist in adolescents with type 1 diabetes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Menarche delay has been reported in adolescent females with type 1 diabetes (T1DM), perhaps due to poor glycemic control. We sought to compare age at menarche between adolescent females with T1DM and national data, and to identify factors associated with delayed menarche and menstrual irregularity in T1DM.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This was a cross-sectional study and females ages 12- 24 years (n = 228) with at least one menstrual period were recruited during their outpatient diabetes clinic appointment. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2006 data (n = 3690) for females 12-24 years were used as a control group.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Age at menarche was later in adolescent females with T1DM diagnosed prior to menarche (12.81 +/- 0.09 years) (mean+/- SE) (n = 185) than for adolescent females diagnosed after menarche (12.17 0.19 years, <it>p = </it>0.0015) (n = 43). Average age of menarche in NHANES was 12.27 +/- 0.038 years, which was significantly earlier than adolescent females with T1DM prior to menarche (<it>p </it>< 0.0001) and similar to adolescent females diagnosed after menarche (<it>p </it>= 0.77). Older age at menarche was negatively correlated with BMI z-score (r = -0.23 <it>p = </it>0.0029) but not hemoglobin A1c (A1c) at menarche (r = 0.01, <it>p </it>= 0.91). Among 181 adolescent females who were at least 2 years post menarche, 63 (35%) reported usually or always irregular cycles.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Adolescent females with T1DM had a later onset of menarche than both adolescent females who developed T1DM after menarche and NHANES data. Menarche age was negatively associated with BMI z-score, but not A1c. Despite improved treatment in recent decades, menarche delay and high prevalence of menstrual irregularity is still observed among adolescent females with T1DM.</p

Health behaviors and risk factors in those who use complementary and alternative medicine

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Surveys have generally found that individuals more likely to use complementary and alternative medicine are female, live in the western United States, are likely to have a health complaint, and have a higher socioeconomic status than do nonusers. What is not known is the extent to which those who use complementary and alternative medicine also engage in positive health behaviors, such as smoking cessation or increased physical activity and/or exhibit fewer health risk factors such as obesity. This has been identified as a key research question in a recent Institute of Medicine report. In the present study we sought to determine whether the use of complementary and alternative medicine is associated with health behaviors or risk factors known to impact on health status.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The current study is a cross-sectional regression analysis using data from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey. Data were collected in-person from 31,044 adults throughout the 50 states and the District of Columbia.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>After controlling for a range of other factors, we found that engaging in leisure-time physical activity, having consumed alcohol in one's life but not being a current heavy drinker, and being a former smoker are independently associated with the use of CAM. Obese individuals are slightly less likely to use CAM than individuals with a healthy body-mass index. No significant associations were observed between receipt of an influenza vaccine and CAM use.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Those engaging in positive health behaviors and exhibiting fewer health risk factors are more likely to use CAM than those who forgo positive health behaviors or exhibit more health risk factors. The fact that users of CAM tend to pursue generally healthy lifestyles suggests that they may be open to additional recommendations toward optimizing their health.</p

Immunization with cholera toxin B subunit induces high-level protection in the suckling mouse model of cholera.

Cholera toxin (CT) is the primary virulence factor responsible for severe cholera. Vibrio cholerae strains unable to produce CT show severe attenuation of virulence in animals and humans. The pentameric B subunit of CT (CTB) contains the immunodominant epitopes recognized by antibodies that neutralize CT. Although CTB is a potent immunogen and a promising protective vaccine antigen in animal models, immunization of humans with detoxified CT failed to protect against cholera. We recently demonstrated however that pups reared from mice immunized intraperitoneally (IP) with 3 doses of recombinant CTB were well protected against a highly lethal challenge dose of V. cholerae N16961. The present study investigated how the route and number of immunizations with CTB could influence protective efficacy in the suckling mouse model of cholera. To this end female mice were immunized with CTB intranasally (IN), IP, and subcutaneously (SC). Serum and fecal extracts were analyzed for anti-CTB antibodies by quantitative ELISA, and pups born to immunized mothers were challenged orogastrically with a lethal dose of V. cholerae. Pups from all immunized groups were highly protected from death by 48 hours (64-100% survival). Cox regression showed that percent body weight loss at 24 hours predicted death by 48 hours, but we were unable to validate a specific amount of weight loss as a surrogate marker for protection. Although CTB was highly protective in all regimens, three parenteral immunizations showed trends toward higher survival and less weight loss at 24 hours post infection. These results demonstrate that immunization with CTB by any of several routes and dosing regimens can provide protection against live V. cholerae challenge in the suckling mouse model of cholera. Our data extend the results of previous studies and provide additional support for the inclusion of CTB in the development of a subunit vaccine against V. cholerae

Relative abundance of fecal CTB-specific IgA at 14 days following the final/only immunization via the intranasal (IN), subcutaneous (SC), or intraperitoneal (IP) route.

<p>For each fecal extract, the relative abundance of CTB-specific IgA is expressed as a percentage of the total IgA in that fecal extract. Each symbol represents an individual mouse, and horizontal bars represent the geometric mean for that group (<i>n</i> = 5). Statistical differences between groups were analyzed using ANOVA with Tukey-Kramer post-test analysis (# P<0.001 versus all other groups).</p

Serum CTB-specific IgG concentrations at 14 days following the final/only immunization via the intranasal (IN), subcutaneous (SC), or intraperitoneal (IP) route.

<p>Each symbol represents the serum anti-CTB antibody concentration for an individual mouse. The horizontal lines represent the geometric mean concentration per group (<i>n</i> = 5). Statistical differences between groups were analyzed using ANOVA with Tukey-Kramer post-test analysis (# P<0.001 and *P<0.05 versus the CTB/IP1X group).</p