Prevalence of autoimmune disorders among bladder pain syndrome patients' relatives

Purpose Possible genetic background and autoimmune etiology of Bladder Pain Syndrome (BPS, formerly Interstitial Cystitis, IC) has been suggested. We studied whether familial clustering of BPS, other autoimmune diseases or fibromyalgia exist among BPS patients' genetically close relatives; possibly reflecting some common predisposing genetic background of these diseases. Materials and methods Altogether 420 first- or second-degree relatives of 94 BPS patients fulfilling the NIDDK criteria were asked to fill in a survey on the self-reported diagnosis of urinary tract diseases, fibromyalgia and 23 autoimmune diseases, together with filling the O'Leary-Sant symptom score. The ones with high symptom scores were interviewed and, if necessary, referred to a further clinical consultation. The prevalence of other diseases was compared to previously published prevalence percentages. Results 334 (80%) of 420 family members returned the questionnaire. Only one of the relatives fulfilled the NIDDK criteria, and one sibling pair among the original BPS patients was found. Asthma, ulcerative colitis, fibromyalgia, iritis and rheumatoid arthritis were more common in the study population than in the reference populations. The reported prevalence of atopic dermatitis and rhinoconjunctivitis causing allergies were lower. In addition, the results show that the O'Leary-Sant symptom score is not reliable in screening for new BPS cases. Conclusions Our study suggests that in BPS patients' families, fibromyalgia and autoimmune diseases including asthma, and especially the non-allergic form of asthma, may be over-represented.Peer reviewe

Polygenic Risk Scores and Physical Activity

Purpose Polygenic risk scores (PRS) summarize genome-wide genotype data into a single variable that produces an individual-level risk score for genetic liability. PRS has been used for prediction of chronic diseases and some risk factors. As PRS has been studied less for physical activity (PA), we constructed PRS for PA and studied how much variation in PA can be explained by this PRS in independent population samples. Methods We calculated PRS for self-reported and objectively measured PA using UK Biobank genome-wide association study summary statistics, and analyzed how much of the variation in self-reported (MET-hours per day) and measured (steps and moderate-to-vigorous PA minutes per day) PA could be accounted for by the PRS in the Finnish Twin Cohorts (FTC;N= 759-11,528) and the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 (NFBC1966;N= 3263-4061). Objective measurement of PA was done with wrist-worn accelerometer in UK Biobank and NFBC1966 studies, and with hip-worn accelerometer in the FTC. Results The PRS accounted from 0.07% to 1.44% of the variation (R-2) in the self-reported and objectively measured PA volumes (Pvalue range = 0.023 toPeer reviewe

Efficiency of MgO activated GGBFS and OPC in the stabilization of highly sulfidic mine tailings

Abstract MgO activated ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) is a form of alkali-activated composite, which is successfully used as a binder in the stabilization of highly sulfidic mine tailings. The aim of this study was to compare alkali activated composite (AAC) and ordinary Portland cement (PC) as stabilization agents, as well as their efficiency to stabilize sulfidic tailings and the results of three different diffusion and leaching methods. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method was used to compare the environmental impacts of the binders. The lab-scale program covered hydraulic conductivity, compression strength, and freeze-thaw resistance tests of the stabilized tailings. The results indicate that the hydraulic conductivity (6.08 · 10⁻⁹ m/s) and compressive strength (11.5 MPa at 28 days) of AAC were better in comparison, if the corresponding amount of PC (2.04 · 10⁻⁸ m/s and 10.3 MPa at 28 days) was used. LCA shows clear ecological benefits when using AAC instead of PC in terms of lower global warming potential. Diffusion and leaching tests indicated better immobilization efficiency of AAC than PC concerning As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Se, Zn, and especially Mo. In comparison with plain tailings, AAC stabilization reduced leaching of As, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, Zn, Cl, and SO₄ better than PC

OGT and OGA expression in postmenopausal skeletal muscle associates with hormone replacement therapy and muscle cross-sectional area

Protein glycosylation via O-linked N-acetylglucosaminylation (O-GlcNAcylation) is an important post-translational regulatory mechanism mediated by O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and responsive to nutrients and stress. OGT attaches an O-GlcNAc moiety to proteins, while O-GlcNAcase (OGA) catalyzes O-GlcNAc removal. In skeletal muscle of experimental animals, prolonged increase in O-GlcNAcylation associates with age and muscle atrophy. Here we examined the effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and power training (PT) on muscle OGT and OGA gene expression in postmenopausal women generally prone to age-related muscle weakness. In addition, the associations of OGT and OGA gene expressions with muscle phenotype were analyzed. Twenty-seven 50-57-year-old women participated in a yearlong randomized placebo-controlled trial: HRT (n = 10), PT (n = 8) and control (n = 9). OGT and OGA mRNA levels were measured from muscle samples obtained at baseline and after one year. Knee extensor muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), knee extension force, running speed and vertical jumping height were measured. During the yearlong intervention, HRT suppressed the aging-associated upregulation of OGT mRNA that occurred in the controls. The effects of PT were similar but weaker. HRT also tended to increase the OGA mRNA level compared to the controls. The change in the ratio of OGT to OGA gene expressions correlated negatively with the change in muscle CSA. Our results suggest that OGT and OGA gene expressions are associated with muscle size during the critical postmenopausal period. HRT and PT influence muscle OGT and OGA gene expression, which may be one of the mechanisms by which HRT and PT prevent aging-related loss of muscle mass