Early life patterns of common infection: a latent class analysis

Early life infection has been implicated in the aetiology of many chronic diseases, most often through proxy measures. Data on ten infectious symptoms were collected by parental questionnaire when children were 6 months old as part of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, United Kingdom. A latent class analysis was used to identify patterns of infection and their relationship to five factors commonly used as proxies: sex, other children in the home, maternal smoking, breastfeeding and maternal education. A total of 10,032 singleton children were included in the analysis. Five classes were identified with differing infectious disease patterns and children were assigned to the class for which they had a highest probability of membership based on their infectious symptom profile: ‘general infection’ (n = 1,252, 12.5%), ‘gastrointestinal’ (n = 1,902, 19.0%), ‘mild respiratory’ (n = 3,560, 35.5%), ‘colds/ear ache’ (n = 462, 4.6%) and ‘healthy’ (n = 2,856, 28.5%). Females had a reduced risk of being in all infectious classes, other children in the home were associated with an increased risk of being in the ‘general infection’, ‘mild respiratory’ or ‘colds/ear ache’ class. Breastfeeding reduced the risk of being in the ‘general infection’ and ‘gastrointestinal’ classes whereas maternal smoking increased the risk of membership. Higher maternal education was associated with an increased risk of being in the ‘mild respiratory’ group. Other children in the home had the greatest association with infectious class membership. Latent class analysis provided a flexible method of investigating the relationship between multiple symptoms and demographic and lifestyle factors

Biological effects of different dosages of glycyrrhizin in human volunteers (pilot study)

Na dagelijkse orale toediening van glycyrrhizine gedurende 4 weken bij acht mannelijke en acht vrouwelijke menselijke vrijwilligers gelijkelijk verdeeld over twee doseringsgroepen (400 mg en 800 mg glycyrrhizine/dag) werden over de hele lijn duidelijke biologische effecten vastgesteld. Deze effecten waren het meest duidelijk af te lezen aan de daling van de aldosteronconcentratie in het plasma en de plasma renine activiteit. Daarnaast bleken er duidelijke effecten te constateren bij de controle parameters (parameter ter controle van de veiligheid voor de proefpersonen). Bij vijf vrijwilligers was het nodig om het onderzoek vroegtijdig af te breken, wegens het optreden van klinische symptomen. Bij een vrijwilliger was dit terug te voeren op een intercurrente ziekte. Bij vier vrijwilligers waren er effecten in de zin van hoofdpijn, extreme gewichtstoename en oedemen die aanleiding gaven tot het vroegtijdig stoppen. De vrouwelijke vrijwilligers bleken gevoeliger dan de mannelijke vrijwilligers (meer en sterkere effecten). De glycyrrhetinezuur bepaling in bloed bleek meer geschikt dan de bepaling van glycyrrhizine om de kinetiek te vervolgen.HI

An assessment of the effects of various dosages of glycyrrhizin in healthy female volunteers

In order to define a "no effect level" for glycyrrhizin, a double-blind, randomized controlled study was conducted in 39 healthy female volunteers. The volunteers took a daily dosage of either 0, 1, 2 or 4 mg glycyrrhizin per kg bodyweight for a period of 8 weeks. The dosages and the preference for female volunteers were based on a previous pilot study. The following parameters were studied: bodyweight, blood pressure, plasma electrolytes, 24 hour urinary excretion of electrolytes, plasma renin activity, plasma aldosterone concentration, plasma atrial natriuretic peptide concentration and plasma glycyrrhetic acid concentration. The participants kept a journal of complaints and diet. Effects were observed in the highest dosage group only (4 mg glycyrrhizin per kg bodyweight). These concerned volume expansion on the one hand and changes in plasma electrolyte concentration on the other. Volume expansion during intake of glycyrrhizin was indicated by suppression of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and by weight gain. The changes in electrolyte concentration were a decline in plasma potassium concentration and a rise in plasma bicarbonate concentration during glycyrrhizin intake. Besides, the atrial natriuretic peptide concentration decreased after discontinuation of glycyrrhizin intake. The changes in electrolyte concentration concerned a decline in plasma potassium concentration and a rise in plasma bicarbonate concentration during glycyrrhizin intake. Based on this study, the "no effect level" for glycyrrhizin is concluded to be 2 mg per kg bodyweight.Teneinde een "no effect level" van glycyrrhizine vast te stellen, werd een dubbelblind, gerandomiseerd, gecontroleerd onderzoek uitgevoerd bij 39 gezonde vrouwelijke vrijwilligers. Gedurende 8 weken werd glycyrrhizine in een dosis van 0, 1, 2 of 4 mg per kg lichaamsgewicht ingenomen. De doseringen en de keus voor vrouwelijke deelnemers waren gebaseerd op een voorafgaand pilot onderzoek. De volgende parameters werden bestudeerd: gewicht, bloeddruk, electrolyten concentratie in plasma, 24-uurs excretie van electrolyten in urine, plasma renine activiteit, plasma aldosteron concentratie, atriaal natriuretisch peptide concentratie en de concentratie van glycyrrhetinezuur in plasma. De deelnemers hielden een klachtenlogboek en eetdagboekjes bij. Alleen in de hoogste doseringsgroep van 4 mg glycyrrhizine per kg lichaamsgewicht werden effecten waargenomen. Deze betroffen volume expansie enerzijds en veranderingen in plasma electrolyten anderzijds. De volume expansie tijdens glycyrrhizine-inname kwam tot uiting in suppressie van het renine-angiotensine-aldosteron systeem en toename van gewicht. Tevens daalde de atriaal natriuretisch peptide-concentratie na het staken van de glycyrrhizine-inname. De electrolytveranderingen betroffen daling van plasma kalium en stijging van plasma bicarbonaat-concentratie tijdens de glycyrrhizine-inname. Op grond van deze gegevens kan een "no effect level" van 2 mg glycyrrhizine per kg lichaamsgewicht per dag worden afgeleid

An assessment of the effects of various dosages of glycyrrhizin in healthy female volunteers

Teneinde een "no effect level" van glycyrrhizine vast te stellen, werd een dubbelblind, gerandomiseerd, gecontroleerd onderzoek uitgevoerd bij 39 gezonde vrouwelijke vrijwilligers. Gedurende 8 weken werd glycyrrhizine in een dosis van 0, 1, 2 of 4 mg per kg lichaamsgewicht ingenomen. De doseringen en de keus voor vrouwelijke deelnemers waren gebaseerd op een voorafgaand pilot onderzoek. De volgende parameters werden bestudeerd: gewicht, bloeddruk, electrolyten concentratie in plasma, 24-uurs excretie van electrolyten in urine, plasma renine activiteit, plasma aldosteron concentratie, atriaal natriuretisch peptide concentratie en de concentratie van glycyrrhetinezuur in plasma. De deelnemers hielden een klachtenlogboek en eetdagboekjes bij. Alleen in de hoogste doseringsgroep van 4 mg glycyrrhizine per kg lichaamsgewicht werden effecten waargenomen. Deze betroffen volume expansie enerzijds en veranderingen in plasma electrolyten anderzijds. De volume expansie tijdens glycyrrhizine-inname kwam tot uiting in suppressie van het renine-angiotensine-aldosteron systeem en toename van gewicht. Tevens daalde de atriaal natriuretisch peptide-concentratie na het staken van de glycyrrhizine-inname. De electrolytveranderingen betroffen daling van plasma kalium en stijging van plasma bicarbonaat-concentratie tijdens de glycyrrhizine-inname. Op grond van deze gegevens kan een "no effect level" van 2 mg glycyrrhizine per kg lichaamsgewicht per dag worden afgeleid.In order to define a "no effect level" for glycyrrhizin, a double-blind, randomized controlled study was conducted in 39 healthy female volunteers. The volunteers took a daily dosage of either 0, 1, 2 or 4 mg glycyrrhizin per kg bodyweight for a period of 8 weeks. The dosages and the preference for female volunteers were based on a previous pilot study. The following parameters were studied: bodyweight, blood pressure, plasma electrolytes, 24 hour urinary excretion of electrolytes, plasma renin activity, plasma aldosterone concentration, plasma atrial natriuretic peptide concentration and plasma glycyrrhetic acid concentration. The participants kept a journal of complaints and diet. Effects were observed in the highest dosage group only (4 mg glycyrrhizin per kg bodyweight). These concerned volume expansion on the one hand and changes in plasma electrolyte concentration on the other. Volume expansion during intake of glycyrrhizin was indicated by suppression of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and by weight gain. The changes in electrolyte concentration were a decline in plasma potassium concentration and a rise in plasma bicarbonate concentration during glycyrrhizin intake. Besides, the atrial natriuretic peptide concentration decreased after discontinuation of glycyrrhizin intake. The changes in electrolyte concentration concerned a decline in plasma potassium concentration and a rise in plasma bicarbonate concentration during glycyrrhizin intake. Based on this study, the "no effect level" for glycyrrhizin is concluded to be 2 mg per kg bodyweight.HIGB/VV

Description of the ICTI consortium : an integrated approach to the study of Chlamydia trachomatis infection

The use of an integrated approach to the study of Chlamydia trachomatis infection of the female genital tract, presented at the mini-symposium "Chlamydia trachomatis infections" and described in the thesis of Joseph M. Lyons, has resulted in the creation of the ICTI consortium. The ICTI consortium is based on strong interaction and collaboration between basic scientists, clinicians, epidemiologists, and health care policy makers. This translational approach will help to further the valuable insight into the immunopathogenesis of this sexually transmitted infection (STI) and the development of new intervention strategies, including the vaccines and screening programs necessary to effectively diagnose, treat and prevent C. trachomatis infection. A background of the need for this integrated approach is presented and the goals and participants of the consortium are describe