Giant cutaneous horn in an African woman: a case report

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Host Responses to Intestinal Microbial Antigens in Gluten-Sensitive Mice

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Excessive uptake of commensal bacterial antigens through a permeable intestinal barrier may influence host responses to specific antigen in a genetically predisposed host. The aim of this study was to investigate whether intestinal barrier dysfunction induced by indomethacin treatment affects the host response to intestinal microbiota in gluten-sensitized HLA-DQ8/HCD4 mice. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: HLA-DQ8/HCD4 mice were sensitized with gluten, and gavaged with indomethacin plus gluten. Intestinal permeability was assessed by Ussing chamber; epithelial cell (EC) ultra-structure by electron microscopy; RNA expression of genes coding for junctional proteins by Q-real-time PCR; immune response by in-vitro antigen-specific T-cell proliferation and cytokine analysis by cytometric bead array; intestinal microbiota by fluorescence in situ hybridization and analysis of systemic antibodies against intestinal microbiota by surface staining of live bacteria with serum followed by FACS analysis. Indomethacin led to a more pronounced increase in intestinal permeability in gluten-sensitized mice. These changes were accompanied by severe EC damage, decreased E-cadherin RNA level, elevated IFN-gamma in splenocyte culture supernatant, and production of significant IgM antibody against intestinal microbiota. CONCLUSION: Indomethacin potentiates barrier dysfunction and EC injury induced by gluten, affects systemic IFN-gamma production and the host response to intestinal microbiota antigens in HLA-DQ8/HCD4 mice. The results suggest that environmental factors that alter the intestinal barrier may predispose individuals to an increased susceptibility to gluten through a bystander immune activation to intestinal microbiota

Self-perception of physical competences in preadolescent overweight Chinese children

Objective: To compare self-perceptions of physical competences in overweight and in normal weight preadolescent Chinese children. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Three primary schools and a university hospital in Hong Kong. Subjects: A total of 634 children, comprising 558 (462 normal weight, 96 overweight) aged 8-12y randomly sampled from three primary schools, and 76 similar age overweight children recruited from the community for a diet and exercise intervention programme. Measurements: Height, weight and percentage body fat were measured. Self-perceptions of physical competences were determined by Physical Self-Descriptive Questionnaire (PSDQ). Corresponding actual physical competences were measured by physical fitness tests. Results: Overweight children perceived themselves to have significantly more body fat than normal weight children, with poorer appearance, sports competence, endurance, coordination, flexibility, overall physical self-concept and self-esteem, but to be no less healthy, no less physically active and no less strong. Overweight children performed less well than normal weight children in measures of endurance, coordination and flexibility but better in strength. Poor self-perception of physical competences appeared only partly related to deficiencies in actual physical competences. Conclusion: Overweight children have poorer self-perception of their physical competences but do not perceive themselves to be less strong, healthy or physically active than normal weight children. Exercise programmes for overweight children could be more effective if designed with the knowledge of these self-perceptions. © 2005 Nature Publishing Group All rights reserved.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Hypertension control and treatment in Hong Kong: a cross sectional study

Free Paper Competition – Abstracts of Poster Presentation: Poster Presentation 36INTRODUCTION Hypertension (HT) is the leading risk factor for global disease burden, and control of blood pressure (BP) is one of the most cost-effective methods to reduce premature cardiovascular morbidities and mortalities. This study aimed to review the control and treatment of HT patients in the public primary care setting in Hong Kong. METHOD Cross-sectional retrospective study on anonymous clinical data of HT patients without diabetes managed in public primary care clinics of the Hospital Authority in 1 July 2012 – 30 June 2013 was conducted. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the clinical profile and management pattern of the primary care hypertension population. The last available BP reading of each case by the end of study period was used for analysis. RESULTS 205,745 HT patients were included in this study; mean age was 68.5 years and 57.6% were female. Overall, 73.6% HT patients achieved optimal BP control (140/90mmHg. Concerning HT management, 2.2% patients were managed by lifestyle intervention alone; approximately half of the patients required two or more anti-hypertensive medications. Calcium channel blocker was the most common anti-hypertensive drug used, and calcium channel blocker plus β-blocker was the most popular drug combination. DISCUSSION The standard of BP control among HT patients in HK public primary care is comparable with those achieved in developed countries such as the UK and USA. While this finding is reassuring, the significant proportion of patients with uncontrolled BP, especially those who had already developed complication(s), deserves our attention. A greater effort should be put into optimization of their management in order to attain the ultimate management goal – reduction of cardiovascular disease burden

The effect of diet and strength training on obese children's physical self-concept

Aim. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a 6-week diet and exercise program, with emphasis on strength training, on the physical self-concept, body composition, and physical fitness of young overweight and obese children. Methods. Eighty-two overweight and obese children aged 8-11 years were randomized into a diet-only or a diet-and-strength training group. Self-concept, body composition and physical fitness were measured before and after the 6-week study period using the Physical Self Description Questionnaires (PSDQ), dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and standard fitness tests. Dietary intake was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire. Total daily energy intake was significantly reduced in both groups with a trend of more reduction in the diet-only group. Results. Both groups developed greater confidence in strength. Those in the diet-and-strength training group also improved their endurance self-concept Body Mass Index (BMI) decreased significantly in both groups. Lean mass increased significantly in both groups but significantly more in the diet-and-strength training group (+0.8 kg vs +0.3 kg, P<0.05). Handgrip, shuttle run, sit-up, and push-up were significantly improved in both groups, to a significantly greater extent in the diet-and-strength training group. Conclusion. These findings confirm the 6-week program of either diet-only or diet-and-strength training improved over-weight/obese children's self-perception of muscular strength and body composition. With the diet-and-strength training program, self-concept in endurance also improved and the gain in lean body mass was more than double that of the diet only group.link_to_subscribed_fulltex