Early life factors, childhood cognition and postal questionnaire response rate in middle age: the Aberdeen Children of the 1950s study

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the relationship between early life factors and survey response in epidemiological studies of adults. METHODS: The Children of the 1950s cohort is composed of 12,150 children (boys 51.7%) born in Aberdeen 1950–56 and in primary schools in the city in 1962. Information on birth weight, gestational age, growth, behaviour and socio-economic position at birth and in childhood were obtained from contemporaneous records. Cognitive test scores at ages 7,9 and 11 years were also available from school records. The outcome was response to a postal questionnaire sent (2001–2003) to surviving cohort members in middle age. RESULTS: Of 11,282 potentially mailed subjects, 7,183 (63.7%) returned questionnaires. Response rates were highest among females, and those whose parents were married at birth, were in a non-manual social class at birth or in childhood, had fewer siblings, were taller and heavier in childhood for their age and had lower Rutter B behavioural scores. Childhood cognitive test scores at every age were strongly and positively related to the response rate to a postal questionnaire independently of other early life factors monotonically across the entire range of test scores. Those in the bottom fifth at age 11 had a response rate of 49% while those in the top fifth 75%. CONCLUSION: The strength and consistency of the association of childhood cognition with questionnaire response rate in middle age is surprisingly large. It suggests that childhood cognition across the entire normal range is a powerful influence on the complex set of later behaviours that comprise questionnaire response. The extent of possible response bias in epidemiological studies of the associations between childhood characteristics (particularly those related to cognition) and later health is probably larger than is generally realised, at least in situations where the survey instrument is a postal questionnaire

Avaliação antropométrica e do ângulo quadricipital na osteoartrite de joelho em mulheres obesas

A osteoartrite (OA) é uma doença articular degenerativa, caracterizada por processo inflamatório, dor e deformidades; um de seus fatores preditivos é a obesidade. O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar possíveis correlações entre medidas antropométricas, o ângulo quadricipital (Q) e a osteoartrite de joelho. A amostra foi composta por 50 voluntárias obesas (30 com OA de joelho e 20 sem OA), com idade entre 40 e 60 anos. Foram mensurados, além do IMC (índice de massa corporal), circunferência abdominal (CA), perímetros de cintura e quadril para cálculo da relação cintura-quadril e o ângulo Q; a osteoartrite foi diagnosticada clinicamente e por meio de radiografia da articulação do joelho. Foram encontradas correlações positivas fracas entre IMC e ângulo Q e entre tempo de obesidade e grau de degeneração articular. A CA apresentou correlação positiva fraca com o grau de degeneração articular e o de gravidade da OA. O cálculo da razão de chance (OR) indica que as voluntárias com IMC>34 kg/m² e CA>110 cm tiveram 3,7 e 7 vezes, respectivamente, mais chance de apresentarem OA. A obesidade central, seu grau e duração possivelmente contribuem para a incidência da OA de joelhos em mulheres obesas. A circunferência abdominal foi a medida que melhor se correlacionou com a presença e grau de OA em obesas, o que aponta para a relevância de sua mensuração na avaliação clínica.Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease characterized by inflammatory process, pain, and deformity; one of its main predictive factors is obesity. The aim of this study was to search for possible correlations between anthropometric measures, the Q angle and knee osteoarthritis. A sample of 50 obese women (30 with knee osteoarthritis and 20 with no joint disease), aged between 40 to 60 years, were assessed as to BMI (body mass index), abdominal circumference (AC), waist and hip perimeters (so as to calculate waist-hip ratio), and the Q angle; osteoarthritis was diagnosed by clinical exam and knee joint radiography. Results showed a positive, poor correlation between BMI and Q angle, as well as between time of obesity onset and degree of joint degeneration. AC was found to positively, though weakly, correlate with the degree of joint degeneration and of OA severity. Adjusted odds ratio for OA showed that women with BMI>34 kg/m² and AC>110 cm were respectively 3.7 and 7 times more likely to develop OA. The degree and duration of central obesity possibly contribute to incidence of knee OA in obese women. Abdominal circumference was the measure that most correlated with the degree of joint degeneration and of OA severity, which suggests it should be used in clinical evaluation

Cystathionine Beta Synthase Expression in Mouse Retina

PURPOSE: Cystathionine β-synthase (CBS), a key enzyme in the transsulfuration metabolic pathway, converts homocysteine to cystathionine, which is converted to cysteine required for synthesis of the major retinal antioxidant glutathione (GSH). Enzyme activity assays suggest that CBS is present in human and pig retina, however recent studies reported that CBS is not expressed in mouse retina. We found this species difference puzzling. Given the plethora of studies using mouse retina as a model system, coupled with the importance of GSH in retina, we investigated CBS expression in mouse retina at the molecular and cell biological level. METHODS: Wildtype (WT) mice or mice lacking the gene encoding CBS (cbs(−/−)) were used in these studies. RNA and protein were isolated from retinas and liver (positive control) for analysis of cbs gene expression by RT-PCR and CBS protein expression by Western blotting, respectively. CBS was analyzed by immunofluorescence in retinal cryosections and primary retinal cells (ganglion, Müller, RPE). CBS enzyme activity was measured in primary Müller cells. RESULTS: RT-PCR revealed robust cbs expression in WT liver, brain and retina. Western blotting detected CBS in retina, brain and liver of WT mice, but not in cbs(−/−) mice liver. In immunohistochemical studies, CBS was present abundantly in the ganglion cell layer of retina; it was detected also in primary isolations of Müller, RPE and ganglion cells. CBS activity was detected in Müller cells by fluorescent detection of H(2)S. CONCLUSIONS: We have compelling molecular evidence that CBS is expressed in mouse retina at the gene and protein level. Our immunofluorescence data suggest that it is present in several retinal cell types and the data from the enzyme activity assay suggest activity in Müller cells. These findings set the stage to investigate the role of CBS and the transsulfuration pathway in generation of GSH in mouse retina