Publications

OBJECTIVE

To examine drinking patterns and alcohol-related problems among youth in Jujuy, Argentina.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A survey was conducted in 2005 with a representative sample of 9th grade youth (12 to 17 years old) including sociodemographic and consumption data, and the AUDIT-C test.

RESULTS

Nine percent of girls and 11% of boys reported hazardous drinking; 12% of girls and 19% of boys reported dependence symptoms. The odds ratio for dependence symptoms (adjusted OR 0.7; 95%CI: 0.6-0.8) and for hazardous drinking (adjusted OR 0.7; 95%CI: 0.6-0.8) was significantly lower for girls compared with boys. Older age, working, and attending night school were risk factors for hazardous drinking, dependence symptoms, and harmful drinking.

CONCLUSIONS

A significant proportion of youth reported problematic patterns of alcohol drinking, highlighting the need to implement prevention and treatment interventions tailored to the adolescent population.

BACKGROUND

The purpose was to assess organization-, physician-, and patient-based aspects of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) practice variation within an integrated care delivery system and the extent to which physicians are interested in adopting a chronic care model and/or nurse assistance to manage IBD patients.

METHODS

As part of an observational cohort study to understand variation in IBD care and outcomes, we conducted semistructured, open-ended interviews with 17 gastroenterologists and 1 gastroenterology registered nurse at 6 clinics in an integrated care delivery system. Interviews were taperecorded and transcribed. We coded and analyzed transcripts using standard qualitative methods.

RESULTS

Physicians reported a range of attitudes and practices regarding IBD. Analysis showed differences in 3 domains and 8 subdomains: 1) patient education and choices, including health education and patient use of complementary and alternative medicine; 2) decisions about diagnosis and treatment, including practice guidelines, conferring with colleagues, using infliximab, and medical hospitalization; and 3) organizational aspects of care, including primary care involvement with IBD and MD attitudes toward ancillary support.

CONCLUSIONS

Standardized algorithms on care for IBD patients do not exist, but opportunities may exist to improve IBD care by: having initial work-ups and management of patients in remission in primary care; creating and maintaining opportunities for gastroenterologists to confer with colleagues and acknowledged local experts; and having nurse coordination for medications and labs and/or some type of specialty IBD clinic for high-need patients. This research highlights the need for more directed comparative efficacy and effectiveness trials that will serve to define preferred treatment strategies.

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in women in the United States. The purpose of this study was to characterize the prevalence and awareness of traditional CVD risk factors, obesity, and coronary heart disease (CHD) risk classification using the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) among women attending the 2006 Sister to Sister National Woman's Heart Day event.

RESULTS

A total of 8936 participants (mean age 49 +/- 14 years) were evaluated. There was a modest prevalence of traditional risk factors on screening, including non-high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) >160 mg/dL (27%), HDL-C <40 mg/dL (16%), random glucose level >140 mg/dL (6%), uncontrolled blood pressure > or =140/90 mm Hg (12%), current smoking (6%), and a positive family history of CHD (21%). There was a high prevalence of overweight (39%) or obese individuals (35%) (body mass index [BMI] 25-30 and > or =30 kg/m(2), respectively), as well as those with high waist circumference (> or =35 inches) (55%). Women were classified by FRS as low (85%), intermediate (6%), and high risk (9%). When cardiometabolic risk analyses included waist circumference in addition to the FRS, 59% of low-risk and 50% of intermediate-risk women had 1 or 2 risk factors, and 19% and 41% had > or =3 risk factors, respectively. Women were often unaware of risk factors on screening; among women without a previous diagnosis of dyslipidemia or hypertension, 48% and 7%, respectively, were given new diagnoses.

CONCLUSIONS

Women participating in the 2006 Sister to Sister National Woman's Heart Day event have a high prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors, especially dyslipidemia, obesity, and high central adiposity, that place them at higher risk for the development of CVD and other comorbidities. The newly identified multiple risk factors in this population support the value of community health screening in women.

We adapted and tested a previously published questionnaire battery eliciting sensory and cognitive symptoms during (acute) and immediately after (post-acute) GHB intoxication. Studying 125 GHB users, we assessed the instrument's internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha (CA) and responsiveness to change comparing acute and post-acute symptoms. The final 14-item battery demonstrated good internal consistency (CA >or= 0.85, both acute and post-acute). The median symptom score (possible range 0-64) was 30 (acute) and 6 (post-acute; difference p < 0.001). This modified substance-specific symptom battery, which is easily administered, demonstrated excellent performance characteristics. It can be used to study GHB and, potentially, related drugs of abuse.

BACKGROUND

Prenatal and early life periods represent critical windows for oxidant pollutant-induced lung remodeling. The objective of this study was to examine the association of prenatal and lifetime exposures to air pollutants with pulmonary function in a cohort of children with asthma.

METHODS

Prenatal and lifetime exposure to several air pollutants was reconstructed for 232 children with asthma from the San Joaquin Valley of California, USA. Prenatal and lifetime residences were geocoded. We obtained data on monthly average ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and particulate matter with a median aerodynamic diameter <10 microm (PM10) concentrations. Metrics were created for key developmental periods. Predictive models were developed for 8 pulmonary function measures. A newly-developed stepwise model selection procedure-the Deletion/Substitution/Addition algorithm-was implemented and results were compared with those obtained using traditional stepwise methods.

RESULTS

Second-trimester exposure to NO2 negatively affected forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), and first trimester exposure to PM10 negatively affected peak expiratory flow (PEF) rate. Exposure to CO in early years of life also had a negative effect on FEV1/FVC and forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of FVC (FEF25-75)/FVC. Second trimester exposure to PM10 and exposure to CO in the first 6 years of life had negative effects on forced expiratory flow at 25% of FVC. Prenatal, but not trimester-specific, exposure to CO was negatively associated with FEF25-75. Effects were limited to subgroups, such as children who were African American, those diagnosed with asthma before the age of 2 years, and those exposed to maternal smoking during pregnancy.

CONCLUSION

Prenatal and early-life exposures to CO, PM10, and NO2 have a negative effect on pulmonary function in subgroups of asthmatic children.

BACKGROUND

Recent studies have demonstrated that the Src-Stat pathway may play an important role in melanoma. We examined the expression of phosphorylated Stat-3 (pStat-3), activated Stat-1 (pStat-1) and interferon alpha receptor subunit 1(IFNAR-1) in human melanocytic neoplasms.

METHODS

Compound nevi (6), dysplastic nevi (4), congenital nevi (2), primary melanoma (14), and sentinel lymph node metastasis (40) were examined. Specimens were evaluated for phospho-Stat-1 (pStat-1), phospho-Stat-3 (pStat-3), and IFNAR-1 by immunohistochemistry. Staining was scored from 1 to 3 based on a composite score that took into account both the percentage of tumor cells staining and the intensity of stained cells.

RESULTS

Normal melanocytes or benign nevi expressed little pStat-1, pStat-3, or IFNAR-1. In primary cutaneous melanoma, 6 of 14 skin biopsies showed activated Stat-3. However, in melanoma metastatic to regional lymph nodes, 16 of 26 had activated Stat-3 but only 6 of 23 had activated Stat-1. Melanoma tumors had high levels of either pStat-3 or pStat-1 but not both. All melanoma specimens but not benign melanocytes had cytoplasmic IFNAR-1 staining. An increase in Stat-3 activity was seen in melanoma but not in benign nevi or skin melanocytes. There appeared to be an inverse correlation between the levels of pStat-3 and pStat-1 in a given specimen.

CONCLUSIONS

The relationship between activated Stat-3 and biological behavior of melanocytic lesions observed in this study warrants further exploration.