Sucrose and delinquency: oral sucrose tolerance test and nutritional assessment.

Claims that juvenile delinquency may be associated with reactive hypoglycemia or nutritional deficiencies have received widespread attention but little objective evaluation. To assess the validity of these claims, nutritional and psychological indices of juvenile delinquents have been measured. Serum glucose and insulin profiles during an oral sucrose tolerance test were measured in 137 delinquent and 41 nondelinquent male adolescents aged 14 to 19. In addition, nutritional status of both populations was assessed by anthropometry (height, weight, arm circumference, triceps skin fold) and biochemical measures (hematocrit, red-blood cell thiamin, and serum copper, ferritin, and zinc). Delinquent subjects had slightly but significantly lower serum glucose values at four of six time points (fasting, 60 minutes, 120 minutes, 180 minutes) and higher serum insulin values at one time point (30 minutes) compared with nondelinquent subjects. Changes in glucose from fasting levels indicate that these subjects were regulating serum glucose adequately, but doing so at lower values; changes in insulin from fasting levels indicate that black delinquents initially secreted more insulin than either white subject group. There were no significant associations between excursions in serum glucose or insulin and any adrenergic signs or symptoms of low blood glucose levels. Nutritional status of incarcerated delinquents did not differ from that of nonincarcerated subjects on most measures. Although the significantly lower serum glucose levels and higher serum insulin levels are intriguing, no support is offered by results of this study for allegations that sucrose ingestion causes reactive hypoglycemia in juvenile delinquents or that delinquent male adolescents are at greater risk nutritionally than male adolescents of the same age who are not delinquent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of interleukin-2 (IL-2) on human plasma lipid, lipoprotein, and C-reactive protein.

Six patients with confirmed malignant disease received four consecutive weekly cycles of human recombinant interleukin-2 (IL-2) 4 days/week, continuous iv. infusion, 3 X 10(6) U/m2/day. Plasma cholesterol decreased a mean of 7% within 24 hours after IL-2 infusion and decreased by 33% within 4 days. Plasma cholesterol was significantly lower than baseline concentration by day 21 (-21%), and day 25 (-41%) was significantly lower than day 21. Decreased plasma cholesterol was the result of decreased HDL and LDL cholesterol concentrations. Plasma triglyceride demonstrated a mean increase of 46% after 4 days of therapy and remained greater than baseline concentrations at all time points analyzed. Apolipoprotein AI and AII decreased concomitantly with HDL-cholesterol concentrations, whereas apolipoprotein B after an initial mean decrease of 17% during the first cycle was not significantly different from baseline during the fourth cycle. Apolipoprotein E and Lp(a) were not significantly affected by IL-2 treatment. Plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) increased by 79% within 24 hours of therapy, increased by 254% on day 4, then decreased to baseline concentrations by day 21 after 3 days off of IL-2. Day 25 CRP was elevated compared to both baseline and day 21 concentrations. IL-2 induced plasma lipoprotein changes may be due in part to the induction of interferon gamma.

Methodologic considerations in measuring glycosylated hemoglobin in epidemiologic studies.

Multiple linear regression was used to predict an incubated glycosylated hemoglobin value from the unincubated value and blood glucose. Hemoglobin A1 (HbA1) was measured by a disposable microcolumn technique in a large, geographically defined population of diabetic persons in southern Wisconsin. During the study, incubation of blood samples to remove pre-A1c was implemented. Multiple linear regression using data from a group of 788 patients yielded the equation: incubated HbA1 = 0.897 (non-incubated HbA1)-0.00332 (blood glucose) + 0.388. This equation was "validated" by substituting the calculated value of incubated HbA1 for the actual value in a multinomial logistic regression with diabetic retinopathy as the dependent variable. Little change in the model resulted from the substitution. Further validation was obtained from an independent sample of diabetic persons. Calculated values of incubated HbA1 were an average of 0.4% lower than the actual values.

Plasma lipoprotein changes in humans induced by beta-interferon.

Two groups of patients were administered either 4.5 X 10(6) U or 90 X 10(6) U each of recombinant DNA-derived interferon-beta serine (IFN-beta ser) i.v. daily for 10 days. IFN-beta ser affected lipoprotein lipids of patients in a dose dependent fashion. A decrease in plasma total cholesterol concentration occurred 24 h after therapy was initiated, regardless of dose. A dose-related decrease in plasma cholesterol concentration of 9% and 23% for patients on the low dose and high dose respectively occurred after 9 days of therapy. The plasma total cholesterol concentration decrease resulted primarily from a decrease in LDL cholesterol of 28% and 50% for patients on low and high doses respectively of IFN-beta ser. HDL-cholesterol was not significantly affected by IFN-beta ser administration. A dose-related increase in plasma triglyceride concentration occurred during IFN-beta ser, increasing 74% for patients on low dose and 136% for patients on high doses. This increase was only observed after 9 days on IFN-beta ser. Cholesterol reduction and triglyceride increases followed different time courses indicating different mechanisms may be involved.

Glycosylated hemoglobin in a population-based study of diabetes.

Glycosylated hemoglobin was measured in persons who participated in a population-based study of diabetic retinopathy in southern Wisconsin. There were 996 persons who were diagnosed prior to 30 years of age and who were taking insulin (younger onset), and 1,370 persons who were diagnosed at 30 years of age or older (older onset) who were examined from 1980-1982. Glycosylated hemoglobin was measured using a microcolumn technique. Mean glycosylated hemoglobin was highest in younger onset persons (10.9%), and lowest in older onset persons not taking insulin (9.0%). Only a small percentage of values for the diabetic persons fell within the range of values found in a nondiabetic comparison group. Mean glycosylated hemoglobin was found to be associated with retinopathy status but not with proteinuria.

The prevalence and determinants of nutritional changes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Sixty outpatients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease underwent nutritional, physiologic, and psychologic evaluation to determine the prevalence of nutritional depletion and the relationship to physiologic and psychologic factors. Weight loss was reported in 27 percent. Triceps skinfolds (TSF) were less than 60 percent of standard in 33 percent, none had mid-arm muscle circumference (MAMC) less than 60 percent of standard, and 5 percent had body weight (BW) less than 60 percent of ideal. Values for BW-percent of ideal, TSF-percent of standard, and MAMC-percent of standard were inversely correlated with the percent of estimated caloric expenditure ingested. Also, BW percent was correlated with FEV1 percent predicted, diffusion capacity percent predicted, and oxygen consumption/kg at rest (VO2 percent/kg). There were five variables that explained 62.6 percent of the variation in BW percent: VO2/kg at rest explained 22.2 percent; ventilatory equivalent 13.5 percent; PaCO2 9.8 percent; log vital capacity percent predicted 9.2 percent; and depression 7.8 percent. It is concluded that increased caloric utilization without adequate compensation in dietary intake is the reason for nutritional depletion.

Predictive clinical value of nutritional assessment factors in COPD.

Thirty-nine stable outpatients with moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were studied prospectively to determine the predictive value of several nutritional factors on the clinical outcome. Physiologic evaluation including FEV1, diffusing capacity, PaO2, as well as nutritional evaluation including triceps skin fold (TSF), midarm muscle circumference, body weight percentage of standard, history of 5 percent weight loss in the year prior to clinic visit, and average daily caloric intake based on a three-day diet record were all done at the clinic visit. Hospitalization or death during the six months to one year following the initial evaluation were the clinical outcome factors evaluated. Five of the 16 patients (31 percent) needing hospitalization during that time had weight loss during the year prior to the initial evaluation, while eight out of the 23 (35 percent) not requiring hospitalization had weight loss. There was a significantly lower TSF percent standard (TSF%) in the subgroup who subsequently required hospitalization (p less than 0.05). Nonhospitalized patients with severe depletion of body fat (TSF% less than 60) at initial evaluation ingested significantly more calories per kilogram than the severely depleted patients requiring hospitalization in the next six to 12 months (p less than 0.05) suggesting a protective effect of increased caloric intake. Increased caloric intake did not improve mortality statistics.

Inhibited adenine nucleotide translocation in mitochondria isolated from ishcemic myocardium.

Experiments conducted in healthy mongrel dogs indicate that acyl-CoA levels are raised and adenine nucleotide translocase is inhibited during ischemia. The biochemical findings are accompanied by ultrastructural evidence of myocardial cell damage. These results raise the possibility that the inhibition of adenine nucleotide translocase may be a key disturbance in cellular metabolism.