International comparison of blood pressure and BMI values in schoolchildren aged 11-16 years.

AIMS: This study comprised part of a larger cross-sectional survey performed in Hungary in the period 2005-2006, which was designed first to reveal the representative age-, gender- and height-specific percentile values for the systolic blood pressure (SBP) and the diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in Hungarian children aged 11-16 years. The second aim was to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity. METHODS: Analyses were performed on 14,290 Hungarian children aged 11-16 years. All blood pressure (BP) measurements were made with a validated, automated, digital device. The criteria recommended by international guidelines were used. RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight and obesity among the Hungarian children was found to be 23.4% (3347 adolescents; International Obesity Task Force criteria). Previous studies have reported that the strongest correlation is observed between the BP values and weight, and our results are in accordance with this. CONCLUSIONS: Regional differences in morphometry (different prevalences of overweight and obesity) and the genetic background, disparate eating habits and other cultural factors may account for the differences in BP levels during childhood. As the prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing worldwide, it is important that countries carefully monitor the weight and BP status of their children and adolescents.

Endothelin-1 gene and endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphisms in adolescents with juvenile and obesity-associated hypertension.

Hypertension is an increasing public health problem all over the world. Essential hypertension accounts for more than 90% of cases of hypertension. It is a complex genetic, environmental and demographic trait. New method in molecular biology has been proposed a number of candidate genes, but the linkage or association with hypertension has been problematic (lack of gene-gene and gene-environment interaction). It is well known that genetic influences are more important in younger hypertensives, because children are relatively free from the common environmental factors contributing to essential hypertension. The association studies compare genotype ferquencies of the candidate gene between patient groups and the controls, in pathways known to be involved in blood pressure regulation. This study examined three polymorphisms of these factors encoding genes (ET-1 G+5665T (Lys198Asn), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) T-786C promoter polymorphism and 27-bp repeat polymorphism in intron 4) in adolescents with juvenile essential and obesity-associated hypertension. Significant differences were found in the G/T genotype of the ET-1 polymorphism in the hypertensive and obese+hypertensive patients (body mass index (BMI) > 30). A strong association was detected between the BMI and the polymorphism of the ET-1 gene. It seems that ET-1 gene polymorphism plays a role in the development of juvenile hypertension associated with obesity. Although no significant differences were seen in the case of the eNOS promoter polymorphism and the eNOS 4th intron 27-bp repeat polymorphism. It seems that eNOS may play a role, but this is not the main factor in the control of blood pressure; it is rather a fine regulator in this process. This study with adolescents facilitates an understanding of the genetic factors promoting juvenile hypertension and obesity.

Psychosocial characteristics of patients with bronchial asthma and coronary disease: similarities and differences.

The authors compare two groups of subjects: patients with bronchial asthma and those with coronary disease, with regard to some social characteristics, abilities and perception of factors which they conceive are important in the etiology of their disease. Data were obtained by means of a questionnaire based on a known calibrated scale. A group of 100 patients with bronchial asthma and a group of 102 patients with coronary disease were examined. The significance of the difference was tested by chi 2, t-test, Wilcoxon's test and multivariate discriminative analysis. The results showed statistically significant differences between the patients with bronchial asthma and those with coronary disease in some social and psychological characteristics and also with regard to perception of potential etiological factors of their disease. However, no difference was found in life style and habits between the coronary and asthmatic patients.

Construction of poly-met DNA yeast hybrids for increased methionine content: technofunctional properties of the hybrid yeasts.

Methionine is a limiting essential amino acid in human nutrition, to overcome the possible overdosage and improve bioavailability methionine supply should be in protein bound form. So insertion a poly-met encoding DNA sequence results a more efficient solution in increasing methionine content of yeast. Poly-met DNA yeast hybrids were constructed of Saccharomyces cerevisiae CB89, an auxotrophic mutant strain. Synthetic DNA sequence encoding methionine polypeptide was inserted into the polylinker region of pVT-U 100 vector with 2 mu plasmid replicon. After transformation of E. coli HB101 cells the efficiency of the ligation and transformation was checked by digesting the minipreps. S. cerevisiae CB89 was transformed with vector-poly-met insert and with the plasmid vector only as well. Hybrid yeasts were selected on uracilless medium. PVT-U 100 can be used as vector for the expression of DNA sequence in S. cerevisiae. The vector harbours the promoter of ADC1 gene immediately downstream from the promoter lies a polylinker sequence comprising unique restriction enzyme sites for BamHI, HindIII, PvuII, SacI, Xhol. The polylinker sequence is followed by the transcriptional stop site and polyadenylation signal of ADC1 gene. Plasmid pVT-U 100 has selection markers for S. cerevisiae (URA3) and for E. coli (amp, per F). Results show that the poly-met DNA hybrids methionine content is influenced by the length of the insert. Fusion hybrids containing 600 bp oligo insert showed the best values. Distribution of methionine content in the protein subfractions of polymet DNA hybrid and parent strain CB89 was determined in dependence of glucose concentration and aeration intensity. The increase in synthesized methionine appeared in fractions 1 + 2 and residue. Technofunctional properties of parent strains and hybrids were compared for whole cells and cell wall (residue). Results demonstrate that enrichment in methionine in the cell wall fraction resulted improvement of emulsifying ability. Bioavailability of methionine content was better in DNA hybrid yeast than in parent strain and was the best when propagated in whey medium.

Factor analysis of the impact of event scale with children in war.

To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Impact of Event Scale (IES scale) in children a study was conducted on 1787 children exposed to the warfare in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The study group comprised 877 girls and 910 boys ranging in age from 6 to 15 years attending 28 arbitrary selected schools in Zagreb. High levels of posttraumatic reactions were found in the group of children. The pattern of endorsement and the factor structure of the IES scale were similar to that found in other samples. This supports the use of the IES in the assessment of posttraumatic stress reactions in children. Two factors emerged from a Principal Component Analysis, labeled intrusion (9 items), and avoidance (4 items). As in other studies, this study documented problems with several items (items 2, 12 and 15), items that should be considered omitted from the IES. Girls reported significantly more distress on 13 out of the 15 items. Both the overall IES score as well as the intrusion and avoidance score were significantly higher in girls than boys. The factor structure for boys and girls were very similar, and the reliability of the scale was adequate across different age groups and for subgroups of displaced and refugee children.

[Preoperative preparation and the quality of postoperative recovery in surgery patients: an experimental study]. / Predoperacijska priprema i kvaliteta poslijeoperacijskog oporavka kirurskih bolesnika, eksperimentalna studija.

The authors describe the methods, content and main effects of an experimental program in education of surgical patients. The material used was obtained in a study of 32 patients who had been admitted for cholecystectomy at the Surgical Ward of Veterans Hospital, Split. The program has been organized according to basic principles of a communication approach in controlling surgical stress via informing and teaching patients in pain control and other active coping skills. Informed patients (n = 16), in contrast to the control group (n = 16), showed better psychophysiological condition and less situational anxiety while facing the episode, and later, in the course of 5-day follow-up, they showed shorter, and overall better quality of post-operational recovery. In discussion, the authors call attention to the need of further systematic investigations concerning the quality and effects of patient education programs at surgical wards in Yugoslavia as necessary basis for implementation and standardization of such programs in everyday clinical practice.

Histamine production by Haemophilus.

Eight Haemophilus influenzae and four Haemophilus parainfluenzae strains, all freshly isolated from patients, were examined for histamine production. Histamine was produced by all the H. influenzae (0.06 microgram-2.6 micrograms/100 ml) and by two of the H. parainfluenzae strains (46.5-47.9 micrograms/100 ml). It is concluded that histamine which plays an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic aspecific respiratory diseases, may derive not only from degranulation of mast cells, but also produced by Haemophilus.