Sun behaviour patterns and perception of illness among melanoma patients.

BACKGROUND: Melanoma is one of the most aggressive skin tumours for which the major risk factor is ultraviolet radiation. Sun protection is extremely important, especially for melanoma patients who, once diagnosed with melanoma, have 500 times greater chance of developing another melanoma than the general population. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we examined the perception of melanoma and attitudes towards sun protection among melanoma patients and compared their results with the patients suffering from other dermatological disorders. METHODS: In total, 240 participants were included in the study: 120 patients suffering from melanoma and 120 participants in the control group. The Sun Behaviour Patterns Questionnaire and the Brief Illness Perceptions Questionnaire were used in this study to assess sun behaviours and perception of melanoma. RESULTS: Melanoma patients have negative attitude towards sunbathing: 57% avoid sunbathing and 27% spend time in the sun only during swimming, otherwise seeking shade, whereas participants in the control group have more positive attitude towards sunbathing. Results indicate very short time of using sunscreen protection during the year and very small number of people using adequate SPF value, in both melanoma and control group. CONCLUSION: Participants in control group perceive melanoma as a more serious illness than patients who think that melanoma has mild symptoms, is easy to cure and control, has moderate consequences and lasts relatively long. Both melanoma patients and participants in the control group show relatively good sun behaviour patterns and slightly negative attitudes towards sun protection.

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene variants and antipsychotic-induced weight gain and metabolic disturbances.

Weight gain and metabolic disturbances represent serious side-effects in antipsychotic (AP) treatment, particularly with clozapine and olanzapine. The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene is a key determinant in the folate metabolism and previous studies reported a significant effect on AP-induced weight gain and related metabolic abnormalities. Thus, we investigated MTHFR gene variants and changes in several important metabolic parameters in AP-treated patients. In this study, two functional MTHFR polymorphisms, rs1801133 (C677T) and rs1801131 (A1298C), were investigated for changes in weight and metabolic parameters. Genotypic associations were evaluated in a large population (n = 347 including 66 first episode psychosis, FEP patients) treated mostly with clozapine and olanzapine. We did not detect any genotypic association with weight changes (p > 0.05) in our total sample and in the sample refined for ancestry and medication. In our allelic analyses, we observed a trend for the 677-C allele to be associated with weight gain in the total sample (p = 0.03). This effect appeared to be driven by the FEP patients where those carrying the C-allele gained, on average, twice as much weight. Exploratory analyses revealed a significant association between the C677T and the A1298C polymorphism with HDL cholesterol serum levels in patients (p = 0.031). Overall we did not detect a major effect of two functional MTHFR gene variants and AP-induced weight gain. However, our findings suggest an effect of the C677T polymorphism in FEP patients and changes in weight and cholesterol levels. Further investigations in a larger sample are required.