Evaluation of risk loci for schizophrenia derived from genome-wide association studies in a German population.

In the genome-wide association study (GWAS) on schizophrenia [O'Donovan et al. (2008); Nat Genet 40:1053­1055] a UK-sample of 479 cases with DSM-IV schizophrenia was genotyped in comparison to control subjects with follow up of 12 putative loci in international replication sets of approximately 15,000 cases and controls. In these cohorts and a combined bipolar and schizophrenia UK-sample, six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) supported association, with the strongest evidence for SNP-marker rs1344706 at the zinc finger ZNF804A locus on chromosome 2q32.1 (P = 1.61 × 10−7). We attempted replication of these findings in a German population of 2,154 individuals (632 with affective disorders, 937 with schizophrenia, and 585 controls), but found none of the GWAS risk alleles significantly associated with psychosis. Particularly rs1344706, initially surpassing the genome-wide significance level in an extended phenotype of schizophrenia and affective disorder, produced consistently negative results. At the ZNF804A locus estimated Odds ratios reached 1.08 (0.93­1.26 95% CI) for the schizophrenia sample and 1.04 (0.90­1.20 95% CI) for the combined set of cases with schizophrenia and affective disorder. The main limitation of our study may be the reduced power of the sample size, but our data may be useful for future meta-analysis of GWA data sets. Although GWAS have proven extraordinary successful in identifying susceptibility genes for complex genetic disorders, the hypothesis of common genetic variants in the complex group of the schizophrenic psychoses with small effect size but relatively high frequency is still put to further scrutiny.

[The analysis of caesarean sections in women residents of Bytom and in other women]. / Analiza ciec cesarskich wykonywanych wsród pacjentek z miasta Bytomia i spoza Bytomia.

Authors analysed indications and number of caesarean sections performed in the I-st Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Bytom in the years 1994-1998. In the analyse we considered place of living of pregnant women, dividing women on residents of Bytom and non-residents of Bytom. The results showed increasing number of caesarean sections. Percentage of caesarean sections in the group of non-residents of Bytom was twice higher as in the group of residents of Bytom. The most common indications were status after prior caesarean section or other uterus operation, fetal distress and fetus malposition.

Effect of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on the elimination kinetics of pyrene and the urinary excretion profile of 1-hydroxypyrene in the rat.

Pyrene was chosen as a noncarcinogen model of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Groups of male Wistar rats were dosed with pyrene and with mixture of pyrene and fluoranthene, pyrene and benz[a]anthracene, or pyrene, fluoranthene, and benz[a]anthracene at 20 mg/kg by intravenous or oral routes. Blood samples were taken at 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 h after administration. The concentration of pyrene was determined by gas chromatography. The toxicokinetic parameters for pyrene were determined from the time course of blood concentration. A significant increase in the bioavailability of pyrene after treatment with other PAHs was observed. Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene excretion was analyzed after pretreatment with acenaphthene, naphthalene, chrysene, phenanthrene, benz[a]anthracene, and benzo[a]pyrene. The urine from rats was collected for 3 d and the concentration of 1-hydroxypyrene was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Most compounds examined caused a decrease in the urinary excretion of the metabolite of pyrene.

[Concentration of selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and metals in the soil of Krakow]. / Zawartosc wybranych wielopierscieniowych weglowodorów aromatycznych i metali w glebach Krakowa.

The concentration of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were determined in the soils obtained from various traffic roads in Cracow including surroundings of steel works. The method of atom absorption spectrometry was using to determination of Ca, Mg, Pb, Fe, Zn, Cd, Cu. PAH (fluoranthene, pyrene, benz(a)anthracene + chryzene, benz(a)pyrene, benz(ghi)perylene, fenanthrene and perylene) were determined by gas chromatography. The highest concentration of heavy metals was found in zone of steel works. A steep fall concentration of Fe was observed in the soils with increasing distance from the works. It seems that the variety in concentration of metals don't depend only on vehicular traffic. The highest mean PAH concentration exceeding 800 micrograms/kg of dried soils was found in soil samples taken from roads where the traffic is the highest.

Governmental and nongovernmental youth welfare in the new German Länder.

Demands on youth welfare are growing, social problems are increasing, and right-wing extremism and unemployment among the youth are causing long-term social problems. In addition, social budgets are being cut, while establishment of youth welfare departments in the eastern part of Germany has not been completed. The results of this investigation clearly show that in light of these problems, effective youth welfare is impossible.

[Influence of chronic intoxication with cadmium chloride on the content of some lipids in lens and vitreous body of rabbits]. / Wplyw przewleklego zatrucia chlorkiem kadmu na zawartosc niektórych lipidów w soczewce i ciele szklistym królika.

The experiments were carried out on 21 rabbits, divided into two groups. The first group consisted of 10 control animals, the second one consisted of 11 animals given per os 3 times per week for 3 months 1 ml of water solution of cadmium chloride in the dose of 0.35 mg for 1 kilogram of body weight. After the animals have been killed, the content of cholesterol, triglycerides and phospholipids in their vitreous was identified with enzymatic methods, applying appropriate tests. The content of free fatty acids was estimated with the Duncombe method. The obtained results were analyzed statistically, with t-Student test. It was determined statistically that the content of all tested lipids components in the vitreous of rabbits poisoned with cadmium chloride was significantly decreased in comparison with their content in control animals. The greatest decrease was found in the level of free fatty acids and triglycerides, smaller decrease in phospholipids and cholesterol. Significant decrease of the total cholesterol level was found in the rabbits' lens. However no changes were observed in any other lipid components of the lens. The article discusses the significance of the obtained results in relation to ecological problems.

[Influence of chronic poisoning with cadmium on some lipid compounds in heart muscle and aorta of rabbits]. / Wplyw przewleklego zatrucia kadmem na niektóre zwiazki lipidowe w miesniu sercowym i aorcie królików.

The detection of the influence of chronic poisoning with cadmium on some lipid metabolism in heart muscle and aorta of rabbits was the main object of the paper. A distinct cumulation of cadmium in the heart muscle was observed. However, its excessive accumulation in the wall of the aorta was not noted. A trend toward an increase of all lipid parameters, that is triglycerides, free fatty acids, phospholipids and cholesterol, was observed in the heart muscle. On the other hand, the level of phospholipids increased very distinctly in the aorta and the level of free fatty acids decreased insignificantly, which can be a favourable factor for the development of atherosclerosis processes.

[Behavior of selected indicators of lipid metabolism in kidney and liver of rats continuously exposed to effects of cadmium]. / Zachowanie sie wybranych wskazników przemiany lipidowej w nerce i watrobie szczurów przewlekle narazonych na dzialanie kadmu.

In this research, we attempted to demonstrate whether and to what extent chronic cadmium poisoning influences lipid metabolism in the kidney and liver of rats. The presence of small quantities of cadmium was discovered in the kidneys and livers of normal animals. In the tested organs of cadmium-poisoned rats, a significant increase of the concentration of this element was observed, depending on the dose of the compound administered. Regarding lipid components, a reduced concentration of phospholipids and an increased level of free fatty acids were found in both kidney and liver. Such changes are probably the result of enzymatic disorders, especially as regards calmodulin-dependent enzymes. The content of the remaining assayed lipid compounds, i.e. triglycerides and total cholesterol, did not change in either organ under the effects of cadmium.

Replication of cytomegalovirus in human arterial smooth muscle cells.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) strain AD-169 replicated in smooth muscle cell (SMC) cultures derived from human umbilical arteries, producing enveloped infectious virions. However, unlike the effects of CMV on fully permissive human lung fibroblasts, the effects of strain AD-169 on SMC cultures were delayed and prolonged, resulting in extended survival of a fraction of the starting population. This period of survival did not exceed the life-span of the control SMC cultures. Infectious CMV continued to be isolated from the surviving SMC cultures after extinction of the original inoculum by dilution and after treatment of the cultures with CMV neutralizing antibody. The implications of these findings for the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis are discussed.

Methods of Chilling and Packaging of Beef, Pork and Lamb Variety Meats for Transoceanic Shipment: Physical and Sensory Characteristics.

The effects of chilling/tempering treatments on the pH, weight loss and quality characteristics of beef, pork and lamb variety meats (livers, hearts, tongues and kidneys) that were packaged either in polyethylene (PE) bags or vacuum packaged (VP) in the USA and transported fresh-chilled to Antwerp, Belgium, were evaluated. Product arrived at the final destination 11 d after departure from the United States seaport (13 to 15 d after packaging). Changes in pH during overseas shipment were generally small and suggested a lack of product quality deterioration resulting from major microbial proliferation during this period. Variety meats that were not prechilled before packaging generally had the lowest weight loss among chilling/tempering treatments. In general, fresh-chilled variety meats that were vacuum packaged incurred less weight loss than those that were packaged in PE bags. Livers lost a greater percentage of their weight during shipment than did other variety meats. Vacuum-packaged variety meats had more desirable quality characteristics after shipment than those that were packaged in PE bags. Shipping fresh-chilled variety meats in PE does not appear feasible. Although some statistical differences were noted, the chilling/tempering treatments appeared to have little appreciable effect on quality characteristics of variety meats, with two exceptions: (a) cooler-chilled variety meats packaged in PE bags had superior quality characteristics as compared to those that were not prechilled and packaged in PE bags; and (b) livers that were not prechilled before vacuum packaging did not maintain their qualitative characteristics as well as did those in other chilling/tempering treatments.