FinnTwin16: A Longitudinal Study from Age 16 of a Population-Based Finnish Twin Cohort.

The purpose of this review is to provide a detailed and updated description of the FinnTwin16 (FT16) study and its future directions. The Finnish Twin Cohort comprises three different cohorts: the Older Twin Cohort established in the 1970s and the FinnTwin12 and FT16 initiated in the 1990s. FT16 was initiated in 1991 to identify the genetic and environmental precursors of alcoholism, but later the scope of the project expanded to studying the determinants of various health-related behaviors and diseases in different stages of life. The main areas addressed are alcohol use and its consequences, smoking, physical activity, overall physical health, eating behaviors and eating disorders, weight development, obesity, life satisfaction and personality. To date, five waves of data collection have been completed and the sixth is now planned. Data from the FT16 cohort have contributed to several hundred studies and many substudies, with more detailed phenotyping and collection of omics data completed or underway. FT16 has also contributed to many national and international collaborations.

Do Disordered Eating Behaviours Have Long-term Health-related Consequences?

OBJECTIVE: Long-term health-related consequences of disordered eating behaviours of young adults remain poorly understood. We examined whether disordered eating behaviours in mid-20s are associated with physical and mental health 10 years later. METHODS: Women (n = 2631) and men (n = 2394) from a population-based FinnTwin16 cohort were assessed using three subscales of the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 at age 24. Self-rated health, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and psychological distress were assessed at age 24 and reassessed 10 years later. RESULTS: In crude models, disordered eating behaviours at age 24 were associated cross-sectionally and prospectively with poor self-rated health, higher BMI, larger waist circumference and psychological distress in both sexes. In models adjusted for baseline BMI and potential confounders, disordered eating behaviours predicted increased psychological distress in both sexes and poor self-rated health in men. CONCLUSIONS: Among young adults, disordered eating behaviours are associated with long-term health-related consequences, particularly psychological distress. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

[Ideal body weight of a young woman--sociocultural and health aspects]. / Nuoren naisen ihannepaino--sosiokulttuurisia ja terveydellisiä näkökohtia.

A common question made by a young person attending a practice concerns her/his ideal body weight. Culture and health may result in a conflicting definition of good weight. Discontent with one's own body can motivate for successful weight control, but may also lead to unnecessary dieting or disturbed eating. Too strict dieting and accentuating of weight control increase the risk of eating disorders, but on the other hand, adolescent overweight is a risk factor of obesity in adulthood as well.

Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and whole-genome MLST of Campylobacter jejuni isolates from human infections in three districts during a seasonal peak in Finland.

A total of 95 human Campylobacter jejuni isolates acquired from domestic infections and collected from three districts in Finland during the seasonal peak (June to September) in 2012 were analyzed by PCR-based multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and by whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Four predominant sequence types (STs) were detected among the isolates: ST-45 (21%) and ST-230 (14%, ST-45 clonal complex [CC]), ST-267 (21%, ST-283 CC), and ST-677 (19%, ST-677 CC). In districts 1 and 3, most of the infections occurred from early July to the middle of August, with a peak at weeks 29 to 31, but in district 2, the infections were dispersed more evenly throughout 3 months (June to August). WGS data were used for further whole-genome MLST (wgMLST) analyses of the isolates representing the four common STs. Shared loci of the isolates within each ST were analyzed as distance matrices of allelic profiles by the neighbor-net algorithm. The highest allelic variations (>400 different alleles) were detected between different clusters of ST-45 isolates (1,121 shared loci), while ST-230 (1,264 shared loci), ST-677 (1,169 shared loci), and ST-267 isolates (1,217 shared loci) were less diverse with the clusters differing by <40 alleles. Closely related isolates showing no allelic variation (subclusters) were detected among all four major STs. In some cases, they originated from different districts, suggesting that isolates can be epidemiologically connected and may have the same infection source despite being originally identified as sporadic infections.

Maternal intrapartum antibiotics and decreased vertical transmission of Lactobacillus to neonates during birth.

AIM: To estimate the transmission of maternal vaginal microbiota to neonates during term delivery, focusing on Lactobacillus flora in relation to various obstetric clinical factors. METHODS: Fifty consecutive pregnant healthy women with singleton term pregnancies and their newborn infants. Vertical transmission of Lactobacillus flora to the newborn during delivery was evaluated in 45 mother-newborn pairs. RESULTS: Lactobacillus-dominant mixed flora was detected in 90% (N = 45) of vaginal samples, but only in 28% (N = 14) of neonatal cultures (transmission rate 31%). All neonates with Lactobacillus-dominant mixed flora had findings similar to those in maternal cultures. Cocci-dominant flora was the most common finding in neonates. Administration of antibiotics to the mother during the intrapartum period before birth and duration of rupture of membranes (ROM), regardless of maternal antibiotic treatment, were associated significantly with a decreased transmission rate of Lactobacillus-dominant mixed flora to neonates. CONCLUSION: Maternal intrapartum antibiotics and prolonged expectant management after ROM were associated with decreased transmission rate of vaginal Lactobacillus flora to the neonate during birth. As early colonization of Lactobacillus flora may have a preventive role in the development of allergic diseases later, the significance of intrapartum prophylactic antibiotics needs to be highlighted in forthcoming studies, especially as regards immunological development of the offspring.

Successful weight maintainers among young adults-A ten-year prospective population study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess factors associated with successful weight maintenance over ten years in a prospective general population sample of young adults. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Our study comprised 2452 women and 2227 men born in 1975-1979 (mean age at baseline 24 years, attrition 27.1%). Weight maintenance was defined as weight maintained within ±5% of baseline body mass index (BMI). We examined the role of various sociodemographic and lifestyle factors in successful weight maintenance. RESULTS: Relatively few young adults were able to maintain their weight over ten years (28.6% of women vs. 23.0% of men); net weight loss was uncommon (7.5% and 3.8%). Most participants gained weight (mean annual weight gain was 0.9 kg in women and 1.0 kg in men). Among women, exercise was associated with successful weight maintenance, but having two or more children, frequent use of sweet drinks, irregular eating, history of dieting (intentional weight loss) and low life satisfaction were associated with weight gain. Among men, higher baseline BMI and higher education were associated with successful weight maintenance, whereas irregular eating, history of dieting and smoking were associated with weight gain. CONCLUSIONS: Only about a quarter of young adults were able to resist weight gain. Regular eating and having no history of dieting were associated with successful weight maintenance in young women and men.

The Eating Disorder Inventory in the screening for DSM-5 binge eating disorder.

BACKGROUND: We assessed whether the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) is suitable for screening binge eating disorder (BED) in young women. METHOD: Young women (N=2825) from the 1975-79 birth cohorts of Finnish twins were assessed by questionnaires, including subscales of the EDI. For a subset of women (N=548), we established DSM-5 diagnoses of BED; 16 women had lifetime BED. We compared screening properties of the EDI scales using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, determined optimal cutoff points, and calculated sensitivities and specificities. RESULTS: The best screen for DSM-5 BED was the global score of three subscales (Bulimia, Drive for Thinness, Body Dissatisfaction) with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.86. Its sensitivity was 87% and specificity 76% at cutoff ≥21. Three individual subscales had acceptable screening properties: Bulimia (AUC 0.83; sensitivity 80%, specificity 78% at cutoff ≥2), Drive For Thinness (AUC 0.82; sensitivity 87%, specificity 72% at cutoff ≥7), and Body Dissatisfaction (AUC 0.81; sensitivity 93%, specificity 60% at cutoff ≥8). CONCLUSION: The EDI performed well as a screening tool for BED in our community-based sample of young twin women. Future studies should assess its value in other populations and in clinical settings.

Ideals versus reality: Are weight ideals associated with weight change in the population?

OBJECTIVE: To quantify weight ideals of young adults and to examine whether the discrepancy between actual and ideal weight is associated with 10-year body mass index (BMI) change in the population. METHODS: This study comprised 4,964 adults from the prospective population-based FinnTwin16 study. They reported their actual and ideal body weight at age 24 (range 22-27) and 10 years later (attrition 24.6%). The correlates of discrepancy between actual and ideal body weight and the impact on subsequent BMI change were examined. RESULTS: The discrepancy between actual and ideal weight at 24 years was on average 3.9 kg (1.4 kg/m(2) ) among women and 1.2 kg (0.4 kg/m(2) ) among men. On average, participants gained weight during follow-up irrespective of baseline ideal weight: women ¯x = +4.8 kg (1.7 kg/m(2) , 95% CI 1.6-1.9 kg/m(2) ), men ¯x = +6.3 kg (2.0 kg/m(2) , 95% CI 1.8-2.1 kg/m(2) ). Weight ideals at 24 years were not correlated with 10-year weight change. At 34 years, just 13.2% of women and 18.9% of men were at or below the weight they had specified as their ideal weight at 24 years. Women and men adjusted their ideal weight upward over time. CONCLUSIONS: Irrespective of ideal weight at baseline, weight gain was nearly universal. Weight ideals were shifted upward over time.

Tracing isolates from domestic human Campylobacter jejuni infections to chicken slaughter batches and swimming water using whole-genome multilocus sequence typing.

Campylobacter jejuni is the leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis and chicken is considered a major reservoir and source of human campylobacteriosis. In this study, we investigated temporally related Finnish human (n=95), chicken (n=83) and swimming water (n=20) C. jejuni isolates collected during the seasonal peak in 2012 using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and whole-genome MLST (wgMLST). Our objective was to trace domestic human C. jejuni infections to C. jejuni isolates from chicken slaughter batches and swimming water. At MLST level, 79% of the sequence types (STs) of the human isolates overlapped with chicken STs suggesting chicken as an important reservoir. Four STs, the ST-45, ST-230, ST-267 and ST-677, covered 75% of the human and 64% of the chicken isolates. In addition, 50% of the swimming water isolates comprised ST-45, ST-230 and ST-677. Further wgMLST analysis of the isolates within STs, accounting their temporal relationship, revealed that 22 of the human isolates (24%) were traceable back to C. jejuni positive chicken slaughter batches. None of the human isolates were traced back to swimming water, which was rather sporadically sampled. The highly discriminatory wgMLST, together with the patient background information and temporal relationship data with possible sources, offers a new, accurate approach to trace back the origin of domestic campylobacteriosis. Our results suggest that potentially a substantial proportion of campylobacteriosis cases during the seasonal peak most probably are due to other sources than chicken meat consumption. These findings warrant further wgMLST-based studies to reassess the role of other reservoirs in the Campylobacter epidemiology both in Finland and elsewhere.

Persistent Legionella pneumophila colonization of a hospital water supply: efficacy of control methods and a molecular epidemiological analysis.

After a nosocomial outbreak caused by Legionella pneumophila serogroup 5, the hospital water distribution system, which was found to be colonized by L. pneumophila serogroups 5 and 6, was decontaminated by the superheat and flush method and by installing an additional heat-shock unit in one of the hot water circuits. This unit exposed the recirculated water to a temperature of 80 degrees C. The efficacy of the decontamination measures was evaluated by monitoring the temperatures and legionella concentrations at different parts of the hot water distribution system. The genetic diversity of the colonizing legionella flora was examined using two genotyping methods: amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis (AFLP) and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Selected serogroup 6 strains were also analyzed by sequence-based typing (SBT). The results indicated that long-term eradication of serogroup 5 strains was never achieved. Only one serogroup 6 strain was never isolated after the superheat and flush. In all, according to genetic fingerprints, the diversity of Legionella strains in a hospital water system remains stable over the years regardless of the use of recommended disinfection procedures.

Cervical ureaplasma urealyticum colonization: comparison of PCR and culture for its detection and association with preterm birth.

We developed a 16S ribosomal (r) RNA gene-based PCR assay specific for Ureaplasma urealyticum and compared it with culture. We also wanted to assess the role of cervical U. urealyticum colonization in preterm births. Cervical swabs from 100 women with preterm contractions and from 50 asymptomatic pregnant women were collected and analyzed using PCR. The PCR and culture methods were compared using the samples from the asymptomatic patients. PCR and culture were equally effective at detecting U. urealyticum. Cervical colonization correlated with preterm delivery, with rates of 71% and 37% for those delivering preterm and those with term delivery, respectively (p = 0.008). The relative risk of preterm delivery if colonized with U. urealyticum was 3.34. 16S rRNA gene-based PCR proved to be a useful tool for detecting U. urealyticum compared to culture. Lower genital tract colonization with U. urealyticum was associated with preterm birth.