Perception of family support is correlated with glycemic control in Greeks with diabetes mellitus.

We studied 98 native Greek patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Their degree of glycemic control, evaluated with glycated hemoglobin A1c levels, was correlated with perceived family support, assessed with the Family Support Scale. The different social context of Greece--and its corresponding perception of family support--influence glycemic control in a way that is at variance from data of some studies of Anglo-Saxon families. In conclusion, family support should be taken into consideration in the management of native Greek patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Obesity indices in a cohort of primary school children in Crete: a six year prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To report on the body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and sum of skinfolds in a cohort of Cretan children and identify the factors associated with these indices. DESIGN: The present study was a follow-up study. Children were measured prospectively at ages 6, 9 and 12. SUBJECTS: Pupils came from 40 schools randomly selected from the 541 primary schools in three different provinces of Crete. 1046 pupils were examined at age 6. At age 9, a representative sample from the original cohort (n=579) was randomly selected for re-evaluation. At the age of 12, a sample of 831 pupils was re-examined, following similar procedures. MEASUREMENTS: Both during baseline and each subsequent follow-up, data were obtained on pupils' anthropometry, serum lipids, dietary intake, physical fitness and physical activity as well as their dietary and their health knowledge. Data on parents' anthropometry, age, occupation, educational level, and issues relating to health habits, attitudes and knowledge were also collected. RESULTS: Half of the obese children at age 6 were also obese at age 12. Cretan children had higher mean BMI than similar American cohorts. Compared to their American counterparts, Cretans had higher proportions of overweight in both genders across all ages tested. The endurance run test (ERT), an index of physical fitness, was positively associated with obesity indices. Sum of skinfolds related positively to serum LDL-C. Children from urban areas had higher skinfold sums than children from rural areas. Parental health-related hedonism related positively to children's BMI. CONCLUSION: It appears that these findings offer some support to the reported increasing prevalence of obesity among Greek children. Higher ERT, presumably reflecting higher physical activity, is associated with lower obesity. The relationship between degree of fatness and LDL-C appears to be evidenced at an early age in life. This relationship may relate to the reported VLDL and cholesteryl ester transfer protein elevations in obesity. The parental attitude of health-related hedonism appears to be linked with children's adiposity.

Anomalous retinoblastoma protein expression in Sternberg-Reed cells in Hodgkin's disease: a comparative study with p53 and Ki67 expression.

Retinoblastoma (Rb) tumour-suppressor protein plays a critical role in cell cycle control. Rb inactivation is a frequent phenomenon in tumours of different cell lineages, in which the absence of Rb protein has been considered to be a marker of Rb disregulation. We used modern immunohistochemical techniques to study the expression of Rb protein in a large series of 130 patients with Hodgkin's disease. Simultaneously, Western blot was used to analyse a more restricted group (12 patients) to confirm the immunohistochemical results and to clarify the phosphorylation status of Rb protein. As the level of Rb expression varied according to cell cycle stage, we also performed immunostaining for Ki67, a protein present in proliferating cells. To make comparison possible, we first characterised the amount and phosphorylation status of Rb protein in reactive lymphoid tissue and phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated lymphocytes. The presence of p53 in Sternberg-Reed cells was also included in the study, as both proteins (p53 and Rb) have been found to be closely associated in cell cycle control. PHA-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes showed a parallel increase in Rb and cell cycle progression, together with progressive Rb phosphorylation. In reactive lymphoid tissue there was also a clear correlation between Rb expression and the Ki67 proliferation index (R = 0.96, P = 0.038). When analysing Hodgkin's disease samples, a clear difference emerges between cases of nodular lymphocyte predominance, which preserve the relationship between Rb and Ki67 expression (r = 0.8727, P = 0.000), and classical forms of Hodgkin's disease (nodular sclerosis and mixed cellularity), which display a strong deviation from this pattern. Two main anomalies were found: (1) One group of 21/130 cases with partial or total loss of Rb protein expression, which could reflect the existence of genetic alterations, or an altered transcriptional or translational regulation of Rb gene. (2) Another group with an abnormally high Rb/Ki67 ratio, which could support conflicting interpretations: (i) excess Rb protein for controlling cell cycle progression; or (ii) adhesion of Rb protein to other cellular or viral proteins, such as p53 and MDM2. The results of this study indicate an anomalous pattern of expression of Rb in classical forms of Hodgkin's disease, and suggest the possibility of undertaking functional studies (E1A adhesion, p16 expression) with the aim of better characterising the status of Rb protein, and correlating these findings with clinical course in Hodgkin's disease patients.

Defining and assessing risky behaviours.

This paper presents the deliberations and conclusions of an international group of health practitioners, researchers and planners who met in 1991 to explore risky behaviours and risk assessment in the context of the World Health Organization's strategy Health for All By 2000. A definition of risky behaviours is discussed and a method of exploring risk contexts, 'a risk equation', is presented. Lay risk assessment is explored and contrasted with professional perceptions of risk as evidenced in health education campaigns. It is concluded that the application of epidemiological techniques--the study of the incidence and prevalence of risk-related and health-related behaviours--employing qualitative methods provides a useful means of exploring the social and cultural context of risk behaviour.