Serum retinol levels and pulmonary function in children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that higher serum retinol levels could have protective effects on pulmonary function (PF) in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). However, serum retinol levels will be transiently decreased during pulmonary exacerbation. Therefore, the extent of chronic pulmonary inflammation should be included when describing the association between PF and serum retinol. We assessed the longitudinal relation between serum retinol, immunoglobulin G (IgG) and PF in paediatric CF patients. METHODS: We studied the serum retinol, IgG and forced expiratory volumes in one second (FEV(1)% pred.) of 228 CF patients during a seven-year follow up period. The cross-sectional and longitudinal relations between these variables were assessed. RESULTS: Serum retinol, with medians levels between 1.2 and 1.4 µmol/l, were relatively stable, while median serum IgG gradually increased during the age years. The FEV(1)% pred. was longitudinally inversely associated with serum IgG and age, but not with serum retinol. Each g/l increase in serum IgG level was associated with an accelerated yearly decline in FEV(1)% pred. of 0.5% (95% CI -0.8 to -0.1, p=0.008), and each year increase in age was associated with a 1.7% (95% CI -2.1 to -1.3, p=0.000) decline in FEV(1)% pred. This effect was not observed with respect to serum retinol levels (95% CI -1.9 to 2.2, p=0.570). CONCLUSIONS: In this large sample of children and adolescents with CF, we found no evidence that higher serum retinol levels had protective effects on PF.

[Impulse control in addiction: a translational perspective]. / Impulsregulatie en verslaving: een translationeel onderzoek.

BACKGROUND: Impulsivity is a hallmark of addiction and predicts treatment response and relapse. Impulsivity is, however, a complex construct. Translational cross-species research is needed to give us greater insight into the neurobiology and the role of impulsivity in addiction and to help with the development of new treatment strategies for improving patients' impulse control. AIM: To review recent evidence concerning the concept of impulsivity and the role of impulsivity in addiction. METHOD: The concept and neurobiology of impulsivity are reviewed from a translational perspective. The role of impulsivity in addiction and implications for treatment are discussed. RESULTS: Our recent translational cross-species study indicates that impulsivity is made up of several, separate independent features with partly distinct underlying neurobiological substrates. There are also indications that these features make a unique and independent contribution to separate stages of the addiction cycle. CONCLUSION: In addition, the improvement of impulse control is a promising new target area for treatments that could lead to better results. However, those involved in developing new treatment strategies will have to take into account the complexity and multidimensional character of impulsivity.