Predictors of the Onset of Schizophrenia in US Military Personnel.

Alterations in immune response may be an important component in the etiopathogenesis of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. We examined the associations of pentraxin-3 (PTX3) with the onset of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. We tested preonset serum specimens from 160 US military service members who were later diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and 160 matched controls without psychiatric disorders. Lower serum levels of PTX3 were predictive of schizophrenia but not of bipolar disorder. Subjects with below-median PTX3 levels had a 3.0 odds ratio (confidence interval, 1.6-5.7) for schizophrenia onset in the multivariable logistic regression model controlling for demographic and military variables. The test for trends was significant (p = 0.002), with the likelihood increasing as the levels of PTX3 decreased. Crude and adjusted categorized levels were not predictive of bipolar disorder. A lower level of inflammatory response indicated by PTX3 might be implicated in developing schizophrenia.

Similar associations of total adiponectin and high molecular weight adiponectin with cardio-metabolic risk factors in a population of overweight and obese postmenopausal women: a MONET study.

The aim of the study was to examine the association between total adiponectin and high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin levels with cardio-metabolic risk factors in a population of sedentary, overweight, and obese postmenopausal women. Cross-sectional study was carried out on 55 nondiabetic sedentary overweight and obese postmenopausal women aged between 50 and 70 years. Insulin sensitivity was assessed by euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp technique. Body composition and visceral fat were measured using dual X-ray absorptiometry and computed tomography, respectively. Other cardio-metabolic risk factors included: plasma lipids, hsC-reactive protein, energy expenditure (doubly labeled water), peak oxygen consumption, muscle strength (using weight training equipment) as well as total and HMW adiponectin. Correlations of total and HMW adiponectin with various cardio-metabolic risk factors were comparable. In addition, regression analysis results showed similar independent predictors of total and HMW adiponectin. Finally, the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves for total and HMW adiponectin to predict insulin sensitivity showed no difference between the areas under curve (AUC) (AUC total adiponectin=0.80 [95% CI: 0.66-0.95] versus AUC HMW adiponectin=0.76 [95% CI: 0.60-0.91], p=0.36). The present study indicates that HMW adiponectin does not seem to provide additional information than total adiponectin in relation to cardio-metabolic risk factors in overweight/obese postmenopausal women.

Osteoporosis among patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Both diabetes and fractures are prevalent in adults. The relationship between diabetes and osteoporosis is complex and, although it has been investigated extensively, the subject remains controversial. While low bone mineral density (BMD) is consistently observed in type 1 diabetes, the relationship is less clear in type 2 diabetes, with some studies reporting modestly increased or unchanged BMD. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes have been associated with a higher risk of fractures. Despite discrepancies between BMD and fracture rates, clinical trials uniformly support the fact that new bone formation and bone microarchitecture and, thus, bone quality, are altered in both types of diabetes. Although a causal association between diabetes and osteoporosis cannot be established on the basis of existing data, it is possible to conclude from many studies and from a better understanding of the physiopathology of diabetes that it can increase the risk of fractures through skeletal (decreased BMD and bone quality) and extraskeletal (increased risk of falls) factors. Even though osteoporosis screening or prophylactic treatment in all patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes is not being recommended at present, such patient populations should be given general guidelines regarding calcium and vitamin D intakes, exercise and the avoidance of potential risk factors for osteoporosis. The extent of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions should be based on the individual's risk profile for fractures.

No relationship between mean plasma glucose and glycated haemoglobin in patients with cystic fibrosis-related diabetes.

AIM: Cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD) prevalence has increased dramatically with the improved life expectancy of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Glycated haemoglobin (HbA(1c)) is an important tool for monitoring blood glucose control but, unlike in type 1 and type 2 diabetes, a correlation between HbA(1c), fructosamine and mean plasma glucose has not been clearly established in CF. This study aimed to examine the relationship between mean plasma glucose and HbA(1c) or fructosamine in stable patients with CFRD. METHODS: Fifteen type 1 diabetes and 13 CFRD patients (HbA(1c)<9.0%; no anaemia), matched for age and body mass index (BMI), provided 72 capillary blood glucose profiles taken 3days/month for three months. At the end of this time, HbA(1c) and fructosamine were measured. Mean plasma glucose was estimated using the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) conversion formula, and linear regressions carried out to establish its relationship with HbA(1c) and fructosamine. RESULTS: In type 1 diabetes patients, mean plasma glucose correlated significantly with HbA(1c) (r=0.68; P=0.005). In CFRD patients, no correlation was found between mean plasma glucose and HbA(1c) (r=0.24; P=0.460). Also, no association was found between mean plasma glucose, representing the month before blood sampling, and fructosamine in either group. CONCLUSION: Unlike in type 1 diabetes, HbA(1c) did not correlate with mean plasma glucose in CFRD subjects. Thus, having a normal HbA(1c) may not be sufficient to indicate a low risk of diabetes complications in CFRD. Further studies are required to explain such a discrepancy.

Update: Urinary stones, active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2011-2015.

Urinary stones can cause debilitating morbidity that impairs the operational effectiveness of affected members of the U.S. Armed Forces. This report documents that, during the past 5 years, rates of incident diagnoses of urinary stones decreased by about 17% in the active component of the U.S. military. During the period, annual rates of inpatient diagnosed cases were low and relatively stable, while rates of outpatient diagnosed cases slightly decreased. Incidence rates were slightly higher among females than males in 2011; however, rates were very similar among males and females from 2012 through 2015. Rates of incident diagnoses among white, non-Hispanic and Native American/Alaska Native service members were consistently 80%-100% higher than among black, non-Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander service members and 35%-45% higher than among Hispanic and "other race/ethnicity" service members. During the 5-year period, a total of 3,350 service members received more than one incident diagnosis of urinary stones ("recurrent cases"); one-tenth (10.2%) of all incident cases during the period were recurrent cases. Service members with histories of urinary stones should be counseled and closely supervised to avoid dehydration and to adhere to diets that reduce the risk of stone formation.

Descriptive epidemiology and underlying psychiatric disorders among hospitalizations with self-directed violence.

BACKGROUND: Suicide claims over one million lives worldwide each year. In the United States, 1 per 10,000 persons dies from suicide every year, and these rates have remained relatively constant over the last 20 years. There are nearly 25 suicide attempts for each suicide, and previous self-directed violence is a strong predictor of death from suicide. While many studies have focused on suicides, the epidemiology of non-fatal self-directed violence is not well-defined. OBJECTIVE: We used a nationally representative survey to examine demographics and underlying psychiatric disorders in United States (US) hospitalizations with non-fatal self-directed violence (SDV). METHOD: International Classification of Disease, 9(th) Revision (ICD-9) discharge diagnosis data from the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) were examined from 1997 to 2006 using frequency measures and adjusted logistic regression. RESULTS: The rate of discharges with SDV remained relatively stable over the study time period with 4.5 to 5.7 hospitalizations per 10,000 persons per year. Excess SDV was documented for females, adolescents, whites, and those from the Midwest or West. While females had a higher likelihood of self-poisoning, both genders had comparable proportions of hospitalizations with SDV resulting in injury. Over 86% of the records listing SDV also included psychiatric disorders, with the most frequent being affective (57.8%) and substance abuse (37.1%) disorders. The association between psychiatric disorders and self-injury was strongest for personality disorders for both males (OR = 2.1; 95% CI = 1.3-3.4) and females (OR = 3.8; 95% CI = 2.7-5.3). CONCLUSION: The NHDS provides new insights into the demographics and psychiatric morbidity of those hospitalized with SDV. Classification of SDV as self-injury or self-poisoning provides an additional parameter useful to epidemiologic studies.

Association between antibodies to multiple infectious and food antigens and new onset schizophrenia among US military personnel.

INTRODUCTION: Multiple studies have documented immune activation in many individuals with schizophrenia suggesting that antigens capable of generating a prolonged immune response may be important environmental factors in many cases of this disorder. While existing studies have found single-agent associations of antibodies to food and neurotropic infectious agents with schizophrenia, a simultaneous examination of multiple agents may shed light on agent interactions or possible etiopathogenic pathways. METHODS: We used traditional regression and novel statistical techniques to examine associations of single and combined infectious and food antigens with schizophrenia. We tested 6106 serum samples from 855 cases and 1165 matched controls. RESULTS: Higher antibody levels to casein were borderline significant in the prediction of schizophrenia (HR=1.08, p=0.06). Study participants with higher cytomegalovirus (CMV) IgG antibody levels had a reduced risk of developing schizophrenia (HR=0.90; p=0.02). While IgG antibodies to gliadin, Toxoplasma gondii, vaccinia, measles, and human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) showed no significant independent associations with schizophrenia, the increase in antibody levels to several combinations of agents, to include casein, measles, CMV, T. gondii and vaccinia, was predictive of an 18-34% increase in the risk of developing schizophrenia. CONCLUSION: Certain patterns of antibodies, involving some agents, were predictive of developing schizophrenia, with the magnitude of association rising when the level of antibodies increased to two or more agents. A heightened antibody response to a combination of several infectious/food antigens might be an indicator of an altered immune response to antigenic stimuli.

New-onset diabetes after transplantation: risk factors and clinical impact.

With improvements in patient and graft survival, increasing attention has been placed on complications that contribute to long-term patient morbidity and mortality. New-onset diabetes after transplantation (NODAT) is a common complication of solid-organ transplantation, and is a strong predictor of graft failure and cardiovascular mortality in the transplant population. Risk factors for NODAT in transplant recipients are similar to those in non-transplant patients, but transplant-specific risk factors such as hepatitis C (HCV) infection, corticosteroids and calcineurin inhibitors play a dominant role in NODAT pathogenesis. Management of NODAT is similar to type 2 diabetes management in the general population. However, adjusting the immunosuppressant regimen to improve glucose tolerance must be weighed against the risk of allograft rejection. Lifestyle modification is currently the strategy with the least risk and the most benefit.