Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-gamma (PPARG) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) play important role in lipid homeostasis, insulin resistance and adipogenesis, and their gene variability could be considered as predictive genetic markers for metabolic syndrome (MetSy). The aim of the study was to estimate possible associations of PPARG (Pro12Ala) and LPL PvuII (+/-) polymorphisms with MetSy...

Several mechanistic pathways linking hyperglycemia to diabetes complications, including glycation of proteins and formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), have been proposed. We investigated the hypothesis that skin collagen glycation and AGEs predict the risk of progression of microvascular disease. We measured glycation products in the skin collagen of 211 Diabetes Control and Com...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of comorbid subthreshold anxiety on the course and the treatment of Depressive Disorders. The sample studied comprised four groups defined by the DSM-IV Axis I diagnosis: (1) Patients with a Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and an Anxiety Disorder (DA); (2) patients with MDD and a subthreshold Anxiety Disorder (Da); (3) patients with subthreshold...

Schizophrenia is a complex disorder with a polygenic inheritance. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) plays a significant role in the regulation of dopaminergic systems. A polymorphism at COMT Val108/158Met has been identified in association with schizophrenia. We examined the allele and genotype association of the COMT Val108/158Met polymorphism of 297 unrelated schizophrenic patients who stri...

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 378 households, owning 524 head of cattle, to determine the prevalence of bovine tuberculosis (TB) and assess its public health implications. Stratified systematic sampling and a questionnaire were used, in addition to the comparative intradermal tuberculin test, mycobacterial culture and biochemical and drug susceptibility tests. Using a confidence inte...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The purpose of this prospective cohort study was to investigate associations between stroke and blood pressure (BP) indices (systolic BP [SBP], diastolic BP [DBP], mean BP, and pulse pressure [PP]) determined by home BP measurement. METHODS Associations between stroke and BP indices were examined in a rural Japanese population. Home BP data of 2369 subjects (40% men) > ...

AIM Airway management is a core aspect of emergency medicine. The technique of rapid sequence intubation (RSI) creates continuing debate between anaesthetists and emergency physicians in the UK, although similar complication rates for emergency department (ED) RSI have been shown for both specialties. This study examined prospectively collected data on every ED RSI performed in a university hos...

In recent years, the development of new tools to gather field information about vector ecological parameters has increased. This report evaluated the BG-Sentinel Trap (BGS-Trap), a promising new attempt to improve collection of the dengue vector, Aedes aegypti. The efficacy of the BGS-Trap was compared with the CDC backpack aspirator, one of the commonest used methods for capturing adult mosqui...

BACKGROUND Patients with unexplained somatic symptoms are commonly seen in primary care. We assessed the explanatory models and common mental disorders in patients with unexplained somatic symptoms attending a primary care facility in a rural area of south India. METHODS One hundred consecutive patients diagnosed to have unexplained somatic symptoms attending a primary care facility were exam...

We investigated the dynamics of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytemia in symptomatic patients attending a local dispensary in the Kilombero district, Tanzania. Consenting individuals aged one and above, with varying asexual and sexual parasitemias were treated appropriately and asked to return weekly for 28 days. Gametocyte prevalence was highest on Day 7 of follow-up in all age groups (overall 3...