Medicine posts

August 5, 2016
03:10 PM
24 views

From Sci Fi to reality: Unlocking the secret to growing new limbs

Many lower organisms retain the miraculous ability to regenerate form and function of almost any tissue after injury. Humans share many of our genes with these organisms, but our capacity for regeneration is limited. So scientists are studying the genetics of these organisms to find out how regenerative mechanisms might be activated in humans.

... Read more »

King, B., & Yin, V. (2016) A Conserved MicroRNA Regulatory Circuit Is Differentially Controlled during Limb/Appendage Regeneration. PLOS ONE, 11(6). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0157106

August 5, 2016
07:00 AM
21 views

Friday Fellow: Beggar’s tick

by Piter Boll in Earthling Nature

by Piter Kehoma Boll What if the cure for cancer has been living in your garden all this time and you have been trying to get rid of it because it is an annoying weed? I cannot assure you that … Continue reading →... Read more »

Brandão, M., Krettli, A., Soares, L., Nery, C., & Marinuzzi, H. (1997) Antimalarial activity of extracts and fractions from Bidens pilosa and other Bidens species (Asteraceae) correlated with the presence of acetylene and flavonoid compounds. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 57(2), 131-138. DOI: 10.1016/S0378-8741(97)00060-3

Chang, J., Chiang, L., Chen, C., Liu, L., Wang, K., & Lin, C. (2001) Antileukemic Activity of Bidens pilosa L. var. minor (Blume) Sherff and Houttuynia cordata Thunb. The American Journal of Chinese Medicine, 29(02), 303-312. DOI: 10.1142/S0192415X01000320

Chiang, L., Chang, J., Chen, C., Ng, L., & Lin, C. (2003) Anti-Herpes Simplex Virus Activity of Bidens pilosa and Houttuynia cordata. The American Journal of Chinese Medicine, 31(03), 355-362. DOI: 10.1142/S0192415X03001090

Deba, F., Xuan, T., Yasuda, M., & Tawata, S. (2008) Chemical composition and antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal activities of the essential oils from Bidens pilosa Linn. var. Radiata. Food Control, 19(4), 346-352. DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2007.04.011

Kviecinski, M., Felipe, K., Schoenfelder, T., de Lemos Wiese, L., Rossi, M., Gonçalez, E., Felicio, J., Filho, D., & Pedrosa, R. (2008) Study of the antitumor potential of Bidens pilosa (Asteraceae) used in Brazilian folk medicine. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 117(1), 69-75. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2008.01.017

Oliveira, F., Andrade-Neto, V., Krettli, A., & Brandão, M. (2004) New evidences of antimalarial activity of Bidens pilosa roots extract correlated with polyacetylene and flavonoids. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 93(1), 39-42. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2004.03.026

Pereira, R., Ibrahim, T., Lucchetti, L., da Silva, A., & de Moraes, V. (1999) Immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory effects of methanolic extract and the polyacetylene isolated from Bidens pilosa L. Immunopharmacology, 43(1), 31-37. DOI: 10.1016/S0162-3109(99)00039-9

Sun, Y., Zhou, Q., Wang, L., & Liu, W. (2009) Cadmium tolerance and accumulation characteristics of Bidens pilosa L. as a potential Cd-hyperaccumulator. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 161(2-3), 808-814. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2008.04.030

August 5, 2016
05:09 AM
32 views

Multiple germline mutations in rare inherited cancer syndrome genes

by Joana Guedes in BHD Research Blog

A recent study by Whitworth et al. (2016) reports five new cases of multiple germline mutations in inherited cancer syndrome genes, three of them involve the combination of mutations in FLCN with NF1, TP53, and MSH2, respectively.... Read more »

Whitworth J, Skytte AB, Sunde L, Lim DH, Arends MJ, Happerfield L, Frayling IM, van Minkelen R, Woodward ER, Tischkowitz MD.... (2016) Multilocus Inherited Neoplasia Alleles Syndrome: A Case Series and Review. JAMA oncology, 2(3), 373-9. PMID: 26659639

August 5, 2016
02:59 AM
40 views

Hospitalisation for mania following antibiotic exposure?

by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers

"Individuals hospitalized with acute mania have a markedly increased rate of bacterial infections, as evidenced by the recent prescription of antimicrobial agents. The prevention and effective treatment of bacterial infections may be important interventions for the management of individuals with mania."That was the research bottom-line reported by Robert Yolken and colleagues [1] (yes, that Robert Yolken) who continued a theme of how immune function/response might be something pretty important when it comes to all-things psychiatry and in particular, when it comes to diagnoses like mania (see here). Some media interest in this work can be seen here.On this occasion, the name of the game was to investigate "whether individuals hospitalized with acute mania have evidence of bacterial infections as determined by the prescription of systemic antimicrobial agents." Antimicrobial agents normally means antibiotics; evidence of their use was searched for in over 230 people "hospitalized for acute mania in either an inpatient unit or a day hospital" compared with some 550 controls.Researchers reported that among their cohort there was "a substantially increased rate of recent antimicrobial prescription, defined as exposure within three days of ascertainment." 'Substantial' in this respect meant 18 of 234 hospitalised people (~7%) compared with 7 of 555 controls (~1%). Interestingly, authors also reported that the site of bacterial infection for which antimicrobials were given was most commonly urinary tract infection for women "while the respiratory tract and mucosal surfaces were the most common sites in men." Mention of the the urinary tract as a source of infection brought me back to another post a while back (see here) and some intriguing data about urinary tract infection and risk of acute psychosis.This latest Yolken data further add to the growing body of research suggesting that either cause or effect, the immune system does seem to be associated with various behavioural and psychiatric labels. My reading of this work suggests that the authors favour the idea that the infection itself (or response to infection) might be the more important aspect to any relationship but I'm not so sure that things are so straight-forward. Indeed, on the other occasions where I've talked about infection and psychiatry, the use of antibiotics - particularly recurrent prescriptions of antibiotics - might not be without possible side-effects (see here) in certain contexts.There is more to do in this area, not least with regards to possible mechanisms of effect and whether the "prevention and effective treatment of bacterial infections may be important interventions for the management of individuals with mania." I would also hope that given the 'when you swallow a grenade' sentiments associated with antimicrobial use, the trillions of wee beasties that call us home (the gut microbiota) might also figure in any future research strategy.----------[1] Yolken R. et al. Individuals hospitalized with acute mania have increased exposure to antimicrobial medications. Bipolar Disorders. 2016. 17 July.----------Yolken R, Adamos M, Katsafanas E, Khushalani S, Origoni A, Savage C, Schweinfurth L, Stallings C, Sweeney K, & Dickerson F (2016). Individuals hospitalized with acute mania have increased exposure to antimicrobial medications. Bipolar disorders PMID: 27425597... Read more »

Yolken R, Adamos M, Katsafanas E, Khushalani S, Origoni A, Savage C, Schweinfurth L, Stallings C, Sweeney K, & Dickerson F. (2016) Individuals hospitalized with acute mania have increased exposure to antimicrobial medications. Bipolar disorders. PMID: 27425597

August 4, 2016
02:07 PM
45 views

Biomimicry is a promising approach for driving innovation

by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories

A new case study shows that biomimicry, a relatively new field that seeks to emulate nature to find solutions to human problems, can potentially expand intellectual property, increase energy savings and accelerate product innovation.

... Read more »

Emily Barbara Kennedy, & Thomas Andrew Marting. (2016) Biomimicry: Streamlining the Front End of Innovation for Environmentally Sustainable Products. Research-Technology Management. info:/10.1080/08956308.2016.1185342

August 4, 2016
03:11 AM
56 views

Take your vitamin D says the UK Government

by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers

"Vitamin D supplements 'advised for everyone'" was just one media headline following the publication of a report (see here) - "a government commissioned report" - by the advisory board of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) here in Blighty recently.After oodles and oodles of peer-reviewed research (quite a bit of it covered in that SACN report) potentially linking issues with vitamin D availability to everything from depression (see here) to schizophrenia (see here) and lots of other things besides, the time appears now for "recommending an RNI [reference nutrient intake] for vitamin D of 10 µg/d (400 IU/d) throughout the year, for everyone in the general UK population aged 4y and above." Further: "Since it is difficult to achieve the RNI/Safe Intakes from natural food sources alone, SACN is also recommending that the Government considers strategies to help the UK population consume the recommended intakes of vitamin D."I don't mind telling you that I was pretty happy to see this publication. Quite a few times on this blog I've talked about the potential importance of vitamin D (see here) and how the 'English disease' known as rickets might be but one manifestation of too little of the so-called sunshine vitamin/hormone. For the core blogging material of this site - autism - I'm also quite convinced that there are lots more reasons to research vitamin D (see here and see here) in that context.I might quibble with the rather sweeping generalisation that is the reference nutrient intake being suggested by the SACN report but it is a good start to recognising the importance of vitamin D to lots of aspects of health and wellbeing [1]. If I do have one caution it is that science often has a way of turning really important 'must-do' advice into something else (see here for example) and so don't be surprised to see and hear more about the idea that 'one-size-fits-all' recommendations regarding vitamin D will rarely cover the entire population...----------[1] Muscogiuri G. et al. Vitamin D and chronic diseases: the current state of the art. Arch Toxicol. 2016 Jul 18.----------Muscogiuri G, Altieri B, Annweiler C, Balercia G, Pal HB, Boucher BJ, Cannell JJ, Foresta C, Grübler MR, Kotsa K, Mascitelli L, März W, Orio F, Pilz S, Tirabassi G, & Colao A (2016). Vitamin D and chronic diseases: the current state of the art. Archives of toxicology PMID: 27425218... Read more »

Muscogiuri G, Altieri B, Annweiler C, Balercia G, Pal HB, Boucher BJ, Cannell JJ, Foresta C, Grübler MR, Kotsa K.... (2016) Vitamin D and chronic diseases: the current state of the art. Archives of toxicology. PMID: 27425218

August 3, 2016
01:52 PM
65 views

New neurons created through exercise don't cause you to forget old memories

by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories

Fellow exercise enthusiasts, you can breath a sigh of relief and so can your brain. Research has found that exercise causes more new neurons to be formed in a critical brain region, and contrary to an earlier study, these new neurons do not cause the individual to forget old memories, according to new research.

... Read more »

Kodali, M., Megahed, T., Mishra, V., Shuai, B., Hattiangady, B., & Shetty, A. (2016) Voluntary Running Exercise-Mediated Enhanced Neurogenesis Does Not Obliterate Retrograde Spatial Memory. Journal of Neuroscience, 36(31), 8112-8122. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0766-16.2016

August 3, 2016
09:13 AM
63 views

Do we need a doping Olympics? The ethics of doping in sports

by gdw in FictionalFieldwork

There is only her and the track. The people standing on her left and right do not matter now. She has only one adversary: time. In her head she plays how the future might…will unfold. Forty seven strides. That’s all she needs. All things on the periphery disappear. Her world, her universe becomes a single […]... Read more »

Savulescu J, Foddy B, & Clayton M. (2004) Why we should allow performance enhancing drugs in sport. British journal of sports medicine, 38(6), 666-70. PMID: 15562155

Gaviglio CM, Osborne M, Kelly VG, Kilduff LP, & Cook CJ. (2015) Salivary testosterone and cortisol responses to four different rugby training exercise protocols. European journal of sport science, 15(6), 497-504. PMID: 25743223

Smith AC, & Stewart B. (2015) Why the war on drugs in sport will never be won. Harm reduction journal, 53. PMID: 26556215

Park HY, Hwang H, Park J, Lee S, & Lim K. (2016) The effects of altitude/hypoxic training on oxygen delivery capacity of the blood and aerobic exercise capacity in elite athletes - a meta-analysis. Journal of exercise nutrition , 20(1), 15-22. PMID: 27298808

August 3, 2016
04:30 AM
71 views

Quick Clinical Model to Identify Chronic Ankle Instability

by Jane McDevitt in Sports Medicine Research (SMR): In the Lab & In the Field

Clinicians may be able to use the single-leg hop test and Star Excursion Balance Test to identify people with chronic ankle instability.... Read more »

Ko J, Rosen AB, & Brown CN. (2016) Comparison Between Single and Combined Clinical Postural Stability Tests in Individuals With and Without Chronic Ankle Instability. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. PMID: 27347871

August 3, 2016
03:57 AM
67 views

Omega-3 fatty acids, gut bacteria and mouse behaviour

by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers

I read with great interest the paper by Ruairi Robertson and colleagues [1] (open-access available here) recently, talking about how "neurobehavioural changes induced by altering n-3 PUFA [omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids] status are closely associated with comprehensive alterations in gut microbiota composition, HPA-axis activity and inflammation" in mice.Coming out of the 'bacterial research powerhouse' that is University College Cork, such research potentially unites some important concepts that are of some interest to this blog.Based on questions still requiring answers about how maternal and early years consumption of everyone's favourite kind of essential fatty acids (the omega-3 variety) might impact on things like gut bacteria and "behavioural outcomes", researchers set about looking at possible connections in mice. Said mother mice with child and their male offspring were provided with one of a number of combinations of diet including "omega-3 deficient (O3-) or omega-3 supplemented (O3+) diet" and various measurements of mouse behaviours were undertaken as well as studies pertinent to what was going in their poo(p) from a bacterial perspective.As per that opening paragraph, there were some 'subtle' changes to offspring behaviours at various developmental stages according to their omega-3 dietary status. So: "O3- animals displayed impaired communication, social and depression-related behaviours and O3+ animals displayed enhanced cognition." Alongside, researchers also observed some potentially important bacterial differences according to omega-3 diet or not that could be related to the reaction to stress (as per the examination of the HPA-axis). All-in-all, a diet rich (or not) in omega-3 fatty acids might have some quite far-reaching effects, at least in mice.I'm interested in this kind of research for several reasons. First, is the idea that ensuring that human diets - all diets - are adequately supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids is a win-win situation. Outside of the somatic health benefits associated with appropriate omega-3 fatty acid ratios are the various 'psychological' benefits that might also be linked. Examples include the link between fatty acids and [some] cases of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or ADHD-type symptoms (see here). This is followed by some peer-reviewed evidence of possible effect on things like reading ability (see here) and even potentially off-setting the risk of psychosis for some (see here). Lots to potentially see from the humble fish oil minus any sweeping generalisations [2].Second, this is not the first time that fatty acid status has been 'associated' with the various goings-on of the trillions of wee beasties that call our gastrointestinal (GI) tract home: the gut microbiota. I'll refer you to a previous post I wrote about some recent research on how omega-3 fatty acids might impact on [mouse] 'antibiotic exposure-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis' and obesity (see here) as another example where "dietary lipids affect specific populations of gut microbes and their metabolic end products" [3]. You and your gut bacteria are very much a product of what you do or do not eat. The value-added bit to the Robertson findings is the inclusion of a behavioural aspect to proceedings.Obviously I have to point out that this is yet more mouse-based research and so one always needs to be a little cautious about over-generalising to humankind. But this work does provide an important insight into how fatty acids might link into gut bacteria and aspects of behaviour ripe for further scientific research. Indeed plucking one interpretation of their findings from their paper: "the adolescent period may be a critical timeframe in which omega-3 PUFA exert their effects on cognitive processes" I'd be minded to suggest quite a bit more science might be useful in this area including the idea that "the neuroprotective effects of omega-3 PUFA are not solely attributed to their direct incorporation into neural tissues but indirectly through their beneficial effects on gut microbiota composition and subsequent inflammatory status." Food for thought eh?----------[1] Robertson RC. et al. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids critically regulate behaviour and gut microbiota development in adolescence and adulthood. Brain Behav Immun. 2016 Jul 13. pii: S0889-1591(16)30339-7.[2] Bozzatello P. et al. Supplementation with Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Psychiatric Disorders: A Review of Literature Data. J Clin Med. 2016 Jul 27;5(8). pii: E67.[3] Shen W. et al. Influence of dietary fat on intestinal microbes, inflammation, barrier function and metabolic outcomes. J Nutr Biochem. 2014 Mar;25(3):270-80.----------Robertson RC, Oriach CS, Murphy K, Moloney GM, Cryan JF, Dinan TG, Paul Ross R, & Stanton C (2016). Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids critically regulate behaviour and gut microbiota development in adolescence and adulthood. Brain, behavior, and immunity PMID: 27423492... Read more »

Robertson RC, Oriach CS, Murphy K, Moloney GM, Cryan JF, Dinan TG, Paul Ross R, & Stanton C. (2016) Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids critically regulate behaviour and gut microbiota development in adolescence and adulthood. Brain, behavior, and immunity. PMID: 27423492

August 2, 2016
02:03 PM
85 views

Cardiac complications from energy drinks?

by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories

The high levels of caffeine in energy drinks may lead to cardiac complications. A new case report adds to previous reports of adverse cardiovascular events related to consuming energy drinks, including abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias).

... Read more »

Sattari M, Sattari A, & Kazory A. (2016) Energy Drink Consumption and Cardiac Complications: A Case for Caution. Journal of addiction medicine, 10(4), 280-2. PMID: 27471919

August 1, 2016
10:43 PM
89 views

Autism, urinary porphyrins and mercury

by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers

I appreciate that the title of this post is probably going to result in an immediate 'click away' for some folk but for those who've endured it I'd like to talk briefly about the findings reported by Eman Khaled and colleagues [1]. Namely the observation that: "ASD [autism spectrum disorder] children in the present study had increased blood Hg [mercury] and Pb [lead] levels compared with healthy control children indicating that disordered porphyrin metabolism might interfere with the pathology associated with the autistic neurologic phenotype."OK, language and terminology first. I don't like the use of the term 'healthy control children' set in the context of autism research it has to be said. Whilst the label of autism does indeed place someone at a significantly greater risk of various health-related complaints (see here), the connotation that someone with autism is 'unhealthy' solely as a function of their autism label is not universally borne out by the research data. Why not therefore just call controls 'control children' eh?Next up, porphyrins in the context of autism have been covered before on this blog (see here). Although linked to processes such as heme synthesis, there have been suggestions that analysis of urinary porphyrins might also provide some important information on "renal mercury content" [2]. Mercury (Hg) has been a hot potato in the context of autism for quite a few years (see here) and discussions on this topic have sometimes turned pretty nasty (see here). The sweeping idea that all autism is 'caused' by mercury poisoning (and there are various types of the stuff) has not been supported by the peer-reviewed literature on this topic (see here) but there have been some important outliers detected (see here) potentially indicative of some role for at least some on the autism spectrum. As for lead (Pb), well let's just say that few people have anything good to say about lead exposure, particularly when it comes to childhood lead exposure (see here) and with autism in mind, the label seemingly does not guarantee lead safety (see here).So, Khaled et al went about looking at levels of various urinary porphyrins as a function of both diagnostic status (autism, controls, siblings of autism participants) and also Hg and Pb load. They found that: "children with ASD had significantly higher levels of Hg, Pb, and the porphyrins pentacarboxyporphyrin, coproporphyrin, precoproporphyrin, uroporphyrins, and hexacarboxyporphyrin compared to healthy controls and healthy siblings of the ASD children." Again, sorry for the 'healthy' bit (these are the authors' words and not mine). They also observed that: "Mothers of ASD children showed a higher percentage of dental amalgam restorations compared to the mothers of healthy controls suggesting that high Hg levels in children with ASD may relate to the increased exposure to Hg from maternal dental amalgam during pregnancy and lactation."This work is by no means flawless. I could go on about the preferred method of analysis - "high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)" - used to separate/detect urinary porphyrins (with fluorescence detection as per other research by authors on this paper [3]) as not exactly being the gold-standard for example. I might also quibble about the idea that 'dental amalgam restoration' rates are no replacement for actually measuring circulating levels of maternal mercury either (bearing in mind this would need to be done in archived samples too). There are holes in this work, of that there is no doubt.But... it is a rather uncomfortable observation that time and time again, some children diagnosed with autism seem to be in possession of a somewhat higher than expected body burden of mercury, or at least testing positive for such a burden. Science has yet to fully understand the hows and whys of such findings for at least a group of people diagnosed with autism and what might be done to reduce any biological load and its various impacts on biological systems. Whether as Khaled and colleagues observe "a significant positive correlation between the levels of coproporphyrin and precoproporphyrin and autism severity" stands up to further independent scientific scrutiny is another question but I'm minded not to just glaze over these and other findings in the peer-reviewed literature as if they did not exist. They do exist and for those children/adults potentially registering with high levels of mercury (or other heavy metals) the onus is on treating such toxicities rather than just further adding to some growing health inequalities simply as the result of a label called 'autism'...Oh, and adding to the 'hot potato' theme, I'll be coming to the paper by Kerns and colleagues [4] on this topic quite soon.----------[1] Khaled EM. et al. Altered urinary porphyrins and mercury exposure as biomarkers for autism severity in Egyptian children with autism spectrum disorder. Metab Brain Dis. 2016 Jul 13.[2] Pingree SD. et al. Quantitative evaluation of urinary porphyrins as a measure of kidney mercury content and mercury body burden during prolonged methylmercury exposure in rats. Toxicol Sci. 2001 Jun;61(2):234-40.[3] Macedoni-Lukšič M. et al. Levels of metals in the blood and specific porphyrins in the urine in children with autism spectrum disorders. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2015 Feb;163(1-2):2-10.[4] Kern JK. et al. The relationship between mercury and autism: A comprehensive review and discussion. J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2016 Sep;37:8-24.----------Khaled EM, Meguid NA, Bjørklund G, Gouda A, Bahary MH, Hashish A, Sallam NM, Chirumbolo S, & El-Bana MA (2016). Altered urinary porphyrins and mercury exposure as biomarkers for autism severity in Egyptian children with autism spectrum disorder. Metabolic brain disease PMID: 27406246... Read more »

Khaled EM, Meguid NA, Bjørklund G, Gouda A, Bahary MH, Hashish A, Sallam NM, Chirumbolo S, & El-Bana MA. (2016) Altered urinary porphyrins and mercury exposure as biomarkers for autism severity in Egyptian children with autism spectrum disorder. Metabolic brain disease. PMID: 27406246

August 1, 2016
07:36 PM
80 views

This Month in Blastocystis Research - Interactive Edition

by Christen Rune Stensvold in Blastocystis Parasite Blog

What are your thoughts on Blastocystis carriage and age? Please comment!... Read more »

Forsell J, Granlund M, Samuelsson L, Koskiniemi S, Edebro H, & Evengård B. (2016) High occurrence of Blastocystis sp. subtypes 1-3 and Giardia intestinalis assemblage B among patients in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Parasites , 9(1), 370. PMID: 27356981

Poulsen CS, Efunshile AM, Nelson JA, & Stensvold CR. (2016) Epidemiological Aspects of Blastocystis Colonization in Children in Ilero, Nigeria. The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 95(1), 175-9. PMID: 27139454

August 1, 2016
03:10 PM
88 views

FAMIN or feast? Newly discovered mechanism influences how immune cells 'eat' invaders

by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories

A new mechanism that affects how our immune cells perform - and hence their ability to prevent disease - has been discovered by an international team of researchers. To date, researchers have identified hundreds of genetic variants that increase or decrease the risk of developing diseases from cancer and diabetes to tuberculosis and mental health disorders.

... Read more »

M Zaeem Cader, Katharina Boroviak, Qifeng Zhang, Ghazaleh Assadi, Sarah L Kempster, Gavin W Sewell, Svetlana Saveljeva, Jonathan W Ashcroft, Simon Clare, Subhankar Mukhopadhyay, Karen P Brown, Markus Tschurtschenthaler, Tim Raine, Brendan Doe, Edwin R Chilvers, Jules L Griffin, Nicole C Kaneider, R Andres Floto, Mauro D'Amato, Allan Bradley, Michael J O Wakelam.... (2016) C13orf31 (FAMIN) is a central regulator of immunometabolic function. Nature Immunology. info:/10.1038/ni.3532

August 1, 2016
07:22 AM
82 views

Live Long & Prosper!

by AG McCluskey in Zongo's Cancer Diaries

Good news for cancer patients in the UK, as 10-year survival rates show big improvements.... Read more »

MacMillan Cancer Support. (2016) Cancer: Then and Now. Diagnosis, treatment and aftercare from 1970–2016. MacMillan Cancer Support. info:/

August 1, 2016
04:10 AM
94 views

Physical activity in children and youth: themes and consensus

by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers

'Physical activity boosts kids' brain power and academic prowess' went the press release accompanying the consensus statement published by Jens Bangsbo and colleagues [1] (open-access).The consensus statement brought together researchers from around the world "and from a variety of academic disciplines" to emphasise how undertaking all-manner of different kinds of exercise "are still a good investment in academic achievement" when it comes to children aged between 6-18 years of age.The statement is open-access but a few choice passages are particularly worthy of highlighting including the idea that there are various positive physical effects from exercise (as if you needed telling): "Frequent moderate-intensity and, to a lesser extent, low-intensity exercise improves cardiometabolic fitness in children and youth." I might at this point also refer you to the findings by Ekelund and colleagues [2] that made some headlines recently suggesting that about 65-70 minutes of "moderate intensity physical activity" a day might be something to aim for across different age groups. Yes, move more.Perhaps just as important are the various associations being made between exercise and other important areas of health and well-being including that: "Physical activity before, during and after school promotes scholastic performance in children and youth" and: "Mastery of fundamental movement skills is beneficial to cognition and scholastic performance in children and youth." Being careful not to fall into the trap that is 'those who exercise are more 'smarter' than those who don't' the idea that mastering movement skills might be another positive from exercise is an important point to make. As I've said before on this blog (see here) one particular pastime ticks a lot of boxes in terms of exercise and a particular focus on fine and gross motor skills: the martial arts. Added to the fact that some important life skills can be gained from disciplines such as karate (e.g. self-confidence) and I'd be the first to advocate more children and young adults getting involved in such activities. Indeed, this is something else covered in the Bangsbo article: "Physical activity-based positive youth development programmes that have an intentional curriculum and deliberate training are effective at promoting life skills (eg, interpersonal, self-regulation skills) and core values (eg, respect and social responsibility) in children and youth."Finally, I leave you with another important point raised in the consensus statement: "Social inclusion can be promoted by providing equal access to opportunities within physical activity and sports settings regardless of children and young people's social, cultural, physical and demographic characteristics." Wearing my autism research hat, I might agree with the tenets of this point (see here) applied to the autism spectrum and how participation in sports and exercise can be a really important part of social inclusion strategies.Now, added to exercise potentially improving academic outcomes, how about some outdoor learning too and importantly, making sure that children and young people get enough [quality] sleep?----------[1] Bangsbo J. et al. The Copenhagen Consensus Conference 2016: children, youth, and physical activity in schools and during leisure time. Br J Sports Med. 2016 Jun 27. pii: bjsports-2016-096325.[2] Ekelund U. et al. Does physical activity attenuate, or even eliminate, the detrimental association of sitting time with mortality? A harmonised meta-analysis of data from more than 1 million men and women. Lancet. 2016. July 27.----------Bangsbo J, Krustrup P, Duda J, Hillman C, Andersen LB, Weiss M, Williams CA, Lintunen T, Green K, Hansen PR, Naylor PJ, Ericsson I, Nielsen G, Froberg K, Bugge A, Lundbye-Jensen J, Schipperijn J, Dagkas S, Agergaard S, von Seelen J, Østergaard C, Skovgaard T, Busch H, & Elbe AM (2016). The Copenhagen Consensus Conference 2016: children, youth, and physical activity in schools and during leisure time. British journal of sports medicine PMID: 27354718... Read more »

Bangsbo J, Krustrup P, Duda J, Hillman C, Andersen LB, Weiss M, Williams CA, Lintunen T, Green K, Hansen PR.... (2016) The Copenhagen Consensus Conference 2016: children, youth, and physical activity in schools and during leisure time. British journal of sports medicine. PMID: 27354718

July 31, 2016
03:38 PM
94 views

Tracking how HIV disrupts immune system informs vaccine development

by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories

One of the main mysteries confounding development of an HIV vaccine is why some people infected with the virus make the desired antibodies after several years, but a vaccine can't seem to induce the same response.

... Read more »

M. Anthony Moody1,2,3,*,†, Isabela Pedroza-Pacheco4,†, Nathan A. Vandergrift1,5, Cecilia Chui4, Krissey E. Lloyd1, Robert Parks1, Kelly A. Soderberg1, Ane T. Ogbe4, Myron S. Cohen6, Hua-Xin Liao1,5, Feng Gao1,5, Andrew J. McMichael, David C. Montefiori, Laurent Verkoczy, Garnett Kelsoe, Jinghe Huang, Patrick R. Shea, Mark Connors, Persephone Borrow, & Barton F. Haynes. (2016) Immune perturbations in HIV-1–infected individuals who make broadly neutralizing antibodies. Science Immunology . info:/10.1126/sciimmunol.aag0851

July 30, 2016
03:58 PM
131 views

Fish oil vs. lard -- why some fat can help or hinder your diet

by Dr. Jekyll in Lunatic Laboratories

A diet high in saturated fat can make your brain struggle to control what you eat. If people are looking to lose weight, stay clear of saturated fat. Consuming these types of fatty food affects a part of the brain called the hypothalamus, which helps regulate hunger.

... Read more »

Viggiano, E., Mollica, M., Lionetti, L., Cavaliere, G., Trinchese, G., De Filippo, C., Chieffi, S., Gaita, M., Barletta, A., De Luca, B.... (2016) Effects of an High-Fat Diet Enriched in Lard or in Fish Oil on the Hypothalamic Amp-Activated Protein Kinase and Inflammatory Mediators. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience. DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2016.00150

July 30, 2016
03:32 AM
136 views

More scientific flesh on the bones of non-coeliac gluten/wheat sensitivity

by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers

I was really, really pleased to read the paper by Melanie Uhde and colleagues [1] (open-access) I don't mind telling you. Covering a topic close to my blogging and research heart - sensitivity to wheat or gluten but not coeliac disease - the authors provide some much needed scientific clarification when it comes to how gluten or wheat might impact on some of those "who reported symptoms in response to wheat intake and in whom coeliac disease and wheat allergy were ruled out." Some media interest in the paper can also be seen here.With an authorship list including some of the great and good on this issue (see here for example) researchers included 80 participants presenting with non-coeliac wheat sensitivity (NCWS) according to "criteria recently proposed by an expert group" [2]. These NCWS participants reported "experiencing intestinal and/or extraintestinal symptoms after ingestion of gluten-containing foods, including wheat, rye or barley. The reported symptoms in all subjects improved or disappeared when those foods were withdrawn for a period of 6 months, and recurred when they were re-introduced for a period of up to 1 month." All 80 provided serum samples for analysis that were compared with similar samples from 40 participants with "biopsy-proven active coeliac disease" and 40 samples from asymptomatic controls on a non-restrictive diet.The sort of information sought from those serum samples included quite a bit. Not only were "established markers" of coeliac disease (CD) assayed for - including IgA antibody to TG2 - but various immunological markers towards gluten were also included for study. Based also on the idea that "intestinal cell damage and systemic immune response to microbial components" might be an important feature of NCWS, researchers also markers associated with "compromised intestinal epithelial barrier integrity."Results: well, as per the media interest in this paper: "The findings suggest that these individuals [with NCWS] have a weakened intestinal barrier, which leads to a body-wide inflammatory immune response."A few further details are worthwhile discussing. First, the genetics of coeliac disease (those DQ2 and/or DQ8 heterodimers) were present in about a quarter of those with NCWS "a rate not substantially different than in the general population." Second, most of those with NCWS did not show the characteristic mucosal signs of CD as per the Marsh gradings (0 or 1) throughout the cohort. This was in direct contrast to the CD participants who all "expressed HLA DQ2 and/or DQ8 and presented with Marsh 3 grade intestinal histological findings." The conclusion: CD and NCWS participants are not one and the same (just in case you needed telling).Next: "Serum levels of both LBP [lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding protein (LBP)] and sCD14 were significantly elevated in individuals with NCWS in comparison with patients with coeliac disease and healthy individuals." This implies that there is 'systemic immune activation' on-going in those participants with NCWS not seen to the same extent in the other groups. These findings were also complemented by results indicative of that compromised intestinal epithelial barrier integrity previously discussed. The final picture emerging being one where NCWS participants seem to be in a state of 'immune activation' "linked to increased translocation of microbial and dietary components from the gut into circulation, in part due to intestinal cell damage and weakening of the intestinal barrier." I might add that some smaller scale analysis of serum samples from those NCWS participants "both before and after 6 months of a self-monitored diet free of wheat, rye and barley" suggested "a significant decline in the markers of immune activation and gut epithelial cell damage, in conjunction with the improvement of symptoms."And rest.For those as interested in this area of research as I am, I'm sure that you can understand my happiness in seeing the Uhde results and what it might mean for many, many people who've been perhaps been 'fobbed off' down the years with regards to their gluten ills. I can't help but see a possible connection between these findings and others reported with autism in mind for example (see here and see here). The added suggestion that 'intestinal cell damage' might be a feature of NCWS also possibly ties in with all that talk about 'leaky gut' and some autism (see here) but I don't doubt it may go well beyond just [some] autism [3]. Not looking so tree-hugging now eh?Of course there is more to do in this area: "Further research is needed to investigate the mechanism responsible for the intestinal damage and breach of the epithelial barrier, assess the potential use of the identified immune markers for the diagnosis of affected individuals and/or monitoring the response to specific treatment strategies, and examine potential therapies to counter epithelial cell damage and systemic immune activation in affected individuals." I might also add in a role for those trillions of wee beasties that call our gut home (the gut microbiota) as potentially also being a target for further scientific research too (see here for example).I await further studies...----------[1] Uhde M. et al. Intestinal cell damage and systemic immune activation in individuals reporting sensitivity to wheat in the absence of coeliac disease. Gut. 2016. July 25.[2] Catassi C. et al. Diagnosis of Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS): The Salerno Experts’ Criteria. Nutrients. 2015;7(6):4966-4977.[3] Whiteley P. Nutritional management of (some) autism: a case for gluten- and casein-free diets? Proc Nutr Soc. 2015 Aug;74(3):202-7.----------Uhde, M., Ajamian, M., Caio, G., De Giorgio, R., Indart, A., Green, P., Verna, E., Volta, U., & Alaedini, A. (2016). Intestinal cell damage and systemic immune activation in individuals reporting sensitivity to wheat in the absence of coeliac disease Gut DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2016-311964... Read more »

Uhde, M., Ajamian, M., Caio, G., De Giorgio, R., Indart, A., Green, P., Verna, E., Volta, U., & Alaedini, A. (2016) Intestinal cell damage and systemic immune activation in individuals reporting sensitivity to wheat in the absence of coeliac disease. Gut. DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2016-311964

login

Post List

Medicine posts

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

Why is this post inappropriate?

search

topics

dates

View

Language

Languages to Display

join us!

News