A rapid method for diagnosis of the Lebanese allele in the low-density lipoprotein receptor gene.

The Lebanese allele in the low-density lipoprotein receptor gene is one of the alleles which results in the disease familial hypercholesterolemia. We describe a rapid method for detection of the Lebanese allele, using the polymerase chain reaction to amplify part of exon 13, intron 14 and all of exon 14. The amplified DNA is then digested with HinfI which distinguishes between the normal and Lebanese alleles.

Characterization of the antigenic and adhesive properties of FaeG, the major subunit of K88 fimbriae.

The two K88 serotypes, K88ab and K88ac, differ in terms of antigenic and adhesive properties. The structural determinants of the serotype-specific epitopes and the identify of the amino acid residues involved in fimbriae-receptor interaction were studied by the construction and analysis of K88 hybrid proteins in which various parts of the K88ab and K88ac fimbrial subunit FaeG were exchanged, and by in vitro mutagenesis of non-conserved amino acid residues. Using a set of monoclonal antibodies, several regions or amino acid residues involved in the formation of serotype-specific antigenic determinants were located.

Dubbo Study of the elderly: hypertension and lipid levels.

Untreated hypertension in age groups below 60 years has been shown to be associated with significant elevations in serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Drug therapy of hypertension has also been shown to have adverse effects on lipoproteins. We have investigated lipid and lipoprotein levels in a community-based sample of men and women 60 years and older belonging to one of the following groupings: (a) normal blood pressure (n = 1075); (b) untreated hypertension (n = 329); (c) drug-treated hypertension (n = 880).

Localization and function of FanH and FanG, minor components of K99 fimbriae of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli.

Specific antisera against FanG and against FanH were prepared by immunization with hybrid Cro-LacZ-FanG and Cro-LacZ-FanH proteins, respectively. Immunoblotting with these antisera revealed the presence of FanG and FanH as minor components in purified K99 fimbriae. Mutations were constructed in fanG and fanH and cells defective in FanG or FanH were characterized by ELISA, immunoblotting, adhesion assays and electron microscopy.

Dubbo study of the elderly: sociological and cardiovascular risk factors at entry.

A prospective study of elderly Australians commenced in 1988 in Dubbo, NSW. Its goals are to identify predictors of mortality, hospitalisation and placement in long-term care, with special focus on risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The study population were non-institutionalised subjects, comprising 1237 males and 1568 females 60 years and over.

The Dubbo study of the health of elderly: correlates of coronary heart disease at study entry.

A prospective study of the health of elderly Australians recently commenced in Dubbo, NSW, the study population comprising 1,237 males and 1,568 females 60 years and older. The prevalence rates of coronary heart disease (CHD) and its associated risk factors have been examined in the baseline data. The age-standardized rate of CHD was 23.

High density lipoproteins, genetic polymorphism for apo A-I and coronary artery disease.

HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I are associated with the development of coronary artery disease (CAD). The presence of a PstI site polymorphism adjacent to the gene encoding apo A-I (known as P2) has also been shown to be associated with CAD but this relationship is controversial. A case control study was conducted in an Australian population to re-examine whether the rare P2 allele is associated with CAD.

Coronary risk factors six to twelve months after coronary artery bypass surgery. 1986 compared with 1990.

A 1986 study found that coronary risk factors were receiving insufficient attention in patients who had recently undergone coronary artery bypass grafting. This issue was readdressed in a like group of 100 patients from the same surgical unit three and a half years later, in 1990, to ascertain whether risk factor management had improved over the period. An increased proportion of patients in 1990 were undergoing active management of hypertension and hyperlipidaemia.

The toxic effect of deltamethrin on linyphiid and erigonid spiders in connection with ambient temperature, humidity, and predation.

The first part of this study concerns the effect of temperature and air humidity on the toxicity of deltamethrin to the erigonid Oedothorax apicatus. The second part concerns the effect of deltamethrin on behavior of linyphiids and erigonids with respect to their ability to escape from predators and to select between unfavorable (dry) and favorable (moist) habitat conditions. The toxic effect of deltamethrin was highest at the combination of high temperature and low air humidity.

The Dubbo study: an Australian prospective community study of the health of elderly.

The proportion of Australian population over 60 years has risen progressively over the last 40 years and this growth is projected to continue. Major health problems of the elderly include coronary heart disease, cerebro-vascular disease, osteoporosis and fracture. The risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke in middle-aged subjects have been extensively documented in prospective studies in Australia and elsewhere, and include lipid disorders, hypertension, cigarette smoking, diabetes and family history.

Effects of an ethyl ester preparation of fish oils (Himega) on lipids and lipoproteins in hyperlipidaemia.

Clinical trials were conducted to assess the utility of HimegaR in the management of hyperlipidaemia. Himega is an ethyl ester concentrate from fish oil containing at least 50% n-3 fatty acid and minimal cholesterol. In Study 1, 13 subjects with primary hypertriglyceridaemia consumed Himega or a triglyceride-based fish oil in a randomised, double-blind crossover study for 12 weeks.

Impact of intensive educational approach to dietary change in NIDDM.

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of an intensive educational approach incorporating longer time, greater simplicity, repetition, and cognitive motivational techniques with a conventional one in subjects with established non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) whose weight, glycemic control, and diet were not optimal. Subjects were randomly allocated to intensive or conventional education. Of 350 subjects, 70 met the study criteria, which included established NIDDM (greater than or equal to 3 mo), suboptimal recent glycemic control, dietary fat intake greater than or equal to 35% of total energy intake, and body mass index greater than or equal to 25 kg/m2.

Comparison of simvastatin and cholestyramine in the treatment of primary hypercholesterolaemia.

The effects of simvastatin, a competitive inhibitor of the enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, on plasma lipid levels were compared with those of the bile acid sequestrant cholestyramine in a randomized parallel study of 60 subjects with primary hypercholesterolaemia. After a 12-week direct comparison period 37 subjects with inadequate cholesterol reduction received a combination of both drugs and all subjects were followed for a further 40 weeks. Simvastatin was more effective than cholestyramine in lowering total and LDL cholesterol levels and the LDL/HDL ratio (-31.

The expression of influenza virus hemagglutinin in the pancreatic beta cells of transgenic mice results in autoimmune diabetes.

Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus results from the autoimmune destruction of the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreatic islets. The target antigen(s) involved in this immunopathological process has not been identified. Our strategy was to determine whether expression of a novel surface antigen by murine pancreatic beta cells would result in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

On the mechanism by which an ACAT inhibitor (CL 277,082) influences plasma lipoproteins in the rat.

CL 277,082 is an inhibitor of acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT). The effects of this drug on lipoprotein metabolism have been examined in cholesterol-fed rats. An optimal dose of drug incorporated into the diet (0.

The effects of adrenergic blockade on lipoproteins using the rat as an experimental model.

Adrenergic blocking drugs are known to have adverse effects on lipids and lipoproteins in man, although the mechanisms underlying these effects are unclear. In order to see whether the rat might be a suitable model to explore this issue, adrenergic blockers having differing properties with respect to receptor interaction were administered to rats orally over seven days, followed by measurement of plasma lipids and lipoproteins. Total plasma cholesterol was not significantly influenced by any of the drugs used, while triglycerides were reduced by 20% and 31% respectively with pindolol and prazosin.

Effects of fish oil supplementation on glucose and lipid metabolism in NIDDM.

Fish oils, containing omega-3 fatty acids (omega 3FAs), favorably influence plasma lipoproteins in nondiabetic humans and prevent the development of insulin resistance induced by fat feeding in rats. We studied the effects of fish oils in 10 subjects (aged 42-65 yr) with mild non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Subjects were fed a standard diabetic diet plus 1) no supplementation (baseline), 2) 10 g fish oil concentrate (30% omega 3FAs) daily, and 3) 10 g safflower oil daily over separate 3-wk periods, the latter two supplements being given in radom order by use of a double-blind crossover design.

Privatization and the mental health system. A private sector view.

Privatization has received significant attention in the popular and professional press. The notion has gained increasing political acceptance with the private sector being seen as cost-effective, innovative, and responsive. Private mental health initiatives will grow because the private sector is seen as an efficient allocator of resources and because there are profit opportunities in traditionally public services.

Reduced serum antibodies associated with social defeat in rats.

Many studies have linked various physical stressors with changes in immune function. The present experiment examined the effect of a social stressor, defeat associated with territorial defense, on serum antibodies to a specific protein, keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH). Pairs of male rats formed colonies and experimental rats were intruders.

Epidemiologic considerations in cardiovascular diseases in the elderly: international comparisons and trends.

As developed countries experience an "aging" of their populations, concern over cardiovascular disease, an important cause of death in the elderly, has grown. Improvements in the mortality rates of ischemic heart disease have been observed over the last 10 or 15 years in many nations, including Australia, the United States, Canada and Belgium. In other countries, mortality rates have remained unchanged and in some Eastern European countries, mortality rates have increased.

Platelet activation by oxidatively modified low density lipoproteins.

Interactions between altered lipoproteins and platelets may be important in atherosclerosis lesion formation and thrombosis. The aims of this study were to compare the effects of oxidatively modified and native low density lipoproteins (LDL) and high density lipoproteins (HDL) on platelet responses in the presence and absence of other platelet agonists, and investigate the mechanism(s) by which lipoproteins influence platelet activation. We have shown that native and oxidatively modified lipoproteins differ importantly in their effects on platelets; oxidation renders lipoproteins more reactive to platelets.