Research Dominance Definitions May Not Identify Higher Risk Limb for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in NCAA D3 Student-Athletes.

Background/purpose: Recent work has identified non-significant correlations of established limb dominance to the lower extremity (LE) at greater risk for Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury in an active, non-athletic sample. The most common LE dominance definition is preferred leg to kick a ball. Athletes develop a unilaterality pattern different from their active, non-athlete peers.

Cancer disparities among Alaska native people, 1970-2011.

Introduction: Cancer is the leading cause of death among Alaska Native people. The objective of this study was to examine cancer incidence data for 2007-2011, age-specific rates for a 15-year period, incidence trends for 1970-2011, and mortality trends for 1990-2011.

Methods: US data were from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program SEER*Stat database and from the SEER Alaska Native Tumor Registry.

Effect of fenofibrate treatment for hyperlipidaemia on serum creatinine and cystatin C.

Background: The increase in creatinine in patients on fibrate therapy is well-recognized, but its mechanism is not clearly understood. A study by Hottelart et al. suggested that fibrate-induced creatininaemia was due to the effect of fibrates on creatinine metabolism as opposed to a decline in renal function.

Dietary vitamin A may be a cardiovascular risk factor in a Saudi population.

Traditional risk factors do not appear to explain fully the variation in the incidence of the cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Epidemiological studies have not been entirely consistent with regard to the relationship between antioxidant vitamin intake and CVD and there appears to be little data on this relationship in non-Caucasian populations. This study aimed to investigate the dietary intake of vitamin A, C, and vitamin E, and carotenoids, serum concentrations of vitamin E and A and indices of lipid peroxidation were measured in male Saudi patients with established CVD and age-matched controls.

Dietary antioxidants and fat are associated with plasma antibody titers to heat shock proteins 60, 65, and 70 in subjects with dyslipidemia.

Background: The heat shock proteins (HSPs) are protein chaperones. Higher titers of antibody to HSPs (anti-HSPs) have been reported in atherosclerosis, which may contribute to immunoactivation in this process.

Objective: We investigated whether dietary antioxidants and fat intake are associated with changes in anti-HSP titers in dyslipidemic subjects.

Genetic cause of hyperglycaemia and response to treatment in diabetes.

Background: Type 2 diabetes shows evidence of underlying heterogeneity. No studies have assessed whether different causes for diabetes change the response to oral hypoglycaemic therapy. In a few cases, patients with diabetes caused by mutations in the hepatocyte nuclear factor 1alpha (HNF-1alpha) gene have been described as sensitive to the hypoglycaemic effects of sulphonylureas.

Screening for colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) causes 20 000 deaths per annum in the UK alone. Screening has been shown to reduce mortality but debate exists as to which approach to use. Direct visualization of the colorectum has the advantage that it detects lesions most effectively and is required at less frequent intervals, but the procedure is invasive and at present too costly for screening purposes.

Changes in serum concentration of antioxidants following treadmill exercise testing in patients with suspected ischaemic heart disease.

Twenty-four subjects with suspected ischaemic heart disease underwent a treadmill exercise stress test (TEST). Nine individuals developed ischaemia as defined by standard criteria. Total plasma antioxidant status (TPAS), and serum concentrations of vitamin E were measured pre-TEST, and 0, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 24 h following the treadmill test.

Changes in serum concentrations of markers of myocardial injury following treadmill exercise testing in patients with suspected ischaemic heart disease.

Background: The treadmill exercise test (TEST) is frequently used in patients with suspected ischaemic heart disease to establish a diagnosis and estimate future risk. However, its predictive value is poor. We aimed to investigate whether measurement of biochemical markers of myocardial injury could improve the diagnostic value of the procedure.

Effect of vitamin E supplementation on circulating cell adhesion molecules pre- and post-coronary angioplasty.

The soluble adhesion molecules P-selectin (sP-selectin) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) are derived from platelets and endothelial cells. Circulating concentrations of these soluble adhesion molecules are raised in patients with atherosclerosis and following percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). We have investigated the effects of vitamin E supplements (800 IU/day) on circulating plasma ICAM-1 and P-selectin levels pre- and post-PTCA.

Cholesterol standardized plasma vitamin E levels are reduced in patients with severe angina pectoris.

Vitamin E, the major lipid soluble plasma antioxidant, has been reported to be reduced in patients with coronary atherosclerosis. We have measured the levels of plasma alpha-tocopherol (the predominant form of plasma vitamin E) in 128 patients with different reported degrees of angina. Patients with mild to moderate angina (grades I or II (CSS score)) (n = 64), and patients with severe angina (grades III and IV) (n = 64) were recruited from Cardiology Clinics in the U.

Comparison of a commercial enzymic kit for urinary oxalate analysis with a high performance liquid chromatographic method.

A new commercial enzymic kit for urinary oxalate determination has been adapted for use on a centrifugal analyser. It has been evaluated and compared with an established high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) procedure developed in our laboratory. Mean recovery of oxalate from urine samples augmented with oxalic acid exceeded 97% by both methods.

The determination of oxalate in urine and plasma by high performance liquid chromatography.

We describe a simple, sensitive assay for oxalate in urine or plasma. Acidified urine is pretreated by dilution with neutral phosphate buffer and passage through a C18 cartridge. Stabilized plasma is diluted with neutral acetate buffer and oxalate extracted using a strong anion exchange cartridge.

Diagnostic significance of octadeca-9,11-dienoic acid in cervical neoplasia.

The percentage molar ratio (%MR) of the 9,11 and 9,12 isomers of octadecadienoic acid was determined in cervical exfoliated cells from 148 subjects, of whom 27 had cytologically proven intraepithelial neoplasia and in cervical biopsy specimens from 43 subjects, of whom 24 had histologically diagnosed cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. The %MR in both cervical biopsy specimens and exfoliated cells did not significantly differ in subjects with or without cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. The measurement of the %MR of 9,11:9,12 octadecadienoic acid has no role in the detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.

Paracetamol (acetaminophen) analysis by high performance liquid chromatography: interference studies and comparison with an enzymatic procedure.

A simple, robust, high performance liquid chromatographic method for serum paracetamol determination in both the therapeutic and overdose concentration ranges is described. The within- and between-batch precision of the method was better than CV 5% at both micromolar and millimolar concentrations, and recovery of added paracetamol from drug-free serum exceeded 96%. No interference from any of the other drugs, drug metabolites, and dietary constituents tested was found.

Determination of aluminium in serum: findings of an external quality assessment scheme.

The analytical performance of laboratories participating in the serum aluminium programme of the Guildford Trace Element Quality Assessment Scheme has been evaluated. The considerable disparity between reported results was not attributable to the nature of the samples distributed, nor to the standard aluminium solutions used in different laboratories. All laboratories used electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry but sample preparation procedures and temperature programmes varied enormously.

Evaluation of a rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic method for plasma theophylline analysis and its use in therapeutic drug monitoring.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay for theophylline has been developed and evaluated, and interferences eliminated. The method has been compared to an enzyme multiplied immunoassay technique (EMIT) with respect to cost and speed of analysis, recovery of added analyte, precision, accuracy, and performance in an external quality assessment scheme. The HPLC method, although less rapid than EMIT, was superior with respect to precision and less expensive to perform.

Determination of total bile acids in serum. A comparison of a radioimmunoassay with an enzymatic-fluorimetric method.

A solid phase radioimmunoassay kit method for total conjugated bile acids has been compared to an enzymatic fluorimetric method for total serum bile acids. The methods were compared with respect to: precision, cross-reactivity (molar equivalence) of different bile salts, recovery of different bile salts from serum, the reference range for a healthy population, linearity, coefficient of correlation, diagnostic effectiveness, cost and ease of assay. Both assays seemed equally capable of predicting the presence or absence of liver disease.

Measurement of bile acids in fasting gastric aspirates: an objective test for bile reflux after gastric surgery.

We measured the concentration of bile acids in gastric aspirates from patients who had had operations for peptic ulcer. Some patients were asymptomatic and some had postoperative symptoms of the type that have been attributed to duodenogastric reflux. Samples were obtained via a nasogastric tube when the patients were fasting, after food, after pentagastrin, and overnight.