Testosterone modulates gene expression pathways regulating nutrient accumulation, glucose metabolism and protein turnover in mouse skeletal muscle.

Testosterone regulates energy metabolism and skeletal muscle mass in males, but the molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. This study investigated the response of skeletal muscle to castration and testosterone replacement in 8-week-old male mice. Using microarray analyses of mRNA levels in gastrocnemius muscle, 91 genes were found to be negatively regulated by testosterone and 68 genes were positively regulated.

Genetic vulnerability and phenotypic expression of depression and risk for ischemic heart disease in the Vietnam era twin study of aging.

Objective: To determine if depression contributes to incident heart disease after accounting for genetic, behavioral, and medical factors associated with both conditions.

Methods: We used a prospective twin study with a 12-year follow-up. In 1992, lifetime diagnosis of depression was assessed in 1159 male-male twins and merged with longitudinal health data from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry Study of Aging.

New approaches to the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program: the American College of Surgeons experience.

In honor of the seminal contributions of Dr. Shukri Khuri to the foundation and development of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP), a review of recent work and new directions within the American College of Surgeons (ACS) NSQIP is presented, according to the following outline:

Subjective effects to cannabis are associated with use, abuse and dependence after adjusting for genetic and environmental influences.

Background: Previous reports in adults have suggested that the effects experienced after cannabis use can be described in terms of positive and negative subtypes that are heritable and are associated with abuse and dependence. This study extends existing research by inclusion of adolescents and young adults in an offspring of twins design which makes it possible to take into account genetic and environmental risks for substance use disorder.

Methods: Data were collected from 725 twin members of the Vietnam Era Twin Registry, 839 of their 12-32 year old biological offspring and 427 mothers.

Depression increases risk of incident myocardial infarction among Veterans Administration patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: This study evaluates whether depression is a risk factor for incident myocardial infarction (MI) in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) between 30 and 79 years of age.

Methods: We used a retrospective cohort study of 15,634 patients with RA. Diagnoses and sociodemographic data were obtained from VA administrative and pharmacy databases between fiscal years 1999 and 2006.

Herpes zoster risk factors in a national cohort of veterans with rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Herpes zoster occurs more commonly in patients taking immunosuppressive medications, although the risk associated with different medications is poorly understood.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study involving 20,357 patients who were followed in the Veterans Affairs healthcare system and treated for rheumatoid arthritis from October 1998 through June 2005. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to determine risk factors for herpes zoster and herpes zoster-free survival.

Adverse effects of tenofovir use in HIV-infected pregnant women and their infants.

Background: Data regarding use of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate in HIV-infected pregnant women are limited.

Objective: To identify adverse effects of tenofovir use during pregnancy in HIV-infected women and their infants.

Methods: In a retrospective case series, the charts of 127 pregnant HIV-infected women who received highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) between 2001 and 2005 were reviewed.

Genetic and environmental contributions to nicotine, alcohol and cannabis dependence in male twins.

Aims: To compute the common and specific genetic and environmental contributions to nicotine dependence (ND) alcohol dependence (AD) and cannabis dependence (CD).

Design: Twin model.

Participants: Data from 1874 monozygotic and 1498 dizygotic twin pair members of the Vietnam Era Twin Registry were obtained via telephone administration of a structured psychiatric interview in 1992.

Vascular calcification in uremia: what is new and where are we going?

Arterial calcification is very common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and other chronic inflammatory disorders such as diabetes mellitus. Arterial calcification is associated with significant morbidity and increased early mortality. Vascular calcification is a highly orchestrated process that entrains a repertoire of transcription factors and involves the activation of an osteogenic program that recapitulates the molecular fingerprints seen in bone formation.

Association of cognitive distortions with problem and pathological gambling in adult male twins.

Treatment studies suggest that gambling-related irrational beliefs and attitudes (i.e., cognitive distortions (CDs)) contribute to the risk for problem gambling behavior.

Measured environmental contributions to cannabis abuse/dependence in an offspring of twins design.

Genetic and environmental factors are known to contribute to cannabis abuse/dependence (CAD). We sought to determine the magnitude of the contribution from measured environmental variables to offspring cannabis dependence in a design that controls for familial vulnerability. Data come from a study of 725 twin members of the Vietnam Era Twin Registry, 720 of their biological offspring (age 18-32 years) and 427 mothers.

Tamm-Horsfall protein protects the kidney from ischemic injury by decreasing inflammation and altering TLR4 expression.

Tamm-Horsfall protein (THP) is a glycoprotein with unclear functions expressed exclusively in thick ascending limbs (TAL) of the kidney. Its role in ischemic acute kidney injury is uncertain, with previous data suggesting a possible negative effect by enhancing cast formation and promoting inflammation. Using a recently characterized THP knockout mouse (THP-/-), we investigated the role of THP in renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI).

Posttraumatic stress disorder; combat exposure; and nicotine dependence, alcohol dependence, and major depression in male twins.

Combat exposure is associated with increased risk of psychiatric and substance use disorders in veterans. However, it is not known whether combat exposure independently increases risk for these disorders or whether this association is accounted for by genetic vulnerability common to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This article tests competing explanations for the association of combat exposure and PTSD with nicotine dependence (ND), alcohol dependence (AD), and major depression (MD).

Adjuvant chemotherapy for lung cancer: cisplatin doublets only?

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Despite adequate resection, more than half of patients die of recurrent disease, usually at distant sites. Adjuvant systemic chemotherapy is mainly used to eradicate micrometastatic disease.

Is there a role for cetuximab in non small cell lung cancer?

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is commonly overexpressed in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In addition, activating mutations in the EGFR tyrosine kinase domain have been described almost exclusively in NSCLC. Cetuximab, a monoclonal antibody against EGFR, has only modest single-agent activity in advanced NSCLC.

Genetic and environmental contributions to pathological gambling symptoms in a 10-year follow-up.

Problem (P) and pathological gambling (PG) symptoms wax and wane. Past symptoms are a risk for future symptoms even after controlling for familial influences. To address the genetic architecture of lifetime PG and current PG symptoms, we tested for common and unique genetic factors to lifetime PG symptoms at baseline and past year PG symptoms at 10-year follow-up.

Association between exposure to childhood and lifetime traumatic events and lifetime pathological gambling in a twin cohort.

The present study seeks to estimate the strength of the association between exposure to lifetime traumatic events and gambling problems while accounting for the potential contribution of psychiatric disorders, genetic factors, and family environmental influences. In 2002, structured diagnostic interviews were conducted with 1675 male twins to obtain data on exposure to traumatic events and pathological gambling. Multinomial regression tested for associations between each traumatic event and three levels of problem gambling (1-2 symptoms, at risk; 3-4 symptoms, problem gambling, and 5 or more symptoms, pathological gambling).

Spouses of Persian Gulf War I veterans: medical evaluation of a U.S. cohort.

Ten years after the 1991 Persian Gulf War (GW I), a comprehensive evaluation of a national cohort of deployed veterans (DV) demonstrated a higher prevalence of several medical conditions, in comparison to a similarly identified cohort of nondeployed veterans (NDV). The present study determined the prevalence of medical conditions among nonveteran spouses of these GW I DV and NDV. A cohort of 490 spouses of GW I DV and 537 spouses of GW I NDV underwent comprehensive face-to-face examinations.

Nicotine dependence subtypes: association with smoking history, diagnostic criteria and psychiatric disorders in 5440 regular smokers from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry.

Studies suggest empirically derived subtypes of nicotine dependence exist in young adult populations with short smoking careers. It is not known if classes of dependence exist in middle aged smokers with longer smoking careers and whether these classes reflect quantitative or qualitative differences. It is not known if psychiatric disorders are associated with classes of nicotine dependence.

Increased apoptosis and accelerated epithelial migration following inhibition of hedgehog signaling in adaptive small bowel postresection.

The intestinal epithelium undergoes a marked adaptive response following loss of functional small bowel surface area characterized by increased crypt cell proliferation and increased enterocyte migration from crypt to villus tip, resulting in villus hyperplasia and enhanced nutrient absorption. Hedgehog (Hh) signaling plays a critical role in regulating epithelial-mesenchymal interactions during morphogenesis of the embryonic intestine. Our previous studies showed that blocking Hh signaling in neonatal mice results in increased small intestinal epithelial crypt cell proliferation and altered enterocyte fat absorption and morphology.

GB virus C replicates in primary T and B lymphocytes.

GB virus C (GBV-C) infection is common in humans and may persist for decades, although most infected persons clear the virus and subsequently develop antibodies to the envelope glycoprotein. GBV-C replicates in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and CD4(+) T lymphocytes in vitro, and depletion of CD4(+) T lymphocytes has been proposed as the reason for clearance of GBV-C among persons positive for human immunodeficiency virus. We identified GBV-C RNA in purified CD4(+) and CD8(+) T lymphocytes and CD19(+) B lymphocytes removed ex vivo from infected donors and found that GBV-C replicated in vitro in these PBMC subsets, suggesting that GBV-C is a panlymphotropic virus.

Chronic multisymptom illness complex in Gulf War I veterans 10 years later.

Prior research has demonstrated that shortly after the 1991 Gulf War (Gulf War I), chronic multisymptom illness (CMI) was more common among deployed veterans than among nondeployed veterans. The aims of the current study were to determine the prevalence of CMI among deployed and nondeployed veterans 10 years after Gulf War I, compare the distribution of comorbid conditions, and identify prewar factors associated with CMI. Cross-sectional data collected from 1,061 deployed veterans and 1,128 nondeployed veterans examined between 1999 and 2001 were analyzed.

Effect of genes, environment, and lifetime co-occurring disorders on health-related quality of life in problem and pathological gamblers.

Background: Problem and pathological gambling are associated with many impairments in quality of life, including financial, family, legal, and social problems. Gambling disorders commonly co-occur with other psychiatric disorders, such as alcoholism and depression. Although these consequences and correlates have been reported, little is known about the health-related functional impairment associated with gambling.

Genetic studies of pathological gambling: a review of methodology and analyses of data from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry.

Twin studies represent an important and powerful approach to estimating the relative contributions of environmental and genetic factors to the expression of psychiatric illnesses. In this article, we first explain the rationale for using large populations of monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs to estimate genetic and environmental contributions to a disorder and the statistical modeling associated with this approach. We then review results from studies of the Vietnam Era Twin Registry that use this methodology to examine the etiology of pathological gambling (PG) behaviors.

The use of complementary and alternative medical therapies among older persons around the world.

Defining complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) helps in understanding what it offers, why older patients are attracted to and find effectiveness in these therapies, and how conventional practitioners can deal with their increasing use. The most common definition in United States medical literature is "those practices neither taught widely in United States medical schools nor gene-rally available in United States hospitals." Patient interviews must include inquiry into CAM use; providers need to know about potentially risky therapies.