To cite this article: Jarvis D, Newson R, Lotvall J, Hastan D, Tomassen P, Keil T, Gjomarkaj M, Forsberg B, Gunnbjornsdottir M, Minov J, Brozek G, Dahlen SE, Toskala E, Kowalski ML, Olze H, Howarth ...P, Krämer U, Baelum J, Loureiro C, Kasper L, Bousquet PJ, Bousquet J, Bachert C, Fokkens W, Burney P. Asthma in adults and its association with chronic rhinosinusitis: The GA2LEN survey in Europe. Allergy 2012; 67: 91–98.
Background: The prevalence of asthma and its association with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) have not been widely studied in population‐based epidemiological surveys.
Methods: The Global Allergy and Asthma Network of Excellence (GA2LEN) conducted a postal questionnaire in representative samples of adults living in Europe to assess the presence of asthma and CRS defined by the European Position Paper on Rhinosinusitis and Nasal Polyps. The prevalence of self‐reported current asthma by age group was determined. The association of asthma with CRS in each participating centre was assessed using logistic regression analyses, controlling for age, sex and smoking, and the effect estimates were combined using standard methods of meta‐analysis.
Results: Over 52 000 adults aged 18–75 years and living in 19 centres in 12 countries took part. In most centres, and overall, the reported prevalence of asthma was lower in older adults (adjusted OR for 65–74 years compared with 15–24 years: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.63–0.81). In all centres, there was a strong association of asthma with CRS (adjusted OR: 3.47; 95% CI: 3.20–3.76) at all ages. The association with asthma was stronger in those reporting both CRS and allergic rhinitis (adjusted OR: 11.85; 95% CI: 10.57–13.17). CRS in the absence of nasal allergies was positively associated with late‐onset asthma.
Conclusion: Geographical variation in the prevalence of self‐reported asthma was observed across Europe, but overall, self‐reported asthma was more common in young adults, women and smokers. In all age groups, men and women, and irrespective of smoking behaviour, asthma was also associated with CRS.
Background: The prevalence of asthma and its association with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) have not been widely studied in population-based epidemiological surveys.
Methods: The Global Allergy and ...Asthma Network of Excellence (GA 2 LEN) conducted a postal questionnaire in representative samples of adults living in Europe to assess the presence of asthma and CRS defined by the European Position Paper on Rhinosinusitis and Nasal Polyps. The prevalence of self-reported current asthma by age group was determined. The association of asthma with CRS in each participating centre was assessed using logistic regression analyses, controlling for age, sex and smoking, and the effect estimates were combined using standard methods of meta-analysis.
Results: Over 52 000 adults aged 18–75 years and living in 19 centres in 12 countries took part. In most centres, and overall, the reported prevalence of asthma was lower in older adults (adjusted OR for 65–74 years compared with 15–24 years: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.63–0.81). In all centres, there was a strong association of asthma with CRS (adjusted OR: 3.47; 95% CI: 3.20–3.76) at all ages. The association with asthma was stronger in those reporting both CRS and allergic rhinitis (adjusted OR: 11.85; 95% CI: 10.57–13.17). CRS in the absence of nasal allergies was positively associated with late-onset asthma.
Conclusion: Geographical variation in the prevalence of self-reported asthma was observed across Europe, but overall, self-reported asthma was more common in young adults, women and smokers. In all age groups, men and women, and irrespective of smoking behaviour, asthma was also associated with CRS.
Earlier, we demonstrated that transcript levels of METAL TOLERANCE PROTEIN2 (MTP2) and of HEAVY METAL ATPase2 (HMA2) increase strongly in roots of Arabidopsis upon prolonged zinc (Zn) deficiency and ...respond to shoot physiological Zn status, and not to the local Zn status in roots. This provided evidence for shoot-to-root communication in the acclimation of plants to Zn deficiency. Zn-deficient soils limit both the yield and quality of agricultural crops and can result in clinically relevant nutritional Zn deficiency in human populations. Implementing Zn deficiency during cultivation of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana on agar-solidified media is difficult because trace element contaminations are present in almost all commercially available agars. Here, we demonstrate root morphological acclimations to Zn deficiency on agar-solidified medium following the effective removal of contaminants. These advancements allow reproducible phenotyping toward understanding fundamental plant responses to deficiencies of Zn and other essential trace elements.
This randomized controlled trial investigated whether a patient-centered supportive counseling intervention comprising monthly telephone-based counseling sessions by practice nurses over 12 months ...improved diabetes-related medical and psycho-social outcomes above usual care in type 2 diabetes patients with poor glycemic control at baseline (HbA1c >7.5%) in a primary care setting.
Patients were individually randomized into intervention (n = 103) and usual care group (n = 101). The primary outcome was change in HbA1c-concentration after 12 and 18 months. Secondary outcomes were lipid levels, blood pressure, health-related quality of life and symptoms of depression. Follow-up-measurements were carried out after 6, 12 and 18 months to assess potential immediate and maintained effects of the intervention. For the multivariate analysis, hierarchical linear models were computed for each outcome to assess within-group changes in outcomes over time and between-group differences in patterns of change.
HbA1c (in %) decreased significantly from baseline to 12-month follow-up measurement both in the intervention (-0.44) and the usual care group (-0.51), but there was no significant between-group intervention effect. Significant improvements in the intervention group along with significant between-group differences were seen for health-related quality of life and, transiently, for systolic blood pressure and depression.
Although we found no beneficial effect of the supportive telephone counseling in terms of a reduction of HbA1c above usual care, our findings suggest some beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk factors, quality of life and depression. Continuous efforts might be needed to sustain improvements in patient outcomes.
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00742547.
Previously, we reported that the allelic de-etiolated by zinc (dez) and trichome birefringence (tbr) mutants exhibit photomorphogenic development in the dark, which is enhanced by high Zn. TRICHOME ...BIREFRINGENCE-LIKE proteins had been implicated in transferring acetyl groups to various hemicelluloses. Pectin O-acetylation levels were lower in dark-grown dez seedlings than in the wild type. We observed Zn-enhanced photomorphogenesis in the dark also in the reduced wall acetylation 2 (rwa2-3) mutant, which exhibits lowered O-acetylation levels of cell wall macromolecules including pectins and xyloglucans, supporting a role for cell wall macromolecule O-acetylation in the photomorphogenic phenotypes of rwa2-3 and dez. Application of very short oligogalacturonides (vsOGs) restored skotomorphogenesis in dark-grown dez and rwa2-3. Here we demonstrate that in dez, O-acetylation of non-pectin cell wall components, notably of xyloglucan, is enhanced. Our results highlight the complexity of cell wall homeostasis and indicate against an influence of xyloglucan O-acetylation on light-dependent seedling development.
Summary
Background
Nutritional intervention with hydrolysed infant formulas has been shown efficacious in preventing eczema in children predisposed to allergy. However, this preventive effect has ...never been related to the natural course of eczema in children with or without a family history of allergy. The aim of this study therefore was to compare the course of eczema in predisposed children after nutritional intervention to the natural course of eczema.
Method
The prospective German birth cohort study GINIplus includes a total of 5991 children, subdivided into interventional and non‐interventional groups. Children with a familial predisposition for allergy whose parents agreed to participate in the prospective, double‐blind intervention trial (N=2252) were randomly assigned at birth to one of four formulas: partially or extensively hydrolysed whey, extensively hydrolysed casein (eHF‐C) or standard cow's milk formula. Children with or without familial predisposition represented the non‐interventional group (N=3739). Follow‐up data were taken from yearly self‐administered questionnaires from 1 up to 6 years. The outcome was physician‐diagnosed eczema and its symptoms. The cumulative incidence of eczema in predisposed children with or without nutritional intervention was compared with that of non‐predisposed children who did not receive intervention. Cox regression was used to adjust for confounding.
Results
Predisposed children without nutritional intervention had a 2.1 times higher risk for eczema 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6–2.7 than children without a familial predisposition. The risk was smaller with nutritional intervention even levelling out to 1.3 (95% CI 0.9–1.9) in children fed eHF‐C formula.
Conclusion
Although direct comparability is somewhat restricted, the data demonstrate that early intervention with hydrolysed infant formulas can substantially compensate up until the age of 6 years for an enhanced risk of childhood eczema due to familial predisposition to allergy.
Cite this as: A. v. Berg, U. Krämer, E. Link, C. Bollrath, J. Heinrich, I. Brockow, S. Koletzko, A. Grübl, B. Filipiak‐Pittroff, H.‐E. Wichmann, C.‐P. Bauer, D. Reinhardt, D. Berdel and the GINIplus study group, Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2010 (40) 627–636.
Infections in early childhood may prevent allergies in later life. If this hypothesis is true, early exposure to childcare outside the home would protect against atopy by promotion of cross ...infections. We investigated whether children who attend a nursery at a young age have a lower rate of atopy and fewer allergies than children who attend from an older age.
In a cross-sectional study carried out in 1992–93, we examined 2471 children in three age-groups (5–7, 8–10, and 11–14 years) from the towns of Bitterfeld, Hettstedt, and Zerbst in eastern Germany. The children's parents answered a questionnaire about allergies and symptoms, attendance at day care, and related factors. Sensitisation was assessed by skin-prick tests and measurement of allergen-specific IgE antibodies in serum.
In 669 children from small families (up to three people), the prevalance of atopy was higher among children who started to attend day nursery at an older age than in those who started to attend at a younger age (p<0;.05). Compared with children who first attended at age 6–11 months, the adjusted odds ratios for a positive skin-prick test were 1·99 (95% CI 1·08–3·66) for children who attended at age 12–23 months and 2·72 (1·37–5·40) for those who attended at age 24 months and older. In 1761 children from large families (more than three people), age of entry to day nursery had no effect on atopy.
Our findings accord with the hypothesis that early infection may protect against allergies in later life.
To date, the precise etiology of molar-incisor hypomineralization (MIH) is uncertain. Vitamin D plays a key role in hard tissue formation. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the relationship ...between serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25(OH)D) status and dental health data obtained from 1,048 children in a 10-year follow-up of the Munich GINIplus and LISAplus birth cohorts. The dental examination included the diagnosis of MIH and recording of (non-)cavitated caries lesions in primary and permanent teeth. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were taken from blood samples of the 10-year investigation and measured with a fully automated, modular system. Different logistic regression and Poisson hurdle models were calculated. MIH was diagnosed in 13.6% of the study population. Approximately 16.4% of the children demonstrated caries-related defects (D3-4MFS > 0). The mean season-adjusted concentration of 25(OH)D was 75.8 nmol/l (standard deviation 22.0 nmol/l). After adjusting for sex, age, body mass index, parental education, equivalent income, and television/personal computer (TV/PC) viewing hours, a 10 nmol/l increase in serum 25(OH)D concentrations was significantly associated with a lower odds ratio of having MIH (OR = 0.89; P = 0.006). Furthermore, higher 25(OH)D values were associated with a lower number of caries-affected permanent teeth. It is concluded that elevated serum 25(OH)D concentrations were associated with better dental health parameters.
Highlights • Spatial orientation and navigation depends on information from the vestibular system. • In this study, patients with bilateral vestibular failure did not differ in navigational ...performance from controls. • Groups did not differ in navigation-related activity in the hippocampus. • Patients showed higher cerebellar activity during spatial navigation than during visual memory tasks. • Cerebellar activity may be related to a change in navigational (from allocentric to sequence-based) strategy.
Environmental pollution with metals and xenobiotics is a global problem, and the development of phytoremediation technologies for the plant-based clean-up of contaminated soils is therefore of ...significant interest. Phytoremediation technologies are currently available for only a small subset of pollution problems, such as arsenic. Arsenic removal employs naturally selected hyperaccumulator ferns, which accumulate very high concentrations of arsenic specifically in above-ground tissues. Elegant two-gene transgenic approaches have been designed for the development of mercury or arsenic phytoremediation technologies. In a plant that naturally hyperaccumulates zinc in leaves, approximately ten key metal homeostasis genes are expressed at very high levels. This outlines the extent of change in gene activities needed in the engineering of transgenic plants for soil clean-up. Further analysis and discovery of genes for phytoremediation will benefit from the recent development of segregating populations for a genetic analysis of naturally selected metal hyperaccumulation in plants, and from comprehensive ionomics data – multi-element concentration profiles from a large number of
Arabidopsis mutants.
PDF
