ABSTRACT
Background: Osteoporotic hip fractures are devastating events in older women. There is a genetic modulation of bone phenotypic parameters including bone density (BMD) and bone fragility fractures. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms explain a small part of the genetic influence on BMD, whereas their effect on fractures remains uncertain. Aim: To examine the contributions of VDR genotypes to the susceptibility to hip fracture in elderly Chilean women. Patients and methods: We recruited 126 women (67 with fractures and 59 without) from Bio-Bio Region, Chile, aged 65 to 94 years. Genotyping for Bsm-l, Apa-1, Taq-1 and Fok-1 VDR polymorphisms was performed using polymerase chain reaction methods. All hip fractures were confirmed by X-ray. Results: The alíele frequencies were 0.49 for B, 0.57 for A, 0.60 for T and 0.65 for F in the Bsm-l, Apa-1, Taq-1 and Fok-1 polymorphisms respectively. The prevalence of these VDR gene polymorphisms in women with fractures were 16 percent BB, 69 percent Bb, 15 percent bb for Bsm-l; 30 percent AA, 46 percent Aa, 14 percent aa for Apa-1; 17 percent TT, 34 Tt, 8 percent tt for Taq-1 and 43 percentFF, 41 percent Ff, 16 percent ff for Fok-1. All VDR genotype frequencies did not differ from Hardy- Weinberg expectations. Alíele or genotype frequencies did not differ between women with or without fractures. These results did not change when analysis was adjusted by age weight, height or gynecologic history. Conclusions: The genotype frequencies of the VDR polymorphisms are in accordance with the frequencies of other Hispanic and Caucasian populations. Our results suggest that VDR polymorphisms are not associated with the risk of hip fracture in older women of this Region of Southern Chile.
Subject(s)
Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Humans , Genetic Predisposition to Disease/genetics , Hip Fractures/genetics , Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal/genetics , Polymorphism, Genetic , Receptors, Calcitriol/genetics , Bone Density/genetics , Case-Control Studies , Chile , Gene Frequency/genetics , Genotype , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
Background: The occurrence and timing of menstrual and reproductive events such as menarche, regularity of menses, births, maternal breastfeeding and menopause play an important role in a woman's life. Aim: To study the variability of reproductive live from menarche to menopause in different age groups in Chilean Caucasian and Mapuche aborigine females in a southern location of Chile. Subjects and Methods: A questionnaire about reproductive history was answered by 502 women consulting in six general emergency rooms of different public hospitals of the 8th region of Chile, between May and September 2002. Results: The median age at menarche was 12.8 years among adolescents and 13.7 years among older women (p <0.001). Fecundity rate was 5.2, 3.9 and 1.8 among older women, adults and young adults, respectively. Forty seven percent of adolescent had at least one child. The median age for natural menopause was 47 years. Eighty one percent of older women and 65% of adult women had given breastfeeding for more than six months. No statistical differences in reproductive characteristics were observed between Chilean Caucasians and Mapuche aborigines. Conclusions: Among these women, the age of menarche in younger women is similar to that of women from industrialized countries. Fecundity has been progressively decreasing. Menopause tends to occur sooner than in other geographical regions, probably due to the high number of surgical sterilizations in our population. Adolescent pregnancy still is a problem.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Pregnancy , Menarche/ethnology , Menopause/ethnology , Reproductive History , Chile , Educational Status , Emergency Service, Hospital , Indians, South American/statistics & numerical data , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Patients with hypothyroidism may have a minor increase in their bleeding tendency, causing easy bruising and menorrhagia. There is a positive correlation between factor VIII coagulant activity and thyroxin serum levels. Thus, patients with hypothyroidism have an acquired coagulation defect that is reversible with thyroxin supplementation. We report two sisters, aged 13 and 11 years, who met the criteria for von Willebrand's disease at the age of eight. Both sisters had a primary hypothyroidism due to Hashimoto's thyroiditis, diagnosed three years later. Thyroid hormone replacement normalized von Willebrand factor, factor VIII, and the bleeding diathesis disappeared. Acquired von Willebrand's disease is an unusual manifestation of hypothyroidism. However the possibility of hypothyroidism should be considered in patients presenting with von Willebrand disease.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Child , Female , Humans , Hypothyroidism/complications , von Willebrand Diseases/etiology , von Willebrand Factor/analysis , Hashimoto Disease/complications , Hypothyroidism/diagnosis , Thyroxine/therapeutic use , von Willebrand Diseases/diagnosis , von Willebrand Diseases/drug therapyABSTRACT
DNA ploidy and cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry is used to obtain additional information about the diagnosis and prognosis of different types of cancer. However, there are several disagreements among authors about the tissue source (fresh-frozen or paraffin embedded), cellular dissociation methods (mechanical, enzymatic or other), use of different dyes, lasers, analysis software with different mathematical models and interpretation of results. A discussion about the different aspects that affect the study of DNA ploidy and cell cycle and a consensus in publications is mandatory. A strict control of analysis processes and data interpretation is also necessary