[Comparison of doctor sampling and self-collection of specimens in the same examinee for cervical cytopathology and human papillomavirus testing].

Objectives　The purpose of the study is to compare the results of doctor sampling and self-collection of specimens in the same examinee for cervical cytopathology and human papillomavirus (HPV) testing.Methods　Patients who have undergone cervical cancer screening at the four clinics affiliated with the Association for Preventive Medicine of Japan and who consented to participate were included in the study. Approximately one month after undergoing cervical cancer screening at the clinic, we tested a method of self-collection by mailing a Kato-type self-collection container to the participants. We evaluated the results of cytopathology and HPV testing obtained by self-collection and doctor sampling in the same patients. We used the χ2 test and κ analysis for the evaluation of the results.Results　A total of 134 health checkup participants each underwent both doctor sampling and self-collection. The positive rate of cytology was 6.0% in doctor sampling and 2.2% for self-collection, but there was no evidence in statistical significance (P>0.05). However, cervical duct lining membrane cells could not be detected by self-collection. The positive rate of HPV testing in both doctor sampling and self-collection was the same at 14.2%. However, HPV18 type was positive only in one case by self-collection.Conclusion　The results of this study suggest that it is necessary to proceed with studies by self-collection, and introduce the applications of liquid cytopathology and its combined uses with HPV testing.

Optimization and validation of a highly sensitive method for determining glyphosate in human urine by solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry: a methodological study.

BACKGROUND: Glyphosate and its salt formulations are nonselective herbicides that have been extensively used worldwide, both for residential and agricultural purposes. The possible carcinogenicity and teratogenicity of glyphosate remain to be elucidated. We developed a sensitive and high-throughput analytical method for urinary glyphosate using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with the aim of contributing to glyphosate exposure assessment in epidemiological studies. METHODS: After urine dilution (creatinine matching dilution to 0.05 g creatinine/L), glyphosate was extracted using two types of solid phase extraction columns (SCX and NH2) with automated sample preparation instruments. The eluate was dried and dissolved in the mobile phase, followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis. The optimized method was applied to urine samples obtained from 54 Japanese adults and children. RESULTS: The results from the validation study demonstrated good recoveries (91.0-99.6%), within- and between-run precisions (< 15%), low detection limits (0.1 µg/L), and lower limit of quantification (0.3 µg/L). The detection frequency and median concentration of the urinary glyphosate in Japanese subjects were 59% and 0.25 µg/L (0.34 µg/g creatinine). CONCLUSIONS: Our reliable determination method was successful in measuring urinary glyphosate concentration. Moreover, this is the first biomonitoring report of urinary glyphosate levels in the Japanese general population.

[The relationship between sleep and subjective mental health at one month postpartum in Japanese women].

Objectives　This study aimed to separately ascertain and examine the association between sleep and mental health among primiparas and multiparas at one month postpartum.Methods　The subjects were 234 primiparas and 223 multiparas (a total of 457) at one month postpartum who agreed to participate in the questionnaire survey during a health check-up at a maternity hospital. According to the delivery records, they had no history of mental diseases. The survey items of the questionnaire concerned living environment, sleep status, subjective mental health (depressive mood, anxiety, low motivation, irritability) and sleep-related lifestyle. At first, we compared these items between primiparas and multiparas. Next, multiple regression analysis by a general linear model was used to investigate the association between sleep status and mental health. The dependent variables were sleep satisfaction, total sleep time, the existence of sleep problems (difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, waking up too early), irregularity of bedtime, and five kinds of sleep-related lifestyle. The independent variables were the four mental health indices according to a visual analog scale.Results　In primiparas, total sleep time was shorter, bedtime and sleeping time were later, two kinds of sleep-related lifestyle were worse, and the symptoms of tinnitus and tired feeling were higher than in multiparas. In multiparas, sleep onset latency was longer, the number of times of night awakening was higher, irritability was stronger, and the prevalence of headache was higher than in primiparas. Sleep satisfaction was related to all four indices of mental health for both primiparas and multiparas. In primiparas, the existence of sleep problems was related to depressive mood and anxiety, and the irregularity of bedtime was related to anxiety. "Getting up immediately after awakening" was related to irritability, as well as low motivation, in multiparas. "A nap shorter than 30 minutes before 3 PM" was related to anxiety and low motivation in primiparas. The irregularity of bedtime was negatively related to anxiety, low motivation, and irritability in multiparas.Conclusion　It is suggested that sleep problems, which tend to be overlooked, are related to subjective mental health at one month postpartum. Thus, we conclude that sleep education during pregnancy and sleep evaluations at postpartum check-ups are necessary for postpartum women's mental health.