Distinction among North Atlantic cod Gadus morhua stocks by tissue fatty acid profiles.

The fatty acid (FA) profiles of the white muscle and heart tissues of cod Gadus morhua from five locations, Faroe Bank, Faroe Plateau, North-West Iceland, Norway-Barents Sea and Denmark-Skagerrak, were population dependent. The interregional differences of FAs were significantly dissimilar (P < 0.01) in most cases. By way of a rapid and simple analytical method, the stock dependence and harvest location of individual G. morhua were chemometrically determined by multivariate principal component analysis. The difference among the stocks was correlated with the average water temperature at the harvest locations. It thus appears that the tissue FA profile is a phenotypic trait that is partly temperature driven.

Lactate concentrations in the rectal lumen in patients in early septic shock.

BACKGROUND: Previously, we observed that rectal luminal lactate was higher in non-survivors compared with survivors of severe sepsis or septic shock persisting >24 h. The present study was initiated to further investigate this tentative association between rectal luminal lactate and mortality in a larger population of patients in early septic shock. METHODS: A prospective observational multicentre study of 130 patients with septic shock at six general ICU's of university hospitals. Six to 24 h after the onset of septic shock, the concentration of lactate in the rectal lumen was estimated by a 4-h equilibrium dialysis. Dialysate concentrations of lactate were determined using an auto-analyser. RESULTS: The overall 30-day mortality was 32%, with age and Simplified acute physiology scores II and sequential organ failure assessment scores being significantly higher in non-survivors. In contrast, there were no differences in concentrations of lactate in the rectal lumen [2.2 (1.4-4.1) and 2.8 (1.6-5.1) mmol/l (P=0.34)] (medians and 25th-75th percentiles) or arterial blood [2.1 (1.4-4.2) and 2.0 (1.3-3.2) mmol/l (P=0.15)] between non-survivors and survivors. The rectal-arterial difference of the lactate concentration was higher in survivors. There were no differences in blood pressure, noradrenaline dose or central venous oxygen saturation between the groups. CONCLUSION: In this prospective, observational study of unselected patients with early septic shock, there was no difference in the concentration of lactate in the rectal lumen between non-survivors and survivors. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov (no: NCT00197938).

Opioid action on respiratory neuron activity of the isolated respiratory network in newborn rats.

BACKGROUND: Underlying mechanisms behind opioid-induced respiratory depression are not fully understood. The authors investigated changes in burst rate, intraburst firing frequency, membrane properties, as well as presynaptic and postsynaptic events of respiratory neurons in the isolated brainstem after administration of opioid receptor agonists. METHODS: Newborn rat brainstem-spinal cord preparations were used and superfused with mu-, kappa-, and delta-opioid receptor agonists. Whole cell recordings were performed from three major classes of respiratory neurons (inspiratory, preinspiratory, and expiratory). RESULTS: Mu- and kappa-opioid receptor agonists reduced the spontaneous burst activity of inspiratory neurons and the C4 nerve activity. Forty-two percent of the inspiratory neurons were hyperpolarized and decreased in membrane resistance during opioid-induced respiratory depression. Furthermore, under synaptic block by tetrodotoxin perfusion, similar changes of inspiratory neuronal membrane properties occurred after application of mu- and kappa-opioid receptor agonists. In contrast, resting membrane potential and membrane resistance of preinspiratory and majority of expiratory neurons were unchanged by opioid receptor agonists, even during tetrodotoxin perfusion. Simultaneous recordings of inspiratory and preinspiratory neuronal activities confirmed the selective inhibition of inspiratory neurons caused by mu- and kappa-opioid receptor agonists. Application of opioids reduced the slope of rising of excitatory postsynaptic potentials evoked by contralateral medulla stimulation, resulting in a prolongation of the latency of successive first action potential responses. CONCLUSIONS: Mu- and kappa-opioid receptor agonists caused reduction of final motor outputs by mainly inhibiting medullary inspiratory neuron network. This inhibition of inspiratory neurons seems to be a result of both a presynaptic and postsynaptic inhibition. The central respiratory rhythm as reflected by the preinspiratory neuron burst rate was essentially unaltered by the agonists.

The redfish species Sebastes viviparus, Sebastes marinus and Sebastes mentella have different composition of their tissue fatty acids.

The fatty acid profile in the tissue of heart, gill, skull- and otolith-oil of the three redfish species, Sebastes viviparus, S. marinus and S. mentella was determined by a chemometric method, consisting of methanolysis of samples of the tissues and of the oils and gas chromatography of the resulting fatty acid methyl esters. The analytical data were treated by multivariate statistics comprising principal component analysis (PCA) and soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA). Although the differences in fatty acid composition among the two tissues and two oils were the dominating features of the data, the three species had significantly different fatty acid profiles within each tissue. Variation among the individuals was considerable. The fatty acid profiles appeared to be species specific. The mutual relationship between S. marinus and S. mentella is closer than the relationship between either of them and S. viviparus. A comparison with a corresponding investigation on the same three species from another location indicates that the observed differences do not seem to be affected by biotic or abiotic factors.

Isoflurane does not depress the hypoxic response of rabbit carotid body chemoreceptors.

UNLABELLED: Whether volatile anesthetics have an effect on the peripheral chemoreceptors is controversial, possibly because of differences in end-tidal CO(2) concentrations. We studied the effect of isoflurane on the hypoxic chemosensitivity of carotid body chemoreceptors at three different PaCO(2) levels before and during the administration of 1.0% isoflurane (0.5 minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration) in six normothermic New Zealand white rabbits anesthetized with thiopental. The response of the chemoreceptors was fitted to the equation: Frequency (Hz) = a + b x PaCO(2) + c x (1/PaO(2)) + Dx (1/PaO(2))(2). Mean values for the coefficients a, b, c and d for the control state were -4.5, 0.13, 771, and 6332, respectively. This relationship was not changed by addition of isoflurane at 1.0% end-tidal concentration (P = 0.40, analysis of variance). We conclude that isoflurane at 1.0% end-tidal concentration does not depress the hypoxic response of rabbit carotid body chemoreceptors during either hypo-, normo-, or hypercapnia. IMPLICATIONS: By measuring single-fiber chemoreceptor activity in anesthetized rabbits, we showed that isoflurane at 1.0% end-tidal concentration does not depress the hypoxic chemosensitivity of peripheral chemoreceptors during either hypo-, normo-, or hypercapnia in this species.

Discrimination of Sebastes viviparus, Sebastes marinus and Sebastes mentella from Faroe Islands by chemometry of the fatty acid profile in heart and gill tissues and in the skull oil.

The composition of fatty acids in the tissue of heart, gill and skull oil of the three redfish species, Sebastes viviparus, Sebastes marinus and Sebastes mentella was determined by a chemometric method. The method consists of methanolysis of samples of the tissues and of the oils, gas chromatography of the resulting fatty acid methyl esters and multivariate statistical treatment, by principal component analysis, of the analytical data. Although the differences in fatty acid composition among the three tissues were the dominating features of the data, the three species had significantly different fatty acid profiles within each tissue, even though variation among the individuals was considerable. The fatty acid profiles appear to be species specific. The mutual relationship between S. marinus and S. mentella is closer than the relationship between either of them and S. viviparus.

Perinatal deaths in the Faroe Islands during 1986-95.

OBJECTIVE: To examine causes of perinatal mortality in the Faroe Islands, where it has been increased compared to other Nordic societies. METHOD: Cases were classified according to a fetal/obstetric, a fetal/neonatal, and a fetal/obstetric/neonatal classification (classifications C1, C2, and C3, respectively). SETTING: The Faroe Islands 1986-1995; as reference materials were used a) the preceding decade in the Faroes and b) a parallel period in Denmark. SUBJECTS: We examined all available information regarding each case from hospital records, midwife records, birth certificates, death certificates and autopsy records. RESULTS: The perinatal mortality was 10.3 per 1,000 total births (83/8,096) compared with 13.7 (102/7,458) in the preceding decade; the fall could be attributed to fewer cases with preeclampsia, antepartum bleedings (C1) and antepartum asphyxia (C2) and the number fell despite an increased occurrence of cases attributed to congenital malformations. Perinatal mortality in Denmark was 8.3 (4,574/550,971), where rates were lower of cases with congenital malformations and fetoplacental dysfunction, but where the rate was higher of cases related to preterm birth (C3). CONCLUSIONS: Although the perinatal mortality rate still is higher in the Faroes than Denmark, the rate had fallen in the Faroes from 1976-85 to 1986-1995. The fall was mainly due to fewer cases attributable to antepartum asphyxia, preeclampsia, antepartum bleedings, and hyaline membrane disease, a pattern compatible with a more efficient perinatal service in the Faroes in the latter period.

Carotid body chemoreceptor function is impaired by vecuronium during hypoxia.

BACKGROUND: Neuromuscular blocking agents reduce the human ventilatory response to hypoxia at partial neuromuscular block. It was hypothesized that vecuronium impairs carotid body chemoreceptor function during hypoxia. METHOD: The effect of systemic administration of vecuronium on single chemoreceptor activity during hypoxia, as recorded from a single nerve fiber preparation of the carotid sinus nerve, was studied in seven mechanically ventilated New Zealand White rabbits during continuous thiopental anesthesia. During normoventilation, the isocapnic hypoxic chemosensitivity of the single carotid body chemoreceptor was measured at four levels of oxygenation; these measurements were repeated at six separate occasions: control recording before injection, after intravenous administrations of 0.1 mg and 0.5 mg of vecuronium, and then at three occasions during a 90-min recovery period. Chemoreceptor chemosensitivity during isocapnic hypoxia was expressed as a hyperbolic function: Chemoreceptor output (Hz) = a + b x PaO2(-1) (mmHg). RESULTS: Chemosensitivity was reduced after both 0.1 mg and 0.5 mg vecuronium intravenous administration compared with control measurements; the hypoxic response curve was significantly depressed after both doses (P < 0.05). Notably, there was variation in the effect of vecuronium; some chemoreceptor preparations showed only minimal impairment, whereas some showed an almost abolished response to hypoxia. The chemosensitivity remained significantly depressed at 30 and 60 min but had recovered spontaneously at 90 min after 0.5 mg vecuronium. DISCUSSION: It is concluded that vecuronium depresses carotid body chemoreceptor function to a varying extent during hypoxia and that the depression recovers spontaneously.

[Cancer registration in the Faeroe Islands]. / Cancerregistrering på Faerøerne.

The main purpose was to establish a cancer registry which could provide data for the treatment and control of cancer in the Faroe Islands. The registry should also be useful for epidemiological research in the future to pinpoint causes of cancer. The initiation of the registry is a result of a workgroup with members from the Faroes Hospital and Health System and from the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology at the Danish Cancer Society. The data items collected in the Faroes registry are identical with the data items in the Danish Cancer Registry. To provide a basis for the registry we have performed a retrospective data collection identifying all cancer cases in the Faroes for the 15 year period 1979-1993. All hospital records and death certificates in the period were scrutinized. The official initiation of the Faroes cancer registry was on 1, January 1994.

A clinico-pathological classification of perinatal deaths in the Faroe Islands.

OBJECTIVE: To highlight the causes of perinatal mortality in the Faroe Islands where perimortality is high according to Nordic standards. DESIGN: Two systems were employed to classify perinatal deaths on the basis of clinico-pathological findings, one focusing on obstetrical factors and the other on fetal-neonatal factors. SETTING: Faroe Islands. Data from Iceland were used for comparison since the two communities have many similarities, including similar birthweight distributions. SUBJECTS: Birth and death certificates and medical and midwife files were recovered for 98 of the 102 officially recorded perinatal deaths in the Faroes during 1977-1986. Icelandic data for 1976-1985 were available in the literature. RESULTS: The perinatal mortality rate was 13.7 per 1000 births. Obstetric factors were classified as unexplained, congenital anomaly, antepartum haemorrhage, pre-eclampsia, mechanical causes, and maternal disorders and accounted for 43%, 18%, 15%, 11%, 6% and 6% of the 98 cases, respectively. Fetal-neonatal factors were classified as antepartum asphyxia, congenital anomaly, intrapartum asphyxia, hyaline membrane disease, pulmonary immaturity, and other causes, and these factors accounted for 43%, 18%, 15%, 9%, 5%, and 8%, respectively. The excess perinatal mortality rate of 4.1 cases per 1000 births in the Faroes, relative to Iceland, could mainly be attributed to an excess of 2.9 cases per 1000 births in the group classified as unexplained, as defined according to the obstetrics classification. CONCLUSIONS: No well defined cause was particularly common in the Faroes or could account for the excess perinatal mortality rate in the Faroes relative to Iceland.

Laryngeal mask airway guided tracheal intubation in a neonate with the Pierre Robin syndrome.

Endotracheal intubation in infants with the Pierre Robin syndrome may sometimes be impossible to accomplish by conventional means. To aid difficult tracheal intubation many different techniques have been described. We present a case, in which we successfully intubated a small-for-date newborn boy with the Pierre Robin syndrome by using a modified laryngeal mask airway (no. 1) as a guide for the endotracheal tube. The technique is easy to perform, less traumatic and less time-consuming than multiple attempts at laryngoscopy or blind tracheal intubation.

Pharyngeal carriage of Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria lactamica in households with infants within areas with high and low incidences of meningococcal disease.

In a household survey in the Faroe Islands, an isolated community with hyperendemic occurrence of meningococcal disease due to serogroup B 15, 1604 persons were examined for pharyngeal carriage of Neisseria meningitidis and N. lactamica. Two areas were chosen having experienced high (HIA), and two having experienced low incidences (LIA) of disease. Living in HIA compared with LIA was associated with higher risk of N. meningitidis B 15 carriage and lower risk of N. lactamica carriage, with odds ratios of 2.7 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4-5.1, P = 0.003) and 0.41 (95% CI 0.31-0.53, P less than 0.0001), respectively. In HIA the risk of N. meningitidis carriage was much lower in non-carriers than carriers of N. lactamica, with an odds ratio of 0.19 (95% CI 0.08-0.47, P = 0.0003); in LIA this association (odds ratio 0.51, P = 0.05) was much weaker. Children 0-14 years had substantially higher risk of being carriers of N. meningitidis group B 15 if the mothers were so, with an odds ratio of 11 (95% CI 4-29, P less than 0.0001).

High liveborn birth weights in the Faroes: a comparison between birth weights in the Faroes and in Denmark.

The average birth weight of 10 132 liveborn infants delivered in the Faroes during the period 1969-81 was 3610 grams, which is the highest average weight reported by 33 countries from which we were able to obtain information. Comparison of live births only between the Faroes and Denmark shows a displacement between their birth weight curves of 225 grams. A less active elective delivery in the Faroes could not explain this considerable difference. When standardisation is made with respect to discrepancies in maternal age and marital status in the two populations, the difference between their average birth weights is increased by 5% and 9% respectively. A matching for maternal parity yields a difference between the averages which is 23% below the one between the total populations. Other factors must be responsible. Both environmental and genetic factors plus the possibility of the Faroes being closer to having an optimal birth weight than other countries are discussed.

Persistence of contact allergy to chromium.

Forty-eight patients with a positive patch test to potassium dichromate 0.5% were retested after 4-7 years; 38 patients (79%) still had a positive patch test. Chromate allergy seems to be persistent. In 72% of the cases a history of occupational exposure to chromates could be proved.

A study of the linkage relations of epidermolysis bullosa dystrophica.

Two large families from the Faroe Islands presenting epidermolysis bullosa of the dystrophic type were subjected to extensive linkage analyses with 22 serological markers. No significant evidence in support of linkage with any of these loci was provided. It was found to be very unlikely that the gene or genes causing the present types of epidermolysis bullosa belong to the EBS1 locus known to be closely linked to the GPT locus.

Intercellular and circulating antibodies in patients with dyskeratosis follicularis, Darier's disease.

Skin biopsies from 6 patients, and biopsies of the palatal mucosa of 4 of these patients with dyskeratosis follicularis (DF) (Dariers disease) were examined for in vivo bound antibodies by means of a direct immunofluorescence (IF) technique. Antibodies located in the intercellular substance of the epidermis were found in the skin lesions of all patients. Immunoglobulins of the classes IgG, IgA and IgM as well as C3 were found in all lesions. No antibodies reacting with the palatal mucosa were found. Sera from 6 patients with DF and 10 control persons were tested by an indirect IF technique for circulating antibodies. Guinea pig lip and normal oral mucosa and skin were used as antigens. All patients sera and one control serum reacted with the basal cell of the guinea pig lip. Three DF sera--but no control sera--reacted with the basal cells of human oral mucosa. None of the sera reacted with human skin.