Grey and white matter associations of psychotic-like experiences in a general population sample (UK Biobank).

There has been a substantial amount of research reporting the neuroanatomical associations of psychotic symptoms in people with schizophrenia. Comparatively little attention has been paid to the neuroimaging correlates of subclinical psychotic symptoms, so-called "psychotic-like experiences" (PLEs), within large healthy populations. PLEs are relatively common in the general population (7-13%), can be distressing and negatively affect health. This study therefore examined gray and white matter associations of four different PLEs (auditory or visual PLEs, and delusional ideas about conspiracies or communications) in subjects of the UK Biobank study with neuroimaging data (N = 21,390, mean age = 63 years). We tested for associations between any PLE (N = 768) and individual PLEs with gray and white matter brain structures, controlling for sex, age, intracranial volume, scanning site, and position in the scanner. Individuals that reported having experienced auditory hallucinations (N = 272) were found to have smaller volumes of the caudate, putamen, and accumbens (ß = -0.115-0.134, pcorrected = 0.048-0.036), and reduced temporal lobe volume (ß = -0.017, pcorrected = 0.047) compared to those that did not. People who indicated that they had ever believed in unreal conspiracies (N = 111) had a larger volume of the left amygdala (ß = 0.023, pcorrected = 0.038). Individuals that reported a history of visual PLEs (N = 435) were found to have reduced white matter microstructure of the forceps major (ß = -0.029, pcorrected = 0.009), an effect that was more marked in participants who reported PLEs as distressing. These associations were not accounted for by diagnoses of psychotic or depressive illness, nor the known risk factors for psychotic symptoms of childhood adversity or cannabis use. These findings suggest altered regional gray matter volumes and white matter microstructure in association with PLEs in the general population. They further suggest that these alterations may appear more frequently with the presentation of different psychotic symptoms in the absence of clinically diagnosed psychotic disorders.

Diabetics on dialysis in the Republic of Macedonia: A nationwide epidemiological study.

BACKGROUND: Incidence increase of diabetes mellitus (DM) has taken epidemic proportions in the world. Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a most serious complication, taking a leading place as a factor in the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Dialysis treatment of these patients is complex, expensive, and exerts an excessive burden on the health budgets of the affected countries. METHODS: We performed a nationwide precise observational study with the aim of analysing diabetics on dialysis in dialysis centres throughout the Republic of Macedonia (RM) in 2002 and in 2006; to compare the results from patients records; and to gather data on the epidemiology, clinical characteristics and complications of diabetes type 1 (DM1) and diabetes type 2 (DM2). RESULTS: The prevalence of HD patients in RM was 1114 vs 1074 in 2002 and 2006, respectively. Of these, 109 (9.78%) vs. 115 (10.71%) had DM in 2002 and 2006, respectively. The percentage of diabetics on dialysis between different centers varied between 3% to 21% vs. 2.4% to 22.07% in 2002 and 2006, respectively. The mean age of the patients was 58+/-10.29 vs. 56.5+/-10.71 in 2002 and 2006, respectively. Patients with DM1 were 19 (17.43%) vs. 15 (13.04%) and with DM2 were 90 (82.57%) vs. 100 (86.96%) in 2002 and 2006, respectively. 28 (25.68%) vs. 31 (26.96%) patients were on oral anti-diabetic drugs and 62 (57.21%) vs. 69 (60%) patients were on insulin in 2002 and 2006, respectively. Mean age of DM1 patients was 47+/-11.6 y. vs. 45+/-7.32 y. respectively and of DM2 was 60.37+/-8.33 y. vs. 61.14+/-10.23 y., in 2002 and 2006, respectively. Mean time of insulin treatment was 9.5+/-6.63 y. vs. 10.85+/-9.29 y. in 2002 and 2006. Mean Body Mass Index (BMI) was 26.4 vs. 23.49+/-4.74 kg/m2 in DM1 and 25.5 vs. 24.77+/-3.70 kg/m2 in DM2 patients in 2002 and 2006, respectively. Thrombosis of first arteriovenous fistulae (AVF) occurred in 41% vs. 25.22% in 2002 and 2006, respecttitvely. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was confirmed in 57% vs. 44% of DM patients in 2002 and 2006, respectively. Most common co-morbidity in patients was hypertension, 91% vs. 80.87% in 2002 and 2006, respectively. CONCLUSION: The number of diabetics on dialysis in the Republic of Macedonia did not increase in the period from 2002 to 2006. In DM2 diabetics on dialysis the frequency of complications is higher and time on dialysis is shorter than in DM1 patients. Early detection of diabetic nephropathy by primary care physicians as well as collaborative treatment by diabetologists, nephrologists, cardiologists and ophthalmologists before and during dialysis are important for improvement of treatment and survival of diabetic patients on dialysis.

Thyroperoxidase: a tumor marker for post-therapeutic follow-up of differentiated thyroid carcinomas? Results of a time course study.

Serum thyroperoxidase (TPO) and serum human thyroglobulin (hTg) were studied in 80 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma after thyroidectomy before and after the first therapeutic radioiodine application ("radioiodine thyroid ablation") and, in some cases, after the second radioiodine application. Eighteen patients with an autonomous adenoma were studied in the same manner. The values of TPO and hTg in 25 persons without thyroid impairment were used as controls. In 34 of 50 evaluable cases, TPO levels behaved as hTg during follow-up studies: The majority (n= 30) of these patients showed an increase in TPO and hTg serum levels immediately after radioiodine therapy, followed by a decrease approximately 3 days later. However, in 16 of 50 patients, the TPO and hTg serum levels showed different patterns of change both before and after radioiodine therapy. In six of seven patients with extensive postoperative residues and high anti-hTg levels, distinctly elevated TPO values were associated only by slightly elevated thyroglobulin values. There was no rise of TPO in autonomous adenoma except in patients treated with thyroid depressants. We assumed that TPO levels could serve as an "indicator" for destruction of thyroid cells or thyroid carcinoma cells and an aid in screening cases of false-negative hTg values.