Vitamin A, E and carotenoid status in Jamaica children with sickle cell disease

Nutritional deficiencies would appear to be an important determinant of morbidity in homozygous sickle cell (SS) disease. This is evidenced by the growth and development deficits which are observed in children with SS disease. In a study of the nutritional status of Jamaican children with SS disease aged 3 to 6 years, serum samples from blood taken after an overnight fast in the SS children and children of the same age with normal haemoglobin (AA) were collected. Micro-nutrient analyses of these serum samples for vitamin A (retinol) and vitamins E (alpha and gamma tocopherol) and the carotenoids, beta-carotene and lycopene were carried out using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results suggest that in children with SS disease several of the micro-nutrients which are essential for maintaining optimal antioxidant status are found in decreased amounts in serum. The confirmation of these micronutrients deficiencies in SS children provide the basis fo further exploration of their interrelationshipo with the growth and development deficits in this population. (AU)

Ganja smoking and sex in Jamaica - abstract

The characteristics and risk status for STD infections of Jamaicans who smoked marijuana before having sex were investigated. The study comprised 2580 individuals, aged 15 to 49 years, who were selected using a multi-stage random sampling technique. The results indicated that the prevalence of marijuana smoking before sex was higher among men (12 per cent) than among women (2 per cent). More Jamaicans who smoked marijuana before sex were unemployed and unmarried, had lower education levels and lived in poorer neighbourhoods than those who did not smoke. In addition, more of them were regular alcohol drinkers, took hard drugs and gambled. When their sex behaviour were examined, there was no difference in condom use; however, more marijuana smokers had multiple sex partners, had had STD infections and began having sex at an earlier age than the non-smokers. More male smokers had sex with prostitutes, viewed ponographic material and were involved in partner swapping than the men who did not smoke marijuana. The prevalence of anal and oral sex was higher in women who smoke marijuana before sex compared to the female non-smokers. The results of logistic regression analyses indicated (after controlling for the demographic and behavoral variables mentioned above (OR = 2.3, p<0.01) that men who smoked marijuana before sex had an increased risk of having STD infections. No increased risk was found in women who smoked marijuana before sex. Because of the high prevalence of marijuana smoking among men, it is important that their increased risk for STDs be considered by health authorities in the planning of STD/AIDS control programmes (AU)

Hyperinsulinaemia accompanies the development of pre-elcampsia - abstract

Hyperinsulinaemia with insulin resistance has been observed in pre-eclampsia. In this longitudinal study, we examined whether this state of insulin resistance preceded the development of eclampsia. At 12, 24 and 36 weeks of gestation and at 12 weeks post-partum in twenty-five primigravidae, insulin and glucose were measured in the fasting state and in samples collected during intravenous glucose tolerance tests (IVGTT). Five women were diagnosed as pre-eclamptic (PE) at 34 - 39 weeks' gestation. In these PE, there was hyperinsulinaemia in the fasting state at 24 weeks compared to the normal pregnant (NP) women, 20.07 ñ 8.31 mU/ml vs. 13.74 ñ 5.64 mU/ml, (p<0.05). The degree of hyperinsulinaemia increased and, at 36 weeks' gestation it was 26.4 ñ 7.7 mU/l in the PE compared to 13.1 ñ 6.1 mU/l in the NP, (p<0.0001). The sensitivity of this measure for predicting pre-eclampsia at mid-pregnancy (24 weeks) was 80 per cent which increased to 100 per cent in late pregnancy (36 weeks). The specificity of this measure went from 57 per cent in mid-pregnancy to 43 per cent in late pregnancy. The glucose levels in the fasting state were not different at any time in the study. In the IVGTT, the area under the insulin curve was significantly larger in the PE as a group compared to the NP, (p<0.05). The area under the glucose curve was not different between the two groups at any time. The rate of disappearance of glucose Kg was significantly larger in the PE as a group compared to the NP, (p<0.05). Hyperinsulinaemia in the fasting state precedes the development of pre-eclampsia. It has a high sensitivity but low specificity for predicting the development of pre-eclampsia. Hyperinsulinaemia in the fasting state may have some value in screening those primigravidae at risk for developing pre-eclampsia (AU)

Fasting plasma insulin and C-peptide levels in pre-eclampsia - abstract

In this study, plasma insulin, C-peptide and glucose measurements were done on the fasting blood samples obtained from primigravid pre-eclamptic (PE) women and suitably matched normal pregnant (NP) controls. This was done in order to observe any differences in the pancreatic secretion of insulin between these two groups. Fasting hyperinsulinaemia was observed as a statistically significant feature in the PE. The fasting C-peptide and glucose levels were not significantly different between the two groups. From the fasting C-peptide levels observed it would appear that the hyperinsulinaemia observed in the PE was not the result of hypersecretion of insulin by the pancreas (AU)

Glucose tolerance in pre-eclampsia - abstract

In normal pregnancies (NP), carbohydrate metabolism as assessed by oral glucose tolerance is impaired. This study was aimed at assessing whether a complication of pregnancy, pre-eclampsia (PE), exacerbates this impairment of carbohydrate metabolism. Results showed that the fasting plasma glucose levels were not significantly different between the PE (4.62ñ0.27 mM/1) and the NP (4.12ñ0.08 mM/1). However, the fasting plasma insulin levels were significantly higher in the PE (28.4ñ5.9 uU/m1) than in the NP (9.6ñ2.3 uU/m1) (p<0.01). Analysis of the area under the curve showed that the glucose response curves were not significantly different. The insulin response curves displayed a trend of higher circulating insulin levels in the PE compared to the NP; (p<0.07). The insulin to glucose ratio, an index of insulin sensitivity, in the PE (6.21ñ1.37) was significantly higher than that of the NP (2.26ñ0.54) p<0.05). We suggest that the hypertensive complication of pregnancy, PE, is accompanied by hyperinsulinaemia in the basal or fasting state, with an accompanying insulin insensitivity (AU)

The effect of the duration of malnutrition on erythrocyte insulin binding and carbohydrate tolerance in rats - abstract

To further investigate the effect of malnutrition on carbohydrate metabolism, we have examined the binding of insulin to its receptor in a rat model. The erythrocytes of malnourished animals bound less insulin than controls (6.4 percent vs 17 percent respectively, p<0.01, at 10 days post-weaning, pw). In the later stages of malnutrition (20 days pw), insulin-binding was significantly less than in the early stage (5 days pw) 2.7 percent vs 14.7 percent, p<0.01 respectively). The decreased in binding was also due to decreased receptor affinity in the malnourished compared to the control (0.54 Ke x 10(to 8 power)/M vs 1.4 Ke x 10(to 8 power/M, p<0.01, at 10 days pw). There was no significant difference between the number ob receptors in malnourished and control states. The malnourished animals became insulin-resistant, with a diminished glucose tolerance and a lowered insulin to glucose ratio. Insulin release was also presumably impaired as the malnourished animals had a lowered plasma insulin concentration compared to the controls of the same age (8 æU/ml vs 15.3 æU/ml, p0.05; 10 days pw). In the control animals, the plasma insulin levels increased with age from 8.1 æU/ml at weaning to 27.5 æU/ml (p<0.05): while increase in plasma insulin values shown by the malnourished was not statistically different (10.34æU/ml, 20 days pw). There was an inverse relationship between plasma insulin levels and insulin-binding as the control animals increased in age. The extent and the duration of manutrition adversely affects the binding of insulin to its receptor. This would contributed to the glucose intolerance characteristic of malnurtition (AU)

The effect of malnutrition on the insulin receptor binding characteristics of rat erythrocytes

The erythrocytes of malnourished animals bound less insulin than controls (6.4 percent vs. 17 percent respectively, p<0.01 at 10 days post weaning pw). In the later stages of malnutrition (20 days pw) insulin binding was significantly less than in the early stage (5 days pw).(2.7 percent vs. 14.7percent, p<0.01 respectively). The decreased binding was also reflected in decreased receptor affinity in the malnourished compared to the control (0.54 K x 10 8/M vs. 1.4 K x 10 8/M, p<0.01 at 10 days pw). There was no significant difference between the number of receptors in malnourished and control states. The malnourished animals became insulin resistant, as suggested by a diminished glucose tolerance and a lowered insulin to glcose ratio. Insulin release was also impaired with the malnourished having a lowered plasma insulin concentration compared to the control of the same age (8 æU/ml vs. 15.3 æU/ml, p<0.05; 10 days pw). As physiological development proceeded from zero to twenty days post-weaning, the total binding (Bo) and the affinity decreased in both the malnourished and the control. This decrease was steeper in the malnourished than the control suggesting that the effects of the age on insulin receptor characteristics are exacerbated by malnutrition. In the control but not in the malnourished, the number of receptors decreased as development proceeded. In the control animals, the plasma insulin levels increased with age from 8.1 æU/ml at weaning to 27.5 æU/ml (p<0.05). While the increase in plasma insulin values shown by the malnourished was not statistically different (10.34 æU/ml, 20 days pw). There was an inverse relationship between plasma insulin levels and insulin binding as the control animals increased in age (AU)