Clinical diagnosis and risk stratification in patients with Brugada syndrome.
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Biomarkers↗
Biomedical subjects
P Bjerregaard
Publications and source records attributed to P Bjerregaard.
Development of an ELISA for vitellogenin in whole body homogenate of zebrafish (Danio rerio).
The yolk protein, lipovitellin (Lv) was purified from ovaries of mature female zebrafish (Danio rerio) by gel filtration and anion exchange chromatography. Polyclonal antibodies against Lv were raised in rabbits. Anti-Lv IgG was purified by affinity chromatography. SDS-PAGE followed by Western blotting was performed to analyse the specificity of the antibody and the immunological similarities between Lv and vitellogenin (Vtg). Anti-Lv IgG was used to develop a direct non-competitive sandwich ELISA to measure Vtg concentrations of whole body homogenate (WBH) in zebrafish. The intra- and interassay variabilities were 5.8% and 10.4%, respectively. The sensitivity was 0.2 ng Vtg x ml(-1) and the practical detection limit was 40 ng Vtg x g(-1) fish (wet weight). Adult male zebrafish were exposed to a nominal water concentration of 10 ng x l(-1) of ethinylestradiol (EE2) in a semi-static exposure system for 7 days. Compared with the control group, exposure to 10 ng EE2 x l(-1) induced a 200-fold increase in Vtg levels.
Animals↗
Iron status markers in 224 indigenous Greenlanders: influence of age, residence and traditional foods.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate iron status in indigenous Greenlanders and its relationship to gender, age and intake of traditional Greenlandic foods. METHODS: Serum ferritin, serum transferrin saturation and haemoglobin were evaluated in a population survey in 1993-1994 comprising 224 Greenlandic individuals (109 men) aged 19-82 yr. The participants were residents in the capital Nuuk (n=73) with a predominantly Western style of living, the town Ilulissat (n=60) with a mixture of Western and Greenlandic style of living, and the small town Uummannaq (n=91) with a predominantly Greenlandic style of living. Consumption of traditional foods was assessed by questionnaire. RESULTS: Intake of traditional foods was more prevalent among elderly than among young individuals and more frequent in Uummannaq than in Ilulissat and Nuuk. Ferritin levels were higher in men than in women (p<0.0001). Median ferritin levels were lowest in Nuuk (men, 92 microg/L; women, 40 microg/L), higher in Ilulissat (men, 104 microg/L; women, 69 microg/L) and in Uummannaq (men, 118 microg/L; women, 46 microg/L) (p<0.001). The prevalence of iron load (ferritin >200 microg/L) was lowest in Nuuk (men: 13.8%, women: 2.3%) intermediate in Ilulissat (men, 11.1%; women, 9.1%) and highest in Uummannaq (men, 32.1%; women, 21.1%). The prevalence of iron depletion (ferritin <16 microg/L) was high in Nuuk (men, 0%; women, 20.5%), and lower in Ilulissat (men, 3.7%; women, 6.1%) and in Uummannaq (men, 0%; women, 10.5%). The prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia (ferritin <13 microg/L and Hb <5th percentile for iron-replete men and women) was 0.92% in men and 0.87% in women. Correlations between age and ferritin were lowest in Nuuk (men, r(s)=0.26, p=0.2; women, r(s)=0.50, p=0.001) intermediary in Ilulissat (men, r(s)=0.37, p=0.06; women, r(s)=0.73, p<0.0001) and highest in Uummannaq (men, r(s)=0.59, p<0.0001; women, rs=0.74, p<0.0001). Intake of traditional foods was correlated with ferritin in men (r(s)=0.29, p=0.01) and women (r(s)=0.40, p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: The observed differences in estimated body iron stores in Greenlanders from the three residential areas can be explained by differences in the dietary intake of haem iron.
Adult↗
Haemoglobin concentrations appear to be lower in indigenous Greenlanders than in Danes: assessment of haemoglobin in 234 Greenlanders and in 2804 Danes.
OBJECTIVE: To compare haemoglobin concentrations in Greenlanders and Danes. METHODS: Haemoglobin was measured in a population survey in 1993-1994 comprising 234 indigenous Greenlandic individuals (115 men) aged 19-82 yr. and in Copenhagen County 1983-1984 comprising 2804 Caucasian Danes (1444 men) aged 30-60 yr. The Greenlandic participants were residents in the capital Nuuk (n=70), the town Ilulissat (n=74), and four settlements in the Uummannaq district (n=90). The significance of differences was assessed by Student's t-test, and the xi2-test. Correlations were assessed by Spearman's correlation coefficient (rs). RESULTS: Greenlanders: Haemoglobin levels were not correlated with age or consumption of traditional foods, and were not significantly different in the three residential areas. Mean haemoglobin was higher in men, 146+/-9.6 (SD) g/L, than in women, 132+/-9.6 g/L (p<0.0001). Mean haemoglobin in iron-replete men with serum ferritin >32 microg/L (n=104) was 146+/-9.3 g/L, and in iron-replete women (n=68) 133+/-10.4 g/L (p<0.0001). The 5th percentile for haemoglobin in iron-replete men was 133 g/L (8.3 mmol/L) and in women 118 g/L (7.3 mmol/L). The prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia (i.e. ferritin <13 microg/L and Hb <5th percentile for iron-replete men and women) was 0% in men, 2.78% in women < or =50 yr of age and 0% in women >50 yr of age. Danes: Mean haemoglobin in men was 154+/-10.0 g/L and in women 138+/-10.4 g/L (p<0.0001). Haemoglobin in iron-replete men (n=1379) (i.e. serum ferritin >32 microg/L) was 154+/-10.7 g/L, and in iron-replete women (n=1003) 140+/-9.6 g/L (p<0.0001). Mean haemoglobin was lower in premenopausal than in postmenopausal women (p<0.0001). The 5th percentile for haemoglobin in iron-replete men was 137 g/L (8.5 mmol/L) and in women 124 g/L (7.7 mmol/L). The prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia (i.e. ferritin <13 microg/L and Hb <5th percentile for iron replete men and women) was 0% in men, 1.92% in women < or =50 yr of age and 0% in women >50 yr of age. CONCLUSION: Haemoglobin concentrations in Greenlanders were significantly lower than in Danes both in men (p<0.0001) and in women (p<0.0001). Delta(mean haemoglobin) in men was 8.0 g/L (0.5 mmol/L) and in women 6.2 g/L (0.4 mmol/L). Variations in haemoglobin levels may be due to genetic differences.
Adult↗
Health expectancy in Greenland.
BACKGROUND: Mortality and disease patterns in Greenland have greatly changed since the 1950s. Infectious diseases have decreased markedly; chronic diseases, suicides and violent deaths have increased. METHODS: Life tables for the period 1991-95 were used and health status was derived from the 1993/94 Greenland Health Interview Survey. Health expectancy for the Inuit population of Greenland was calculated by an index suggested by Sullivan. RESULTS: Greenland Inuit women live longer than men, but the expected lifetime in self-rated good health was shorter for women than for men. Chronic disease rates are high in Greenland, and consequently many healthy life years are lost, especially because of musculoskeletal diseases. Health expectancy decreases with age, but for this Inuit population the proportion of healthy life years increases after the age of 60, especially among men. CONCLUSION: The many healthy life years lost in Greenland according to self-rated poor health and chronic diseases should be a cause for concern in public health planning in Greenland. Special attention should also be paid to future investigations of regional patterns of health in Greenland, since there is great population heterogeneity according to geography and urbanization.
Adult↗
Rapid socio-cultural change and health in the Arctic.
The colonization of the circumpolar peoples has had a profound influence on their health. History tells about devastating epidemics and the introduction of alcohol. The last 50 years have witnessed an unprecedented societal development in Greenland and a rapid epidemiological transition. Physical health and survival have improved but at the expense of mental health. The incidence of tuberculosis and the infant mortality rate have decreased because of improved socioeconomic conditions and health care. Mental health has deteriorated parallel to the rapid modernization of Greenlandic society. Chronic diseases are on the increase due to changing life styles, and environmental pollution with mercury and persistent organic pollutants may pose a threat to future generations of Inuit.
Arctic Regions↗
Suicide in a society in transition.
In Greenland, the rapid socio-cultural change of the last 50 years has been paralleled by an increasing number of suicides. The suicide rates in Greenland are now among the highest in the world. Especially among men aged 15-24 suicide rates are dramatically high. In the present study, information on the psycho-social background of suicides is provided based on a review of death certificates and police reports for the period 1993-95. Dysfunctional social networks seem to play a predominant role among suicides. Being disconnected from community and family ties seems to increase the vulnerability of young people in Greenland. In addition, temporal trends of suicide rates are described for the different regions of Greenland. The findings are discussed in relation to the societal and cultural transition of the society.
Adolescent↗
Cadmium influx and efflux across perfused gills of the shore crab, Carcinus maenas.
Cadmium influx across perfused gills of the shore crab Carcinus maenas exposed to 9.0 µM cadmium in the external medium ranged from 0.6 to 2.0 nmol Cd(2+) g(-1) gill wet wt. per h. Cadmium efflux across perfused gills exposed to 9.0 µM cadmium in the internal medium ranged from 0.3 to 0.9 nmol Cd(2+) g(-1) gill wet wt. per h. There was no significant difference between cadmium influx and efflux across the gills. Cadmium influx across the gills was not detectable after exposure to lanthanum in the external medium, whereas cadmium efflux was unaffected by external as well as internal lanthanum. Cadmium influx was not affected when the internal medium was changed to Na-free medium, whereas efflux showed a fourfold increase when the gills were perfused with Na-free medium. Low pH in the external medium did not exert any significant effect on cadmium influx and efflux.
Journal Article↗
Lead, cadmium, mercury and selenium intake by Greenlanders from local marine food.
The human intake of lead, cadmium, mercury and selenium from local Greenlandic marine food was estimated based on dietary studies and contaminant information. The average lead intake was calculated to be 15 micrograms/person per week, which is very low, whereas the intake of cadmium and mercury was estimated to be very high, on average 1004 micrograms/person per week for cadmium and 846 for mercury, thereby significantly exceeding limits established by FAO/WHO. The main cadmium and mercury source was seal liver. Selenium intake was also high with whale skin as the dominant source.
Adolescent↗
Organochlorines and heavy metals in pregnant women from the Disko Bay area in Greenland.
Recent studies from Greenland and the Canadian Arctic have shown high concentrations of heavy metals, such as mercury, and organochlorines in the blood and fatty tissue of the Inuit. This is attributed in particular to their high consumption of the meat and blubber of marine mammals. In the present study, 180 pregnant women and 178 newborn babies were studied, amounting to 36% of the total number of births in the Disko Bay area during 1994-1996. The pesticides found in the highest concentrations in maternal blood were DDE (4.8 micrograms/l wet wt.), trans-nonachlor (1.6 micrograms/l) and hexachlorobenzene (1.2 micrograms/l) while the total concentration of PCB (Aroclor 1260) was 19.1 micrograms/l. Calculated on a lipid basis, concentrations were slightly higher in maternal than in cord blood. The mercury concentrations were 16.8 micrograms/l in maternal blood and 35.6 micrograms/l in cord blood. In a linear regression analysis, the concentrations of organochlorines, mercury and selenium increased with maternal age. Concentrations of mercury and cadmium increased with the consumption of marine mammals, and cadmium was associated with smoking. The contaminants are potentially toxic for several organ systems but the high concentrations of pollutants have so far not been shown to influence health in Greenland.
Adult↗
[Tuberculosis, suicide and alcohol. Development of the society, health care and disease in Greenland during the 20th century].
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Alcohol Drinking↗
The preservatives ethyl-, propyl- and butylparaben are oestrogenic in an in vivo fish assay.
The widely used phenolic preservatives ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben and their common metabolite p-hydroxybenzoic acid were tested for their ability to evoke an oestrogenic response in vivo. Yolk protein induction in sexually immature rainbow trout was used as an oestrogen-specific endpoint after repeated injections of the compounds. All tested parabens were oestrogenic in doses between 100 and 300 mg/kg, while the metabolite showed no activity. Ethylparaben was found to be approximately sixty times weaker than propyl- and butylparaben which had oestrogenic potencies comparable to those previously found for bisphenol A.
Animals↗
The associations of a marine diet with plasma lipids, blood glucose, blood pressure and obesity among the inuit in Greenland.
OBJECTIVE: To analyse the associations between the intake of fish and marine mammals and risk factors for cardiovascular disease, ie lipid profile, fasting blood glucose, blood pressure and obesity, in a population whose average consumption of n-3 fatty acids is high compared with Western countries. DESIGN: Information was obtained from a population survey in Greenland: interview data, clinical data and fasting blood samples were obtained from a random sample of Inuit from three towns and four villages. SUBJECTS: Two-hundred and fifty-nine adult Inuit (74% of the sample). RESULTS: Marine diet was positively associated with serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and blood glucose and inversely with very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and triglyceride. Association with low-density lipoprotein (LDL), diastolic and systolic blood pressure, waist-hip ratio and body mass index were inconsistent and not statistically significant. The pattern was similar within groups with low, medium and high consumption of marine food. CONCLUSIONS: There are statistically significant associations between the consumption of marine food and certain lipid fractions in the blood also in this population with a very high average intake of marine food. The observation that blood glucose is positively associated with marine diet in a population survey is new and should be repeated. There was good agreement between the results for the reported consumption of seal and those for the biomarkers. SPONSORSHIP: The study was financially supported by the Greenland Home Rule, Directorate of Health and Research, the Commission for Scientific Research in Greenland, and the Danish Medical Research Council.
Adolescent↗
Idiopathic short QT interval: a new clinical syndrome?
In this first clinical report of an idiopathic familial persistently short QT interval (QTI), we describe three members of one family (a 17-year-old female, her 21-year-old brother, and their 51-year-old mother) demonstrating this ECG phenomenon, associated in the 17-year-old with several episodes of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation requiring electrical cardioversion. Similar ECG changes seen in an unrelated 37-year-old patient were associated with sudden cardiac death. Our report also describes other manifestations of abnormal shortening of the QTI and considers the possible arrhythmogenic potential of the short QTI.
Adolescent↗
False-negative and false-positive ECG diagnoses of Q wave myocardial infarction in the presence of right bundle-branch block.
Right bundle-branch block (RBBB) has not traditionally been seen as an obstacle to ECG diagnosis of Q wave myocardial infarction (MI)--in clinical electrocardiography and vectorcardiography--because this conduction disturbance is not believed to cause significant alterations in the spatial orientation of initial excitation wavefronts. In the era of large-scale clinical trials, however, where serial ECG analysis is among the major diagnostic tools in MI classification, both false-positive and false-negative diagnoses of MI in the presence of RBBB have become increasingly evident. Because of the limited detectability of Q wave MI by ECG in the presence of RBBB, the electrocardiographic finding of Q wave MI should not be regarded as an independent diagnostic tool. It is best to utilize independent corroboration to establish the diagnosis of transmural infarction when RBBB is present. Further investigations are warranted to better delineate sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of Q wave MI in the presence of RBBB.
Atrial Function, Right↗
Effects of nonylphenol and 17beta-estradiol on vitellogenin synthesis and testis morphology in male platyfish Xiphophorus maculatus.
Nonylphenol has been found to exert estrogenic effects in fish and may influence the fertility of male fish. In the present study, the effects of nonylphenol and 17beta-estradiol on vitellogenin synthesis and testis morphology in platyfish Xiphophorus maculatus were investigated. Vitellogenin was observed in the plasma of all fish exposed to nonylphenol or 17beta-estradiol. Exposure to 17beta-estradiol resulted in a significant reduction in the gonadosomatic index. A tendency for a dose-dependent reduction in the gonadosomatic index in the nonylphenol exposed groups was observed. Histological examination revealed dose-dependent effects of nonylphenol on the testis structure. The testes of control fish contained numerous cysts with spermatogenetic cells. The testes of fish exposed to nonylphenol or 17beta-estradiol showed a decrease in the number of cysts concomitant with an increase in the amount of hypertrophied Sertoli cells present. Formation of spermatozeugmata is compulsory for this species, but free spermatozoa were observed in the efferent ducts of the treated fish. The study indicates that nonylphenol has estrogenic potency, and that both nonylphenol and 17beta-estradiol have marked effects on the testis morphology of X. maculatus. The ambient concentration of nonylphenol was measured by high pressure liquid chromatography during the experiment. The measurements revealed that the actual concentrations of nonylphenol in the water were about 30-40 % of the nominal concentrations.
Animals↗
Naming of the waves in the ECG with a brief account of their genesis.
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Electrocardiography↗
In vivo estrogenic activity of branched and linear alkylphenols in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).
The in vivo estrogenic activity of the two branched alkylphenols, tert-octylphenol and technical nonylphenol, and the two linear isoforms, n-octylphenol and n-nonylphenol, was compared. The compounds were administered to juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) by either intraperitoneal injection or water exposure and their estrogenic potential was evaluated by ELISA measurements of induced plasma vitellogenin. Intraperitoneal injections (50 mg/kg) of the two branched alkylphenols resulted in a significant vitellogenic response after 12 days whereas no significant induction was seen with the two linear isomers. Water exposure for 9 days to a nominal concentration of 150 micrograms/l of the alkylphenols elicited the same response pattern as seen for the injection experiment. Furthermore, in the present vitellogenin assay tert-octylphenol was giving a higher estrogenic response compared to technical nonylphenol using either of the two exposure routes.
Animals↗