| "Four babies have died after being given anti-measles shots at a government vaccination camp in Madhya Pradesh, prompting the arrest of a doctor and a nurse amid fears that expired drugs had been used."
Bees face 'unprecedented' pesticide exposures at home and afield http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/57474/title/Bees_face_unprecedented_pesticide_exposures_at_home_and_afield "For years the news has been the same: Honey bees are being hammered by some mysterious environmental plaque that has a name -- colony collapse disorder – but no established cause. A two-year study now provides evidence indicting one likely group of suspects: pesticides. It found "unprecedented levels" of mite-killing chemicals and crop pesticides in hives across the United States and parts of Canada."
GAO report scolds EPAhttp://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-03-17-epa-children-pollution_N.htm "During the past decade, the Environmental Protection Agency's commitment to keeping children safe from toxic chemicals has lapsed, and top officials routinely ignored scores of recommendations by the agency's own children's health advisory committee, according to a report released Wednesday by the Government Accountability Office."
Exposure to environmental toxins can be minimizedhttp://www.pennlive.com/bodyandmind/index.ssf/2010/03/exposure_to_environmental_toxi.html "The air we breathe, the food we eat, the house we live in, the grass we walk on — all contain toxic substances that could be harmful to our health. These environmental toxins are a part of our daily lives, mostly invisible and in some cases, seemingly unavoidable."
Neuropsychological and Psychiatric Functioning in Sheep Farmers Exposed to Low Levels of Organophosphate Pesticides.
Mackenzie Ross SJ, Brewin CR, Curran HV, Furlong CE, Abraham-Smith KM, Harrison V. Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2010 Mar 11. [Epub ahead of print]
Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT.
The study aim was to determine whether low level exposure to organophosphate pesticides (OPs) causes neuropsychological or psychiatric impairment. Methodological weaknesses of earlier studies were addressed by: recruiting participants who had retired on ill health grounds; excluding participants with a history of acute poisoning, medical or psychiatric conditions that might account for ill health; and exploring factors which may render some individuals more vulnerable to the effects of OPs than others. Performance on tests of cognition and mood of 127 exposed sheep farmers (67 working, 60 retired) was compared with 78 unexposed controls (38 working, 40 retired) and published test norms derived from a cross section of several thousand adults in the general population. Over 40% of the exposed cohort reported clinically significant levels of anxiety and depression compared to less than 23% of controls. Exposed subjects performed significantly worse than controls and standardisation samples on tests of memory, response speed, fine motor control, mental flexibility and strategy making, even after controlling for the effects of mood. The pattern was similar for both working and retired groups. The cognitive deficits identified can not be attributed to mood disorder, malingering, a history of acute exposure or genetic vulnerability in terms of PON1(192) polymorphisms. Results suggest a relationship may exist between low level exposure to organophosphates and impaired neurobehavioural functioning and these findings have implications for working practice and for other occupational groups exposed to OPs such as Aviation Workers and Gulf War Veterans. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Inc.
PMID: 20227490 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
An in vitro model to evaluate the inflammatory response after gaseous formaldehyde exposure of lung epithelial cells.
Persoz C, Achard S, Leleu C, Momas I, Seta N. Toxicol Lett. 2010 Mar 9. [Epub ahead of print]
Université Paris Descartes, Laboratoire de Santé Publique et Environnement-EA 4064. Paris, France.
Asthma is a public health problem worldwide, and indoor air pollution considered to be a potential etiology. New tools need to be developed to study the effects of air pollutants in vitro and modelize inhalation exposure. This study was thus set up to design an in vitro model, using a direct exposure device to study the cellular effects of air pollutants at environmental doses on lung epithelial cells, and apply this to gaseous formaldehyde (FA). A549 cells were exposed using the direct exposure device (air/liquid interface) to FA without, after and before TNFalpha (1ng/mL) sensitization. 24h after exposure, cellular viability (XTT) and inflammation (IL-6, IL-8 and MCP-1) were assessed. No effects on cellular viability were observed for concentrations </= 50mug/m(3). After TNFalpha sensitization, FA exposure induced a significant increase in IL-8 (p<0.001), which could lead to the initiation or pathogenesis of non-specific respiratory inflammation. The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility and sensitivity of the exposure system for testing inflammatory cellular effects of indoor gaseous compounds at environmental doses directly on human respiratory cells. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
PMID: 20226236 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Personal, indoor, and outdoor exposure to VOCs in the immediate vicinity of a local airport.
Jung KH, Artigas F, Shin JY. Environ Monit Assess. 2010 Mar 17. [Epub ahead of print]
New Jersey Meadowlands Commission, Meadowlands Environmental Research Institute, 1 DeKorte Park Plaza, Lyndhurst, NJ, 07071, USA.
This study measures the effect of emissions from an airport on the air quality of surrounding neighborhoods. The ambient concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and o-, m-, and p-xylene (BTEX) were measured using passive samplers at 15 households located close to the airport (indoor, outdoor, and personal), at the end of airport runways and an out-of-neighborhood location. Measurements occurred over a 48-h period during summer 2006 and winter 2006-2007. The average concentrations were 0.84, 3.21, 0.30, 0.99, and 0.34 mug/m(3) at the airport runways and 0.84, 3.76, 0.39, 1.22, and 0.39 mug/m(3) in the neighborhood for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m-, p-, and o-xylene. The average neighborhood concentrations were not significantly different to those measured at the airport runways and were higher than the out-of-neighborhood location (0.48, 1.09, 0.15, 0.78, and 0.43 mug/m(3), each BTEX). B/T ratios were used as a tracer for emission sources and the average B/T ratio at the airport and outdoors were 0.20 and 0.23 for the summer and 0.40 and 0.42 for the winter, suggesting that both areas are affected by the same emission source. Personal exposure was closely related to levels in the indoor environment where subjects spent most of their time. Indoor/outdoor (I/O) ratios for BTEX ranged from 1.13 to 2.60 and 1.41 to 3.02 for summer and winter. The seasonal differences in I/O ratios reflected residential ventilation patterns, resulting in increased indoor concentrations of volatile organic compounds during winter.
PMID: 20237839 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
How Safe Are Cellphones?http://www.parade.com/health/2010/03/21-how-safe-are-cellphones.html#resources "First came warning labels on cigarettes. Then nutritional information on packaged food. Could the next step be a radiation notice on your cellphone?"
"Women with higher exposure to additives used in some personal care and food products may have an increased risk of breast cancer."
"The Department of Agriculture said on Friday that it would begin enforcing rules requiring the spot testing of organically grown foods for traces of pesticides, after an auditor exposed major gaps in federal oversight of the organic food industry."
"Personal care and consumer products manufacturer, Proctor & Gamble (P&G) has responded positively to reports that its Herbal Essence line of shampoos contains high levels of a toxic substance."
From P.A.N.D.O.R.A. May is Lyme disease awareness month. To help raise awareness of Lyme disease across North America, P.A.N.D.O.R.A. has become the nonprofit sponsor of "Paint May Lyme Green" campaign, made up of three main parts; a Public Service Announcement, a Viral Campaign and a Visual Campaign.
For more information, visit Lymenaide http://lymenaide.wordpress.com/paint-may-lyme-green/ or contact:
Ashley van Tol
Executive Producer
(530) 386-6323
ashvantol@lymenaide.com
www.lymenaide.com
A Retrospective Review of the Sleep Characteristics in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia.
Spitzer AR, Broadman M. Pain Pract. 2010 Mar 2. [Epub ahead of print]
Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan.
Abstract
This study characterizes findings on sleep testing and Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) markers in a group of patients with fibromyalgia (FM) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). One hundred eighteen patients seen in a general neurology practice over 5 years meeting standard clinical criteria for FM or CFS were analyzed retrospectively. Cases of untreated sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome were excluded prior to inclusion in this study. Ninety-two patients had multiple sleep latency testing (MSLT). Seventy-three (80%) were abnormal by standard criteria. Of 57 females having positive MSLTs, 22 (39%) had one or more periods of sleep onset rapid eye movement (SOREM), and 5 of 16 (31%) males with positive MSLTs had one or more SOREM. Highly fragmented sleep, as previously described in FM, was seen but not analyzed quantitatively. HLA DQB1*0602 was obtained in 74 patients, and positive in 32 (43%), P < 0.0001 compared with published values in 228 populations. In our patients, who presented with neuromuscular fatigue or generalized pain, we found a sleep disorder characterized by objective hypersomnia. Some patients had characteristics of narcolepsy. Objective assessment by sleep studies can assist the diagnostic process, aid future research, and provide rationale for treatment.
PMID: 20230458 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Severity of symptom flare after moderate exercise is linked to cytokine activity in chronic fatigue syndrome.
White AT, Light AR, Hughen RW, Bateman L, Martins TB, Hill HR, Light KC. Psychophysiology. 2010 Mar 4. [Epub ahead of print]
Department of Exercise and Sport Science, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Abstract
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients often report symptom flare (SF) for >24 h after moderate exercise (post-ex). We hypothesized that SF is linked to increases in circulating cytokines and CD40 Ligand (CD40L). In 19 CFS patients and 17 controls, mental and physical fatigue and pain symptom ratings were obtained together with serum for 11 cytokines and CD40L before and at 0.5, 8, 24, and 48 h post-ex. Before exercise, CFS had lower CD40L (p<.05) but similar cytokines versus controls. In subgroups based on SF at 48 h, high SF patients (n=11) increased in IL-1beta, IL-12, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and IL-13 (p<.05) 8 h post-ex. Low SF patients (n=8) showed post-ex decreases in IL-10, IL-13, and CD40L, and controls decreased in IL-10, CD40L, and TNFalpha (p<.05). Thus, in CFS, cytokine activity may vary directly with SF, which may explain prior inconsistent findings. PMID: 20230500 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Prenatal Maternal Stress and Cord Blood Innate and Adaptive Cytokine Responses in an Inner-city Cohort.
Wright RJ, Visness CM, Calatroni A, Grayson MH, Gold DR, Sandel MT, Lee-Parritz A, Wood RA, Kattan M, Bloomberg GR, Burger M, Togias A, Witter FR, Sperling RS, Sadovsky Y, Gern JE. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2010 Mar 1. [Epub ahead of print]
The Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Womenâs Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
RATIONALE: Stress-elicited disruption of immunity begins in utero.
OBJECTIVES: Associations among prenatal maternal stress and cord blood mononuclear cell (CBMC) cytokine responses were prospectively examined in the Urban Environment and Childhood Asthma Study (N=557 families). METHODS: Prenatal maternal stress included financial hardship, Difficult Life Circumstances, community violence, neighborhood/block and housing conditions. Factor analysis produced latent variables representing three contexts - individual stressors and ecological-level strains (housing and neighborhood problems) which were combined to create a composite cumulative stress indicator. CBMCs were incubated with innate [lipopolysaccharide, Poly I:C, CpG, peptidoglycan] and adaptive [tetanus, dust mite, cockroach] stimuli, RSV, phytohemagglutinin, or medium alone. Cytokines were measured using multiplex ELISAs. Using linear regression, associations among increasing cumulative stress and cytokine responses were examined adjusting for sociodemographic factors, parity, season of birth, maternal asthma and steroid use, and potential pathway variables (prenatal smoking, birth weight for gestational age). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Mothers were primarily minorities [Black (71%), Latino (19%)] with an income <$15,000 (69%). Mothers with the highest cumulative stress were older and more likely to have asthma and deliver lower birth weight infants. Higher prenatal stress was related to increased IL-8 production after microbial (CpG, PIC, PG) stimuli and increased TNF-alpha to microbial stimuli (CpG, PIC). In the adaptive panel, higher stress was associated with increased IL-13 after dust mite stimulation and reduced PHA-induced IFN-gamma. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal stress was associated with altered innate and adaptive immune responses in CBMCs. Stress-induced perinatal immunomodulation may impact the expression of allergic disease in these children.
PMID: 20194818 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Daily intake of bisphenol A and potential sources of exposure: 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Lakind JS, Naiman DQ.
J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2010 Mar 17. [Epub ahead of print]
[1] LaKind Associates, LLC, Catonsville, Maryland, USA [2] Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA [3] Department of Pediatrics, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA.
Nationally representative data on urinary levels of bisphenol A (BPA) and its metabolites in the United States from the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were used to estimate daily BPA intakes. In addition, NHANES data on potential sources of BPA exposure and personal characteristics were explored for their association with urinary BPA levels. On the basis of 2005-2006 NHANES urinary BPA data and assumptions described in this paper, median daily intake for the overall population is approximately 34 ng/kg-day. Median daily BPA intakes for men are statistically significantly higher than for women; there is a significant decrease in daily BPA intake with increasing age. Gender- and age-specific median intakes differ from the overall population by less than a factor of 2. Although estimates of daily BPA intake have decreased compared with those from the 2003-2004 NHANES, it is premature to draw conclusions regarding trends at this time, as there is no indication that BPA use declined from 2003 to 2006. On the basis of an assessment of urinary BPA and questionnaire data from the 2005-2006 NHANES, consumption of soda, school lunches, and meals prepared outside the home - but not bottled water or canned tuna - was statistically significantly associated with higher urinary BPA.Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology advance online publication, 17 March 2010; doi:10.1038/jes.2010.9.
PMID: 20237498 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Chemical allergens--what are the issues?
Kimber I, Basketter DA, Dearman RJ. Toxicology. 2010 Feb 9;268(3):139-42. Epub 2009 Jul 29. Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK. ian.kimber@manchester.ac.uk
Chemical allergy describes the adverse health effects that may result when exposure to a chemical elicits an immune response. Allergy develops in two phases. In the first phase, exposure of an inherently susceptible subject results in stimulation of an immune response or immunological priming. If the then sensitised subject is exposed on a subsequent occasion to the same chemical then an accelerated and more aggressive secondary immune response will be provoked resulting in inflammation and the signs and symptoms of a clinically discernible allergic reaction. The two forms of chemical allergy of greatest relevance for occupational toxicology are skin sensitisation resulting in allergic contact dermatitis, and sensitisation of the respiratory tract associated with occupational rhinitis and asthma. In this brief survey we identify what we believe currently represent the key issues and key challenges in these areas.
(c) 2009. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
PMID: 19646501 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
More than 300 people who suffered burns from a chemical used on a Land of Leather sofa brand will not receive compensation, the High Court has ruled."
"Prenatal exposure to pesticides may lead to persistent adverse effects on brain development in children, according to research published online Feb. 25 in Environmental Health Perspectives."
"Due to a significant increase in adverse incidents, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is taking a series of actions to increase the safety of spot-on pesticide products for flea and tick control for cats and dogs. Immediately, EPA will begin reviewing labels to determine which ones need stronger and clearer labeling statements. Next, EPA will develop more stringent testing and evaluation requirements for both existing and new products. EPA expects these steps will help prevent adverse reactions. In dogs and cats that can include skin effects, such as irritation, redness, or gastrointestinal problems that include vomiting or diarrhea, or effects to the nervous system, such as trembling, appearing depressed or seizures—from pet spot-on products."
Don't let your cosmetics cause health problems. How to spot ingredients that may irritate.http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/sc-health-0310-cosmetics-20100310,0,5303936,print.story "We turn to cosmetics to look our very best, but sometimes all that lathering, slathering, powdering and painting can do more harm than good. • Certain ingredients in personal care products can cause redness, itching, swelling, acne and other reactions in people who are sensitive to them. Preservatives, fragrances and dyes are common culprits."
EPA Hosts Symposium to Strengthen Research and Policy on Environmental Justice The opening session and all plenary sessions will be Webcast live http://www.scgcorp.com/envirjusticesym/webcast.asp
New Anti-Perfume Rules in Detroit May Cause a Legal Stinkhttp://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,589433,00.html "Some Detroit workers will be forbidden from wearing scented products following a landmark court decision that sided with a woman who said her coworker's scents hindered her breathing, myfoxdetroit.com reported Tuesday."
9 on plane hospitalized after toxic fumes at airport
http://www.wmbfnews.com/Global/story.asp?S=12149049 "CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Nine crew members and passengers aboard a Jamaica-bound US Airways flight were taken to a hospital with coughs and sore throats after smelling strong odors Tuesday, two months after 15 people aboard the same jet were treated for similar problems."
Full Committee Hearing entitled, "Hearing on the Government Accountability Office's Investigation of EPA's Efforts to Protect Children's Health."
"Chairman Barbara Boxer will convene the Full Committee for a hearing on the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) investigation of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) children's health program. The committee will also examine what can be done to strengthen protections for children.
Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) is also expected to give testimony on the federal government's role in investigating children's health issues and how that can be improved."
Couple reluctantly seeks help after mold causes twins' potentially deadly illness "PORT TOWNSEND -- Seven-month-old twins Ceinna and Onyx Neidigh are fighting a potentially deadly respiratory virus that doctors say was contracted through exposure to black mold in a Port Townsend rental home."
Unilever Fined for Polluting California Air With Deodorant Sprayhttp://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/feb2010/2010-02-12-091.html "A fragrant personal care spray designed to make men appear to be free of unpleasant body odor has polluted California air to the degree that the state has fined the brandowner's corporate parent more than $1 million."
The Most Toxic Home Products How everyday household products can harm you and your family. http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/09/home-foam-teflon-technology-ecotech-toxins.html "You expect to find toxic chemicals in cleaning products and pesticides. But you wouldn't think toxins could be in your bed--or worse yet, your infant's crib."
EPA Makes Chemical Information More Accessible to Public
For the first time, TSCA chemical inventory free of charge online
"As part of Administrator Lisa P. Jackson's strong commitment to increase information on chemicals, for the first time, EPA is providing web access, free of charge, to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Substance Inventory. This inventory contains a consolidated list of thousands of industrial chemicals maintained by the agency. EPA is also making this information available on Data.Gov, a website developed by the Obama Administration to provide public access to important government information. This action represents another step to increase the transparency of chemical information while continuing to push for legislative reform of the 30 year old TSCA law."
For information about EPA's increasing transparency on chemical risk information see http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/bd4379a92ceceeac8525735900400c27/631cf22eb540c4db852576b2004eca47!OpenDocument
For access to the entire TSCA Inventory, please visit
http://www.epa.gov/oppt/newchems/pubs/invntory.htm
EPA Makes Chemical Information More Accessible to Public
For the first time, TSCA chemical inventory free of charge online
WASHINGTON – As part of Administrator Lisa P. Jackson's strong commitment to increase information on chemicals, for the first time, EPA is providing web access, free of charge, to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Substance Inventory. This inventory contains a consolidated list of thousands of industrial chemicals maintained by the agency. EPA is also making this information available on Data.Gov, a website developed by the Obama Administration to provide public access to important government information. This action represents another step to increase the transparency of chemical information while continuing to push for legislative reform of the 30 year old TSCA law.
"Increasing the public's access to information on chemicals is one of Administrator Jackson's top priorities," said Steve Owens, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances. "The American people are entitled to easily accessible information on chemicals, and today's action is part of a series of ongoing steps that EPA is taking to empower the public with this important information."
Until now, the consolidated public portion of the TSCA Inventory has only been available by purchase from the National Technical Reports Library or other databases. By adding the consolidated TSCA Inventory to the Agency's website and to Data.Gov, EPA is making this information readily available to the public at no cost.
Currently, there are more than 84,000 chemicals manufactured, used, or imported in the U.S. listed on the TSCA Inventory. However, EPA is unable to publicly identify nearly 17,000 of these chemicals because the chemicals have been claimed as confidential business information under TSCA by the manufacturers. Under Administrator Jackson's leadership, EPA has already begun a series of aggressive steps to provide greater transparency on chemical risk information, including an announcement in January that signaled EPA's intent to reduce a certain type of confidentiality claim, or Confidential Business Information (CBI) claim, on the identity of chemicals
In the coming months, EPA will take further steps to increase transparency and make more information available to the public, including adding TSCA facility information, and the list of chemicals manufactured to the Facility Registry System (FRS). FRS is an integrated database that provides the public with easier access to EPA's environmental information and better tools for cross-media environmental analysis. The addition of TSCA facility and chemical databases to FRS will provide the public with information on the facilities in their communities using industrial chemicals.
For information about EPA's increasing transparency on chemical risk information see http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/bd4379a92ceceeac8525735900400c27/631cf22eb540c4db852576b2004eca47!OpenDocument
For access to the entire TSCA Inventory, please visit
http://www.epa.gov/oppt/newchems/pubs/invntory.htm CONTACT:
Dale Kemery
kemery.dale@epa.gov
202-564-7839
202-564-4455
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 15, 2010
Do you know what's going on your child's skin?http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100314/LIFE/100319884 "As a young model, Josie Maran was forced to put on a lot of makeup, and her skin frequently broke out.
When she looked into what some of the major ingredients were in the products she was using, and researched what effects they could have on her skin, she realized what could be causing the acne."
Please vote "I agree if it made someone sick" in the poll at the end of this article about the fragrance ban in Detroit. Though this survey is kind of lame, as you can tell the author is biased because here's no room for just agreeing, it may wake a few folks up if they see a large amount of supporters. The last choice indicates a lack of understanding that lack of fragrance does not increase body odor. People can be clean and odor free without fragrance. Comments can be posted just below the survey. Thanks!
Among scientists, this notion that harm escalates as the exposure to something harmful increases seems so commonsensical that it's gone unchallenged since first postulated in the 16th century by Paracelsus, the Swiss alchemist considered the father of toxicology."
"We turn to cosmetics to look our very best, but sometimes all that lathering, slathering, powdering and painting can do more harm than good. • Certain ingredients in personal care products can cause redness, itching, swelling, acne and other reactions in people who are sensitive to them. Preservatives, fragrances and dyes are common culprits."
Serum 25-hydroxy Vitamin D Levels in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: a Retrospective Survey.
Berkovitz S, Ambler G, Jenkins M, Thurgood S. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2009 Jul;79(4):250-4.
Royal London Homeopathic Hospital, University College London Hospitals NHS Trust, London, UK.
Introduction: Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) may be at risk of osteoporosis due to their relative lack of physical activity and excessive time spent indoors, leading to reduced vitamin D synthesis. We hypothesized that serum 25-OH vitamin D levels are lower in CFS patients than in the general British population.
Subjects and methods: We performed a retrospective survey of serum 25-OH vitamin D levels in 221 CFS patients. We compared this to a group of patients attending the hospital for other chronic conditions and to a large British longitudinal survey of 45-year old women, using a variety of appropriate statistical approaches. Results: 25-OH vitamin D levels are moderately to severely suboptimal in CFS patients, with a mean of 44.4 nmol/L (optimal levels >75 nmol/L). These levels are lower and the difference is statistically significant (p<0.0004) than those of the general British population from a recent national survey, but similar to those in patients with other chronic conditions. Conclusions: This data supports the recommendation made in recent NICE guidelines that all patients with moderate to severe CFS should be encouraged to obtain adequate sun exposure and eat foods high in vitamin D. Oral or intramuscular vitamin D supplementation should be considered for those whose levels remain suboptimal.
PMID: 20209476 [PubMed - in process]
The chemical defensive system in the pathobiology of idiopathic environment-associated diseases.
Korkina L, Scordo G, Deeva I, Cesareo E, De Luca C.
Curr Drug Metab. 2009 Oct 1;10(8):914-31. Lab. Tissue Engineering & Cutaneous Pathophysiology, Istituto Dermopatico dell'Immacolata, Rome, Italy. l.korkina@idi.it.
Chemical defensive system consisting of bio-sensoring, transmitting, and responsive elements has been evolved to protect multi-cellular organisms against environmental chemical insults (xenobiotics) and to maintain homeostasis of endogenous low molecular weight metabolites (endobiotics). Both genetic and epigenetic defects of the system in association with carcinogenesis and individual sensitivity to anti-tumor therapies have been intensely studied. Recently, several non-tumor human pathologies with evident environmental components such as rather rare functional syndromes (multiple chemical sensitivity, chronic fatigue, Persian Gulf, and fibromyalgia now collectively labeled as idiopathic environmental intolerances) and common diseases (vitiligo and systemic lupus erythematosus) have become subjects of the research on the impaired metabolism and detoxification of xenobiotics and endogenous toxins. Here, we collected and critically reviewed epidemiological, genetic, and biochemical data on the involvement and possible role of cytochrome P450 super family enzymes, glutathione-S-transferase isozymes, catechol-O-methyl-transferase, UDP-glucuronosyl transferases, and proteins detoxifying inorganic and organic peroxides (catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and peroxiredoxin) in the above pathologies. Genetic predisposition assessed mainly by single nucleotide polymorphism and gene expression analyses revealed correlations between defects in genes encoding xenobiotic-metabolizing and/or detoxifying enzymes and risk/severity of these syndromes/diseases. Proteome analysis identified abnormal expression of the enzymes. Their functions were affected epigenetically leading to metabolic impairment and, as a consequence, to the negative health outcomes shared by some of these pathologies. Data obtained so far suggest that distinct components of the chemical defensive system could be suitable molecular targets for future pathogenic therapies.
PMID: 20201826 [PubMed - in process]
A high-throughput method for assessi ng chemical toxicity using a Caenorhabditis elegans reproduction assay.
Boyd WA, McBride SJ, Rice JR, Snyder DW, Freedman JH. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2010 Mar 3. [Epub ahead of print]
Biomolecular Screening Branch, National Toxicology Program, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709.
The National Research Council has outlined the need for non-mammalian toxicological models to test the potential health effects of a large number of chemicals while also reducing the use of traditional animal models. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is an attractive alternative model because of its well-characterized and evolutionarily-conserved biology, low cost, and ability to be used in high-throughput screening. A high-throughput method is described for quantifying the reproductive capacity of C. elegans exposed to chemicals for 48h from the last larval stage (L4) to adulthood using a COPAS Biosort. Initially, the effects of exposure conditions that could influence reproduction were defined. Concentrations of DMSO vehicle </=1% did not affect reproduction. Previous studies indicated that C. elegans may be influenced by exposure to low pH conditions. At pHs greater than 4.5, C. elegans reproduction was not affected, however below this pH there was a significant decrease in the number of offspring. Cadmium chloride was chosen as a model toxicant to verify that automated measurements were comparable to those of traditional observational studies. EC(50) values for cadmium for automated measurements (176-192muM) were comparable to those previously reported for a 72-h exposure using manual counting (151muM). The toxicity of seven test toxicants on C. elegans reproduction was highly correlative with rodent lethality suggesting that this assay may be useful in predicting the potential toxicity of chemicals in other organisms. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Inc.
PMID: 20206647 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
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