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Comparative Study 2012; 33(5): 565-567 PubMed PMID: 23090277 Citation  Keywords:  Aged, Alzheimer Disease:epidemiology, Caregivers:psychology, Cohort Studies, Cross-Sectional Studies, Czech Republic:epidemiology, Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic:epidemiology, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Psychophysiologic Disorders:epidemiology, Sex Cha.   

BACKGROUND: This study was motivated by the growth in the number of elderly with dementia and consequent need to help family caregivers who face the daily stress for long periods of time. The aim was to describe the frequency of some common psychosomatic symptoms in self-assessed health status and to determine whether there are gender differences in these symptoms and the perception of one´s own health in family caregivers.

METHODS: The first results of cross-sectional survey design as the first phase of a longitudinal cohort study are presented. The participants in this investigation (n=73) were family caregivers of outpatients suffering from moderate (59 cases = 80.8%) or mild (14 cases = 19.2%) stage of Alzheimer´ s disease (AD).

RESULTS: The group of caregivers consisting of 61 (83.6%) women and 12 men (16.4%). Participants of this study were recruited from the Department of Psychiatry, Prague, Czech Republic. Data from caregivers were collected by using a self-administered questionnaire containing various items to measure self-perceived health including some common psychosomatic symptoms in relationship with their caregiving role.

CONCLUSIONS: The following symptoms appeared the most frequent among family caregivers: chronic fatigue and sleeping disturbances. Most caregivers of patients with moderate stage of AD evaluated their own health as poor and experienced more symptoms in comparison with caregivers of patients with mild stage of Alzheimer´s disease, who scored their own health as good or very good. A follow-up of the survey population seems to be necessary....

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Journal Article 2009; 30(6): 715-722 PubMed PMID: 20035260 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Biomarkers:blood, Cardiovascular Diseases:epidemiology, Creatinine:urine, DNA Damage:physiology, Depressive Disorder, Major:epidemiology, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic:epidemiology, Female, Guanine:analogs & derivativ.   

BACKGROUND: There is now evidence that major depression and myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) are accompanied by partially overlapping pathophysiological mechanisms, i.e. activation of various inflammatory and oxidative & nitrosative (IO&NS) pathways.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to examine the urinary excretion of 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OhdG), a marker of oxidative damage to DNA, in depression; ME/CFS; and depression and ME/CFS.

METHODS: Toward this end, morning urine was sampled for the assays of 8-OHdG and creatinine, in 44 patients with ME/CFS; 25 with major depression; 23 with depression and ME/CFS; and 17 normal controls. Severity of fatigue and somatic symptoms was measured by means of the Fibromyalgia and CFS Rating (FF) scale.

RESULTS: We found that 49.0% of the variance in the urinary excretion of 8-OHdG was predicted by the regression on creatinine. Consequently, the urinary 8-OHdG excretion should be expressed as the residualized 8-OHdG values after partialling out the effects of creatinine and not by computing the 8-OHdG / creatinine ratio. We found that the residualized urinary excretion of 8-OHdG (adjusted for creatinine) was significantly higher in patients with depression and ME/CFS than in normal controls and all other patients. In the patient group, there were significant correlations between the urinary 8-OHdG and the total score on the FF scale and sadness and flu-like malaise.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings show increased oxidatively generated DNA damage in patients with major depression and ME/CFS and, therefore, further extent the role played by IO&NS pathways in the pathophysiology of both disorders. Since oxidatively damage to DNA is a risk factor for atherosclerosis and neurodegeneration, our results also explain previous findings on increased cardiovascular morbidity in depression and ME/CFS, and neurodegenerative processes in depression....

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Journal Article 2006; 27(4): 529-534 PubMed PMID: 16891989 Citation  Keywords:  Adult, Condylomata Acuminata:epidemiology, Female, Human papillomavirus 11, Human papillomavirus 16, Human papillomavirus 6, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical, Kidney Failure, Chronic:epidemiology, Kidney Transplantation:s.   

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate: 1) The prevalence of human papillomavirus (types 6 and 11 carrying a low risk of neoplasia, and type 16 implicated as cause of cervical neoplasia and cancer) in normal pregnant women and pregnant renal transplant recipients. 2) The correlation between maternal HPV infection and HPV presence in the cord blood and the oral cavity of the neonate. Evaluation of a likely, additional route of HPV transmission to the fetus, apart from the infected birth canal during vaginal delivery. The correlation between the mode of delivery in HPV-infected patients and the presence of HPV in their offspring.

DESIGN: Thirty-nine pregnant patients were included in the study. The study group consisted of nine pregnant renal transplant recipients. The control group consisted of 30 patients with normal pregnancy. The DNA of HPV types 6, 11 and 16 was studied in the discharge from the cervical canal, the maternal venous blood, the cord blood and the buccal smear obtained from the neonates.

SETTING: A university teaching hospital delivering approximately 2000 women annually.

RESULTS: Human papillomavirus (HPV) was found in 10 (26%) of 39 subjects. HPV types 6 and 11 was found in 7 (18%) of 39 subjects while HPV type 16 was present in 5 (13%) of the subjects. The co-occurrence of HPV types 6, 11 and 16 was detected in 2 patients from the control group. Transmission of HPV was established in 70% of study patients and their offspring.

CONCLUSIONS: 1) The HPV was found with 26% pregnant women. 2) The occurrence of HPV infections with pregnant renal transplant recipients in comparison with normal pregnancy was on similar level. High percentage of HPV transmission from mother to neonate was obtained. 3) The cesarean section probably doesn't protect from HPV infection. 4) There's a suggestion, the HPV infection of fetus may occur in utero....

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