Lancet
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In the UK, the Quality and Outcome Framework (QOF) has specific targets for general practictioners to record body-mass index (BMI) and blood pressure (BP) in major mental illness, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. Although incentives are given for aspects of major mental illness (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and related psychoses), barriers to care can occur. Our aim was to compare recording of specific targets for BP and BMI in individuals with major mental illness relative to diabetes and chronic kidney disease across the UK. ⋯ None.
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Necrotising fasciitis due to invasive group A streptococcus (iGAS) is frequently associated with type emm1 isolates, with an attendant mortality of 40%. Some cases occur in previously healthy individuals with a history of upper respiratory tract infection, soft tissue contusion, and no obvious portal of entry. Using a new model of mild contusion injury, we set out to determine the effect of contusion on iGAS bacterial burden, phenotype, and host cytokine response. ⋯ Royal Army Medical Corps, Surgeon General's Research Strategy Group, Ministry of Defence.
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Signalling though the melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R), which is widely expressed in the hypothalamus, mediates food intake and macronutrient preference in rodents. Studies in patients with MC4R deficiency can provide insights into the role of this pathway in man. We investigated the role of melanocortin signalling in fat and sucrose preference in human beings by studying patients with loss of function mutations in MC4R. ⋯ Wellcome Trust, NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Bernard Wolfe Health Neuroscience Fund, NeuroFAST consortium, which is funded by the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no 245009.
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Obesity is an emergent epidemic associated with morbidity, mortality, and psychosocial effects. One of the key gut hormones that controls appetite is peptide tyrosine-tyrosine 3-36 (PYY3-36) whose circulating half-life is only 8 min. A long-acting analogue of PYY3-36 would therefore have great potential as an antiobesity agent. The aims of this study were to investigate the effect of various aminoacid modifications of PYY3-36 on pharmacokinetics and their ability to suppress food intake. ⋯ UK Medical Research Council, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), an Integrative Mammalian Biology (IMB) Capacity Building award, an FP7-HEALTH-2009-241592 EuroCHIP grant, NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre Funding Scheme.
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Non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) causes invasive and frequently fatal disease in African children. Existing strategies to prevent, diagnose, and treat NTS disease are inadequate. An improved understanding of the biology of invasive Salmonella infection will facilitate the development of novel NTS control measures. Despite evidence in mice and man showing a clear role for host genetics in NTS susceptibility, there are no published studies investigating host genetic susceptibility to NTS in African populations. ⋯ Wellcome Trust.