Irish journal of medical science
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Respiratory disease is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in cystic fibrosis (CF). The significance of Burkholderia cepacia (B. cepacia) in the pathogenesis of lung disease in CF is debated, but its exact role remains unclear. ⋯ Acquisition of B. cepacia may be a cause of, rather than a marker for, a decrease in pulmonary function.
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A relationship between bone turnover and the vitamin D receptor (VDR) genotype is reported in Australian subjects of UK-Irish descent. There is conflicting evidence of linkage between the VDR genotype and differences in bone mineral density. No such study has been carried out on a resident Irish population. ⋯ These findings suggest that healthy Irish adults with the tt VDR genotype have higher rates of bone turnover than those with Tt or TTVDR genotypes. They may have a higher risk of low bone mineral density and osteoporosis in later life.
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Intravenous drug misuse, principally heroin, occurs primarily in the Greater Dublin area. Methadone maintenance treatment has been an important part of the response to opiate misuse in Dublin since 1992. ⋯ Opiate-related deaths occur primarily in males in the 25-34 year age group and are associated with a high level of polydrug use. Diverted methadone accounted for the majority of deaths involving
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The mortality and morbidity of patients with breast cancer can vary even between individuals with similar histological stage at diagnosis. Identification of those individuals with prognostically poorer tumours is an essential prerequisite in planning adjuvant therapies. Some prognostic indices of tumour size, grade, oestrogen receptor status and nodal status are well established. ⋯ The profiling of individual tumour genetic expression of proto-oncogenes may allow for more specific identification of patients at higher risk of recurrence in breast cancer.