Chronic Gastritis: Progression of Inflammation and Atrophy in a Six-Year Endoscopic Follow-Up of a Random Sample of 142 Estonian Urban Subjects

Background. A prior cross sectional study reported that higher soluble thrombomodulin (sTM) was associated with subclinical atherosclerosis only in the presence of higher soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, sICAM-1. We evaluated this interaction longitudinally with regard to coronary artery calcium (CAC) in the MESA cohort. Methods: MESA is a multi-center longitudinal study with baseline measurements of endothelial biomarkers in a random sample (n=1000) of the baseline cohort. In the random sample, 374 men and 496 women had CT measurement for CAC (Agatston score) at baseline and a median follow-up of 2.9 years. Among those with no baseline CAC (n=490), we estimated the relative risk of detectable CAC at follow-up using general linear models with Gaussian error and robust standard errors. Among those with detectable baseline CAC (n=380), change in CAC on follow-up was modeled using robust regression that down-weights outliers. Models with log(sTM) as predictor were adjusted for follow-up time, sex, ethnicity and baseline age, BMI, smoking, diabetes, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, use of BP or lipid-lowering medications and for hormone replacement (HRT) in women in separate models. Interactions between sTM and sICAM-1, sex and ethnicity was assessed. Results: The median [interquartile range] of sTM was 38 [28 to 47] ng/mL for persons with incident detectable CAC, and 30 [23 to 41] ng/mL in those without (rank sum p <0.001). On adjustment, a 2-fold higher sTM at baseline (e.g., from 23 to 46 ng/mL) was associated with a 1.36-fold increased risk of detectable CAC on follow-up (95% CI: 1.03, 1.79, p=0.031). Among those with baseline detectable CAC, the rank correlation between sTM level and change in CAC score was 0.10 (p = 0.042), however, on adjustment, a 2-fold higher sTM was associated with a non-significant 0.86 Agatston units greater CAC change (p = 0.84). Higher sICAM-1 did not modify the association of sTM with CAC incidence (interaction p = 0.15) or change (interaction p = 0.26). There was no significant heterogeneity by sex, or ethnicity, or confounding by HRT in women. Conclusion: High circulating levels of sTM were independently associated with incident calcification of the coronary arteries.

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Indigenous healers in the North West province: A survey of their clinical activities in health care in the rural areas

Curationis ◽

10.4102/curationis.v19i4.1333 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

S. N. Shai-Mahoko

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Random Sample ◽

Southern Africa ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Demographic Variables ◽

Simple Random Sample ◽

North West ◽

The North ◽

Clinical Conditions

The purpose of this study was to explore the clinical conditions brought to indigenous healers by people in the rural areas in search of health care. The demographic variables and preventive, promotive, curative and follow-up activities of indigenous healers were investigated. Data were collected from a simple random sample of 35 indigenous healers. A questionnaire designed by Mogoba (1984) for investigation of training and functioning of traditional doctors in Southern Africa was modified and used to collect data.

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Freshman Withdrawal from College: An Empirical Examination of the Usefulness of “Autopsy Studies”

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.1977.41.2.672 ◽

1977 ◽

Vol 41 (2) ◽

pp. 672-674 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Frank R. Timmons

Keyword(s):

Random Sample ◽

Empirical Examination ◽

Comparison Groups ◽

Continuing Students

“Autopsy studies” are investigations in which students are asked at their time of withdrawal from college why they are leaving. Some authors (2, 4) have questioned the usefulness of these studies, noting that withdrawing students may tend to downplay their true problems and overemphasize more socially desirable reasons for leaving. Moreover, previous “autopsy studies” have not used any comparison groups to check to see whether continuing students had the same difficulties as withdrawers but chose to remain in college. The present study rectifies these two major problems of “autopsy studies” by interviewing withdrawers at least several months after withdrawal and by comparing their responses on a follow-up questionnaire with the responses of a random sample of continuers. The results do, indeed, indicate that continuers have significantly more problems in a number of areas than do the withdrawers but choose not to withdraw despite these problems.

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