Mixed Bag

Researchers identify how body clock affects inflammation
UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report that disrupting the light-dark cycle of mice increased their susceptibility to inflammatory disease, indicating that the production of a key immune cell is controlled by the body's circadian clock. The study published in the Nov. 8 edition of Science identifies a previously hidden pathway by which the body's circadian clock controls the numbers of key inflammatory cells called interleukin-17-producing CD4+ T helper cells (TH17). MedicalXpress

Intra-articular, systemic steroids beneficial in back pain
Intra-articular injection of steroids is slightly better than intramuscular injection for the treatment of facet joint syndrome, although both are effective, according to a study published in the Nov. 1 issue of Spine. MedicalXpress

Featured in NEJM Journal Watch: Updated Guidelines for HER2 Testing in Breast Cancer
The guidelines carry recommendations for oncologists and pathologists. In NEJM Journal Watch, oncologist William Gradishar comments: "The availability of more human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-targeted therapies for breast cancer makes it imperative that HER2 testing is optimally performed and interpreted to give patients the best therapy options." Journal Watch

Restricting Sodium Helpful in CKD
Reduced sodium intake lowered blood pressure (BP) and improved indicators of kidney health in people with stage 3 and 4 chronic kidney disease (CKD), a small phase I study reported.

"Overall, salt restriction resulted in statistically significant and clinically important reductions in BP (mean reduction of systolic/diastolic BP 10/4 mm Hg, 95% CI 5-15/1-6), extracellular fluid volume, albuminuria, and proteinuria," wrote Katrina L. Campbell, PhD, of Princess Alexandra Hospital, in Queensland, Australia, and co-authors in the Nov. 7 issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. MedPage Today

Gut hormone test predicts individual efficacy of gastric bypass
The sensitivity of the GLP-1 hormone, which is secreted by the gastrointestinal tract, can predict the metabolic efficacy of a gastric bypass. The use of a GLP1 challenge could thus function as a novel predictive biomarker for personalized treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity. These findings were reported by scientists of Helmholtz Zentrum München and the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA in the current issue of the journal Diabetes. MedicalXpress

Bisphenol A is affecting us at much lower doses than previously thought
The findings are striking. When looking at the "low dose" literature as a whole, reproducible effects were seen in animals after exposure to incredibly low doses of BPA. In fact, effective doses were ten to forty times lower than the doses identified in traditional toxicology studies. Several dozen "low dose" studies show effects of BPA at doses that humans are thought to encounter in their everyday lives. Eurekalert!