Aim. To study the relationship between a personal history of migration and prevalence of chronic diseases and risk factors in a rural population. Method. Cross sectional survey data from PROLIFE, a cohort study involving the long time follow-up of the residents of an administrative unit in Kerala, India, was used. Pre-tested questionnaire was administered to 78,173 adult residents. Information on physician diagnosed diabetes, hypertension, and cardiac diseases and lifestyle attributes like physical activity, habits, and migration was captured. Results. Subjects with a history of migration had a higher prevalence of chronic disease when compared with those with no history of migration. Diabetes (19.6&#x25; versus 4.1&#x25;), hypertension (18.8&#x25; versus 6.6&#x25;), and cardiac complaints (8.6&#x25; versus 4.1&#x25;) are more prevalent among those with history of migration of over 5 years. After adjustment for age, gender, and education, we found that chronic diseases are higher among persons with a history of migration (OR 2.2, 95&#x25; CI: 2.1&#x2013;2.3). Age-specific increases in prevalence of chronic diseases are also substantially higher among migrants. Conclusion. People with a history of migration have a higher prevalence of chronic diseases and risk factors.

Safraj Shahul Hameed

Vellapallil Raman Kutty

Krishnapillai Vijayakumar

Ajayan Kamalasanan

Migration Status and Prevalence of Chronic Diseases in Kerala State, India

Arthritis is the most common chronic condition affecting patients over the age of 70. The prevalence of osteoarthritis increases with age, and with an aging population, the effect of this disease will represent an ever-increasing burden on health care. The knee is the most common joint affected in osteoarthritis, with up to 41&#x25; of limb arthritis being located in the knee, compared to 30&#x25; in hands and 19&#x25; in hips. We review the current concepts with regard to the disease process and risk factors for developing hip and knee osteoarthritis. We then explore the nonsurgical management of osteoarthritis as well as the operative management of hip and knee arthritis. We discuss the indications for surgical treatment of hip and knee arthritis, looking in particular at the controversies affecting young and obese patients in both hip and knee replacements. Patient and implant related outcomes along with survivorships are addressed as well as the experiences and controversies described in national joint registries.

Alexander MacDonald Wood

Timothy M. Brock

Kieran Heil

Rachel Holmes

Axel Weusten

A Review on the Management of Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis

Noninvasive approaches for assessment of liver histology include routine laboratory tests and radiological evaluation. The purpose of our study was to determine the utility of a simplified scoring system based on routinely evaluated ultrasound features for the evaluation of chronic liver disease and correlate it with the histological findings. For this cross-sectional analytical study the data was collected prospectively by nonprobability purposive sampling technique. The ultrasound variables/parameters and their assigned scoring system that was a modified version adopted from published literature were evaluated.  Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of the liver morphological score   and combined score of liver morphology and sizes   was determined using   stage and grade   as reference standard. Our results show a high sensitivity and PPV of liver morphological sonographic evaluation for the staging and grading of CLD respectively thus supporting it as a screening diagnostic strategy. Of the three liver morphology variables, specificity of liver surface evaluation was highest for the stage of fibrosis and grade of inflammation. The simplified ultrasound scoring system evaluated in our study is clinically relevant and reproducible for differentiating patients with CLD with mild or no fibrosis from moderate to severe fibrosis.

Shaista Afzal

Imrana Masroor

Madiha Beg

Evaluation of Chronic Liver Disease: Does Ultrasound Scoring Criteria Help?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer are leading causes of deaths worldwide which are associated with chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. Lung cancer, in particular, has a very high mortality rate due to the characteristically late diagnosis. As such, identification of novel biomarkers which allow for early diagnosis of these diseases could improve outcome and survival rate. Markers of oxidative stress in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) are examples of potential diagnostic markers for both COPD and non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). They may even be useful in monitoring treatment response. In the serum, S100A8, S100A9, and S100A12 of the S100 proteins are proinflammatory markers. They have been indicated in several inflammatory diseases and cancers including secondary metastasis into the lung. It is highly likely that they not only have the potential to be diagnostic biomarkers for NSCLC but also prognostic indicators and therapeutic targets.

Mann Ying Lim

Paul S. Thomas

Biomarkers in Exhaled Breath Condensate and Serum of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disorder invariably affecting the lungs. It is a disease with noteworthy variations in clinical manifestation and disease outcome and has been described as an &#x201c;immune paradox&#x201d; with peripheral anergy despite exaggerated inflammation at disease sites. Despite extensive research, sarcoidosis remains a disease with undetermined aetiology. Current evidence supports the notion that the immune response in sarcoidosis is driven by a putative antigen in a genetically susceptible individual. Unfortunately, there currently exists no reliable biomarker to delineate the disease severity and prognosis. As such, the diagnosis of sarcoidosis remains a vexing clinical challenge. In this review, we outline the immunological features of sarcoidosis, discuss the evidence for and against various candidate etiological agents (infective and noninfective), describe the exhaled breath condensate, a novel method of identifying immunological biomarkers, and suggest other possible immunological biomarkers to better characterise the immunopathogenesis of sarcoidosis.

Wei Sheng Joshua Loke

Cristan Herbert

Sarcoidosis: Immunopathogenesis and Immunological Markers

The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of life (QOL) of patients with
deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) using EuroQOL (EQ-5D) and its correlation
with symptoms and locations of endometriotic lesions. 
One hundred and fifty-nine patients referred for DIE from January 2011 to April 2011
were prospectively invited to complete questionnaires evaluating symptoms
associated with endometriosis as well as the EQ-5D questionnaire and health state. 
Patients also had locations of DIE evaluated by clinical examination and magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI). 
All 159 patients completed the questionnaires. Item response rate was 91.1&#x25;. The
most intense symptoms were dysmenorrhea (7.1/10), painful defecation (6.3/10), and
fatigue (6.0/10). Mean (SD) scores were 77 (14) for the EQ-5D questionnaire and
63.4 (21) for the health state. A relation was observed between the EQ-5D
questionnaire and the presence of dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, cyclic pelvic pain,
painful defecation, and diarrhea or constipation. Vaginal and rectal infiltrations were
significantly associated with altered EQ-5D and health state scores. 
The EQ-5D questionnaire is easy to complete and well related to symptoms of DIE. 
Rectal and vaginal infiltrations were found to be determinant factors of altered QOL
by the EQ-5D questionnaire and health state.

C. Touboul

P. Amate

M. Ballester

M. Bazot

A. Fauconnier

E. Dara&#xef;

Quality of Life Assessment Using EuroQOL EQ-5D Questionnaire in Patients with Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis: The Relation with Symptoms and Locations

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International Journal of Chronic Diseases publishes original research articles and review articles&nbsp;in all areas of chronic diseases.

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International Journal of Chronic Diseases - Table of contents 2013

International Journal of Chronic Diseases | Hindawi

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International Journal of Chronic Diseases publishes original research articles and review articles in all areas of chronic diseases.

International Journal of Chronic Diseases