Pulse Beat

Prof Dr BM Hegde 02 January 2017

Will Correct Treatment of Mental Illnesses Reduce Societal Violence?

It is well known that mental illness and violence are closely connected. Now, a new study finds out more about it.

“This work builds on an earlier study that found almost one-third of adults with mental illness are likely to be victims of violence within a six-month period,” says Richard Van Dorn, a researcher at RTI and lead author of a paper describing the work. “In this study, we addressed two fundamental questions: If someone is victimised, is he or she more likely to become violent? And if someone is violent, is he or she more likely to be victimised? The answer is yes to both questions.”

This study must lead to studies for solutions to reduce this connection.

Mother’s Immune System and Pre-term Babies

In a recent study published in the premier biomedical research journal, Nature Medicine, a team of researchers led by Wayne State University School of Medicine’s Kang Chen, PhD, assistant professor of obstetrics & gynaecology, discovered the critical function of a type of mother’s immune cells—B lymphocytes—in resisting pre-term birth triggered by inflammation.

According to Chen, B lymphocytes make antibodies to defend the body against infections, but scientists and clinicians have always thought these cells are rare or absent in the uterine lining and not important for pregnancy.

Chen’s lab discovered that in late pregnancy the mother’s B lymphocytes not only reside in the uterine lining in both humans and mice, but also detected inflammation and uterine stress, which are major causes of pre-term birth, and, in turn, produce molecules—including one called PIBF1—to suppress uterine inflammation and premature birth.

“This study not only reveals the long-neglected function of B lymphocytes in promoting healthy pregnancy, but also supports therapeutic approaches of using B lymphocyte-derived molecules—such as PIBF1—to prevent or treat preterm birth,” said Chen.

In the context of India, this study is very important as our poor women have very low nutrition during pregnancy which might further cause immune depression and inflammation.

Weight Loss Surgery and Long-term Problems

Laparoscopic gastric bypass is an effective treatment for obesity, but a new study finds that patients who undergo the surgery often complain of gastrointestinal problems. This surgery was, at one time, banned by the London Royal College of Surgeons but the moratorium was lifted, maybe due to industry pressures.

This is an anti-science effort as it tries to alter the natural method of food digestion and absorption. It is logically bound to have many problems, in the long run.

The study included 249 obese patients who underwent the surgery and 295 obese controls, all of whom completed a questionnaire. Surgical patients completed the questionnaire two years after surgery.

Surgical patients often experienced indigestion. Also, food intolerance, especially for food with a high fat or sugar content and for red meat, was a common side-effect of the surgery: food intolerance for specific products was reported by 70.7% of post-operative patients compared with 16.9% of controls.

“Most studies in weight loss surgery focus on the short-term effects of surgery, and there was limited knowledge about the effect of a gastric bypass on gastrointestinal complaints in the long term,” said Dr Thomas Boerlage, lead author of the British Journal of Surgery study. With this study, physicians can better counsel their patients, both before and after surgery. It also helps patients considering a gastric bypass to make a more well-thought decision.

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