de Hermien Walle

Identification of mismatch repair gene mutations in young patients with colorectal cancer and in patients with multiple tumours associated with hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer

Background: Patients with early-onset colorectal cancer (CRC) or those with multiple tumours associated with hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) raise suspicion of the presence of germline DNA mismatch repair (MMR) gene mutations. Aim: To analyse the value of family history, microsatellite instability (MSI) analysis and MMR protein staining in the tumour to predict the presence of an MMR gene mutation in such patients. Methods: In 281 patients diagnosed with CRC before the age of 50 years or with CRC and at least one additional HNPCC-associated cancer, germline mutation analysis in MLH1, MSH2 and MSH6 was carried out with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification. MSI analysis with five consensus markers and MMR protein staining for MLH1, MSH2 and MSH6 were carried out in the tumours. Results: 25 pathogenic mutations (8 in MLH1, 9 in MSH2 and 8 in MSH6) were found. MSI analysis missed three and immunohistochemistry (IHC) missed two mutation carriers. Sensitivities of family history, MSI analysis and IHC for the presence of a mutation were 76%, 82% and 88%, specificities were 64%, 70% and 84%, and positive predictive values were 19%, 23% and 38%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed the highest odds ratio for IHC (38.3, 95% confidence interval 9.0 to 184). Prevalence of pathogenic germline MMR gene mutations in patients with CRC before the age of 50 years was 6% and in those with ⩾2 HNPCC-associated tumours was 22%. In the second group, no mutation carriers were found among the 29 patients who were diagnosed with their first tumour after the age of 60 years. Conclusion: Family history, MSI analysis and IHC are indicative parameters to select patients with CRC for MMR gene mutation analysis. The data show that IHC is the best single selection criterion.

Effect of mass media campaign to reduce socioeconomic differences in women's awareness and behaviour concerning use of folic acid: cross sectional study

In September 1995, a mass media campaign on the use of folic acid to reduce the risk of fetal neural tube defects started in the Netherlands.1 Special emphasis was placed on reaching women in low socioeconomic categories. We describe the effect of the campaign on awareness and use of folic acid in relation to socioeconomic status We measured the effect of the campaign by comparing two cross sectional studies—one conducted before the campaign and one conducted after the campaign We asked pregnant women in four regions of the Netherlands attending their first or second antenatal visit to fill out a questionnaire; all did so. We took highest fulfilled education, a recognised indicator of socioeconomic status, and merged it into three levels: low, middle, and high. We used multivariate logistic regression to calculate adjusted odds ratios for high versus low education. The methodology has been described elsewhere.2 In both studies, 90% of the pregnancies …

Combined adverse effects of maternal smoking and high body mass index on heart development in offspring: evidence for interaction?

Objective To study the influence of a possible interaction between maternal smoking and high body mass index (BMI) on the occurrence of specific congenital heart anomalies (CHA) in offspring. Design Case-control study. Setting Data from a population-based birth defects registry in the Netherlands. Patients Cases were 797 children and fetuses born between 1997 and 2008 with isolated non-syndromic CHA. They were classified into five cardiac subgroups: septal defects (n=349), right ventricular outflow tract obstructive anomalies (n=126), left ventricular outflow tract obstructive anomalies (n=139), conotruncal defects (n=115) and other CHA (n=68). Controls were 322 children and fetuses with chromosomal anomalies without cardiac anomalies. Main outcome measures Investigation of whether an interaction between maternal smoking and high BMI influences the occurrence of CHA in offspring by calculation of the synergy factors and 95% CIs. Results As opposed to smoking or high BMI alone, the risk for CHA in the offspring of women with high BMI (≥25 kg/m2) who also smoked was significantly increased. The adjusted OR was 2.65 (95% CI 1.20 to 5.87) for all CHA, 2.60 (95% CI 1.05 to 6.47) for septal defects and 3.58 (95% CI 1.46 to 8.79) for outflow tract anomalies. The interaction between maternal high BMI and smoking contributed significantly to the occurrence of all offspring-CHA combined, and to the occurrence of all cardiac subgroup anomalies except right ventricular outflow tract obstructive anomalies. Conclusions Maternal overweight and smoking may have a synergistic adverse effect on the development of the fetal heart. Overweight women who wish to become pregnant should be strongly encouraged to stop smoking and to lose weight.

Increasing awareness of and behaviour towards periconceptional folic acid consumption in The Netherlands from 1994 to 1995

AbstractObjective: In November 1993, Dutch health authorities advised that women planning a pregnancy should take folic acid in the periconceptional period to reduce the risk of fetal neural tube defects. In the autumn of 1995 a national campaign was organized to inform women and health care professionals in a systematic way. Methods: We assessed the awareness and behaviour of women at their first or second antenatal visit in two surveys in the spring of 1994 and the autumn of 1995, in order to evaluate the impact of non-systematic information during that period, and to collect baseline data to evaluate the effect of the national folic acid campaign. The two surveys were carried out in the north and the west of The Netherlands. Results: The proportion of women who had heard of folic acid increased from 28% to 78%. The proportion that used folic acid during any period in pregnancy increased from 7.8% to 26%. The proportion that took folic acid tablets during the whole of the recommended period increased from 0.8 to 4.4%. In the group of women who did not take folic acid, the proportion who did “not like to use anything during pregnancy” decreased, as did the proportion who did “not think it is useful”. Conclusion: In The Netherlands, non-systematic information about periconceptional folic acid use has already led to significant changes in awareness and behaviour before the start of the national folic acid campaign.

Growing Gap in Folic Acid Intake with Respect to Level of Education in the Netherlands

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of the awareness of and the behaviour towards folic acid in 2003 and the trend of folic acid use among pregnant Dutch women between 1995 and 2003 with regard to socio-economic status (SES). Method: We conducted 2-yearly cross-sectional studies among pregnant women who filled in a questionnaire during the first or second antenatal visit. The highest achieved level of education was taken as a proxy for SES. Results: In 2003 the general level of folic acid awareness was high but with significant differences relating to SES; a quarter of the lower educated women did not know about folic acid before pregnancy. Of the subjects with a lower SES 20% knew the correct period of use compared with nearly 50% in the higher SES group. The reported correct use of folic acid among the lower educated women has decreased over the past 3 years (22% in 2003), while it has increased for the higher SES groups (59% in 2003), implying larger differences in health. Conclusion: In 2003, 8 years after a mass media campaign, awareness and use of folic acid were increased considerably in comparison with the start of the campaign. However, differences in knowledge and use of folic acid with respect to the level of education had never been so impressive in the Netherlands as in 2003. A once-only campaign has a short-term effect especially for lower educated women. Implementing strategies to promote folic acid use in daily structural health care systems are needed.Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of the awareness of and the behaviour towards folic acid in 2003 and the trend of folic acid use among pregnant Dutch women between 1995 and 20

Anorectal malformations and pregnancy‐related disorders: a registry‐based case–control study in 17 European regions

To identify pregnancy‐related risk factors for different manifestations of congenital anorectal malformations (ARMs).