PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Vanyukov

Publications and source records attributed to M Vanyukov.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

Mutans streptococci in preschool twins.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether genetic factors influence variation in salivary levels of the mutans streptococci (MS) in preschool twins. DESIGN: The study population consisted of 48 pairs of monozygotic (MZ) twins and 54 pairs of dizygotic (DZ) twins. Genotyping eight highly polymorphic DNA markers determined zygosity. Demographic data and antibiotic exposure as reported by mothers were obtained by a face-to-face interview. Salivary levels of MS were determined by the Stripmutanstrade mark test. Test results are reported on a scale of 0-3. Regression analysis, two sample t-tests and structural equation modeling were applied to analyse the data. RESULTS: Only 6% of the participants ever visited a dentist (F component of the DMFS was 0 for this population). Average salivary scores for the mutans streptococci were significantly different between MZ (1.1+/-0.1) and DZ (0.8+/-0.1) twins (p=0.021). High salivary levels of MS (scores 2 and 3) were observed in 42% of MZ twins and in 26% of DZ twins. Regression analysis on the MS salivary levels revealed no significant effects of age, gender and antibiotic intake for MZ or DZ twins. The heritability of mutans streptococci colonisation in 48 pairs MZ and in 26 pairs of DZ twins was estimated to be 52%. The non-shared environment contribution was estimated to be 48%. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that variation in the salivary levels of the mutans streptococci is significantly contributed by genetic factors.

Child↗

Salivary cortisol responses in prepubertal boys: the effects of parental substance abuse and association with drug use behavior during adolescence.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this investigation was three-fold. First, we extended our original observation of decreased cortisol reactivity to an anticipated stressor in sons of fathers with a substance use disorder (SUD). Second, we examined the hypothesis that salivary cortisol underresponsivity in these high-risk prepubertal boys is an adaptation to the stress associated with having a father with a current, rather than remitted, SUD. Third, we tested the hypothesis that prepubertal cortisol underreactivity might be associated with subsequent drug use behavior during adolescence. METHODS: Preadolescent salivary cortisol responses were examined in the context of risk-group status, paternal substance abuse offsets, and subsequent adolescent drug use behavior. RESULTS: The results confirmed a decreased salivary cortisol response to an anticipated stressor among sons of SUD fathers in our expanded sample. In addition, sons of fathers with a current SUD and boys whose fathers had a SUD offset from their 3rd to 6th birthdays had lower anticipatory stress cortisol levels compared with sons of control fathers. Finally, lower preadolescent anticipatory cortisol responses were associated with regular monthly cigarette smoking and regular monthly marijuana use during adolescence. CONCLUSIONS: Hyporeactivity as an adaptation to chronic stress may be salient to the intergenerational transmission of substance abuse liability.

Adolescent↗

Etiology of early age onset substance use disorder: a maturational perspective.

The etiology of early age onset substance use disorder (SUD), an Axis I psychiatric illness, is examined from the perspective of the multifactorial model of complex disorders. Beginning at conception, genetic and environment interactions produce a sequence of biobehavioral phenotypes during development which bias the ontogenetic pathway toward SUD. One pathway to SUD is theorized to emanate from a deviation in somatic and neurological maturation, which, in the context of adverse environments, predisposes to affective and behavioral dysregulation as the cardinal SUD liability-contributing phenotype. Dysregulation progresses via epigenesis from difficult temperament in infancy to conduct problems in childhood to substance use by early adolescence and to severe SUD by young adulthood.

Adolescent↗

Heterogeneity of adolescent alcoholism.

Adolescent alcoholics in treatment were classified into two broad clusters. The larger group consisted of youth who demonstrated behavioral dyscontrol and hypophoria, whereas the smaller group consisted of individuals with primarily negative affect. These two clusters differed with respect to age of first drug use, age of first substance abuse diagnosis, severity of substance use, behavior disturbance, and psychiatric disorder. Difficult temperament loaded on the negative affect factor. In a second study, it was observed that difficult childhood temperament led to a number of different first diagnoses in the adolescents. No specific psychiatric outcome followed a difficult temperament. These results illustrate the heterogeneity of the adolescent alcoholic population and suggest that there are many developmental pathways to this outcome where a predisposing risk factor is a difficult temperament makeup.

Adolescent↗

Alcoholism: a developmental disorder.

Alcoholism etiology is discussed from a developmental behavior genetic perspective. At the outset point, temperament characteristics, by means of ongoing and reciprocal interaction with the social environment, shape the course of behavioral development. The behavioral characteristics successively acquired during development are vectors that determine the ontogenetic trajectory that culminates ultimately in the clinical disorder of alcoholism. The temperament features that appear to be associated with a heightened risk for alcoholism are examined. Their interactions with the environment during the course of development are considered within an epigenetic framework and, as discussed, have important ramification for improving the prevention and treatment of alcoholism.

Alcoholism↗

Prepubertal sons of substance abusers: influences of parental and familial substance abuse on behavioral disposition, IQ, and school achievement.

In order to better understand the transgeneration liability for a substance abuse disorder, we investigated the impact of parental and familial substance abuse disorders on prepubertal boys. Specifically, the influence of each parent's substance abuse history and the effects of significant family aggregation of substance abuse disorders were tested as predictors of the child's behavioral disposition, IQ, and school achievement scores, while controlling for socioeconomic status (SES). Sons of substance abusing fathers were found to have higher externalizing and internalizing problem-behavior scores, lower IQ scores, and lower school achievement scores. Internalizing and externalizing problem-behavior scores were most strongly associated with bilineal parental substance abuse, whereas SES and paternal substance abuse were most strongly associated with IQ and school performance scores. The results are compatible with the hypothesis that although paternal substance abuse has an adverse impact on the son's functioning, bilineal parental substance abuse is associated with the greatest behavioral deviancy among prepubertal males and is associated with a greater liability for substance abuse.

Achievement↗

Familial resemblance for psychoactive substance use disorders: behavioral profile of high risk boys.

Familial transmission plays an etiologically important role in psychoactive substance use disorders (PSUD). The delineation of the risk status of families is central to implementation of the "high risk paradigm" in studying liability characteristics for PSUD. We have utilized a latent variable approach to characterizing familial resemblance for PSUD which incorporates elements of both the affected parent design, as well as a genetic epidemiologic indicator of familial aggregation of disease. Family resemblance scores were computed for 175 families in which fathers either met diagnostic criteria for PSUD or did not. We then compared the problem behavior profiles of 10-12 year-old boys grouped by familial resemblance for PSUD, and by paternal PSUD only. Boys grouped by paternal PSUD only had higher problem behavior scores than controls across all scales except for somatic complaints. Boys from families that have significant PSUD familial resemblance were characterized by higher scores on measures of externalizing conduct and socialization problems. Thus, the familial resemblance approach was more specific for the externalizing problem behaviors that have been described in longitudinal studies of childhood risk factors for later substance abuse.

Child↗