Parsitological surveys were conducted to study the recent trend of hookworm infection in remote rural areas of Miyazaki Prefecture, south Japan. Kate's thich smear and test-tube filter paper culture techniques were performed on 837 fecal samples collected from four villages. Prevalence rate of hookworm infection was 13.0% average and that of other intestinal helminths was less than 2.0%. In these districts Ancylostoma duodenale was predominant and species ratio with Necator americanus was 81: 27. Mixed infecttion was few as compared with past record. Prevalence rate and age distribution of N. americanus infection showed a considerable difference between sexes and especially the infection rate was higher in women than man, also the carriers ratio with man was 8: 1. As to the geographical distribution of both species in a village there was a certain tendency of single species infection in a unit of small community.
However, prevalence of hookworm infection in these communities showed a considerable distinction with one another.

OBJECTIVESThe aim of this study was to determine whether the serum nitrite plus nitrate (NO( x )) level correlates with biomarkers that are known components of the metabolic syndrome (MetS).

METHODSSerum NO( x ) levels were measured using a commercial kit in 608 Japanese men and women between the ages of 39 and 85 years. Multivariate adjustments for age, smoking status, alcohol consumption and exercise were made in the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The components of the metabolic syndrome were defined based on the following criteria: body mass index (BMI) >/=25.0 kg/m(2), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) >/=5.6%, systolic blood pressure >/=130 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure >/=85 mmHg, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) /=1.69 mmol/l.

RESULTSThe logarithmically transformed age-adjusted serum NO( x ) (lnNO( x )) value was significantly higher in the low HDL-C group (1.76 +/- 0.05 mumol/l; p < 0.05) than MetS component groups (1.65 +/- 0.01 mumol/l) in men, but no difference was found in women. The means of serum lnNO( x ) after multivariate adjustment were 1.64, 1.65, 1.64, 1.66, and 1.81 mumol/l for 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4-5 MetS components for all subjects, respectively. The results of ANCOVA confirmed that the serum lnNO( x ) level was significantly correlated with the clustering of MetS components in both men and women (p < 0.0001 for trend).

CONCLUSIONOur results suggest that an increase in the clustering of MetS components was associated with the increase in serum NO levels in our general population.