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E Negri

Publications and source records attributed to E Negri.

At least 541 records · Page 30Linked to original sources

Smoking and weight in the 1983 Italian National Health Survey.

The relation between smoking habits and weight was evaluated using data of the 1983 Italian National Health Survey on 72,284 individuals aged 15 years or over, randomly selected within strata of geographical area, size of the place of residence and of the household in order to be representative of the whole Italian population. Female moderate smokers were less frequently overweight or obese, thus confirming previous observations in other populations. However, in contrast with other observations, male current smokers were not lighter than 'never' smokers, and in particular smokers were less frequently underweight. Thus, the relation between smoking status and indicators of body weight was heterogeneous in the two sexes. Further, in both sexes the relationship between amount smoked and obesity was not linear, heavy smokers being more frequently overweight than moderate smokers. In conclusion, although these population-based data confirm that smoking habits are a correlate of weight, the absence of any dose-effect relationship and the inter-sex differences suggest that the relation between smoking and weight in the Italian population is probably partly or largely indirect.

Adolescent↗

Determinants of oral contraceptive use in northern Italy.

Socio-demographic characteristics, general lifestyle habits, reproductive and medical histories were compared of 328 women who had ever used oral contraceptives and 2306 never users from a case-control surveillance conducted in Northern Italy. Oral contraceptive use was positively and strongly related with the level of education and indicators of social class. The rate ratio of ever use (adjusted for age and diagnostic category) was 3.3 for women with 12 years of education or more compared with less than 7 years, and 3.0 for women of highest compared with lowest social class. The frequency of pill use was lower among never married women, and significantly elevated among smokers (rate ratio = 2.4 for heavy smokers). In contrast, no relation was evident between alcohol or coffee consumption and pill use. Likewise, ever users of oral contraceptives were not significantly different from women who had never used the pill with regard to major reproductive factors (parity and age at first pregnancy) or several medical variables of potential interest (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia), with the only possible exclusion of obesity which was less frequent among pill users. Thus, this study indicates that the major determinants of the persistently low frequency of oral contraceptive use in this Northern Italian population are social rather than reproductive or medical factors. These findings have important implications for epidemiological research on oral contraceptive and disease in this population, and underline the importance of selection and screening of oral contraceptive users on the basis of knowledge of medical factors and lifestyle habits.

Adult↗

Nutrition, social factors and prostatic cancer in a Northern Italian population.

The relationship between prostate cancer and indicators of nutrition, diet and social factors was evaluated in a case-control study of 166 patients with histologically confirmed prostatic carcinoma and 202 control subjects hospitalized for acute diseases other than malignant, hormonal or urogenital. The relative risk increased with increasing body mass index, men being moderately overweight showing a 2.3 elevated risk, and those grossly overweight an over four-fold higher risk of prostate cancer, when allowance was made for several identified potential confounding factors. Cases also reported more frequent consumption of milk and other dairy products and meat, but no significant difference was noted for vegetable intake. The risk of prostate cancer was unrelated to marital status or indicators of social class based on occupation.

Aged↗

Oral contraceptives and cancers of the breast and of the female genital tract. Interim results from a case-control study.

We analysed data from a case-control investigation conducted in Milan, Northern Italy, to evaluate the relation between the use of combination oral contraceptives and the risk of cancers of the breast, ovary, endometrium and cervix uteri. For the present analysis, 776 cases of histologically confirmed breast cancer, 406 of epithelial ovarian cancer and 170 of endometrial cancer aged under 60 were compared with a group of 1,282 subjects below age 60 admitted for a spectrum of acute conditions apparently unrelated to oral contraceptive use or to any of the known or potential risk factors for the diseases under study. Likewise, 225 cases of invasive cervical cancer were compared with 225 age-matched inpatient controls, and 202 cases of cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia with 202 outpatient controls identified in the same screening clinics. The age-adjusted relative risk estimates for ever vs. never use of combination oral contraceptives were 1.04 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.73-1.37) for breast cancer, 0.68 (95% CI = 0.48-0.97) for epithelial ovarian cancer, 0.50 (95% CI = 0.23-1.12) for endometrial cancer, 1.49 (95% CI = 0.88-2.55) for cervical cancer and 0.77 (95% CI = 0.50-1.18) for cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia. The risk of ovarian cancer decreased and that of invasive cervical cancer increased with longer duration of use. Neither duration of oral contraceptive use nor time since first or last use significantly altered a user's risk of other neoplasms considered. Likewise, analysis of sub-groups of age, parity or other potentially important covariates did not show any important interaction, and allowance for them by means of logistic regression did not materially modify any of the results. These data confirm that combination oral contraceptives confer some protection against ovarian and endometrial cancers but may increase the risk of invasive cervical cancer if used for several years, and indicate that the past or current pattern of oral contraceptive use in Italy is unlikely materially to affect the risk of breast cancer.

Adult↗

Menstrual cycle patterns and the risk of breast disease.

The relationship between menstrual cycle patterns and the risk of breast disease was evaluated using data from a hospital-based case-control study of 288 women with benign breast disease (203 chronic cystic diseases and 85 benign tumours), 317 with breast cancer and 602 age-matched controls with a spectrum of acute conditions unrelated to any of the established or potential risk factors for breast disease. A lifelong irregular menstrual pattern [defined as frequent occurrence of menstrual-like episodes of bleeding less than 21 or more than 35 days apart) was negatively associated with the risk of benign breast lesions (relative risk, RR = 0.6, with 95% confidence interval = 0.4-1.0) and of breast cancer (RR = 0.4, with 95% confidence interval = 0.3-0.8]. This inverse association could not be explained by any of the identified potential confounding factors, including the major risk factors for breast disease. The findings of this study, showing that a lifelong history of irregular (and hence more likely anovular) cycles was less frequent among women with benign and malignant breast diseases, support the hypothesis that frequent ovular cycles might be more carcinogenic than anovular ones.

Adolescent↗

Characteristics of women undergoing induced abortion: results of a case-control study from Northern Italy.

In order to identify subgroups of women at elevated risk of induced abortion, personal characteristics and habits, selected medical histories and contraceptive practices of 873 women undergoing legal abortion in various areas of Northern Italy were compared with those of 504 control subjects identified in family planning clinics of the same hospitals or area health authorities. When age was allowed for, the risk of induced abortion was not strongly influenced by marital status, education or other indicators of social class. However, women who were employed, independently from the type of occupation, showed markedly lower abortion risks than housewives. Among various indicators of sexual habits investigated, the strongest determinant of legal abortion was the frequency of sexual intercourses over the previous six months, women with less frequent intercourses showing a markedly elevated risk estimate (RR = 2.82). Induced abortion was less frequent among ex-smokers and more frequent in heavy smokers, but was not appreciably influenced by several other indicators of lifestyle habits and history of gynaecological or psychiatric complaints. The risk of abortion was not influenced by the number of livebirths, but was lower for women with later age at first birth. Less than 5% of case and control subjects reported more than two previous induced abortions, thus indicating that abortion is more of an "accidental" event rather than a widespread contraceptive practice. However, over three-quarters of abortions occurred in women reporting no contraception at all or coitus interruptus, thus underlining the scope for family planning education in this population.

Abortion, Legal↗

[Pyrosis in major diseases of the upper digestive tract. Computerized analysis of symptoms in 700 cases subjected to gastroduodenoscopy].

The prevalence of the symptom pyrosis was investigated in 700 cases subjected to gastroduodenoscopy. The incidence of pyrosis was considered in relation to sex, age, "vices" (consumption of coffee, alcohol, cigarettes), character traits, family and pathological medical histories and the diagnosis formed during endoscopy. The incidence of pyrosis proved to be identical for both sexes and slightly higher in the first decades of life. There was no correlation between familial gastroduodenal or intestinal diseases and pyrosis. There seems to be no connection between cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption (assessed quantitatively) and a higher incidence of pyrosis; the consumption of coffee, however, does appear to increase the incidence of pyrosis. When interpreting these data, it should be remembered that many subjects may have modified their habits as a result of pyrosis. The incidence of pyrosis was always found in cases of oesophagitis, current bulbar ulcers, the initial stage of gastric tumours (not advanced cases) and, although with less certainty, in pyloric stenosis and duodenitis. A low incidence was recorded for cases of hypotrophic gastropathies, and cicatricial gastric or duodenal ulcers, for males with oesophageal varices or with a history of chronic hepatopathies. To conclude, pyrosis does not seem to show any characteristics of specificity or sensitivity.

Adult↗

Age of parents and risk of gestational trophoblastic disease.

The relationship of gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) to parental age was evaluated in a case-control study of 132 women with hydatidiform mole (108) or choriocarcinoma (24) and 304 control subjects hospitalized for normal deliveries. Cases and controls were recruited in Lombardy (Northern Italy), and all were white and Italian. Compared to the risk of developing trophoblastic tumors in women 21-35 years old, the risk of developing trophoblastic tumors was elevated both in younger [less than or equal to 20 yr old, relative risk (RR) = 1.4, with 95% confidence interval (Cl) of 0.7-2.8] and in older subjects, RR being 1.2 (95% Cl 0.7-2.8) and 5.2 (95% Cl 2.2-12.3) for women 36-40 years old and over 40, respectively. The risk estimates for the last two categories were reduced to 0.7 (with 95% Cl of 0.3-1.9) and 2.5 (with 95% Cl of 0.7-8.9) when adjustment was made for paternal age by means of the Mantel-Haenszel procedure. Higher paternal age also was associated with GTD: Women whose husbands were 41-45 years old and over 45 had RR of 1.6 (with 95% Cl = 0.7-3.7) and 4.9 (with 95% Cl = 2.2-11.1), respectively, compared to women married to men less than 40 years old. These risk estimates were practically unchanged when adjustment was made for the woman's age. Examination of the effects of parental and maternal ages suggests that the highest risk estimate was observed when both parents were older. The findings of the present study were consistent with increased risk in the youngest maternal age group and confirm that older maternal age is associated with increased risk of GTD. Furthermore, showing a strong, independent effect of paternal age, they give epidemiologic support to the cytogenetic evidence of an androgenetic role in the origin of GTD.

Adult↗

[Dyspepsia among the principal diseases of the upper tract of the digestive apparatus. Analysis of the symptom in 700 cases subjected to gastroduodenoscopy].

700 cases subjected to endoscopic examination were investigated to find the relationship between dyspepsia and personal characteristics, lifestyle, family and pathological history and formulated diagnosis. Dyspepsia is taken to represent: epigastric heaviness following meals, prolonged and difficult digestion accompanied by the sensation of slow gastric emptying and fullness. Dyspepsia occurs with equal frequency in both series and is more common during the first decades of life. Dyspepsia is not affected by whether or not the patient lives in the town or the country, smokes, drinks significant amounts of alcohol or coffee. Neither a family history of gastroduodenal or intestinal complaints or gall bladder stones or chronic liver diseases have many bearing on dyspepsia. An attempt to connect endoscopic diagnosis with dyspepsia had no positive result. Dyspepsia was observed with the same frequency in subjects free from upper digestive tract diseases, subjects with organic disease and subjects with functional diseases.

Adult↗

Studies on the persistence of differentiated functions in rat hepatocytes set into primary tissue culture. II. Production of specific exportable proteins and the effect of purine cyclic nucleotides: an immunofluorescent study.

Immunofluorescent studies showed that even after 15 days in vitro primary neonatal rat hepatocytes contained in their cytoplasm detectable amounts of different adult rat serum proteins, including fibrinogen and proalbumin. Estimation of the intensity of specific fluorescence revealed that in untreated cultures the hepatocytic content of the various exportable antigens progressively diminished between the 5th and 15th day in vitro. Treatment with cAMP (10(-5) M daily) alone increased in hepatocytic cytoplasm, with respect to parallel controls, the content of total exportable proteins and of proalbumin. Daily administration of an equimolar association (10(-5) M) of cAMP with cGMP increased the total protein, proalbumin and fibrinogen content of hepatocytes. Daily treatment with cGMP (10(-5) M) alone caused only light and transitory increases in the content of proalbumin and fibrinogen. Rocket immune electrophoresis showed that the hepatocytic secretion of specific proteins into the growth medium persisted up to the 15th day, although progressively diminishing in intensity. The secretion of total exportable proteins and of albumin, but not of fibrinogen, was stimulated by cGMP used alone or coupled with equimolar cAMP.

Cell Differentiation↗

Body weight and risk of nonfatal acute myocardial infarction among women: a case-control study from northern Italy.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between nonfatal acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and self-reported body weight and body mass index (BMI; Quetelet index, kg/m2) has been investigated. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted between 1983 and 1992 in northern Italy on 432 women with nonfatal AMI and 867 controls in hospital for acute, noncardiovascular, nonneoplastic, nondigestive, non-hormone-related conditions. Odds ratios (OR), with their 95% confidence intervals (CI), were computed by unconditional multiple logistic regression analysis, including terms for age, education, and smoking, plus history of selected diseases. RESULTS: Women with body weight and BMI in the highest quartile had an increased risk of AMI after allowance for age, education, and smoking status (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.0 to 2.2, and OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.2 to 2.4, respectively). Compared with leaner women, the risk was higher among women with BMI above the median, in association with a history of diabetes (OR 5.2) or hyperlipidemia (OR 6.0). Hypertensive women had similar OR in the two strata of BMI (OR 5.1 and 4.8). The association of BMI with risk of AMI was apparently stronger among women younger than 50 years and among less educated women, but was similar among smokers and never smokers. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study confirm that AMI among women is related to excess BMI, with a population attributable risk of 17%. The excess risk was substantial among overweight women with history of diabetes or hyperlipidemia, stressing the importance of controlling body weight among these women.

Adolescent↗

Risk factors for different histological types of ovarian cancer.

Various histological types of ovarian cancer may develop from different etiological aspects. Data separated by histological subtypes collected in the framework of a large case-control study on ovarian cancer conducted in Italy were analyzed. The cases were women below the age of 75 years, admitted to a network of hospitals in Milan. Cases were grouped into four categories by histological type: mucinous tumor (n = 52), serous tumor (n = 680), endometrioid tumor (n = 41), and other histologies including clear-cell and undifferentiated epithelial tumors (n = 50). Controls were 2758 patients admitted to the same network of hospitals for a wide spectrum of acute, nongynecological, non-hormone-related, non-neoplastic conditions. In comparison with nulliparae, the risk of serous, endometrioid, and other histologies of ovarian cancer tended to be lower in parous women, but the odds ratios (OR) were above unity for mucinous ovarian cancer. Oral contraceptive use was associated with OR lower than unity for serous (OR = 0.7) and endometrioid (OR = 0.8) ovarian cancers but not for mucinous (OR = 1.4) and other histologies (OR = 1.6). Finally, our results on dietary fat intake did not show substantial differences in all histological types of ovarian cancer.

Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell↗

Lifelong menstrual pattern and risk of breast cancer.

The relationship between lifelong menstrual pattern and the risk of breast cancer has been analyzed using data from a large case-control study conducted since 1983 in the greater Milan area including 3,037 cases, aged 74 years or less, with histologically confirmed breast cancer and 2,569 control subjects admitted for acute nongynecological, nonneoplastic nonhormone-related conditions to the same network of hospitals where cases had been identified. Compared with women reporting lifelong regular cycles, those reporting irregularities were at significantly reduced risk of breast cancer, relative risk estimate being 0.6, with 95% confidence interval (CI) ranging from 0.5 to 0.8. This protection was restricted to women reporting totally irregular menstrual cycles; compared to women reporting menstrual cycles lasting 25 days or less, the estimated relative risks were 1.0 and 1.2 in those reporting cycles lasting 26-30 days or 31 days or more, respectively, but 0.6 (95% CI 0.5-0.8) for those reporting totally irregular cycles. The effect of irregular menstrual cycles was similar in different strata of age and main risk factors for breast cancer.

Adult↗

Female thyroid cancer: the role of reproductive and hormonal factors in Switzerland.

We conducted a study on 91 women with thyroid cancer and 306 controls in hospital for acute nonneoplastic, non-hormone-related disorders in order to investigate the role of reproductive and hormonal factors in the etiology of epithelial thyroid cancer in the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland. Non-significant increases in cancer risk with an increasing number of full-term pregnancies (odds ratio, OR, after allowance for age and previous benign thyroid disease = 1.6, for > or = 3 vs. 0 full-term pregnancies, 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.7-3.6) and spontaneous abortions (OR = 2.0 for > or = 2 vs. 0 spontaneous abortions, 95% CI: 0.7-5.2) were seen. A significantly elevated OR (2.8, 95% CI: 1.1-7.2) was found in those women whose first pregnancy ended with an abortion. Whereas most other reproductive, menstrual and hormonal factors examined did not seem to affect the risk of thyroid cancer significantly, a clue emerged of an association between thyroid cancer and artificial menopause (OR = 6.3, for women who underwent artificial menopause vs. premenopausal women, 95% CI: 1.7-23.2). Although not necessarily causal, the relationship between the risk of epithelial thyroid cancer and the occurrence of spontaneous abortions and artificial menopause deserves attention in future studies, in the light of the high incidence of thyroid cancer in young and middle-aged women.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

Cancer mortality in Italy, 1997: quantifying the fall in rates in women and men.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: To update data and statistics on cancer death certification in Italy to 1997. METHODS: Data and statistics for 1997 subdivided into 31 cancer sites are presented. Trends in age-standardized rates for major cancer sites are plotted from 1955 to 1997. RESULTS: The age-standardized (world standard) death certification rates from all neoplasms steadily declined from the peak of 199.2/100,000 males in 1988 to 174.7 in 1997 and for females from 102.5 to 93.0. The decline was larger in truncated rates, by about 26% for males since 1983 and by 24% for females since the top rate of the early 1960's. A major component of the favorable trend in males was lung cancer, which showed a 16% decline from the peak of 1987-88, to reach 50.6/100,000 in 1997, corresponding to about 5,000 avoided deaths. The decline in lung cancer was about 34% at age 35 to 64. For females, in contrast, both the absolute number of lung cancer deaths and the age-standardized rate of 7.9/100,000 were among the highest values ever registered, reflecting the different pattern of spread of the tobacco-related lung cancer epidemic in the two sexes. Intestinal cancer rates were stable for males but declined by approximately 10% for females, mostly in middle age, as did breast cancer mortality. Among neoplasms showing favorable trends, there were other tobacco-related neoplasms in men, plus the continuing fall in stomach and cervix uteri. Upward trends were observed for non Hodgkin's lymphomas. CONCLUSIONS: The fall in cancer mortality observed over the last decade in Italy is attributable to a decline in lung and other tobacco-related neoplasms in males, together with a persistent fall in stomach and uterine (cervical) cancer. In women, there were also recent falls in intestinal and breast cancer rates, and declines in both sexes in rarer neoplasms influenced by therapeutic advancements.

Female↗

Cancer mortality in Italy, 1994, and an overview of trends from 1955 to 1994.

BACKGROUND: Data and statistics are presented on cancer death certification in Italy, updating previous publications covering the period 1955-1993. METHODS: Data for 1994 and the quinquennium 1990-94 subdivided into 30 cancer sites are presented in 8 tables, including age- and sex-specific absolute and percentage frequencies of cancer deaths, and crude, age-specific and age-standardized rates, at all ages and truncated for the 35-64 year age group. Trends in age-standardized rates for major cancer sites are plotted from 1955 to 1994. RESULTS: The age-standardized (world standard) death certification rates from all neoplasms steadily declined from the peak of 199.2/100,000 males in 1988 to 186.3 in 1994, and in females from 102.5 in 1989 to 98.6 in 1994. Ever larger was the decline in truncated rates, for males from the peak of 275.1/100,000 in 1983 to 223.2 (-19%) in 1994, and for females from 151.6/100,000 in 1987 to 136.4 (-10%). A major component of the favourable cancer mortality trends in males was lung cancer (accounting for 31,000 deaths in both sexes combined in 1994), whose overall age-standardized rates declined from 60.3 in 1987-89 to 54.6/100,000 males in 1994 (-9%), and from the peak of 96.7 in 1983 at ages 35 to 64 to 72.7 in 1994 (-25%). In contrast, female lung cancer rates have remained stable from 1992 onwards, but have increased from 7.2 to 7.7 at all ages and from 10.6 to 11.0 at age 35-64 between 1985-89 and 1990-94. These different trends in the two sexes reflect the patterns and trends in smoking among Italian males and females. CONCLUSIONS: Cancer mortality trends in Italy over the period 1990-94 were relatively favourable, mainly reflecting the decline in lung cancer rates in males, together with the persistent declines in gastric cancer in both sexes and in cervix uteri for women. Continuous advancements were registered for neoplasms amenable to treatment, essentially testicular cancer, Hodgkin's disease and childhood leukaemias. The major unfavourable trends were observed for non Hodgkin's lymphomas, and require therefore further monitoring, besides a clearer understanding of their determinants. Italy maintains an intermediate level of cancer mortality on a European scale, suggesting that further progress is possible, mostly for tobacco-related neoplasms in males.

Adolescent↗