Survey of feline giardiasis by ELISA test in Italy.
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Animals↗
Biomedical subjects
G Gorini
Publications and source records attributed to G Gorini.
Alcohol consumption and risk of Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma: a multicentre case-control study.
BACKGROUND: Few studies have analysed the association between alcohol intake and Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) or multiple myeloma (MM) risks. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A multicentre population-based case-control study of 363 HL, 270 MM cases, and 1771 controls offered the opportunity to evaluate the relationship between alcohol and HL/MM risks. Unconditional logistic regression was carried out to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), associated with alcohol intake (servings per week, grams per day of ethanol intake) or duration of exposure (year). RESULTS: For HL, considering nonsmokers only, ever drinkers had a significantly decreased risk than never drinkers (OR=0.46). Significantly lower risks in all levels of total alcohol intake were also detected, considering servings per week (OR for one to four servings per week=0.51, 95% CI 0.32-0.82; OR for five to nine servings per week=0.39, 95% CI 0.21-0.73; OR for 10-19 servings per week=0.26, 95% CI 0.12-0.54; OR for >or=20 servings per week=0.34, 95% CI 0.15-0.79) and grams per day of ethanol intake (OR for 0.1-9.0 g/day=0.45, 95% CI 0.27-0.74; OR for 9.1-17.9 g/day=0.52, 95% CI 0.30-0.90; OR for 18.0-31.7 g/day=0.27, 95% CI 0.13-0.57; OR for >31.7 g/day=0.35, 95% CI 0.15-0.79). In the analysis for ever-smoking HL cases and controls, ever drinkers had the same risk as never drinkers. For MM, ever drinkers had a non-significantly decreased risk than non-drinkers (OR=0.74), and ORs in almost all consumption levels were not significant (OR for 0.1-9.0 g/day=0.93; OR for 9.1-17.9 g/day=0.82; OR for 18.0-31.7 g/day=0.47; 95% CI 0.28-0.81; OR for >31.7 g/day=0.68). For HL and MM, the beverage type did not affect the risk significantly, and no consistent dose-response relationships were found, considering intensity or duration of alcohol consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates a protective effect of alcohol consumption for nonsmoking HL cases.
Adult↗
Retrospective mortality cohort study of Italian workers compensated for silicosis.
OBJECTIVES: To estimate cause specific mortality in a large cohort of Italian workers compensated for silicosis. METHODS: The cohort included 14 929 subjects (14,098 men and 831 women) compensated for silicosis between 1946 and 1979, alive on 1 January 1980, and resident in Tuscany (a region of central Italy with 3,547,000 inhabitants). Mortality follow up ranged from 1980 to 1999. Vital status and the causes of death were determined by linkage with the regional mortality registry and with the national mortality database. The cohort mortality rates were compared to the rates of the local reference population. SMRs and their 95% confidence intervals were computed assuming a Poisson distribution of the observed deaths. Specific SMR analyses were performed according to the level of disability, the year of compensation assignment, and the job type. RESULTS: A significant excess mortality was observed in male silicotics for cancer of the lung, trachea, and bronchus and cancer of the liver, respiratory diseases (silicosis, asbestosis, antracosilicosis, and other pneumoconiosis), and for tubercolosis. Statistically significant mortality excess was observed in female silicotics for respiratory diseases (specifically silicosis and other pneumoconiosis) and tuberculosis. Analyses for period of compensation assignment showed a twofold increased SMR for biliary tract cancer among female workers and for liver cancer among male workers compensated before 1970. CONCLUSIONS: The excess mortality from respiratory tract cancers and respiratory tract diseases detected in Italian compensated silicotics are in agreement with previous epidemiological studies. Although the twofold increased risk for liver cancer among males is suggestive of a possible association with silica dust exposure, the finding needs to be confirmed.
Adult↗
Cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption as determinants of survival in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: a population-based study.
BACKGROUND: The risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) seems to be enhanced by cigarette smoking and lowered by alcohol drinking. PATIENTS AND METHODS: To assess whether cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking affect NHL survival, a population-based prospective study on 1138 Italian patients, diagnosed in 1991-1993, followed-up until 2002, was carried out. At diagnosis, clinical and socio-demographic data were recorded and lifestyle habits were assessed through a validated questionnaire. Survival analysis was performed with Kaplan-Meier methods. Hazard ratios (HR) were estimated by Cox regression. RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 6.6 years (standard deviation (SD) 4.3). The mean survival time was 7.56 years (SD 0.155). At both univariate and multivariate analysis heavy cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking were associated with poor survival. Compared with those with a lower cumulative exposure to tobacco smoking, those who had smoked>31 pack-years had a worse survival (HR=1.60, 95%CI=1.18-2.18). Drinkers had a higher risk of death compared with non-drinkers (HR=1.41, 95%CI=1.10-1.81). Considering only those who had NHL as cause of death, the HR for the higher category of pack-years smoked, compared with the lowest, was 1.63 (95% CI=1.15-2.33) and for drinkers, compared with non-drinkers, it was 1.33 (95% CI=1.01-1.80). CONCLUSIONS: cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking may influence NHL survival.
Adult↗
Survey on giardiosis in shelter dog populations.
Faecal samples from 183 dogs living in three different shelters in the Rome metropolitan area were randomly collected and examined for the prevalence of giardiosis. Giardia infections were detected by a commercially available ELISA test (ProspecT Giardia Microplate Assay). Overall prevalence was 55.2%. Prevalence rates in single shelters were 74.3, 35.5, and 20.9%, respectively. Using multivariate analysis, no association was found between Giardia-positivity and shelter or sex, breed, or diarrhoea. Giardia-positive dogs were more likely to be younger than 5-year-old (odds ratio [OR] = 2.87; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.07-7.77; p = 0.038), living together (OR = 2.58; 95% CI: 1.12-5.93; p = 0.026), and fed commercial wet food, both alone and combined with dry food (OR = 5.67; 95% CI: 1.59-20.24; p = 0.008). Correlation between Giardia infection and type of food has not been previously reported in dogs. Possible use of the ELISA test for detection of Giardia infection in dogs and zoonotic implications are discussed.
Animals↗
Survival of malignant pleural mesothelioma cases in the Tuscan Mesothelioma Register, 1988-2000: a population-based study.
This study analyses survival of Tuscan residents (Italy, 3.5 million population) diagnosed by histological examination with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) during the period 1988-2000, and recorded in the Tuscan Malignant Mesothelioma Register. The aim was to establish the prognostic role of demographic, diagnostic and asbestos exposure variables. During 1988-2000, 381 MPM cases were recorded (318 men; 63 women). Vital status was ascertained up to 31 December 2002. No cases were lost to follow-up. Median survival of certain MPM was 324 days (11 months; 95% CI 297-366); 45.7% (95% CI 40.6-50.6%) survived more than 1 year; 24.2% (95% CI 20.0-28.5%) more than 2 years. In univariate and multivariate analyses survival was associated with histological subtype (epithelioid subtype had the longest survival). Gender, age, period of diagnosis, hospital of diagnosis and asbestos exposure did not show significant effects. Therapeutic information was available for patients of the period 1997-2000. There was no significant difference in survival between treated versus untreated patients. In conclusion, no advance in prognosis at the population level in the most recent period can be suggested on the basis of the data available to the Tuscan Malignant Mesothelioma Register.
Aged↗
Environmental tobacco smoke exposure in public places of European cities.
BACKGROUND: Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) has important public health implications. The results of the first European multi-centre study that measured ETS exposure in a range of public places (transport, educational settings, and leisure facilities such as bars and restaurants) are presented. METHOD: Nicotine vapour phase was measured using ETS passive samplers containing a filter treated with sodium bisulfate. RESULTS: Bars and discos are the places with the highest concentrations of nicotine from ETS, median ranging from 19 to 122 microg/m(3). Restaurants had the next highest values. Concentrations of nicotine generally range from 0.1-5 microg/m(3) in airports, and from 0.5-10 microg/m(3) in train stations. Nicotine was also found in schools and universities, yet schools tended to have the lowest concentrations compared to all the other public places sampled. In hospitals levels were generally below 5 microg/m(3). CONCLUSIONS: Although there is some variability between cities, this study shows that tobacco smoke is present in most of the studied public places. The study also showed that in areas where smoking is prohibited, concentrations of nicotine are lower than in areas where smoking is allowed but they are not zero. The results of this study indicate that policies should be implemented that would effectively reduce levels of tobacco smoke in public areas.
Air Pollutants↗
Role of the density in the crossover region of o-terphenyl and poly(vinyl acetate).
The coupling between the reorientation of molecular probes and the density in one low-molar mass glass former [ o -terphenyl (OTP)] and one polymer [poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc)] is studied in the Goldstein's crossover region where the structural (alpha) and the secondary (beta) relaxations bifurcate. The coupling is found to be strong in OTP and virtually absent in PVAc. The probes sense both the alpha and beta relaxations, and locate their splitting accurately. It is concluded that the density affects the relaxation occurring in the crossover region of OTP but not of PVAc at subnanometer length scales. The findings are compared with recent assessments of the role of the molecular packing close and above the glass transition temperature T(g).
Journal Article↗
Breast cancer mortality trends in two areas of the province of Florence, Italy, where screening programmes started in the 1970s and 1990s.
We compared breast cancer mortality rates in the period 1985-2000 in two areas of the province of Florence, Italy, where breast cancer screening programmes started in the 1970s (early screening (ES) area) and in 1990s (late screening (LS) area). The overall age-standardised mortality decreased in the whole period by 40.9% in the ES area (P<0.001), and by 11.3% in the LS area (P=0.030). Significant decreases in the ES area were detected in groups aged 45-54 years (61.1%; P= 0.018) and 65-74 years (44.7%; P= 0.049), whereas in the LS area no significant decrease was detected in any age group. The relatively low compliance in the first years of the programme in both areas, and the long enrollment period in the LS area could have reduced the effect on mortality. Our findings suggest that the drop in mortality in the ES area (41%) could be explained by both service screening and better care. The slight decrease in mortality in the LS area (11%) could be mainly due to better care. A reduction of about 30% is attributable to screening in the ES area over the period 1985-2000.
Adult↗
Congenital rubella infection following rubella outbreak in northern Italy, 2002: need for an effective vaccination programme.
Presented here are the details of a rubella outbreak that occurred in 2002 in the Lombardy region of northern Italy followed by a discussion of rubella vaccination policy in this country. From 13 maternal cases of rubella infection, congenital rubella infection was diagnosed in three fetuses and three newborns. Of the three infected fetuses, one was aborted and two died in utero, while of the three infected newborns, two were born with severe disease and one was subclinically infected. Follow-up revealed that one of the two symptomatic newborns had died at 4 months of age with disseminated rubella infection, while the other suffered from bilateral blindness and deafness and was severely retarded at 15 months of age. The remaining infant remained asymptomatic at 14 months. Congenital rubella remains a serious health problem in Italy and a successful vaccination strategy is required.
Adult↗
Is the ratio of pleural mesothelioma mortality to pleural cancer mortality approximately unity for Italy? Considerations from the oldest regional mesothelioma register in Italy.
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Geography↗
Heat convection and transport barriers in low-magnetic-shear rijnhuizen tokamak project plasmas
Layers of reduced electron heat transport ("transport barriers") have been observed in the Rijnhuizen Tokamak Project when the plasma is dominantly heated by electron cyclotron heating (ECH). Experiments into the properties of the transport barriers are reported. Modulation of the ECH power was used to probe electron heat transport in the barriers by means of propagating electron temperature perturbations. The observed propagation shows that transport inside the barriers is dominated by heat convection. This convection is inward, i.e., up the temperature gradient.
Journal Article↗
Observation of the alpha particle "Knock-On" neutron emission from magnetically confined DT fusion plasmas
Suprathermal fuel ions from alpha-particle knock-on collisions in fusion DT plasmas are predicted to cause a weak feature in the neutron spectrum of d+t-->alpha+n. The knock-on feature has been searched for in the neutron emission of high ( >1 MW) fusion-power plasmas produced at JET and was found using a magnetic proton recoil type neutron spectrometer of high performance. Measurement and predictions agree both in absolute amplitude and in plasma-parameter dependence, supporting the interpretation and model. Moreover, the results provide input to projecting alpha-particle diagnostics for future self-heated fusion plasmas.
Journal Article↗
The impact of oral contraception on chlamydial infection among patients with pelvic inflammatory disease.
The prevalence of oral contraceptive use in association with chlamydial pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and the presence of anti-chlamydial IgG and IgA in a population of 144 hospitalized and outpatient subjects with a standard diagnosis of PID was studied. The rates of chlamydial PID and IgA detection were 15.3% (22/144) and 13.9% (20/144), respectively. After stratification for age, number of pregnancies, and lifetime sexual partners, the rates of chlamydial PID (odds ratio = 0.30, 95% CI = 0.10 - 0.89) and IgA detection (odds ratio = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.07 - 0.73) were lower among previous or current oral contraceptive users than in women who had never used birth control methods. Analyses of linear trend indicated a negative association between increasing duration of exposure to hormonal contraception and anti-chlamydial IgG and IgA. This study confirms that among patients with chlamydial PID, the frequency of oral contraceptive use is lower than that in patients with PID of other etiology. Serologic studies suggest a possible relationship between hormonal contraception and changes in immune response or susceptibility to chlamydial infection.
Adolescent↗
Twenty-four-hour noninvasive blood pressure monitoring and pain perception.
Although a hypertension-related hypalgesia has been described, the relation between pain perception and the 24-hour blood pressure trend is still unknown. The ambulatory blood pressure monitoring parameters and dental pain sensitivity were correlated in 67 male subjects. The pulpar test (graded increase of test current of 0 to 0.03 mA) was performed on three healthy teeth, and mean dental pain threshold (occurrence of pulp sensation) and pain tolerance (time when the subjects asked for the test to be stopped) were evaluated. Three groups of subjects with normal (n = 34), intermediate (n = 13), and high (n = 20) blood pressure values were identified according to ambulatory monitoring results. Pain threshold differed among the three groups (P < .02), being higher in the group with highest blood pressure. The groups of hypertensive subjects showed higher pain tolerance than the normotensive group (P < .02). Pain threshold was correlated with 24-hour, diurnal, and nocturnal blood pressure values. Pain tolerance was also related to 24-hour blood pressure and to diurnal and nocturnal diastolic and mean arterial pressure values. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure loads were significantly associated with pain threshold, and diastolic load was also associated with tolerance. The blood pressure variability (SD) did not relate to pain perception. The 24-hour arterial pressure was more closely associated with pain perception than the blood pressure values obtained before the pulpar test. A close correlation between pain perception and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure was demonstrated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Adult↗
Prevalence of chlamydial antibody in pregnancy. A matched-pair study.
In this matched-pair study 139 pregnant women were matched on the basis of age to an equal number of non-pregnant women with no signs of genital infection. The mean age was 28.7 years (range 20-41). The cut-offs used for detection of chlamydial antibody were 1:64 and 1:128 for IgG and 1:16 for IgA. IgG antibody at 64 was detected in 37.4% of pregnant women, compared to 46% of controls (p = 0.145). There was, however, a statistically significant difference between the groups for IgG at 128 (gravidae = 15.8%; controls = 28%; p = 0.014). IgA were detected in 8.6% and 16.5% of subjects, respectively (p = 0.047). IgG levels did not vary with increasing age among the pregnant women, but rose significantly with age in non-pregnant controls (logistic regression p-values = 0.011 and 0.006, for IgG at 64 and 128, respectively). IgG-positive women in the control group tended to be older than pregnant IgG-positive women (p = 0.06). These differences could not be explained by marital status, parity or use of oral contraceptives. In view of the lack of epidemiological differences, biological explanations might be invoked.
Adult↗
In-vitro and in-vivo activity of rifabutin against Toxoplasma gondii.
The activity of rifabutin against Toxoplasma gondii was investigated in vitro and in vivo. One set of in-vitro studies used either a low virulence or a high virulence T. gondii strain subcultured in drug-free conditions after exposure to various drug concentrations. No parasite growth was observed after subculture at 1 month after exposure to 6 mg/L of rifabutin for the low virulence and 12 mg/L for the high virulence strain. The IC50 of rifabutin was 26.5 mg/L in a different series of experiments using an enzyme-linked immunoassay) and the T. gondii high virulence strain. In similar experiments with clarithromycin, low virulence and high virulence parasites grew in drug-free subcultures following exposure to drug concentrations as high as 100 mg/L; the IC50 of clarithromycin exceeded 100 mg/L for the high virulence strain. In the acute toxoplasmosis murine model, mice received a 12 day treatment starting 5 days before infection with high virulence parasites. Survival was significantly improved compared with untreated controls in response to 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg/day rifabutin and 100 and 200 (but not 50) mg/kg/day clarithromycin, and with the combination of the two drugs at 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg/day. Survival was significantly improved when combination therapy was administered. The calculated ED50 values (mg/kg/day) were 160.5 for rifabutin, 119.4 for clarithromycin, and 114.8 for the combination. In the present experimental conditions rifabutin proved effective in vitro and in vivo against T. gondii and showed potentiation with clarithromycin in vivo.
Animals↗
Asymptomatic genitourinary Chlamydia trachomatis infection in women seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus infection.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of asymptomatic Chlamydia trachomatis genitourinary infection in women with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. METHODS: The prevalence of asymptomatic chlamydial genitourinary infection in HIV-seropositive women was compared with both HIV-seronegative controls and women with unknown HIV status. Chlamydia trachomatis was isolated in cell culture from endocervical and urethral specimens. RESULTS: The prevalence of genitourinary C trachomatis infection among HIV-seropositive women was 18.3% (21 of 115), a rate significantly higher than in both HIV-negative women (11 of 136; P = .016) and controls with unknown HIV status (18 of 326; P = .0001). Crude odds ratios for endocervical and urethral chlamydial infection in HIV-seropositive women compared to HIV-seronegative controls were 2.6 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13-6.08) and 3.3 (95% CI 1.15-9.67), respectively. After adjustment for variables related to sexual habits, there was no difference in the risk of cervical C trachomatis infection between HIV-seropositive cases and HIV-seronegative controls (Mantel-Haenszel odds ratio 1.04, 95% CI 0.93-1.14; P = .41). Finally, in HIV-seropositive patients, both the severity of immunosuppression evaluated by CD4+, CD8+, and total lymphocyte counts and the detection of p24 HIV-related antigen did not correlate with the presence of chlamydial infection. CONCLUSIONS: Women infected with HIV are at high risk for asymptomatic genitourinary chlamydial colonization. To prevent a possible "epidemic" of pelvic inflammatory disease, appropriate screening programs and therapeutic strategies should be planned.
Adult↗