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Biomedical subjects

P Comba

Publications and source records attributed to P Comba.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

[Epidemiologic surveillance of pleural mesothelioma in Italy].

A collaborative study has been performed in order to detect cases of pleural mesothelioma diagnosed or treated in Italy in the years 1984-88. Cases have been notified to ISS by 88 centres (clinics of thoracic surgery and respiratory diseases, oncologic centres, institutes of pathology), active in 14 Italian regions. Altogether, 575 cases (415 males and 160 females) have been included in the study. Information on occupation and/or on non occupational exposure to asbestos was available for 65% of the subjects, and the occurrence of definite or possible exposure to asbestos was estimated for 58% of them.

Asbestos↗
PubMed1991

[Territorial distribution of mortality from malignant pleural tumors in Lombardy].

Mortality for malignant neoplasms of pleura in Lombardy, 1980-87, was investigated in order to detect municipalities showing significantly increased standardized mortality ratios, with reference to regional rates, based on at least three observed cases. Neighbouring municipalities were taken into account as well, and a series of areas characterized by increased mortality rates were defined. The geographic location of these areas seems to be correlated with the distribution of industries manufacturing asbestos products.

Cluster Analysis↗
PubMed1990

Mortality from liver disease among Italian vinyl chloride monomer/polyvinyl chloride manufacturers.

The possible association in humans between nonangiosarcoma primary liver tumors (PLC-non-A), particularly hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and exposure to vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) is supported by both experimental and human data. This article presents a review of the information regarding 253 deaths that occurred in seven plants manufacturing VCM/PVC and one plant extruding PVC. The retrieval of clinical and pathological data, in addition to the information from death certificate, is referred to as "best evidence" (BE). BE has been carried out for 63 deaths. A total of 14 primary liver cancer (PLC) were detected: seven were angiosarcoma (PLC-A), and two of the remaining seven were hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In our series of 14 PLC cases, there was no significant difference between PLC-A and PLC-non-A as to length of exposure and latency. There was no noticeable difference in terms of job title between ASL and non-ASL cases. The list of longest held jobs shows the presence of various job titles, different from autoclave cleaner, for primary liver cancer, PLC-A and PLC-non-A. In conclusion, our observations show that VCM may have a broader carcinogenicity action on the liver and that exposure lower than that occurring in autoclave cleaning can cause primary liver cancer, both angiosarcoma and nonangiosarcoma.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Nitrate and nitrite exposure in Italian populations with different gastric cancer rates.

Exposure to nitrate and nitrite from dietary sources was estimated by questionnaire and measurement of salivary levels of the ions in residents of four regions of Italy with longstanding, contrasting, gastric cancer mortality rates. Whether using salivary levels or dietary questionnaire estimations no association was found between nitrate and nitrite exposure and gastric cancer mortality rates. For salivary nitrate and nitrite, the intra-provincial variation was greater than any inter-province difference. However, for dietary nitrate and nitrite intakes, there were significant differences between the regional groups (but not related to gastric cancer risk). Despite the limitations of the methods used, there was a weak positive association between salivary concentrations of nitrate and questionnaire assessment. Dietary factors are likely to play key roles at different stages of the gastric carcinogenic process. Nitrate may play a part but is unlikely to be a rate-limiting factor in all individuals or populations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

[Mortality in malignant tumors of the peritoneum in Italy: search for correlations with exposure to asbestos].

In the years 1981-85, 2438 malignant neoplasms of peritoneum occurred in Italy: the crude mortality rate was 0.86 X 10(-5) per year. The standardized mortality rates of Italian provinces ranged from 0.20 to 1.86 X 10(-5) per year. Some degree of misclassification can affect the ascertainment of peritoneal tumors as a death cause. In some of the Provinces with the highest mortality rates dockyards or asbestos-cement industries are located (e.g. Genova, La Spezia; Alessandria); in other Provinces the presence of industries involving an important use of asbestos could not be ruled out.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Mortality among pyrite miners with low-level exposure to radon daughters.

Mortality among pyrite miners with low-level exposure to radon daughters. Scand J Work Environ Health 14 (1988) 280-285. A cohort mortality study was conducted with regard to a pyrite mine located in central Italy. Exposure to radon ranged from 0.12 to 0.36 working levels (WL) in the work areas; most measurements were around 0.2 WL. The concentration of free silica in the dust was less than 2%. The cohort was determined from company files and included 1,899 subjects. Mortality was studied for the years 1965-1983. The loss to follow-up was less than 2%. The standardized mortality ratio for all causes and all neoplasms was 97 and 107, respectively. That for lung cancer and for nonmalignant respiratory diseases was 131 (95% confidence interval 97-175) and 173 (95% confidence interval 135-231), respectively. It was estimated that the extra cases of lung cancer attributable to radon daughters numbered 13 per 10(6) person-years and working level month in the whole cohort and 21.3 per 10(6) person-years in the subcohort with 10-25 years of exposure.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

A cohort study on vinyl chloride manufacturers in Italy: study design and preliminary results.

A cohort mortality study of 5000 vinyl chloride manufacturers is ongoing in 9 Italian plants. They represent the entire workforce of those ever employed in the production of the monomer and its polymerization. The objectives of the study are to investigate the mortality of the exposed population and to clear up the carcinogenic spectrum of vinyl chloride. This article gives the results for 3 out of 9 plants, Rosignano, Ferrara and Ravenna, which represent about 25% of the total cohort. The expected deaths have been calculated using the mortality rates of the Italian population. For the deceased persons information from the death certificates were used in the analysis of mortality; additional clinical and pathological data were collected (best pathological evidence, b.p.e.). In Ferrara a statistically significant excess for all malignant tumors and lung cancer was detected. In Rosignano and Ravenna the number of observed deaths were small and therefore no comments can be made on cancer mortality. The cohort study is ongoing in the 6 remaining cohorts and the future analysis will consider duration and level of exposure and latency.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

A health examination of railway high-voltage substation workers exposed to ELF electromagnetic fields.

This is a cross-sectional survey on the health conditions of railways workers active in 258 interconnection and conversion substations all over Italy. Measurements performed in both kinds of substations operating at 220 kV have shown that maximum levels of the electric field strength and of the magnetic flux density at 50 Hz are of the order of 5 kV/m and 15 microT, respectively. Three subject groups, differently exposed (1, 10, 20 h/week), and an unexposed control group, for a total number of 627 workers, constitute the population at study. All subjects underwent a general medical examination, laboratory investigations, and a series of selected examinations relative to three systems (nervous, cardiovascular, and haematopoietic) considered at higher risk. No differences have been found between the exposed and the control groups. It is concluded that workers exposed to ELF electromagnetic fields of moderate strength do not show the presence of clear effects on their state of health.

Electromagnetic Fields↗
PubMed1985

Mortality studies of dockyard workers (longshoremen) in Italy.

A polycentric mortality study was performed in five Italian harbours: Savona, Marina di Carrara, Livorno, Civitavecchia, and Ravenna. The cohort included active and retired workers (longshoremen), who had been employed between 1960 and 1981. Causes of death were ascertained from death certificates; expected numbers of deaths were generated from age, sex, calendar year, and cause-specific national mortality rates. A low overall mortality was found, which is in agreement with procedures of health selection, typical of physically demanding jobs; an excess of lung cancer was, however, found in four out of five harbours.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

A case-referent study on nasal cancer and exposure to wood dust in the province of Siena, Italy.

The aim of the present study was to assess the risk of nasal cancer associated with exposure to dust in the wood and furniture industry in the province of Siena, Italy. Four to seven percent of the active male population is employed in this sector. A case-referent approach was used. The cases included male subjects seen at the Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic and the Radiotherapy Unit of Siena and diagnosed as having cancer of the nasal cavities or paranasal sinuses between 1963 and 1981. The referents were male patients admitted to the Medical Clinic of Siena for all causes except nasal neoplasia; they were matched 5:1 to the cancer patients for age and time of admission. Information was gathered (by postal questionnaires) on the occupational histories of all 36 of the cancer patients and 164 of the 180 referents. The odds ratio associated with exposure to wood dust was 5.4 (1.7-17.2) for all carcinomas, and 87.7 (19.8-407.3) for mucinous adenocarcinoma. The woods used by the exposed cancer patients were mainly oak, chestnut, poplar, and fir. The median duration of exposure was 40 years; no exposed cancer patient reported the presence of exhaust systems in their work environment.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Effects of low-dose radiation - a correlation study.

The effects of low-dose radiation have been a matter of controversy over the years, and the epidemiologic results have been conflicting. A couple of recent studies have indicated a possible impact on lung cancer mortality from exposure to indoor levels of radon and radon daughters. In this study, selected mortality rates, ie, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer (females only), leukemia, and multiple myeloma were correlated for the counties of Sweden with estimates of average background radiation exposure in these areas. Significant correlations were obtained for lung cancer (males, r = 0.46; females r = 0.55) and pancreatic cancer (males, r = 0.59; females, r = 0.40) , and there was a borderline correlation (r = 0.36; p = 0.04) for leukemia in males. In all, there were positive correlations for eight out of the nine computations made. Since background radiation correlates with urbanization and therefore with smoking, air pollution, etc, the correlations might be spurious due to confounding; on the other hand confounding is a reciprocal phenomenon which suggests that background radiation should to be taken into consideration when widespread risk factors like smoking, coffee drinking, general air pollution, etc, are studied.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Unusually high incidence of malignant pleural mesothelioma in a town of eastern Sicily: an epidemiological and environmental study.

In a recent epidemiological study, researchers investigated mortality from malignant pleural neoplasms in Italy, and they detected some geographic clusters of cases of this disease. We found a town located in a volcanic area of eastern Sicily to be of special interest. The residents, some of whom were diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma, had never had any relevant exposure to asbestos during their professional lives. The results of an environmental survey suggested that a possible cause of asbestos exposure was the stone quarries near the town. The products of the quarries contain fibrous amphiboles, which are used widely in the local building industry. These fibrous amphiboles were identified as intermediate phases between tremolite and actinolite. Samples were collected from buildings in the town, and concentrations of amphibole fibers were evaluated. Fibrous phases were detected in 71% of the samples, and fiber concentrations ranged from a few thousand to more than 4 x 10(4) fibers/mg of material. In addition, we conducted a study on the mineral fiber lung burden in a pleural mesothelioma case. Many mineral fibers that were classified as the same tremolite-actinolite fibrous amphibole found in the quarries and in the building materials were detected in the lung tissue. The results suggest that the inhabitants of the town we studied had been exposed for several decades to asbestos fibers that were present in the material extracted from the local stone quarries. The material was subsequently used in the building industry, and this has caused an increased risk of pleural mesothelioma in the area.

Adult↗