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P Uccheddu

Publications and source records attributed to P Uccheddu.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Age-specific prevalence of hepatitis A virus infection among teenagers in Sardinia.

In 1989, the prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV) in a sample of 1350 Sardinian teenagers aged 14 to 19 years was estimated by Elisa method. The overall anti-HAV prevalence was 20%; it increased from 12.3% among 14-16 year old subjects to 27.4% in subjects aged 17-19 years (P less than 0.01). A slight female preponderance was observed (22.1% versus 17.9) but no statistically significant difference was attained. Compared with the corresponding figure (71.6% of prevalence rate) observed in North Sardinia in 1980, the results of the present study show a dramatic reduction in anti-HAV prevalence among teenagers. A significant association was found with sociodemographic factors: subjects whose fathers had less than six years of schooling, had a 2.1-fold risk (C.I. 95% = 1.5-3.1) and subjects belonging to a household of 6 or more under one roof had a 1.7-fold risk (C.I. 95% = 1.2-2.3) of previous exposure to hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection. These findings indicate that exposure to HAV in Sardinia is decreasing, probably because of improvements in socio-economic conditions during recent years. However, overcrowding and short paternal education appear to be important determinants of infection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Age-specific prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection among teenagers in Sardinia.

In 1989, the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers was studied using Elisa method in a sample of 1357 healthy high school 14-19 year old teenagers in Sardinia. The overall prevalence of any HBV marker was 4.7%, increasing from 3.6% among 14-16 year old teenagers to 5.7% in 17-19 year olds. The overall prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was 1.1%, similar in both age groups. A slight male preponderance was observed (5% versus 4.4% for any HBV marker and 1.7% versus 0.6% for HBsAg, respectively). The prevalence of any HBV marker was not associated with the family size (O.R. 1.5; CI 95% = 0.6-4.5), but it was inversely related to the number of years of education received by the father. Teenagers whose fathers had received less than six years of schooling had a 2.3 fold risk (CI 95% = 1.1-5.2) of previous exposure to HBV infection. Comparing these findings with recent results in children and adults in the same area, a cohort effect is likely evident.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Hepatitis B virus infection in children in Sardinia, Italy.

Possible hepatitis B immunization of all newborns, regardless of the mother's HBsAg status, is a strategy under consideration for selected hyperendemic areas in Italy. Sardinia is one such area. However, in 1987 in Sardinia, the prevalence of hepatitis B markers in children under 11 years was estimated at 1.7% and the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) at 0.2%. A much higher prevalence of HBsAg was recently observed among adults in this area: 8.7% among men and 5.2% among pregnant women. This contrasting pattern is unlikely to be due to bias: the sampling procedures adopted were appropriate and the percentage of refusals was very low (2.2%). The observed low hepatitis B marker prevalence in young age groups might be the result of a cohort effect due to the improved socio-economic conditions and changes in behaviour that have occurred in Sardinia over the last few years. The finding of only 3 HBsAg+ individuals out of 1,826 children tested, in spite of the 5.2% HBsAg prevalence among pregnant women in that region, is probably attributable to the low proportion of HBeAg positive individuals among the HBsAg+ carrier mothers in this area. At present, immunization of all newborns in Sardinia cannot be recommended.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1989

Hepatitis A virus infection in children in Sardinia, Italy.

The prevalence of antibody to hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV) in a sample of 1662 Sardinian children aged 3 to 11 years was estimated by ELISA. The overall anti-HAV prevalence was 3.8 per cent; it increased from zero among children of 3 to 7.2 per cent in children of 11 years. A slight male predominance was observed (4 versus 3.6 per cent). Anti-HAV prevalence was inversely related to the number of years of education received by the father and positively related to the number of households in the sample. Children whose fathers had received less than six years of schooling, had a 6.2-fold risk (Cl 95 per cent = 2.6-15.3) and children with five or more households under one roof had a 2.6-fold risk (Cl 95 per cent = 1.4-5.0) of previous exposure to hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection. These findings suggest that exposure of Sardinian children to hepatitis A virus is relatively low, probably because of improvements in socioeconomic conditions in recent years in the island. However, overcrowding and poor education in the father of schooling appear to be important determinants of infection.

Child↗
PubMed1983

Glycyrrhizic acid inhibits influenza virus growth in embryonated eggs.

Glycyrrhizic acid, at doses well tolerated by the cells in monolayer cultures, inhibited the recovery of hemagglutinins from both Influenza and Newcastle Disease virus-infected embryonated hen eggs. Since the drug had no effect on viral viability and did not impair the hemagglutinating activity of the virions, the growth of viruses into the embryo tissues might be mainly affected. Late viral replication steps, rather than the early ones, appeared to be involved in the inhibitory effect of glycyrrhizic acid.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Epidemiology of hepatitis A in Sardinia: prevalence of anti-HAV in a sample of junior and senior high school students].

In the developing countries, where socioeconomic and hygienic conditions are inadequate, hepatitis A is mainly a childhood infection. Improvements in environmental conditions cause a decline in the exposure to hepatitis A virus and a change in the age-distribution of the incidence. In the Sardinian population 3-11 years old a study conducted in 1987 showed that 3.8 percent of children were anti-HAV positive. In this research work we studied the anti-HAV prevalence in the population 13-20 years old. The study population consisted of all the children who attended the third year of the junior high school (13-16 years old) and the fifth year of the senior high school (17-20 years old) in 7 health districts of South-Sardinia. All schools were identified in each district. Our list consisted of 455 classes of the last year of secondary schools and of 242 classes of the last year of high schools. Our sample consisted of 20 classes of the last year of junior high schools and of 29 classes of the last year of senior high schools. We used a precoded questionnaire recording age, sex, number of households and father's years of schooling. Sera from 794 students were collected between May and June 1988 and stored at--20 degrees C. A ELISA test (ABBOTT) was used for detection of anti-HAV. The analysis has been carried out in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. We determined the prevalence of anti-HAV according to age, sex and socioeconomic conditions. We calculated odds' ratios and their 95% confidence limits. We considered as not exposed the group in the most favourable level of exposure (father's highest educational level, lowest number of households). There is a sharp increase from an anti-HAV prevalence of 16.5 percent in students 13-16 years of age to 24.8 percent in students 17-20 years of age. As far as the persons 13-16 years of age are concerned we can recognize a significant difference between females (21.8 percent) and males (10.3 percent). In the other group of age, on the contrary, the difference is not significant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Health demands due to acute alcoholism in the hospital of Sorgono 1980-1987].

In Italy, in the late 1970's, alcohol-related neoplasms represented 12% of deaths from neoplasms among men and 4.5% among women. The consumption of alcohol is responsible for a large number of psychiatric disorders, motor accidents, suicides and murders. The purpose of this research work is to describe the alcoholism in the "unità sanitaria locale" 10 of Sardinia. We studied the health demand for alcohol-related diseases (acute and chronic alcoholism, traumas in alcoholic people, alcoholic hepatopathies). Our research work has been carried out in the first aid post of the hospital of Sorgono, the only one in the whole "unità sanitaria locale", for the years 1980 to 1987. The long term trend has been studied by an exponential model y = exp (bx) The force of increase b is a valid measure of trend. We also calculated the 95 percent confidence intervals for b. We calculated the age-specific demand rates from acute alcoholism (for the years 1980 to 1987) for the whole USL. We used the indirect method of standardization to analyse the geographical distribution of cases. We calculated the Standardized Morbidity Ratio as SMR = d/(Pi Mi) * 100 and its confidence interval (95 percent) as SMR + 196 * (square root of d/Pi Mi) where d = cases in town population; pi = population in age group i in town population; Mi = rate in age group i in standard population. The standard rates are the age-specific rates for the whole "unità sanitaria locale". The health demand is much higher among males than among females (9 men against one woman). As far as the general population (+ 0.112 less than b less than + 0.288) and the males (+ 0.104 less than b less than + 0.283) are concerned we can recognize an increasing trend. Among women (-0.058 less than b less than 0.363) the increase is not significant. The age-specific distribution and the geographical distribution of health demand have been studied for the male population only. The age-distribution is bimodal having the first peak between 20 and 25 years and the second one between 50 and 65 years. This pattern is suggestive for the simultaneous presence of two different pathologies. In the town of Austis (209 less than SMR less than 589) the health demand is significantly higher than the health demand in the whole "unità sanitaria locale". The demand is significantly low in five towns (Desulo, Meana Sardo, Ovodda, Tornara, Gadoni).

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Morpho-physiological research on Schizomycetes. Morphogenesis and cytoarchitecture of the microbial colony. I: B. anthracis].

The cytoarchitecture of B. anthracis can be easily studied in serial sections both at the light and at the electron microscope. The morphogenesis of the colony makes clear the peculiar structure of B. anthracis which seems essentially due to the chemical and physical characteristics of the cell envelopes and to the incomplete division of daughter cells. Other factors such as surface tension, humidity, mechanical obstacles and regressive phenomena, seem to be active, in B. anthracis, only since the third day.

Bacillus anthracis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Morphological and physiological studies on schizomycetes. Morphogenesis and cytoarchitecture of microbial colony. III. B.subtilis].

The B. subtilis exhibits a morphogenetic mechanism which is different from that observed in the other bacilli examined here. In fact it is distinguishable for the compactness of cellular bundles and the precociousness of the degenerative phenomena which render unrecognizable the internal structure of the colony even before the third day of growth.

Bacillus subtilis↗