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Biomedical subjects

V Vilkka

Publications and source records attributed to V Vilkka.

25 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Hyposensitization in hay fever with grass pollen extracts: a three-year study comparing a dialysed alum adsorbed extract with allpyral.

Immunotherapy with a dialysed aqueous extracted alum absorbed extract of grass pollens and with undialysed pyridine extracted alum precipitated extract of grass pollens (Allpyral) was compared in 58 patients with hay fever over a three year period in a randomized open study. Both types of treatment resulted in similar immunological responses as measured by changes in grass specific serum IgE and IgG. The dialysis of the grass pollen material did not decrease or increase the stimulation of specific immunoglobulins. The incidence of both local and systemic side effects was similar in both treatments. More injection site granulomata occurred in patients treated with the new alum adsorbed extract, although the difference did not achieve statistical significance. Symptom-medication data showed that patients who received the conventional pyridine extracted materials obtained a better clinical response, but all treatments gave continuing clinical benefit in each successive year.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Comparison of a sustained-release preparation (Theo-Dur) with a conventional preparation (Nuelin) in the treatment of chronic asthma.

In a double-blind, cross-over trial comprising 19 adult asthmatic patients a sustained-release preparation of theophylline (Theo-Dur), given twice daily, was compared with a conventional fast-release preparation (Nuelin), given three times daily. The theophylline doses were individually titrated to give plasma concentrations in the lower region of the therapeutic interval. The sustained-release preparation gave higher morning theophylline concentrations than the fast-release preparation (9.2 vs 5.9 mg/l). This resulted in somewhat higher morning peak flow values during Theo-Dur treatment. However, the difference in asthma symptoms was not significant and the patients showed no preference for either preparation. We conclude that the advantage of a sustained-release preparation over a conventional fast-release theophylline preparation is the lower dosing frequency rather than the better clinical effect in patients who suffer from chronic asthma, but whose disease is in a relatively stable phase.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The South Karelia Air Pollution Study: effects of low-level exposure to malodorous sulfur compounds on symptoms.

Exposure to very low levels of ambient-air malodorous sulfur compounds and their effect on eye irritation, respiratory-tract symptoms, and central nervous system symptoms in adults were assessed. A cross-sectional self-administered questionnaire (response rate = 77%) was distributed during March and April 1992 to adults (n = 336) who lived in a neighborhood that contained a pulp mill and in a nonpolluted reference community (n = 380). In the exposed community, the measured annual mean concentrations of total reduced sulfur compounds and sulfur dioxide measured in two stations were 2 to 3 micrograms/m3 and 1 micrograms/m3, respectively. In the reference community, the annual mean concentration of sulfur dioxide was 1 micrograms/m3. The residents of the community near the pulp mill reported an excess of cough, respiratory infections, and headache during the previous 4 wk, as well as during the preceding 12 mo. The relative risk for headache was increased significantly in the exposed community, compared with the reference area: the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) was 1.83 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 1.06-3.15] during the previous 4 wk and 1.70 (95% CI = 1.05-2.73) during the preceding 12 mo. The relative risk for cough was also increased during the preceding 12 mo (aOR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.01-2.64). These results indicated that adverse health effects of malodorous sulfur compounds occur at lower concentrations than reported previously.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The South Karelia Air Pollution Study: changes in respiratory health in relation to emission reduction of malodorous sulfur compounds from pulp mills.

The authors assessed the health effects of emission reduction of malodorous sulfur compounds in a prospective cohort study with a controlled natural experiment. A total of 810 subjects (83%) participated in the follow up: 316 from the severely polluted, 306 from the moderately polluted, and 188 from the nonpolluted communities. In the severely polluted community, the annual ambient air concentration of total reduced sulfur compounds decreased from 11 microg/m3 to 6 microg/m3. Compared with the nonpolluted community, the relative decrease in acute respiratory infections, adjusted for a change in smoking habits, was 0.53 episodes/person-year (95% confidence interval = 0.22, 0.83) in the severely polluted community and 0.36 episodes/person-year (95% confidence interval = 0.06, 0.66) in the moderately polluted community. In addition, the frequency of nasal symptoms (p = .004) and cough (p = .037) decreased significantly. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that exposure to malodorous sulfur compounds increases the risk of acute respiratory infections and symptoms of the respiratory tract.

Acute Disease↗