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[Outcome of wounds and traumatic injuries of the skull of men living in ancient Latvia based on the findings of archeological excavations].

2,230 skulls obtained from Archaeological excavations in Latvia dating from various epochs beginning with the end of the Mesolithic up to the 17th century A.D. have been investigated. 6 cases of wounds and 5 of traumatic injuries, almost all of them serious, penetrating, have been discovered. In all cases faint or distinct indications of regeneration of the compact tissue were revealed.

Adult↗

Biodosimetry of Chernobyl cleanup workers from Estonia and Latvia using the glycophorin A in vivo somatic cell mutation assay.

The reactor accident at Chernobyl in 1986 necessitated a massive environmental cleanup that involved over 600,000 workers from all 15 Republics of the former Soviet Union. To determine whether the whole-body radiation received by workers in the course of these decontamination activities resulted in a detectable biological response, over 1,500 blood samples were obtained from cleanup workers sent from two Baltic countries, Estonia and Latvia. Here we report the results of studies of biodosimetry using the glycophorin A (GPA) locus in vivo somatic cell mutation assay applied to 734 blood samples from these workers, to 51 control samples from unexposed Baltic populations and to 94 samples from historical U.S. controls. The data reveal inconsistent evidence that the protracted radiation exposures received by these workers resulted in a significant dose-associated increase in GPA locus mutations compared with the controls. Taken together, these data suggest that the average radiation exposure to these workers does not greatly exceed 10 cGy, the minimum levels at which radiation effects might be detectable by the assay. Although the protracted nature of the exposure may have reduced the efficiency of induction of GPA locus mutations, it is likely that the estimated physical doses for these cleanup worker populations (median reported dose 9.5 cGy) were too low to result in radiation damage to erythroid stem cells that can be detected reliably by this method.

Alleles↗

Organ and tissue transplantation in Latvia.

From 1973 to May, 1996 585 kidney transplantations were performed in the Department of Transplantation. From 1983 to 1988 investigations on transplantation of pancreas islet cell culture were carried out. Because of financial difficulties these investigations had to be stopped. In 1992 a law was adopted which regulates organ removal for transplantation by the "option out" system. In 1996, a transplantation association of the Baltic countries, Balttransplant, which includes the Latvian Department, began to function. Work of this association in the field of transplantation coordination has lead to an increase of donor kidneys and improvement of graft quality. The center performs 14-16 transplantations of kidneys per 1 million of population every year. The patient one year survival rate is 87%, survival of transplants--72-75%. Further progress of transplantation in Latvia will be possible only if the economic conditions and progress in medicine in general improve.

Demography↗

Prevalence of blood-borne viral infections (cytomegalovirus, human herpesvirus-6, human herpesvirus-7, human herpesvirus-8, human T-cell lymphotropic virus-I/II, human retrovirus-5) among blood donors in Latvia.

The identification of blood-borne viral infections is important in transfusion medicine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of human herpesvirus (HHV) [cytomegalovirus (CMV), HHV-6, HHV-7 HHV-8] and human retrovirus (HRV) (human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV)-I/II, HRV-5) infections among apparently healthy Latvian blood donors. DNA extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) of 150 individuals was tested for herpesviruses by sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. None of the blood donors was positive for HHV-8 infection, while the incidence of latent beta-herpesvirus infections was high: single infection by CMV, HHV-6, and HHV-7 was detected in 2.6%, 8.0%, and 43.3% of blood donors, respectively. Simultaneous dual and triple infections of these viruses were observed in 28.0% and 4.7% of individuals, respectively. Active infection by CMV and HHV-6 was not found, but HHV-7 DNA was present in plasma of 10.6% of the blood donors. While all blood donors were HTLV-II and HRV-5 negative, 4.6% of HTLV-I seronegative blood donors were positive for the HTLV-I tax gene, although none of them harbored sequences for structural genes of the provirus. Based on our results, we conclude that monitoring of beta-herpesvirus infections in blood donors can be important in cases of transfusions to immunocompromised persons. HHV-8, as well as the retroviruses HTLV-II and HRV-5, were not found in blood of Latvian blood donors. More investigations are required to explain the presence of the HTLV-I tax sequence in seronegative blood donors.

Adolescent↗

Infection with cagA-positive and cagA-negative types of Helicobacter pylori among children and adolescents with gastrointestinal symptoms in Latvia.

In order to determine the prevalence of concomitant cagA-positive and cagA-negative Helicobacter pylori genotypes in individual subjects, a group of 56 symptomatic patients (aged 8-18 years) was studied. Among 31 patients culture-positive for Helicobacter pylori, only cagA-positive colonies were isolated from 18 patients, both cagA-positive and cagA-negative genotypes were isolated from 4 patients, and in 9 patients all of the individual colonies isolated were cagA-negative, but in seven of them a pool of colonies was positive for cagA. Thus, the presence of both cagA-positive and cagA-negative genotypes in the same individual was identified in 11 of the 31 culture-positive patients tested, and most of the patients predominantly colonized by cagA-negative strains also harbored a small amount of cagA-positive strains. Previous or current infection with cagA-positive strains of Helicobacter pylori was observed in 50 of the 56 patients studied.

Adolescent↗

Population data of 10 X-chromosomal loci in Latvia.

Ten X-chromosomal STRs from two multiplex PCR approaches (DXS9898, DXS6807, HPRTB, DXS101, and androgen receptor (ARA); DXS7133, DXS10011, DXS7424, DXS8377, and DXS8378) have been typed in a Latvian population sample.

Adolescent↗

Cross-infection prevention, basic hygiene practices and education within nursing and health care in Latvia: a Swedish-Latvian practice development project.

The primary aim of this practice development project was to explore the level of knowledge of nursing and medical staff at the Infection Clinic at Liepaja regarding the spread of infectious diseases. Arrangements were also made for some of the Latvian health care staff to visit the Infection Clinic in Gothenburg to increase their knowledge about basic hygiene and to enable them to study the research in this area. Later we were able to formulate this new knowledge into written guidelines. The theoretical education started with questions regarding staffs expertise in preventing the spread of infections. Areas covered were handwashing, hand disinfection, use of disposable gloves and protective clothing. This revealed a need for development of both theoretical and practical knowledge in this area. However, hygiene practices improved after the theoretical education and the visits to the Infection Clinic in Gothenburg. On our return visit to Liepaja dispensers of liquid soap together with hand disinfectants were evident at every wash basin on the unit. Disposable gloves were also routinely used for the dressing of wounds and invasive procedures. Furthermore, disposable coats and masks were used when caring for highly infectious patients. The key cultural differences were the lack of nursing documentation and the relative absence of a dialogue directly between the nurse and the patient.

Clinical Competence↗