ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This study was carried out for the purpose of evaluating the blood mercury concentration of the residents of Busan, Korea, as well as the relationship between the mercury concentration and the pattern of fish consumption along with other epidemiological factors. METHODS: Two hundred ninety-three subjects (147 men and 146 women), who were aged 40 years or more, were recruited into this study between June and October 2009. The mean age of the subjects was 54.3 years (with a range of 40-70 years). Mercury concentrations in blood samples were measured using a gold-amalgam collection method. RESULTS: The geometric mean concentration of mercury in the total subjects was 8.63 microgram/L [range: 1.48~45.71 microgram/L]. The blood mercury concentration of the men (9.55 microgram/L) was significantly higher than that of the women (7.76 microgram/L). The blood mercury concentration of those who eat fish more than 4 times per week was higher than others, and was statistically significant (male p = 0.0019, female p = 0.0002). According to the multiple analysis, the blood mercury concentration was significantly affected by the consumed fish but other epidemiological factors were not related. CONCLUSIONS: It was found that the subjects who have consumed a large amount of fish may have high blood mercury concentration. It appears that fish consumption can influence blood mercury concentration. Therefore, guidelines for fish consumption that will decrease blood mercury concentration might be necessary in Korea.
Subject(s)
Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Fish Products/adverse effects , Food Contamination , Mercury/blood , Republic of Korea , Sex Factors , Time Factors , Urban PopulationABSTRACT
The effect of pepsin digestion on the allergenicity of raw and thermally processed (boiled and fried) fish muscle extracts of two widely consumed fishes bhetki (Lates calcarifer) and mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta) was studied. Sere were collected from 110 patients who were hypersensitive to fish, as evidenced by their clinical history, symptoms and positive skin-prick test results. The various extracts after digestion with pepsin at different times of incubation were tested for specific IgE-binding activity by ELISA and immunoblotting with patients' sera. All the extracts of both the fishes retained their allergenicity as evidenced by ELISA and immunoblotting. In bhetki, maximum allergenicity was found in the pepsin-digested fried extract, whereas similar treatment decreased the allergenicity in fried mackerel. Results showed that raw as well as thermally processed allergens of both the fishes maintained strong allergenicity, even after digestion with pepsin for different time periods. The study revealed that the fish proteins played an important role in manifestation of allergy, due to their stable structure, which was retained even after pepsin and heat treatment.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Allergens/chemistry , Animals , Child , Child, Preschool , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Female , Fish Products/adverse effects , Fish Proteins/chemistry , Food Hypersensitivity , Hot Temperature , Humans , Immunoblotting , Immunoglobulin E/blood , Male , Middle Aged , Pepsin A/chemistry , Perciformes/immunology , Species Specificity , Tissue Extracts/chemistryABSTRACT
La ingestión de objetos extraños ocurre ocasionalmente en los adultos, especialmente en aquéllos que utilizan prótesis dentales. La mayoría de esos objetos transitan por el tracto gastrointestinal sin causar síntomas, aunque algunas veces se pueden presentar complicaciones como perforación, absceso, obstrucción, tumoración, peritonitis localizada o generalizada. Se informa el caso de una paciente que desarrolló una tumoración abdominal dependiente de intestino secundaria a la perforación de éste, como consecuencia de la ingestión de una espina de pescado. Se comunican los síntomas presentados y la dificultad diagnóstica, pues fue valorada por diferentes especialista sin logara llega a un diagnóstico de certeza. Cabe hacer notar la importancia del aspecto macroscópico de la tumoración, que sugería un proceso tumoral de características malignas, y que histopatológicamanete fue señalado como un granuloma inflamatorio libre de células malignas secundario a cuerpo extraño (espina de pescado), caso raro de acuerdo a la bibliografía revisada.
Subject(s)
Aged , Humans , Female , Surgical Procedures, Operative , Ultrasonography , Enema , Fish Products/adverse effects , Granuloma/etiology , Laparotomy , Foreign Bodies/complications , Granuloma, Foreign-Body/etiologyABSTRACT
Quatro diferentes amostras de filés de pescada branca (Microdon ancylodon) comercializados na cidade de Säo José do Rio Preto - SP foram submetidas a análises microbiológicas. Segundo os resultados obtidos e sua correlaçäo com os padröes existentes na legislaçäo federal e estadual, verificou-se que as amostras analisadas comportaram-se parcialmente como "produto em condiçöes higiênico-sanitárias insatisfatórias" "potencialmente capazes de causar toxinfecção alimentar" e portanto "produto impróprio para consumo"