[Assessment and development of occupational diseases in health care workers in the eastern regions of the Czech Republic 1986-2000]. / Posuzování a vývoj nemocí z povolání u zdravotníku ve východoceském kraji v letech 1986-2000.

The present authors have summarized their experience of assessing occupational diseases in the health-service workers from the catchment area of the Department of Occupational Diseases of the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty Hospital in Hradec Králové reported in the years 1986-2000. It is of great importance that, in spite of a decrease in occupational diseases in the Czech Republic as a whole, in health service workers occupational diseases still take a prominent place. In the Region of East Bohemia health services permanently occupy the first place, followed by agriculture and metalworking industry, which alternate. A positive finding in the number of viral hepatitides B has significantly decreases. On the other hand, the number of patients suffering from scabies and, above all, allergic diseases, in which contact allergic eczemata due to hypersensitivity to latex contained in protective gloves inequivocally prevail, is on the increase. Though there is no increase in the number of patients with tuberculosis, there is an important finding that the disease affects mainly persons younger than 35 years.

[Occupational diseases caused by chromium and its compounds]. / Profesionální onemocnení z chromu a jeho sloucenin.

The present paper demonstrates by documentary evidence occupational diseases caused by chromium and its compounds. Perforations of the nasal septum were diagnosed in 20 males and 9 females, the last one in 1980. Most of them worked in chromium-plating shops. Other diseases, including bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, and contact allergic eczemas, were examined in 1985-1999. Bronchial asthma was reported in a textile dyer who was in contact with chromium dyes for 32 years and two allergic rhinitides (a welder and an electroplater) were reported in 1987 as "other damage to health resulting from work." Out of 103 contact allergic eczemas, only 24 diseases, i.e. less than one quarter, were healed in 1999. Improvements were observed in 59 of them and 20 diseases persist. There was an exceptional finding of a chromium ulcer (pigeonneaux) on the lower extremity of a builder.

[Chromosome aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes in workers occupationally exposed to styrene]. / Vysetrení chromozómových aberací v lymfocytech periferní krve zamestnancu profesionálne exponovaných styrénu.

We performed the investigation of the number of chromosomal aberrations in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of 13 women--workers occupationally exposed to styrene. Our set consisted exclusively of women in the age span from 23 to 54 years. Nine of the workers were smokers, 4 of them did not smoke. The control group was represented by 6 women working in the offices of the same factory. The clinical investigation of both the groups of women was performed at the Clinic of occupational diseases. The common physical check-up was combined with the hematological and biochemical tests including the assessment of the mandelinic acid level in the urine. Also the styrene concentration in the working place was measured by the help of the Regional hygiene center. The average working day's concentration of styrene was found to be 225 +/- 89 mg.m-3 ranging from 83 to 366 mg.m-3. From hte total number of 1220 cytogenetically investigated cells in the group of higher risk in 31 of them (2.54% AB.C.) the chromosomal aberration were found. In 27 cases (2.21%) the structural aberrations were involved; mostly the chromatid breaks and four times the chromosomal breaks were present. Four cells were laden by the numeric aberrations (type of 4n). Moreover, there was also checked the number of gaps (total of 9 gaps; 6 of chromatid, 3 chromosomal ones) and the number of satellite association of chromosomes (total of 87). The number of chromosomal aberrations in the exposed group is statistically significantly higher when compared with the control group (1.17% of AB.C.). Due to the restricted volume of the set our results cannot be taken as a confirmation of the relevant factory to be a working place with the higher exposition to genotoxic agents. Nevertheless, concerning the upper limit of spontaneous aberrations in the unladen population reaching maximally 2% we must consider our results to witness the increased occupational hazard.