ABSTRACT
Patients diagnosed with bronchial asthma (BA) were prospectively enrolled to assess their allergen spectra and atopic status. The patients came from five major cities (Ankara, Izmir, Samsun, Elazig, and Adana) in different regions of Turkey. Atopic status, total IgE levels, and allergen spectra were determined in 1149 patients and 210 controls who were spouses of the patients sharing the same environment but not consanguinity with the patients. Total IgE levels were significantly higher in the asthmatic patients. For both groups, total IgE levels were higher in both atopic and male subjects. Atopy rates were 42% in asthmatics and 26.1% in controls, declining notably by age in both groups. The most common allergen in both groups was house-dust mite (HDM), which was more frequently detected in coastal regions (Samsun, Izmir, and Adana). Allergen spectra of the patients included HDM, pollens, cockroach, pet animals, and molds in decreasing order of frequency. Phleum pratense and Artemisia vulgaris were the most common pollens in all regions, whereas Olea europaea was the most common in Izmir. Pollen sensitivity was least frequent in Elazig. For all of the regions, pet sensitivity was less common than, and mold sensitivity was comparable to, that of Western countries. In conclusion, BA patients in Turkey displayed significant differences in their allergen spectra and total IgE levels from control subjects and BA patients in Western countries.
Subject(s)
Asthma/immunology , Health Surveys , Hypersensitivity/complications , Adult , Allergens/classification , Allergens/immunology , Altitude , Female , Humans , Hypersensitivity/diagnosis , Hypersensitivity/epidemiology , Immunoglobulin E/analysis , Male , Middle Aged , Pollen/immunology , Prevalence , Sex Distribution , Skin Tests , Surveys and Questionnaires , TurkeyABSTRACT
The 575 inhabitants of the remote Anatolian village of Karain suffered 11 deaths from pleural mesothelioma in 1975/76 and there were five cases of fibrosing pleurisy. In the previous five years there had been 25 cases of mesothelioma. Calcified pleural plaques were common on survey radiography. Asbestos does not occur in the local soil or rock, nor is it handled in the village, but a few fibres were found in the water. Fibres were also found in the pleural tissue of two of five cases examined. Inhabitants of the neighbouring villages are free of mesothelioma.
Subject(s)
Disease Outbreaks/epidemiology , Mesothelioma/epidemiology , Pleural Neoplasms/epidemiology , Pleurisy/epidemiology , Adult , Age Factors , Aged , Asbestos/analysis , Chronic Disease , Environment , Female , Humans , Male , Mesothelioma/ultrastructure , Microscopy, Electron , Middle Aged , Pleural Neoplasms/ultrastructure , Pleurisy/pathology , Soil/analysis , Turkey , Water Supply/analysisABSTRACT
We report a case of hepatorenal failure complicating rifampicin administration in which rifampicin-dependent antibodies were demonstrated. Hepatorenal failure during rifampicin treatment has been reported before but in none of the previous cases were rifampicin-dependent antibodies described.
