ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Exposure to single and multiple carcinogenic metals and/or semimetals represents a major environmental risk factor for public health. In particular, children are more susceptible to environmental pollutants than adults, but specific studies are still limited. The aims of the present study were: 1) to trace the exposure and co-exposure profiles to eight known or suspected carcinogenic metals and semimetals (As, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Sb); and: 2) to evaluate the influence of some possible interfering/confounding factors on the exposure to these elements during childhood. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: We recruited 159 healthy Italian children attending a primary school of the urban area of Rome, Italy. Selected metals were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry on urinary samples collected at the end of a "typical" day (one sample for each child), while information about possible confounding/interfering factors were collected via questionnaires. RESULTS: The great part of the studied children resulted co-exposed to the monitored metals: 83.2%, 69.2%, 51.0% and 29.3% of the participants were concurrently exposed to at least two, three, four and five trace elements, respectively. Gender was the only one among the investigated variable that significantly influenced the co-exposure, with females resulting at lower risk (OR = 0.392; 95 IC = 0.156 - 0.989; p < 0.047). CONCLUSIONS: Given the importance of protecting child's health and the risks related to the exposure to carcinogenic metals, especially when they occur simultaneously, other researches in this field are strongly recommended.
Subject(s)
Carcinogens, Environmental/adverse effects , Environmental Exposure/statistics & numerical data , Urban Health , Child , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Italy , MaleABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The present research aims to obtain information on cancer deaths in the five Latium provinces in the years 2006-2010 and to highlight similarities and differences between them. METHODS: The survey was carried through statistical elaboration of cancer mortality data for the years 2006-2010 obtained from the National Institute of Statistics. RESULTS: The mortality due to oncological diseases in Rieti province showed a decreasing temporal trend for the years investigated. Among all the Latium provinces, Rieti presented the lowest standardized mortality rates. This phenomenon could be related to specific environmental conditions and low levels of air, water and soil pollution affecting the Rieti province. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study show that the "healthy" environment of Rieti province could be considered as a benchmark for studies in oncological diseases.
Subject(s)
Neoplasms/mortality , Environmental Exposure/adverse effects , Environmental Exposure/statistics & numerical data , Environmental Pollution/adverse effects , Environmental Pollution/statistics & numerical data , Female , Health Surveys/trends , Humans , Italy/epidemiology , Male , Mortality/trends , Neoplasms/etiology , Registries/statistics & numerical data , Retrospective Studies , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to perform a preliminary analysis of the mortality data for cancer as widely as possible, in order to obtain useful information for planning specific public health interventions. For this purpose, data on cancer mortality in the province of Rieti (Latium, central Italy) have been collected and analysed. To date, in the Rieti province a Cancer Registry record is not available. METHODS: The study was conducted through statistical analysis of cancer mortality data related to the years 2008 and 2009, obtained from the National Institute of Statistics. Data were cumulative for the province of Rieti and specific for the five districts in which the province is divided. RESULTS: The standardized mortality rates obtained for Rieti province resulted lower than those reported for the other provinces of the Latium region, for Italy and for the European Community, both for 2008 and 2009. In these years, the anatomical areas more affected in terms of mortality were "trachea, bronchus and lung", "colorectal" and "stomach", but gender differences were evidenced. CONCLUSIONS: The present study, also considering the limitation of two years studied only, leads to some basic insights about the importance of updating mortality data to trace an epidemiological profile, to evaluate the presence of risk and protective factors, to program strategically health interventions, and to assess the effectiveness of these interventions.
Subject(s)
Neoplasms/epidemiology , Adolescent , Adult , Age Distribution , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Child , Child, Preschool , Colorectal Neoplasms/epidemiology , Female , Humans , Incidence , Infant , Italy/epidemiology , Male , Medical Records Systems, Computerized , Middle Aged , Neoplasms/mortality , Respiratory Tract Neoplasms/epidemiology , Risk Factors , Sex Distribution , Stomach Neoplasms/epidemiology , Survival RateABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of anorexia nervosa and that of nutritional rehabilitation on bone resorption. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, observational study. SETTING: Rome, Italy SUBJECTS: Twenty-eight female patients affected by anorexia nervosa (AN, BMI
Subject(s)
Anorexia Nervosa/physiopathology , Anorexia Nervosa/rehabilitation , Bone Resorption/etiology , Adolescent , Adult , Analysis of Variance , Anorexia Nervosa/urine , Anthropometry , Collagen/urine , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Italy , Pilot Projects , Pyridinium Compounds/urineABSTRACT
CXCR4 (fusin) is a chemokine receptor which is involved as a coreceptor in gp120 binding to the cell surface. In this study we provide evidence that binding of gp120 triggers CXCR4 recruitment to glycosphingolipid-enriched microdomains. Scanning confocal microscopy showed a nearly complete localization of CXCR4 within GM3-enriched plasma membrane domains of SupT1 cells and coimmunoprecipitation experiments revealed that CXCR4 was immunoprecipitated by IgG anti-GM3 after gp120 pretreatment. These findings reveal that gp120 binding induces a strict association between CXCR4 and ganglioside GM3, supporting the view that GM3 and CXCR4 are components of a functional multimolecular complex critical for HIV-1 entry.
Subject(s)
G(M3) Ganglioside/metabolism , Receptors, CXCR4/metabolism , Cell Line , Cell Membrane/metabolism , Chromatography, Thin Layer , HIV Envelope Protein gp120/metabolism , Humans , Precipitin Tests , Protein BindingABSTRACT
Neonatal tetanus (NT) can be effectively prevented through immunization and clean delivery practices. However, NT claimed the lives of over 433,000 infants in 1991. It is endemic in 90 countries throughout the world. Community-based neonatal tetanus mortality surveys helped to determine the true incidence of NT and revealed that, before immunization and clean delivery programmes were well established, approximately 1 million children contracted NT each year, of which 800,000 died. Mortality rates varied markedly by locale, ranging from 0 to 70 NT deaths per 1,000 live births. NT is still one of the most underreported notifiable diseases, and routine reporting systems identified only 4% of the NT cases estimated to have occurred in 1990. Based on WHO estimates, tetanus toxoid (TT) immunization and clean delivery practices prevented over 793,000 infant deaths in 1991. Of the 433,000 infants who died of NT that year, approximately 212,000 died in South-East Asia; 127,000 in Africa; 46,000 in the Western Pacific; 37,000 in the Eastern Mediterranean; and 1,300 in Europe. The Pan American Health Organization, using a separate methodology to estimate mortality, calculated that 10,500 newborns died of NT in the Region of the Americans. NT consistently clusters in geographical areas and population groups where shared practices or the environment enhance the risk of cord contamination. 80% of the newborns who died of NT in 1991 were born in South-East Asia or Africa. Of the 90 countries endemic for NT, 10% produce 80% of the world's NT deaths. NT also clusters at country level.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
PIP: Neonatal tetanus (NT) can be effectively prevented through immunization and clean delivery and cord-care practices. However, NT claimed the lives of over 433,000 infants in 1991. It is endemic in 90 countries throughout the world. Community-based neonatal tetanus mortality surveys revealed that, before immunization and clean delivery programs were well established, approximately 1 million children contracted NT each year, of which 800,000 died with mortality rates ranging from 0 to 70 NT deaths per 1000 live births. NT is still one of the most underreported notifiable diseases, and routine reporting systems identified only 4% of the NT cases estimated to have occurred in 1990. Based on World Health Organization estimates, tetanus toxoid (TT) immunization and clean delivery practices prevented over 793,000 infant deaths in 1991. Of the 433,000 infants who died of NT that year, approximately 212,000 died in South-East Asia; 127,000 in Africa; 46,000 in the Western Pacific; 37,000 in the Eastern Mediterranean; and 1300 in Europe. The Pan American Health Organization calculated that 10,500 newborns died of NT in the Americas. Cases cluster in certain geographical areas and groups that share common birth and immunization practices. In Egypt, the risk of NT was 5 times greater in rural than urban areas, as was the risk in Upper Egypt when compared to the Lower Nile region. India alone is responsible for over 20% of the world's NT mortality. In Pakistan mothers of infants diagnosed with NT are at increased risk of having another baby contract the disease. At the global level, between 1987 and 1990, TT immunization levels of women rose only 15%. In 1990, only 43% of pregnant women in developing countries received a protective course of TT. Case investigations and community vital event registries will facilitate the identification of high-risk areas and subgroups.