Subject(s)
Airway Obstruction/epidemiology , Forced Expiratory Flow Rates , Maximal Midexpiratory Flow Rate , Vital Capacity , Adolescent , Age Factors , Air Pollution , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Sex Factors , Spirometry/methodsABSTRACT
One hundred and twenty nine workers in the cork industry, 69 rural workers, 66 carpet makers, 58 workers in a granite quarry and 51 workers in a rice husking factory were studied from an epidemiologic point of view. All were submitted to a standard questionnaire planned to detect respiratory disease due to inhalatory causes. They were submitted to a clinical examination, summary ventilatory function tests, a 70 mm microradiograph, and blood was taken to determine alfa-one antitrypsin and its phenotypes and, in the cork industry workers and rice husking workers, the level of IgA, IgG and IgM. The results are presented and an attempt is made to correlate the various parameters among themselves, and namely alfa-one AT phenotypes with the existence of respiratory pathology. Finally the results are discussed.
Subject(s)
Lung Diseases/genetics , alpha 1-Antitrypsin/genetics , Adolescent , Adult , Female , Food-Processing Industry , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Mining , Occupational Medicine , Phenotype , Respiratory Function Tests , Textile IndustryABSTRACT
Portugal is one of the European countries with the highest mortality from Chronic Bronchitis (CB). This constitutes a severe problem as CB is one of the main causes of absenteeism and incapacity. To determine the prevalence of this disease, an epidemiological study was planned. The first part of this study involved the children of Lisbon because of the large number of children attending chest clinics for respiratory symptoms, because a similar study is being carried out in Europe by WHO in children from 8 to 10 years of age and because of the importance that this type of study in children may have in the prediction of the development of CB in adults. The study consisted in a standard questionnaire (WHO), a physical examination based on the CECA questionnaire, an ENT examination, a simple respiratory function test and a 70 mm microradiograph of the chest. 4148 children of both sexes, whose ages ranged from 6 to 14 were studied. The operational diagnosis of CB was based on the presence of chronic cough for the past 2 years, for at least 3 months and nearly every day during the Autumn and Winter months. The prevalence of CB in the overall population was 4.9%. The global analysis of the data collected seems to show the following: - Measles and whooping cough contribute to the incidence of CB. --Socio-economic conditions probably contribute to the increase in the incidence of CB. --A high incidence of ENT pathology was found in CB. --Atmospheric pollution does not appear to influence the incidence of CB.
Subject(s)
Bronchitis/epidemiology , Adolescent , Child , Chronic Disease , Female , Humans , Male , Measles/epidemiology , Nose Diseases/epidemiology , Portugal , Respiratory Tract Infections/epidemiology , Socioeconomic Factors , Surveys and Questionnaires , Whooping Cough/epidemiologySubject(s)
Bronchitis/epidemiology , Age Factors , Airway Obstruction/epidemiology , Bronchitis/physiopathology , Child , Chronic Disease , Environmental Pollution , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Male , Portugal , Sex FactorsABSTRACT
In the present study the AA. analyse the immunological behaviour of patients taken from a group of 309 cases of Extrinsic Pulmonary Granulomatoses (E.P.G.). Humoral immunological changes were studied by assessing serum immunoglobulins, various complement fractions and, when possible, circulating precipitating antibodies. Immunoglobulins A and G values were significantly higher than control values. On the contrary there was no significant difference between IgM values, in patients and controls. The complement fractions (C3c, C4 and C3 activator) showed values within normal limits. Specific circulating antibodies were detected both in bird fanciers and in cork workers. Cellular immunity was evaluated by comparing the results of various tests. Eighty percent of all cases of E.P.G. had negative tuberculin tests, while eighty percent of the general population, in Portugal, has positive tuberculin tests. The Kveim-Siltzbach test was positive in one of 19 cases of E.P.G., and this was considered a false positive result. In vitro lymphocyte blastic transformation in presence of pigeon antigen showed a significant increase in pigeon breeders as compared with controls. The migration of leucocytes from affected and non-affected corkworkers, affected and non-affected pigeon fanciers and controls, in the presence of the specific antigens, showed significant results. Finally, similarities and differences in immunological behaviour of these patients are discussed.
