Epidemiological study of acute poisoning in children: a 5-year retrospective study in the Paediatric University Hospital in Bialystok, Poland.

BACKGROUND: Poisoning among children and youths in the northeastern part of Poland accounted for 25% of the total number of patients admitted to the Hospital Emergency Department of the Paediatric University Hospital of Bialystok. We hypothesise that the epidemiology of poisoned paediatric patients admitted is related to increase in 'designer drugs' (mainly amphetamine- and ecstasy-like psychostimulants, hallucinogens and synthetic cannabinoids ('spice') intake, which became popular 5 years ago in our country. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of medical records of 489 patients admitted due to poisoning in the 5-year period (2006-2010). The data included: age, sex, place of residence, nature of the substance, causes of poisoning, former use of psychoactive stimulants, accompanying self-mutilation and injuries and length of hospitalisation. Categorical variables were expressed as percentages, and continuous variables as mean and SD. The data were collected in a Microsoft Excel database. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Programme for Social Sciences. RESULTS: Out of 2176 hospitalised children, 489 were admitted because of poisoning. Out of these, 244 (49.9%) were hospitalised due to intoxication by alcohol. Only eight children used designer drugs. The mean age of all patients in our group was 12.86±5.04 years, of which 52.4% were male. Poisoning was intentional in 75.5%, and accidental in 24.5% of cases. Appearance of 'designer drugs' had no significant impact on the number and epidemiology of poisonings in our group.

Metanol como marcador de abuso en el consumo de alcohol en muestras forenses / Methanol as abuse alcohol marker in forensic samples

Se determinó la cantidad de metanol presente en muestras de personas categorizadas como abstemias, bebedores sociales y alcohólicos, por la técnica de cromatografía de gases con inyección por espacio de cabeza, con el propósito de utilizar el metanol como marcador de alcoholismo, en muestras provenientes de necropsias realizadas en el Servicio Médico Forense de la Ciudad de México. Se encontró una cantidad significativamente mayor de metanol en los grupos de alcohólicos estudiados, respecto al de los grupos de bebedores sociales y abstemios, existiendo, sin embargo, cierto traslape entre los distintos grupos estudiados. Por tanto, la sensibilidad del metanol como marcador de alcoholismo es relativamente baja; pero, puede ser utilizado como marcador de un episodio de abuso en el consumo de bebidas alcohólicas. Un análisis por regresión múltiple de los datos obtenidos, así como de datos personales y hallazgos biológicos presentes en las necropsias realizadas, confirmó que la concentración de metanol en sangre, está directamente relacionada con el consumo de etanol en alcohólicos y con la presencia de la esteatosis hepática, lo que prueba la validez del metanol como marcador de abuso en el consumo de bebidas alcohólicas (AU)

Methanol in post-mortem samples from alcoholic with and without ethanol present at the time of death, social drinkers and teetotallers were determined with gas chromatography with head space injection, to study the possibility of using methanol as an alcoholism marker in post-mortem samples. A methanol statistical significant difference was found between the alcoholics groups and the social drinkers and teetotallers groups, thus methanol can be used as alcoholism marker, but as there is some overlap in the determined methanol concentration between the studied groups, the sensitivity of methanol as alcoholism marker is low, and indicates more an abuse ethanol episode. A multiple regression analysis revealed that the factors which impact the methanol concentration the most are a fatty liver and the consumption of ethanol amongst alcoholics, while factors traditionally linked to alcoholism such as cirrhosis do not have an impact on the methanol concentration found (AU)ien

Safety assessment of bacterial choline oxidase protein introduced in transgenic crops for tolerance against abiotic stress.

Genetically modified crops have resistance to abiotic stress by introduction of choline oxidase protein. In the present study, the safety of choline oxidase protein derived from Arthrobacter globiformis was assessed for toxicity and allergenicity. The protein was stable at 90 degrees C for 1 h. Toxicity studies of choline oxidase in mice showed no significant difference (p > 0.05) from control in terms of growth, body weight, food consumption, and blood biochemical indices. Histology of gut tissue of mice fed protein showed normal gastric mucosal lining and villi in jejunum and ileum sections. Specific IgE in serum and IL-4 release in splenic culture supernatant were low in choline oxidase treated mice, comparable to control. Intravenous challenge with choline oxidase did not induce any adverse reaction, unlike ovalbumin group mice. Histology of lung tissues from choline oxidase sensitized mice showed normal airways, whereas ovalbumin-sensitized mice showed inflamed airways with eosinophilic infiltration and bronchoconstriction. ELISA carried out with food allergic patients' sera revealed no significant IgE affinity with choline oxidase. Also, choline oxidase did not show any symptoms of toxicity and allergenicity in mice.

Safety evaluation of a hexose oxidase expressed in Hansenula polymorpha.

A programme of studies was conducted to establish the safety of hexose oxidase (HOX) from Chondrus crispus expressed in the yeast Hansenula polymorpha to be used as a processing aid in the food industry. Rat feeding studies were conducted to assess acute and subchronic oral toxicity. In addition, the potential of the enzyme to cause mutagenicity and chromosomal aberrations was assessed in microbial and tissue culture in vitro studies. Acute and subchronic oral toxicity was not detected at the highest dosage recommended by OECD guidelines. There was no evidence of mutagenic potential or chromosomal aberrations. The no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) derived from the 13-week study was 5000 units/kg body weight/day. In conclusion it can be considered a safe processing aid for use in the food industry.