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JOURNAL OF
PREVENTIVE
MEDICINE
ISSN:
1582-5388
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Public health
Olga Iacob, C.Grecea,
O.Capitanu, V.Rascanu, D.Agheorghiesei,
E.Botezatu,
S.Ioniţă
Abstract. The goal
of our work was to determine the distributions of radon and thoron progeny
concentrations in dwellings, the magnitude of individual and collective
exposures and to assess the potential lung cancer risk. The radon and thoron
short-lived decay products concentrations have been measured in 586 typical
urban and rural houses, randomly selected from 6 cities and 84 villages in
eastern part of Romania. The
method used to determine the volumetric activity of 218Po, 214Pb, 214Bi and
212Pb is an active one by pumping a known volume of air through an open-faced
high-efficiency filter paper at known flow rate for a certain collection time
and counting the deposited activity with a ZnS alpha scintillation counter.
Internal exposure due to inhalation of radon and thoron progeny indoors and
outdoors has been expressed in terms of effective dose. In dose estimates the
conversion coefficients adopted by the UNSCEAR 2000 Report have been used. The
values of indoor Equilibrium Equivalent Concentrations of radon and thoron
presented a log-normal distribution. The average values of EEC of radon have
been of 22.2 Bq m-3 in detached houses and 9.0 Bq m-3 in block of flats and
for EEC of
thoron, 1.2 Bq m-3 in detached houses and 0.6 Bq m-3 in block of flats,
respectively. The overall annual effective dose of 1.16 mSv and the resultant
annual collective effective dose of 6032 manSv might be responsible for 440
life-time radio-induced lung cancers.
Key words: indoor population
exposure, radon and thoron progeny, effective dose, lung cancer risk. Ü FULL
TEXT.PDF
Marinela
Păsăreanu, Corina Florea
Abstract. The extended tooth formative period offers extremely large
possibilities for various etiological factors to act. Hereditary,
congenitally or acquired factors finally justify the existence of an equally
large variety of clinical forms, with psychological and functional impact,
sometimes a very serious one on patient. Our goal was to correlate developing
defects frequencies to the sex and age of the examined children and to some
potential risk factors used in the reference literature: delivery, birth
weight, infant feeding between 0-4 months of age and the social-economical
conditions. The study was made on 600 subjects of 8-11 year age and the index
used to systematize the data, was SCOTS index. The obtained results have
pointed out that there are not statistically significant differences in
enamel defect distribution versus children sex or age, but there is a
strongly significant prevalence of enamel defects using the logistic model of
regression of some potentially risk factors such as prematurity, birth
weight, nutrition, or family income level.
Key
words: primary and mixed dentition, SCOTS index, enamel dysplasia, risk
factors Ü FULL
TEXT.PDF
Dermal prints pathology in
Down syndrome
Ana Ţarcă
Abstract. A study of the palmar dermatoglyphics pathology, on a group of 54
mongoloid children (33 boys and 21 girls) in order to know the main
malformative stigmata specific to Down syndrome have been set up. A large
scale of palmar dermatoglyphic anomalies have been found, most of which were
on both hands of patients; they were correlated with a high degree of their
somatic, physiological, neuropsychical handicap. The new elements of
dermatoglyphic pathology which are added to the other four used so far in the
dermatoglyphic diagnosis of Trisomy 21: (LU in Hp; the distal
displacement of the triradius t’’, the increase of the adt angle and the transverse
palmar sulcus), are able to ensure a greater
diagnosis accuracy. The identification of the persons with forms of partial
Trisomy 21, in mosaic or through balanced translocation, apparently in good
health, but having the risk of transmission of the disease to their
offsprings in its full or complete form (accompanied by malformations) could
prevent this serious disease.
Key words: dermatoglyphics, Trisomy 21, anomalies Ü FULL TEXT.PDF
Occupational
medicine
Fever stress and alpha 1
antitrypsin
R.Ionuţ, A.Cocârlă,
L.Tefas, Marilena Petran, Anca Cristea, D.Cârstina
Abstract. The behaviour of alpha 1 antitrypsin in fever stress condition had
been investigated on a lot of 51 males and females subjects. 76.4% of them
had adaptative reaction by increasing the alpha 1 antitrypsin; 23.5% with
basal normal values had no significant reaction in the fever phase and only one
subject was deficiently in both conditions. The significance of the
non-reactive subjects supports discussion about their limited antielastatic
capacity in important aggressions, in spite of the normal basal values.
Key words: alpha 1 antitrypsin, fever stress, antiproteasic
marker Ü FULL TEXT.PDF
Effects of occupational
exposure to some irritative pollutants upon the lung function
Eugenia Dănulescu,
R.Dănulescu, Brigitte Scutaru, V.Cazuc
Abstract. Aim: To study the occupational
exposure effects of some irritative pollutants (IP) upon the pulmonary
function, in the cellulose fibres industry. Methods: Cross-sectional occupational study on 117 workers
exposed to IP mixtures versus matched controls. IP assessments have been done
in the workplaces air. Health status investigations comprised clinical
examinations and laboratory tests, as well as computerised assessment of the
pulmonary capacities and flows (VC, FVC, FEV1, FEV1/VC,
FEF0.2-1.2, FEF25-75%, PEF, MEF50%, MEF25%,
MEF75%). Results: The
IP measurements in the workplaces air showed under TLV values. Health status
assessment revealed significant increase of obstructive dysfunction
associated with IP occupational exposure (Yate’s c2=57.24 p:0.000000, OR=8.96,
95%CI: 4.98-16.11). In the exposed, 37% of subjects had FEV1 and
FEV1/VC in normal limits, the other parameters indicating distal
obstructive syndrome (DOS), the majority of cases having more severe
obstructions: 41% slight obstructions (SO) and 4.3% moderate obstructions
(MO). In the controls 16.4% subjects had DOS, 5.7% SO and 0% MO. The
difference between these percentages was also statistically significant (p:0.0000-0.029). Further analysis allowed a more precise
diagnosis of the obstruction degree in its early stage, and also showed some
useful correlations with the levels of IP. Conclusions: The exposure to irritative pollutants, in
occupational settings, could be involved in the impairment of pulmonary
function, largely causing obstructive syndromes in the exposed people. The
systematic use of pulmonary function testing allows precocious diagnosis and,
consequently, adequate prophylactic measures.
Key words: irritative
pollutants, computerised pulmonary testing, obstructive impairment, distal
obstructive syndrome Ü FULL
TEXT.PDF
Marilena Petran, Liana
Olinici, A.Cocârlă, M.Băiescu, L.Tefas, C.Dumitru
Abstract.
The authors describe an interstitial pulmonary fibrosis to a female
professionally exposed to zirconium pigments employed in a pottery product
factory. Due to the pulmonary radiographic and ct aspects, as well to the
absence of other causes generating pulmonary fibrosis there is a suspicion of
zirconium pneumoconiosis.
Key
words: zirconium, pneumoconiosis, occupational exposure Ü FULL TEXT.PDF
Epidemiology:
communicable diseases
Infection with hepatitis C
virus a real health problem
Luminiţa Smaranda
Iancu
Abstract. The
hepatitis c virus (hcv) is the most
common cause of chronic liver diseases world-wide and it is a real health
problem. The centre for diseases control and prevention (cdc) estimates that only for u.s.a at least 3.9 million people
have been infected with hcv as
indicated by a positive hcv
antibody test. The world health organisation (who) estimates that 170 million
people world-wide are infected with hcv. Recently after the hcv discovery in 1989 the diagnosis
tests became available. The blood screening introduced in the regional
transfusion centres conducted to a dramatic decline of post-transfusional
hepatitis. In
Romania, the
prevalence of anti-hcv (around
4.5%).
Before introduction of routine screening was 10 fold higher than in West
European countries. For this reason, in our country the size of phenomena is
more important. The present
paper reviews the major ways of transmission of hcv infection and how we can implement primary and second
prevention activities that will reduce the risks for contracting this
infection and to reduce the risks for liver and other chronic diseases
respectively. The lack of vaccine and the difficulties linked to the
efficiency of chronic hepatitis infection due to hcv enforce the role of preventive measures in our needs to
reduce the prevalence of infection with this virus.
Key
words:Hepatitis C virus, prevention activities, primary prevention, secondary
prevention Ü FULL TEXT.PDF
Infectious etiology in atherosclerosis
– from hypothesis to certainty?
Doina Azoicăi,
Luminiţa Smaranda Iancu
Abstract. Experimental pathological
studies and clinical surveys made in order to estimate the atherogenic role
of some pathogens underlined the intervention of Cytomegalovirus (1978),
Chlamydia pneumoniae (1988) and Helicobacter pylori (1994)
in the generation and evolution of the specific vascular injuries. A causal
relationship between these microorganisms and atherosclerosis though
supported by clinical evidence is limited by
the encountered difficulties both in the evaluation of infectious case
history and microbiological diagnosis as well as the unknown prevalence of
antibodies owner in general population. In Romania, few prevalence serological
screenings for C. pneumoniae, Cytomegalovirus
and H. pylori have been made due to
the high costs and difficult methodologies. The validation of this
causality-related hypothesis would allow the orientation of the
cardiovascular diseases prevention programmes towards the avoidance or
neutralization of the influence both the non-infectious and microbial
factors.
Key-words: atherosclerosis, risk factor,
infection, seroprevalence Ü FULL
TEXT.PDF
Isolation of Arcanobacterium
Haemolyticum from patients with
pharingitis
Sofia Constantiniu,
Micaela Scripcaru, Angela Romaniuc, Mariana Dumbravă, Anca Nistor,
Paraschiva Onu
Abstract.
Arcanobacterium
haemolyticum has been described as a rare etiologic
agent in acute pharingotonsilitis in pediatric and young population.Four
strains of A. haemolyticum were
isolated from throat swabs of 3584
patients (10-26 years ) with acute pharingitis. The samples, collected in
January 1997-January 2001, were plated on Mueller-Hinton agar with 10 % sheep
blood and incubated 24-48 hours at 37
°C. In three cases A.haemolyticum was the only one etiologic bacterial agent and in
the forth case
association of A.haemolyticum
with S.aureus was present. The
identification of A.haemolyticum
strains was based on
cells and colonies’ morphology, cultural and biochemical
characters.
Key-words: Arcanobacterium
haemolyticum, isolation, pharingitis. Ü FULL TEXT.PDF
Elena Crucerescu, Diana Lovin
Abstract. Toxoplasma gondii, the obligate intracellular
protozoan, infects humans and any other warm-blooded animal. Toxoplasmosis is
probably one of the most common human infection and
becomes a lifethreatening disease in case of congenital infection or
immunodepressed patient. The aim of this study was to estimate toxoplasmosis
prevalence among Eastern Romania human population and to emphasize the consequences.
The study was performed between 1996 and 1999 in Eastern Romania including pregnant women,
newborn children, HIV infected patients, eye disease patients, and
lymphadenopathy patients. The following tests were used for serodiagnosis
purposes: immunofluorescence assay, 2-mercapto-ethanol agglutination test for
Toxoplasma IgG detection, and immunosorbent agglutination assay for
Toxoplasma IgM and IgA detection. Toxoplasmosis seroprevalence among pregnant
women 26 years mean age was 41%, most of them being chronic infections. In
the group of apparently healthy women 1.85% were
strongly suspected of acute acquired toxoplasmosis during pregnancy. In the
group of pregnant women suffering spontaneous abortion in the first period of
their pregnancy 4.23% had acute acquired infection. The cord blood screening
among newborns noticed 44.5% toxoplasma antibodies prevalence with one case of asymptomatic congenital
toxoplasmosis detected. Toxoplasmosis seroprevalence among chorioretinitis
patients was 68%. Also, 12.8% of studied lymphadenopathies could be
attributed to toxoplasmosis. The results confirmed Toxoplasma gondii wide spread in Eastern Romania, and the risk represented by
this protozoan for the unborn child and HIV infected patients. A larger
serological screening should be taken into consideration in order to diminish
the consequences of this infection.
Key words: Toxoplasma gondii, Diagnosis, Prevalence, Congenital infection,
HIV Ü FULL
TEXT.PDF
Experimental research
Low
frequency electromagnetic field influence on brain redox balance in the rat
Dana
Baran, Ioana Păduraru, Adelina Şaramet, Elena Petrescu,
I.Haulică
Abstract. The study investigated the effect of light – dark cycle
(L:D) alteration on the redox balance in different
segments of the white Wistar rat brain. Several animal groups were entrained
to 24, 48, 72 hour and 7 day continuous light (L:L),
and to 24, 48, 72 hour and 7 day continuous dark (D:D), respectively.
Artificial electric light intensity attained 180 ± 20
lx, corresponding to low frequency electromagnetic fields (EMF) of about 60
Hz. Malondialdehyde (thiobarbituric acid reactive species test), superoxide
dismutase (Minami method), catalase (Aeby technique modified by Beers and
Sizer), glutathione peroxidase (Gross and Buetler method) and reduced
glutathione (Buetler technique) were assayed in diencephalon, brain stem and
cortex. A differentiated stimulation of monitored oxidative and reducing
factors occurred in accordance with L:L or D:D
synchronization, its duration and the brain structure focused upon. The
results were considered to express the photoneuroimmunoendocrine axis
activation equally due to endogenous and exogenous EMF interactions, able to
interfere with redox electrochemical processes. A quantal cell clock model is
suggested, based on possible estimations of the redox enzymatic system dynamic evolution involving reactive oxygen
species generation and unpaired electrons scavenging rate.
Keywords:
nyctohemerality, oxidative stress, bioelectromagnetism, radical cell clock Ü FULL TEXT.PDF
Rodica
Diaconu, Marieta Vasilov, Gabriela Mancaş
Abstract. Salivary nitrate/nitrite concentration has often
been used as a biomarker of human exposure to nitrate. A spectrophotometric method
for estimation of nitrite in saliva is described. Nitrite (NO2-)
is determined through formation of a reddish purple azo dye produced at pH
2.0 to 2.5 by coupling diazotized compound with 1-Naphthylamine. The method
is suitable for the estimation of 0.25-10 mg/ml. The preservation
procedure and deproteinization of saliva sample remove possible errors.
Key words: nitrite in human
saliva, spectrophotometric method Ü FULL
TEXT.PDF
History of medicine
Cristina
Ionescu
In September 1916, France decided to send a military
mission at the special request of Prime Minister Bratianu. Aristide Briand,
the French Prime Minister, and Joseph Joffre, the Chief of the French Army
Headquarter, entrust this difficult task to professional, brave, duteous,
great war experienced men. General Henry Mathias Betrhelot was assigned as
their leader and according to the characterization sent to Bucharest he had “exceptional General
Staff knowledge combined with modern war practice. Ü FULL
TEXT.PDF
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