Postpartum autoimmune thyroid disorder associated with HLA-DR4?

Thirteen Danish women with postpartum thyroiditis were HLA-A,B,C and -DR typed. Nine of ten unrelated probands were DR4-positive which is significantly (corrected p = .01) different from the frequency (34.7%) of this antigen in unrelated controls.     

Exposure to mercury and silver during removal of amalgam restorations

The content of particulate matter and mercury vapor in dentist breathing air during removal of amalgam restorations was assessed. Mercury and silver were quantitatively assayed by nuclear chemical analysis, and the mercury vapor concentration was measured with a sniffer. When the water spray was not used, the short time threshold limit values for exposure to mercury and silver were exceeded about 10 times. With water spray the mercury content was reduced to a level considerably lower than the threshold limit value, whereas the silver concentration slightly exceeded the corresponding limit.     

Tobacco smoking, an independent determinant for unhealthy diet?: A cross-sectional study of Norwegian workers on platforms in the North Sea

The objective of the study was to examine whether male tobaccosmokers had a more unhealthy diet than non-smokers. Data onsmoking and other variables were collected by questionnaireinterviews and food intake by one 24 h recall. The setting was2 oll platforms. The participants were 310 healthy men workingon 2 platforms in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. Themean ages were 37 and 39 years for non-smokers and smokers.The prevalence of smoking was 50.3%. Smoking decreased withincreasing level of education, but increased with degree ofurbanization. Smokers consumed less vegetables, fruit and fish,but more meat, soft drinks containing sugar and more coffeethan non-smokers. Smokers had a higher intake of fat and a lowerintake of carbohydrate, vitamins A, D and C and dietary fibre.Smoking was an independent predictor for increasing the consumptionof coffee and high intake of energy, energy from fat and cholesteroland a decreasing consumption of vegetables, fruit, energy fromcarbohydrates, dietary fibre and vitamins A and C. It is concludedthat smokers had a more unhealthy diet than non-smokers.     

MORTALITY OF TREATED ALCOHOLICS AFTER EIGHT YEARS IN RELATION TO SHORT-TERM OUTCOME

This study concerns the relation between mortality and the short-termoutcome of inpatient treatment for alcoholism. A total of 121patients (87 men, 34 women) were included, of whom 89 were voluntaryand 32 compulsorily committed. They had a mean age of 41±7(SD) years and attended a 5-week programme at Runnagården,Örebro, Sweden. Most patients were socially unstable andseverely alcohol-dependent. Ten months (mean) after discharge,96% of the patients and their referring social workers werecontacted with mail questionnaires. Of these patients, 13% hadbeen totally abstinent and a further 42% improved but had hadrelapses. After a mean of 8.5±0.27 years, 27 patients(24%) had died. All abstainers survived, but non-abstainershad nine-fold higher mortality than expected. Non-abstinentimproved women tended to survive longer than non-improved women,but among non-abstinent improved men no such tendency was found.In conclusion, a reduction in the frequency and quantity ofabusive drinking was not enough to reduce the higher risk ofdeath. Only abstinence seemed to be preventive.