Yersinia enterocolitica Outbreak Associated with Ready-to-Eat Salad Mix, Norway, 2011

In 2011, an outbreak of illness caused by Yersinia enterocolitica O:9 in Norway was linked to ready-to-eat salad mix, an unusual vehicle for this pathogen. The outbreak illustrates the need to characterize isolates of this organism, and reinforces the need for international traceback mechanisms for fresh produce.     

Feeling cold at work increases the risk of symptoms from muscles, skin, and airways in seafood industry workers

BACKGROUND: Norwegian workers in seafood industry plants are exposed to a cold and often wet environment. METHODS: 1,767 seafood industry workers participated in a questionnaire study. Seventeen plants were visited for thermal measurements. RESULTS: 15.9% of industrial workers and 1.7% of administrative workers reported that they often felt cold at work. Mean finger temperatures after 1 hr work varied between 16 and 22 degrees C. Foot temperature dropped from morning measurement until lunch time in 85% of the measurements. Industrial workers who reported that they often felt cold, had significantly increased prevalence of symptoms from muscles, skin, and airways while working, compared to workers who reported that they never felt cold at work. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate cooling, caused by a cold indoor working environment, may increase muscle-, airway-, and skin symptoms. The prevalence of feeling cold may be a useful exposure estimate in moderate cold exposure situations.     

Ocular motor function in relation to gross motor function in congenital and childhood myotonic dystrophy type 1

Purpose: To assess ocular motor function in congenital and childhood myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) and correlate the results with cytosine‐thymine‐guanine (CTG) repeat size, severity of the disease, myotonia and skeletal muscle function. Methods: A cross‐sectional investigation into strabismus, versions/ductions, saccades, smooth pursuit movements and ptosis was performed on 49 individuals with a confirmed diagnosis of DM1, all diagnosed at <18 years of age and with >40 CTG expansion repeats. The results were correlated with myotonia as well as Hammersmith motor ability scale (HMA). In addition, the ocular results were compared to results from an age and‐ sex‐matched control group. Results: Ocular motor abnormalities were seen in 82%; the most frequent findings were altered conjugate eye movements and ‘pseudoptosis’ while blepharoptosis was rare. Strabismus was most common in the severe congenital subgroup, with a frequency 14 times higher than in the control group. Positive correlations were seen between CTG repeat size and affected eyelids, and between myotonia and affected eyelids; both these findings were most prominent in the mild congenital group. CTG repeat size was also correlated with version/duction defects, and most obviously in the childhood group. Low HMA scores were associated with high occurrence of strabismus and version/duction defects. Conclusion: Abnormalities of ocular motor function are frequently present. CTG repeat size correlates positively with altered versions/ductions and eyelid pathology. Gross motor dysfunction correlates with strabismus and defect versions/ductions, and eyelid pathology indicates involvement of myotonia.     

Annual decline in forced expiratory volume is steeper in aluminum potroom workers than in workers without exposure to potroom fumes

Background

Aluminum potroom exposure is associated with increased mortality of COPD but the association between potroom exposure and annual decline in lung function is unknown. We have measured lung volumes annually using spirometry from 1986 to 1996. The objective was to compare annual decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (dFEV1) and forced vital capacity (dFVC).

Methods

The number of aluminum potroom workers was 4,546 (81% males) and the number of workers in the reference group was 651 (76% males). The number of spirometries in the index group and the references were 24,060 and 2,243, respectively.

Results

After adjustment for confounders, the difference in dFEV1 and dFVC between the index and reference groups were 13.5 (P < 0.001) and ?8.0 (P = 0.060) ml/year.

Conclusion

Aluminum potroom operators have increased annual decline in FEV1 relative to a comparable group with non‐exposure to potroom fumes and gases. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:322–329, 2016. © 2016 The Authors. American Journal of Industrial Medicine Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

     

Enriched cereal bars are more effective in increasing plasma quercetin compared with quercetin from powder-filled hard capsules

The flavonol quercetin, is one of the major flavonoids found in edible plants. The bioavailability of quercetin in humans may be influenced by the food matrix in which it is consumed as well as by its chemical and physical form. The objective of the present study was to investigate the biokinetics of quercetin from quercetin-enriched cereal bars and quercetin powder-filled hard capsules. In a randomised, single-blinded, diet-controlled cross-over study, six healthy women aged 22-28 years took a single oral dose of approximately 130?mg quercetin equivalents from either quercetin-enriched cereal bars (containing 93·3?% quercetin aglycone plus 6·7?% quercetin-4'-glucoside) or quercetin powder-filled hard capsules (100?% quercetin aglycone). Blood samples were drawn before and after quercetin administration over a 24?h period. The concentrations of quercetin and its monomethylated derivatives, isorhamnetin (3'-O-methyl quercetin) and tamarixetin (4'-O-methyl quercetin), were measured by HPLC with fluorescence detection after plasma enzymatic treatment. The systemic availability as determined by comparing the plasma concentration-time curves of quercetin was found to be five times and the cmax values six times higher after ingestion of 130?mg quercetin by quercetin-enriched cereal bars than after ingestion by quercetin capsules. In contrast, tmax did not differ significantly between the two treatments. The cmax values for isorhamnetin and tamarixetin were four and nine times higher after ingestion of quercetin by quercetin-enriched cereal bars than after ingestion by quercetin capsules. In conclusion, quercetin from quercetin-enriched cereal bars is significantly more bioavailable than from quercetin powder-filled hard capsules.     

Consistency of food intake factors by different dietary assessment methods and population groups

Several studies have used factor analysis to identify food intake patterns in epidemiological studies as an alternative to nutrient-based analyses, but few have validated the factors in a larger population. Our present objectives were: to compare the factor scores based on a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) with scores based on a 7 d diet record; to examine the consistency of the factor score correlations across strata of age, BMI, energy intake, education, physical activity and smoking and to compare factors identified in two sub-populations. In 879 men and 927 women, of the total population sample of 3785, scores on food intake factors, three for men ('green', sweet' and 'traditional') and two for women ('green' and 'sweet-traditional'), identified in data from the FFQ and the diet record, were compared. The loadings of foods on the factors were very similar and the correlations between the corresponding factor scores, based on the two dietary assessment methods, were: for men 'green' 0.61, 'sweet' 0.55, 'traditional' 0.34; for women, 'green' 0.61, 'sweet-traditional' 0.57. Stratification did not significantly modify the correlations, with a few inconsistent exceptions. Factors obtained in a different subsample of the population, for which there was only data from the FFQ, were almost identical to the factors found in the subsample, who provided both FFQ and diet record information with regard to food loadings and model fit. In conclusion, the food intake factors identified were reproducible using two different dietary assessment methods and, furthermore, independent of stratification.     

Adult food intake patterns are related to adult and childhood socioeconomic status

Our objective was to examine the influence of adult and childhood socioeconomic status (SES) on attained adult food intake patterns. We used data from a 20- to 22-y follow-up study of 1904 Danish teenagers. The baseline survey was conducted partly in 1983 and partly in 1985 and the follow-up survey was conducted in 2005. Dietary data were collected at follow-up using a 195-item FFQ. Food patterns were derived from principal component analysis. Two food patterns labeled "traditional-western food pattern" and "green food pattern" were identified. In men, adult SES was inversely associated with adherence to the traditional-western food pattern. High adherence to the green food pattern was positively related to high adult SES in both sexes. Among women, those with high SES in childhood had higher green food pattern factor scores than those with low childhood SES, regardless of adult SES. Among men, those with high adult SES had higher green food pattern factor scores than those with low adult SES, regardless of childhood SES. In conclusion, socioeconomic position is important for the development of adult food intake patterns. However, childhood SES seems more important for adult female food intake patterns, whereas adult SES seems more important for adult male food intake patterns.     

Uses of and exposure to trichloroethylene in U.S. industry: a systematic literature review

This article describes a systematic review of the industrial hygiene literature for uses of trichloroethylene (TCE) in industry for the exposure assessment of two population-based case control studies of brain cancer in the United States. Papers and reports that address uses of and exposures to TCE were identified from MEDLINE, TOXLINE, NIOSHTIC, the NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation database (keywords: chlorinated solvents and trichloroethylene), and in other reviews. This search was complemented by reviewing the reference lists from the identified literature. The collected information was systematized by the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system, and measurement data reported in the literature were summarized in a database. TCE use was extensive from the early 1920s through the 1970s mainly as a degreasing agent in metal-fabricating operations. After the 1970s it became less popular because of environmental concerns. TCE historically has had a multitude of uses in many other industries, e.g., dry cleaning, textile, electronics, leather, and rubber. Also, many products like adhesives, drugs, paints, inks, and various industrial products have contained TCE. It was banned as a food additive and in cosmetics in 1977. The arithmetic mean (AM) of the measurements across all industries and decades was 38.2 ppm. The highest personal and area air levels were reported in vapor degreasing (AM of 44.6 ppm). Most TCE measurements were performed in the 1950s, 1970s, and 1980s. The data described here could be used by exposure assessors as is to identify the presence and approximate levels of exposure. Using the same information as a basis should increase the reliability of the assessments, making it easier to compare both the exposure assessment methods and the epidemiologic results across different studies.     

Fibroblast heterogeneity in collagenolytic response to colchicine

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs) are important in various physiological and pathological conditions, including those that involve homeostasis of collagen. Drug induced regulation of MMP-1, other MMPs and TIMPs is critical in treatment of various diseases, e.g. the use of the plant alkaloid, colchicine. One possible factor that might explain the failure in colchicine-treatment of some patients is interindividual variability on the cellular level. To investigate the possible individual heterogeneity in response to colchicine, we studied the effect of colchicine-induced synthesis of collagenase from 32 different human skin fibroblast strains derived from both healthy individuals as well as individuals with different skin diseases. We showed that colchicine induced an increased synthesis of collagenase in 22 of 32 cases. This heterogeneity occurred in fibroblasts from healthy as well as diseased individuals. To determine if colchicine also affected the fibroblast synthesis of gelatinase, stromelysin and tissue inhibitors of MMPs, we investigated several individuals from a single family. The results showed that both colchicine responsive and non-responsive fibroblasts with respect to collagenase synthesis responded to colchicine by an increased stromelysin synthesis, while the synthesis of gelatinase and TIMP-1 were unaffected. As a whole, our results indicate that individual heterogeneity in collagenase response to colchicine treatment may partly explain some of the controversial results obtained with colchicine as a drug.     

Severe allergic reactions to food in Norway: a ten year survey of cases reported to the food allergy register

The Norwegian Food Allergy Register was established at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health in 2000. The purpose of the register is to gain information about severe allergic reactions to food in Norway and to survey food products in relation to allergen labelling and contamination. Cases are reported on a voluntary basis by first line doctors, and submitted together with a serum sample for specific IgE analysis. The register has received a total of 877 reports from 1 July, 2000 to 31 December, 2010. Two age groups, small children and young adults are over-represented, and the overall gender distribution is 40:60 males-females. The legumes lupine and fenugreek have been identified as two "new" allergens in processed foods and cases of contamination and faults in production of processed foods have been revealed. The highest frequency of food specific IgE is to hazelnuts and peanuts, with a marked increase in reactions to hazelnuts during the last three years. The Food Allergy Register has improved our knowledge about causes and severity of food allergic reactions in Norway. The results show the usefulness of population based national food allergy registers in providing information for health authorities and to secure safe food for individuals with food allergies.