Epidemiologic evidence of cancer risk in textile industry workers: a review and update

A meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies for textile industry workers was undertaken in an attempt to evaluate whether the cancer risk varies within the textile industry in relation to the job held or the textile fiber used. We combined studies published up until 1990, when an ad hoc IARC Monograph was issued, and those published after 1990 with the aim of appreciating evidence of reversing trends in cancer risk. Observed and expected cases reported in the original studies were summed up and the totals were divided to obtain a pooled relative risk (PRR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) estimated with a fixed-effect model. We calculated a chi-square test (chi2) of heterogeneity among studies. When PRR and chi2 were both significant, PRR and CI were calculated with a random-effect model and the source of heterogeneity was investigated. Lung cancer risk was around 0.4 in the first study on cotton workers published in 1936, around 0.7 in subsequent studies, mostly published in the 1970s and 1980s, and around 1.0 in the last studies published in the 1990s. Papers published in the 1970s and 1980s produced consistent risk estimates for lung cancer risk, which was significantly lower than 1.0 in workers exposed to cotton (PRR = 0.77; CI = 0.69-0.86) and wool dust (0.71; 0.50-0.92), as well as in carders and fiber preparers (0.73; 0.54-0.91), weavers (0.71; 0.56-0.85), and spinners and weavers (0.78; 0.66-0.91). Lung cancer PRRs did not significantly deviate from 1.0 in textile workers using synthetic fibers or silk, and in dyers. Increased PRRs were found for sinonasal cancer in workers exposed to cotton dust, and in workers involved in spinning or weaving (4.14; 1.80-6.49). PRR was 1.46 (1.10-1.82) for cancer of the digestive system in textile workers using synthetic fibers or silk, and 1.34 (1.10-1.59) for colorectal cancer in spinners and weavers. The increased bladder cancer PRR in dyers (1.39; 1.07-1.71) is generally attributed to textile dye exposure. In studies published after 1990, there is a general tendency to move toward unity for all the cancer risk estimates, leading to an increasing heterogeneity among studies. Since adjustment for smoking made little difference to the findings, the latter could be attributed to the exposure to textile dusts. The recent findings could be due to a lowering of dust concentration in the workplaces. The reduction of cases of upper respiratory tract cancer parallels with a corresponding increase of lung cancer cases. So, preventive measures have paradoxically increased the lung cancer burden to the textile workers.     

Hepatic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, cholesterogenesis, and serum lipoproteins in liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy

Liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy was used as an experimental model for studying mammalian cell division and replication. The rate of cell proliferation in this hyperplastic model was correlated with hepatic de novo synthesis of cholesterol, with the hexose monophosphate shunt pathway of glucose metabolism, and with serum lipoproteins. An increase of hepatic cholesterol esters and of incorporation of tritiated water in cholesterol esters was observed at 24 hr after partial hepatectomy. Partial hepatectomy also resulted in an increase of hepatic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and in alteration of serum lipoproteins, primarily due to a selective decline in high density lipoprotein fraction.     

Pollen and mold allergy: aerobiologic survey in the atmosphere of Cagliari, Italy (1986-1988)

The occurrence of pollens and molds in the atmosphere of Cagliari, Italy over a 3-year period (1986-88) is reported. Pollen grains are present in the air from February to July, with a maximum in May. Urticaceae and Cupressaceae were the major contributors to the total pollen airspora, followed by Graminaceae, Oleaceae, Pinaceae, Cheno-Amaranthaceae, and Fagaceae. Fungal spores showed two periods of high sporulation, from April to June and in September-October, and two marked decreases, during winter and August. Cladosporium was by far the most abundant spore identified, followed by Basidiomycetes, Alternaria, and Fusarium.     

Complement activation by artificial blood substitute Fluosol: in vitro and in vivo studies

A perfluorocarbon blood substitute, Fluosol, is undergoing clinical trials as an adjunct to chemotherapy. The adverse effects associated with its administration have been postulated to result from complement activation. When gel electrophoresis and Western blotting of Fluosol are used after its incubation with serum, activated C3 and factors Bb and H are bound to the Fluosol particles in a time-dependent fashion, which suggests that complement activation with Fluosol, as does that with zymosan, occurs on the surface of the particles. Paradoxically, it is found, both by the measurement of Fluosol-bound C3d and by fluid-phase C5a, that lower concentrations of Fluosol cause greater amounts of complement activation, which suggests a complex interaction of activators and inhibitors that changes as the available surface area is decreased. Studies performed with bystander red cell-bound C3d demonstrated in vivo complement activation occurring in six patients receiving Fluosol as an adjunct to chemotherapy for colon cancer. In two patients, there was a marked increase in red cell-bound C3d after Fluosol infusion; these two patients also developed adverse reactions during Fluosol infusion. These studies suggest that the Fluosol surface plays a major role in the initiation and regulation of complement activation that is seen during Fluosol infusion.     

冠状动脉粥样硬化性心脏病患者升主动脉弹性与颈动脉内-中膜厚度的相关性

目的:观察冠状动脉粥样硬化性心脏病(简称冠心病)患者升主动脉弹性与颈动脉内膜-中层厚度及粥样斑块发生的相关性。方法:于2005-08/2006-04选择石河子大学医学院第一附属医院心内科行冠状动脉造影检查患者97例,根据冠状动脉造影结果分为正常对照组41例和冠心病组56例,对两组患者进行超声检查,分别测量升主动脉扩张性D、僵硬度指数β、测量升主动脉前壁收缩期S波以及舒张期E波、A波的速度、颈动脉内膜-中层厚度及粥样斑块发生率。僵硬度指数β=In(收缩压/舒张压)/[(收缩期内径-舒张期内径)/舒张期内径]。动脉扩张性D=2(收缩期内径-舒张期内径)/[舒张期内径(收缩压-舒张压)]×10-3m2/N。结果:纳入患者97例,均进入结果分析。①冠心病组升主动脉扩张性D低于正常对照组,差异有显著性意义[分别为(15.02±9.99)×10-4,(34.75±20.80)×10-3m2/N,P=0.001];僵硬度指数β高于正常对照组(分别为28.20±21.06,15.23±25.32,P=0.001);升主动脉前壁S波和E波速度低于正常对照组[分别为(0.08±0.01),(0.10±0.03)m/s;(0.05±0.01),(0.07±0.02)m/s,P=0.001];颈动脉内膜-中层厚度和颈动脉斑块发生率高于正常对照组[分别为(0.90±0.15),(0.66±0.09)mm;41.03%,5.88%,P=0.001]。②升主动脉前壁S波速度与扩张性呈正相关(r=0.43,P=0.003),与僵硬度指数呈负相关(r=-0.47,P=0.002)。升主动脉前壁E波速度与扩张性呈正相关(r=0.47,P=0.002),与僵硬度指数无相关性。升主动脉前壁A波速度与扩张性和僵硬度指数均无相关性。③升主动脉扩张性D与颈动脉内膜-中层厚度呈负相关(r=-0.49,P=0.004),而僵硬度指数β与内膜-中层厚度则呈正相关(r=0.46,P=0.003)。S波速度与内膜-中层厚度无相关性(r=-0.26,P=0.15)。结论:冠心病患者升主动脉弹性降低即动脉扩张性降低、僵硬度指数升高、升主动脉前壁S波速度下降,颈动脉内膜-中层厚度增厚及粥样斑块发生率增高,将这些参数结合可作为冠心病很有价值的预测指标。     

Demonstration by the monoclonal antibody-specific immobilization of erythrocyte antigens assay that a new red cell antigen belongs to the Kell blood group system

BACKGROUND: The Kell blood group system comprises 21 antigens residing on a red cell membrane glycoprotein of apparent M(r) 93,000. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Serologic techniques were used to identify a new red cell antigen. The monoclonal antibody-specific immobilization of erythrocyte antigens (MAIEA) assay was used to identify the red cell membrane component carrying that antigen. RESULTS: A new high-frequency red cell antigen was identified and provisionally named RAZ. RAZ is absent from K.o red cells and from red cells treated with 2-amino- ethylisothiouronium bromide and is expressed weakly on McLeod phenotype cells. It differs from all other Kell system antigens, and no depression of other Kell system antigens on RAZ+ red cells was noticed. The RAZ antigen was shown by the MAIEA assay to be located on the Kell glycoprotein. CONCLUSION: RAZ is a new high-frequency antigen located on the Kell glycoprotein. The MAIEA assay is a very effective method of demonstrating the membrane structure carrying a red cell antigen.     

重组结缔组织生长因子对体外培养成骨细胞核结合因子α1基因表达的影响

目的:研究发现,结缔组织生长因子可促进软骨细胞和成骨细胞的增殖及其表型的发生,在骨骼发育以及骨量维持方面发挥重要作用,但其对成骨细胞的作用机制目前尚不清楚。观察重组结缔组织生长因子对体外培养人成骨细胞核结合因子α1基因表达的影响。方法:实验于2006-01/2007-01在日照市人民医院完成。①实验材料:外科手术取正常成人髂骨松质骨,患者对试验知情同意。②实验方法:体外培养正常人成骨细胞,用不同浓度0,50,100,200,1000μg/L的重组结缔组织生长因子(0μg/L作为空白对照组)干预48h后,抽提细胞总RNA和总蛋白。③实验评估:采用半定量反转录-聚合酶链反应和蛋白免疫印迹分析方法观察不同浓度重组结缔组织生长因子对体外培养人成骨细胞核结合因子α1基因表达的影响。结果:半定量反转录-聚合酶链反应和蛋白免疫印迹结果显示,50,100,200,1000μg/L重组结缔组织生长因子干预后均可显著上调成骨细胞核结合因子α1的表达,并呈明显剂量依赖关系,与空白对照组比较,差异显著(P<0.01)。结论:重组结缔组织生长因子可剂量依赖性上调成骨细胞核结合因子α1基因的表达,核结合因子α1可能参与了结缔组织生长因子对成骨细胞增殖和分化的调节。