Factors influencing serum immunoglobulin E levels in Greek children

Serum levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE) were determined by enzyme immunoassay in 414 Greek infants and children of both sexes, 1 month to 14 years old. The children were admitted to the "Aghia Sophia" Teaching Hospital for Children (Athens, Greece) for surgical corrections of minor anatomic abnormalities, but they were otherwise healthy. Statistical analysis was performed through multiple regression after logarithmic transformation of the immunoglobulin values. IgE levels increased significantly by about 80°, per year up to the age of 5 years, without noticeable impact of age on these levels thereafter. History of allergic disease showed a significant positive association with serum levels of IgE in both younger (less than 5 years) and older children. History of frequent infections was positively associated with IgE levels, although the relation was statistically significant only in the older age group. IgE levels in Greek children appear to be higher than the corresponding levels of children living in northern Europe, but much lower than those of children in Southeast Asia, a fact that may reflect different exposure level during childhood to infections known to influence IgE levels.     

Baldness and other correlates of sex hormones in relation to testicular cancer

There is evidence that sex hormones and intrauterine factors are involved in the etiology of testicular cancer. We evaluated the importance of perinatal and adult life correlates of sex hormones as risk factors for testicular cancer in a case control study of 97 incident, histologically confirmed cases, residents of the Greater Athens area and environs, who were diagnosed in the 3 specialized cancer hospitals and the major General Hospital in Athens during the 2 year period 1993-94. Cases were age-matched to 2 healthy controls from the same study base. Both cases and controls as well as their mothers were interviewed by the same investigator and the data were analyzed through conditional logistic regression. The odds ratio for testicular cancer was elevated among persons born after a pregnancy characterized by severe nausea. Among the adult life factors, higher body mass was associated with reduced risk, as was evidence of baldness. To the extent that nausea during pregnancy reflects higher levels of pregnancy estrogens on the one hand, and baldness is linked to androgens on the other, our data suggest that estrogens in the intrauterine life and androgens at later stages may have sequential opposing effects for the development of testicular cancer. I J. Cancer 71: 982-985, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss Inc.     

Serologic detection of CagA positive Helicobacter pylori strains predicts the presence of peptic ulcer in young dyspeptic patients.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter Pylori infection has been strongly associated with upper gastrointestinal (GI) disease, especially duodenal ulcer. Endoscopy or contrast radiography is needed to diagnose and appropriately manage peptic ulcer disease. These diagnostic procedures, however, are time consuming and expensive; endoscopy is invasive and contrast radiography cannot help in the diagnosis of H pylori infection. Our aim was to examine in a prospective study the relation between serologic detection of cytotoxic associated gene (CagA) H pylori strains and endoscopic findings among young dyspeptic patients to determine whether this noninvasive test can help differentiate patients with from those without ulcers. METHODS: One hundred patients younger than 45 years with dyspepsia referred for upper GI endoscopy were included in the study. During endoscopy antral biopsy specimens were obtained for the rapid urease test and histologic examination. At histologic examination gastritis was graded from 0 (normal histologic features) to 3 (severe gastritis). After endoscopy blood was obtained for serologic determination of CagA status. RESULTS: Among the 100 patients 56 were H pylori positive and 44 were H pylori negative. In the group of 56 H pylori-positive patients 36 (64.3%) had peptic ulcers and 20 (35.7%) did not. Among patients with peptic ulcer 34 of 36 (94.4%) were CagA positive and 2 (5.6%) were CagA negative. The respective values for the group of patients without ulcers were 9 of 20 (45%) and 11 of 20 (55%). The difference in the proportion of CagA-positive subjects between the group with and that without peptic ulcer was highly significant (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Among young patients with dyspepsia, CagA seropositivity is highly associated with duodenal ulcer at endoscopy.     

Imbalance of demand and supply for regionalized injury services: a case study in Greece.

OBJECTIVE(S): To study regionalized acute injury services on an island with high seasonal fluctuation of the population at risk. STUDY PARTICIPANTS: Of 9432 individuals with traumatic injuries who contacted the hospital during 1996, 1204 were hospitalized. Information was recorded on several injury-related clinical and sociodemographic variables. Possible residual disabilities, 6 months after the injury, were also assessed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Injury Severity Score (ISS), clinical outcome and duration of hospitalization, odds of transfer to other institutions. RESULTS: Non-residents, whether Greek or foreign nationals are hospitalized for shorter periods. Motor vehicle accident victims are hospitalized on average for 15% longer. Injury victims admitted on a Friday are hospitalized for a longer period. Finally, ISS is a powerful positive predictor of duration of hospitalization. Male injury victims, those injured during late night or early morning and patients injured in July are more likely to be transferred to another institution. Age of the patient and ISS are powerful and independent predictors of an unfavourable outcome. CONCLUSION: The extra demand created by injured tourists is reflected in the seasonality of admissions for injuries. The district hospital of Kerkyra cannot be considered as deficient in comparison to other district hospitals. Nevertheless, the suboptimal function of the hospital, with respect to injuries, is reflected in the high proportion of injured patients transferred when the injury occurs outside the full working schedule of the hospital. Patients with burns, bone fractures or dislocations and head injuries or concussion are transferred with an overall frequency of about 15%--too high to be compatible with a well functioning secondary care institution.     

Evolution and Distribution of Childhood Leukemia Mortality in Greece: Etiological Implications

The purpose of this study was to examine regional and temporaltrends of childhood (0–14 years) mortality from leukemiain Greece and to explore whether there was any evidence of excessmortality or place clustering of childhood leukemia deaths inthe Greek island populations. Over a 14-year period (1976–1989)for which adequate information by place of residence was available,679 deaths from childhood leukemia were registered in Greece.After standardization and application of multiple regressionprocedures, it was found that mortality from childhood leukemiain Greece declined over the study period by about 70%, withno evidence of differential reduction by gender, age, or populationtype (urban, non-urban). In the two of the nine geographicalregions of Greece that comprise exclusively island populationsof small to modest size, mortality rates were not significantlyhigher and slopes of decline over time were substantially steeper.These findings provide no support to Kinlen's hypothesis thatpopulation groups who were relatively isolated in the past,but have recently received a large influx of newcomers (due,in this instance, to tourism) may experience an increase inthe incidence of childhood leukemia, because of changes in herdimmunity. Furthermore, there was no evidence of heterogeneityof mortality from childhood leukemia among 13 island counties(nomoi) even though heterogeneity might have been expected onaccount of the different time patterns of tourist developmentin the respective island counties.     

Tobacco smoking, pregnancy estrogens, and birth weight

It has been suggested that tobacco smoking during pregnancy reduces birth weight by lowering production rates or levels of total pregnancy estrogens. To evaluate this hypothesis, we examined total estrogen levels by radioimmunoassay in the blood of 141 pregnant women attending the maternity clinic of a major university hospital in Athens during their 26th week of pregnancy. Forty-nine of these women were regular smokers before and during their pregnancy, whereas the remaining 92 had never been regular smokers and did not smoke at all during their pregnancy. Birth weight of offspring was lower among smokers than among nonsmokers by 190.8 g, with a 90% confidence interval of 41.1 to 340.5 g, and higher among women with higher serum estrogen levels (slope b = 1.2 g per 1000 pg/ml with a 90% CI of 0.2 to 2.2 g). There was, however, only a small negative relation between tobacco smoking and serum estrogen levels; in smokers, total estrogen levels were reduced to 91% of the corresponding levels among nonsmokers.     

Favorable prognostic value of SOCS2 and IGF-I in breast cancer

Background  

Suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins comprise a protein family, which has initially been described as STAT induced inhibitors of the Jak/Stat pathway. Recent in vivo and in vitro studies suggest that SOCS proteins are also implicated in cancer. The STAT5 induced IGF-I acts as an endocrine and para/autocrine growth and differentiation factor in mammary gland development. Whereas high levels of circulating IGF-I have been associated with increased cancer risk, the role of autocrine acting IGF-I is less clear. The present study is aimed to elucidate the clinicopathological features associated with SOCS1, SOCS2, SOCS3, CIS and IGF-I expression in breast cancer.     

Incidence and risk factors of fall injuries among infants: a study in Greece

OBJECTIVE: To assess the incidence of fall injuries among infants in Greece, overall and by type of nursery equipment. DESIGN: Review of data from a large injury database. SETTING: The Emergency Department Injury Surveillance System in Greece. PATIENTS: A total of 2672 injured infants. INTERVENTIONS: Specially trained health visitors performed in-person interviews with the children's guardians, using a precoded questionnaire. The results of an independent survey of 777 mothers of noninjured children younger than 2 years attending the same emergency departments were used to allow quantification of the role of specific nursery equipment in the causation of infant fall injuries. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Annual rate of injury by falling in infants, overall and by cause. RESULTS: About 4400 infant fall injuries occur annually in Greece, corresponding to an annual incidence rate of 44 injuries per 1000 infants. The incidence of falls increases with increasing infant age. A high percentage of severe injuries was detected, most of them concussions (14.3%) and fractures (9.4%). Approximately 10% of infants with fall-related injuries required hospitalization. More than 36% of fall injuries involved nursery equipment. Infant walker use was associated with a higher incidence of falls (about 9 per 1000 infant-years), and these falls occasionally involved stairs and caused serious injuries. Infant bouncers, strollers, and changing tables were all associated with a similar incidence of falls (about 4 per 1000 infant-years). CONCLUSIONS: Falls are a common cause of serious infant injuries, and nursery equipment is frequently involved in the injury-causing event.     

Diet, pregnancy estrogens and their possible relevance to cancer risk in the offspring.

Total estrogens, estradiol and estriol were determined by radioimmunoassay in the blood of 141 pregnant women during their 26th and 31st weeks of pregnancy, and the results were correlated with dietary patterns and nutrient intakes during pregnancy, assessed through a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. No food group or nutrient showed a significant (p less than 0.05) association with any of the examined hormones at both the 26th and the 31st week of pregnancy. Relatively more consistent were a positive association between consumption of starchy roots (potatoes) and all the indicated hormones, and a negative association between vitamin A and estradiol and total estrogens; however, the multitude of comparisons hinders a biologic interpretation at this time. There was suggestive evidence that weight gain up to the 31st week of pregnancy was positively associated with both total estrogens (p = 0.09) and estradiol (p = 0.11). The present study has limitations reflecting the relatively small sample size and the problems inherent in epidemiologic methods assessing nutritional intakes. However, the findings suggest that quantitative aspects of diet, as reflected in pregnancy weight gain, may be more important than dietary composition in influencing levels of pregnancy estrogens and in affecting the occurrence of gonadal germ cell tumors and other conditions that may be associated with them.