Search results for "Cohort Study"
showing 10 items of 3811 documents
Type of employment relationship and mortality: prospective study among Finnish employees in 1984-2000
2009
Background: The study investigated the relationship between the type of employment (permanent/temporary) contract and mortality. Factors through which temporary employment was expected to be associated with increased mortality were the degree of satisfaction with the uncertainty related to temporary work situation (Study 1) and the voluntary/involuntary basis for temporary work (Study 2). Methods: In Study 1 the data consisted of representative survey on Finnish employees in 1984 ( n = 4502), which was merged with register-based follow-up data in Statistics Finland covering years 1985–2000. In Study 2 the data consisted of representative survey on Finnish employees in 1990 ( n = 3502) with …
Genetic and environmental factors in health-related behaviors: Studies on Finnish twins and twin families
2003
Family, twin and adoption studies have provided evidence for familial and genetic influences on individual differences in disease risk and in human behavior. Attempts to identify individual genes accounting for these differences have not been outstandingly successful to date, and at best, known genes account for only a fraction of the familiality of most traits or diseases. More detailed knowledge of the dynamics of gene action and of specific environmental conditions are needed. Twin and twin-family studies with multiple measurements of risk factors and morbidity over time can permit a much more detailed assessment of the developmental dynamics of disease risk and the unfolding of behavior…
Concentrations and determinants of organochlorine levels among pregnant women in Eastern Spain
2010
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) comprise a large variety of toxic substances with ample distribution. While exposure to these toxins occurs mainly through diet, maternal POP levels may be influenced by certain sociodemographic, environmental, or lifestyle factors. This is important given that these substances may have adverse effects on fetal development. The aim of this study is to examine the sociodemographic, environmental, lifestyle, and dietary determinants of the levels of hexachlorobenzene (HCB), b-hexachlorocyclohexane (b-HCH), 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane (4,4′-DDT), 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethylene (4,4′-DDE), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB co…
Socioeconomic status and exposure to multiple environmental pollutants during pregnancy: evidence for environmental inequity?
2012
Background Inequities in the distribution of environmental exposures may add an extra burden to socially disadvantaged populations, especially when acting during vulnerable periods such as pregnancy and early life, but such inequities may be more complex and uncertain than is generally assumed. We therefore examine whether socioeconomic inequities exist in pregnancy exposures to multiple common environmental contaminants in air, water and food. Methods A Spanish population-based birth cohort study enrolled over 2000 pregnant women between 2004 and 2008. Questionnaires assessed parental education, occupation, country of birth, diet and many other factors. Environmental pollutant assessments …
RDW in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Influence of anaemia and inflammatory markers
2013
Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a routine parameter that reflects size variations in erythrocytes. High RDW has been associated with cardiovascular events and inflammatory diseases. However, no studies evaluating the association of RDW with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have been published. We aimed to explore the association of RDW with inflammatory markers in SLE. As SLE is often associated with anaemia, we considered this factor in order to know whether RDW is related with inflammation, anaemia or both in SLE. The study included 105 SLE patients (7 men, 98 women; aged 15-73 years) and 105 controls (9 men, 96 women; aged 18-71 years). Patients were divided according to ana…
The effect of antenatal intravenous immunoglobulin on ascending intrauterine infection after preterm premature rupture of the membranes: a pilot study
1992
Ascending infection is a serious threat in pregnancies complicated by preterm premature rupture of the membranes (PROM). In a controlled randomized prospective pilot study (n = 18) we have evaluated the effect of intravenous IgM enriched immunoglobulin given to the mothers 24-48 hours after preterm PROM in reducing ascending infection. Using a validated infection score from laboratory and clinical data at birth, we found a significant reduction of probable infection in the neonates of the treatment group compared to the control group (p = 0.0022). Histopathological investigation of the placentas, membranes and umbilical cords revealed significantly lower stages and grades of chorioamnioniti…
Prenatal mercury exposure in a multicenter cohort study in Spain
2011
Background: Mercury is a ubiquitous heavy metal that may negatively affect human health. It is desirable to investigate mercury exposure in vulnerable populations. Objective: To determine the concentrations of total mercury (T-Hg) in cord blood and to evaluate the role of maternal fish consumption in a Spanish mother and child cohort. Methods: A total of 1883 mother and child pairs from a population-based cohort were included between 2004 and 2008. T-Hg concentrations were measured in whole cord blood and maternal seafood consumption was ascertained by means of a food-frequency questionnaire. Linear regression was used in stratified analyses, while a joint model was adjusted using a mixed-e…
Multicenter, double-blind, randomized, intraindividual crossover comparison of gadobenate dimeglumine and gadopentetate dimeglumine for Breast MR ima…
2011
To intraindividually compare 0.1 mmol/kg doses of gadobenate dimeglumine and gadopentetate dimeglumine for contrast material-enhanced breast magnetic resonance (MR) imaging by using a prospective, multicenter double-blind, randomized protocol.Institutional review board approval and patient informed consent were obtained. One hundred sixty-two women (mean age, 52.8 years ± 12.3 [standard deviation]) enrolled at 17 sites in Europe and China between July 2007 and May 2009 underwent at least one breast MR imaging examination at 1.5 T by using three-dimensional spoiled gradient-echo sequences. Of these, 151 women received both contrast agents in randomized order in otherwise identical examinatio…
Gastric plasma biomarkers and Operative Link for Gastritis Assessment gastritis stage
2011
Introduction The Operative Link for Gastritis Assessment (OLGA) staging system has been proposed as a histopathological reporting system of gastric atrophy. Noninvasive methods for indirect evaluation of gastric mucosal atrophy by biomarkers are also being introduced. Objectives To analyze gastric mucosal atrophy by biomarkers, pepsinogen I (PgI), pepsinogen II (PgII), PgI/PgII ratio, fasting gastrin-17 (G-17), stimulated gastrin-17 (sG-17), in relation to OLGA gastritis stage. Patients and methods Gastric biopsies were taken from 269 prospective patients referred for upper endoscopy because of dyspeptic problems and evaluated by two expert pathologists (D.J. and P.S.). Atrophy was assessed…
C4BQ0: a genetic marker of familial HCV-related liver cirrhosis
2004
Source Department of Medicine and Pneumology, V Cervello Hospital, Via Trabucco 180, 90146 Palermo, Italy. lindpas@yahoo.it Abstract BACKGROUND AND METHODS: Host may have a role in the evolution of chronic HCV liver disease. We performed two cross-sectional prospective studies to evaluate the prevalence of cirrhosis in first degree relatives of patients with cirrhosis and the role of two major histocompatibility complex class III alleles BF and C4 versus HCV as risk factors for familial clustering. FINDINGS: Ninety-three (18.6%) of 500 patients with cirrhosis had at least one cirrhotic first degree relative as compared to 13 (2.6%) of 500 controls, (OR 7.38; CI 4.21-12.9). C4BQ0 was signifi…