Search results for "case-control"
showing 10 items of 1685 documents
Case Control Study of Neuroblastoma in West-Germany after the Chernobyl Accident
1996
Background To explore possible causes of a 1988 incidence peak of infant neuroblastoma in west German regions which were contaminated with more than 6000 Bq/m2 Cs137 from the Chernobyl accident. The primary working hypothesis was that parents of the diseased children had been contaminated by an excessive intake of locally produced food, especially mushrooms or deer. Design Case control study with 1:2 (cases:controls) matching. Data were collected from the children's parents by questionnaires and telephone interviews. Setting Nation-wide study (former FRG) based on the German Childhood Cancer Registry. Subjects Cases born in 1988 and reported with a neuroblastoma to the registry until March …
Minimal Change Esophagitis: Prospective Comparison of Endoscopic and Histological Markers between Patients with Non-Erosive Reflux Disease and Normal…
2004
<i>Introduction:</i> More than half the patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) show no endoscopic abnormality or minimal change esophagitis (non-erosive reflux disease, NERD). We investigated the value of endoscopic and histological markers for the prediction of NERD before and after treatment with 20 mg esomeprazole. <i>Methods:</i> Between July and October 2002, consecutive patients presenting for upper endoscopy were stratified into GERD and non-reflux patients (control group) with the help of a questionnaire. The endoscopist was blind to the presence of reflux symptoms. Using magnifying endoscopes minimal change esophagitis was defined by the presen…
Pancreatic dysfunction and its association with fat malabsorption in HIV infected children
1998
Background—Nutrient malabsorption frequently occurs in HIV infected children, but very few studies have investigated exocrine pancreatic digestive capacity in these cases.Aims—To investigate pancreatic function in HIV infected children and to determine whether faecal fat loss, a prominent feature of intestinal dysfunction, is associated with pancreatic dysfunction.Patients—Forty seven children with HIV infection without apparent pancreatic disease and 45 sex and age matched healthy controls.Methods—Pancreatic function was evaluated by measuring elastase 1 concentration and chymotrypsin activity in stools by ELISA and colorimetric methods, respectively. Intestinal function was evaluated by m…
Diabetes preceding Parkinson's disease onset. A case–control study
2009
Abstract Objective To assess the association between diabetes preceding Parkinson's disease (PD) and PD. Methods PD individuals were matched to PD free individuals randomly selected from people in the same municipality as the cases. Occurrence of diabetes preceding PD onset among cases and controls was assessed through a structured questionnaire. Information regarding current and past medical treatment and other variables was also collected. We used univariate and multivariate logistic models to calculate crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR). Covariates are adjusted for included education, smoking habit, alcohol and coffee consumption. Results 318 PD individuals (165 women, 153 men) and 318 …
Involvement of -308 TNF-alpha and 1267 Hsp70-2 polymorphisms and zinc status in the susceptibility of coronary artery disease (CAD) in old patients.
2006
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is characterized by an inflammatory status and it represents the major cause of death in elderly. Zinc deficiency and inflammatory genes within major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region are implicated in ischaemic heart diseases. TNF-alpha is present in coronary artery plaques and may provoke plaque instability. Hsp70 plays instead a pro-atherogenic role, via proinflammatory cytokine production, in atherosclerotic lesions contributing to plaque rupture. Contradictory data report the association between -308 TNF-alpha polymorphism and CAD, while no investigations exist on Hsp70-2 gene in CAD. In the current study, we analysed -308 TNF-alpha and 1267 Hsp70-2 …
Assessment and grading of mucosal inflammation in colonic diverticular disease.
2008
Goal: The aim of this study was to assess and grade the mucosal inflammatory infiltrate in different degrees of diverticular disease (DID) and to compare them with healthy matched controls. Background: Mucosal inflammation in colonic DD has never been investigated. In particular, it is unknown whether inflammation may be found in every degree of DD. Materials and Methods: Thirty consecutive patients with a new endoscopic diagnosis of D-D (10 with asymptomatic diverticulosis, 10 with symptomatic uncomplicated DD, and 10 with acute uncomplicated diverticulitis) and 10 healthy controls were studied. Results: A neutrophilic inflammatory infiltrate was found only in acute uncomplicated diverticu…
Urinary (1)H-NMR and GC-MS metabolomics predicts early and late onset neonatal sepsis.
2014
The purpose of this article is to study one of the most significant causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality: neonatal sepsis. This pathology is due to a bacterial or fungal infection acquired during the perinatal period. Neonatal sepsis has been categorized into two groups: early onset if it occurs within 3-6 days and late onset after 4-7 days. Due to the not-specific clinical signs, along with the inaccuracy of available biomarkers, the diagnosis is still a major challenge. In this regard, the use of a combined approach based on both nuclear magnetic resonance (H-1-NMR) and gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques, coupled with a multivariate statistical analysis, may hel…
Hsp60 and heme oxygenase-1 (Hsp32) in acute myocardial infarction
2011
Heat shock proteins (Hsps) are produced in response to various stressors, including ischemia-reperfusion, and they can exit cells and reach the blood. In this pilot study, we determined serum levels of Hsp60 and heme-oxygenase-1 (HO-1; also named Hsp32) in subjects with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) to assess their clinical significance and potential prognostic value. We also performed a bioinformatics analysis of the 2 molecules in search of structural clues on the mechanism of their release from cells. We studied 40 patients consecutively admitted for AMI (male:female patient ratio = 20:20, mean age: 64 ± 13 years) and 40 matched controls. A blood sample was drawn for biochemical anal…
erman case control study on childhood leukaemia - Basic considerations, methodology and summary of the results
1998
In order to explore potential risk factors of childhood leukaemia, a case control study was performed including all incident cases from 1992 to 1994. The study was based on the German Childhood Cancer Registry. It was restricted to cases from West Germany and extended retrospectively until 1980 for children who were living in regions covered by a previous incidence study on nuclear installations (21). The study was conducted in close correspondence with a preceding case control study in Lower Saxony (13). Results of this study and of others published in the literature were used to define explicit hypotheses for the present study. This paper presents the methodology of the study and gives an…
Fifteen-year mortality of patients with asthma-COPD overlap syndrome
2016
Abstract Background The coexistence of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (asthma–COPD overlap syndrome: ACOS) is increasingly recognized but data about its prevalence and long-term mortality are needed. Methods Prevalence of ACOS and 15-year mortality rates were assessed in 1065 subjects aged > 65 years, enrolled in the SA.R.A. study, with complete clinical, lung functional and follow-up data. Physical performance, disease-related disability, and health-related quality of life (HRQL) were also evaluated. Results ACOS was found in 11.1% of subjects (29.4% of those previously diagnosed with COPD and 19.7% of those with asthma). ACOS was positively associated with impaired physi…