{"title":"Axonal degeneration and neuropathy target esterase.","authors":"Paul Glynn","doi":"10.2478/v10004-007-0029-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/v10004-007-0029-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This brief review summarizes recent observations which suggest a possible mechanism for organophosphate-induced delayed neuropathy (OPIDN). Neuropathy target esterase (NTE) has been shown to deacylate endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho). Raised levels of PtdCho are present in the brains of Swiss cheese/NTE mutant Drosophila together with abnormal membrane structures, axonal and dendritic degeneration and neural cell loss. Similar vacuolated pathology is found in the brains of mice with brain-specific deletion of the NTE gene and, in old age, these mice show clinical and histopathological features of neuropathy resembling those in wild-type mice chronically dosed with tri-ortho-cresylphosphate. It is suggested that OPIDN results from the loss of NTE's phospholipase activity which in turn causes ER malfunction and perturbation of axonal transport and glial-axonal interactions.</p>","PeriodicalId":520565,"journal":{"name":"Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju","volume":" ","pages":"355-8"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2007-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.2478/v10004-007-0029-z","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40822170","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Asja Stipić-Marković, Branko Pevec, Mira Radulović Pevec, Adnan Custović, Jurica Predović
{"title":"Allergic diseases in relationship with environmental factors in a population of school children in Zagreb, Croatia.","authors":"Asja Stipić-Marković, Branko Pevec, Mira Radulović Pevec, Adnan Custović, Jurica Predović","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Most scientists believe that increasing number of people with allergic diseases may be connected with some aspects of the \"Western lifestyle\". This paper discusses data obtained from questionnaires originally designed by the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Steering Committee concerning exposure to different environmental factors. The study included 1047 children. Allergic and non-allergic groups showed statistically significant differences in the attendance of kindergarten, vaccination against pertussis, pertussis infection, and parasite infestation. Exposure to tobacco smoke during pregnancy and exposure to dampness and moulds also entailed a risk for allergy. We speculate that changing some conditions, such as use of carpets and use of feather pillows, were connected with the expression of allergic diseases. Some correlations were consistent with earlier observations of other authors, while others differed and need further confirmation on a larger sample.</p>","PeriodicalId":520565,"journal":{"name":"Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju","volume":" ","pages":"221-8"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2004-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40881348","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Hypersensitivity to pollen allergens on the Adriatic coast.","authors":"Slavica Cvitanović, Ljubo Znaor, Dubravka Perisić, Dragica Grbić","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper describes a study of air concentrations of pollens and a calendar of pollination around the town of Split on the Croatian Adriatic in 1994. High pollen concentrations of Parietaria officinalis dominated during the year (up to 20% from April to June) followed by the pollens of Pistacia lentiscus, Olea europaea, Pinus halepensis, Juniperus oxycedrus, Acacia baileyana, Artemisia vulgaris, Ambrosia elatior and Cistus monspeliensis. In 1994-95, skin prick tests using commercially available standard inhalation allergens and specially prepared pollen allergens were performed on 3,500 patients with allergic respiratory symptoms. About 30% were allergic to standard pollen allergens (mixed grass pollen, mixed tree pollen, Parietaria officinalis and Pittosporum tobira). Hypersensitivity to more than one allergen was found in 45% of patients, whereas 15% did not react to any of the standard allergens. Additional testing with newly prepared individual allergens (P. lentiscus, O. europaea, P. halepensis, A. baileyana, C. monspeliensis, A. vulgaris, A. elatior) revealed hypersensitivity in a number of patients, but 36% showed no reaction. This finding suggests that further studies of this kind are needed for additional identification, isolation, and characterisation of pollen allergens that are present in the Adriatic coast.</p>","PeriodicalId":520565,"journal":{"name":"Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju","volume":" ","pages":"147-54"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2004-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40955055","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Quality assurance and standardisation of patch tests for contact allergens skin testing.","authors":"Jürgen Brinkmann","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The misbranding of raw materials used in the manufacturing of patch tests and the counterfeiting of the final product of these test materials have gained increasing importance in the last decade with respect to the production process in the pharmaceutical industry. To guarantee the performance and safety of a semi-solid pharmaceutical testing form, it is important to make oneself acquainted with the different quality standards and official requirements demanded by the national and international regulations. Moreover it will be necessary to get an idea about the major factors which influence the quality of patch tests and therefore finally the quality of the medical allergic diagnosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":520565,"journal":{"name":"Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju","volume":" ","pages":"141-6"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2004-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40955054","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jelena Macan, Marko Mustac, Ante Talijancić, Slavica Cvitanović, Sanja Milković-Kraus
{"title":"[Exposure and allergy to dust mites in general and working environment in Croatia].","authors":"Jelena Macan, Marko Mustac, Ante Talijancić, Slavica Cvitanović, Sanja Milković-Kraus","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper gives a review of the most important impacts of exposure to dust mites in general and working environment on human health. The Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health in Zagreb, Croatia, has been investigating the frequency and exposure levels of allergies to pyroglyphid and non-pyroglyphid mites in Croatia for the last 10 years. Investigations were performed in general urban and rural population from the inland and coastal Croatia, and several industrial inland populations occupationally exposed to organic dusts. Mite species and levels of pyroglyphid mites allergens (Der p 1, Der f 1) were established in house dust samples taken from the floors of bedrooms and living rooms and in several industrial dust samples. The frequency of allergies to pyroglyphid mites in general urban population of inland Croatia is about 20%, with significant general indoor exposure to these mites (median value for Der p 1: 0.85 microg/g of dust). General adult population of the coastal region had a significantly higher exposure to pyroglyphid mites (median value for Der p 1: 4.5 microg/g of dust), yet showed a significantly lower frequency of allergies to these mites (about 5%). New studies are necessary to investigate possible genetic and environmental factors involved in the mechanisms which protect coastal population from the development of mite allergy. Acarological and statistical analyses have shown that the high frequency of sensitisation to non-pyroglyphid mites found in the general and working populations of the inland region is not related to environmental exposure to these mites, but to the cross-reactivity between pyroglyphid and non-pyroglyphid mites and to false positive skin reactions in prick testing, particularly to T. putrescentiae. So far, results do not indicate that pyroglyphid mites are occupational allergens in paper-recycling, fish-processing and tobacco-processing.</p>","PeriodicalId":520565,"journal":{"name":"Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju","volume":" ","pages":"183-92"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2004-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40955060","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[Current views on allergic diseases].","authors":"Bozica Kanceljak-Macan","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Allergic diseases are an increasing health problem in the industrialised and developed countries especially in children and young adult persons. They are considered diseases of modern civilisation. The reported cumulative prevalence of allergic diseases in childhood of 25-30% includes allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, asthma and dermatitis. The reasons for this increasing prevalence are unknown. The main risk factors are genetic predisposition, allergen exposure, environmental pollutants, decreased stimulation of immune system during the critical period of development and lifestyle. Allergic diseases must be treated as common health disorder. They can express themselves in any age groups and in many different organs. IgE antibody is the main connection between involved organs. Specific IgE is still being identified using the 100 years old skin testing method and quantitative immunoenzymatic method in serum. In spite of the permanent improvement of both methods, neither skin reactivity to allergens nor measurable specific IgE necessarily mean a clinically manifested disease. The interpretation of these findings is still in the clinician's domain. Allergic diseases rarely have a fatal outcome, but have a long duration. They need a complex treatment and are a substantial individual and public socio-economic burden. Studies of factors influencing the ontogeny and maturation of the immune system in the early human development as well as studies of interaction between environment and genetic predisposition will provide a new insight in the aetiology of allergic diseases. This rewiev presents curent views on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, therapy and prevention of allergic diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":520565,"journal":{"name":"Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju","volume":" ","pages":"123-34"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2004-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40880119","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Allergy to endoprostheses.","authors":"Visnja Milavec-Puretić","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper describes a study of hypersensitivity and tissue reaction to loosened metal implants in 40 patients who underwent repeated hip arthroplasty. Metal sensitivity was tested using a standard cutaneous patch test. Nine patients were positive for chromium, nickel, cobalt, metal rust, endoprosthesis scrapings or combinations of these allergens. Patients with positive or negative patch test did not differ in terms of their age, sex, primary diagnosis, number of endoprosthesis revisions, length of implant function, presence of other metal parts around the implant, circulating immunocomplexes, and histological appearance of the tissue around the implant. In conclusion, stainless steel endoprostheses are safe for revised hip arthroplasty, and hypersensitivity to metals probably does not play a significant role in the loosening of endoprosthesis.</p>","PeriodicalId":520565,"journal":{"name":"Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju","volume":" ","pages":"193-6"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2004-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40881344","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bozica Kanceljak-Macan, Eugenija Zuskin, Jelena Macan
{"title":"Organic aerosols and the development of allergic disorders.","authors":"Bozica Kanceljak-Macan, Eugenija Zuskin, Jelena Macan","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The aim of this study was to investigate skin reactivity to organic dust extracts and total serum IgE and their relation to the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and ventilatory capacity in workers occupationally exposed to organic aerosols. It included workers employed in processing coffee, tea, dried fruits, spices, animal food, soy, hemp, cotton, swine farmers, and control groups of workers non-exposed to organic dust. All underwent a skin prick test (SPT) with water extracts of organic dust 1:10 w/v, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, mixed moulds, bacteria, histamin solution (1 mg/ml) and buffer solution. SPT was considered positive if the diameter of the observed wheal was 3 mm greater than that of buffer solution. The total IgE was measured by the PRIST method (Pharmacia Diagnostics AB, Upsala) and the values > 125 kU/L were considered increased. Data on respiratory symptoms were collected by standardized questionnaire. Ventilatory capacity was measured by recording MEFV curve. Airborne industrial dust were measured as total and respirable fraction. The exposed workers had a greater prevalence of positive SPT to organic dust extracts, except in soy processing. Increased IgE was found in workers processing coffee, tea, hemp, cotton and animal food, compared to non-exposed workers (P<0.05). Workers with positive SPT had a significantly higher total IgE. As there was no correlation between acute and chronic changes in ventilatory function, positive SPT, and level of total IgE, our findings could not predict objective respiratory impairment.</p>","PeriodicalId":520565,"journal":{"name":"Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju","volume":" ","pages":"213-20"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2004-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40881347","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"[ARIA--one airway, one disease: what links our research to the concept?].","authors":"Davor Plavec","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>ARIA (Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma) is a public health initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO) based on the \"one airway, one disease\" concept. The trigger for the initiative was a growing evidence (from epidemiology, anatomy, pathophysiology, clinical diagnostics, therapy) of a pandemic increase in the prevalence of allergic disorders of the respiratory tract (allergic rhinitis and asthma), of the deficiency of primary and secondary preventive measures, and of incomplete therapeutic control over these conditions using current management strategies. Evidence gathered so far suggest a strong link between allergic rhinitis and asthma (anatomical and histological features, aetiology, similar pathophysiological mechanisms, related therapeutic results). Therefore, ARIA as a public health initiative aims at uniting the management of these, till now separated disorders. This review discusses the evidence on which the \"one airway, one disease\" concept and ARIA are based, including a contribution made by scientists from the Institute of Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb, Croatia.</p>","PeriodicalId":520565,"journal":{"name":"Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju","volume":" ","pages":"135-40"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2004-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40955053","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Biserka Radosević-Vidacek, Jelena Macan, Adrijana Kosćec
{"title":"[Stress and allergy].","authors":"Biserka Radosević-Vidacek, Jelena Macan, Adrijana Kosćec","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Stress is one of the components in the complex interaction of environmental, genetic, physiological, psychological, behavioural and social factors that can influence the body's ability to remain healthy or become healthy, to resist or overcome a disease. Stress can alter neuroendocrine and immune mechanisms of health and disease through various psychosocial processes. In addition, it can affect health through the impact on health-impairing behaviours and on compliance with medical regimens. At the same time, the relationship between stress and health is not unidirectional but bi-directional. Current views on the relation between stress and allergy vary from the denial of any relationship that could fundamentally help in allergy treatment to the widespread opinion that psychological stress can exacerbate some skin symptoms and precipitate asthma. The role of stress in the genesis, incidence and symptomatology of allergy still remains a controversial issue since the mechanisms of that relationship are not well understood. Starting from the biopsychosocial model of disease, we introduced the Social Readjustment Rating Scale which measures stressful life events, and the WHOQOL-BREF which measures subjective quality of life, into an extensive multidisciplinary study of immunotoxic effects of indoor bioaerosols and lifestyle. This paper describes the characteristics of those two questionnaires and discusses the relationship between stress and various domains of the quality of life. The Social Readjustment Rating Scale proved to be a reliable predictor for quality of life in the domains of physical health and environment. Future analyses will examine the role of stress and subjective quality of life in allergy.</p>","PeriodicalId":520565,"journal":{"name":"Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju","volume":" ","pages":"205-11"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2004-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40881346","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}