[Technical quality control of chest x-rays for the health surveillance of workers exposed to the risk of pneumoconiosis: proposal for a qualitative screening method].

Background: The necessity of a qualitative screening has arisen from the fact that good technical quality is of fundamental importance for evaluating initial pneumoconiosis, for reducing inter- and intra-reader variability, for effective secondary prevention and for forensic medicine purposes.

Objectives: The authors report experience in use of a method to evaluate the quality of chest radiographs performed in health surveillance programs for workers at risk for development of pneumoconiosis.

Methods: 747 postero-anterior chest radiographs concerning employees of 21 ceramic factories in the Province of Viterbo were examined.

[Quality control of spirometric tests used in health surveillance for occupational exposure risk, in the province of Viterbo].

A quality control survey on spirometry assessments carried out in a number of factories in the province of Viterbo (Lazio Region) was made by the Local Health Unit in Viterbo, as required by law 626/94 on the promotion of workers health. The survey concerned 734 measurements concerning the same number of employees from 29 different factories. Each spirometry assessment was repeated in this study according to the quality standards defined in the literature and our own results were compared with the values which had been obtained over one year during the health surveillance program (ASP).

Mechanisms of the platelet proaggregating activity of human carcinoma a431 cells.

An unusual mechanism has been demonstrated for the in vitro proaggregating interaction between human platelets and human epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells. A431 cells induce platelet aggregation in a dodependent manner, depending on the rate of ADP release from tumour cells, which occurs in the presence not only of platelet rich plasma (PRP) but also of platelet poor plasma (PPP) or serum. This ADP release appears to be correlated to C(3) cleavage and binding of C(3c) to the A431 cell membrane.

Blood leukotrienes in headache: correlation with platelet activity.

Platelet hyperactivity, one of the commonest findings associated with migraine, has been related to increased release of biologically active substances such as catecholamines and arachidonic acid metabolites, which seem to play a role in the pathogenesis of migraine. In this study, in vitro platelet aggregation tests were performed on samples from patients with different types of headache. The presence of platelet hyperactivity was clearly demonstrated in 11 patients with classical migraine between attacks, but not in 4 patients between attacks of common migraine.

[Comparison of cytology and ELISA in the research on cervical Chlamydia infection].

Papanicolaou smears from 100 woman with ELISA Chlamydia-positive (42) and negative (58) endocervical smears were examined. Chlamydial endocellular inclusions were found in 3 ELISA positive and 2 negative smears, with an evident low sensitivity (7%) of cytology in the diagnosis of the endocervical infection. Furthermore, by statistical analysis it is clear that a negative test doesn't add anything to the pre-test probability (prevalence) of the infection.