Natural course of pollen-induced allergic rhinitis from childhood to adulthood: A 20-year follow up.

Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide. There are limited prospective long-term data regarding persistency and remission of AR. The objective of this study was to investigate the natural course of pollen-induced AR (pollen-AR) over 20 years, from childhood into early adulthood.

Residential overcrowding in relation to children's health, environment and schooling - a qualitative study.

Aim: To explore how overcrowding affects children's health, environment and schooling.

Methods: A qualitative study was conducted with individual interviews among 20 participants with occupational experience from overcrowded Stockholm areas but diverse in professions, locations and employers. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed with Systematic Text Condensation.

Male sex is strongly associated with IgE-sensitization to airborne but not food allergens: results up to age 24 years from the BAMSE birth cohort.

Background: Up to half of the population in high-income countries has allergen-specific IgE antibodies. However, data regarding sex differences of IgE-sensitization from childhood to adulthood is limited.

Objective: To explore IgE-sensitization to common foods and airborne allergens in relation to sex over time in a population-based cohort followed up to young adulthood.

Personal exposure to black carbon in Stockholm, using different intra-urban transport modes.

The traffic microenvironment has been shown to be a major contributor to the total personal exposure of black carbon (BC), and is key to local actions aiming at reducing health risks associated with such exposure. The main aim of the study was to get a better understanding of the determinants of traffic-related personal exposure to BC in an urban environment. Personal exposure to ambient levels of BC was monitored while walking, cycling and traveling by bus or car along four streets and while cycling alternative routes simultaneously.

Stability in the prevalence of Swedish children who were overweight or obese in 2003 and 2011.

Aim: We aimed to explore the prevalence and determinants of overweight including obesity among children in Sweden in 2003 and 2011.

Methods: Two population-based cross-sectional surveys included 7728 and 12 882 12-year-old children in Sweden, and 1198 and 2699 eight-year-old children in Stockholm County, in 2003 and 2011. Weighted prevalence of overweight including obesity and multivariate-adjusted relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was calculated.

Workgroup report: developing environmental health indicators for European children: World Health Organization Working Group.

A working group coordinated by the World Health Organization developed a set of indicators to protect children's health from environmental risks and to support current and future European policy needs. On the basis of identified policy needs, the group developed a core set of 29 indicators for implementation plus an extended set of eight additional indicators for future development, focusing on exposure, health effects, and action. As far as possible, the indicators were designed to use existing information and are flexible enough to be developed further to meet the needs of policy makers and changing health priorities.

Multiple chemical sensitivity in male painters; a controlled provocation study.

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether male painters reporting multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) differ from their matched controls (male painters without such sensitivity) during controlled chamber challenges to singular and mixtures of odorous chemicals with respect to: (1) Subjective rating of symptoms (i.e., symptoms related to central nervous system (CNS) and symptoms related to irritation) and sensations of smell elicited by low-level chemical exposures.

Environmental illness: fatigue and cholinesterase activity in patients reporting hypersensitivity to electricity.

The lack of a pathophysiological marker hinders studies on environmental illnesses of unknown origin. Hence, research focused on the identification of such a marker is a priority. This study investigated the nature and a possible etiology of fatigue in hypersensitivity to electricity (the most commonly reported environmental illness in Sweden).

Effects of dietary broccoli on rat testicular xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes.

The effects of vegetables on the activities of various metabolizing enzymes in liver and intestine have been studied intensively, whereas studies on effects on testicular metabolizing enzymes are lacking. The present report is the first describing the effects of dietary broccoli on the activities of a number of xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes from rat testes. Groups of male Wistar rats were fed a semisynthetic diet with 10% (w/w) freeze-dried broccoli for 1 week.

Sex-hormone binding globulin from sheep serum: purification and effects of pregnancy and treatment with exogenous estradiol.

Sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG) is a protein that binds sex steroids in the serum of many species. SHBG binds androgens and estrogens in humans and primates with high affinity, but behaves as an androgen binding protein in other species. Here we purified SHBG from ewe and ram sera to homogeneity, by a simple and rapid method.

Hypophysectomy and/or peroxisome proliferators strongly influence the levels of phase II xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes in rat testis.

The objectives of the present work were to determine the influence of hypophysectomy and/or peroxisome proliferators (PP) on certain xenobiotic-metabolizing enzyme activities, i.e. glutathione transferases (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), phenol sulphotransferases (pSULT), phenol UDP-glucuronosyl transferases (pUGT), catalase, NADP(H) quinone oxidoreductase (QR) and epoxide hydrolases (EH) in the rat testes.

Can traditional epidemiology detect cancer risks caused by occupational exposure to pesticides?

In order to investigate the possible relationship between cancer and occupational exposure to pesticides, we reviewed the latest literature of the epidemiological studies in this area coming to the conclusion that, while several studies indicate a link between certain pesticides and certain tumors, this information is still insufficient, and further research on the health consequences of exposure to pesticides is needed. Moreover, provided there is a risk, it is often too limited to be detected by available epidemiological techniques. Therefore, in addition to the epidemiological studies, the development of new biology, gene technology and medical biotechnology methods may significantly enhance the specificity of the epidemiological studies.

Chemopreventive activity of very low dose dietary tannic acid administration in hepatoma bearing C3H male mice.

Tannins are plant polyphenols comprising a heterogeneous group of compounds. Tannic acid is a common tannin found in tea, coffee, immature fruits, etc. and it has also been used as a food additive.

DNA adducts in human nasal mucosa and white blood cells from smokers and non-smokers.

The goal of the present study was to measure the levels of DNA adducts in human nasal mucosa cells and in total white blood cells in relation to smoking. DNA was isolated from samples of 20 healthy volunteers (six smokers and 14 non-smokers). The levels of DNA adducts were measured by 32P-postlabelling assay.

Effects of peroxisome proliferators and/or hypothyroidism on xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in rat testis.

The objectives of the present work were to study the effects of certain peroxisome proliferators on xenobiotic-metabolizing enzyme activities in the testes of normal and hypothyroid rats, i.e. phenol sulfotransferases (pST), phenol UDP-glucuronosyl transferases (pUDPGT), glutathione transferases (GST), catalase, epoxide hydrolase (EH), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase (QR).

DNA adduct formation in the human nasal mucosa as a biomarker of exposure to environmental mutagens and carcinogens.

Human exposure to chemical compounds, often termed xenobiotics, has been linked to a number of enhanced incidences of various neoplasias. A majority of these enter the human body through inhalation. Most xenobiotics are metabolized in the body to more hydrophilic metabolites before excretion in the urine and bile.

Swedish dioxin survey: evaluation of the H-4-II E bioassay for screening environmental samples for dioxin-like enzyme induction.

The H-4-II E enzyme induction bioassay was used for testing both pure reference substances and extracts of wildlife samples. Polychlorinated naphthalenes were found to be as active as enzyme inducers as certain coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Also a mixture of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (Bromkal 70-5DE) was shown to induce enzyme activity.

Inhibition of meiotic divisions of rat spermatocytes in vitro by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

The toxic effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) on spermatogenic cells undergoing meiotic division were investigated in vitro. Toxicity was assayed as alterations in cell nucleus morphology and cell survival and by DNA flow cytometry. Benzo[a]pyrene (BP) and 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) inhibited the progression of spermatocytes through meiotic division and were highly cytotoxic at concentrations higher than 1 microM.

On the identity of the xenobiotic-metabolizing form(s) of cytochrome P-450 in endocrine organs.

The adrenal cortex, the testes and the ovary metabolize polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), e.g., 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA).

Inhibition of stage-specific DNA synthesis in rat spermatogenic cells by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Changes in the rate of DNA synthesis in spermatogenic cells after treatment of segments of rat seminiferous tubule at defined stages of epithelial cycle with benzo[a]pyrene (BP) or 7,12-methylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) were studied. The incorporation of labeled thymidine into DNA was used as a measure of the rate of DNA synthesis. Very little or no inhibition of DNA synthesis at stages V and VIII of the cycle was observed at BP and DMBA concentrations lower than 100 microM.

Cell-specific metabolic activation of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene in rat testis.

The binding of metabolites of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) to protein in rat testis seminiferous tubules was studied. Treatment of cultured seminiferous tubule segments with DMBA resulted in very little binding to protein, suggesting that the seminiferous epithelium from rat testis lacks the cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenase(s) required for DMBA metabolism. In contrast, Leydig cells from rat testis contain monooxygenase systems which catalyze the metabolism of PAH, such as DMBA.

Generation of superoxide anion and lipid peroxidation in different cell types and subcellular fractions from rat testis.

Mitochondria and microsomes from whole rat testis, seminiferous tubules and Leydig cells were investigated with respect to their capacity to generate superoxide anion. In addition, lipid peroxidation by whole testis mitochondria and microsomes was measured. In the presence of NADH and various respiratory inhibitors all three mitochondrial preparations catalyzed the formation of superoxide anion at a rate of 0.

Evidence for a free-radical-dependent metabolism of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene in rat testis.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, e.g., 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA), cause various toxic effects in rat testis.

Subcellular distribution, catalytic properties and partial purification of epoxide hydrolase in the human adrenal gland.

Epoxide hydrolase in human adrenal gland was characterized with respect to catalytic properties and subcellular distribution. With human adrenal microsomes and the substrates styrene-7,8-oxide, cis-stilbene oxide, estroxide and androstene oxide the specific activities were between 1.9 and 19.