Exposure criteria for evaluating lumbar spine load.

Objective: As a part of regular revision of the List of Occupational Diseases in the Czech Republic, efforts have been made to add a new item so that lumbar spine disease caused by overload may be recognized as occupational one, with adherence to the valid national rules, that is, clinical criteria are met and objective assessment confirms working conditions under which, according to recent scientific knowledge, such an occupational disease develops. The aim is to provide information on the use of a proposed method for working condition assessment in a real setting, based on the initial experiences gained from a pilot study carried out to validate the method.

Methods: Working conditions were assessed in 55 individuals with chronic low back pain (25 males, 30 females; mean age 45.

Evaluation of Lumbar Spine Load by Computational Method in Order to Acknowledge Low-back Disorders as Occupational Diseases.

Aim: The aim of the study was to develop a computational module for the prediction of compressive force on the L4/L5 disc suitable for use in field settings.

Method: The value of compressive force is intended to be used as a proxy measure of the mechanical burden of low-back when performing work activities. The compressive force predicted by the module in a particular worker should be compared with the NIOSH limit value of 3,400 N for the assessment of lumbar spine load during manual lifting tasks.

LOW-BACK PAIN DISORDERS AS OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC AND 22 EUROPEAN COUNTRIES: COMPARISON OF NATIONAL SYSTEMS, RELATED DIAGNOSES AND EVALUATION CRITERIA.

Aim: Low-back pain diseases (LBPD) belong to the most frequent diagnoses determined by general practitioners, and constitute one of the most common reasons for sick leave and permanent disability pension in the Czech Republic and other European countries. Epidemiological studies have shown a statistically significant association between LBPD and certain types of occupational burden. However, in the Czech Republic, LBPD caused by overload and/or whole-body vibrations have not yet been included in the list of occupational diseases.

Accumulation of microcystins in Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus L., and effects of a complex cyanobacterial bloom on the dietetic quality of muscles.

The aim of this study was to investigate the kinetics of accumulation and elimination of microcystins in the tissues of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and to evaluate the effect of cyanobacterial exposure on fish muscle quality (levels of total fat and ash, protein, dry matter and the composition of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids). Fish were exposed for 28 days to a natural cyanobacterial bloom with total microcystin concentration around 1,200 μg g⁻¹ biomass dry weight. The hepatopancreas accumulated microcystins up to 350 ng g⁻¹ fresh weight, but concentrations in muscle were generally below the detection limit (2 ng g⁻¹ fresh weight).

Complex biochemical analysis of human breast tumor tissue.

The quantitative biochemical analysis of tissue specimens from 76 human breast carcinomas consisted of examination for cytosolic estrogen receptors (cER), nuclear estrogen receptors (nER), progesterone receptors (PgR), 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol receptors (DR), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), alpha-lactalbumin (aLA), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (gGT). The highest incidence was found in CEA (76%), DR (70%), and aLA (62%). There was a high percentage of tumors containing only DR, in contrast to the tumors containing only cER or PgR.

A, B, O blood groups and the course of breast cancer disease.

551 clinical records of breast cancer patients were retrospectively analysed. Several parameters have been examined: age at presentation, distribution of stages at the time of diagnosis, incidence of any progression and "progression- free" interval after primary treatment, incidence of distant dissemination and distant meta- free interval, cancer mortality, time of survival from presentation and time of survival from detection of distant metastases (stage at presentation being taken into account in all evaluations). The results within various ABO blood groups were mutually compared.

DNCB and PPD skin tests and prognosis in 152 patients with breast cancer. A prospective 2-year follow-up.

The relationship of pretreatment immunologic status in terms of skin tests to prognosis within stages was studied in 152 breast cancer patients. DNCB and PPD testing was used. As for DNCB, no relationship was found at early stages of the disease.

Course of breast cancer disease and ABO blood groups.

The clinical records of 551 breast cancer patients were retrospectively analysed. Several parameters have been examined: age at presentation, distribution of stages at the time of diagnosis, incidence of any progression and "progression-free" interval after primary treatment, incidence of distant dissemination and distant metastasis-free interval, cancer mortality, time of survival from presentation and time of survival from detection of distant metastases (stage at presentation being taken into account in all evaluations). The results within various ABO blood groups were compared.

No difference in delayed hypersensitivity between breast and cervical carcinomas.

DNCB and PPD skin testing was performed in 130 breast and 110 cervical cancer patients. BATES' instruction with a plea for uniformity was used [1]. Patients were tested while being diagnosed and prior to the treatment.

Three-year follow-up of carcinoembryonal antigen levels in the serum of patients with breast cancer.

The levels of carcinoembryonal antigen (CEA) were followed up for three years in 66 patients with breast cancer. In the group of patients treated surgically (N = 36, T1-2, NO-2, MO) the values of CEA were in agreement with the clinical course in 97% of the patients (35 out of 36 patients). Recurrence and/or dissemination of the disease were signalled by a rise in the serum CEA level to more than 15 micrograms/1 out four out of five patients more than 3-10 months before clinical manifestation.

DNCB and PPD skin testing in breast cancer.

DNCB and PPD skin testing was performed in 152 breast cancer patients. Bates' instruction with a plea for uniformity was used (Cancer, 43, 1979, 2306). Majority of patients were tested while being diagnosed and prior to the treatment.

Leukocyte adherence inhibition responses obtained with various tumor extracts in breast cancer patients.

Leukocyte adherence inhibition (LAI) assay was employed to detect cell-mediated immune response in breast cancer patients of clinical stages I and II. Twenty-one breast cancer extracts were screened in 232 breast cancer patients and 343 healthy persons. The activity of individual extracts differed remarkably.