Short-term effects on emergency room access or hospital admissions for cardio-respiratory diseases: methodology and results after three years of functioning of a waste-to-energy incinerator in Turin (Italy).

This study is part of the health surveillance system set up with the construction of a waste-to-energy (WTE) plant in Turin (Italy). Circulatory and respiratory diseases in emergency room (ER) accesses and first hospital admissions were considered. Main concerns of population living in the area near WTE were to know whether single and repeated peaks in emissions would correspond to adverse health effects.

High prevalence of anti-HEV antibodies among patients with immunosuppression and hepatic disorders in eastern Poland.

Introduction: The incidence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections in Poland is largely unknown. This study aimed to describe seroprevalence of markers of HEV infection among patients with immunodeficiency of diverse etiology and patients with advanced chronic liver diseases.

Material And Methods: Four hundred fifty patients were enrolled; among them, 180 persons were solid organ transplant recipients, 90 patients were HIV-infected and 180 persons had confirmed liver cirrhosis of different etiology.

Long term effect of air pollution on incident hospital admissions: Results from the Italian Longitudinal Study within LIFE MED HISS project.

Background: The LIFE MED HISS project aims at setting up a surveillance system on the long term effects of air pollution on health, using data from National Health Interview Surveys and other currently available sources of information in most European countries. Few studies assessed the long term effect of air pollution on hospital admissions in European cohorts.

Objective: The objective of this paper is to estimate the long term effect of fine particulate matter (PM2.

Mast cells tryptase in patients after renal transplantation.

Mast cells (MC) are involved in the pathogenesis of interstitial fibrosis, acute renal transplant rejection, and chronic allograft nephropathy. The aim of this study was to evaluate MC tryptase concentrations in the sera of 58 renal transplant recipients at various times after surgery in relation to graft function. We observed that kidney transplantation patients showed much higher serum tryptase concentrations than healthy controls.

What information do breast cancer screening programmes provide to Italian women?

Background: The necessity for building transparent communications on screening, both on risks and benefits, is shared by different sides. There is a general agreement that women cannot express informed participation in a screening programme unless they are given sufficient and adequate information. In the screening context, invitation letters and leaflets often represent the principal source of information.