Structured Early detection of Asymptomatic Liver Cirrhosis: Results of the population-based liver screening program SEAL.

Background & Aims: Detection of patients with early cirrhosis is of importance to prevent the occurrence of complications and improve prognosis. The SEAL program aimed at evaluating the usefulness of a structured screening procedure to detect cirrhosis as early as possible.

Methods: SEAL was a prospective cohort study with a control cohort from routine care data.

Contribution of nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide exposure from power plant emissions on respiratory symptom and disease prevalence.

This study investigates the association between exposure to ambient NOx and SO2 originating from power plant emissions and prevalence of obstructive pulmonary disease and related symptoms. The Orot Rabin coal-fired power plant is the largest power generating facility in the Eastern Mediterranean. Two novel methods assessing exposure to power plant-specific emissions were estimated for 2244 participants who completed the European Community Respiratory Health Survey.

The short-term influence of weather on daily mortality in congestive heart failure.

The authors' purpose in this study was to determine whether changes in weather conditions were associated with daily mortality among people aged 65 years and older diagnosed as having congestive heart failure in Montreal, Canada, and who died in the urban area between 1984 and 1993. The authors used a time-stratified case-crossover design and adjusted the models for nitrogen dioxide and ozone. They found a strong nonlinear association with maximum temperature in the warmer months of the year, with a threshold at about 25 degrees C.

First months of employment and new onset of rhinitis in adolescents.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the incidence of rhinitis in adolescents, taking into account the duration and type of employment in holiday and vocational jobs, and to study latency until development of symptoms. Participants of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC)-II study in Munich and Dresden (Germany), who were enrolled in 1995, were re-contacted by a postal questionnaire in 2002 (aged 16-18 yrs). The questionnaire focused on allergic rhinitis, type and duration of all jobs, and potential confounders.

Environmental exposure to confined animal feeding operations and respiratory health of neighboring residents.

Background: Despite public concern about potential adverse health effects of concentrated animal feeding operations, objectively assessed data on environmental exposure to concentrated animal feeding operations and respiratory health are sparse. We aimed to assess respiratory health in neighbors of confined animal feeding operations.

Methods: A survey was done in 2002-2004 among all adults (18-45 years old) living in 4 rural German towns with a high density of confined animal feeding operations.

Characterisation of asthma among adults with and without childhood farm contact.

Childhood farm contact is associated with a lower prevalence of sensitisation and allergic rhinitis. Findings have been contradictory for asthma. The aim of the present study was to investigate the differences between farm and nonfarm subjects using objective measurements.

Adult obesity, farm childhood, and their effect on allergic sensitization.

Background: Obesity as well as a reduced microbial exposure, 2 markers of Western lifestyle, might be associated with an increased risk of allergic sensitization.

Objective: We aimed to analyze the interplay of these markers of Western lifestyle on allergic sensitization.

Methods: A questionnaire survey was completed by rural adults (18-45 years).

Ambient endotoxin level in an area with intensive livestock production.

High levels of endotoxin are found inside and near to animal houses. However, there is a lack of data on environmental endotoxin in areas with intensive animal production facilities. We conducted a cross-sectional study of respiratory health in two villages of Lower Saxony with intensive livestock production.

Do respiratory symptoms predict job choices in teenagers?

Existing guidelines advise adolescents with asthma and allergies against high-risk occupations. The aim of the current authors' analyses was to investigate the resulting self-selection in a prospective cohort study. The participants of Phase II of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood in Germany (aged 9-11 yrs at baseline) were re-contacted after 7 yrs (response rate was 77%) and were asked to complete a questionnaire, which included items on atopic diseases.

Geographical distribution of acute symptoms after a train collision involving epichlorohydrin exposure.

In September 2002, two freight trains collided in a northern German town. The inhabitants were potentially exposed to the probable human carcinogen epichlorohydrin. As no objective data on the level of exposure were available, we aimed to assess the geographical distribution of acute symptoms among local residents and subjects occupationally involved in the accident (e.

Inverse association between farm animal contact and respiratory allergies in adulthood: protection, underreporting or selection?

Background: It has been argued that the inverse association between exposure to farm animals and nasal allergies observed in children and adults might be because of self-selection.

Aims: We aimed to assess the health-based selection out of farming in adults.

Material And Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in a rural region.

Personal dosimetry of exposure to mobile telephone base stations? An epidemiologic feasibility study comparing the Maschek dosimeter prototype and the Antennessa SP-090 system.

The aim of our study was to test the feasibility and reliability of personal dosimetry. Twenty-four hour exposure assessment was carried out in 42 children, 57 adolescents, and 64 adults using the Maschek dosimeter prototype. Self-reported exposure to mobile phone frequencies were compared with the dosimetry results.

Concentrations of dust, allergens and endotoxin in stables, living rooms and mattresses from cattle farmers in southern Bavaria.

Agricultural work is considered to be a major risk factor for occupational diseases. In particular, allergic reactions to cow dander cause numerous cases of airway disorders. We measured the concentration of allergens (e.

Childhood visits to animal buildings and atopic diseases in adulthood: an age-dependent relationship.

Background: Several studies reported protective effects of farming environments against atopic diseases. Therefore, we aimed to establish the relevant timing of exposure in early life.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in a rural town.

Farming exposure in childhood, exposure to markers of infections and the development of atopy in rural subjects.

Background: Within the context of the hygiene hypothesis, we aimed to study the potential association between farming-related risk factors and Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) as well as Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) seropositivity.

Livestock odours and quality of life of neighbouring residents.

Neighbours of intensive livestock production facilities frequently complain of odour annoyance. They are also concerned about potential negative health effects of environmental exposures to livestock emissions. Quality of life (QoL) was assessed in residents of a rural community neighbouring an area with high concentration of animal farms.

Toxoplasma gondii infection, atopy and autoimmune disease.

While for many allergens a dose-response relationship has clearly been established the association between early childhood exposure to cat allergens and risk of sensitisation is still controversial and even inverse relations have been described. At the same time, a negative association between Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection and atopic diseases has been found in epidemiologic studies.

Air contaminants in different European farming environments.

Farmers are known to be at high risk from the development of occupational airway disease. The first stage of the European farmers' study has shown that pig farmers in Denmark and Germany, poultry farmers in Switzerland and greenhouse workers in Spain were at highest risk for work-related respiratory symptoms. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine exposure levels at relevant farm workplaces.

Indoor climate and air quality. Review of current and future topics in the field of ISB study group 10.

In industrialized countries about 90% of the time is spent indoors. The ambient parameters affecting indoor thermal comfort are air temperature and humidity, air velocity, and radiant heat exchange within an enclosure. In assessing the thermal environment, one needs to consider all ambient parameters, the insulating properties of the occupants' clothing, and the activity level of the occupants by means of heat balance models of the human body.

Urinary excretion of platinum from platinum industry workers.

Objectives: Assessment of level of exposure to platinum and platinum concentration in urine from platinum industry workers to evaluate internal exposures and excretion kinetics.

Methods: Platinum concentrations in urine samples from 34 workers were measured by adsorptive voltammetry after UV-photolysis. Morning and evening samples were taken two to six times during six months.

Aspects of human biometeorology in past, present and future.

Human biometeorology is quite an old science: during the times of Hippokrates in ancient Greece the influence of weather changes on physiological processes in the human body were considered to exist. However, not until the progress in modern statistics, physics and physiology in the course of this century provided quantitative methods did human-biometeorology become an acknowledged natural science. In the first half of this century primarily the explanation of the phenomena of reactions of the body to weather changes was the general objective.