To explore the link between COVID-19 incidence, socio-economic covariates, and NHL incidence.
Ecological study design.
Sardinia, Italy.
We used official reports on the total cases of COVID-19 in ...2020, published data on NHL incidence, and socio-economic indicators by administrative unit, covering the whole regional population.
We used multivariable regression analysis to explore the association between the natural logarithm (ln) of the 2020 cumulative incidence of COVID-19 and the ln-transformed NHL incidence in 1974-2003, weighing by population size and adjusting by socioeconomic deprivation and other covariates.
The cumulative incidence of COVID-19 increased in relation to past incidence of NHL (p < 0.001), socioeconomic deprivation (p = 0.006), and proportion of elderly residents (p < 0.001) and decreased with urban residency (p = 0.001). Several sensitivity analyses confirmed the finding of an association between COVID-19 and NHL.
This ecological study found an ecological association between NHL and COVID-19. If further investigation would confirm our findings, shared susceptibility factors should be investigated among the plausible underlying mechanisms.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The causes of the peculiar time trend in the incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in most parts of the world and of its geographic distribution are still unknown. We used the data base of ...1974-2003 incident cases of hematological malignancies to explore the time trend of NHL incidence in the region of Sardinia, Italy, and we used Bayesian methods to plot the probability of NHL incidence by residential unit on the regional map. In 1974-2003, 4109 NHL cases were diagnosed among resident adults in Sardinia, with an incidence rate of 13.38 x 10-5 (95% CI 12.97-13.80). NHL incidence showed an upward trend along the study period with an average annual percent change (APC) of 4.94 (95% CI -5.39-16.4), which did not vary by gender or by age-group. Cancer registry data, covering part of the region starting from 1993, suggest that the increasing trend did not persist in the subsequent years. Areas with the highest probability of an excess incidence tended to cluster in the north-eastern part of the region and in two major urban centers, with the low incidence areas located in the south, confirming previous observations. Prevalence of viral infections, environmental and occupational exposures, or socio-economic deprivation would not explain the peculiar geographic distribution we observed. These findings provide convincing arguments for extending the coverage of routine cancer registration over the whole Sardinian population, while prompting further research on the genetic and environmental determinants of NHL in the risk areas.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
A few reports have described increasing trends and spatial distribution of multiple myeloma (MM). We used a validated database including the 1606 cases of MM diagnosed in Sardinia in 1974-2003 to ...explore its time trend, and we applied Bayesian methods to plot MM probability by administrative unit on the regional map. Over the 30 years of observation, the MM standardized incidence rate (standard world population, all ages) was 2.17 × 10
(95% CI 2.01-2.34), 2.29 (95% CI 2.06-2.52) among men, and 2.06 (95% CI 1.83-2.28) among women. MM incidence increased by 3.3%/year in 1974-2003, in both males and females, particularly among the elderly and in the high incidence areas. Areas at risk tended to cluster in the north-eastern part of the region. A higher proportion of elderly in the resident population, but not socioeconomic factors, nor livestock farming, was associated with higher incidence rates. The steep upward time trend and the spatial clustering of MM suggest interactions between genetic and environmental determinants that might be more efficiently investigated in the areas at risk.
IntroductionThe overall epidemiological evidence on the risk of non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and occupational exposure to glyphosate has led to opposite interpretations. This presentation will discuss the ...reasons for such inconsistent opinions.Material and MethodsWe conducted a new meta-analysis of the original case-control studies and compared its results with five other meta-analyses, and three pooled analyses.ResultsFour meta-analyses and two pooled analyses of case-control studies concluded for an association between the risk of NHL and ever exposure to glyphosate. Those reaching opposite conclusions were two and one, respectively. Associations were stronger between specific NHL subtypes and prolonged/lagged exposure. In the Agricultural Study, the risk of a few NHL subtypes, but not NHL overall, tended to increase by intensity weighted lifetime days of exposure to glyphosate lagged 20 years. In the meta-analysis of the original case-control studies, including the recently published InterLymph study and a new Italian case-control study, the random estimate for ever-exposure to NHL was 1.4 (95% CI 1.08–1.81), based on six studies, and that for follicular lymphoma was 1.6 (95% CI 1.08–2.44), based on three studies, with no significant heterogeneity detect across studies. Risk of follicular lymphoma increased with exposure lagged 10 years, but not by the duration of exposure, in the InterLymph study, and by intensity, frequency, and probability but not duration of exposure in the new Italian case-control study.ConclusionsThe dilution of the potentially associated B-cell lymphoma subtypes within the generic NHL definition, and the difficulty in isolating the few severely exposed to glyphosate from the large ever-exposed category, might account for missing the association in the AHS study and in the two negative case-control studies. The upward trends in risk for several NHL subtypes with different exposure metrics lend credibility to the association.
Background
The epidemiology of myeloid hematologic malignancies in Italy has been poorly investigated.
Methods
We used a validated database of 1974-2003 incident cases of hematologic malignancies ...among the resident population (all ages) of Sardinia, Italy, to describe the incidence of myeloid malignancies overall (N = 4389 cases) and by subtype. We investigated the time trend of acute myeloid leukemia (N = 1227 cases), chronic myeloid leukemia (N = 613 cases), and myelodysplastic syndrome (N = 1296 cases), and used Bayesian methods to explore their geographic spread, and Poisson regression analysis to estimate their association with environmental and socio-economic factors.
Results
The annual standardized (world population) incidence rate (IR) of myeloid malignancies over the study period was 6.5 per 100,000 (95% CI 6.2-6.7). Myelodysplastic syndromes were the most prevalent subgroup (IR = 1.7, 95% CI 1.5-1.8). Incidence of all myeloid malignancies combined increased sharply during the study period with an annual percent change (APC) of 10.06% (95% CI 9.51-10.61), 19.77% for myelodysplastic syndromes (95% CI 19.63-19.91), and 3.18% (95% CI 2.99-3.37) for acute myeloid leukemia. Chronic myeloid leukemia did not show an upward trend. Apart from sporadic excesses in small rural communities and the major urban area, there was no evidence of spatial clustering. The risk of myeloid malignancies increased with increasing prevalence of sheep breeding.
Conclusions
Our results might prompt further research on the local genetic and environmental determinants of myeloid hematologic malignancies.
Introduction Oral health-related quality of life is a reflection of general health and wellbeing; related problems stand as major public health issues.Aim To investigate the potential association ...between dental caries and quality of life (QoL) among children aged 5-6 years old.Materials and methods Oral examination of 310 children admitted to a paediatric dentistry clinic was performed by using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System II (ICDAS-II) and the QoL was assessed using the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale. A nested case-control study was conducted with all 104 QoL-unaffected children as the controls and a random sample of 104 QoL-affected children as the cases. Relative risk (RR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) values were calculated to interpret potential associations.Results Gender distribution was similar by case controls (52.9% vs 51.0% were females, respectively). Early childhood caries (ECC) was detected in 78.8% of cases and 19.2% of controls. In binary analysis of the QoL (with a cutpoint of 2), low parental education, having a sibling, dental visit history for complaints and irregular/no toothbrushing were detected as significant predictors of poor QoL (p value <0.001). The RR of negative impact on QoL was fourfold (95% CI 2.64-5.69) among children having ECC, revealing a significant upward trend of impaired QoL with increasing ICDAS-II scores (t = 13.323; p value <0.001).Conclusion All patients should be evaluated thoroughly for social and psychological problems, besides functional and aesthetic in dental visits.
Many international policies encourage a switch from fossil fuels to bioenergy based on the premise that its use would not result in carbon accumulation in the atmosphere. Frequently cited bioenergy ...goals would at least double the present global human use of plant material, the production of which already requires the dedication of roughly 75% of vegetated lands and more than 70% of water withdrawals. However, burning biomass for energy provision increases the amount of carbon in the air just like burning coal, oil or gas if harvesting the biomass decreases the amount of carbon stored in plants and soils, or reduces carbon sequestration. Neglecting this fact results in an accounting error that could be corrected by considering that only the use of ‘additional biomass’ – biomass from additional plant growth or biomass that would decompose rapidly if not used for bioenergy – can reduce carbon emissions. Failure to correct this accounting flaw will likely have substantial adverse consequences. The article presents recommendations for correcting greenhouse gas accounts related to bioenergy.
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