The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a low-dose exposure to nickel, as it is present in urban air, on thyroid hormones and on thyrotropin in outdoor workers exposed to urban ...pollutants.
A total of 164 outdoor workers were studied and divided by sex and smoking habit. Each worker underwent measurement of urinary nickel and of blood triiodothyronine, L-thyroxine, and thyrotropin levels. The statistical analysis was performed.
Statistical analysis shows a significant and positive correlation between urinary nickel and L-thyroxine, both in total sample and in males.
The study suggests that occupational exposure to a low dose of nickel may affect thyroid function in municipal police workers. These data may provide information on other categories of outdoor workers with similar exposure.
The 3Ks (kava, kratom and khat) are herbals that can potentially induce liver injuries. On the one hand, growing controversial data have been reported about the hepatotoxicity of kratom, while, on ...the other hand, even though kava and khat hepatotoxicity has been investigated, the hepatotoxic effects are still not clear. Chronic recreational use of kratom has been associated with rare instances of acute liver injury. Several studies and case reports have suggested that khat is hepatotoxic, leading to deranged liver enzymes and also histopathological evidence of acute hepatocellular degeneration. Numerous reports of severe hepatotoxicity potentially induced by kava have also been highlighted, both in the USA and Europe. The aim of this review is to focus on the different patterns and the mechanisms of hepatotoxicity induced by "the 3Ks", while trying to clarify the numerous aspects that still need to be addressed.
Few studies in the literature have examined the effects of benzene on blood cells.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible correlation between the blood benzene levels and the blood cell ...counts.
From a population of 2658 workers, we studied a group of 215 subjects. Each worker underwent blood sampling for the assessment of the blood benzene levels and the blood cell counts. The Mann–Whitney U test for two-mode variables and the Kruskal–Wallis test for more-than-two-mode variables were performed on all subjects. We estimated the Pearson correlation index between the variables in the total sample and the subgroups divided according to sex, the smoking habit, and job. After the main confounding factors were evaluated, multiple linear regression was performed on both the total sample and the subgroups.
A significant inverse correlation was found among the blood benzene levels and the white blood cells, lymphocytes, and neutrophils in traffic policemen, motorcyclists, and other outdoor workers. We did not find any significant correlation with any other parameters of blood cell count.
Our results, which must be considered preliminary, indicate that increased blood benzene levels in outdoor workers lead to decreased counts of white blood cells, neutrophils, and lymphocytes, because of possible immune effects. These are worth investigating in the future by specific immune tests.
•Occupational exposure to benzene in male and female urban workers was evaluated.•A significant correlation was found between airborne benzene and benzene in the blood.•A significant correlation was found between blood benzene levels and white blood cells.•Benzene in the blood can affect the immune system.
Given that in patients with cardiac amyloidosis (CA), deposition of amyloid protein is not restricted to the left ventricular (LV) myocardium, it can be hypothesized that the diagnostic value of ...deformation mechanics would be enhanced by considering right ventricular (RV) strain measures. The aim of the present study was to examine the potential utility of left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) deformation and rotational parameters derived from three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiograph (3DSTE) to diagnose cardiac amyloidosis and differentiate this disease from other forms of myocardial hypertrophy.
Twenty-three patients with biopsy-proven light-chain (AL) amyloidosis, 23 patients with systemic arterial hypertension (HTN), 23 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), 23 athletes and 23 normal controls were prospectively studied by conventional echocardiography and 3DSTE. LV longitudinal strain (LV LS), LV circumferential strain (LV CS), RV global longitudinal strain and RV free-wall longitudinal strain (RV FW LS) were obtained by 3DSTE, as well as LV rotation and rotational velocities.
LV and RV longitudinal strains were reduced in cardiac amyloidosis (CA) patients compared to controls. By multivariate analysis, LV basal LS (p = 0.002), LV peak basal rotation (p = 0.003), and RV basal FW LS (p = 0.014) were independently associated with CA in the overall population. A significant improvement in global χ2 value was noted with RV 3D-strain parameters over only LV-3DSTE + conventional indices for detection of CA (p < 0.001). Comparison of ROC curves showed that the AUC using combined LV basal LS, LV basal rotation and RV basal FW LS had a higher discriminative value than the other echocardiographic parameters used for detecting CA (AUC 0.93, 95%CI 0.81–0.97).
Three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography reveals regional and global biventricular dysfunction in CA. Assessment of RV ventricular dysfunction has an additive value in differentiating CA from other causes of myocardial wall thickening.
•We examined the potential utility of three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography in cardiac amyloidosis (CA).•Three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography revealed regional and global biventricular dysfunction in CA.•Right ventricular dysfunction assessment had an additive value in differentiating CA from other myocardial hypertrophies.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exerted an effect on the general population that went over every expectation. To explore the effect of physical exercise (PE) during the national lockdown in Italy, a survey ...was drawn up and administered to a sample composed of 208 subjects. The questionnaire comprised 81 multiple-choice items, including sociodemographic data, health-related questions, and assessment of physical exercise, satisfaction with life, depression, and personality. The purpose of this study is to explore the role of physical exercise during the outbreak following the present hypothesis: first, if a link exists between the time spent on physical exercise during the lockdown and the perceived health condition, depressive and somatic symptomatology, and life satisfaction; second, to find associations among the SF-12 component summaries and the other psychological outcomes; and finally, to explore how physical and psychological variables are predictive of PCS-12 and MCS-12. The results showed that both vigorous and moderate physical exercise was strongly correlated with psychological variables, with statistically significant negative correlations found between age and physical exercise. Additionally, significant positive correlations were observed between physical exercise and mental health indices, such as MCS-12 and SWLS, whereas negative correlations were found with BDI, PCS-12, and SOM-H. The correlation analysis also revealed that physical and individual mental health summaries were associated with psychological outcomes, with statistically significant negative correlations found between PCS-12 and MCS, PCS-12 and SOM-H, and MCS-12 and BDI scores. Regression analysis showed that physical activities and psychological status both had a direct influence on perceived mental and physical well-being during the lockdown, accounting for 56.7% and 35.5% of the variance, respectively. The
-values for the significant correlations ranged from <0.05 to <0.01. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of physical exercise and psychological well-being in maintaining good health during the pandemic.
The introduction of speckle tracking imaging (STI) allowed the quantification of the regional myocardial function in the right ventricular (RV) free wall using deformation parameters. We sought to ...evaluate the potential utility of STI at rest and after stress to predict arrhythmogenic RV dysplasia (ARVD). We studied 19 patients with ARVD (diagnosed according to the task force criteria) and 19 healthy age- and gender-matched subjects. Both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional echocardiography were performed. The RV and left ventricular annular peak systolic velocities were measured using tissue Doppler imaging. The RV-left ventricular peak systolic longitudinal strain (LS) was obtained in the basal, mid, and apical segments in the apical 4-chamber view using STI. An exercise stress-echocardiographic test was undertaken using bicycle ergometry with the patient in the supine position for all patients, and the indexes were assessed at peak effort. The STI measurements were determined using offline analysis programs. The 3-dimensional RV ejection fraction and strain were significantly lower in patients with ARVD than in the controls. The RV strain values at rest did not change significantly during maximum physical effort in the patients with ARVD. The receiver operating characteristic curves suggested that the thresholds offering an adequate compromise between sensitivity and specificity for the detection of ARVD were 9.35 cm/s for the RV annular peak systolic velocity (area under the curve 0.81), 42% for 3-dimensional RV ejection fraction (area under the curve 0.85), −25% for mean global RV-LS (area under the curve 0.86), −18% for the lowest peak systolic RV-LS (area under the curve 0.88), and −1.2 for peak minus baseline global change of stress RV-LS (area under the curve 0.92). In conclusion, STI at rest and during stress might enable quantitative assessment of RV function and the detection of ARVD and have potential clinical value in the treatment of these patients.
Post Vaccinal Temporary Sensorineural Hearing Loss De Marco, Federica; De Cesare, Donato Pompeo; Di Folco, Francesco ...
International journal of environmental research and public health,
08/2018, Volume:
15, Issue:
8
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
In our systematic research we identified four studies concerning the onset of neurological adverse events following vaccination and two excluding this association. A 33-year-old Italian man, ...belonging to the Italian Army was hospitalized because he suffered from vertigo, nausea and sudden right hearing loss not classified (NDD), that set in 24 h after the administration of tetanus-diphtheria and meningococcal vaccines. Some neurological events arising after vaccination are very difficult to treat. In our case, the functional recovery on low and medium frequencies was possible about 6 months after the morbid event.
Post-mortem morphological modifications in median nerve samples collected at different times after death were studied in subjects with known circumstances and times of death. Histological analyses ...were performed by light and electron microscopy on single fiber and on transversal sections. Results of morphological observations evidenced the progressive disappearance of myelin over time according to a process similar to Wallerian degeneration occurring in vivo. Electron microscope analysis of transversal sections evidenced four steps through which post-mortal myelin degradation proceeded, from the initial structure modification (after 12 h from death) to the complete collapse and the simultaneous appearance of dropsy bumps toward the axon (after 48 h from death). The post-mortal demyelinization process can reasonably be thought to have a multifocal origin. Post-mortem alterations of nerve fibers do not evolve simultaneously and in a uniform manner in all the fibers of the same nerve, where different factors come into play, particularly fiber gauge.
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