Study In Stockholm Research Articles

Vitamin A supplements, fried foods, fat and urothelial cancer. A case‐referent study in Stockholm in 1985–87

In a population-based case-referent study of urothelial cancer in Stockholm during 1985-87, information was obtained from 78% of 418 identified cases and 77% of 511 selected referents. The relative risk (with 95% confidence interval) for intake of vitamin A supplements was 0.5 (0.2-1.0), with a dose-response relationship with increasing frequency of consumption. Increased risks of urothelial cancer were seen for several fried foods, for example fried meat [relative risk 1.4 (1.0-1.8) for weekly intake] and fried potatoes [relative risk 1.6 (1.1-2.6) for weekly intake]. Subjects with a high intake of fried foods, as defined by a collapsed variable, had a relative risk of 2.4 (1.4-4.2). A dose-response relationship was also seen with an increasing average daily intake of fat [relative risk 1.7 (1.0-2.8) in the highest quintile], but adjusting for fried foods decreased the relative risk, and it is uncertain whether the adjustment allowed for residual confounding. No association was noted for meat other than fried, but the analysis was based on small numbers.

Screening for congenital hypothyroidism - results from a pilot study in Stockholm

During one year a pilot study was carried out in Stockholm in order to define optimal conditions for routine nationwide screening for congenital hypothyroidism. About 20.000 children were born and all participated in the study. Part of their PKU samples were used, i.e. dried blood on filter paper collected on the fifth day of life. Each sample was analyzed for both T4 and TSH. Children with T4 levels below - 2 SD of the mean and/or TSH levels above 30 mU/1 of plasma were recalled for clinical investigation and additional laboratory studies. However, preterm infants were recalled only if the concentration of TSH was increased. A total of 160 newborns (=0.8%) were thus considered to have positive screening results. Among these 6 children were identified with primary hypothyroidism, one with secondary hypothyroidism and 7 with hypo-TBG-emia. Based on the results obtained we suggest that a nationwide screening program for congenital hypothyroidism should be based on the PKU blood sample and TSH analyses. With 50 mU of TSH/1 of plasma as the cut off limit the false positive recall rate will be less than 0.1 % and the risk of false negative results will be minimal. The present study was approved by the ethical committee of the Karolinska Institute.