Town In Central Italy Research Articles

Skin prick‐test reactivity to aeroallergens and allergic symptoms in an urban population of central Italy: a longitudinal study

Cross-sectional studies report an increasing prevalence of allergic diseases, such as rhinitis and asthma. Not thoroughly known, instead, is the natural history of allergic sensitization and the progress of the allergic disease-related symptoms. The purpose of this study was to evaluate longitudinally the skin reactivity for the most common aeroallergens and the allergic symptoms in an urban population living in Perugia, a town of central Italy with a low-level of air pollution exposure. In the 1998-1999 period 788 subjects were tested for skin reactivity to a panel of aeroallergens and underwent the administration of a questionnaire. These same subjects were part of a cohort of 1200 subjects who participated in a previous epidemiological study performed in 1984-1985 using the same tools. Subjects were aged between 14 and 64 years at the time of the first survey. In the present survey 196 subjects (24.9%) had skin reactivity to at least one aeroallergen, while in the previous survey 143 subjects (18.1%) had skin prick-test reactivity. The increase of the skin reactivity between the two observations was highly significant (P<0.001) and was mainly observed in subjects <40-years old. The greatest increment in skin reactivity was seen to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (house dust mite) allergen. Data obtained from questionnaires showed that subjects who declared allergic symptoms increased from 341 (43.3%) to 380 (48.2%). However, the increase was significant (P<0.01) only in subjects who had a positive association between allergic symptoms and prick-test reactivity and was greater for rhino-conjunctivitis than for asthma-related symptoms. In a cohort of urban population of the centre of Italy, exposed to a low and stable level of air pollution, the sensitization to common aeroallergens increased with time, mostly in people <40-years of age. The greatest increment was found for indoor allergens such as Dermatophagoides pteronysimus. A significant increase in allergic symptoms, mainly related to rhino-conjunctivitis, was observed only in the presence of positive prick test.

Is hepatitis C virus a risk factor for thyroid autoimmunity?

The role of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in inducing thyroid autoimmunity is still under discussion and to assess the prevalence of thyroid autoantibodies and thyroid disease in the general population and to analyse the role of HCV in inducing thyroid autoimmunity. We studied 697 subjects residing in Arsita (a small town in central Italy). Thyroid autoantibodies and nonorgan-specific autoantibodies (NOSAs) were tested in each subject, who were also screened for anti-HCV antibodies; all subjects found positive to HCV-RNA were considered as being HCV-infected. Thyroid function tests were performed in all subjects positive for thyroid autoantibody. Seventy-one subjects were found HCV-positive; four of these (5.6%) were positive for at least one thyroid autoantibody, as opposed to 7 (4.9%) of the 142 sex- and age-matched controls of the same population (P = n.s.). Thyroid dysfunction was found in 2/4 HCV-positive, and in 1/7 HCV-negative subjects with thyroid autoantibodies (P = n.s.). NOSAs were significantly more common in HCV-positive than in HCV-negative subjects (P < 0.0001). Hence HCV per se is not responsible for thyroid autoimmune dysfunction, whereas HCV does seem to induce NOSAs. It should be taken into account, however, that the phenotypic expression of autoimmune diseases is obviously influenced by a number of risk factors, including genetic predisposition, female sex and infectious agents, that could trigger the onset of the disease.

Monitoring of mutagens in urban air samples

This research was designed to examine the presence of mutagenic/carcinogenic compounds in urban airborne particulates sampled with the inhalable PM-10 high volume sampler in two different streets of Brescia, a heavily industrialized town in northern Italy, using the Tradescantia/micronucleus test and a bacterial mutagenicity test (Kado test, a more sensitive version of the Ames test). In addition, the Tradescantia/micronucleus test was used for in situ monitoring of gaseous pollutants in other urban areas of Brescia and in two car tunnels, one with heavy car traffic in Perugia, a town in central Italy, and one in Brescia with moderate traffic. The Tradescantia-micronucleus test carried out on extracts of airborne particulates gave positive results only for the sample collected in the traffic-congested street where also higher bacterial mutagenicity was found. The in situ monitoring of the urban areas with the Tradescantia/micronucleus test always gave negative results. Monitoring carried out in the two car tunnels showed a significant increase in micronuclei frequency only in flowers exposed in the smaller and more polluted tunnel.

CONSUMER ATTITUDE AND AWARENESS TOWARDS FOOD‐RELATED HYGIENIC HAZARDS

The objective of this study was to investigate awareness and attitude regarding food‐related hygienic practices in the home. For this purpose and within a sanitary education program in pricary schools in a town of Central Italy, a questionnaire was used to collect information from parents of pupils. The questionnaire included questions in four major areas: personal hygiene and cleaning up procedures; meal preparation; food storage; and knowledge of key terms and concepts pertaining to food safety. Analysis of 183 questionnaires showed either risk of cross contamination, improper thawing of food, or inadequate storing and reheating of cooked foods during home food preparation and storage practice. Particularly, 73% of respondents thawed large pieces of frozen food at room temperature; 89% did not reheat cooked food after it had been stored; 75% stored raw meat and poultry in the upper shelves of refrigerators. Precise information on the lack of food safety practices will facilitate the development of proper consumer education programs.

The camerano study on hypertension: The problem of arterial hypertension in the elderly

The Camerano study on arterial hypertension (AH) was a cross-sectional study, carried out on a large population sample in a small town in central Italy. The main goal was to reveal both the prevalence and certain characteristics of AH in the population examined. The main results, can be summarized as follows: (i) The occurrence of AH in the old (65-74 years) and very old (> or = 75 years) groups was 43.3 and 57.4%, respectively. (ii) isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) was found in 1.7, 23.6 and 3.9% in the adult, old and very old subjects, respectively. (iii) The association of AH with some of the more common cardiovascular risk factors (dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, obesity, etc.) was significant for all the risk factors in the adult group, while in the old group there was a significant association only with the body mass index. (iv) Blood pressure (BP) values during the medical visits were evaluated, and adult versus old subjects were compared, but no significant differences were found.

Incidence and Indications for Cholecystectomy in a Public Health District of a Small Town in Central Italy

There are major differences in cholecystectomy rates between different countries. We prospectively recorded all gallbladder operations in L'Aquila, Italy (a small town in central Italy with a population of about 98,700 inhabitants) from June 15, 1987 to June 14, 1988. During that year 210 cholecystectomies were performed (women and girls = 71.4%), for a calculated yearly incidence rate of 0.212%. Cholecystectomy was elective in 85.2%, urgent in 8.6%, and was performed in the course of other abdominal operations (mainly colon cancer) in the remaining 6.2%. Half (44.3%) of the patients were operated on because of at least one episode of biliary colic, and 9.0% because of an acute complication. Respectively 16.2% and 30.5% were operated on because of dyspeptic symptoms or to prevent symptoms or complications. Gallstones were not found in six, while exploration of the common bile duct revealed gallstones in seven patients. The chemical analysis showed that 84.7% were cholesterol stones (mixed or pure). We presume that most observed differences in cholecystectomy rates between different Western countries are more likely owing to differences in indications for surgery rather than to differences in prevalence of gallstones.

An outbreak of hepatitis a in young adults in central Italy

Between September, 1988 and January, 1989 a common source outbreak of 47 cases of serologically confirmed hepatitis A occurred in a town of central Italy. Thirty-eight cases were primary, three co-primary and six secondary. The highest age-specific attack rate was seen in subjects aged 15-24 years (120 per 100,000); the mean age of cases was 24.6 years and the median age was 22 years. A matched triplet case-control study showed significant association between the disease and consumption of either raw mussels (41% of cases, compared with 10% of controls; P less than 0.0001) or a single brand of mineral water (63% of cases, compared with 41% of controls; P less than 0.05). The mean age of the cases reflects the shift in primary susceptibility to the infection from younger to older age groups, a finding which has recently been demonstrated by several seroepidemiological surveys in Italy.

Multiple risk factors in hypertension: results from the Gubbio Study

The association between hypertension and a number of cardiovascular disease risk factors was assessed in the large population sample of Gubbio, a town in central Italy that dates back to medieval times. The data confirm those of previous studies showing that hypertension is strongly associated with other metabolic abnormalities, such as markedly overweight subjects, hyperuricaemia, hyperglycaemia, hypercholesterolaemia, that may be related to the aetiopathogenesis of high blood pressure and, in addition, compound the risk of major clinical cardiovascular events in people with hypertension. The findings are therefore relevant for prevention strategies. In addition, the association between erythrocyte sodium-stimulated lithium countertransport and hypertension is being studied.

Microclimate and interactions between the atmosphere and Orvieto Cathedral

Some field tests have been carried out to study the weathering of Orvieto Cathedral. Orvieto is a small town in central Italy, sited on the top of a hill, a windy and relatively unpolluted site. The local microclimate, the solar radiation and the induced thermal wave, the main thermohygrometric parameters, the exchanges of heat and moisture and the deposition processes have been carefully taken into consideration with reference to the deterioration of the stone and the fall of the tesseras of mosaic. The thermal pattern of the Cathedral is strongly influenced by solar radiation in that the surface is warmed by the direct radiation which is, however, limited by the surrounding buildings. The different materials and variety of albedos of the coloured tesseras cause thermal gradients and internal stresses. The relative humidity is quite high, especially during the night and, in winter, throughout the whole day. The NNW side of the Cathedral is the coldest and condensation forms in the micropores and on the surface thus favouring the growth of lichens. The diurnal heating of the zones affected by direct solar radiation forces marked condensation-evaporation cycles. The droplets condensing on the mosaic grow until they run off and are partially absorbed between the tesseras, facilitating their detachment. The thermophoretic deposition and the Stefan flow are only seldom active; unlike the inertial deposition which is always present.

A waterborne outbreak of leptospirosis.

During the period from July 10-26, 1984, 33 cases of serologically confirmed leptospirosis occurred in a small town in central Italy. The fatality rate, including the deaths of two unconfirmed cases, was 8.6% (3 of 35). Based on serologic evidence, the infection was caused by leptospires of the serogroup Australis. Epidemiologic study showed that the patients contracted the infection by drinking water from a fountain. The source of leptospiral contamination was probably a hedgehog trapped in a reservoir of water not in use but still connected to the water system of the fountain.