Biomedical subjects

E L Peterson

Publications and source records attributed to E L Peterson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2000

A second look at comorbidity in victims of trauma: the posttraumatic stress disorder-major depression connection.

BACKGROUND: We examine whether traumatic events increase the risk for major depression independent of their effects on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHODS: Data come from the Epidemiologic Study of Young Adults in southeast Michigan (N = 1007). Retrospective and prospective data were used to estimate the risk of major depression in persons with PTSD and persons exposed to trauma with no PTSD, compared with persons who did not experience a trauma. National Comorbidity Survey data were used to evaluate the influence of trauma type. RESULTS: In the retrospective lifetime data, hazard ratios were, for first-onset major depression in exposed persons with PTSD, 2.8 and, in exposed persons with no PTSD, 1.3 (not significant), as compared with persons who were not exposed. Corresponding estimates from the prospective data were 11.7 and 1.4 (not significant). The difference in the risk for depression associated with PTSD versus exposure without PTSD is unlikely to be due to differences in trauma type. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of a markedly increased risk for major depression in persons with PTSD, but not in exposed persons without PTSD, do not support the hypothesis that PTSD and major depression in trauma victims are influenced by separate vulnerabilities.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Passive cigarette smoke exposure of infants: importance of nonparental sources.

OBJECTIVE: To learn whether cigarette smoking by persons other than parents significantly contributes to the passive environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure of infants. STUDY DESIGN: A cohort of infants prospectively followed up from birth to age 2 years with monthly questionnaires concerning smoking by different categories of adults coming into contact with the infants. SETTING: Health maintenance organization members residing in several suburban communities of Detroit, Mich, defined by contiguous ZIP codes. SUBJECTS: Ninety-seven (83%) of 117 healthy, full-term infants, thought to be at high risk of allergic disease based on cord blood IgE, who were born to eligible mothers and who completed 24 months of follow-up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Average of bimonthly urinary cotinine-creatinine ratios (CCRs) during the 2 years of the study. RESULTS: There were significant correlations (r</=0.28, P</=.005) between the frequency of smoking by all 7 categories of adults considered and the average CCRs of the infants. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that average urinary CCRs were significantly associated not only with smoking by the infant's parents, but also with smoking by workers at day care away from the home, persons visited away from the home, and persons other than parents residing in the home (overall R(2) = 0.72, P =.001). CONCLUSIONS: Smoking by multiple individuals, other than the parents, significantly contributes to the ETS exposure of infants. These findings suggest that, at least for infants, efforts to reduce the adverse health effects of ETS exposure should extend beyond curtailing parental smoking. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2000;154:1237-1241.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Factors related to methacholine airway responsiveness in children.

Studies of airway responsiveness (AR) have typically used similar dose schedules of methacholine for adults and children despite large ranges in subject size. Reported declines in AR with increasing age in children could be due to maturational changes or to proportionately smaller doses of methacholine in taller (older) children. Other investigators have related both height and various measures of lung function to AR. We examined data related to AR in 471 children, aged 6 to 8 yr, from a birth cohort. Each child underwent spirometry followed by sequential challenge with five doses of methacholine, ranging from 0.025 to 25 mg/ml, given with a dosimeter. Continuous slope and end FEV(1)-change indexes of responsiveness were computed. Using stepwise regression modeling, we found no significant association between AR and either height or age after entering a variable reflecting asthma or wheezing. In contrast, we found that baseline measures of FVC, FEV(1)/FVC, and FEF(25-75%) were significantly related to AR after controlling for other variables (p = 0.001). However, when all three of the latter measures were added to models, FEF(25-75%) was most closely related to AR. We conclude that after control for other variables, FEF(25-75%) and FVC, but not height, are significantly related to methacholine responsiveness in children.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2000

Racial differences in physiologic parameters related to asthma among middle-class children.

BACKGROUND: Asthma morbidity and mortality are higher in the United States for African-American (AA) children when compared to European-American (EA) children. STUDY OBJECTIVES: To explore racial differences in physiologic factors associated with pediatric asthma severity. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. METHODS: We analyzed data from two groups of children in suburban Detroit, one of which contains non-urban, middle-class AA children, a group not usually included in childhood asthma studies. All children were 6 to 8 years of age. Clinical evaluations included medical history, physical examination, skin testing, spirometry, and methacholine challenge. RESULTS: The study population (n = 569) was 14% African American, 51% of the participants were male, and the mean age was 6.8 +/- 0.4 years. Socioeconomic status (parental education) was similar overall by race, although some strata-specific differences were observed. The prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma was 10% for both AA and EA groups. AA children were more reactive to methacholine than EA children (42% vs 22%, respectively; p = 0.001), and had significantly higher total IgE than EA children (geometric mean, 60. 6 vs 27.5 IU/mL; p = 0.001). Serum IgE was related to methacholine reactivity in EA children (p = 0.001), but not AA children (p = 0. 73). These differences remained after adjustment for gender, age, parental education, parental smoking, and maternal smoking during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Our data support previous reports of racial differences in lung volume, airway responsiveness, and serum IgE concentrations. We found a racial difference in the relationship between total serum IgE and airway responsiveness that is unreported elsewhere. Overall, our results suggest that AA children may be predisposed to asthma.

Asthma↗

PubMed1999

Smoking and Parkinson's disease: a dose-response relationship.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether an inverse dose-response relationship exists between cigarette smoking and PD among ever-smokers and ex-smokers. METHODS: Smoking and alcohol consumption were analyzed in 144 PD patients and 464 control subjects, who were frequency matched for sex, race, and age (+/-5 years), in a population-based case-control study of men and women > or =50 years old in the Henry Ford Health System. RESULTS: With never-smokers as the reference category, there was an inverse association between current light smokers (>0 to 30 pack-years) and PD patients (odds ratio [OR], 0.59; 95% CI, 0.23 to 1.53), and a stronger inverse association of PD with current heavy smokers (>30 pack-years; OR, 0.08; 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.62). When former >30-pack-year smokers were stratified by the interval since quitting, there was an inverse association between those who stopped >20 years ago and PD (OR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.42 to 1.75), and a greater inverse relationship with those who stopped 1 to 20 years ago (OR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.19 to 0.72). Alcohol consumption had no independent, significant association with PD, but heavy drinking (>10 drink-years) had a greater effect than light-moderate drinking in reducing but not eliminating the inverse association between smoking and PD. CONCLUSIONS: The inverse dose-response relationship between PD and smoking and its cessation is unlikely to be due to bias or confounding, as discussed, providing indirect evidence that smoking is biologically protective.

Aged↗

PubMed1999

Evaluation of air and dust sampling schemes for Fel d 1, Der f 1, and Der p 1 allergens in homes in the Detroit area.

BACKGROUND: Studies often use a point estimate of allergen exposure without fully justifying the accuracy of this single measure as an estimate of total exposure. Many studies have reported relationships between indoor allergen concentrations and manifestations of allergic disease on the basis of single samples. OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were to (1) characterize the variability in dust and air concentrations of allergens, (2) assess the relationships between dust and air concentrations of allergens, and (3) determine the minimum number and timing of samples to characterize annual indoor allergen exposure. METHODS: As part of a prospective cohort study of asthma in children, air and dust samples were repeatedly obtained from the homes of children residing in suburban Detroit, Michigan. Concentrations of Fel d 1, Der f 1, and Der p 1 were measured in the samples. The results of various patterns of sampling were compared with yearly averages. RESULTS: The concentrations of all 3 allergens in both air and dust varied widely both within and between homes. The allergen concentrations had peak concentrations in the fall. There was little correlation between air and dust concentrations. Our results indicate that as few as 2 or 3 samples taken late in the year provide good estimates of the annual average concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Two or 3 samples, obtained 1 month apart and taken late in the year, represent the best balance between sampling effort and accuracy of the yearly exposure estimates of Fel d 1, Der f 1, and Der p 1 in temperate climates similar to those of Detroit, Michigan.

Air Pollution↗

PubMed1999

Vulnerability to assaultive violence: further specification of the sex difference in post-traumatic stress disorder.

BACKGROUND: We examine potential sources of the sex differences in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the community. METHODS: Data were obtained from a representative sample of 2181 persons aged 18-45 years in the Detroit primary metropolitan statistical area, which is a six-county area containing more than four million residents. A random digit dialling method was used to select the sample and a computer-assisted telephone interview was used to obtain the data. DSM-IV PTSD was assessed with respect to a randomly selected trauma from the list of qualifying traumas reported by each respondent. RESULTS: The lifetime prevalence of exposure and the mean number of traumas were lower in females than males. The overall conditional risk of PTSD (i.e. the probability of PTSD among those exposed to a trauma) was approximately twofold higher in females than males, adjusting for the sex difference in the distribution of trauma types. The sex difference was due primarily to females' greater risk following assaultive violence. The sex difference in the avoidance and numbing symptom group following assaultive violence exceeded the sex differences in other symptom groups. CONCLUSIONS: Future research should focus on sex differences in the response to assaultive violence, including potential explanations for females' greater probability to experience avoidance and numbing.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Adult nutrient intake as a risk factor for Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND: This population-based case-control study evaluated nutrient intake as a risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD) among people aged > or =50 years in metropolitan Detroit. METHODS: Cases (n = 126) were diagnosed between 1991 and 1995 and neurologist-confirmed. Controls (n = 432) were frequency-matched for sex, age (+/-5 years) and race. Using a standardized food frequency questionnaire, subjects reported the foods they ate within the past year. RESULTS: Estimating the association between PD and risk of being in the highest versus the lowest intake quartile, there were elevated odds ratios for total fat (OR 1.94, 95% confidence interval [CI] : 1.05-3.58), cholesterol (OR 2.11, 95% CI: 1.14-3.90), lutein (OR 2.52, 95% CI: 1.32-4.84) and iron (OR 1.88, 95% CI: 1.05-3.38). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest an association of PD with high intake of total fat, saturated fats, cholesterol, lutein and iron.

Aged↗

PubMed1999

A family history of Parkinson's disease and its effect on other PD risk factors.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is likely a result of both inherited and exogenous factors. In a study of 144 PD cases and 464 controls, we used PD family history as a surrogate for inherited PD susceptibility. Cases were more likely to report a first- or second-degree relative with PD: 16.0 vs. 4.3%; odds ratio (OR) = 4. 2; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.3-7.6. A PD family history was a greater risk factor for PD in subjects under age 70 (OR = 8.8; 95% CI = 3.4-22.8) compared with those over 70 (OR = 2.8; 95% CI = 1.3-6. 1) and in men (OR = 8.1; 95% CI = 3.4-19.2) compared with women (OR = 2.6; 95% CI = 1.1-6.0). We also tested whether a PD family history modified the effects of other PD risk factors. In subjects with a PD family history, occupational exposure to copper, lead or iron increased the risk for PD (OR = 3.0; 95% CI = 0.7-13.3), but this was not the case for those without a family history (OR = 1.1; 95% CI = 0.7-1.6). Ever smoking cigarettes was inversely associated with PD in those without a PD family history (OR = 0.6; 95% CI = 0.4-0.9), but was positively associated with PD in those with a PD family history (OR = 1.7; 95% CI = 0.5-5.9). In summary, our results suggest that a PD family history, and perhaps, therefore, an inherited susceptibility, confers a greater risk for PD in men and individuals under 70 years of age and may modify the effects of environmental risk factors for PD.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Occupational metal exposures and the risk of Parkinson's disease.

Occupational exposure to specific metals (manganese, copper, lead, iron, mercury, zinc, aluminum and others) appears to be a risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD) in some, but not all, case-control studies. These epidemiological studies are reviewed. Several methodological issues that may account for the lack of unanimity of findings are discussed, and suggestions for improved case-control methodology are offered. The study of the neurological disease outcome of workers who have had long-term, well-defined occupational exposure to one or more metals is also urged, with collaborative work including industrial hygienists, occupational toxicologists, neurologists, epidemiologists and biostatisticians. Such efforts, employing state-of-the-art case and control ascertainment and enrollment from suitable population bases, neurological diagnostic rigor and exposure assessment, will help to further define the potentially important roles played by metals in PD and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Humans↗

PubMed1999

Short screening scale for DSM-IV posttraumatic stress disorder.

OBJECTIVE: The authors' goal was to construct a short screening scale for DSM-IV posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHOD: They used data from the Detroit Area Survey of Trauma, which is a representative population sample of 2,181 subjects 18-45 years of age. Random digit dialing was used to select the sample, and a computer-assisted telephone interview was used to collect data on traumatic experiences and PTSD. Presence or absence of PTSD was assessed with a telephone-administered structured interview that closely followed the National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule for DSM-IV and the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview, version 2.1. Best-subset regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic analysis were used to select a subset of items from the structured interview that most efficiently predicted PTSD as diagnosed in the full-length interview. RESULTS: A seven-symptom screening scale for PTSD was selected; five of the symptoms were from the avoidance and numbing group, and two were from the hyperarousal group. A score of 4 or greater on this scale defined positive cases of PTSD with a sensitivity of 80%, specificity of 97%, positive predictive value of 71%, and negative predictive value of 98%. CONCLUSIONS: The short screening scale is an efficient method to screen for PTSD in epidemiologic and clinical studies, given limitations on resources and burden on respondents.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Gender differences in total and allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) concentrations in a population-based cohort from birth to age four years.

While serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) concentration has been shown to be related to allergic disease, there have been few studies of the natural history of IgE development in young children. This study compared total and allergen-specific serum IgE concentrations, by gender, from birth through 4 years of age using a population-based cohort of normal children followed from 1987 to 1993. Subjects were enrolled from a geographically defined area through membership in a large health maintenance organization, and they resided in the northern suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. Total IgE concentrations were measured at birth and at 2 and 4 years of age. Specific IgE concentrations to selected common inhalant allergens (dust mite (Dematophagoides farinae), cat, ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia), and timothy grass (Pheleum pratense)) were measured at 2 and 4 years of age. Total IgE increased with age from birth to 4 years for boys and girls, and was higher in boys at 2 and 4 years of age. Girls demonstrated significant increases in IgE to mite and cat and decreases in IgE to ragweed and timothy from 2 to 4 years of age, whereas there was little change for boys except an increase in IgE to ragweed. Differences in IgE development between young boys and girls may partially account for the higher prevalence of asthma in boys than in girls.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1998

Major depression and stages of smoking. A longitudinal investigation.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic studies have reported an association between major depression and smoking. This prospective study examines the role of depression in smoking progression and cessation, and the role of smoking in first-onset major depression. METHODS: Data are from a 5-year longitudinal epidemiologic study of 1007 young adults. Incidence and odds ratios (ORs) are based on the prospective data. Hazards ratios are based on the combined lifetime data and estimated in Cox proportional hazards models with time-dependent covariates. RESULTS: Based on the prospective data, history of major depression at baseline increased significantly the risk for progression to daily smoking (OR, 3.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-8.2), but did not decrease significantly smokers' rate of quitting (OR, 0.8; 95% confidence interval, 0.4-1.6). History of daily smoking at baseline increased significantly the risk for major depression (OR, 1.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-3.4). These estimates were reduced somewhat when history of early (ie, before age 15 years) conduct problems was controlled. Estimates based on lifetime data were consistent with these results. CONCLUSIONS: The observed influences from major depression to subsequent daily smoking and smoking to major depression support the plausibility of shared etiologies. Separate causal mechanisms in each direction might also operate, including self-medication of depressed mood as a factor in smoking progression and neuropharmacologic effects of nicotine and other smoke substances on neurotransmitter systems linked to depression.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Intra- and inter-rater agreement in the assessment of occupational exposure to metals.

BACKGROUND: Among the methods of retrospective occupational exposure assessment, expert review is considered the most accurate. Although expert review provides a more objective measure of exposure, depending on the exposure of interest it may still result in a significant degree of misclassification. METHODS: To evaluate the reliability in occupational metal exposure assessment by expert review, we analysed job history data from a case-control study of a neurological disease. First, one industrial hygienist (IH) did an initial exposure assessment of the metals copper, iron and lead, blinded to case-control status, for 608 subjects who had 3033 total jobs. We then compared exposure assessments from the original review with a second blinded review of 60 job histories (306 jobs) by the same IH (intra-rater) and of 64 job histories (361 jobs) by a different IH (inter-rater). RESULTS: The per cent agreements for the intra-IH comparisons were 89.6 for copper, 87.9 for iron and 94.6 for lead, whereas the inter-IH per cent agreements were 86.4 for copper, 81.1 for iron and 76.2 for lead. Based on the assumption that reliability is related to validity, we calculated an estimate of misclassification of metal exposure by one IH. Our exposure misclassification estimates show a sizable attenuation of the odds ratio, with the expected bias similar for copper and iron when using either intra- or inter-reliability results to estimate misclassification. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that variation in the expert assessment of metal exposure is due mainly to the difficulties involved in transforming an occupational history into an estimate of exposure.

Aged↗

PubMed1998

The risk of Parkinson's disease with exposure to pesticides, farming, well water, and rural living.

We assessed exposure to pesticides, farming, well water use, and rural living as risk factors for Parkinson's disease (PD) in a population-based case-control study consisting of men and women > or = 50 years of age who had primary medical care at Henry Ford Health System in metropolitan Detroit. Enrolled PD patients (n = 144) and control subjects (n = 464) were frequency-matched for age, race, and sex. When adjusted for these variables and smoking status, there was a significant association of occupational exposure to herbicides (odds ratio [OR], 4.10; 95% CI, 1.37, 12.24) and insecticides (OR, 3.55; 95% CI, 1.75, 7.18) with PD, but no relation was found with fungicide exposure. Farming as an occupation was significantly associated with PD (OR, 2.79; 95% CI, 1.03, 7.55), but there was no increased risk of the disease with rural or farm residence or well water use. The association of occupational exposure to herbicides or insecticides with PD remained after adjustment for farming. The association of farming with PD was maintained after adjustment for occupational herbicide exposure and was of borderline significance after adjustment for occupational insecticide exposure. These results suggest that PD is associated with occupational exposure to herbicides and insecticides and to farming and that the risk of farming cannot be accounted for by pesticide exposure alone.

Agricultural Workers' Diseases↗

PubMed1997

Psychiatric sequelae of posttraumatic stress disorder in women.

BACKGROUND: The risk for first-onset major depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders associated with prior posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was estimated in a sample of women. METHODS: The National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule, revised according to DSM-III-R, was used to measure lifetime psychiatric disorders in a stratified random sample of 801 mothers of children, who participated in a study of cognitive and psychiatric outcomes by level of birth weight. Cox proportional hazards models with time-dependent covariates were used to calculate the hazards ratios of first onset of other disorders following PTSD. RESULTS: The lifetime prevalence of traumatic events was 40% and of PTSD, 13.8%. Posttraumatic stress disorder signaled increased risks for first-onset major depression (hazards ratio, 2.1) and alcohol use disorder (hazards ratio, 3.0). The risk for major depression following PTSD was of the same magnitude as the risk for major depression following other anxiety disorders. Women with preexisting anxiety and PTSD had significantly increased risk for first-onset major depression. Additional analysis showed that preexisting major depression increased women's vulnerability to the PTSD-inducing effects of traumatic events and risk for exposure to traumatic events. CONCLUSIONS: Posttraumatic stress disorder influences the risk for first-onset major depression and alcohol use disorder. The causal explanation of these temporally secondary disorders is unclear and might involve the effect of PTSD or underlying vulnerabilities exposed by the traumatic experience.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Sex differences in posttraumatic stress disorder.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic surveys in the general population documented a higher rate of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in women than in men. To date, the finding has received little scientific attention. This study examines the extent to which sex differences in PTSD might be explained by previously identified risk factors and whether the sex difference in PTSD varied by age at exposure to traumatic events. METHODS: The NIMH-DIS (NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule, Version III Revised) was used to measure DSM-IIIR disorders in a random sample of 1007 young adults. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate changes in the hazards ratio for PTSD associated with sex when potential risk factors were included. RESULTS: Lifetime prevalence of exposure to traumatic events and number of traumatic events did not vary by sex. The prevalence of PTSD was higher for women than for men exposed to traumatic events (hazards ratio, 2.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-3.6). Preexisting anxiety disorders or major depressive disorders played a part in the observed sex difference in PTSD. Family history of anxiety disorder and early separation from parents, although significant risk factors for PTSD in subjects of both sexes, were unrelated to the sex difference in PTSD. The sex difference in PTSD was markedly greater if exposure occurred in childhood than later on. CONCLUSIONS: Posttraumatic stress disorder is more likely to develop in females than in males after exposure to a traumatic event. Susceptibility to PTSD in females might be greater in childhood than after age 15 years. Explanations of the sex difference might involve characteristics of individuals and of the traumatic experiences.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Comparability of different methods of retrospective exposure assessment of metals in manufacturing industries.

Many occupational case-control studies have relied on either self-report or exposure assessment based on job titles linked to a job exposure matrix (JEM) as opposed to the generally considered more accurate, but labor intensive, method of expert review of job histories. Our study examined the comparability of these different methods in assessing occupational exposure to the metals copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and iron (Fe) in manufacturing industries. Subjects were older people from a case-control study of a neurologic disease, and consisted of 188 individuals (72% male, 85% white) who had worked an average of 22.4 years in the manufacturing industry. An industrial hygienist review (IHR) of occupational history data from a comprehensive questionnaire was used as the reference method. The percent agreement (%A), sensitivity (SE), and specificity (SP) for direct self-report of metal exposures were: Cu, %A = 94.6, SE = 83.6, SP = 96.1; Pb, %A = 91.9, SE = 72.5, SP = 93.5; and Fe, %A = 82.7, SE = 64.5, SP = 88.1. Using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) JEM, we analyzed the jobs of 115 of the 188 study subjects who had all their jobs listed in the JEM. Exposure assessment based on the NIOSH JEM compared with the IHR resulted in greater misclassification relative to direct self-report: Cu, %A = 81.5, SE = 21.2, SP = 89.2; Pb, %A = 86.0, SE = 0.0, SP = 92.6; and Fe, %A = 69.2, SE = 15.5, SP = 86.4. For all three study metals, combining the information from both direct self-report and the JEM did not improve upon the results compared with direct self-report alone. Due to the complex nature of metal exposure assessment, we suggest using an expert review of job histories whenever possible to minimize potential misclassification.

Aged↗