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Biomedical subjects

J Lellouch

Publications and source records attributed to J Lellouch.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Anxiety disorders in a French general psychiatric outpatient sample. Comparison between DSM-III and DSM-IIIR criteria.

In a general psychiatric outpatient sample (n = 1271) gathered through a cross-national French survey, anxiety and somatoform syndromes were assessed according to DSM-III and DMS-III-revised criteria. Lifetime and one-month prevalence rates in this population are provided and the high level of comorbidity between the anxiety syndromes is noted. The patient symptom profiles for panic syndrome, simple attacks, agoraphobia and generalized anxiety are displayed. The conspicuous consequences of the modifications brought in by the Revision-anticipatory anxiety in panic syndrome, and restricted period criteria for generalized anxiety- are discussed, with the conclusion that more field study assessment is required before further revision.

Anxiety Disorders↗
PubMed1989

Short-term effects of sulphur dioxide pollution on mortality in two French cities.

To assess the short-term effects of sulphur dioxide (SO2) atmospheric pollution on mortality a study was conducted in two large French cities, using daily measures of pollution and mortality. A statistically significant association between daily SO2 pollution and respiratory deaths up to 10 days later was shown in both cities for both male and female populations together in the age group 65 years and over. No coherent results were found between SO2 pollution and cardiovascular deaths, or between suspended particulates and either respiratory or cardiovascular deaths. Particular emphasis was put on the use of correct statistical procedures using time series analysis and on the comparison of the part played by SO2 or suspended particulates on mortality.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1988

Leukocyte count and bronchial hyperresponsiveness.

The relationship of total and differential blood leukocyte counts with bronchial methacholine response was studied in a population-based sample of 324 men. Geometric mean total leukocyte counts were significantly higher in reactors (6567 cells/mm3) than in nonreactors (5732 cells/mm3; p = 0.003). After adjusting for smoking habits, a factor contributing to both an elevation in peripheral leukocyte count and an increased level of airway responsiveness, reactor status remained significantly associated with leukocyte count. This association also persisted after controlling, with a logistic model, for atopy and common cold (marker of infection) and after excluding men with a history of asthma, chronic bronchitis, or low FEV1. Study of the differential leukocyte counts has shown that an increase was present for almost every type of leukocyte, and particularly evident for neutrophils. Whether these findings reflect an association between bronchial hyperresponsiveness and cellular inflammation needs more investigation.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Blood pressure and erythrocyte Na+ transport systems in a French urban male population.

This paper reports an investigation of blood pressure (taken as a continuous variable) as a function of: erythrocyte Na+ content; Na+,K+ pump; Na+,K+ cotransport and Na+,Li+ countertransport fluxes, and passive cation permeabilities in fresh erythrocytes from 129 French males who were living in an urban area and were not under treatment for any medical condition (after allowing for the effects of age, body mass index, alcohol and tobacco consumption). In contrast with previous findings in a North American population, we were unable to confirm that blood pressure was correlated with erythrocyte Na+ content and Na+,K+-AT-Pase activity. Conversely, the only transport parameter correlated (negatively) with blood pressure was outward Na+,K+ cotransport [r = -0.20, P less than 0.05 and r = -0.19, P less than 0.05, for systolic (SAP) and diastolic arterial pressure (DAP), respectively; n = 114]. When allowing for age, body mass index and alcohol consumption, the correlation coefficient between the Na+,K+ cotransport system and blood pressure increased from -0.20 to -0.28 (P less than 0.01) for SAP and from -0.19 to -0.28 (P less than 0.01) for DAP (n = 105). We conclude that the correlations between blood pressure and erythrocyte Na+ transport function could differ between North American and French (or Mediterranean) populations. In any case, a decreased pump or outward Na+,K+ cotransport activity may lead hypertensive subjects to a similar increase in cell Na+ (and Ca2+) content in the vascular wall.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Relation of perceived nasal and bronchial hyperresponsiveness to FEV1, basophil counts, and methacholine response.

Perceived nasal and bronchial hyperresponsiveness to tobacco smoke and cold air were assessed in 912 working men in the Paris area. Baseline lung function measurements and peripheral leucocyte counts with standard differential counts were performed. At least one perceived nasal or bronchial hyperresponsiveness symptom was reported by 15.7%. Current smoking was significantly less frequent among those with cough induced by tobacco smoke. Rhinitis induced by cold air was associated with lower FEV1 (p less than 0.01) and the association remained after adjustment for smoking, asthma, and wheezing (p = 0.06). Symptoms induced by cold air were related to circulating basophils. Neither perceived nasal nor perceived bronchial hyperresponsiveness was significantly related to the airway response to methacholine in a sample of the group (n = 324) surveyed again five years later. The result suggest that the symptom of rhinitis provoked by cold air is a possible "new" risk factor or marker for chronic airflow limitation.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Influence of membrane sodium transport upon the relation between blood lead and blood pressure in a general male population.

Five red blood cell cation transport systems (RBCTS), together with blood lead level and blood pressure, were measured in 129 male adult subjects who were not occupationally exposed to lead or subsequent to a course of treatment for hypertension. Blood lead was positively related with systolic blood pressure, and to a lesser degree with diastolic blood pressure. Blood lead was found significantly negatively related to one of the RBCTS, Na+,K+ cotransport, and in addition, Na+,K+ cotransport appeared negatively related to blood pressure. Final results showed that blood lead no longer accounts for an increase in systolic blood pressure when Na+,K+ cotransport was taken into account; the same trend was observed with diastolic blood pressure. These findings suggest that a blood lead-related Na+,K+ cotransport impairment could explain the blood pressure increase observed to parallel the blood lead increase.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

[Atmospheric pollution and chronic respiratory diseases].

A national cooperative study was conducted from 1974 to 1976 in twenty-four areas located in six French cities, in order to investigate the relationships of air pollution to ventilatory function and the prevalence of respiratory symptoms. The concentrations of the following pollutants were daily measured: SO2, suspended particulates, NOx. The population included men and women, non manual workers, aged 25 to 59, and children, aged 6 to 10. The respiratory symptoms and other characteristics of the subjects were recorded and their ventilatory function was measured with a dry expirograph. The main results were as following: a) in adults of both sexes, the pollution in SO2 was associated with the prevalence of lower respiratory symptoms. b) in children, it was associated with the prevalence of upper respiratory symptoms. c) in both adults and children, the higher the SO2 concentration, the lower the FEV1. d) no other pollutant was related to respiratory diseases.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Diagnostic reliability among French psychiatrists using DSM-III criteria.

The reliability of French psychiatrists using DSM-III axis I disorders was studied using videotaped semi-structured diagnostic interviews, 136 psychiatrists with different levels of clinical experience classified 11 cases into six preselected diagnostic categories: Schizophrenia, Major Depressive Episode, Dysthymic Disorder, Cyclothymic Disorder, Other Psychiatric Diagnosis, No Present Psychiatric Diagnosis. A modified Kappa coefficient for multiple observers was used to calculate agreement and thereby estimate reliability. We obtained an overall Kappa of 0.55 for six categories, and when the Dysthymic and Cyclothymic Disorders were combined into one class, i.e. other specific affective disorders, the Kappa value increased to 0.64. The Kappa value for individual categories was best for Schizophrenia and Major Depressive Episode, and poor for Dysthymic and Cyclothymic Disorders. Clinical experience or prior knowledge of DSM-III criteria did not have a significant effect on reliability.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Eosinophils, smoking, and lung function. An epidemiologic survey among 912 working men.

The relationship of eosinophilia with smoking habits and with baseline lung function measurements has been studied in a working population of 912 men in the Paris area. Absolute numbers of eosinophils were related significantly to a history of asthma and eczema in childhood as well as to current tobacco consumption, whereas the percentage of eosinophils was related only to the occurrence of asthma and eczema. Forced expiratory volume in one second adjusted for smoking was significantly related to asthma, the presence of a common cold on the day of examination among those with a history of wheezing, and the percentage of eosinophils. The association between FEV and eosinophils was restricted to never smokers. Among never smokers without a history of asthma, eczema, wheezing, or a common cold on the day of examination, eosinophil percentages and counts were significantly associated with the level of FEV; eosinophil percentages explained 4.4% of the variance of FEV. These results suggest that eosinophilia might be a risk factor for chronic air-flow limitation among adult nonsmokers.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Smoking does not reduce the functional activity of serum alpha-1-proteinase inhibitor. An epidemiologic study of 719 healthy men.

The present study was aimed at testing the hypothesis that smoking, the major risk factor for the development of pulmonary emphysema, impairs the functional activity of alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor (alpha 1-antitrypsin). We used a population of 719 apparently healthy subjects. The serum concentrations of immunoreactive and functionally active alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor were measured by radial immunodiffusion and inhibition of porcine pancreatic elastase, respectively. Both the immunoreactive and functionally active levels of serum alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor were found to increase with tobacco consumption, but the ratio between the 2 concentrations was independent of smoking. Smoking does not, therefore, impair the functional activity of alpha1-proteinase inhibitor.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

[Estimation of the hazards ratio in two grouped samples].

A simple estimator of the hazards ratio of two grouped samples is proposed. If the number of time grouping intervals is fixed, the following asymptotics hold: unbiasedness, and full efficiency when the true hazards ratio is 1 and the probability of failure in each interval is small. Under the latter condition, the estimator is equivalent to "MHP" estimator (Mantel-Haenszel estimator for a Poisson model). Simulations show that this estimator performs better than others when grouping is coarse. An asymptotically unbiased estimator of its variance is proposed.

Biometry↗
PubMed1985

[Effects of misclassification in epidemiology].

It is well known that misclassification errors, even seemingly moderate ones, may lead to important underestimations of the magnitude of the association between risk factor and disease. The purpose of this paper is to study the loss of efficiency produced by those errors in different situations often encountered in epidemiology.

Classification↗
PubMed1984

[The search for new risk factors in epidemiology. A few considerations].

This paper discusses three aspects of the design and analysis of studies intended to find out new risk factors: the formulation of the problem (explanatory or pragmatic), the importance of moderate misclassifications on efficiency, the definition and taking into account of confounding factors.

Classification↗
PubMed1982

Occupational exposure and 12-year spirometric changes among Paris area workers.

A follow-up study over 12 years was conducted among 556 men aged 30 to 54 in 1960 and working at that time in factories around Paris (France). Various occupational exposures were recorded at the time of the 1960 survey after a technical study of each workplace. The annual rate of decline of FEV1 during 12 years was estimated for each subject from the measurements in 1960 and 1972. This rate (the FEV1 slope) was related independently of FEV1 level (which reflects the loss since the beginning of adult life) and of smoking habits to occupational exposure to dust, gases, and heat. FEV1 slope was significantly related to inhalation of mineral dust (even in the absence of silica) as well as to grain dust, and the slope was steeper with increased intensity of exposure to dust. Analysis of job changes showed that among heavily exposed subjects, those who changed jobs had a less steep slope than those who did not. Our results support the hypothesis of a causal role of exposure to dust in the development of chronic airflow obstruction and of a benefit when exposure to dust ceases. Exposure to dust, gas, and heat usually occurred together so data on gas and heat were analysed after taking account of exposure to dust. The influence of heat on FEV1 decline showed a clear trend. Results suggest that exposure to gases associated with exposure to dust or heat or both had a deleterious effect. After adjusting for age, smoking, and FEV1 level (ASLA) the following average slopes were obtained: 44 ml/a (for exposure to none or to only a slight amount of dust, or to gases alone), 51 ml/a (heat), 53 ml/a (noticeable dust), 55 ml/a (noticeable dust and heat), 60 ml/a (noticeable dust, heat, and high concentration of gases). Independently of the occupational exposures, ASLA FEV1 slopes among manual workers were related to skill, being 44 ml/a for skilled and 51 ml/a for unskilled men. Independently of social class and occupational exposures recorded, there were differences in FEV1 slopes by factory, suggesting that one should not rely on using one factory as the control of studies of occupational exposure to another.

Chemical Industry↗