Biomedical subjects

J Olsen

Publications and source records attributed to J Olsen.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2004

The role of sport-fish consumption advisories in mercury risk communication: a 1998-1999 12-state survey of women age 18-45.

BACKGROUND: In 2002, in the United States, 48 states issued advisories for sport-fish consumers that included 39 chemical contaminants. The most commonly identified chemical was methyl mercury, which is linked to reproductive and developmental effects. Advisories to reduce consumption of contaminated fish have been issued by states since the early 1970s. Advisories are being integrated to include both sport and commercial fish. METHODS: As part of a comprehensive risk-communication project, from December 1998 through August 1999 the Wisconsin Division of Public Health and the State of Maine Bureau of Health conducted a 12-state random-digit-dial telephone survey of 3015 women of childbearing age (ages 18-45). The goal was to assess the prevalence of fish consumption, understanding of mercury toxicity, and awareness of state sport-fish consumption advisories for mercury. We gathered information concerning respondents' demographic characteristics, understanding of mercury toxicity, fish consumption during the preceding 12 months, and sport-fish consumption advisory awareness. RESULTS: The overall survey completion rate was 57% with a Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO)-calculated response rate of 50%. Completion rates varied from 37% in New Jersey to 73% in Minnesota. Fish consumption during the previous 12 months was reported by 87% of respondents (range by state of 82-90%). Nearly 10% of women reported consuming two or more fish-meals per week over the prior 12 months. Twenty-nine percent reported sport-fish consumption during the same time period, with a greater state-to-state variability (14-43%). Most women (71%) were aware of mercury's toxicity to a developing child (87% among those aware of an advisory and 67% among those unaware of an advisory). However, awareness of state advisories was only 20%, ranging by state from 8% to 32%. Women who were older, had more than a high school education, and had a household member with a fishing license were the most informed about mercury and fish-consumption advisories. CONCLUSIONS: Most women of childbearing age consume commercial fish and a substantial number also consume sport-caught fish. Despite this potential exposure to dietary mercury, most are unfamiliar with their state's mercury fish-consumption advisory. Most women were aware of the most toxic effects of mercury but less informed about mercury and its relationship to types of fish and fish characteristics. Minorities, women over age 30, family incomes above 25,000 US dollars, and those with some collage education were more likely to be consuming two or more fish-meals per week. Until source control and environmental remediation efforts can reduce the environmental burden of mercury below levels of concern, combined sport and commercial fish consumption advisories will remain the primary means of reducing human exposure to methylmercury. Assuring and assessing the effectiveness of such advisories is paramount. Our survey documents that current efforts to inform vulnerable populations are far from optimal.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

IL-10 and TGF-beta differ in their regulation of aminopeptidase N/CD13 expression in monocytes.

Human monocytic cells express considerable amounts of aminopeptidase N (APN)/CD13, a transmembrane protein proposed to play a role in the modulation of kinins, neuropeptides and chemotactic mediators as well as in adhesion and cell-cell interactions. Previous studies have shown that APN/CD13 participates in antigen processing and presentation, trimming peptides protruding out of MHC class II molecules. In several inflammatory processes, macrophages have been shown to express especially high amounts of MHC class II molecules and of this peptidase. To learn more about the regulation of APN/CD13 on monocytes we investigated its expression under the influence of cytokines. Here, we report a dose- and time-dependent up-regulation of APN/CD13 mRNA and protein expression by transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta on human monocytes. To the contrary, we found IL-10 down-regulating the expression of APN/CD13 mRNA and protein. Both the regulation of the APN/CD13 protein assessed by immunofluorescence and the gene expression assessed by real-time PCR were highly correlated. Using the Dual-Luciferase reporter assay, we demonstrate that TGF-beta treatment of monocytes results in a higher activity of the APN/CD13 myeloid promoter. Our results implicate differences in the expression of the membrane peptidase APN/CD13 and therefore in the peptide-modulating ability of monocytes after exposure to these two immunosuppressive cytokines, TGF-beta and IL-10.

CD13 Antigens↗

PubMed2003

Cancer survival in parents who lost a child: a nationwide study in Denmark.

Psychological stress has been suggested to shorten cancer survival, but few studies have examined the effect of parental bereavement, and the results have been inconsistent. We identified all 21 062 parents who lost a child in Denmark from 1980 to 1996 and among them, 1630 parents with subsequent incident cancer formed the exposed cohort. We recruited 6237 incident cancer patients from a group of 293 745 randomly selected unexposed parents matched on family structure at the same time as the bereaved parents. All incident cancers in the two cohorts were followed to the end of 1997, or until they died. Cox proportional-hazards regression models were used to evaluate the hazard ratio (HR) of dying in exposed parents with cancer. The overall HR of dying from an incident cancer in exposed parents was 1.23 (95% confidence interval 1.03-1.47) compared to parents with cancer who did not lose a child. The HRs were nearly identical to those in the unexposed parents for site-specific cancers like lung cancer, breast cancer, and other groups of cancers like cancers in all digestive organs, smoking-related cancers, alcohol-related cancers, hormone-related cancers, virus/immune-related cancers, and lymphatic/haematopoietic cancers. Death of a child is not a strong prognostic factor for cancer survival among parents diagnosed with cancer after the bereavement. However, a small impairment in overall cancer survival cannot be ruled out.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Viral infection, atopy and mycosis fungoides: a European multicentre case-control study.

Mycosis fungoides (MF) is a rare disease with an unknown aetiology, although it has been suggested that infections may play a role. The present study investigates whether infections, atopic disorders and some other diseases are risk indicators for MF. A European multicentre case-control study involving seven rare cancers, including MF, was conducted from 1995 to 1998. Patients between 35 and 69 years of age diagnosed with MF (n = 140) were recruited, and the diagnoses were verified by a reference pathologist, who classified 83 cases as definitive and 35 cases as possible; 22 cases were not accepted. Of the 118 accepted cases, 104 patients were interviewed (including 76 definitive cases and 28 possible cases). These 76 definitive cases were used for this study. A common set of controls to serve all case groups were interviewed, representing a total of 4574 controls. The latter included 1008 colon cancer patients and 3566 subjects selected from population registers. Information on infections, skin pathology and clinical history 5 years before the diagnosis of MF was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) derived from logistic regression-modelling, which included gender, age and country. The highest ORs for MF were found in patients who reported a history of psoriasis 5 years before MF was diagnosed (OR 7.2, 95% CI: 3.6-14.5). Urticaria had an OR of 1.4 (95% CI: 0.6-3.6). Infections and atopic diseases were not closely associated with MF. Some diseases correlated to MF. Whether this has a causal background or reflects early diagnostic uncertainty is not known.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Psychomotor development in children exposed in utero to benzodiazepines, antidepressants, neuroleptics, and anti-epileptics.

We did a follow-up study based upon a regional prescription register in Denmark. We identified all 435 women who in the period 1991-1996 had redeemed a prescription for CNS drugs during pregnancy. Among the rest of the pregnant women we randomly selected 1304 women who also had given birth to a child in the same region and period. We looked up the local health nurses Boel test results which were available for about 80%. Any abnormal test result was seen much more frequently among exposed (16%) than for not exposed (4%). The study has several limitations but raises concern that should be addressed in other and better designed studies.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Umbilical cord mannan-binding lectin and infections in early childhood.

To investigate whether mannan-binding lectin (MBL) in umbilical cord blood (UCB) is associated with the incidence rate of hospitalizations for infections during early childhood. A follow-up study from birth to 31 months of age, with endpoint data from the Danish National Hospital Discharge Registry. The concentration of MBL and immunoglobulin A (IgA) in UCB was measured in a time-resolved immunofluorometric assay. Information on possible confounding factors was obtained from questionnaires completed by mothers during their pregnancy, and characteristics of the child at birth were registered by a midwife on a structured coding sheet. A total of 2104 infants born in the period between 1 February 1990 and 25 May 1991 to mothers living in the municipality of Aarhus. Concentration of MBL and IgA in UCB, gestational age, birth weight, number of siblings less than 3 years old, mother's smoking habits, alcohol and coffee consumption, educational and marital status and previous spontaneous abortions and stillbirths. Of 2104 children, 626 were hospitalized at least once, and 346 of these were hospitalized with infection. The hazard ratio (HR) of hospitalization with infections in children with low levels of MBL (<120 ng/ml) was 1.4 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.0-1.8), which was similar to our findings on hospitalization because of other diseases. The HR of hospitalization for viral infections was 2.8 (CI, 1.3-5.9). Low levels of MBL in UCB were associated with hospitalization in general and particularly with hospitalization for viral infections.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Glutathione S-transferase genotype and p53 mutations in adenocarcinoma of the small intestine.

Adenocarcinoma of the small intestine (ASI) is a rare disease of unknown aetiology. The glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1) enzyme catalyses the detoxification of compounds involved in carcinogenesis of adenocarcinoma of the stomach, colon and lung, including constituents of tobacco smoke. We investigated a possible interaction between the lack of GSTM1 enzyme activity and the carcinogenic compounds of tobacco smoke. Based on the theory that certain carcinogens cause specific point mutations in the p53 gene we analysed by single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and sequencing, p53 exon 5-8 of 52 samples of ASI collected in Sweden, Germany, France, Italy and Denmark between 1995 and 1997. The GSTM1 gene status was investigated by multiplex PCR. The prevalence of GSTM1 negative genotype among cases with ASI was 69% and higher than previous reports of 50% suggesting a higher risk of ASI among GSTM1 negative compared with GSTM1 positive subjects. A 'case-only' approach was used to address the combined association between the GSTM1 negative genotype and lifestyle exposures in patients with ASI. Using this method, heavy smokers (> 20 pack-years) with the GSTM1 negative genotype had an odds ratio of 4.8; 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.6-38.7) for ASI as compared to smokers who expressed GSTM1. No similar association between alcohol consumption and ASI was found. No p53 mutations in exon 5-8 were found in these samples, but the method may not be sensitive enough to identify smaller differences. Thus p53 does not seem to be the target of carcinogens acting in the small intestine.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2003

Identification of coenzyme A-related tolmetin metabolites in rats: relationship with reactive drug metabolites.

1. It has recently been proposed that acyl coenzyme A thioesters (acyl-CoAs) of xenobiotic carboxylic acids are electrophilic, reactive metabolites that may react with proteins. 2. The primary objective was to investigate the reactivity of the tolmetin acyl coenzyme A thioester (Tol-CoA). The second objective was to identify and quantify tolmetin (Tol) metabolites in vivo that were formed via Tol-CoA, e.g. the glycine (Tol-Gly) and taurine (Tol-Tau) conjugates. This finding would be indicative of Tol-CoA formation and thus of other acyl-CoA-related reactions that might occur, e.g. covalent binding to proteins. 3. In order to study the chemical reactivity, Tol-CoA (0.5 mM) was incubated with glutathione (5 mM) in a 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) at 37 degrees C. Tol-CoA reacted rapidly with glutathione in vitro to form the S-acyl glutathione conjugate at a rate of 14.9 +/- 0.7 micro M min(-1) (mean +/- SD, n = 3) from 0 to 10 min. Compared with acyl-CoAs of other xenobiotic carboxylic acids, naproxen and clofibric acid, the rate by which Tol-CoA reacted with glutathione was high. 4. Following administration of (3)H-Tol (100 mg kg(-1), 200 micro Ci kg(-1), p.o.) to male Sprague-Dawley rats, Tol-Tau and Tol-Gly were identified in urine by electrospray ionization MS-MS in both positive- and negative-ion modes. The conjugates were only formed at trace levels (< 0.5%). However, the presence of Tol-Tau and Tol-Gly showed the reactive Tol-CoA was formed in vivo.

Acyl Coenzyme A↗

PubMed2003

Psychosocial distress during pregnancy and the risk of infantile colic: a follow-up study.

AIM: To examine the association between psychosocial exposures during pregnancy and the risk of infantile colic. METHODS: The study included 378 infants and was conducted as a substudy of the Danish National Birth Cohort from 1997 to 1999, with prenatal data collected twice during pregnancy. A diary with a record for postpartum weeks 4-8 was used to quantify the amount of the infants' crying and fussing. RESULTS: The cumulative incidence proportion of infantile colic was 8.2%. A threefold increased risk of infantile colic (OR = 3.7; 95% CI: 1.1-13.2) was found for mothers who reported distress during pregnancy. Close to a twofold increased risk of IC was found for the women who scored higher than 8 on the psychological distress scale (adjusted OR = 1.9; 95% CI: 0.5-7.2). CONCLUSION: The results indicate that general distress during pregnancy influences the risk of infantile colic. Whether or not this relationship is causal requires further investigations.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Pre-eclampsia and febrile convulsions.

An association between pre-eclampsia and febrile convulsions has been reported, but the association may not be causal. We compared the risk of febrile convulsions in 14 974 children who had been exposed to pre-eclampsia in fetal life with that of 39 210 unexposed children. Children exposed to pre-eclampsia had a slightly increased risk of febrile convulsions, but the association was apparently caused by a shorter gestation in pre-eclamptic women.

Child, Preschool↗

PubMed2003

What characterises a useful concept of causation in epidemiology?

It has recently been suggested that epidemiologists should avoid thinking of causes in deterministic terms. This would mean giving up the component-cause model in its original form. A model that has provided important contributions as to how we develop hypotheses, design our study, analyse data, interpret and communicate our results. The component-cause model has considerably more to offer than a simple probabilistic concept. What a causal model has to offer to the advancement of the discipline is equally important as the concept itself. It has been said that we should not hunt "the Holy Grail" (that is, determinism), if it does not exist. This line of reasoning neglects the fact that the "hunting" is more important than the "finding".

Causality↗

PubMed2003

Shift work and subfecundity: a causal link or an artefact?

AIMS: The Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC) was used to examine whether shift work is associated with reduced fecundity as estimated by time to pregnancy (TTP). METHODS: From 1 March 1998 to 1 May 2000, 39 913 pregnant women were enrolled in the DNBC. Data on job characteristics and TTP (0-2, 3-5, 6-12, and >12 months) were used for 17 531 daytime workers and 3907 shift workers who had planned the pregnancy. Fecundity odds ratios (ORs) were calculated with 95% confidence intervals using the discrete time survival analysis techniques performed by logistic regression. An OR above 1 expresses a shorter TTP and then a higher fecundity. Potential confounders, such as age at conception, gravidity, prepregnant body mass index, smoking, and alcohol consumption, as well as occupational characteristics, were also included in the model. RESULTS: Fixed evening workers and fixed night workers had a longer TTP. Compared with daytime workers, the adjusted ORs were 0.80 (95% CI 0.70 to 0.92) for fixed evening workers, 0.80 (95% CI 0.63 to 1.00) for fixed night workers, 0.99 (95% CI 0.91 to 1.07) for rotating shift (without night) workers, and 1.05 (95% CI 0.97 to 1.14) for rotating shift (with night) workers. When analysis was restricted to nulliparous women, the estimates remained unchanged. The proportions of unplanned pregnancies and contraceptive failures were higher among fixed evening and fixed night workers. CONCLUSIONS: There was no unequivocal evidence of a causal association between shift work and subfecundity. The slightly reduced fecundity among fixed evening workers and fixed night workers may be mediated by pregnancy planning bias or differential options for sexual contacts.

Circadian Rhythm↗

PubMed2002

Do parents of children with congenital malformations have a higher cancer risk? A nationwide study in Denmark.

To investigate whether parents of children with congenital malformations more often developed cancer after birth of the child, a population-based case-control study in Denmark was undertaken. By linking the Cancer Registry with the Central Population Registry, we identified 8783 cancer patients having their first child born between 1977 and 1995 before the cancer was diagnosed. Parents of 41 206 firstborn children of a 10% random sample of newborns from the Birth Registry between 1980 and 1995 were identified as controls. We obtained malformation diagnoses of children of cases and controls by linking to the Hospital Discharge Registry. We estimated the association between malformation and cancer by using logistic regression, adjusting for maternal age at birth and sex of child. We found no increased risk of cancer in parents having children with malformations in general, but a higher cancer risk in parents of children born with cleft lip/palate, odds ratio (OR) for all cancer=1.8 (95% confidence interval 1.0-3.2), OR for lymphomas=4.2 (1.3-13.5) and OR for leukaemia=8.1 (2.0-33.7). This association was not restricted to cancer cases diagnosed shortly after birth of the child. Our results suggest a common genetic association between these diseases, but further studies are needed.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Febrile convulsions and sudden infant death syndrome.

It has been suggested that sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and febrile convulsions are related aetiologically. We compared the risk of SIDS in 9877 siblings of children who had had febrile convulsions with that of 20 177 siblings of children who had never had febrile convulsions. We found no support for the shared susceptibility hypothesis.

Child, Preschool↗

PubMed2002

Practice of directly observed treatment (DOT) for tuberculosis in southern Thailand: comparison between different types of DOT observers.

SETTING: A government health system in southern Thailand where the directly observed treatment, short-course (DOTS) strategy has been implemented. OBJECTIVE: To compare the practice of actual directly observed treatment (DOT) and the observer sustainability for different types of observer. METHODS: During 1999-2000, 411 patients with new smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis were followed up. The patients and/or their observers were interviewed about the presence of any person with the patient during drug intake and the practice of watching the patient swallowing the medicine (actual DOT). Data were recorded monthly and analysed by Cox and logistic regression models. RESULTS: For health personnel (HP), community member (CM), and family member (FM) observers, the proportions who did not practise actual DOT were respectively 11%, 23%, and 35%, and the proportions who changed to no observer or self administration were respectively 11%, 1%, and 2%, during the first 9 months of treatment. Health personnel had the lowest risk of not practising actual DOT (odds ratio HP/FM 0.1, 95%CI 0.1-0.2; CM/FM 0.9, 95%CI 0.5-1.6) but the highest risk for change to self administration. CONCLUSION: To increase the coverage of actual DOT, strategies are needed to maintain health personnel as the DOT observers and to promote actual DOT among family member observers.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

[Staging of rectal cancer by means of MRI. Experiences with the first twenty-five patients].

INTRODUCTION: The Danish Surgical Society recommends preoperative radiation for patients with T4 tumours of the rectum. However, the clinical examination with regard to fixation, especially for tumours in the upper part of the rectum, is encumbered by much uncertainty. MR imaging is a new modality in the staging procedure of the patient with rectal cancer. Our experience with the first 25 patients is presented. METHODS: After clinical examination, an MRI of the rectum was done and in the case of a T4 tumour preoperative radiotherapy was established. Preoperative MRI staging was correlated with the histopathology of the resection specimen. RESULTS: In cases of tumours in the lower third of the rectum, we found total agreement between the clinical examination and the MRI findings. In the middle third it was impossible to assess clinical fixation in two out of seven patients and in the upper third it was impossible in eight out of ten. With respect to possible involvement of lymph nodes, the MRI revealed a true positive diagnostic frequency of 0.78, a true negative diagnostic frequency of 0.92, a true positive nosographic frequency of 0.88 and a true negative nosographic frequency of 0.85. The corresponding values for tumour invasion were 0.94, 0.75, 0.94 and 0.75. DISCUSSION: Our results seem to indicate that preoperative MRI--especially in patients with tumours in the upper two-thirds of the rectum--is suitable for predicting fixation. MRI also seems to be suitable in the complete staging of the patient with a tumour of the rectum.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

[Infantile colic--an assessment of possible risk factors].

Infantile colic is defined as crying or fussing for more than three hours a day for more than three days a week. The aetiology is unknown, although many hypotheses have been examined: allergy, type of feeding, the development of the gastrointestinal tract, the development of the central nervous system, and the mother/infant relationship. The frequency varies between 8% and 40% in industrialised countries. We found that education, parity, age, obstetric factors, and gender were not important risk factors. There are no unambiguous results on psychosocial risk factors and infantile colic. Giving parents advice and education in parenting were more effective than changing diets. Elimination of cow's milk or the diet of the mother had some effect. This review comprises studies where infantile colic is defined quantitatively. Despite this, no unambiguous results, which are consistent with a multifactorial aetiology were found.

Colic↗

PubMed2001

[Significance of prenatal exposure for long-term health effects].

A rapidly accumulating body of evidence indicates that many diseases must be understood in a life-long perspective, as trajectories that start at conception and surface upon clinical detection decades later. We know that some toxic intrauterine exposures may have life-long consequences, such as alcohol and some environmental pollutants, but it was not expected that chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease or some cancers may have a fetal origin. Several research findings indicate that this expectation should be revised. Some studies indicate that sperm counts are declining conceiving the desired number of children. The so-called "estrogen hypothesis" states that this may be due to exposures in the intrauterine environment. About 10 years ago it was suggested that breast cancer originates in utero, which may be true also for cancer of the prostate or ovary. So far the evidence for this hypothesis is only circumstantial, but results have supported the idea. A large number of studies clearly indicate that impaired fetal growth is associated with a number of diseases. It is well known that all organs have time periods of rapid growth which may render them vulnerable to an insufficient supply of nutrition; impaired growth could alter organ structure and functioning, and the fetus could e.g. develop insulin resistance to protect itself from these "hunger" periods. "Organ programming" may be a fact we should consider when studying the etiology of e.g. cardiovascular diseases. These hypotheses--if they should hold true--are promising for new approaches to prevention. Much more work is needed however, before we can visualize these avenues of prevention, and we should make sure we develop the opportunities for doing this work now. It is high time.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗