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Biomedical subjects

M S Cattaruzza

Publications and source records attributed to M S Cattaruzza.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Epidemiology of laryngeal cancer.

Laryngeal cancer is the second most common respiratory cancer after lung cancer. Its incidence is increasing over time in much of the world and this increase is generally accepted to be related to changes in tobacco and alcohol consumption. It is a relatively common cancer in men, but rarer in women. Moreover, interesting new issues have been raised recently about the influence of other possible risk factors. Evidence from epidemiological studies which supports the involvement of new risk factors in the aetiology of larynx cancer, as well as new perspectives in therapy, must be taken into consideration in order to realise primary and tertiary prevention. However, it remains clear that, even as new evidence continues to amass about a wide range of risk factors, primary prevention of the great majority of laryngeal cancers could be achieved by elimination of tobacco smoking and reduction of consumption of alcoholic beverages. With an additional contribution from adoption of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, the great majority of laryngeal cancer appears to be preventable within our current epidemiological knowledge.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Risk factors for caesarean section in Italy: results of a multicentre study.

A recent large increase in Caesarean section (CS) in Italy was the initial stimulus for a study to identify risk factors for CS and, if possible, to suggest strategies to counteract the rise. The study was conducted in three hospitals where a wide range of individual variables was collected from the clinical records and from personal interviews. Crude CS rates and odds ratios were evaluated for each single variable while logistic regression has been used to investigate possible confounding factors. The study involved 1316 consecutive deliveries. Crude CS rates were 29.4%, 15.7% and 16.1%. Variables identified as high risk factors were pre-eclampsia, previous CS, breech and other non-vertex presentations. Antenatal care under an obstetrician working in the same hospital, a low number of antenatal consultations, previous miscarriages, offer (by obstetrician) and request (by women) for CS showed significantly high odds ratios (ORs). Previous live births was strongly negatively associated with CS. No relationship between type of delivery and social status was observed while a physician factor was detected in all three hospitals where rates for different physicians ranged from 0% to 52.8%. Apart from the main medical indications for Caesarean section (previous CS, breech presentation), the results seem to indicate that individual practice style may be an important determinant of the wide variation in the rates of Caesarean delivery. While this may have been suspected before this study, these results are the first hard data to indicate that, in Italy, CS is widely performed for non-medical reasons.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Immune response of the elderly to rabies vaccines.

A serological study has been performed to detect the antibody response to full schedules of two anti-rabies vaccines (PDEV and HDCV). Subjects aged > 50 years, compared with subjects 11-25 years, showed significantly lower titres after the 4th dose (and, to a lesser extent, after the 5th dose), suggesting that, among the elderly, the 6th dose is strongly desirable.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Trend of caesarean section in Italy: an examination of national data 1980-1985.

An Italian nationwide presentation of data concerning the proportion of births by caesarean section (CS) for the period 1980-1985 is presented here. A constant increase in CS was noted, from 11.2% in 1980 to 15.8% in 1985. The increase was observed in all regions while higher rates were noted in northern and central Italy. CS rates are higher in older age groups, in pregnancies from 29th to 35th week of gestation for high and low birthweights and malpresentations. Ecological associations revealed that CS is positively related to economic development and negatively to perinatal and stillbirth rates.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Restoration-related salivary Streptococcus mutans level: a dental caries risk factor?

OBJECTIVES: The salivary level of Streptococcus mutans related to filled teeth was compared with the levels related to decayed and sound teeth, in order to establish whether the presence of restorations may increase the risk of infection of other teeth by Streptococcus mutans. METHODS: The sound, decayed and filled teeth were recorded in 809, 6-7-year-old school-children. Salivary Streptococcus mutans detection (i.e. more than 1 x 10(4) CFU/ml) and counts were evaluated. Streptococcus mutans log count means and prevalence values of subjects with only sound teeth (group 1), with filled, without decayed teeth (group 2), with decayed, without filled teeth (group 3), were calculated and compared using the Student's t-test and the chi-square test. The effect of filled, decayed and sound teeth on Streptococcus mutans level was also evaluated using logistic regression. RESULTS: Log count means and prevalence values of group 2 subjects were significantly lower than values of group 3 subjects (means, 0.92 vs 1.66: prevalence, 73.17% vs 94.63%) and statistically not-different from values of group 1 subjects (mean. 0.75: prevalence, 70.06%). The logistic regression analysis showed that the factors significantly increasing the risk of Streptococcus mutans being detected in saliva were only primary and/or permanent decayed teeth. The risk of Streptococcus mutans being detected in saliva was not affected by filled teeth more than sound teeth. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study population, the salivary Streptococcus mutans level attributable to filled teeth was low; this suggests that treatment of a carious lesion would cause a lowering of Streptococcus mutans concentration to the same levels as those shown by healthy subjects, thus reducing the risk of infection to other teeth.

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Stressful life events, social support, attachment security and alexithymia in vitiligo. A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: It has often been suggested that stress might trigger vitiligo. However, only one study supported this hypothesis, and no study explored the role of other personality or social factors. METHODS: Out-patients experiencing a recent onset or exacerbation of vitiligo (n = 31) were compared with out-patients with skin conditions in which psychosomatic factors are commonly were regarded as negligible (n = 116). Stressful events during the last 12 months were assessed with Paykel's Interview for Recent Life Events. Attachment style, alexithymia and social support were assessed with the 'Experiences in Close Relationships' questionnaire, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, respectively. RESULTS: Cases and controls did not differ regarding the total number of events and the number of undesirable, uncontrollable or major events. Three or more uncontrollable events had occurred more frequently among cases than controls. Perceived social support was lower in cases than in controls. Cases scored higher than controls on anxious attachment, tended towards higher scores on avoidant attachment and were classified more often as insecure. Cases scored higher than controls on the TAS-20 and were classified more often as alexithymic or borderline alexithymic. The occurrence of many uncontrollable events, alexithymia and anxious attachment were associated with vitiligo also in multiple logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that vulnerability to vitiligo is not increased by stressful events, except for many uncontrollable events. Alexithymia, insecure attachment and poor social support appear to increase susceptibility to vitiligo, possibly through deficits in emotion regulation or reduced ability to cope effectively with stress.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Psychosomatic factors in first-onset alopecia areata.

Although the onset of alopecia areata has often been anecdotally linked with emotional stress, findings from the few controlled studies have not been univocal. The authors compared outpatients experiencing a recent onset of alopecia areata (N=21) with outpatients affected by skin conditions commonly believed as having a low psychosomatic component (N=102). Participants were administered Paykel's Interview for Recent Life Events, the Experiences in Close Relationships scale, the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Multiple logistic regression was used to control for age and gender. The total number of recent life events (last 12 months) was not different between the alopecia patients and the comparison subjects. Also, the alopecia patients and the comparison subjects did not differ in terms of the number of undesirable or major events. The comparison subjects even experienced a greater number of uncontrollable events. Alopecia areata tended to be associated with high avoidance in attachment relationships, high alexithymic characteristics, and poor social support. The results suggest that personality characteristics might modulate individual susceptibility to alopecia areata.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Stress, social support, emotional regulation, and exacerbation of diffuse plaque psoriasis.

The authors' aim was to investigate the role of stressful events, perceived social support, attachment security, and alexithymia in triggering exacerbations of diffuse plaque psoriasis. Inpatients experiencing a recent exacerbation of diffuse plaque psoriasis (N=33) were compared with inpatients with skin conditions believed to have a negligible psychosomatic component (N=73). Stressful events during the last year were assessed with Paykel's Interview for Recent Life Events. Attachment style, alexithymia, and perceived social support were assessed with the Experiences in Close Relationships questionnaire, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, respectively. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to control for age, gender, education, marital status, and alcohol consumption. In relation to comparison subjects, the patients with psoriasis had lower perceived social support and higher attachment-related avoidance. Also, they were more likely to have high alexithymic characteristics. There were no differences between the patients with psoriasis and the comparison subjects in scores on the Experiences in Close Relationships anxiety scale, the total number of stressful events, and the number of undesirable, uncontrollable, or major events. Although caution should be applied in generalizing these findings to outpatients, this study suggests that alexithymia, attachment-related avoidance, and poor social support might increase susceptibility to exacerbations of diffuse plaque psoriasis, possibly through impaired emotional regulation. Several physiological mechanisms involving the neuroendocrine and the immune system might mediate the interplay between stress, personality, and diffuse plaque psoriasis.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Spontaneous abortion in Italy: social differences and temporal trends].

Spontaneous abortion in Italy between 1980 and 1993 has been analysed with particular reference to temporal trends and to indicators of social status (level of education and occupation of the women). Each year about 50,000 spontaneous abortions are notified in Italy and the trend is slightly increasing. The national rate passed from 8 to 9 spontaneous abortions per 100 conceptions during the period 1983-93. Geographically, the rate decreases from North to South (respectively from 11-12 to 6-8 spontaneous abortions per 100 known conception in 1993). The national rate of spontaneous abortion is slightly higher for women with little or no education: 9.0 per 100 known conceptions for women with no or primary school certificate (schooling from 6 to 10 years), 8.8 for those with lower school certificate (ages: 11 to 13 years) 7.8 for high school certificate (ages: 14 to 18 years) and 8.3 for university degree, in 1991. There were no significant differences between occupations, excepting agricultural workers who had the lowest rate: 4.1 per 100 known conceptions compared with 8.2 for women employed in industry, 9.3 for other occupations and 8.9 for housewives, students or the unemployed, in 1991. However, maternal age is confirmed to be a more important risk factor: the risk of spontaneous abortion increased from 6-7 per 100 known conception among women aged less than 30 to 20 per 100 among women aged 40 or more. The same effects are found in a logistic regression model.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Indications for caesarean section: results of a local study.

Records from 6820 deliveries of three year (1980, 1985 and 1988) were reviewed in order to collect informations on cesarean section trend and its indications in a public hospital of Milan, Italy. Data show the magnitude of the phenomenon in the wards considered and an evident increase of cesarean section proportion from 1980 (18.6%) to 1988 (26.9%). The frequencies of major indications has not changed much apart from dystocia which has decreased and previous cesarean section which has increased. A logistic regression model was performed to evaluate cesarean section risk factors. Distribution of cesarean section during the days of the week show higher (about 30%) cesarean section proportion Monday through Thursday compared with low proportion (20% or less) on Fridays and weekend-days; this suggesting a possible high proportion of pre-programmed cesarean section.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Nutrition and lung cancer.

It has been suggested that protective factors might explain the differential incidence of lung cancer within a given population. Changes in diet, for example, might modulate neoplastic cell formation, since food contains many modifiers of carcinogenesis. The number of studies carried out so far does not permit to draw final conclusions yet. Interesting topics to be discussed include substances which doubtlessly play no role whatsoever for the prevention of lung cancer, like vitamin C, and those which seemingly do, like selenium. Still others consist in cholesterol, vitamins A and E, for which data are either controversial or, at present, still scanty. Moreover, the paper reviews the importance of interactions among nutrients for their effects on cancer risk. Considering major studies in this field, the review puts into evidence the principal results of research carried out so far.

Cholesterol, Dietary↗