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Biomedical subjects

Z Hrubec

Publications and source records attributed to Z Hrubec.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Childhood cancer among Swedish twins.

The risk of childhood cancer was evaluated among 35,582 twins born in Sweden between 1952 and 1967. Cancers were identified through linkage with national cancer and mortality registries. Overall, 59 childhood cancers and 41 deaths from cancer occurred before the age of 16. For both sexes combined, the cancer incidence was similar to that in the general population of primarily single-born children (number observed/number expected [O/E] = 1.0, 95 percent confidence interval [CI] = 0.7-1.2). For males under age five, cancer incidence was reduced significantly (O/E = 0.3, CI = 0.1-0.7). There was a substantial increase in all-cause mortality among twins (O/E = 3.7), attributable to a high mortality during the first year of life. Excluding this first year, the O/E for death (all causes) was 1.1 (CI = 1.0-1.3). For cancer mortality of both sexes, the O/E was 0.9 (CI = 0.6-1.2), with no significant reduction of risk in any sex-age group. We conclude that with the possible exception of males aged 0-4 years, the childhood cancer risk of twins appears similar to that of singletons.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Residential radon exposure and lung cancer in Swedish women.

A case-control study was undertaken to investigate the role of residential radon exposure for lung cancer. The study included 210 women with lung cancer diagnosed from 1983-1986 in the county of Stockholm and 191 hospital and 209 population controls. Interviews provided information on lifetime residences and smoking. Radon concentrations measured in 1,573 residences of the study subjects showed a lognormal distribution with arithmetic and geometric means of 127.7 and 96.0 Bq m-3, respectively. Lung cancer risks tended to increase with estimated radon exposure, reaching a relative risk of 1.7 (95% confidence interval: 1.0-2.9) in women having an average radon level exceeding 150 Bq m-3 (4 pCi L-1). Stronger associations were suggested in younger persons and risk estimates appeared to be within the same range as those projected for miners. However, further studies are needed to clarify the level of risk associated with exposure to residential radon.

Air Pollution, Indoor↗
PubMed1979

Twin concordance. A more general model.

Estimation of the twin concordance rate for a disease often requires two stages. First, the disease is ascertained in a population or in a population sample, and such twins as are found with the disease become probands. Second, twin pairs with only one proband are further investigated and additional concordant pairs are thus discovered. A mathematical model is presented that allows for continuous variation in completeness of ascertainment in both stages, for correlation within pairs in the primary ascertainment process, and for correlation within pairs in occurrence of the disease. The concordance rate can be estimated by the proband method if secondary ascertainment is complete; other measures of concordance are accurate only if primary ascertainment is complete. A parameter analogous to the concordance rate but related to correlation in primary ascertainment can be estimated from the same data.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1979

Report to the Veterans' Administration Department of Medicine and Surgery on service-connected traumatic limb amputations and subsequent mortality from cardiovascular disease and other causes of death.

Men drafted into the Army, hospitalized during 1944 to 1945 for service-connected trauma to the extremities, and consequently separated for disability were followed for mortality from January 1946 to April 1977. Three groups were established consisting of those whose injury resulted in (a) limb amputation, (b) disfiguration without loss of body part, (c) loss of part of hand or part of foot. Group (a) had a mortality, standardized for age and calendar time, 1.4 times that of Group (b), matched on age and length of service at admission, and 1.3 times that of Group (c), similar on age and length of service to Group (a). The excess mortality of limb amputees was statistically significant (P less than .05) for ischemic heart disease, other diseases of the cardiovascular system, suicide by poisoning, alcholic cirrhosis, and cute pancreatitis. Possibly (P less than .1) there was also an increased risk of diabetes and cancer of the buccal cavity and pharynx.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Twin study of multiple sclerosis: an epidemiologic inquiry.

The National Research Council Twin Registry comprises 16,000 pairs of white male twins, both members of which had been in military service, mainly in World War II. All their available military and Veterans Administration records and their responses to a 1965 to 1970 NRC questionnaire have been coded as to disease. Upon review we found 16 cases of multiple sclerosis (MS) among 15 pairs of twins, for an age-specific prevalence rate of 51 per 100,000 veterans aged 43 to 53--about half the expected frequency. Of the 15 sets, three sets refused cooperation and three were unavailable for study. Nine sets were examined and interviewed together with the mother. One of five monozygotic twin pairs was concordant for MS and in another the co-twin of an MS case had had a solitary episode of retrobulbar neuritis; all others were discordant. There were more definable environmental events (as noted below) among the affected twins than among the unaffected co-twins. The greatest excess was within the 20 years before onset. Summing events across the four 5-year periods before onset, among the 10 MS versus the eight not-MS individuals, there were 5:1 instances of trauma, 8:2 or operation, 7:1 of ether anesthesia, 7:1 of allergy, 10:5 of infection, and 9:0 of animal exposure. Summing these same events within each 5-year period, the MS:control ratios were 9:1, 10:2, 12:3, and 15:4, respectively, for 0 to 4, 5 to 9, 10 to 14, and 15 to 19 years before onset.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

The NHLBI twin study of cardiovascular disease risk factors: methodology and summary of results.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors were studied in 250 monozygotic (MZ) and 264 dizygotic (DZ) male veteran twin pairs, aged 42-56. All coronary heart disease risk factors studied showed significant correlations in both MZ and DZ twins. Substantial genetic variation was detected for height, blood pressure, glucose intolerance, uric acid, plasma triglyceride, and relative weight but little or no significant genetic variability in low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), total plasma cholesterol or hematocrit was demonstrable. These findings suggest that familial aggregation results from genetic influence on blood pressure, glucose intolerance, uric acid, triglyceride and, possibly, obesity, while largely shared environmental factors contribute to familial similarities in HDL, LDL, total cholesterol and hematocrit.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Background of angina pectoris: social and environmental factors in relation to smoking.

Questionnaire data on about 1200 male twin pairs from the Registry at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, and on about 4000 male twin pairs from the Registry of the National Research Council, Washington, DC, have been used to study factors affecting angina pectoris. An operational definition of "angina pectoris" was developed from the questionnaire. In the available data, alcohol drinking, lack of exercise, frequent change of employer, low occupational adjustment and smoking are moderately but significantly related to angina among individuals (disregarding twin relationships) in both Sweden and the US. In monozygous US twin pairs discordant for the above variables, significantly different rates of angina appear only with alcohol drinking. In discordant dizygous US twin pairs, significantly different rates of angina appear with alcohol drinking and with low occupational adjustment. Of the independent variables only smoking and drinking are appreciably associated with each other. These findings suggest that alcohol drinking and to a lesser extent occupational adjustment are related to angina directly and not through their association with other factors such as age, genetic background, smoking, physical exercise and early environment.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Epidemiology of lumbar disc lesions in the military in World War II.

A study was carried out in 1095 first Army hospital admissions for lumbar herniation of the nucleus pulposus (HNP) who were individually matched on age and period of service during World War II to holders of Army National Service Life Insurance policies. For both the cases and the comparison group, data were obtained from military records, particularly records of induction into service. Factors showing a statistically significant positive association (p less than 0.05) with admission for HNP in the entire sample and also among enlisted cases matched to enlisted members of the comparison group were: occupation of craftsman or foreman, married status, rural residence, excess height, excess weight, heavy frame, good posture, defects relating to back or legs, military occupation specialty of ground combat, and rank of sergeant or staff sergeant. Factors showing a negative association with admission for HNP in these same groups were: clerical occupation, two or more battle stars earned and officer rank. Essentially the same relationships were found among cases with surgically confirmed diagnoses of HNP, less than 30 years old at hospital admission, and with recent onset of symptoms, when the cases in these groups were compared with their matches in the comparison group. Mechanical factors related to body build as evaluated by height and weight measurements appear to be of significance in the etiology of HNP. Occupational factors also appear to be of importance. Some cases and some controls were hospitalized prior to the first hospital admission of the case for a disease possibly related to HNP. For that time period there were no remarkable differences between cases and controls in service hospital diagnoses, including those of trauma.

Age Factors↗