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Antifungal activities of selected aromatic plants growing wild in Greece.

Essential oils of Origanum onites, Satureja thymbra, Salvia fruticosa (Greek sage), and Salvia pomifera subsp. calycina plants growing wild in Greece and their components carvacrol, camphor, and 1,8-cineole, were assayed for antifungal activity against 13 fungal species. Among the fungi tested were food poisoning, plant, animals and human pathogenic species. The oils presented various degrees of inhibition against all the fungi investigated. The highest and broadest activity was shown by the carvacrol content oils (O. onites and S. thymbra), while the oil of sage was the least effective. Carvacrol exhibited the highest and 1,8-cineole the lowest level of antifungal activity among the components tested.

Antifungal Agents↗

A comparison of the availability and content of genetic counseling as perceived by hemophilic men and carriers in the U.S.A., Canada, Scotland, and Greece.

A survey study was carried out with 211 hemophilic men and 205 carriers of hemophilia at four hemophilia centers in New York; London, Ontario; the West of Scotland; and Athens, Greece. The participants responded to a questionnaire exploring socio-demographic and medical information, attitudes toward hemophilia, and experience of and attitudes toward genetic counseling. The study shows differences between attitudes of hemophilic men and carriers, differences in perceived problems among patients and carriers in the four centers, and differences in opinions between consumers and professionals. Comprehensive services for hemophilic families available in the New York center facilitate both patient education and satisfaction.

Attitude to Health↗

Martin-Bell syndrome in Greece, with report of another 47,XXY fragile X patient.

A cytogenetic investigation was carried out among 200 mentally retarded boys in Greece for the detection of the fragile X [fra(X)] syndrome. Thirteen patients were found to carry fra(X) (6.5%). Of those, six boys had a history of familial X-linked mental retardation, two had the phenotype of the Martin-Bell syndrome, four had only mental retardation of unknown etiology, and one was a mentally retarded patient with Klinefelter syndrome. The remaining 187 boys were fra(X) negative. Our findings emphasize the importance of early identification of this syndrome in the diagnosis and prevention, through proper genetic counselling, of mental retardation.

Adolescent↗

Autosomal folate sensitive fragile sites in normal and mentally retarded individuals in Greece.

The frequencies of autosomal folate sensitive fragile sites were compared in populations of mentally retarded fra(X) negative (N = 220) and normal children (N = 76) in Greece. In addition, the frequency of autosomal fragile sites was studied in 20 known fra(X) children in order to test if the fra(X) syndrome is associated with general chromosome instability. The frequencies of both common and rare autosomal fragile sites did not differ significantly between the mentally retarded and the normal children, although the rate of expression was considerably higher in the retarded group. Autosomal fragile sites were not increased in the fra(X) patients. Fra(3)(p14) was by far the most frequent one in all groups. The frequency of fra(6)(q26) was found to be considerably higher among the mentally retarded children, this difference being almost statistically significant. Further cytogenetic studies of normal and retarded individuals are required in order to elucidate this point further.

Adolescent↗

Genetic factors in the population of Plati, Greece.

One-thousand, thirty-eight individuals from Plati, Greece were examined for the following red cell antigens, serum proteins, and red cell enzymes A A1 Ai B H; MNSs Mg Henshaw Nya Mur Vw; CCwcDEeCe; K k Kpa Kpb Jsa Jsb; P1; Lua; Fy1 Fy2; Jka Jkb; Wra; Zt; Vel; Swa; Jensen, Radin, Gerbich, Diego, Gregory, Haptoglobin, Transferrin, Acid phosphatase, Adenylate kinase, Adenosine deaminase, Esterase-D, Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, Phosphoglucomutase, 6-Phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, Phosphohexose isomerase, Lactate dehydrogenase, Malate dehydrogenase, and Superoxide dismutase. The results are discussed in detail and compared with other Greek and neighbouring populations. Because of the Plati population's long history of residence in the Cappadocian area of Turkey the data have been compared, whenever possible, with results for that region.

Adolescent↗

Mandible of Ouranopithecus macedoniensis (Hominidae, Primates) from a new late miocene locality of Macedonia (Greece).

In 1990, a new late Miocene locality named "Nikiti 1" or NKT, was discovered near the village of Nikiti (Chalkidiki, Macedonia, Greece) about 100 km east of Thessaloniki City. The locality is situated in the Nikiti Formation, which consists of yellowish sands, gravels and pebbles and has been dated to late Vallesian-early Turolian. Among the initially collected fossils there is a mandible of a hominoid primate, which is described, compared, and attributed to Ouranopithecus macedoniensis. A short review of the species in Macedonia and its phylogenetic relationships are also given.

Animals↗

Health status of the Neolithic population of Alepotrypa Cave, Greece.

During the Neolithic, human health and lifestyle changed following the adoption of domesticated plants and animals and sedentism. This paper presents a study on human osteological remains from Alepotrypa Cave, an important and very well-preserved Late and Final Greek Neolithic site occupied from 5000-3200 BC. The Alepotrypa sample comes from primary and secondary burials as well as scattered bone, and consists of a minimum number of 161 individuals. It includes equal proportions of adults and subadults and males and females, is characterized by high child mortality, and falls within the range of other Neolithic sites in terms of age profiles and stature. The most frequent pathological conditions observed in this population are: 1) anemic conditions (cribra orbitalia and porotic hyperostosis), mild or healed in manifestation, most probably of nutritional origin, resulting from a poor diet focused on terrestrial resources such as domesticated cereals; 2) osteoarthritis and musculoskeletal stress markers, indicative of increased physical activity and heavy workloads; and 3) elevated prevalence of healed, depressed cranial fractures, serving as evidence of violent, nonlethal confrontations. Teeth exhibit a low prevalence of dental carries and linear enamel hypoplasia. The overall demographic, pathological, and behavioral results are consistent with observations of Neolithic populations elsewhere in Greece and the Mediterranean.

Age Determination by Skeleton↗

Etiology of fulminant viral hepatitis in Greece.

The etiology of fulminant viral hepatitis was determined in 65 consecutive cases among 1,814 (3.58%) adults with acute viral hepatitis who were admitted to the Infectious Diseases Hospital of Athens from May, 1981 to August, 1983. Radioimmunoassays were used to detect hepatitis B virus, hepatitis A virus and delta-agent markers. Enzyme immunoassay was used to detect anti-HBc IgM. Hepatitis B virus was responsible for 48 (73.9%), non-A, non-B for 16 (24.6%) and hepatitis A virus for one case (1.5%). The use of anti-HBc IgM identified 10 cases of fulminant type B hepatitis among HBsAg negative, anti-HBc and anti-HBs positive patients. Fulminant non-A, non-B hepatitis was superimposed on 10 asymptomatic HBsAg carriers; delta-agent co-infection was diagnosed in two fulminant type B hepatitis cases. These data show that hepatitis B virus is the major cause of fulminant hepatitis in Greece. HBsAg carriers are at high risk for fulminant non-A, non-B hepatitis. delta-agent does not seem to be as important as in Italy and other countries.

Acute Disease↗

Health reform in Greece: planning and implementation of a national health system.

The health system in Greece has for many years been in a state of continuous crisis. The basic aspects of this crisis involve: a fragmented administrative framework; low level of public expenditure; a significant private sector; inadequate hospitals; skewed manpower; and, a low level of primary care. In 1983, the National Health System (ESY) was established, as an effort to improve the above situation. This article presents the context of the ESY and the situation of the health system prior to and after the establishment of the ESY. The conclusion drawn is that many of the goals of the ESY have not been achieved or only partly achieved, and that a number of the above serious problems still persist.

Greece↗

Diet and colorectal cancer: a case-control study in Greece.

A case-control study probing the role of diet on the incidence of colorectal cancer was undertaken in Athens, Greece, in a population characterized by ethnic homogeneity but substantial heterogeneity with respect to dietary habits. The case series consisted of 100 consecutive patients with histologically confirmed colorectal cancer admitted to two large hospitals of Athens during a 16-month period; the control series consisted of orthopaedic patients, admitted to the same hospitals during the same time period, individually matched to the index cases by age and sex. Dietary histories concerning the frequency of consumption (per month or per week) of about 80 food items were obtained by the same interviewer. Cases reported significantly less frequent consumption of vegetables (particularly beets, spinach, lettuce and cabbage) and, independently, significantly more frequent consumption of meat (notably lamb and beef). Between the two extremes (high-vegetable, low-meat diet versus high-meat, low-vegetable diet) a risk ratio of about 8 appears to exist, sufficient (in size and direction) to explain a substantial part of the international variation in the incidence of colorectal cancer. Significant associations were not found with beer or other alcoholic beverages, and significant interactions were not noted with respect to age, sex and anatomic localization (colon vs. rectum).

Alcohol Drinking↗

Diet and breast cancer: a case-control study in Greece.

A case-control study of the role of diet in the etiology of breast cancer was conducted in Athens, Greece. There are reasons to believe that the diet of the Greek population is characterized by greater heterogeneity than that in most countries where such studies have been undertaken. The case series consisted of 120 consecutive patients with histologically confirmed breast cancer admitted to either of two teaching hospitals over a 12-month period. The controls were 120 patients admitted to a teaching hospital for trauma and orthopedic conditions during the same period. Dietary histories concerning the frequency of consumption of 120 foods and drinks were obtained by interview. Cases reported significantly less frequent consumption of vegetables as a group and, within that group, specifically of cucumber, lettuce and raw carrot. After adjustment for potential external confounding variables and for confounding between food categories, the odds ratio for persons in the highest quintile of vegetable consumers, relative to those in the lowest quintile, was 0.09 with 95% confidence limits 0.03-0.30. That is to say, the lowest quintile of vegetable consumers had about 10 times the breast cancer risk of the highest quintile. For a score based on consumption of only the 3 specified salad items the odds ratio over the extreme quartiles was 0.12 (0.05-0.32). There was no association with consumption of fats and oils, alcohol or coffee, and no significant association with any other major food category (including alcohol and coffee) after adjustment for confounding variables.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Diet and ovarian cancer: a case-control study in Greece.

In a hospital-based case-control study of common malignant epithelial tumors of the ovary, conducted in Athens (1989-1991), 189 cases were compared with 200 hospital visitor controls. Personal interviews were conducted in all cases and diet was ascertained through a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Nutrient intakes for individuals were estimated by multiplying the nutrient content of a typical portion size for each specified food item by the frequency at which the food was consumed per month and summing these estimates for all food items. Data were analyzed using logistic regression, controlling for non-dietary confounding factors, total energy intake and, among nutrients, mutual confounding influences. Adjusted odds ratios (rate ratios) for ovarian cancer, associated with particular nutritional variables, were expressed in terms of increments approximately equal to the standard deviations of (the residual of) the respective nutrients, on a daily basis. The adjusted odds ratios (and 95% confidence intervals) were 0.80 (0.65-0.99) for mono-unsaturated fat and 0.73 (0.61-0.87) for crude fiber. No substantial, statistically significant or consistent independent associations were noted for total energy, total protein, saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, dietary cholesterol, total carbohydrates, sucrose, vitamin C, vitamin A, riboflavin or calcium. These associations, if causal, could explain to some extent the relatively low incidence of ovarian cancer in Greece and other Mediterranean countries as well as the increasing incidence trends noted in these countries during the last few decades.

Adult↗

Abortion and the risk of breast cancer: a case-control study in Greece.

We have examined the association between induced or spontaneous abortion and breast cancer risk in Greece. In a hospital-based case-control study in Athens, 820 patients with confirmed breast cancer were compared with 795 orthopedic patient controls and 753 healthy visitor controls, matched to cases by age and interviewer. Logistic regression was used to analyze the data, controlling for demographic, reproductive and nutritional variables. Odds ratio (OR) patterns were similar for the 2 control series, which were therefore combined to increase precision of the estimates. The risk for breast cancer was not increased for women who had a history of abortion, compared to nulliparous women with no history of abortion. Thus ORs and 95% confidence intervals were for nulliparous women with spontaneous abortion, 1.17 (0.64-2.13); for nulliparous women with induced abortion, 0.98 (0.56-1.73); for parous women with no abortion, 0.56 (0.31-1.01); for parous women with spontaneous abortion, 0.61 (0.33-1.14) and for parous women with induced abortion, 0.99 (0.56-1.74). When the analysis was restricted to parous women, using parous women with no history of abortion as the baseline, ORs and 95% confidence intervals were for induced abortion before first full-term pregnancy, 2.06 (1.45-2.90); for induced abortion after first full-term pregnancy, 1.59 (1.24-2.04) and for spontaneous abortion, 1.10 (0.82-1.40). Our findings suggest that an interrupted pregnancy does not impart the long-term protective effect of a full-term pregnancy attributable to terminal differentiation.

Abortion, Induced↗

Genetic characterization of new Dobrava hantavirus isolate from Greece.

The first complete genome sequence of Dobrava hantavirus isolated from yellow-necked mouse Apodemus flavicollis trapped in the northeastern Greece is described. The S, M, and L segments of the Greek isolate of Dobrava virus are 1673, 3635, and 6532 nucleotides (nt) long, respectively, and encode the nucleocapsid (N) protein of 429 amino acids (aa), glycoprotein precursor of 1135 aa, and the L protein of 2151 aa. N protein contains three cysteine residues conserved in all known hantaviruses, as well as structural domains responsible for the RNA binding and presumable interaction with the apoptosis enhancer Daxx. All cysteine residues and glycosylation sites that are conserved among G1G2 sequences of all hantaviruses species were also found in the Greek isolate. The L protein contains all the polymerase motifs and structural domains found in other hantavirus polymerases. Comparison of the Greek isolate of Dobrava virus with other hantaviruses showed the highest level of sequence homology with Dobrava virus isolate from Slovenia. Other hantaviruses carried by Murinae rodents (Saaremaa, Hantaan, Seoul, and Thailand viruses) were more divergent and hantaviruses carried by Arvicolinae or Sigmodontinae rodents showed the highest genetic diversity with the Greek isolate of Dobrava. The results of phylogenetic analyses confirmed these observations and showed a monophily of all the Dobrava virus strains that, in turn, shared more ancient ancestors first with Saaremaa virus and then with other Murinae-borne hantaviruses.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Natural history of chronic HBV infection: a cohort study with up to 12 years follow-up in North Greece (part of the Interreg I-II/EC-project).

The aim of the study was to assess the long-term outcome of chronic hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers in the general population in North Greece (Thrace), an area with an intermediate endemicity. This was a part of the Interreg I-II EC project. Two hundred sixty three chronic HBsAg+ carriers, median age 34 years (20-65), were evaluated prospectively for a median follow-up of 5 years (2-12). Hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers and ALT were examined every 6 months and serum HBV-DNA every 12 months. Liver biopsy was undertaken at presentation and every 2-4 years. Fourteen of 263 (5.3%) subjects were HBeAg+ and 249/263 (94.7%) HBeAg(-)/anti-HBe+ of whom 48 (19.3%) had elevated ALT, and HBV-DNA levels ranging from 1.4 x 10(5)-4 x 10(7) copies/ml. Inactive carriers (98/195 (50.3%)) had detectable HBV-DNA (median 2.6 x 10(3) range 0.042 x 10(4)-1.9 x 10(4) copies/ml); 4/195 (2%) exhibited HBV reactivation during the observation period (all had HBV-DNA >10(4) copies/ml at presentation). Patients (7/14 (50%) HBeAg+) developed anti-HBe+, annual rate 10%. Subjects (16/195 (8%)) lost HBsAg, all were inactive carriers; 10 developed anti-HBs (annual rate 1%). Liver biopsy was normal or with minimal changes in 92/95 (97%) inactive carriers and remained so at 4 years follow-up. In contrast, 4/48 (8.3%) HBeAg(-)/anti-HBe+ patients with active disease had deterioration of liver histology. In this cohort study: (a) the annual seroconversion rate was 1% for the HBsAg and 10% for the HBeAg, (b) 23.6% of the HBsAg+ carriers had active liver disease and 39% moderate fibrosis at presentation of whom a small proportion deteriorated over the observation period, (c) HBsAg carriers with HBV-DNA level <10(4) copies/ml had persistently normal ALT and unchanged liver histology over the follow-up period of up to 12 years.

Adult↗

Prevalence and genotypic distribution of TT virus in Athens, Greece.

The prevalence of TT virus (TTV) infection in various population groups from Athens, Greece, was assessed by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using two primer sets from distinct regions of the genome: the conventional set derived from the open reading frame-1 (ORF-1) and the new, highly sensitive set targeting the region that includes the TATA signal localized upstream of ORF-2. Based on both primer sets, TTV DNA was detected in 42/50 (84.0%) healthy individuals, 42/50 (84.0%) chronic hepatitis C patients, 31/39 (79.5%) acute non-A-E hepatitis patients (group I), 14/16 (87.5%) renal failure patients with acute non-A-E hepatitis (group II), 47/50 (94.0%) intravenous drug users (IVDU), 36/50 (72.0%) hemophiliacs, and 21/31 (67.7%) hemodialysis patients. The presence of TTV was not associated with any particular risk group, and no differences were observed in relation to demographic, biochemical and virological characteristics between TTV DNA-positive and -negative patients. TTV did not seem to have a profound effect on the course of chronic C or acute non-A-E hepatitis either. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that TTV strains circulating in the greater metropolitan area of Athens belong not only to the G1 and G2 genotypes that are encountered worldwide, but also to G3 and to G5 that are found mainly in Europe and Asia, respectively. Further studies will shed light on the role of this highly prevalent virus.

Adolescent↗

Extraskeletal Ewing's sarcoma: first case report in Greece.

The first case of soft tissue Ewing's sarcoma in Greece is presented. The tumour was a circumscribed large mass at the right calf, was radically excised and histologically proved to be small cell malignant neoplasm, performing the characteristic structural and cytological pattern of Ewing's sarcoma. Systematic clinical and radiological examination was negative. Operation was followed by local radiotherapy and systematic chemotherapy and the patient remains disease-free and clinically in perfect health eight months after the operation. The case is presented with special reference to its histological appearance and its treatment.

Adult↗

Translation and validation of the Depression Outcomes Module (DOM) in Greece.

In Greece, as in other countries, major depressive disorder is underdiagnosed. Its severity, implications and outcomes are often not adequately evaluated. The Depression Outcomes Module (DOM) was developed in order to meet the need for a global assessment of this disorder. The objective of the current study was to estimate the psychometric properties of DOM in a Greek population presenting depressive symptoms. The DOM was translated into Greek. Patients were examined twice (baseline and follow-up assessment). The psychometric properties of DOM were calculated. Subjects were 83 psychiatric inpatients and outpatients presenting depressive symptoms. The measures used were DOM, Structured Clinical Interview for DSM III-R (SCID) and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (Ham-D). The results were: (a) baseline assessment: test-retest reliability k = 0.90, internal consistency 0.93, sensitivity 97%, specificity 90%; (b) follow up assessment: test-retest reliability k = 0.89, sensitivity 81% and specificity 67%. Recovery from depression detected by DOM at the follow-up was significantly correlated both with pharmacotherapy and with a combination of pharmacotherapy and supportive psychotherapy. It was concluded that the Greek version of DOM is a comprehensive, useful instrument for diagnosing, assessing depression and evaluating its outcomes.

Adult↗