Xenofon Gerasimos Kondakis

Epidemiology of human brucellosis in a rural area of north-western Peloponnese in Greece

A case–control study was conducted in a rural area of Achaia in western Greece to examine the risk factors of brucellosis. The participants in the study were 414 (7.5% of the whole population of the investigated municipality). The cases (n = 140) were defined by clinical symptoms and confirmed by a positive standard agglutination test (SAT). All cases have been diagnosed between January 1997 and March 1999 either by physicians of the Local Health Center or by private practitioners. Two criteria were basic to establish the disease. The first one was clinical symptoms such as fever, fatigue, arthralgia and generalized aches and the second was a titer of SAT at least 1:160. Controls (n = 274) were matched with cases for age and gender in a 1:2 ratio. Approximately collection of controls was performed among those presented to the local Health Center for other diseases. Data were collected by the same physician via a personal interview and analyzed by logistic regression models. The overall incidence of the disease in the region was found to be 1110/100,000. Taking ‘no ownership of animals’ and ‘no contact of animals’ as the reference category, the strongest risk factor was trauma during animal delivery with an odds ratio (OR): 24.3; 95% confidence interval (CI): 8.8–67.5 following by absence of stables (OR: 14.4; 95% CI: 4.7–44.1). After application of multivariate stepwise analysis the adjusted risk factors remaining in the model were the place of residence (OR: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.1–3.1), professional occupation with animals (OR: 2.4; 95% CI: 1.2–4.8), absence of stables (OR: 9.1; 95% CI: 2.2–38.7) and trauma during animal delivery (OR: 11.2; 95% CI: 3.2–39.1). Consumption of cheese from pasteurized milk or consumption of cheese matured for over 3 months was found to be a protective factor (OR: 0.27; 95% CI: 0.11–0.67). The detection of brucellosis in animals is essential for the prevention of the disease. In addition efficient preventive measures should be established in order to eliminate the disease.

A STUDY OF RISK FACTORS OF VAGINAL COLONIZATION WITH GROUP B STREPTOCOCCI IN PREGNANCY

Two hundred pregnant women were screened for vaginal Group B Streptococci carriage just before delivery. Fifty non-pregnant women were also examined. Vaginal colonization rate of pregnant women and of non-pregnant women was identical (12% in both groups). None of the personal and social characteristics investigated (age, profession, residence, marital status and education) were associated with higher or lower colonization rates. However the influence of the number of previous pregnancies proved to be significant, as pregnant women with 2 or more previous pregnancies tended to be more frequently colonized than primigravidae or secundigravidae women. These findings are discussed in relation to the possible reservoir of the microorganisms and the route of infection.

Plasma retinol and tocopherol levels in Greek elderly population from an urban and a rural area: Associations with the dietary habits

Data on plasma concentrations of retinol and α-tocopherol in elderly (over 65 years) living in the Mediterranean countries are sparse. In the current study, plasma retinol and α-tocopherol concentrations were determined in 200 healthy subjects (82 men and 112 women) residing in an urban and in a rural area in South Western Greece. High prevalence of low plasma retinol concentration was observed for both sexes in each area. The 16.7% of males in urban and 25.4% in rural area had plasma retinol levels below 0.3 mg/l. The corresponding values for female subjects were 26% and 20.3%. Plasma α-tocopherol was found to be within normal range in the rural area (only one male had plasma α-tocopherol below 5 mg/l) while in the urban area 68.3% of men and 62% of women had plasma α-tocopherol values below 5 mg/l. Differences in dietary habits between subjects living in the rural and in the urban area were revealed through a weekly food frequency questionnaire. This could partly explain the difference in α-tocopherol concentrations between the two areas. The results of this study revealed high risk of vitamin A and E deficiency and suggests that the health care system in Greece should pay more attention on the social and health status of its elderly population.

Leaching of metals in buried industrial sludge, spiked with cadmium, chromium and lead. Results of a trial

Sludge resulting from industrial waste water treatment at the industrial area of Patras, Greece, was spiked with cadmium, chromium and lead and entrenched in 4 experimental trenches. Soil from the unsaturated zone and sludge from the trenches were sampled at successive time points over a period of 14 months to monitor the movement of metals. Results showed that 94% of cadmium and 80% of lead but only 32% of chromium migrated from the sludge just 14 months after the entrenchment. At the end of this time the buried sludge could be considered stabilised, as indicated by the total nitrogen content. Cd content in underlying soil layers at 3 m depth showed an increase in the first 7 months followed by a decrease, afterwards. Soil Pb concentration at 3 and 6 m depth was significantly high, in relation to its initial concentration 14 months after the entrenchment. Pb and Cd in the soil samples were negatively correlated. It is suggested that lead displaces cadmium in the sediments.

Assessment of the Possible Mutagenic Potential in Drinking Water Samples from Areas in SW Greece, Using the Ames Microsome Mutagenicity Assay

The mutagenic activity of thirty drinking water samples from 30 small communities in the districts of Achaia and Elia located in SW Greece as well as seven samples from the city of Patras (in the same area with 153 000 inhabitants) were examined during the years 1994–1995. The organic extract from 300–400 L of water was collected from each station and was subjected to the Ames mutagenicity assay using four genetically mutated strains of Salmonella typhimurium (TA97a, TA98, TA100, TA102) with or without metabolic acivation (10% S9). At the same time, several physicochemical characteristics of the samples were measured. Criteria for the mutagenic activity of the water samples were based on the two-fold rule and the significant non-zero slope of the linear dose response curve. In 84% of the samples at least one assay fulfilled both the two-fold rule and the significant slope and could be considered mutagenic. Thirty nine per cent (39%) of the samples were considered to show a strong mutagenic response, as in these samples the simultaneous satisfaction of the two criteria was observed in at least 3 assays out of eight. The mutagenic response was shown to be higher in chlorinated compared to untreated water samples. In the city of Patras, drinking water showed an increased mutagenic potential in comparison to an earlier study, regardless of the disinfecting process (chlorine or chlorine dioxide). The authors discuss the possibility that mutagenic activity was dependent on interaction among various organic compounds, metals and other water constituents.

Prevalence of asymptomatic carriers of Chlamydia trachomatis among pregnant and non-pregnant women in south-western Greece

One-hundred-ninety-three pregnant and seventy five non-pregnant women, aged 18–35 years, were examined for endocervical infection with Chlamydia trachomatis using an enzyme immunoassay technique on cervical specimens. Chlamydia trachomatis was discovered in 7.2% of the pregnant women and in 10.6% of the non-pregnant ones. There was no correlation between chlamydia infection and either previous vulvovaginitis, previous pregnancies or pregnancy outcome. However, younger, more highly educated women with high sexual promiscuity tended to be more frequently colonized.

Is natural infection with M. tuberculosis protective against cancer

In order to investigate the effect of natural infection with M. tuberculosis on cancer incidence, a case-control study was undertaken on 108 recently diagnosed cancer cases (all sites) and 317 controls. After removal of cancer cases or controls considered immunoincompetent (25% and 17% respectively), the remaining subjects were tested by intradermal injection of tuberculin (5 I.U.). Results were compared separately for each sex. It was observed that the proportion of tuberculin-negative subjects was higher in cancer patients than in controls within each sex (males 31.3% vs 20.1%, females: 59.2% vs 37.3%) the difference in females being statistically significant ( p < 0.02). Odds ratio for negative tuberculin test was 1.80 and 2.44 for males and females respectively. The results are discussed on the basis of cell-mediated immunity produced by infection with M. tuberculosis and its relations with tumor growth.