Cent Eur J Public Health 1996, 4(3)
The incidence of cancer in the Czech Republic from 1973 to 1989: cancers with non-parallel trends in age groups
Fiala J.
Cent Eur J Public Health 1996, 4(3):157-163 
A detailed analysis was made of the malignant cancer incidence rates for the Czech Republic for 1973-1989, concentrating on time trends in five-year age groups. The results were compared with the trend of age-standardized incidence (Standardized Incidence Ratio, SIR) for each cancer type. The dynamics of the changes in the incidence of each type of cancer often proved to be different for various age groups and in some cases even opposite trends were identified: Lung cancer in men-the SIR trend is insignificant, in the 45 to 64 years age groups an increase in incidence, in the 70 to 79 years age groups a decrease; testicular cancer-the SIR trend is...
The effect of cigarettes smoking on the blood counts of T and NK cells in subjects with occupational exposure to organic solvents
Moszczyński P., Rutowski J., Słowiński S.
Cent Eur J Public Health 1996, 4(3):164-168
The study was carried out in a population of 139 men, divided into two control groups: 40 non-smokers and 39 smokers not exposed to chemical compounds, and two groups exposed to them: 19 non-smokers and 41 cigarette smokers with occupational contact with organic solvents. The results of toxicological analyses of air and chromatographic analyses of solvents demonstrated the presence of benzene, toluene, xylene and their partly hydrogenated derivatives, paraffin hydrocarbons, oleins, naphthenes (components of painter's naphtha), monohydric and polyhydric alcohols (butanol, cyclohexanol, butylene glycol) esters (ethyleneglycol acetate, butyl acetate)...
New serotype candidate of Neisseria meningitidis
Krízová P., Musílek M., Danielová V., Holubová J.
Cent Eur J Public Health 1996, 4(3):169-172
In spite of a large collection of MAbs used for the whole-cell ELISA (WCE) in the National Reference Laboratory for Meningococcal Infections in Prague 50-80% of N.meningitidis strains isolated in the Czech Republic remained non-typable (NT) and/or non-subtypable (NST). A project focused on the problem of NT/NST N.meningitidis was started and the new serotype candidate designated "22" resulted from this research. This paper presents the method of preparing and testing of the monoclonal antibody (MAb) specific for this new serotype and the first experience acquired from using it. The new serotype-specific MAb is of IgG3 class, does not react with any...
Assessment of the discomfort threshold of command board operators in automated productions with respect to its application in professional selection
Tzaneva L.
Cent Eur J Public Health 1996, 4(3):173-175
The discomfort threshold problem is not yet clear from the audiological point of view. Its significance for work physiology and hygiene is not enough clarified. This paper discussed the results of a study of the discomfort threshold, performed including 385 operators from the State Company "Kremikovtzi", divided into 4 groups (3 groups according to length of service and one control group). The most prominent changes were found in operators with increased tonal auditory threshold up to 45 and over 50 dB with high confidential probability. The observed changes are distributed in 3 groups: 1. increased tonal auditory threshold (up to 30 dB) without decrease...
Prevalence study of serious substance abusers in the Czech Republic
Polanecký V., Sejda J., Studnicková B.
Cent Eur J Public Health 1996, 4(3):176-184
In October of 1995, a prevalence study of serious substance abusers was carried out in the Czech Republic. The prevalence study focused on: 1. persons hospitalized because of drug addiction as of 31.10.1995; 2. persons who visited one of the treatment/contact centres during October of 1995. Data on serious addictive substance abusers were collected from 142 treatment/contact centres. The overall prevalence in the 15-39-year age group is 30.3/100,000 inhabitants, the highest in Prague (115.0/100,000 inhabitants), followed by Northern Bohemia (34.1) and Northern Moravia (32.0). The most frequently used primary drug remains pervitin (349 users, i.e. 35.5%),...
Male reproductive function in workers exposed to vibration
Penkov A., Stanislavov R., Tzvetkov D.
Cent Eur J Public Health 1996, 4(3):185-188
Male infertility is a significant health problem. Increasing attention has been paid to the use of semen analysis as an indicator of exposure to potential reproductive hazards. The aim of the current paper was to study the effects of vibrations on the spermatogenesis in workers of different occupational groups (professional drivers, miners, engine drivers, etc.). Semen samples were analyzed for pH, volume, turbidity, sperm density sperm count and sperm morphology. Workers had an increased prevalence of oligospermia and azoospermia. The semen volume and percentage of motile spermatozoa decreased significantly and the incidence of sperm malformation...
Bacillary tuberculosis in the Czech Republic: developmental trends in the 1981-1993 period
Svandová E., Hyncica V., Havelková M., Kubín M.
Cent Eur J Public Health 1996, 4(3):189-191
Results of an automated information system on bacillary tuberculosis and mycobacterioses (ISBT) operating in the Czech Republic since 1981 nation-wide have been employed in this study. This system collects and processes data reported by all mycobacteriology laboratories in the country (34 in 1993) on each person disseminating pathogenic and/or opportunistic mycobacteria, on pathological materials examined in these patients and on methods applied for detection and identification of isolated mycobacteria Results of the 1981-1993 period were analyzed in this study. The annual incidence of bacillary tuberculosis cases identified by culture fell down from...
Risk factors of intrauterine growth retardation: a study of an urban population in Poland
Kalinka J., Hanke W., Szymczak W.
Cent Eur J Public Health 1996, 4(3):192-196
The main objective of the study was to examine the role of selected socio-occupational factors on the development of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) in the urban population of LódĽ, Poland. An epidemiological model of the case-control study was employed. Both the cases and controls were recruited from the female population covered by obstetric services in district hospitals during 1 January-30 June 1992. A group of cases included 92 females who delivered IUGR children, the control group-438 mothers of term born eutrophic babies. The presence of the relationship between IUGR manifestation and selected variables was initially assessed using the...
Behaviour of Acinetobacter strains with normal human serum
Cervi B.M., Monetto A.M.
Cent Eur J Public Health 1996, 4(3):197-200
The bactericidal activity of normal human serum (NHS) and treated NHS to avoid either the classical complement pathway (CPC) or the alternative complement pathway (APC) was studied with four strains identified as Acinetobacter baumanii. Three of them were sensitive to serum whereas only one was serum resistant. The serum sensitive strains showed different susceptibility mechanisms: one strain was sensitive to both the CPC and the APC and the others were sensitive only to APC. Serum sensitive and serum resistant strains showed on PAGE-SDS and silver strain incomplete profiles of lipopolysaccharides (LPS). In all cases the carbohydrate percentage of...
Confronting the prenatal effects of active and passive tobacco smoking on the birth weight of children
Jedrychowski W., Flak E.
Cent Eur J Public Health 1996, 4(3):201-205
The purpose of the paper is to present the effects of active and passive tobacco smoking during pregnancy on the birth weight in the sample of 1165 schoolchildren covered by the health survey in Cracow. Data on main-stream tobacco smoke (MS) and side-stream tobacco smoke (SS) and the birth weight of children were collected by standardized interviews with mothers. As expected, exposure to MS tobacco smoke was the single strongest factor related to the reduced birth weight, however, the effect was statistically significant only in those respondents who confirmed the cigarette smoking over the whole pregnancy period. On the basis of multiple regression...
Occupational tropical infectious and parasitic diseases in the Czech Republic
Hrncír E., Naus A.
Cent Eur J Public Health 1996, 4(3):206-207
The authors present a review on occupational tropical infectious and parasitic diseases notified in the Czech Republic in 1986 to 1995. They provide information on health care provided in the Czech Republic to working people travelling to areas demanding from the climatic and epidemiological aspect.
Perspectives of tumour radiotherapy in the Czech Republic and "Oncology 2000" Foundation
Prokes K., Lokajícek M., Judas L.
Cent Eur J Public Health 1996, 4(3):208-212
The incidence of tumours has still an increasing tendency. A great effort is being devoted to prevention as well as to improving early diagnosis and treatment. It is the radiotherapy which seems to bring new treatment possibilities at the present. Its goal consists in destroying all tumour cells in the target volume while all normal cells being damaged unsubstantially only. That is being achieved with standard available means only with rather great difficulties. However, in the last time two radiotherapy methods have been developed which are based on the use of the so called hadrons (i.e. particles exhibiting strong mutual interactions) and come nearer...