[Health promoting interventions for migrants. Analysis of the database "Health Promotion for the Socially Disadvantaged" www.gesundheitliche-chancengleichheit.de]. / Gesundheitsfördernde Angebote für Menschen mit Migrationshintergrund. Sonderauswertung der Projektdatenbank "Gesundheitsförderung bei sozial Benachteiligten" www.gesundheitliche-chancengleichheit.de.

The nationwide database "Health Promotion for the Socially Disadvantaged" (http:// www.gesundheitliche-chancengleichheit. de), set up by Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA), includes about 2,700 projects, and amongst other activities also interventions for migrants living under socially disadvantaged circumstances. Based on qualitative interviews with the coordinators of some selected interventions, this contribution presents basic strategies and methods for reaching the target group.

Effect of vitamin A deficiency on intestinal cell proliferation in the rat.

Cell division kinetics and the biochemical composition of the small intestine of normal and mildly vitamin A-deficient rats have been examined. Thymidine labeling index, growth fraction and the content of DNA, RNA and protein in the jejunal mucosa were not significantly affected by vitamin A deficiency. On the other hand, the duration of the cell cycle of jejunal crypt cells was found to be lengthened by vitamin A deficiency and this increase in generation time was due mainly to a lengthening of the DNA synthesis phase. Furthermore, the labeling pattern of the newly divided crypt cells of the vitamin A-deficient rats was strikingly different from that of the vitamin A-supplemented rats, suggesting an impaired migration of cells out of the crypts. These findings suggest that vitamin A may play a role in the regulation of cell division in the small intestine of the rat.

Evaluation of molecular typing methods for Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium DT104 isolated in Germany from healthy pigs.

The discriminatory power of four different DNA based typing methods was tested for the molecular subtyping of Salmonella Typhimurium phage type DT104 isolates. German DT104 strains (n = 133) originating from slaughter pigs were analysed by plasmid profiling, and 32 of them by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) using the restriction enzymes XbaI, SpeI or BlnI, random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) using 13 different primers and IS200 typing. A resulting subtyping scheme was obtained which is based on the most discriminatory power of the individual methods i.e. plasmid profiling and PFGE with all three enzymes. The index of discrimination obtained by the subtyping scheme was 0.909 closely approaching the maximum value of one. Although minor differences occurred in the molecular DNA pattern of single DT104 strains, a dominating subtyping pattern was observed confirming other studies which showed, that S. Typhimurium DT104 isolates are highly clonal.

Epidemiology of virulence-associated plasmids and outer membrane protein patterns within seven common Salmonella serotypes.

Antibiotic-sensitive Salmonella isolates belonging to seven common serotypes and originating from 29 different countries from all continents were investigated for their plasmid DNA content (337 isolates) and their outer membrane protein profiles (216 isolates). Of the S. typhimurium, S. enteritidis, S. dublin, and S. choleraesuis isolates, 90% or more carried a serotype-specific plasmid. The molecular sizes of the plasmids were 60 megadaltons (Md) for S. typhimurium, 37 Md for S. enteritidis, 56 Md for S. dublin, and 30 Md for S. choleraesuis. The outer membrane protein profiles were homogeneous within each of the seven serotypes, except that a minority of S. enteritidis and S. dublin strains were lacking one major outer membrane protein. Virulence studies were performed with 39 representative strains by measuring the 50% lethal doses (LD50S) after oral infection of mice. The LD50 values obtained for plasmid-positive strains of S. typhimurium, S. enteritidis, and S. dublin were up to 10(6)-fold lower than the values obtained for the plasmid-free strains of the same serotype. Only the plasmid-positive strains could invade the livers of orally infected mice, and only they were resistant to the bactericidal activity of 90% guinea pig serum. Strains of S. infantis were generally plasmid free, whereas S. panama and S. heidelberg isolates carried heterogeneous plasmid populations. The virulence properties of the latter three serotypes could not be correlated with the predominant plasmids found in these strains.

Molecular marker analysis of Salmonella typhimurium from surface waters, humans, and animals.

Salmonella contamination of North Sea water was detected for the first time in 1988 in Germany during routine examinations of bathing areas. Since then, subsequent isolations along the coast have been reported regularly. To define the source of contamination, strains isolated from seawater and rivers were studied by molecular marker methods. Their properties were compared with those of strains originating from possible sources of contamination such as humans, cattle, and sewage treatment plant water. Plasmid profile analysis of whole bacterial populations and the determination of antibiotic resistance patterns demonstrated, that contamination through the surrounding cattle industry could be excluded. Cattle isolates belonged to a widespread clone of phage type 204c which was multiresistant and exhibited an unique plasmid pattern which was never found in sea water isolates. Outer membrane protein and lipopolysaccharide analysis failed to demonstrate differences among the Salmonella populations and proved in this case insufficient for molecular marker discrimination.