Residential exposure to air pollution and incidence of leukaemia in the industrial area of Viadana, Northern Italy.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to air pollution has been proposed as one of the potential risk factors for leukaemia. Work-related formaldehyde exposure is suspected to cause leukaemia. METHODS: We conducted a nested register-based case-control study on leukaemia incidence in the Viadana district, an industrial area for particleboard production in Northern Italy. We recruited 115 cases and 496 controls, frequency-matched by age, between 1999 and 2014. We assigned estimated exposures to particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and formaldehyde at residential addresses, averaged over the susceptibility window 3rd to 10th year prior to the index date. We considered potential confounding by sex, age, nationality, socio-economic status, occupational exposures to benzene and formaldehyde, and prior cancer diagnoses. RESULTS: There was no association of exposures to PM10, PM2.5, and NO2 with leukaemia incidence. However, an indication of increased risk emerged for formaldehyde, despite wide statistical uncertainty (OR 1.46, 95%CI 0.65-3.25 per IQR-difference of 1.2 µg/m3). Estimated associations for formaldehyde were higher for acute (OR 2.07, 95%CI 0.70-6.12) and myeloid subtypes (OR 1.79, 95%CI 0.64-5.01), and in the 4-km buffer around the industrial facilities (OR 2.78, 95%CI 0.48-16.13), although they remained uncertain. CONCLUSIONS: This was the first study investigating the link between ambient formaldehyde exposure and leukaemia incidence in the general population. The evidence presented suggests an association, although it remains inconclusive, and a potential significance of emissions related to industrial activities in the district. Further research is warranted in larger populations incorporating data on other potential risk factors.

Have immigrant children been left behind in COVID-19 testing rates? - A quantitative study in the Lisbon metropolitan area between march 2020 and may 2023.

Immigrant children often encounter additional barriers in accessing health care than their peers. However, there is a lack of evidence globally regarding how migrant status may have affected access to COVID-19 testing during the pandemic. This study aimed to analyze migrant status as a determinant of COVID-19 testing rates among children in the Lisbon metropolitan area, Portugal. This cross-sequential study included 722 children aged 2-8 years (47% non-immigrants; 53% immigrants). We collected data from a national surveillance system on laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 tests conducted between March 2020 and May 2023 and assessed whether children were ever tested for COVID-19 and testing frequency. We employed robust and standard Poisson regression models to estimate Adjusted Prevalence Ratios and Relative Risks with 95% confidence intervals. A total of 637 tests were performed. Immigrant children had lower testing rates (53% vs. 48%) and fewer tests per child (median: 2 vs. 3). Moreover, they were 17% less likely to be ever tested (PR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.76-0.89) and performed 26% fewer tests (RR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.67-0.82) compared to non-immigrant children. Caregiver's age, education, employment status, child's birth weight, and perceived health status were associated factors. Our findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has left immigrant children somewhat behind. We conclude that specific interventions targeting vulnerable populations, such as immigrant children, are needed in future health crises.

Residential exposure to air pollution and adverse respiratory and allergic outcomes in children and adolescents living in a chipboard industrial area of Northern Italy.

BACKGROUND: Chipboard production is a source of wood dust, formaldehyde, and combustion-related pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM). In this cohort study, we assessed whether exposures to NO2, formaldehyde, PM10, PM2.5, and black carbon were associated with adverse respiratory and allergic outcomes among all 7525 people aged 0-21 years residing in the Viadana district, an area in Northern Italy including the largest chipboard industrial park in the country. METHODS: Data on hospitalizations, emergency room (ER) admissions, and specialist visits in pneumology, allergology, ophthalmology, and otorhinolaryngology were obtained from the Local Health Unit. Residential air pollution concentrations in 2013 (baseline) were derived using local (Viadana II), national (EPISAT), and continental (ELAPSE) exposure models. Associations were estimated using negative binomial regression models for counts of events occurred during 2013-2017, with follow-up time as an offset term and adjustment for sex, age, nationality, and a census-block socio-economic indicator. RESULTS: Median annual exposures to NO2, PM10, and PM2.5 were below the European Union annual air quality standards (40, 40, and 25 µg/m3) but above the World Health Organization 2021 air quality guideline levels (10, 15, and 5 µg/m3). Exposures to NO2 and PM2.5 were significantly associated with higher rates of ER pneumology admissions (13 to 30 % higher rates per interquartile range exposure differences, all p < 0.01). Higher rates of allergology and ophthalmology visits were found for participants exposed to higher pollutants' concentrations. When considering the 4-km buffer around the industries, associations with respiratory hospitalizations became significant, and associations with ER pneumology admissions, allergology and ophthalmology visits became stronger. Formaldehyde was not associated with the outcomes considered. CONCLUSION: Using administrative indicators of health effects a priori attributable to air pollution, we documented the adverse impact of long-term air pollution exposure in residential areas close to the largest chipboard industries in Italy. These findings, combined with evidence from previous studies, call for an action to improve air quality through preventive measures especially targeting emissions related to the industrial activities.

Clinical response to biologicals for severe asthma: any relevance for sex in different age ranges?

Background: Whether sex can influence the clinical response to biological treatment in patients with severe asthma has not been fully addressed. Aims and methods: The aim of this study was to investigate in patients with severe asthma undergoing biological treatment the individual evolution of lung function measurements and patient-reported asthma control scores over a 12-month follow-up period, in relation to patients' sex, in different age ranges. Second, the change in the administered dose of oral corticosteroids (OCS) before and after 12 months of treatment was investigated. Results: 64 patients (58% female and 42% male) with a median age of 52 years were enrolled in the study. There were no relevant differences between sexes in terms of lung function, patient-reported asthma control, exacerbation rate and daily OCS dose within the study timeframe. A separate sub-analysis by biological treatment confirmed the same finding. Stratifying individuals by age, we showed that older men had lower lung function parameter values (forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) % predicted and FEV1/forced vital capacity index) than older women, whereas an opposite trend was observed in terms of Asthma Control Test score. No other relevant differences were detected after age stratification. Conclusion: According to our findings, sex does not act as a determinant of treatment response to biologicals in people with severe asthma. Although to be confirmed in larger studies, our data suggest that neither sex nor age should limit biological treatment prescription, once the eligibility criteria for that therapy are satisfied.

Relationship between hair shedding and systemic inflammation in COVID-19 pneumonia.

Background: A higher risk for COVID-19 infection and severity for men compared to women has been described since the beginning of the pandemic. The role of androgens has been recently highlighted as they control two key steps of coronavirus infection mediated through the transmembrane protease serin 2 (TMPRRS2) and the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor in the lung tissue. Furthermore, a high incidence of androgenic alopecia among males with COVID-19 disease have been reported.Objective: This study aims to evaluate the telogen effluvium (TE) prevalence and its relationship with clinical and immunologic parameters in a sample of patients consecutively evaluated after recovery from COVID-19 pneumonia in Northern Italy.Methods: Overall 104 patients were recruited within three months from COVID-19 pneumonia recovery; 80 (77%) had been hospitalized in a Respiratory Intensive Care Unit and the remaining ones had been treated at home. The extent of TE was assessed with a visual analogic scale for thick bundle of hairs. Demographic and clinical data and systemic inflammation biomarkers were also evaluated.Results. Thirty-two patients reported a history of TE and their mean TE-VAS score was 5.78 ± 1.72 (range 3-9). Women had about a 5-fold higher risk (odds) of complaining of TE compared to males (OR = 4.69, 95%CI: 1.91, 11.49; p = .001), and the association became stronger when adjusted for COVID-19 severity (hospital admission vs home care: OR = 6.09, 95%CI: 2.34, 15.88; p < .001). Levels of C-reactive protein >1.90 mg/l (ORadj: 2.43, 95%CI 0.85, 7.05, p = 0.096) or IL 1ß > 5 ng/l (ORadj 4.72, 95%CI: 1.31, 23.19, p = .03) were also significantly associated with TE.Conclusion: This exploratory study raises the hypothesis that hair shedding is more strictly related to the severity of COVID-19 disease and the underlying inflammation rather than to patients' hormonal status. KEY MESSAGESThe presence of Telogen effluvium (TE) was significantly more common in women.Higher severity of the Covid-19 disease seems to play a critical role, more important than the hormonal influence, in the development of TE.The severity of inflammation related to TE and Covid-19 could also play a role as suggested by the higher levels of CRP and platelets and IL1ß.

Parents' Experience and Satisfaction in Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Ethiopia: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study Using an Adapted Version of EMPATHIC-N.

Background: In neonatal intensive care units (NICU) setting, parents' experience and satisfaction permit to evaluate clinical practice and improve the care of infants and parents. Little is known about this topic in low resource settings. The aim of this study was to (1) translate, adapt and validate the EMpowerment of PArents in THe Intensive Care-Neonatology (EMPHATIC-N) questionnaire in two languages in Ethiopia (2) explore parents' satisfaction with the care received in the NICUs in three hospitals; and, (3) explore socio-demographic characteristics and level of the NICU influence on the EMPATHIC-N domains. Methods: This was a cross-sectional multicenter study. Participants were recruited from three different NICUs in Ethiopia upon discharge. We reduced the original EMPATHIC-N instrument to 38 items, culturally adapted and validated it in two local languages. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was applied to verify the factor structure of the questionnaire, investigating the relationship between items and the five latent domains. Single item scores and the aggregate scores of the domains were investigated across NICUs and in the sample overall. Differences in the distribution of the domain scores were tested according to socio-demographic participants' characteristics. The scores of four general questions about overall experience and satisfaction were investigated in relation to the participant's characteristics and NICU levels. Qualitative data were collected using four open-ended questions and a synthesis of results was provided. Results: Almost all the parents answered to the questionnaire (92%, n = 386). Questionnaire items on satisfaction on average scored more than four. The highest mean scores were obtained for Parental participation (median: 5.17; iqr: 4.67-5.62), while they were lower for Organization/Hospital environment (median: 4.67; iqr:4.33-5.17). Different levels of parent satisfaction were observed across the NICU levels showing a statistically higher satisfaction in level II NICU compared to the other levels. Education, place of residence and length of stay were associated with parental satisfaction and experience. Conclusion: This study validated two Ethiopian versions of the EMPATHIC-N questionnaire to assess parents' experience and satisfaction during their child's stay in the NICU. The differences found across the three levels of NICU suggest the need to further investigate the determinants of satisfaction.

The Effect of Test Timing on the Probability of Positive SARS-CoV-2 Swab Test Results: Mixed Model Approach.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, swab tests proved to be effective in containing the infection and served as a means for early diagnosis and contact tracing. However, little evidence exists regarding the correct timing for the execution of the swab test, especially for asymptomatic individuals and health care workers. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to analyze changes in the positive findings over time in individual SARS-CoV-2 swab tests during a health surveillance program. METHODS: The study was conducted with 2071 health care workers at the University Hospital of Verona, with a known date of close contact with a patient with COVID-19, between February 29 and April 17, 2020. The health care workers underwent a health surveillance program with repeated swab tests to track their virological status. A generalized additive mixed model was used to investigate how the probability of a positive test result changes over time since the last known date of close contact, in an overall sample of individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 and in a subset of individuals with an initial negative swab test finding before being proven positive, to assess different surveillance time intervals. RESULTS: Among the 2071 health care workers in this study, 191 (9.2%) tested positive for COVID-19, and 103 (54%) were asymptomatic with no differences based on sex or age. Among 49 (25.7%) cases, the initial swab test yielded negative findings after close contact with a patient with COVID-19. Sex, age, symptoms, and the time of sampling were not different between individuals with an initial negative swab test finding and those who initially tested positive after close contact. In the overall sample, the estimated probability of testing positive was 0.74 on day 1 after close contact, which increased to 0.77 between days 5 and 8. In the 3 different scenarios for scheduled repeated testing intervals (3, 5, and 7 days) in the subgroup of individuals with an initially negative swab test finding, the probability peaked on the sixth, ninth and tenth, and 13th and 14th days, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Swab tests can initially yield false-negative outcomes. The probability of testing positive increases from day 1, peaking between days 5 and 8 after close contact with a patient with COVID-19. Early testing, especially in this final time window, is recommended together with a health surveillance program scheduled in close intervals.

Spatial variability of nitrogen dioxide and formaldehyde and residential exposure of children in the industrial area of Viadana, Northern Italy.

Chipboard production is a source of ambient air pollution. We assessed the spatial variability of outdoor pollutants and residential exposure of children living in proximity to the largest chipboard industry in Italy and evaluated the reliability of exposure estimates obtained from a number of available models. We obtained passive sampling data on NO2 and formaldehyde collected by the Environmental Protection Agency of Lombardy region at 25 sites in the municipality of Viadana during 10 weeks (2017-2018) and compared NO2 measurements with average weekly concentrations from continuous monitors. We compared interpolated NO2 and formaldehyde surfaces with previous maps for 2010. We assessed the relationship between residential proximity to the industry and pollutant exposures assigned using these maps, as well as other available countrywide/continental models based on routine data on NO2, PM10, and PM2.5. The correlation between NO2 concentrations from continuous and passive sampling was high (Pearson's r = 0.89), although passive sampling underestimated NO2 especially during winter. For both 2010 and 2017-2018, we observed higher NO2 and formaldehyde concentrations in the south of Viadana, with hot-spots in proximity to the industry. PM10 and PM2.5 exposures were higher for children at < 1 km compared to the children living at > 3.5 km to the industry, whereas NO2 exposure was higher at 1-1.7 km to the industry. Road and population densities were also higher close to the industry. Findings from a variety of exposure models suggest that children living in proximity to the chipboard industry in Viadana are more exposed to air pollution and that exposure gradients are relatively stable over time.

Influence of residential land cover on childhood allergic and respiratory symptoms and diseases: Evidence from 9 European cohorts.

INTRODUCTION: Recent research focused on the interaction between land cover and the development of allergic and respiratory disease has provided conflicting results and the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In particular, green space, which confers an overall positive impact on general health, may be significantly contributing to adverse respiratory health outcomes. This study evaluates associations between surrounding residential land cover (green, grey, agricultural and blue space), including type of forest cover (deciduous, coniferous and mixed), and childhood allergic and respiratory diseases. METHODS: Data from 8063 children, aged 3-14 years, were obtained from nine European population-based studies participating in the HEALS project. Land-cover exposures within a 500 m buffer centred on each child's residential address were computed using data from the Coordination of Information on the Environment (CORINE) program. The associations of allergic and respiratory symptoms (wheeze, asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema) with land coverage were estimated for each study using logistic regression models, adjusted for sex, age, body mass index, maternal education, parental smoking, and parental history of allergy. Finally, the pooled effects across studies were estimated using meta-analyses. RESULTS: In the pooled analyses, a 10% increase in green space coverage was significantly associated with a 5.9%-13.0% increase in the odds of wheezing, asthma, and allergic rhinitis, but not eczema. A trend of an inverse relationship between agricultural space and respiratory symptoms was observed, but did not reach statistical significance. In secondary analyses, children living in areas with surrounding coniferous forests had significantly greater odds of reporting wheezing, asthma and allergic rhinitis. CONCLUSION: Our results provide further evidence that exposure to green space is associated with increased respiratory disease in children. Additionally, our findings suggest that coniferous forests might be associated with wheezing, asthma and allergic rhinitis. Additional studies evaluating both the type of green space and its use in relation to respiratory conditions should be conducted in order to clarify the underlying mechanisms behind associated adverse impacts.