No abstract

The D/D genotype of the alpha2B-adrenoceptor is a novel genetic risk factor for acute coronary events, but not for hypertension.

Malignancies are one of the main causes of death in childhood at ages 1-14 in developed countries. The incidence of childhood malignancies, particularly of brain tumours, has been increasing over the past 20 years in Scandinavia, probably more than would be expected as a result of changes in diagnostic practice alone.12 Epidemiologic studies suggest a number of risk factors for childhood cancer. These include factors associated with the child, with the environment, with the mother during pregnancy, or with the father or the mother before conception.3-Among the risk factors operating during pregnancy, maternal irradiation has been shown to carry a risk to the child.7-The maternal intake of diethylstilboestrol has been shown to cause vaginal cancer in the offspring after an intrauterine exposure.10

No abstract

Between 1953 and 1970, 2,605 malignant tumors in children under 15 years of age were reported to the Finnish Cancer Registry, a population-based registry that covers the whole country (population, 4.6 million). The mean annual age-adjusted incidence rates per million were 128 in males and 108 in females. The most common neoplasms were leukemia (age-adjusted incidence rates, 43.7 in males; 34;7 in females), brain tumors (26.4 in males, 22.8 in females), renal tumors (10;0 in males, 9.1 in females), lymphomas (10.8 in males, 5.3 in females), and bone tumors (5;3 in males, 5.1 in females). This distribution is roughly the same as the observed in many other white populations. However, the incidence rates of leukemia, lymphomas, neuroblastomas, and soft-tissue tumors were somewhate lower than figures reported in the Third National Cancer Survey of the United States.

The non-viral gene transfer methods have gained more interest in recent years due to their better safety profiles when compared to their viral counterparts. However, the efficiency of non-viral gene transfer is well below those reached by viral vector systems. The type I interferon response induced by non-viral methods may in part contribute to this inefficiency, while most currently used viral gene transfer vectors fail to induce or are able to suppress type I IFN response.

A case-control study has been conducted to see whether a hydrocarbonrelated occupation of the father at the time of conception constitutes a risk factor for malignant disease in the offspring. The series comprised 852 cancer cases from the Finnish Cancer Registry and 852 controls matched for date of birth and domicile. The father's occupation for both the cases and controls was ascertained from the records of antenatal clinics. No significant associations were found between the commonest types of childhood cancer and hydrocarbon-related occupations-that is, motor-vehicle mechanics, machinists, miners, painters, and motor-vehicle drivers. Risk ratio 2 was excluded from most of the 95 % confidence intervals for children under 15 years of age. The results do not support the hypothesis that there is an excess risk of cancer in the children of fathers in hydrocarbon-related occupations.In a recent study, Fabia and Thuy (1974) introduced the 'hydrocarbon-related' occupation of the father at the time of birth of the child as being a risk factor for malignant neoplasm in the offspring. The occupations considered were motor-vehicle mechanic, service-station attendant, machinist, miner, lumberman, painter, dyer, and cleaner. The series comprised 386 children who had died of malignant diseases under the age of five during the years 1965-70 in Quebec, and a control group of 772 children whose birth registration immediately preceded or followed that of each case in the official files. Comparisons of the cases with the controls showed that the cases included a significant excess of fathers in hydrocarbon-related occupations; the relative risk was 2'1.In a recent investigation from Finland (Salonen and Sax6n, 1975), several variables were tested as risk indicators of childhood cancer. The antenatal and perinatal records of a series of 972 children who had contracted cancer before the age of 15 years were compared with those of a control series. Thefathers' occupations were recorded during the study, but not included in the analyses. In the present investigation, this recorded information was used for testing the hypothesis of Fabia and Thuy (1974).

Childhood cancer, malformations, and spontaneous abortions in Finland were analyzed according to the parents' occupations. Children of women working in the food industry and farming and of men working in motor vehicle driving and farming appeared to have an elevated risk of cancer. Women in industrial and construction occupations had an increased risk of having malformed children and spontaneous abortions.