Israel Ministry of Health

About: Israel Ministry of Health is a government organization based out in Jerusalem, Israel. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Public health. The organization has 1633 authors who have published 2108 publications receiving 65387 citations.

Pregnancy outcome, thyroid dysfunction and fetal goitre after in utero exposure to propylthiouracil: a controlled cohort study.

Abstract: WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT • Human pregnancy experience with propylthiouracil has not shown an increased risk of major anomalies, but its use in pregnancy has been associated with fetal or neonatal thyroid dysfunction with or without goitre. • The rate of these complications has not been prospectively evaluated. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS • Based on prospective data from the Israeli Teratology Information Service, propylthiouracil was not associated with an increased teratogenic risk. • Hypothyroidism was found in 9.5% (56.8% of whom with goitre) of fetuses or neonates, whereas hyperthyroidism was detected in 10.3%. • In most cases neonatal thyroid functions normalized without treatment. AIMS Propylthiouracil (PTU) is presently considered to be the treatment of choice for hyperthyroidism in pregnancy. It is known to cross the human placenta, and therefore may affect the fetus. The major aims of this study were to evaluate the rate of major anomalies and to report the rate of fetal goitre, accompanied by hypothyroidism, in fetuses/ newborns of mothers after in utero exposure to PTU. METHODS Prospective observational controlled cohort study of PTU-exposed pregnancies of women counselled by the Israeli Teratology Information Service between the years 1994 and 2004 compared with women exposed to nonteratogens. RESULTS We followed up 115 PTU-exposed pregnancies and 1141 controls. The rate of major anomalies was comparable between the groups [PTU 1/80 (1.3%), control 34/1066 (3.2%), P= 0.507]. Hypothyroidism was found in 9.5% of fetuses/neonates (56.8% of whom with goitre). Hyperthyroidism, possibly resulting from maternal disease, was found in 10.3%. Goitres prenatally diagnosed by ultrasound were successfully treated in utero by maternal dose adjustment. In most cases neonatal thyroid functions normalized during the first month of life without any treatment. Median neonatal birth weight was lower [PTU 3145 g (2655–3537) vs. control 3300 g (2968–3600), P= 0.018]. CONCLUSIONS PTU does not seem to be a major human teratogen. However, it could cause fetal/neonatal hypothyroidism with or without goitre. Fetal thyroid size monitoring and neonatal thyroid function tests are important for appropriate prevention and treatment.

The association between alcohol and breast cancer risk: evidence from the combined analysis of six dietary case-control studies.

Abstract: Data from 1,575 cases and 1,974 controls enrolled in 6 previously conducted case-control studies of diet and breast cancer have been analysed with respect to alcohol intake. There appears to be an absence of any association between consumption of up to 40 g of alcohol per day and risk of breast cancer, and a highly statistically significant and consistent elevated risk of breast cancer for drinkers of 40 g or more of alcohol per day, for whom the relative risk, as compared with that of non-drinkers, is 1.69 (95% confidence interval 1.19 to 2.40). This association is not due to confounding by a number of diet-related factors, including total calories, fat, fibre and vitamin C.

Risk of cancer in migrants and their descendants in Israel: II. Carcinomas and germ‐cell tumours

Abstract: Cancer registrations among young individuals (under age 30 years) for a 30-year period (1960-1989) were used to investigate the risk of cancer in migrants to Israel, and in their offspring, relative to Israel-born individuals with Israel-born parents. Relative risks of testis and ovarian cancer (germ cell tumours and carcinomas), melanoma, and carcinomas of nasopharynx, colorectum, breast, cervix and thyroid were calculated according to father's birthplace, and odds ratios for birthplace of mother, or of both parents. The estimates were adjusted for the effects of age, sex and time period. For 3 cancers, i.e., testis cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma and melanoma, there were quite large differences in incidence, which persisted to some degree into the second generation, suggesting that inherited susceptibility may underlie some of the variation. For ovarian, colorectal, cervical and thyroid cancers, differences in risk between the migrant groups had largely disappeared in their offspring, suggesting that environmental exposures, which were modified by migration, are the major causative factors.

Vibrio cholerae strain typing and phylogeny study based on simple sequence repeats.

Abstract: Vibrio cholerae is the etiological agent of cholera. Its natural reservoir is the aquatic environment. To date, practical typing of V. cholerae is mainly serological and requires about 200 antisera. Simple sequence repeats (SSR), also termed VNTR (for variable number of tandem repeats), provide a source of high genomic polymorphism used in bacterial typing. Here we describe an SSR-based typing method that combines the variation in highly mutable SSR loci, with that of shorter, relatively more stable mononucleotide repeat (MNR) loci, for accurate and rapid typing of V. cholerae. In silico screening of the V. cholerae genome revealed thousands of perfect SSR tracts with an average frequency of one SSR every 152 bp. A panel of 32 V. cholerae strains, representing both clinical and environmental isolates, was tested for polymorphism in SSR loci. Two strategies were applied to identify SSR variation: polymorphism of SSR tracts longer than 12 bp (L-SSR) assessed by capillary fragment-size analysis and MNR polymorphism assessed by sequencing. The nine L-SSR loci tested were all polymorphic, displaying 2 to 13 alleles per locus. Sequence analysis of eight MNR-containing loci (MNR-multilocus sequence typing [MLST]) provided information on both variations in the MNR tract itself, and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in their flanking sequences. Phylogenetic analysis of the combined SSR data showed a clear discrimination between the clinical strains belonging to O1 and O139 serogroups, and the environmental isolates. Furthermore, discrimination between 27 strains of the 32 strains was achieved. SSR-based typing methods combining L-SSR and MNR-MLST were found to be efficient for V. cholerae typing.