![]() Little attention was paid to ethnic labels until the war of 1992–1995, particularly in the cities where intermarriage had blurred the lines between the groups and religious devoutness was uncommon. The inhabitants are, however, all descendants of the South-Slavs who migrated into the Balkans in the sixth and seventh centuries A.D. In 1991 the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina was 44% Muslim, 31% Greek Orthodox Serb, and 17% Roman Catholic Croat. P-values lower than 0.05 were taken to indicate statistically significant differences. Statistical significance was tested with the Mantel-Haenszel summary chi-square test and the Mantel-Haenszel weighted odds ratios (OR) and Cornfield 95% confidence limits were calculated (Statcalc, Epiinfo 2000, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA). Data from these patients were kept separate from those of the main study. These were in-patients and consecutive patients at the out-patient clinic. We also examined the hands of 237 patients at a diabetes clinic. The age-specific prevalence among men and women was calculated and also the prevalence for various subgroups. The degree of contracture was estimated visually. The respondents' hands were then examined for signs of Dupuytren's disease which was graded into three stages: Stage 1 when there were only palpable nodules and skin tethering in the palm and no flexion contracture of the digit, stage 2 when there was less than 90 degrees total contracture of the metacarpo-phalangeal and interphalangeal joints, and stage 3 when there was more than 90 degrees contracture of the digit. Those who consented were asked their year of birth and their ethnic background, whether they had had surgery for Dupuytren's disease and whether they suffered from diabetes mellitus ("Do you have sugar?"), smoked tobacco or consumed alcohol. It was extremely uncommon for anyone to refuse. Almost everyone approached seemed happy to take part in the study. The only criterion for approaching someone was that they looked as if they might be over the age of 50 years. The first author is a medical student who had received instruction on how to recognize Dupuytren's contracture. Members of the public were approached at random on the street and in other public places by the first author and asked to take part in the study. ![]() In rural areas the survey was undertaken in the mainly Serb populated community of Nevesinje (4.068), mainly Croat, Neum (1.651), Grude (3.598) and Stolac (5.530) and the mainly Moslem Tesanj (5.621) and Jablanica (4.457). The data for the study were collected by the first author in the mainly Serb populated towns of Banja Luka (population 143.079) and Trebinje (30.979), the mainly Moslem populated towns of Tuzla (83.770), Zenica (96.027) and Konjic (13.729) and the Croat and Moslem populated city of Mostar (126.643). There are no files associated with this item.An effort was made to survey all the three ethnic groups in Bosnia Herzegovina. Show full item record Files in this item Files Stefański Institute of Parasitology, PAS. The joint pain reported by some of the patients might be attributed to CIC deposits. granulosus infection have been identified. In conclusion, 2 HLA alleles that associate with resistance and 1 that associates with susceptibility to E. However, there did not appear to be a correlation between the presence of HLA-B*35 and high antibody titers, or the presence of CICs. Twenty five patients had anti-Echinococcus antibodies and 9 patients had CICs. ![]() HLA-B*35 was found to associate with susceptibility to disease (RR = 1.70, P = 0.02). However, it appeared that linkage disequilibrium did not exist between these 2 alleles (P = 0.250). HLA-B*14 and HLA-DRB1*01 appeared to associate with protection against CE (P1 = P2 = 0.007 and P1 = P2 = 0.0007, respectively). ![]() Antibody liters were determined by indirect hemagglutination (IHA) and CIC by polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation. Linkage disequilibrium was determined for associated alleles using SPSS 12.0 for Windows. Relative risk and P-values were determined for each allele using Statcalc (EpiInfo, Version 6). HLA profiles were determined by DNA-SSP typing. Thirty patients and 20 controls were included. The objectives of this study were to determine HLA allele-CE association in patients, and relate its presence to high anti-Echinococcus antibody titers and the presence of circulating immune complexes (CIC). Cystic echinococcosis (CE), caused by the parasite Echinococcus granulosus, is a prominent disease in Lebanon.
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