Animal fat intake was associated with prostate cancer with an estimated OR for highest quartile of 2.0 (95% CI 1.2-3.2). Vitamin C intake was inversely associated with prostate cancer (OR = 0.6; 95% CI 0.3-0.9). The prostate cancer risk increased in proportion to alpha-linolenic acid intake. In the analysis adjusting for energy and major covariables the estimated OR for upper quartile of alpha-linolenic acid was 3.1 (95% CI 1.1-3.8). In conclusion, the association between fat intake and prostate cancer may be correlated with alpha-linolenic acid, although the specific mechanism has to be determined.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the HIV seroconversion rate associated with different types of occupational exposures in health care workers. A longitudinal study was conducted from January 1986 to October 1992 in a teaching hospital in Spain, where HIV infection is prevalent among patients. Each health care worker was asked to complete a questionnaire regarding age, sex, staff category, lace of exposure, other exposures, type of exposure, body fluid, infected material and HIV status of source patient. These health care workers were then followed up at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months with repeated test for HIV antibody. Four hundred twenty three reports of occupational exposure were analysed. Nursing was the profession with more exposures (42.8%). Ninety five percent of total exposures were percutaneous, 4% mucous membrane contacts and 1% skin contacts, 88.3% were described as blood contact and 71.8% had resulted from needlestick and suture needles. Exposures from HIV-positive patients comprised 23.2% of occupational exposures. There was a significant difference in the length of follow-up in physicians (p = 0.00009) and nurses (p = 0.00001), when we compared HIV-positive patients with patients in whom the HIV status was unknown or negative. The HIV seroconversion rate was 0.00%. We consider that the risk of acquiring HIV infection via contact with a patient is low, but not zero. Well documented cases of seroconversion have been published.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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