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The aim of the study was to compare quantitative dermatoglyphic traits of two ethnic groups with different origin and customs, living on the same territory. The dermatoglyphic prints were collected from 800 inhabitants of the Dukagjin valley in southwest Kosovo, of Albanian (400) and Turkish (400) ethnic origin. The quantitative analysis comprised the number of ridges and triradii on the fingers, and the number of ridges in the interdigital areas on the palm (a-b, b-c, and c-d) as well as the size of the atd angle. The statistical analysis showed significant differences between the Albanian and the Turkish males for two fingers and pattern intensity index left, and on palms for a-b rc and c-d rc on both hands and b-c re on the left hand, and between females for six fingers and almost all palmar traits. Significant inter-population variations were observed for most palmar areas in both sexes but more pronouncedly in females. The differences found between the examined population groups show that admixture between Albanian and Turkish population in Kosovo has been small, and the Turks have retained their ethnic identity for several centuries.

Aged population dominates in developed countries. Centenarians are a select group, and only one in 7,000 to 10,000 reach that age. Factors of longevity are numerous and include genetic predisposition (a locus on chromosome 4), environment, healthy lifestyle (hypocaloric diet, regular physical and mental exercise), accessible health services, and efficient health protection at old age. Centenarians are well adapted to the new life and compensate for the loss of functions with age. The limits of human life are extended, so that nowadays the oldest person has reached the age of 128. Some geographic areas are characterised by higher numbers of centenarians. This article mentions a few individuals who outlived 100 years in the world, Croatia, and neighbouring countries. Although some argue that the limits of human life cannot be extended over the age of 120 years, for now we cannot predict the actual limits of human life.

This study identifies equations for predicting lung function values in a population of 'healthy', nonsmoking older adults, explores the applicability of prediction equations derived from younger adult populations to the elderly, and examines the justification of developing population-specific reference equations for older age. FVC, FEV(1), and PEF were measured according to the ATS criteria in 651 ambulatory volunteers aged 65-86 years, representative for the Croatian Mediterranean population. After exclusion of eversmokers and subjects with respiratory symptoms and/or diseases, 261 asymptomatic subjects were included in the analyses. Sex-specific reference equations and lower limits of normal were derived by using a linear model with height and age as predictors. The equations for lung volumes were more reliable than those for PEF. The new FVC and FEV(1) reference equations were found to be in agreement with those generated previously from primarily young and middle-aged adults. The latter perform reasonably well when extrapolated for ages beyond 65 years. Cross-validation of reference equations existing for the elderly showed that almost all European and U.S. equations systematically overpredicted lung function parameters in the Croatian sample. The overpredictions in means ranged between 14% and 34% for FVC and between 10% and 20% for FEV(1). Differences increased towards the extremes of distribution, which rendered these equations inappropriate for our elderly subjects. They identified FVC in 25-55% of the subjects as being below the lower limit of normal. The observed discrepancies strongly support the establishment of age- and population-specific reference equations for lung function assessment in older age.

Aim: To investigate the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms in 9 metapopulations on Adriatic islands in Croatia, and the relationship between respiratory symptoms and individual genetic background., Methods: We obtained random sample of 1001 adult inhabitants of 9 Adriatic island villages in Croatia, that also included immigrants to these villages. European Union respiratory health questionnaire and World Health Organization non-communicable diseases questionnaire were used. Personal genetic histories were reconstructed, based on the two-generation ancestral pedigrees. Bivariate and multivariate methods were used in the analysis., Results: Women reported the occurrence of acute dyspnea (P=0.017), cough (P=0.002), and asthma (P=0.002) more often than men. Gender was the strongest predictor for acute and/or chronic cough (odds ratio [OR], 1.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23-2.33) and asthma (OR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.00-4.01), whereas smoking was the strongest risk factor for acute and chronic dyspnea (OR, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.21-2.99) and airway narrowing (OR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.18-2.87). Residence on the northern islands increased the odds of allergy, whereas the highest odds ratio of 3.20 was associated with the interaction of northern residence and immigrant background. Genetic background was a significant predictor only for the occurrence of allergy symptoms., Conclusion: Differences in respiratory findings among the island inhabitants were often associated with smoking prevalence. Interaction of residence on northern Adriatic islands and immigrant background proved to be the strongest predictor for the occurrence of allergy symptoms. This study indicated that environmental factors played a very important role in the occurrence of respiratory symptoms.

A complex segregation analysis of systolic and diastolic blood pressure has been performed on pedigree data from rural populations inhabiting Middle Dalmatian islands of Brac, Hvar and Korcula and the Peljesac peninsula. The purpose of the performed analysis was to possibly elucidate a signal of a large-effect gene responsible for high prevalence of hypertension present in this population (the age-adjusted prevalence of developed hypertension being 31.82% in males and 28.23% in females). The analysis was performed on a sample of 389 two- and three-generation families consisting of 2 to 19 observed individuals (1126 examinees in total, 526 males and 600 females, aged 17 to 83). Since the examinees were randomly selected from census data encompassing 22.6% of the total population--the family relations having been established afterwards--the selected sample can be considered representative for the examined populations. By applying the usual transmission probability tests, the major gene model has been accepted for systolic as well as for diastolic blood pressure. The most parsimonious models showed that: (a) inheritance of blood pressure in the Middle Dalmatia population can be attributed to the effect of a major gene responsible for 34% (systolic) and 36% (diastolic) blood pressure variation; (b) alleles of that major gene act in co-dominant fashion; (c) allele frequency for high blood pressure (A2) is 18% (systolic) and 15% (diastolic blood pressure); and (d) the residual (non-major gene) familial correlation is negligible and can be constrained to zero. Since the results are also indicating heterogeneity within the sample in the genetic determination of the systolic blood pressure, the obtained results thus justify further search for the most promising subpopulation for incoming genetic epidemiological investigations of hypertension.

The aim of this study was to assess birth weight of healthy newborns from the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County, Croatia. Birth weights of healthy newborns, born at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Center "Zagreb" in the year 2001, were included into analysis. Since there were only few newborns in the 22nd-27th week of gestation, they were excluded from the study. Small number of data points was also noticed in 28th-36th week of gestation, and was supplemented with the data from the years 2000, 2002 and 2003. The method of analysis used in this study was described by Altman and Chitty (Br. J. Obstet. Gynaecol., 101 (1994) 29). After the application of well defined exclusion criteria, the final sample consisted of 4252 newborns. Percentile values for the four groups of newborns (male gender-primipara, male gender-multipara, female gender-primipara, female gender-multipara) were defined, yielding highest birth weight values in the male gender-multipara group (50th percentile of 40th gestational week was 3551.3 g), while female gender-primipara newborns were the lightest among the four sub-samples studied (50th percentile of 40th gestational week was 3399.9 g). New percentile values for percentile curves plotting are presented here and recommended for use in the clinical practice.

The aim of this study was to investigate a recessive genetic component in susceptibility to osteoporosis (OP) by comparing its prevalence in isolated villages of three Croatian islands: Brac, Hvar and Korcula with different levels of inbreeding. A random sample of 20-30% adults from 14 villages was obtained, including a total of 1,389 examinees. The average inbreeding coefficient (F) of examinees from each village population was estimated using Wright's path method (based on genealogical information). The morphometry of the metacarpal bones was performed on hand-wrist radiographs of both hands in all examinees. OP was defined as values of cortical index smaller than 2 standard deviations based on distribution of values in examinees of the same sex under 45 years of age. Mean values of cortical index (CI) and prevalence of OP (both standardized by age and weighted for the sample size) in each village were correlated to the mean inbreeding coefficient (F). The coefficient of correlation (r) between F values and CI was -0.28 in males (p = 0.08) and -0.42 in females (p = 0.005), and between F and OP prevalence 0.32 in males (p < 0.001) and 0.43 in females (p < 0.001). These results indicate a trend of increased susceptibility to osteoporosis with increasing level of inbreeding in isolated communities of Croatian islands.

Unlabelled: Ventilatory capacity was measured in a group of 622 subjects aged 60 years and older (475 women and 147 men)., Methods: Maximum expiratory flow-volume curve was recorded, on which forced vital capacity (FVC), one second forced expiratory volume (FEV1) and maximum expiratory flow rates at 50% and the last 25% of vital capacity (FEF50, FEF25) were read. Reference values of ventilatory capacity tests for women and men were calculated by linear multiple regression with age and height as predictors, separately for smokers and nonsmokers., Results and Conclusion: Results of ventilatory capacity tests in our population showed better compliance with the reference values proposed by Mustajbegović et al. compared to those by Quanjer et al. According to our results the ventilatory capacity values decreased by the age of 70-79 years, followed unexpectedly by an increase relative to the expected values. Since ventilatory capacity tests do not follow a linear decrease, in the evaluation of lung function in the elderly it is necessary to use reference values specific for this population.

Apolipoprotein polymorphisms are emerging as suitable markers for the study of the formation of human populations. In contrast to the data available for apolipoprotein E, the data regarding apolipoprotein H (protein, apoH; gene, APOH) variations are only beginning to accumulate. By blood plasma isoelectric focusing and immunoblotting, we analyzed the distribution of apoH phenotypes in 397 individuals (192 males; 205 females) from seven villages of an autochthonous population of the eastern Adriatic island of Krk. APOH allele frequencies were: APOH*2 = 0.877, APOH*3 = 0.098, APOH*1 = 0.025, with the majority of the sample being homozygous. No significant differences between villages were observed. When these data were compared to those of other populations studied so far, a significant association between APOH allele frequencies and latitude was observed. We hypothesize that this association reflects differences in diet composition across different climatic zones.

The study included 622 persons of the third age, 60-94 years old. The subjects were analyzed by age, smoking habits, profession and place of longest residence. In the studied group, there were 27.2% men smokers and 12.6% women smokers. In relation to profession, women were mostly office employees (35.4%) and men were mostly workers (46.9%). Ventilatory capacity was measured by recording maximum expiratory flow-volume on which forced vital capacity (FVC), one second forced expiratory volume (FEV1), and maximum expiratory flow rates at 50% and the last 25% of vital capacity were read (FEF50' FEF25). All respiratory symptoms were significantly more prevalent in smokers than in nonsmokers. The highest prevalence was found for chronic cough in men (31.1%) and in women (30.1%) as well as for dyspnea in women (54.7%) and in men (43.5%). A higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms was found in the age group 60-69 years old than in subjects older than 70 years. Asthma was more prevalent in workers and farmers, which is probably the result of work exposure. Logistic regression analysis of chronic respiratory symptoms and diseases in older men and women by profession, age, place of longest residence and smoking habits did not show statistically significant difference between effects of those variables on the development of respiratory symptoms and disease. The measured values of ventilatory capacity tests were decreased up to 70-79 years of age. After that there is no decrease expressed as a percentage of reference values.

The aim of this study was to investigate a recessive genetic component in susceptibility to nephrolithiasis (NL) by comparing its prevalence in highly inbred, moderately inbred and non-inbred villages of three Croatian islands: Brac, Hvar and Korcula. The average inbreeding coefficient of each village population (F) was estimated in a random sample of 20-30% adults from 14 villages using Wright's path method (based on genealogical information), isonymy data and average deviation from Hardy-Weinberg expectations for MN, Ss and Kk serogenetic polymorphisms. The six villages with the greatest genealogical F value (0.025-0.049; current total population N=1,401), the four with intermediate value (0.012-0.015; N=998) and the four with the smallest value (0.002-0.008; N=1,500) were chosen for this study. Medical records of entire populations were reviewed and the diagnosis of NL was established according to unified criteria, based on the information from the specialists in general hospitals and on the agreement in diagnosis between the investigators and local general practitioners. The variance in environmental and socio-cultural factors between villages was shown to be minimal. Prevalence of NL in each village was standardised by sex and age to the total population of all 14 villages. The standardized prevalence of NL was 1.5% in the group of villages with low F, 2.3% in the group with moderate F (p<0.10), and 5.4% in the group with high F (p<0.001). The correlation factor between F values by villages and the standardized prevalence of NL was 0.45 (p<0.05). The study showed that a large number of predominantly recessive genetic factors might mediate the susceptibility to formation of renal stones in humans.

As the liberation of occupied Croatian territories ended the war in the country in 1995, the Ministry of Health and Croatian Health Insurance Institute have agreed to create the new framework for developing a long-term strategy of public health planning, prevention and intervention. They provided financial resources to develop the First Croatian Health Project, the rest of the support coming from the World Bank loan and the National Institute of Public Health. A large cross-sectional study was designed aiming to assess health attitudes, knowledge, behaviour and risks in the post-war Croatian population. The large field study was carried out by the Institute for Anthropological Research with technical support from the National Institute of Public Health. The field study was completed between 1995-1997. It included about 10,000 adult volunteers from all 21 Croatian counties. The geographic distribution of the sample covered both coastal and continental areas of Croatia and included rural and urban environments. The specific measurements included antropometry (body mass index and blood pressure). From each examinee a blood sample was collected from which the levels of total plasma cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), HDL-cholesterol (High Density Lipoprotein), LDL-cholesterol (Low Density Lipoprotein), lipoprotein Lp(a), and haemostatic risk factor fibrinogen (F) were determined. The detailed data were collected on the general knowledge and attitudes on health issues, followed by specific investigation of smoking history, alcohol consumption, nutrition habits, physical activity, family history of chronic non-communicable diseases and occupational exposures. From the initial database a targeted sample of 5,840 persons of both sexes, aged 18-65, was created corresponding by age, sex and geographic distribution to the general Croatian population. This paper summarises and discusses the main findings of the project within this representative sample of Croatian population.

Subscapular skinfold, elbow breadth and upper arm indicators of nutritional status were studied in the population of Dalmatia in Croatia. Age- and sex-specific percentiles were obtained from 4373 subjects, 18 to 74 years of age, and compared to the U.S. NHANES I and II reference data. There were significant differences between these data sets in all studied variables. The results complement those reported previously for BMI and triceps skinfold and indicate that high prevalence of overweight in Dalmatians largely reflects their muscularity and skeletal robustness rather than excess body fatness. The findings suggest that the U.S. upper percentiles of BMI and skinfolds are inadequate for the assessment of excess body fatness in Dalmatian population. The obtained population-specific percentile distributions should be used provisionally as the reference data for group comparisons in the Dalmatian region.

The study included 17 female workers employed in latex glove rubber manufacturing plants. The mean age was 42 years and the mean duration of employment 19 years. Subjects were predominantly nonsmokers. A control group of 17 nonexposed workers was also studied. Chronic respiratory symptoms and diseases as well as acute work-related symptoms were recorded for these workers. Ventilatory capacity was measured by recording maximum expiratory flow-volume (MEFV) curves on which forced vital capacity (FVC), one second forced expiratory volume (FEV1) and maximum expiratory flow at 50% and the last 25% of the vital capacity (FEF50, FEF25) were read. Skin prick tests were performed with three types of latex (original material-latex 1, extract from gloves-latex 2, and extract of latex company Epypharm-latex 3). The prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms was greater among latex workers (varying from 5.9% for occupational asthma to 58.8% for dyspnea) than among control workers (0%). There was a high prevalence of acute work-related symptoms, particularly for eye irritation (76.5%), dryness of the nose (70.6%), throat burning (70.6%), dryness of the throat (64.7%) and cough (58.8%). Measured ventilatory capacity data in latex workers were significantly lower in comparison to control, particularly for FEF25 (75.1 +/- 19.5%). Among latex gloves making workers one had positive skin reaction to latex 3 along with the symptoms of occupational asthma. Our data indicate that employment in latex making gloves may be associated with the development of occupational asthma, in addition to frequent nonspecific respiratory findings.

Weight, stature, weight/stature (BMI), and triceps skinfold thickness were analysed in the population of Dalmatia in Croatia. Age- and sex-specific percentiles were obtained from 4.507 subjects, 18 to 74 years of age, and compared to the U.S. NHANES II reference data. Differences in BMI between the two populations were due to higher body weight of the Dalmatians. The triceps skinfold thickness indicated their lower body fatness. High BMI of the Dalmatians is attributable either to their more centralized fat patterning or larger body muscularity. Elucidation of these effects will provide information on the adequacy of NHANES data for the assessment of nutritional stat+us in Dalmatian population.

Changes in body morphology of anorectic girls during illness as well as during the treatment period were studied using data on 23 anthropometric traits. The sample consisted of 20 adolescent girls, aged 16.05 +/- 2.21 years. Girls with shorter duration of anorexia nervosa have larger amounts of fat and muscle tissue on the upper arm, as well as thicker subcutaneous fat tissue of the trunk, than the girls with longer duration of illness. These differences remain even after the treatment period. Growth rate of girls with longer duration of illness has been decreased. Slight changes in the latent structure of body morphology in anorectic girls at the end of hospitalisation in comparison with those at the beginning of hospitalisation were observed. The above-mentioned changes could have resulted from greater relative increase of fat than muscular tissue mass during hospitalisation and possible difference in the sequence of fat gain between the trunk and the extremities. Further studies are needed.

The population structure of the northern Adriatic island of Krk, Croatia, was studied using PCR methodology and nonradioactive oligonucleotide hybridization for the analysis of HLA-DRB1, DRB3, DRB4, DRB5, DQA1, and DQB1 polymorphisms. Allele frequencies, genetic kinship (R), and genetic distances (E2) were computed, and correlations between distance (genetic, linguistic, geographic) and kinship (migration) matrices were examined. The results, reflecting past (micro-) evolutionary processes, indicate that ethnohistorical and sociocultural events rather than geographic distances are the primary determinants of today's population structure of the island.

The morphological characteristics (20 anthropometric variables) of a total of 2,351 examinees (from the age of 18 to 90) were analyzed by a model of the principal components of the factor analysis. Four factors were extracted that explain 71.4% of the total variance. The factors-"general body voluminosity", "subcutaneous fat tissue", "longitudinal body dimensionality" and "upper body voluminosity"-were analyzed within the context of their appearance in different age-determined cohorts. The differences between cohorts (groups per ten years of age) were studied by the canonical discriminant analysis. The first two discriminant functions (describing mostly the variability of cohorts-96.11%) indicate a constant decrease of body and sitting height, and an increase of upper body voluminosity till the fourth age cohort, which is the most crucial one in the change of latent morphological structure. Results of the correct classification of cohort members show that only 48.45% of probands were correctly placed (the best classification determined was in the age between 46 and 55 years) indicating that in males, at least three different groups exist according to the specificity of morphological aging in human organisms.

Smoking habit was studied in 2776 school boys aged 9-16 years from Zagreb and surrounding area. In a total sample, 422 (15.2%) examinees were smokers. The most of the smokers smoke 1 to 5 cigarettes daily and the most frequent duration of smoking is 1 to 3 years (62.6%). Boys started smoking already at the preschool age. Most of them started smoking during the first four years of primary school (54.1%). Statistical analysis did not show association between intensity and duration of smoking. Smoking intensity increases significantly with age. Significantly larger frequency of cough was found in smokers compared to nonsmokers (p < 0.0001). However, there is no significant association between cough and duration and intensity of smoking. Significantly larger number of fathers and other members of the family who smoke was found for boys smokers than for boys nonsmokers (p < 0.0001). Intensity of smoking and age of starting smoking in school children were independent of smoking status of the family members.

Forced expiratory volumes and flows (forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) peak expiratory flow (PEF), maximal expiratory flow at 25% (MEF25%), 50% (MEF50%) and 75% (MEF75%) of the FVC) have been measured in 909 healthy nonsmoking men and women, ranging in age from 18-86 yrs, who live on Eastern Adriatic islands (Yugoslavia). This area is essentially free from air pollution. The results have been analysed in terms of age and height and regression equations for each sex were derived. The equations for FVC and FEV1 were reliable and those for forced expiratory flows were not. Comparisons were made with prediction equations derived for other populations, especially with those which are commonly used in daily medical practice.

Reference values for FVC and FEV1 have been developed on a sample of 909 healthy adult nonsmokers, men and women, between the ages of 18 to 86 years. The examinees are the inhabitants of Korcula, Brac, Silba, Olib, Pag and the Peljesac peninsula. The lung function parameters were analysed as functions of height and age using full model multiple linear regression analysis. Comparisons with prediction equations for other equally selected populations indicated that even most commonly used equations in Yugoslav medical practice are inadequate for our data. Presently derived reference values are reliable and can be used in daily medical practice.

Parameters of Malécot's isolation-by-distance model are estimated for biological (anthropometric head and body dimensions, morphometric dimensions of metacarpal bones, quantitative and qualitative dermatoglyphic traits, and physiological/cardiorespiratory/variables) and linguistic distances and migrational kinship on the island of Korcula and the Peljesac peninsula in Middle Dalmatia, Croatia, Yugoslavia. Resulting parameters and the fit of the model are compared, for both regions, as well as with results of similar analysis in other parts of the world. The fit of the model is highly significant for migrational kinship and linguistic distances and less so for biological traits. Differences between these two populations, which live under basically similar ecological conditions, are explained by variation in biological and sociocultural history.

The study aims at assessing whether occupational exposure to Brac limestone, which contains a minute amount of silica, induces disorders of ventilatory capacity. It included 71 male workers employed in a stone saw-mill and 134 controls. The ventilatory functions VC, FEV1, FEV 1% VC, MEF25, MEF50 i MEF75 were examined, and the values analysed in respect to smoking habit. Variance analysis established a homogenous distribution of VC parameters, while others were heterogeneously distributed. This can be explained by smoking habit as assessable factor, and not by exposure to limestone dust. It is assumed that the production of Brac limestone in the stone saw-mill does not cause disorders in ventilatory function.

The importance of geographical distance as a determining factor of the population's biological and socio-cultural structure was studied on the island of Korcula, Yugoslavia. Migrational kinship coefficients, biological and linguistic distances were analysed in respect to isolation by distance, using Malecot's model. The fit of the model is highly significant for migrational kinship, linguistic, anthropometrical and physiological distances, while for morphometrical distances of metacarpal bones and dermatoglyphic distances, it is not adequate. The major conclusions reached through this analysis are in concordance with the known historical events in the entire region.