Childhood Lead Exposure in the Palestinian Authority, Israel, and Jordan: Results from the Middle Eastern Regional Cooperation Project, 1996–2000

In the Middle East, the major sources of lead exposure have been leaded gasoline, lead-contaminated flour from traditional stone mills, focal exposures from small battery plants and smelters, and kohl (blue color) in cosmetics. In 1998–2000, we measured blood lead (PbB) levels in children 2–6 years of age in Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority (n = 1478), using a fingerstick method. Mean (peak; percentage > 10 μg/dL) PbB levels in Israel (n = 317), the West Bank (n = 344), Jordan (n = 382), and Gaza (n = 435) were 3.2 μg/dL (18.2; 2.2%), 4.2 μg/dL (25.7; 5.2%), 3.2 μg/dL (39.3; < 1%), and 8.6 μg/dL (> 80.0; 17.2%), respectively. High levels in Gaza were all among children living near a battery factory. The findings, taken together with data on time trends in lead emissions and in PbB in children in previous years, indicate the benefits from phasing out of leaded gasoline but state the case for further reductions and investigation of hot spots. The project demonstrated the benefits of regional cooperation in planning and carrying out a jointly designed project

Immunologic evaluation of hepatitis B vaccine application in hospital staff

Abstract Objectives: The aim of our study was to assess immunological changes in hospital employees vaccinated fi ve years ago with a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine. Materials and Methods: 148 hospital employees were examined at different time periods during 5 years following a three-dose schedule of intramuscular immunization with a recombinant DNA hepatitis B vaccine (Engerix-B). Results: At the end of a 5-year period, 20 vaccinees (13.5%) demonstrated a low level of HBs antibodies, namely &lt; 10 mIU/ml being evaluated as lack of protection, 46 (31.1%) showed titers between 11 and 100 mIU/ ml corresponding to feeble protection, 54 (36.5%) were with titers &gt; 100 mIU/ml considered as suffi ciently protected and, surprisingly, in 28 vaccinated persons (18.9%), titers of HBs Ab were over 1000 mIU/ml corresponding to high protection. The HBsAg were never detected among the entire vaccinated group. Averaged amounts of serum immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM, IgA) were lower relatively to normal values only among unprotected or feebly protected vaccinees. Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that postvaccinal titers are in linear dependence on the time elapsed since the vaccination and also evidence that some other immunological factors infl uence the outcome of vaccination