网络成瘾和电子屏幕时间与抑郁症状的关联性研究

目的 探讨网络成瘾、电子屏幕时间与抑郁症状发生的关联。方法 选取2013-2019年天津慢性低度炎症与健康（TCLSIH）队列中6 932名正常体检的60岁以下成年人为研究对象。通过自我报告问卷评估研究对象网络成瘾程度、电脑/手机使用时间和电视使用时间。采用抑郁自评量表（SDS）评估研究对象的抑郁症状。根据SDS总分分为无抑郁症状组（<45分）和有抑郁症状组（≥45分）。使用Cox比例风险回归模型评估网络成瘾和电子屏幕时间与发生抑郁症状的关联。结果 调整潜在的混杂因素后,与没有网络成瘾者相比,以前有网络成瘾者、轻度网络成瘾者、中/重度网络成瘾者随访期间发生抑郁症状的HR值（95%CI）分别为0.83（0.56~1.23）、1.20（1.03~1.41）、1.48（1.16~1.89）。网络成瘾与出现抑郁症状之间的线性关联有统计学意义（趋势性P<0.001）;与使用电脑/手机0~h/d者相比,使用手机1~、3~、5~、>10 h/d者随访期间发生抑郁症状的HR值（95%CI）分别为0.59（0.40~0.88）、0.58（0.40~0.85）、0.52（0.36~0.76）、0.69（0.45~1.05）。电脑/手机使用时间与随访期间出现抑郁症状之间的关联存在“U”形趋势（趋势性P<0.001）;未调整和初步潜在混杂因素后,与每天不使用电视者相比,电视使用时间≥3 h/d者随访期间发生抑郁症状的HR值（95%CI）分别为1.36（1.09~1.69）和1.34（1.07~1.68）。电视使用时间与出现抑郁症状之间存在关联（趋势性P<0.001）。结论 网络成瘾和电视使用时间与随访期间抑郁症状风险的增加有关,而电脑/手机使用时间与随访期间抑郁症状风险的降低有关。     

Effects of home-based Voluntary Counselling and Testing on HIV-related stigma: Findings from a cluster-randomized trial in Zambia

HIV-related stigma continues to be a prominent barrier to testing, treatment and care. However, few studies have investigated changes in stigma over time and the factors contributing to these changes, and there is no evidence of the impact of HIV testing and counselling on stigma. This study was nested within a pair-matched cluster-randomized trial on the acceptance of home-based voluntary HIV counselling and testing conducted in a rural district in Zambia between 2009 and 2011, and investigated changes in stigma over time and the impact of HIV testing and counselling on stigma. Data from a baseline survey (n = 1500) and a follow-up survey (n = 1107) were used to evaluate changes in stigma. There was an overall reduction of seven per cent in stigma from baseline to follow-up. This was mainly due to a reduction in individual stigmatizing attitudes but not in perceived stigma. The reduction did not differ between the trial arms (β = −0.22, p = 0.423). Being tested for HIV was associated with a reduction in stigma (β = −0.57, p = 0.030), and there was a trend towards home-based Voluntary Counselling and Testing having a larger impact on stigma than other testing approaches (β = −0.78, p = 0.080 vs. β = −0.37, p = 0.551), possibly explained by a strong focus on counselling and the safe environment of the home. The reduction observed in both arms may give reason to be optimistic as it may have consequences for disclosure, treatment access and adherence. Yet, the change in stigma may have been affected by social desirability bias, as extensive community mobilization was carried out in both arms. The study underscores the challenges in measuring and monitoring HIV-related stigma. Adjustment for social desirability bias and inclusion of qualitative methods are recommended for further studies on the impact of HIV testing on stigma.     

Risk Factors for Locoregional Failure in Patients With Inflammatory Breast Cancer Treated With Trimodality Therapy

PurposeTo compare patterns of local and regional failure between patients with inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) and non-IBC in patients treated with trimodality therapy.Materials and MethodsWe reviewed records of 463 patients with stage II/III breast cancer, including IBC, who completed trimodality therapy from January 1999 to December 2009.ResultsThe median follow-up was 46.3 months (range, 4-152 months). Clinical stage was 29.4% (n = 136) II, 56.4% (n = 261) non-IBC III, 14.2% (n = 66) IBC, 30.5% (n = 141) cN0/Nx, and 69.5% (n = 322) N1-N3c. All the patients received neoadjuvant therapy and mastectomy (98%, n = 456 with axillary dissection), and all had postmastectomy radiation therapy to the chest wall with or without supraclavicular nodes (82.5%, n = 382) with or without axilla (6%, n = 28). The median chest wall dose was 60.4 Gy. Patients with IBC presented with larger tumors (P < .001) and exhibited a poorer response to neoadjuvant therapy: after surgery, fewer patients with IBC were ypN0 (P = .003) and more had ≥ 4 positive nodes (P < .001). Four-year cumulative incidence of locoregional recurrence was 5.9%, with 25 locoregional events, 9 of which had a regional component. On multivariate analysis, triple-negative disease (hazard ratio [HR] 7.75, P < .0001) and residual pathologic nodes (HR 7.10, P < .001) were associated with an increased risk of locoregional recurrence, but IBC was not. However, on multivariate analysis, the 4-year cumulative incidence of regional recurrence specifically was significantly higher in IBC (HR 9.87, P = .005).ConclusionIn this cohort of patients who completed trimodality therapy, the patients with IBC were more likely to have residual disease in the axilla after neoadjuvant therapy and were at greater risk of regional recurrence. Future study should focus on optimizing regional nodal management in IBC.     

Effects of ovulation induction agents on ovarian surface epithelium in rats

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of ovulation induction agents on the ovarian surface epithelium in rats. Sixty adult females were randomly divided into six groups, each containing 10 rats. In four of these groups ovulation induction was applied with six cycles of clomiphene citrate, human menopausal gonadotrophin (HMG), recombinant FSH (rFSH) or human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG), respectively, followed by unilateral oophorectomy, and another six cycles of the same treatment. After a total of 12 cycles of ovulation induction, the remaining ovary was taken out and the alterations in ovarian surface epithelium were examined. No malignancies were observed on the ovarian surface epithelium of the rats that were given clomiphene citrate, rFSH or HMG as ovulation induction agents, while identification rates of histopathological parameters constituting epithelial dysplasia were found to be significant (P < 0.05). There was no significant dysplasia in the epithelium of the group which was given HCG only, relative to control groups. The findings suggest that the ovulation induction agents except for HCG bring about dysplasia in the ovarian surface epithelium. It is not clear whether these dysplasias are precursory lesions of ovarian malignancies.     

Exogenous hormone use and cutaneous melanoma risk in women: The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition

Evidence suggests an influence of sex hormones on cutaneous melanoma risk, but epidemiologic findings are conflicting. We examined the associations between use of oral contraceptives (OCs) and menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) and melanoma risk in women participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). EPIC is a prospective cohort study initiated in 1992 in 10 European countries. Information on exogenous hormone use at baseline was derived from country-specific self-administered questionnaires. We used Cox proportional hazards regression models to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Over 1992–2015, 1,696 melanoma cases were identified among 334,483 women, whereof 770 cases among 134,758 postmenopausal women. There was a positive, borderline-significant association between OC use and melanoma risk (HR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.00–1.26), with no detected heterogeneity across countries (p_homogeneity = 0.42). This risk increased linearly with duration of use (p_trend = 0.01). Among postmenopausal women, ever use of MHT was associated with a nonsignificant increase in melanoma risk overall (HR = 1.14, 95% CI = 0.97–1.43), which was heterogeneous across countries (p_homogeneity = 0.05). Our findings do not support a strong and direct association between exogenous hormone use and melanoma risk. In order to better understand these relations, further research should be performed using prospectively collected data including detailed information on types of hormone, and on sun exposure, which may act as an important confounder or effect modifier on these relations.     

Circulating PCSK9 is associated with liver biomarkers and hepatic steatosis

BackgroundIn parallel to the increasing prevalence of metabolic syndrome, the prevalence of hepatic steatosis has also increased dramatically worldwide. Hepatic steatosis is a major risk factor of hepatic cirrhosis, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Circulating levels of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) have been positively associated with the metabolic syndrome. However, the association between PCSK9 and the liver function is still controversial.ObjectiveThe objective of this study is to investigate the association between circulating PCSK9 levels and the presence of hepatic steatosis, as well as with liver biomarkers in a cohort of healthy individuals.MethodsTotal PCSK9 levels were measured by an in-house ELISA using a polyclonal antibody. Plasma albumin, alkaline phosphatase, ALT, AST, total bilirubin and GGT were measured in 698 individuals using the COBAS system. The presence of hepatic steatosis was assessed using ultrasound liver scans.ResultsIn a multiple regression model adjusted for age, sex, insulin resistance, body mass index and alcohol use, circulating PCSK9 level was positively associated with albumin (β = 0.102, P = 0.008), alkaline phosphatase (β = 0.201, P < 0.0001), ALT (β = 0.238, P < 0.0001), AST (β = 0.120, P = 0.003) and GGT (β = 0.103, P = 0.007) and negatively associated with total bilirubin (β = -0.150, P < 0.0001). Tertile of circulating PCSK9 was also associated with hepatic steatosis (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.05–2.08, P = 0.02).ConclusionOur data suggest a strong association between PCSK9 and liver biomarkers as well as hepatic steatosis. Further studies are needed to explore the role of PCSK9 on hepatic function.