Associations between estrogen receptor genetic polymorphisms,smoking status,and prostate cancer risk: a case–control study in Japanese men

Objective

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the major causes of death among men. Our study investigated the association of ESR1 and ESR2 genotypes with susceptibility to PCa in relation to smoking status in Japanese.

Method

A case–control study was performed with 750 Japanese prostate cancer patients and 870 healthy controls. After age-matching in case–controls, 352 controls and 352 cases were enrolled in this study. By using logistic regression analysis, the different genotypes from ESR1 and ESR2 were analyzed according to case/control status.

Result

ESR2 rs4986938 AG and AG + AA genotypes were associated with significantly decreased risk of PCa (AG: OR = 0.68, 95 % CI 0.47–0.97, P < 0.05 and AG + AA: OR = 0.67, 95 % CI 0.47–0.94, P < 0.05). However, there was no significant association between ESR1 rs2234693 and PCa risk. When patients were grouped according to smoking status, the ESR2 rs1256049 AA genotype (OR = 0.48, 95 % CI 0.25–0.95, P < 0.05) and ESR2 rs4986938 AG + AA genotype (OR = 0.64, 95 % CI 0.41–1.00, P < 0.05) showed significantly decreased PCa risk in the ever-smoker group.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that the estrogen receptor ESR2 has a very important function to predict PCa and that different SNPs have different predictive values. Smoking may influence estrogenic activity and may influence PCa together with the estrogen receptor.     

Colorectal cancer and the consumption of foods: A case‐control study in Belgium

A case‐control study on 453 cases with colon cancer, 365 with rectal cancer, and 2,851 population controls was carried out in two Belgian provinces known to differ in certain dietary habits, particularly with regard to the use of butter.

All raw vegetables had a clear protective effect for both colon and rectal cancer; bread was also protective for colon cancer. Starchy foods and foods rich in oligosaccharides (sugar) caused an increased risk for both colon and rectal cancer. No other foods were found to have a systematic effect in both sexes and in both provinces, either in one direction or in the other, except for maize, soybean, and sunflower oils, which were clearly protective in all cases. Among the foods contributing to the intake of fats, there was no effect either for butter, margarine, or fatty meats; the only clear‐cut protective effect was that of the oils having a high polyunsaturated‐to‐saturated ratio. These findings are consistent with our previous findings on the role nutrients play in the relationship with colon and rectal cancers.     

Tea consumption and lung cancer risk: A meta-analysis of case–control and cohort studies

ObjectiveRecent epidemiologic studies, especially cohort and case–control studies, have yielded inconsistent findings regarding the association between tea consumption and risk for lung cancer. The aim of this study was to assess a potential relationship between tea consumption and the incidence of lung cancer worldwide.MethodsA systematic literature search of PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, the Chinese Biomedical Database, and Wanfang Database was conducted from 1966 to January 2014 by two investigators. All cohort studies and case–control studies that evaluated the association of tea and lung cancer were included. Summary relative risks (RR) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effects model. Quality assessments were performed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Heterogeneity was assessed using the Q and I² tests, and the source of heterogeneity was detected by meta-regression analysis. Publication bias was evaluated with Egger's regression symmetry test. Subgroup analyses and sensitivity analysis were performed.ResultsThirty-eight lung cancer studies (26 case–control studies and 12 cohort studies) with 59,041 cases and 396,664 controls were included. Overall tea consumption was significantly associated with decreased risk for lung cancer (RR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.70–0.87). Subgroup analyses showed that tea consumption was associated with reduced risk for lung cancer in women (RR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.62–0.93), case–control studies (RR 0.72; 95% CI 0.63–0.83), Western studies (RR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.75–0.97), and studies in China and Japan (RR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.62–0.88). Both green tea (RR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.62–0.91) and black tea (RR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.71–0.94) were significantly associated with reduced lung cancer risk. No significant association was found in men or in cohort studies.ConclusionTea consumption may offer some protection against lung cancer.     

Vitamin A liver store: a case–control study

The present study aims to assess the vitamin A liver store in individuals who died of several causes and to compare them with those who died of violent causes. A case–control study was performed with 60 individuals, where 30 died of violent causes (control) and 30 of other causes (cardiovascular diseases, infections, other chronic degenerative diseases, several causes). According to the cause of death, the mean retinol from liver stores was 281.5±63.50 mg/g for individuals who died of violent causes—a significantly higher amount (P<0.05) than those observed in the other group (105.4±87.54 mg/g by cardiovascular diseases, 88.1±78.03 mg/g by infections, 162.4±119.19 mg/g by other chronic degenerative diseases and 205.5±126.63 mg/g by several causes). The highest prevalence of low vitamin A was observed in individuals who died of infections and cardiovascular diseases, which emphasizes the role of vitamin A in these pathological processes.     

Adipose tissue fatty acid composition and colon cancer: a case–control study

Purpose

An increased dietary intake of fat, particularly polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), has been related to an increased risk of breast, prostate and colon cancers. Patients with and without colon cancer were tested for differences in their fatty stores composition.

Methods

The fatty acid levels were determined by gas–liquid chromatography in adipose tissue samples, subcutaneous and visceral, obtained intra-operatively from 52 colon cancer and 50 nonneoplastic abdominal disease patients. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA, SNK test and Dunnet test. Differences in the composition of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, in visceral and in subcutaneous samples of colon cancer and nonneoplastic patients, were assessed.

Results

The sum of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, respectively, in visceral and in subcutaneous samples, was higher in neoplastic patients (p < 0.001). The sum of some n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), the dietary precursor linoleic acid (LA-18:2n-6), and their metabolites, gammalinolenic acid (GLA-18:3n-6) + dihomogammalinolenic acid (DGLA-20:3n-6) + arachidonic acid (AA-22:4n-6), was higher in subcutaneous fat of controls (p < 0.05). The samples from these patients had a fatty acid composition, both subcutaneous and visceral, with a higher content of alphalinolenic acid (ALA-18:3n-3) and stearidonic acid (SDA-18:4n-3) compared to neoplastic patients (p < 0.001). These had subcutaneous and visceral fat stores statistically higher in GLA, DGLA and AA (p < 0.001). Colon cancer patients had subcutaneous adipose stores higher in ALA and LA than visceral sites (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Fatty acids may be involved in colon carcinogenesis and there is a depot-specific impact on this process by visceral fat.     

Moderate physical activity and prostate cancer risk: A case–control study in china

A case-control study was conducted to investigate the association between physical activity and prostate cancer risk in China. A total of 130 recent histopathologically confirmed cancer cases and 274 controls were interviewed. Information collected included type, intensity and duration of various physical activities. The adjusted odds ratios of prostate cancer risk for physical activity variables were obtained from multivariate logistic regression models. Results showed that moderate physical activity was inversely related to the prostate cancer risk, with adjusted odds ratio being 0.20 (95% confidence interval 0.07–0.62) for the upper vs. the lower quartiles of weekly metabolic equivalent task-hours. The dose-response relationship was also significant (p = 0.015). The findings suggest that moderate physical activity may be protective against prostate cancer for Chinese men.This revised was published online in April 2005. In the previous version the article category was missing.     

Single nucleotide polymorphisms in candidate genes and dengue severity in children: A case–control,functional and meta-analysis study

Dengue is an arthropod-borne emerging viral disease with high morbidity and mortality risk in tropical countries like Brazil. Clinical manifestations are vast, ranging from asymptomatic to most severe forms of dengue such as shock. Previous data have shown that host genetics play a role in disease susceptibility and severity. Herein, we have tested the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at TNF, IL10, MIF, DCSIGN, CLEC5A, NOD2, CCR5 and MRC1 as candidate genes using a matched case–control study design including 88 severe children cases of dengue patients and 335 healthy unrelated subjects that was also separated in IgG⁺ and IgG⁻ controls. We demonstrated that the TT genotype of CLEC5A SNP (rs1285933 C>T) is associated with dengue severity (OR = 2.25; p = 0.03) and that GG genotype of −336G>A DCSIGN (CD209) SNP is associated with protection to severe dengue (OR = 0.12; p = 0.04). Both comparisons were borderline significant when cases were compared with IgG⁺ controls subgroup. Nevertheless, genotype–phenotype correlation was also assessed using serum levels of TNF from infected patients at the onset of dengue fever, and CT/TT carriers in CLEC5A secreted higher levels of TNF than CC individuals in 5–7 days of infection. No significant difference was observed in TNF levels between genotypes GG versus AG/AA at DCSIGN promoter. Next, we performed a meta-analysis retrieving results from the literature for −336G>A DCSIGN and −308G>A TNF SNPs demonstrating that the consensus estimates of these SNPs indicated no association with dengue severity (when compared to Dengue fever) in the overall analysis. But, a subgroup analysis in the −336G>A DCSIGN, the G allele was associated with severe dengue susceptibility in Asians (OR_allele = 2.77; p = 0.0001; OR_carriers = 2.99; p = 0.0001) and protection in Brazilians (OR_allele=0.66; p=0.013). In summary, our results suggest that genetic variations at CLEC5A increase the risk and regulate TNF secretion in dengue severity among Brazilians. Also, combined data of the literature suggest population-specific effect of the −336 DCSIGN SNP more prominent in Asians and in a different direction than Brazilians.     

Dietary cadmium intake and breast cancer risk in Japanese women: A case–control study

Cadmium, an environmental pollutant, may act like an estrogen and be a potential risk factor for estrogen-dependent diseases such as breast cancer. We examined the hypothesis that higher dietary cadmium intake is associated with risk of overall and hormone receptor-defined breast cancer in Japanese women, a population with a relatively high cadmium intake. The study was conducted under a case–control design in 405 eligible matched pairs from May 2001 to September 2005 at four hospitals in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Dietary cadmium intake was estimated using a food frequency questionnaire. Multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of breast cancer and its hormone-receptor-defined subtypes were calculated by tertile of dietary cadmium intake. We found no significant association between dietary cadmium and risk of total breast cancer in either crude or multivariable-adjusted analysis. Adjusted ORs for tertiles of cadmium intake were 1.00, 1.19, and 1.23 (95% CI, 0.76–2.00; P for trend = 0.39) for whole breast cancer. Further, no significant associations were seen across strata of menopausal status, smoking, and diabetes in multivariable-adjusted models except for adjusted OR for continuous cadmium intake in postmenopausal women. A statistically significant association was found for estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) tumors among postmenopausal women (adjusted OR = 1.00, 1.16, and 1.94 [95% CI, 1.04–3.63; P for trend = 0.032]). Although the present study found no overall association between dietary cadmium intake and breast cancer risk, higher cadmium intake was associated with increased risk of ER+ breast cancer in postmenopausal women, at least at regular intake levels in Japanese women in the general population. Further studies are needed to confirm this association.     

Dietary sugar and lung cancer: A case‐control study in Uruguay

To examine whether dietary sugar modifies lung cancer risk, a case‐control study involving 463 cases with lung cancer and 465 hospitalized controls was conducted in Uruguay in the period 1993–1996. Dietary patterns were assessed in detail using a 64‐item food‐frequency questionnaire, which allowed the calculation of total energy intake. After adjustment for potential confounders through a model that included tobacco smoking and total energy, total fat, vitamin C, and α‐carotene intakes, an increased risk for sugar‐rich foods, total sucrose intake, sucrose‐to‐dietary fiber ratio, and glycemic index for lung cancer was observed (odds ratio for highest category of total sucrose intake = 1.55, 95% confidence interval = 0.99–2.44). When lung cancer was analyzed separately by cell type, odds ratios for small cell and large cell undifferentiated carcinoma were higher than those observed for squamous cell and adenocarcinoma of the lung. The joint effect of pack‐years, total fat intake, and sucrose intake was associated with an increased risk of 28.3 (95% confidence interval = 13.4–59.7) for high values of the three variables. The study suggests that high sucrose intake could be an important risk factor in lung carcinogenesis. Further studies, both epidemiological and experimental, are needed to replicate the present findings and to clarify the mechanism(s) of sucrose intake in lung carcinogenesis.     

Diet and prostatic cancer: A case‐control study in northern Italy

The relationship between intake of various indicator foods and beverages and risk of prostatic cancer was assessed in 271 cases of prostatic cancer and 685 hospital controls recruited in two areas of northern Italy, the province of Pordenone and the greater Milan area. Increased risks were found for more frequent intake of meat [odds ratio (OR) in the highest vs. lowest consumption fertile = 1.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0–2.0], milk (OR = 1.6, 95% CI 1.1–2.4), fresh fruit (OR = 1.4, 95% CI 1.0–2.1), and vegetables (OR = 1.4, 95% CI 0.9–2.2). After allowance for the reciprocal confounding effect of various dietary habits, only frequent intake of milk seemed to be a significant independent indicator of prostatic cancer risk. There was also a clue that the unfavorable influence of frequent intake of a few food items (i.e., meat, fish, liver, ham and salami, milk and butter, and retinol) may be greater or restricted to older individuals (i.e., ≥70 yrs of age). In conclusion, the present study confirms the presence of a moderate adverse effect of high intake of foods of animal origin, chiefly milk, while it suggests that a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables does not convey a protection.     

Vitamin A and female lung cancer: A case‐control study on plasma and diet

Plasma and dietary levels of retinol and β‐carotene were evaluated in a consecutive series of 47 females with histologically proven primary lung cancer and 159 nonneoplastic hospital controls. The dietary questionnaire included 69 different items: special care was given to foods rich in vitamin A and seasonal foods (e.g., vegetables and fruits), whereas serum analysis was focused on retinol and β‐carotene.

Age‐adjusted mean values for cases and controls were, respectively, 458.3 vs. 551.3 mg for plasma retinol, 276.1 vs. 390.1 mg for plasma carotene; 598.1 vs. 820.6 mg for daily retinol, and 628.0 vs. 882.5 mg for dietary carotene.

The odds ratios for low vs. high fertile, adjusted for age, smoking, retinol or carotene, cholesterol, and triglycerides by multivariate analysis were, respectively, 1.13 for plasma retinol, 5.04 for plasma carotene, 3.27 for dietary retinol, and 2.93 for dietary carotene. For all the ex‐amined items, there was a trend of increased risk for the second and third tertile, and statistical significance was reached for plasma β‐carotene (p < 0.05).

The hypothesis that a higher risk of lung cancer is related to a low vitamin A consumption is supported by these data.     

Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid intakes and endometrial cancer risk in a population-based case–control study

Purpose

Animal and laboratory studies suggest that long-chain omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat found in fatty fish, may protect against carcinogenesis, but human studies on dietary intake of polyunsaturated fats and fish with endometrial cancer risk show mixed results.

Methods

We evaluated the associations between endometrial cancer risk and intake of fatty acids and fish in a population-based sample of 556 incident cancer cases and 533 age-matched controls using multivariate unconditional logistic regression methods.

Results

Although total n-3 fatty acid intake was not associated with endometrial cancer risk, higher intakes of eicosapentaenoic (EPA 20:5) and docosahexaenoic (DHA 22:6) fatty acids were significantly associated with lower risks (OR = 0.57, 95 % CI: 0.39–0.84; OR = 0.64, 95 % CI: 0.44–0.94; respectively) comparing extreme quartiles. The ratio of n-3:n-6 fatty acids was inversely associated with risk only on a continuous scale (OR = 0.84, 95 % CI: 0.71–0.99), while total fish intake was not associated with risk. Fish oil supplement use was significantly associated with reduced risk of endometrial cancer: OR = 0.63 (95 % CI: 0.45–0.88).

Conclusions

Our results suggest that dietary intake of the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids EPA and DHA in foods and supplements may have protective associations against the development of endometrial cancer.     

Lifetime total physical activity and prostate cancer risk: a population-based case–control study in Sweden

The etiologic role of physical activity in prostate cancer development is unclear. We assessed the association between lifetime total physical activity and prostate cancer risk in a Swedish population-based case–control study comprising 1,449 incident prostate cancer cases and 1,118 unaffected population controls. Information regarding physical activity was obtained via a self-administered questionnaire assessing occupational, household, and recreational activity separately at various ages throughout an individual’s lifetime. Clinical data (TNM-classification, Gleason sum and PSA) was obtained from linkage to the National Prostate Cancer Registry. Overall, we observed no association between lifetime total physical activity and prostate cancer risk (odds ratio [OR] = 1.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.77–1.41 for ≥49.7 vs. <41.9 metabolic equivalent-hours per day). There was a significantly increased risk of prostate cancer in the most active men compared with the least active men in household (OR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.08–1.92) and recreational physical activity (OR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.16–2.10). Comparing the most active with the least active men, total physical activity was not associated with either localized disease (OR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.67–1.34) or advanced disease (OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 0.83–1.71). These findings do not support the hypothesis that physical activity uniformly protects against prostate cancer development.     

Dietary patterns and breast cancer risk among women in northern Tanzania: a case–control study

Background

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania. It was tested within a case–control study in this region whether a specific dietary pattern impacts on the breast cancer risk.

Methods

A validated semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire was used to assess the dietary intake of 115 female breast cancer patients and 230 healthy age-matched women living in the same districts. A logistic regression was performed to estimate breast cancer risk. Dietary patterns were obtained using principal component analysis with Varimax rotation.

Results

The adjusted logistic regression estimated an increased risk for a “Fatty Diet”, characterized by a higher consumption of milk, vegetable oils and fats, butter, lard and red meat (OR = 1.42, 95 % CI 1.08–1.87; P = 0.01), and for a “Fruity Diet”, characterized by a higher consumption of fish, mango, papaya, avocado and watery fruits (OR = 1.61, 95 % CI 1.14–2.28; P = 0.01). Both diets showed an inverse association with the ratio between polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids (P/S ratio).

Conclusion

A diet characterized by a low P/S ratio seems to be more important for the development of breast cancer than total fat intake.     

Dietary vitamin A and lung cancer: Results of a case‐control study among chemical workers

A nested case‐control study conducted among a cohort of chemical manufacturing employees provided an opportunity to test the hypothesis that lung cancer risk is inversely related to dietary intake of vitamin A. Eligible for study were 308 former male employees who had died of lung cancer between 1940 and 1980. Two control groups, one a decedent and the other a “living” series, were individually matched to the cases one‐for‐one. Interviews were completed with 734 subjects or their next‐of‐kin and included a food frequency list. A vitamin A index was developed for each subject based on the frequency of consumption of 29 food items. After adjustment for a number of potentially confounding variables (e.g., smoking, educational level, and use of vitamin supplements), there was evidence that vitamin A intake was inversely associated with lung cancer risk. The effect was most pronounced in the comparisons with the “living” controls and appeared strongest among cigarette smokers. Subjects in the lowest tertile of vitamin A intake had approximately twice the risk of lung cancer as those in the highest. Analyses of an index of carotenoids and of individual food items suggested that plant sources of vitamin A may play a more important role in producing the effect than do animal sources.     

Genetic variation in Glutathione S-Transferase Omega-1, Arsenic Methyltransferase and Methylene-tetrahydrofolate Reductase, arsenic exposure and bladder cancer: a case–control study

Background

Bisphenol A (BPA) and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCs) are suspected endocrine disrupting compounds known to be ubiquitous in people's bodies. Population disparities in exposure to these chemicals have not been fully characterized.

Methods

We analyzed data from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Using multivariable linear regression we examined the association between urinary concentrations of BPA, serum concentrations of four PFCs, and multiple measures of socioeconomic position (SEP): family income, education, occupation, and food security. We also examined associations with race/ethnicity.

Results

All four PFCs were positively associated with family income, whereas BPA was inversely associated with family income. BPA concentrations were higher in people who reported very low food security and received emergency food assistance than in those who did not. This association was particularly strong in children: 6-11 year-olds whose families received emergency food had BPA levels 54% higher (95% CI, 13 to 112%) than children of families who did not. For BPA and PFCs we saw smaller and less consistent associations with education and occupation. Mexican Americans had the lowest concentrations of any racial/ethnic group of both types of chemicals; for PFCs, Mexican Americans not born in the U.S. had much lower levels than those born in the U.S.

Conclusions

People with lower incomes had higher body burdens of BPA; the reverse was true for PFCs. Family income with adjustment for family size was the strongest predictor of chemical concentrations among the different measures of SEP we studied. Income, education, occupation, and food security appear to capture different aspects of SEP that may be related to exposure to BPA and PFCs and are not necessarily interchangeable as measures of SEP in environmental epidemiology studies. Differences by race/ethnicity were independent of SEP.