Plasma and dietary carotenoid, retinol and tocopherol levels and the risk of gastric adenocarcinomas in the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition

Despite declining incidence rates, gastric cancer (GC) is a major cause of death worldwide. Its aetiology may involve dietary antioxidant micronutrients such as carotenoids and tocopherols. The objective of this study was to determine the association of plasma levels of seven common carotenoids, their total plasma concentration, retinol and alpha- and gamma-tocopherol, with the risk of gastric adenocarcinoma in a case-control study nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), a large cohort involving 10 countries. A secondary objective was to determine the association of total sum of carotenoids, retinol and alpha-tocopherol on GCs by anatomical subsite (cardia/noncardia) and histological subtype (diffuse/intestinal). Analytes were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography in prediagnostic plasma from 244 GC cases and 645 controls matched by age, gender, study centre and date of blood donation. Conditional logistic regression models adjusted by body mass index, total energy intake, smoking and Helicobacter pylori infection status were used to estimate relative cancer risks. After an average 3.2 years of follow-up, a negative association with GC risk was observed in the highest vs the lowest quartiles of plasma beta-cryptoxanthin (odds ratio (OR) = 0.53, 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 0.30-0.94, P(trend) = 0.006), zeaxanthin (OR = 0.39, 95% CI = 0.22-0.69, P(trend) = 0.005), retinol (OR = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.33-0.93, P(trend) = 0.005) and lipid-unadjusted alpha-tocopherol (OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.37-0.94, P(trend) = 0.022). For all analytes, no heterogeneity of risk estimates or significant associations were observed by anatomical subsite. In the diffuse histological subtype, an inverse association was observed with the highest vs lowest quartile of lipid-unadjusted alpha-tocopherol (OR = 0.26, 95% CI = 0.11-0.65, P(trend) = 0.003). These results show that higher plasma concentrations of some carotenoids, retinol and alpha-tocopherol are associated with reduced risk of GC.     

Does consumption of two portions of salmon per week enhance the antioxidant defense system in pregnant women?

Salmon is a rich source of marine n-3 fatty acids, which may increase oxidative stress and, in turn, could affect the antioxidant defense system in blood plasma and erythrocytes of pregnant women. The Salmon in Pregnancy Study provided two meals of salmon per week to pregnant women from week 20 of gestation; the control group maintained their habitual diet low in oily fish. Higher selenium and retinol plasma concentrations were observed after dietary salmon supplementation. Besides, a concomitant increase in selenium and glutathione concentration as well as glutathione peroxidase and reductase activities were detected as pregnancy progressed. However, tocopherols, retinol, β-carotene, and coenzyme Q(10) decreased in late pregnancy. Collectively, our findings lead to the hypothesis that increased farmed salmon intake may increase antioxidant defenses during pregnancy. Clinical trials identifier NCT00801502.     

Trans obturator tape (TOT) for female stress incontinence. Experience with three years follow-up in 200 patients

ObjectiveTo evaluate the security and effectiveness of the TOT in the female incontinence surgical treatment according to our experience.Patient and MethodProspective study of 200 patients underwent TOT at Gynecology Unit of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department in Barros Luco-Trudeau Hospital between January 2003 and October 2006. Polypropilene, macropore, mofilament mesh (Prolene) was used. The mean age was 52 years old, parity 3.ResultsThe mean surgical time of TOT was 15 minutes. In 184 (92%) patients obtained cure, 6 (3%) improvement and 10 (5%) fails. Three cases of bladder injury occurred (one perforation with the scissor and two with TOT needle during the learning phase). During the immediately postoperative time: one case of partial urethral obstruction, two cases of urinary infection and three with pain of the legs. During the delayed postoperative time a case of fail was observed after trauma.ConclusionAccording to our experience with 200 cases, the TOT appears as a safe and effective technique in the surgical treatment of the stress urinary incontinence.     

Myeloperoxidase Is an Early Biomarker of Inflammation and Cardiovascular Risk in Prepubertal Obese Children

OBJECTIVE

Obesity is associated with a state of chronic low-grade inflammation. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) plays an important role in the initiation and progression of acute and chronic inflammatory diseases, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD). The objectives of the current study were to evaluate plasma MPO levels in prepubertal obese children and to determine whether MPO could be an early biomarker of inflammation and CVD risk.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

In a prospective multicenter case-control study paired by age and sex of 446 Caucasian prepubertal children ages 6–12 years, 223 normal-weight and 223 obese children were recruited. Blood pressure, waist circumference, weight, and height were measured. In addition to MPO, glucose, insulin, metabolic lipid parameters, oxidized low-density lipoproteins, adiponectin, leptin, resistin, C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor α, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 were determined.

RESULTS

We found that MPO was elevated in prepubertal obese children and that this enzyme was associated with such proinflammatory and cardiovascular risk biomarkers as CRP, MMP-9, and resistin. Insulin resistance calculated by the homeostatic assessment model was the best predictor of MPO.

CONCLUSIONS

MPO is an early biomarker of inflammation associated with CVD risk in obese children at the prepubertal age.Obesity is characterized by a chronic low-grade inflammation (1). Obese children have been shown to develop many proinflammatory and proatherogenic changes associated with vascular diseases in adults, including high plasma levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) (2), interleukin 6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (3). In addition, it has been demonstrated that some factors involved in vascular homeostasis, such as plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) (4), and in angiogenesis, such as matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) (5), are elevated in the plasma of obese children, whereas others, such as adiponectin, are decreased.Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is an enzyme most abundantly expressed in neutrophils and, to a lesser extent, in monocytes (6). This enzyme has long been viewed as functioning primarily as a bactericidal agent (7), generating reactive oxygen species that contribute to the destruction and killing of the engulfed pathogens (6). It has been demonstrated that MPO is involved in cellular homeostasis and plays an important role in the initiation and progression of acute and chronic inflammatory diseases, fundamentally cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Recent studies have reported elevated MPO levels in obese adults (8,9). Furthermore, some studies in children have shown that MPO is elevated in subjects with diabetes mellitus type 1 (10) and with hypercholesterolemia (11), although as far as we know, no data have been reported in obese children at the prepubertal period. The objectives of the current study were therefore to evaluate plasma MPO levels in prepubertal obese children and to determine whether MPO could be an early biomarker of inflammation and CVD risk.     

Adherence to the Mediterranean diet reduces mortality in the Spanish cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Spain)

Epidemiological studies show that adherence to a Mediterranean diet (MD) increases longevity; however, few studies are restricted to Mediterranean populations or explore the effect of a MD pattern that directly incorporates olive oil. Therefore the relationship between adherence to the MD and mortality was studied within the the Spanish cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Spain). The EPIC-Spain analysis included 40 622 participants (37·7?% males) aged 29-69 years who were recruited from five Spanish regions in 1992-1996. During a mean follow-up of 13·4 years, 1855 deaths were documented: 913 from cancer, 399 from CVD, 425 from other causes and 118 from unknown causes of death. Risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality was assessed according to the level of adherence to a relative MD (rMED) score, measured using an 18-unit scale incorporating nine selected dietary components. A high compared with a low rMED score was associated with a significant reduction in mortality from all causes (hazard ratio (HR) 0·79; 95?% CI 0·69, 0·91), from CVD (HR 0·66; 95?% CI 0·49, 0·89), but not from overall cancer (HR 0·92; 95?% CI 0·75, 1·12). A 2-unit increase in rMED score was associated with a 6?% (P?相似文献   

Quality of life among caregivers of patients with eating disorders

Purpose  

To analyse health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and its associated social and clinical variables among a sample of caregivers of patients with eating disorders (ED).