A pooled analysis of case-control studies of thyroid cancer¶ I. Methods

Objective: Because the etiology of thyroid cancer is not well described, we conducted a pooled analysis of all published case- control studies, as well as two identified unpublished studies. This paper describes the major characteristics of the 14 studies included in the analysis, as well as the statistical methods employed. Four studies were conducted in the United States (1 each in Washington State, California, Connecticut and Hawaii), 8 in Europe (3 in Sweden, 2 in Norway, 1 in Switzerland, 1 in Italy and 1 in Greece), and 2 in Asia (1 in China and 1 in Japan).Methods: The original datasets were obtained and restructured in a uniform format. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, anthropometric measures, smoking and alcohol consumption, history of benign thyroid diseases and of other selected medical conditions and treatments, family history of cancer and of benign thyroid conditions, occupation, residence in endemic goitre areas, and dietary habits were analyzed. For women, we also analyzed menstrual and reproductive factors and use of female hormones. Radiotherapy and, in Japan, exposure to the A-bombs were considered as potential confounding factors.Results: A total of 2,725 cases (2,247 females and 478 males) and 4,776 controls (3,699 females and 1,077 males) were included in this study. Of the cases, 79% were classified as papillary thyroid carcinomas, 14% as follicular, 2% medullary, 1% anaplastic, 1% other histologies, and 3% histological type unknown. Each of the datasets was checked for outliers and consistency. Data were analysed separately by study center, gender, and the two major histologic types (papillary, follicular). Frequency tables and simple statistics were computed for each variable under study. Conditional logistic regression was used to compute odds ratios. For matched studies, the original matching was preserved, whereas, for unmatched ones, five-year age groups were used for matching. Study-specific analyses were computed, and then the data from all the studies were pooled conditioning on study. Heterogeneity between studies, geographic areas and study designs was assessed, and the modifying effect of age was also evaluated.     

Design,synthesis, and evaluation of a novel PET imaging agent targeting lipofuscin in senescent cells

Promoting a senescent phenotype to suppress tumour progression may present an alternative strategy for treating cancer and encourages the development of positron emission tomography (PET) imaging biomarkers for assessing response to treatment. The accumulation of lipofuscin deposits in senescent cells is visualised using the pathology stain Sudan Black B (SBB) which is an emerging biomarker of senescence. We describe the design, synthesis and evaluation of [¹⁸F]fluoroethyltriazole-SBB ([¹⁸F]FET-SBB), a fluorine-18 radiolabelled derivative of SBB. The in vitro uptake of [¹⁸F]FET-SBB in a senescent cell line corelated with lipofuscin deposits; in vivo PET imaging and metabolite analysis confirm a favourable pharmacokinetic and metabolic profile for further studies of in vivo models of senescence.

Lipofuscin deposits in senescence cells are visualised using the pathology stain Sudan Black B (SBB), an emerging biomarker of senescence. This work develops and evaluates a fluorine-18 derivative for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging.     

Anti‐TNF‐α Activity of Brazilian Medicinal Plants and Compounds from Ouratea semiserrata

Several plant species are used in Brazil to treat inflammatory diseases and associated conditions. TNF‐α plays a pivotal role on inflammation, and several plant extracts have been assayed against this target, both in vitro and in vivo. The effect of 11 Brazilian medicinal plants on TNF‐α release by LPS‐activated THP‐1 cells was evaluated. The plant materials were percolated with different solvents to afford 15 crude extracts, whose effect on TNF‐α release was determined by ELISA. Among the evaluated extracts, only Jacaranda caroba (Bignoniaceae) presented strong toxicity to THP‐1 cells. Considering the 14 non‐toxic extracts, TNF‐α release was significantly reduced by seven of them (inhibition > 80%), originating from six plants, namely Cuphea carthagenensis (Lythraceae), Echinodorus grandiflorus (Alismataceae), Mansoa hirsuta (Bignoniaceae), Ouratea semiserrata (Ochnaceae), Ouratea spectabilis and Remijia ferruginea (Rubiaceae). The ethanol extract from O. semiserrata leaves was fractionated over Sephadex LH‐20 and RP‐HPLC to give three compounds previously reported for the species, along with agathisflavone and epicatechin, here described for the first time in the plant. Epicatechin and lanceoloside A elicited significant inhibition of TNF‐α release, indicating that they may account for the effect produced by O. semiserrata crude extract. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Elderly victims of gender violence in Portugal: Invisible and not heard?

In this article, we explore professionals' representations of elderly female victims of gender violence. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore seven professionals' work philosophies and intervention methodologies in their work with elderly female victims of violence, their main problems and difficulties, and their perspectives regarding shelters for elderly women. Results show that there are no specific philosophies and methodologies to intervene with these victims. There is a tendency to homogenize all the victims of gender violence, regardless of their age and specific needs. The professionals also tended to trivialize gender violence against elderly female victims, considering that these women tolerate violence.