Phylogeny of antigen-processing enzymes: cathepsins of a cephalochordate, an agnathan and a bony fish

Cathepsins are enzymes that have been cleaving peptide bonds of lysosomal proteins probably since lysosomes appeared in early eucaryotes. When the adaptive system emerged in gnathostomes, cathepsins were recruited to produce peptides for loading onto the major histocompatibility complex class II molecules and for degrading the class II-associated invariant chain just before the loading. The circumstances under which this recruitment took place are unclear because the knowledge about vertebrate cathepsins is limited largely to mammals. To shed light on the recruitment, 10 amphioxus, one lamprey and one cichlid fish cathepsin cDNA clone were characterized and analysed phylogenetically. Disregarding cathepsin O, whose phylogenetic position is uncertain, the analysis confirms the existence of two old lines of descent, the B and the L lineages of cathepsins, which diverged from each other early in the evolution of eucaryotes. The B lineage encompasses cathepsins B, C and Z (X). The L lineage splits off sublineages encompassing cathepsins F and W before the plant-animal separation and cathepsin H early in the evolution of the metazoa. The remaining cathepsins belonging to the L lineage diverged from one another during the evolution of vertebrates: S, K and L before the emergence of bony fishes, and the group of rodent placentally expressed cathepsins [J (P), M, Q, R, 3, 6, 7 and 8] as well as the testis/ova-expressed cathepsins (testins) probably after the divergence of rodents from primates. The part possibly played by the adaptive immune system in some of these divergences is discussed.     

Comparative study of lifestyles of residents in high and low risk areas for gastric cancer in Jiangsu Province, China; with special reference to allium vegetables

There is a low risk area for gastric cancer in Jiangsu Province, China, where people frequently consume raw allium vegetables. As a first step epidemiological study to clarify the factors involved in the low incidence of gastric cancer, we conducted a comparative study of the ecological factors in a high risk area (HRA), Yangzhong, and a low risk area (LRA), Pizhou, using a questionnaire. Subjects were selected from the general population according to age and sex, and comprised 414 residents of the HRA and 425 residents of the LRA. Ecological factors were compared for the two areas by Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel method, age-adjusted. Smoking and drinking habits were found to be more common in the LRA. On the other hand, allium vegetables were consumed in the LRA much more frequently, with high consumption of raw vegetables fruit, tomatoes, kidney beans and soybean products. People who consumed garlic en masse 3 times or more per week were 82% of men and 75% of women in the LRA, and 1% of men and women in the HRA. The results of the survey suggest that frequent consumption of allium vegetables, in addition to other anticancer foods, may be a factor in low mortality for gastric cancer.     

亚甲基四氢叶酸还原酶基因1298A→C多态与食管癌易感性关系的病例对照研究

目的 研究亚甲基四氢叶酸还原酶(MTHFR)基因1298A→C多态及其和生活习惯相互作用与食管癌易感性的关系。方法 在食管癌高发区的淮安市楚州区开展了一项病例对照研究(食管癌患者141例,人群对照228名),调查研究对象的生活习惯,采用聚合酶链反应-限制性片段长度多态性技术检测研究对象的MTHFR 1298A→C基因型。结果 ①食管癌组中MTHFR 1298 AA、AC和CC基因型携带者的比例分别为63.8％、34.0％和2.1％,与对照组的71.9％、28.1％和0.0％相比,差异有统计学意义(X_(MH)~2=6.69,P=0.035)。②在MTHFR 1298C等位基因携带者中,伴有吸烟习惯者发生食管癌的调整OR为3.48(95％CI:1.57～7.71),伴有经常饮酒的习惯者发生食管癌的调整OR为2.91(95％CI:1.20～7.08),无饮茶习惯者发生食管癌的调整OR为3.52(95％CI:1.64～7.54)。MTHFR 1298AC和CC基因型与吸烟、饮酒和不饮茶在食管癌发生中的相互作用系数r分别为3.05、3.69和6.30。结论 MTHFR 1298AC和CC基因型对吸烟、饮酒和不饮茶增加食管癌发生风险的作用有明显的放大效应。     

CYP2E1 Rsa Ⅰ polymorphism impacts on risk of colorectal cancer association with smoking and alcohol drinking

AIM： To investigate associations between the Rsa I polymorphism of CYP2E1 and risk of colorectal cancer. METHODS： A case-control study was conducted with 315 colorectal cancer cases （105 colon, 210 rectal） and 439 population-based controls in Jiangsu Province of China. Genomic DNA samples were assayed for restriction fragment length polymorphisms in CYP2E1 by PCR amplification followed by digestion with Rsa I. Information on smoking and alcohol drinking was collected using a questionnaire. Odds ratios （ORs） were estimated with an unconditional logistic model. RESULTS： The proportional distribution of the CYP2E1 Rsa I c1/c1, c1/c2 and c2/c2 genotypes were 61.4%, 35.6% and 3.0% in controls, 60.6%, 33.7% and 5.8% in colon cancer cases, and 58.4%, 34.0% and 7.7% in rectal cancer cases, respectively. A significant differencewas noted between controls and rectal cancer cases （P = 0.029）, the c2/c2 genotype being associated with elevated OR （adjusted age, sex and status of the smoking and alcohol drinking） for rectal cancer （1.64, 95% CI, 1.12-2.41, vs cl allele carriers）, but not for colon cancer. In interaction analysis between the CYP2E1 Rsa I genotype and smoking and drinking habits, we found a significant cooperative action between the c2/c2 genotype and alcohol drinking in the sex-, age-adjusted ORs for both colon （4.74, 95% CI, 1.10-20.40） and rectal （5.75, 95% CI, 1.65-20.05） cancers. Among nonsmokers, the CYP2E1 Rsa I c2/c2 genotype was also associated with elevated ORs in the two sites （1.95, 95% CI, 0.99-3.86 and 2.30, 95% CI, 1.32-3.99）. CONCLUSION： The results of the present study suggest that the CYP2E1 c2/c2 genotype increases susceptibility to rectal cancer and the gene-environmental interactions between the CYP2E1 polymorphism and smoking or alcohol drinking exist for colorectal neoplasia in general.     

Tea and coffee consumption and the risk of digestive tract cancers: data from a comparative case-referent study in Japan

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the hypothesis that tea and coffee consumption have a protective effect against development of digestive tract cancers. Methods: A comparative case-referent study was conducted using Hospital-based Epidemiologic Research Program at Aichi Cancer Center (HERPACC) data from 1990 to 1995 in Nagoya, Japan. This study comprised 1,706 histologically diagnosed cases of digestive tract cancers (185 esophagus, 893 stomach, 362 colon, 266 rectum) and a total of 21,128 non-cancer outpatients aged 40 years and over. Logistic regression was used to analyze the data, adjusting for gender; age; year and season at hospital-visit; habitual smoking and alcohol drinking; regular physical exercise; fruit, rice, and beef intake; and beverage intake. Results: The odds ratio (OR) of stomach cancer decreased to 0.69 (95 percent confidence interval [CI] = 0.48-1.00) with high intake of green tea (seven cups or more per day). A decreased risk was also observed for rectal cancer with three cups or more daily intake of coffee (OR = 0.46, CI = 0.26-0.81). Conclusions: The results suggest the potential for protective effect against site-specific digestive tract cancer by consumption of green tea and coffee, although most associations are limited only to the upper category of intake and have no clear explanation for site-specificity.     

Epidemiology of pancreatic cancer in Japan: a nested case-control study from the Hospital-based Epidemiologic Research Program at Aichi Cancer Center (HERPACC)

BACKGROUND: To clarify lifestyle factors that affect the risk of pancreatic cancer among the Japanese population, a nested case-control study was conducted using data from the Hospital-based Epidemiologic Research Program at Aichi Cancer Center (HERPACC), Japan. METHODS: The study subjects included 200 incident cases of pancreatic cancer and 2000 age-class frequency-matched cancer-free outpatients attending the baseline questionnaire of HERPACC in the period 1988-1999. Associations between lifestyles and the risk of pancreatic cancer were evaluated using odds ratios estimated by the unconditional logistic regression model, adjusting for potential confounding factors. RESULTS: A positive family history of pancreatic cancer and a past or present history of diabetes significantly increased the risk of pancreatic cancer. In contrast, regular physical exercise, a regular bowel habit, and frequent consumption of raw vegetables appeared to be protective. Current alcohol drinkers showed decreased risk, but the opposite was the case for former drinkers. Current smoking did not affect the risk of pancreatic cancer, while former smokers showed a tendency for decreased risk. Compared with light smokers, heavy smokers showed a modest tendency for increase in risk, especially those who starting smoking at a younger age, but there were no clear tendencies for duration and pack-years of smoking. CONCLUSIONS: From these results it appears that smoking habit, which has long been considered a sole important determinant, has only a modest role, if any, in pancreatic cancer in Japanese.     

Geographical variation in nutrient intake between urban and rural areas of Jiangsu province,China and development of a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire for middle-aged inhabitants

The intake of food and nutrients differs between urban and rural areas in China. To develop a practical semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire to cover both the urban and rural areas, we conducted diet surveys and compared food and nutrient intake between the two areas. We recruited 198 urban and 214 rural healthy inhabitants aged 35-55 years, and performed diet surveys, using a 3-day weighed dietary record approach. The intake of 29 nutrients was calculated according to actual consumption of foods, with Standard Food Composition Tables for China and Japan. Then, contribution analysis and multiple regression analysis were employed to select food items covering up to a 90% contribution and a 0.90 R2 of coefficient of determination, respectively. Consumption of energy and carbohydrates was greater in the rural area, but mean protein intake was higher in the urban case. Values for total fat were greater for rural than for urban males, with animal fat as the major contributor. We finally selected 117 and 76 food items for the urban and rural semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaires, respectively, covering 18 and 27 nutrients constituting up to 90% of the nutrient intake. Further validity and reproducibility tests are now needed to assess their appropriateness for usage.     

Dietary factors and lung cancer risk in Japanese: with special reference to fish consumption and adenocarcinomas

To investigate risk modification for lung cancer with diet in Japanese, we conducted a hospital-based case-control study and evaluated variation in influence with the histological type. We recruited 367 male and 240 female cases with adenocarcinomas, and 381 male and 57 female cases with squamous cell and small cell carcinomas. Controls comprised 2964 male and 1189 female cancer-free outpatients matched for sex and age with the cases. Odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for lung cancer were calculated with adjustment for potential confounding factors, using an unconditional logistic model. We found decreased ORs for adenocarcinomas in both males (OR = 0.51, 95% CI 0.31-0.84) and females (OR = 0.48, 95% CI 0.24-0.94) who consumed cooked/raw fish, but not dried/salted fish at the highest quartile frequency, compared with the lowest. Soybean curd consumption was associated with a decreased OR for female adenocarcinomas. Decreased ORs for squamous cell and small cell carcinomas were observed in males with frequent consumption of raw and green vegetables, fruit and milk, but consumption of carrot, pumpkin, egg and coffee was associated with increased ORs. This study suggests cooked/raw fish consumption lowers the risk of adenocarcinoma of the lung in Japanese.     

Alcohol, Smoking, and Dietary Status and Susceptibility to Malignant Lymphoma in Japan: Results of a Hospital-based Case-control Study at Aichi Cancer Center

Recent increase in the incidence of malignant lymphoma (ML) suggests possible involvement of lifestyle or environmental factors in its genesis. However, evidence for an effect of lifestyle factors, especially diet, on ML risk among Japanese is lacking. To explore the possibility that lifestyle factors exert an influence, we have conducted a hospital-based case-control study with 333 histo-logically confirmed ML cases and 55 904 non-cancer controls who first visited Aichi Cancer Center Hospital between 1988 and 1997. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed regular alcohol consumption to be associated with reduced risk of ML, whereas no risk change was observed for smoking. Some other factors including intake of vegetables (carrots and pumpkin), pork and fish showed partial associations, but their significance needs further clarification. From the previous study on genetic background for ML [Matsuo et al., Blood , 97, 3205–3209 (2001)], genetic variation combined with limited environmental factors should be targeted in future studies.