Anthropometric and reproductive factors and risk of esophageal and gastric cancer by subtype and subsite: Results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort

Obesity has been associated with upper gastrointestinal cancers; however, there are limited prospective data on associations by subtype/subsite. Obesity can impact hormonal factors, which have been hypothesized to play a role in these cancers. We investigated anthropometric and reproductive factors in relation to esophageal and gastric cancer by subtype and subsite for 476,160 participants from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort. Multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox models. During a mean follow-up of 14 years, 220 esophageal adenocarcinomas (EA), 195 esophageal squamous cell carcinomas, 243 gastric cardia (GC) and 373 gastric noncardia (GNC) cancers were diagnosed. Body mass index (BMI) was associated with EA in men (BMI ≥30 vs. 18.5–25 kg/m²: HR = 1.94, 95% CI: 1.25–3.03) and women (HR = 2.66, 95% CI: 1.15–6.19); however, adjustment for waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) attenuated these associations. After mutual adjustment for BMI and HC, respectively, WHR and waist circumference (WC) were associated with EA in men (HR = 3.47, 95% CI: 1.99–6.06 for WHR >0.96 vs. <0.91; HR = 2.67, 95% CI: 1.52–4.72 for WC >98 vs. <90 cm) and women (HR = 4.40, 95% CI: 1.35–14.33 for WHR >0.82 vs. <0.76; HR = 5.67, 95% CI: 1.76–18.26 for WC >84 vs. <74 cm). WHR was also positively associated with GC in women, and WC was positively associated with GC in men. Inverse associations were observed between parity and EA (HR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.14–0.99; >2 vs. 0) and age at first pregnancy and GNC (HR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.32–0.91; >26 vs. <22 years); whereas bilateral ovariectomy was positively associated with GNC (HR = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.04–3.36). These findings support a role for hormonal pathways in upper gastrointestinal cancers.     

Sensitization to common allergens, especially pollens, among children with respiratory allergy in the Trakya region of Turkey

Asthma and allergic rhinitis are common problems in children and the causative pollen allergens vary according to the geographical area. The aim of this study was to investigate patterns of sensitization to common inhalant allergens, especially pollens, in Turkish children living in the Trakya region and to determine differences between rural and urban areas. Allergen skin testing was prospectively performed on 539 children aged between 4 and 17 years with respiratory allergy. The reaction was considered to be positive if the mean wheal diameter was at least 3 mm greater than that of the negative controls. We detected positive skin reactions in 420 (77.9%) children. Two hundred and eighty-one (52.1%) mite, 277 (51.4%) pollen, 174 (32.3%) mold, 65 (12.1%) animal dander, 12 (2.2%) cockroach and 6 (1.1%) latex skin sensitivities were detected. Among the pollen allergies 173 were cereal pollen (32.1%), 170 grass pollen (31.5%) and 144 tree pollen allergies (26.7%). The most common positive skin test among the pollens was to cultivated wheat (Titicum vulgare) (n = 116, 21,5%), followed by rye grass (Lolium perenne) and orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata). Positive skin reactions to Alternaria, to Candida albicans, and to all pollens except Ulmus competris, Pinus sylvetris, Platanus vulgaris and Tilia platyphyllos, were higher in children with allergic rhinitis than in those with asthma. In children from rural areas, allergic skin reactivity was found to be more common against Candida albicans, sheep dander and all pollens except Corylus avellana, Fraxinus excelsior, Populus alba, Pinus sylvetris, Platanus vulgaris and Chenopodium album, than in urban children. Although Trakya is close to Greece and other Mediterranean countries, this study suggests that the pollens, which sensitize children, are not similar.     

Increased aeroallergen-specific interleukin-4-producing T cells in asthmatic adults

BACKGROUND: Asthma, atopy and some forms of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease are thought to be caused by T cells making IL-4 (Th2 cells). However, not all patients with similar patterns of clinical disease have the same underlying pathogenesis and the ability to detect immunopathogenic T cells by examination of the peripheral blood remains in doubt. With the prospect of specific immunotherapy for diseases caused by T cell subsets, it is important to determine whether peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) reactivity can be used to establish the presence of immunopathogenic responses and therefore to predict therapeutic effects. OBJECTIVE: To detect IL-4 and IFN-gamma production as markers of Th1 and Th2 responses in the peripheral blood of atopic and asthmatic adults. METHODS: PBMC from 22 adult asthmatics (18 of whom were atopic) and 21 non-asthmatic volunteers (ten of whom were atopic) were stimulated with cat, birch and house dust mite allergens, human rhinovirus, RSV and recombinant chimaeric F/G protein from RSV in vitro. ELISPOT assays were used to enumerate cells producing IL-4 and IFN-gamma. RESULTS: Asthmatics had a sixfold increase in frequencies of IL-4-producing cells to cat and birch allergen (median values: 37 vs. 7 per million PBMC, P < 0.01 and 20 vs. 3 per million PBMC, P < 0.04, respectively) compared to non-asthmatics. By contrast, non-asthmatic atopics showed no specific increase in antigen-specific IL-4 responses and there was no evident correlation between skin prick test reactivity and ELISPOT results. Atopics had significantly more IFN-gamma-producing cells specific for FG than nonatopics. while IFN-gamma and IL-4 responses to other antigens were not significantly different. CONCLUSION: Enhanced IL-4 responses to non-viral aeroallergens are seen in adults with asthma, while enhanced IFN-gamma responses to viral antigen FG were see in atopics. In practical terms, ELISPOT assays for specific cytokines may provide a method that could be used to monitor antigen-specific T cell responses in peripheral blood.     

Comparison of the semisolid agar antifungal susceptibility test with the NCCLS M38-P broth microdilution test for screening of filamentous fungi

Antifungal susceptibility testing of pathogenic molds is being developed. A simple screening semisolid agar antifungal susceptibility (SAAS) test accurately measures susceptibilities of yeasts. The performance of the SAAS screening test for filamentous fungi was assessed by comparing MICs of four antifungals (amphotericin B [AMB], AMB lipid complex [ABEL], itraconazole [ITZ], and posaconazole [POS]) for 54 clinical mold isolates with the results of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) proposed broth microdilution method (M38-P). The SAAS test utilized inocula stabbed into tubes of 0.5% semisolid heart infusion agar. In both tests MICs were read after incubation at 35 degrees C for 48 h. The isolates tested were Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, other Aspergillus spp., Fusarium spp., Penicillium sp., Mucor sp., Scedosporium prolificans, Trichophyton sp., and an unidentified dematiaceous mold. Concordance of test results was determined as the percent agreement of MICs +/- 1 dilution. The overall agreement between the tests for each drug was as follows: AMB, 94%; ABEL, 83%; ITZ, 94%; POS, 94%. For the Aspergillus spp., all but one were susceptible to ITZ by SAAS test; all were susceptible to POS (MIC range, 0.25 to 4 micro g/ml). Three of six non-Aspergillus molds that were resistant to AMB and ABEL by SAAS (MIC >/= 2 micro g/ml) were also resistant by the NCCLS test. The SAAS test compared favorably to the NCCLS broth microdilution test for molds, and most of the clinical isolates tested were susceptible to all four drugs.     

Susceptibilities of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to isoniazid and rifampin on blood agar

In this study, blood agar was used instead of 7H10 agar for the susceptibility testing of 34 clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to isoniazid (INH) and rifampin (RIF) in accordance with the NCCLS. The BACTEC 460 TB system (Becton Dickinson, Sparks, Md.) was used as a "gold standard." Results for both media were in agreement for RIF and INH at 100 and 94.1%, respectively. For INH, the specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were found to be 71.4, 100, 93.1, and 100%, respectively, while these values were 100% for RIF. In addition, the results of the susceptibility test performed with blood agar were obtained on day 14 of incubation. In conclusion, results were obtained much earlier with blood agar (2 weeks) than with 7H10 agar (3 weeks), and the results of this study suggest that blood agar may be used as an alternative medium for the susceptibility testing of M. tuberculosis to INH and RIF.     

The prevalence of fecal colonization of enterococci, the resistance of the isolates to ampicillin, vancomycin, and high-level aminoglycosides, and the clonal relationship among isolates

The gastrointestinal tract carriage of enterococci was searched in 150 hospitalized patients and 100 outpatients, and clonal relatedness of the isolates and their resistance to ampicillin, vancomycin, and high-level streptomycin and gentamicin were investigated. A stool sample or rectal swab collected from each patient was inoculated into appropriate media within an hour. Enterococcus species were identified by using conventional biochemical tests, API-20 Strep assay, and BBL crystal kit. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed using Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect vanA and vanB genes. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and arbitrarily primed-polymerase chain reaction (AP-PCR) methods were used for molecular typing of the strains. Enterococci were isolated from 90 (60%) of the specimens collected from 150 inpatients. Of these 90 isolates, 37 (41%) had high-level gentamicin resistance, 36 (40%) had high-level streptomycin resistance, and 50 (55.6%) had ampicillin resistance. Fecal colonization was found in 30% of the outpatients. Resistances to ampicillin, high-level streptomycin, and gentamicin were 13%, 10%, and 3%, in these patients' isolates, respectively. No vancomycin-resistant enterococci were detected by both agar diffusion and PCR assays in our study. Both typing procedures were applied on 78 Enterococcus strains isolated from inpatients. AP-PCR typing showed that 30 (50.8%) of the 59 E. faecium and 5 (50%) of the 10 E. faecalis strains were clonally related. These values were found to be 12 (20.3%) and two (20%) by PFGE, respectively. The typing procedures did not find any clustered strains in the six E. durans and three E. avium isolates. Neither PFGE nor AP-PCR result was significantly different among the sensitive and resistant strains. Our results indicate that the high prevalence of colonization with ampicillin and highlevel aminoglycoside-resistant enterococci is an important problem in our medical center. The high clonal diversity among the isolates indicates limited spread of antibiotic-resistant strains between patients.     

Mutagenic potentials of dental cements as detected by the Salmonella/microsome test

The potential mutagenicity of a zinc phosphate (Poscal), a polycarboxylate (Aqualox) and glass ionomer cements with (Argion) and without (Meron) silver reinforcement were characterized by employing the Ames Salmonella/microsome test. The materials were eluted in dimethyl sulphoxide or physiologic saline and the aliquots were used either immediately or after an incubation period of 24h at 37 degrees C. Mutagenic effects of the materials were tested on Salmonella typhimurium strains TA 98, TA 100, TA 102 and TA 1535 using the standard plate incorporation assay, and in the presence or absence of S9 fraction from rat liver. Poscal and Aqualox elicited mutagenic effects on S. typhimurium TA 98 and TA 1535, whereas Meron exhibited mutagenic effects on S. typhimurium TA 98. No mutagenic effects were detected for Argion. The type of solvent, dose of the material and incubation as well as the interactions between these factors exhibited varying degrees of influences on the mutagenic activities of the cements (P<0.05 and P<0.1). We conclude that zinc phosphate, polycarboxylate, and glass ionomer cements may have possible mutagenic activities.     

Body mass index percentiles among adolescent girls living in Edirne, Turkey

BACKGROUND: Body mass index (BMI) is the simplest way to measure obesity; therefore, it is chosen by many authorities as a screening method for adolescent obesity. Body mass index is positively correlated with the complications of childhood and adolescent obesity, such as hypercholesterolemia, insulin resistance, hyper-tension and long-term development of cardiovascular diseases. The aim of the present study was to produce percentile curves for bodyweight, height and BMI in a representative sample of adolescent girls living in urban and rural areas of Edirne, Turkey, and to compare these percentile curves with curves from other countries. METHODS: The present study was a cross-sectional study, including a representative sample of 1687 adolescent girls from rural and urban areas of Edirne, who were evaluated between May and July 2001. Bodyweight and height were measured using standard procedures. Body mass index (kg/m2) was calculated as the ratio of bodyweight to body height squared. Smoothed percentiles for these variables were calculated using polynominal regression models. Crude weight, height and BMI percentile values, as well as smoothed percentile curves are presented. RESULTS: Body mass index, weight and height reference curves for adolescent girls were produced. When we compared the BMI values of subjects in the present study with those of other countries, 85th and 95th percentiles of BMI in the present study were found to be generally lower than those for other ethnicities. CONCLUSION: Our findings show ethnic differences in BMI among adolescent girls. It will be usefull for each country to produce its own BMI percentiles.     

Correction to: Gene Editing Rescues in Vitro T Cell Development of RAG2-Deficient Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in an Artificial Thymic Organoid System

Journal of Clinical Immunology - A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10875-021-01030-6