Changes in body weight and physical performance after receiving dietary advice in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): 1-year follow-up

Nutritional studies in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are often based on oral nutritional supplementation and are of short duration. Our aim was to study the changes in body weight and physical performance in COPD patients after receiving the dietary advice for 1 year. Thirty-six patients with COPD as a primary diagnosis (mean age: 68.5 ± 7.8 years), referred to a pulmonary rehabilitation program were studied. Each patient received dietary advice individually. Body weight had increased significantly by 1.3 kg (p = 0.02) and walking distance by 83.2 m (p = 0.007) after 1 year. There was an increase in mean handgrip strength after 1 year (1.6 kg, p = 0.07). The mean intake of energy and protein expressed as percent of energy and protein requirement had increased after 1 year (15%, p < 0.001, and 5.6%, p = 0.09, respectively). Handgrip strength correlated significantly with energy (r = 0.53, p = 0.002), fat (r = 0.50, p = 0.02) and protein intake (r = 0.41, p = 0.002) after 1 year. In conclusion, positive effects on body weight, handgrip strength and walking distance in patients with COPD were seen after receiving dietary advice with a 1-year follow-up.     

A novel method of surgical site infection surveillance after cardiac surgery by active participation of stake holders

We describe a comprehensive surveillance system involving infection control practitioners, surgeons, administrative staff, and patients aimed at improving the postdischarge surveillance of surgical site infections. The system was able to detect 22 infections out of 538 procedures, 95% of which were detected during the postdischarge period.     

MGMT gene silencing by promoter hypermethylation in gastric cancer in a high incidence area

Purpose

Inactivation of tumor suppressor and DNA repair genes by promoter hypermethylation does commonly occur in human cancers. O⁶-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) is a DNA repair enzyme that removes methyl groups as well as larger adducts at the O⁶ position of guanine. In the absence of MGMT activity, O⁶-methylguanine mispairs with thymine during DNA replication, resulting in G:C to A:T transitions. Promoter hypermethylation of the MGMT gene has been observed in various cancers, including gastric cancer. Here, we aimed at assessing the promoter hypermethylation, mutation and expression status of the MGMT gene in patients from a geographic region with a high incidence of gastric cancer (Kashmir, North India) and to investigate their association with various clinicopathological characteristics.

Methods

In this study 82 gastric cancer samples and adjacent normal tissues were included. Mutations in the MGMT gene were detected by single stranded conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis and direct sequencing. Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MS-PCR) and Western blot analyses were performed to detect promoter hypermethylation and concomitant (loss of) expression of the MGMT gene.

Results

Promoter hypermethylation of the MGMT gene was found in 52.44 % (43 of 82) of the tumor samples and loss of MGMT protein expression was detected in 45.12 % (37 of 82) of the tumor samples. Hypermethylation and loss of expression were significantly associated with higher tumor grades (moderately/poorly differentiated) (P?P?MGMT hypermethylation and loss of expression were found to be significantly associated with high salt tea consumption (P?Conclusions Our results indicate that MGMT promoter hypermethylation and concomitant loss of MGMT protein expression may play an important role in the development of gastric cancer in the Kashmiri population. High salt tea consumption may be a risk factor.     

Apoptosis‐inducing and Antitumor Activity of Neolignans Isolated from Magnolia officinalis in HeLa Cancer Cells

Two neolignans, 4′‐methoxymagndialdehyde (1) and magnaldehyde B (2), were isolated from the stem bark of Magnolia officinalis (Magnoliaceae), evaluated for apoptosis‐inducing effects in human cervical epitheloid carcinoma HeLa cells. The apoptosis‐inducing activity of compounds 1 and 2 were assessed by DNA content using flow cytometric analysis. In the immunoblotting analysis, the treatment with 1 and 2 resulted in the cleavage of procaspase‐8 and ‐3 and poly(ADP‐ribose)polymerase into active forms. In addition, in vivo, the administration of 2 to Lewis lung carcinoma‐inoculated mice evidenced a significant inhibition of tumor growth (volume) with reduction of 28.7% at concentration of 20 mg/kg, as compared with the control mice. These findings suggest that 2 can inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells, and might be an anti‐tumoric agent. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Restoration by aspirin of impaired plasma maspin level in human breast cancer

Maspin, an anti breast cancer protein, is produced in the normal mammary cells but not in malignant cells in breast cancer. We investigated the effect of aspirin induced increase of plasma nitric oxide (NO) on plasma maspin production in breast cancer patients. Fifteen breast cancer patients (35-65 years), who had not yet undergone any cancer therapy, and an equal number of age matched normal female volunteers participated in the study. They were asked not to take any medication for two weeks. All participants then ingested 150 mg of aspirin. Plasma NO and maspin levels were determined before and at 60 min after the ingestion of aspirin. It was found that the maspin level in plasma increased to 4.63+/-0.02 nM from the basal 0.95+/-0.012 nM (p<0.001) with increase of plasma NO from 0.60+/-0.03 microM to 2.08+/-0.030 microM (p<0.001) in breast cancer patients. In normal volunteers the basal maspin increased from 4.76+/-0.041 to 9.36+/-0.036 nM (p<0.001) with increase of NO from 2.15+/-0.08 to 3.36+/-0.04 microM (p<0.001) at the same period. These results indicated that the ingestion of aspirin might be beneficial for breast cancer through increased maspin production.