Dietary behaviors in relation to prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome in adolescent girls.

BACKGROUNDS AND AIMS There is limited evidence regarding the relationship between dietary behaviors and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This study aimed to explore the association between diet-related practices and prevalence of IBS. METHODS The study was conducted among 988 adolescent girls living in Iran. Dietary behaviors were pre-defined and assessed in nine domains using a pre-tested questionnaire. To investigate the association between diet-related practices and the presence of IBS, we used logistic regression analysis in crude and adjusted models. RESULTS The prevalence of IBS was 16.9% in this population. Compared with individuals who did not consume fluid with their meal, those who always consumed fluid with meals had a greater chance of IBS (OR: 2.91; P: 0.01). We found a direct relationship between a greater intake of spicy food and IBS prevalence (OR: 5.28; P: 0.02). The individuals who ate fried foods every day also had a greater risk of IBS compared with those who did not consume fried foods (OR: 1.65; P: 0.01). The subjects who had lost ≥5 teeth had 2.23 times greater odds for IBS than the individual who had lost ≤1 tooth (OR: 2.23; P: 0.01) was a significant inverse relationship between the chewing sufficiency and the risk of IBS (OR: 4.04; P: 0.02). These associations remained significant after controlling for potential confounder CONCLUSIONS: Intra-meal fluid intake, chewing insufficiency, higher tooth loss and the consumption of spicy and fried food were associated with increased risk of IBS. Prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings

The relationship between neuropsychological function and responsiveness to vitamin D supplementation using artificial neural networks

Background: Vitamin D has recently attracted interest for its pleiotropic effects. Vitamin D supplements are a potentially important public health intervention, but the response to supplementation varies between individuals. Aim: We aimed to assess the association between several neuropsychological parameters and the magnitude of response to vitamin D supplementation using an artificial neural network method. Methods: Neuropsychological function was assessed in 619 participants using standard questionnaires. The study participants received vitamin D capsules containing 50,000 IU vitamin D per week over 9 weeks. To assess the relationship between responsiveness to vitamin D supplements and the impact on these neuropsychological parameters, the best-performing artificial neural network algorithms were selected from a combination of different transfer functions in hidden and output layers and variable numbers of hidden layers (between two and 50). The performance of the artificial neural network algorithm was assessed by receiver operating characteristic analysis and variables of importance were identified. Results: The artificial neural network algorithm with sigmoid transfer function in both hidden and output layers could predict responsiveness to vitamin D supplementation effectively. The sensitivity and specificity were between 0.60 and 0.70 and 0.66 and 0.70, respectively. Cognitive abilities (42.5), basal vitamin D (21.3), body mass index (9.5), and daytime sleepiness (8) are the most widely used variables to predict changes in serum vitamin D levels. Conclusions: Cognitive abilities status and baseline 25-hydroxyvitamin D are important novel modifiers of the enhancement in circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D after vitamin D supplementation. © The Author(s) 2020

Association between the microbiota and women's cancers � Cause or consequences?

Breast, ovarian and uterine cancers are the most common neoplasms among women. Several mechanisms may be involved in oncogenesis and these include environmental and genetic factors. Bacteria may affect the development of some cancers, with bacterial components, their products and metabolites interacting with susceptible tissues. Commensalism and dysbiosis are important potential mechanisms involved in oncogenesis, and an effective strategy for diagnosis and treatment is required. The purpose of this review was to analyze the complex associations between these cancers in women, and the microbiota, specifically bacterial microbes. However, several cancers have an increased prevalence among individuals with HIV and HPV so the relationship between viral infections and malignancies in women is also referred to. We described how different phylum of bacteria, particularly in the gut, mammary tissue and vaginal microbiome may be involved in carcinogenesis; and we discuss the potential pathways involved: (I), that lead to cell proliferation, (II), immune system perturbation, (III), cell metabolic changes (e.g., hormonal factors), and (IV), DNA damage. Studies investigating the differences between the composition of the bacterial microbiota of healthy women compared to that present in various conditions, and the clinical trials are summarized for the few studies that have addressed the microbiota and related conditions, are also reviewed. © 2020 The Author

The lower expression of circulating miR-210 and elevated serum levels of HIF-1α in ischemic stroke; Possible markers for diagnosis and disease prediction

Background: Stroke, either due to ischemia or hemorrhage, causes acute neurological damages to the brain. There is shortage of reliable biomarkers for ischemic stroke (IS), and we therefore investigated the serum concentrations of microRNA-210 (miR-210) and hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), as possible diagnostic and/or prognostic markers for IS. Methods: Serum samples were acquired from 52 IS patients and their healthy counterparts at five time points: upon admission, 24 and 48 h after admission, upon discharge and 3 months later. Serum levels of miR-210 and HIF-1α were respectively analyzed using real time RT-PCR and ELISA. Diagnostic and prognostic accuracy tests were performed to assess the value of suggested biomarkers. Results: IS patients demonstrated higher levels of serum HIF-1α and lower miR-210 in comparison to the healthy subjects. MiR-210 was suggested to be a weak diagnostic biomarker at the time of admission (AUC = 0.61; p = 0.05), while HIF-1α was an acceptable diagnostic marker for IS (AUC = 0.73; p < 0.0001). The higher expression of miR-210 and lower levels of HIF-1α were associated with better survivals in IS patients. Conclusions: Serum miR-210 is a weak diagnostic marker of IS. Serum HIF-1α is a better biomarker in diagnosing IS patients but further work in larger groups, including those with hemorrhagic stroke is necessary to confirm its diagnostic utility. Similarly, the prognostic potentiality of miR-210 and HIF-1α was acceptable but needs bigger sample size and longer follow-up to be statistically confirmed. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of Clinical Laboratory Analysis published by Wiley Periodicals LLC

Enhanced detection sensitivity of prostate-specific antigen via PSA-conjugated gold nanoparticles based on localized surface plasmon resonance: GNP-coated anti-PSA/LSPR as a novel approach for the identification of prostate anomalies

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is used to screen for prostate disease, although it has several limitations in its application as an organ-specific or cancer-specific marker. Furthermore, a highly specific/sensitive and/or label-free identification of PSA still remains a challenge in the diagnosis of prostate anomalies. We aimed to develop a gold nanoparticle (GNP)-conjugated anti-PSA antibody-based localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) as a novel approach to detect prostatic disease. A total of 25 nm colloidal gold particles were prepared followed by conjugation with anti-PSA pAb (GNPs-PSA pAb). LSPR was used to monitor the absorption changes of the aggregation of the particles. The size, shape and stability of the GNP-anti-PSA were evaluated by dynamic light scattering transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and zetasizer. The GNPs-conjugated PSA-pAb was successfully synthesized and subsequently characterized using ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy and TEM to determine the size distribution, crystallinity and stability of the particles (for example, stability of GNP: 443 mV). To increase the stability of the particles, we pegylated GNPs using an N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N�-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC)/N-hydroxylsuccinimide (NHS) linker (for example, stability of GNP after pegylation: 272 mV). We found a significant increase in the absorbance and intensity of the particles with extinction peak at 545/2 nm, which was shifted by �1 nm after conjugation. To illustrate the potential of the GNPs-PSA pAb to bind specifically to PSA, LSPR was used. We found that the extinction peak shifted 3 nm for a solution of 100 nM unlabeled antigen. In summary, we have established a novel approach for improving the efficacy/sensitivity of PSA in the assessment of prostate disease, supporting further investigation on the diagnostic value of GNP-conjugated anti-PSA/LSPR for the detection of prostate cancer. © 2016 Nature America, Inc., part of Springer Nature. All rights reserved

The elevation of S100B and downregulation of circulating miR-602 in the sera of ischemic stroke (IS) patients: the emergence of novel diagnostic and prognostic markers

Ischemic stroke (IS) is a major cause of mortality and disability. However, no reliable prognostic or diagnostic biomarker has been utilized to date. Here, we have evaluated the serum S100B concentration and miR-602 expression as potential biomarkers for IS. Fifty-two IS patients and 52 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers were enrolled. Blood samples were collected from all patients at the time of admission, 24 and 48 h later, at the time of discharge, and 3 months later. Real-time (RT) PCR was used to measure the serum level of miR602. We also measured the serum concentration of S100B using ELISA. As compared with healthy subjects, IS patients had a higher level of serum S100B and lower serum miR-602. ROC curve analyses revealed that miR-602 (AUC = 0.8168; P < 0.0001) and S100B (AUC = 0.8699; P < 0.0001) had acceptable ability to differentiate between IS patients from healthy subjects. Furthermore, serum S100B was a reliable predictor of the survival outcome at 3 months (P = 0.021). The expression of miR-602 was significantly higher in patients with bigger NIHSS scores. The lower levels of miR-602 and higher concentration of S100B in the sera of IS patients could be associated with clinically significant diagnostic utilities. S100B could be also introduced as a reliable prognostic marker for stroke and implemented in future research. © 2020, Fondazione Società Italiana di Neurologia

Gold nanoparticle and polyethylene glycol in neural regeneration in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases

Gold nanoparticles (GNs) have unique characteristics, for example, stability, biocompatibility, small dimensions, and low toxicity. Several clinical applications have been suggested for GNs, such as diagnosis, imaging, and drug delivery. GNs absorb infrared light, indicating their potential value for imaging. There is growing evidence showing the therapeutic application of GN for drug delivery because of their interaction with the blood-brain barrier and DNA, the latter being associated with their genotoxic effects. GN can also be stimulated to produce high local temperatures, indicating their potential value in photodynamic therapy in the treatment of tumors. The aim of the current review is to summarize the potential applications of GNs in the biomedical field, specifically in neurodegenerative diseases. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc