Tumour-necrosis factor-A polymorphisms and gastric cancer risk: a meta-analysis

Inflammation is one of the early phases in the development of gastric cancer. Therefore, several studies have examined the association of polymorphisms in tumour-necrosis factor-A gene (TNF-A) with gastric cancer risk. This meta-analysis reviews and summarises published evidence for these associations. Searching several databases yielded 24 independent studies that reported on the associations between TNF-A polymorphisms and gastric cancer risk. We analysed available data for the most commonly investigated polymorphisms: TNF-A –308G>A (23 studies), TNF-A –238G>A (9 studies), and TNF-A –857C>T (5 studies). Summary odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated in the random-effects model using the DerSimonian–Laird method. Q-statistic and I2-statistic were calculated to examine heterogeneity, and funnel plots were plotted to examine small study effects. The overall ORs (95% CIs) for AG and AA genotypes vs GG genotype for TNF-A –308 were 1.09 (0.94–1.27) and 1.49 (1.11–1.99), respectively. For TNF-A –238, the corresponding ORs (95% CIs) were 1.05 (0.84–1.33) and 1.25 (0.30–5.26), respectively. The overall ORs (95% CIs) for CT and TT genotypes (vs CC) for TNF-A –857 were 1.06 (0.89–1.27) and 1.57 (0.91–2.70), respectively. The statistically significant association between TNF-A –308GG and gastric cancer was limited to western populations. This association showed little heterogeneity (I2=0) and remained consistently strong when analyses were limited to anatomic and histologic subtypes of gastric cancer, or limited to studies in which genotype frequencies were in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, or limited to larger studies. These same subgroup analyses did not change results associated with other polymorphisms. In conclusion, TNF-A –308AA genotype was associated with a statistically significant increased risk of gastric cancer, whereas other studied polymorphisms were not. The association between TNF-A –857TT genotype and gastric cancer was near significant, and may become significant if more studies are published

Determinants of anti-hepatitis A antibody seroprevalence in 2- to 19-year-olds in the USA using NHANES 2007–2008

The aim of the study was to describe the epidemiology and determinants of anti-hepatitis A seroprevalence in 2- to 19-year-olds in the USA for 2007–2008. This study was conducted in a sample of 2621 individuals aged 2–19 years in the USA using data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007–2008. The overall seroprevalence of anti- hepatitis A virus (HAV) in this population was 39% (95% confidence interval 32·6–45·3). HAV seroprevalence was higher in Mexican Americans than other ethnic groups, in younger persons, and in those who reported previous vaccination compared to those who did not. We concluded that anti-hepatitis A seroprevalence rates are increasing in younger individuals in the USA, indicating a shift of seroprevalence over time due to vaccination status. Findings are consistent with a persistent influx of infection through international travel and migration and highlight the need to discern hepatitis A infection from vaccination status when assessing the effectiveness of vaccination using seroprevalence data

Mortality and cancer in relation to ABO blood group phenotypes in the Golestan Cohort Study

Background: A few studies have shown an association between blood group alleles and vascular disease, including atherosclerosis, which is thought to be due to the higher level of von Willebrand factor in these individuals and the association of blood group locus variants with plasma lipid levels. No large population-based study has explored this association with overall and cause-specific mortality. Methods: We aimed to study the association between ABO blood groups and overall and cause-specific mortality in the Golestan Cohort Study. In this cohort, 50,045 people 40- to 70-years old were recruited between 2004 and 2008, and followed annually to capture all incident cancers and deaths due to any cause. We used Cox regression models adjusted for age, sex, smoking, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, place of residence, education and opium use. Results: During a total of 346,708 person-years of follow-up (mean duration 6.9 years), 3,623 cohort participants died. Non-O blood groups were associated with significantly increased total mortality (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.09; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01 to 1.17) and cardiovascular disease mortality (HR = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.27). Blood group was not significantly associated with overall cancer mortality, but people with group A, group B, and all non-O blood groups combined had increased risk of incident gastric cancer. In a subgroup of cohort participants, we also showed higher plasma total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in those with blood group A. Conclusions: Non-O blood groups have an increased mortality, particularly due to cardiovascular diseases, which may be due to the effect of blood group alleles on blood biochemistry or their effect on von Willebrand factor and factor VIII levels. \ua9 Etemadi et al

Large body size and sedentary lifestyle during childhood and early adulthood and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in a high-risk population

Background: Little is known about the association of obesity and physical activity at young ages with subsequent risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Patients and methods: Between 2003 and 2007, we conducted a case-control study in a high-risk population in northeastern Iran. Three hundred ESCC cases and 571 matched controls were recruited. Each individual was shown a standard pictogram, to report body size at ages 15 and 30. Demographic and health-related information, including physical activity at these ages was also collected. Results: In the fully adjusted models, very obese body size (last two pictograms) at age 15 odds ratio (OR) 3.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3-7.7 and age 30 (OR 3.1; 95% CI 1.1-8.5) were associated with ESCC in women, but not in men. Sedentary work at age 15 (OR 3.3, 95% CI 1.3-8.3) and 30 (OR 18.2, 95% CI 3.9-86.2) were also associated with ESCC risk in women only. The increased risk in women at age 15 remained high after later reduction in body size, while women who became very obese only at age 30 did not show a significantly increased risk. Conclusion: These results highlight the importance of early lifestyle modifications in the context of cancer prevention, particularly in women. © Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved

Reproductive factors and risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in northern Iran: A case-control study in a high-risk area and literature review

Several epidemiologic studies have suggested an inverse association between female reproductive factors and the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), but the evidence is not conclusive. We examined the association of the number of pregnancies, live births, and miscarriages/stillbirths in women and the association of the number of children in both sexes with the risk of ESCC in Golestan Province, a high-risk area in Iran. Data from 297 histopathologically confirmed ESCC cases (149 women) and 568 controls (290 women) individually matched to cases for age, sex, and neighborhood of residence were included in this analysis. Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The average numbers of live births and miscarriages/stillbirths among the controls were 8.2 and 0.8, respectively. Women with six or more live births were at ∼1/3 the risk of ESCC as those with 0-3 live births; the OR (95% CI) for having 6-7 live births was 0.33 (0.12-0.92). In contrast, the number of miscarriages/stillbirths was associated with an increase in the risk of ESCC. The OR (95% CI) for at least three versus no miscarriages/stillbirths was 4.43 (2.11-9.33). The number of children in women was suggestive of an inverse association with ESCC, but this association was not statistically significant; in men, no association was observed. The findings of this study support a protective influence of female hormonal factors on the risk of ESCC. However, further epidemiological and mechanistic studies are required to prove a protective association. © 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Dietary intake of benzo(a)pyrene and risk of esophageal cancer in north of Iran

One etiologic factor for high incidence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in Golestan (Northeastern Iran) might be exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. We examined whether food and water are major sources of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) exposure in this population. We used a dietary questionnaire to assess the daily intake of staple food (rice and bread) and water in 3 groups: 40 ESCC Golestan cases, 40 healthy subjects from the same area, and 40 healthy subjects from a low-risk area in Southern Iran. We measured, by high-performance liquid chromatography combined with fluorescence detection, the BaP concentration of bread, rice, and water in samples obtained from these 3 groups and calculated the daily intake of BaP. Mean BaP concentration of staple foods and water was similar and within standard levels in both areas, but the daily intake of BaP was higher in controls from the high-risk area than in controls from the low-risk area (91.4 vs. 70.6 ng/day, P < 0.01). In the multivariate regression analysis, having ESCC had no independent effect on BaP, whereas residence in the low-risk area was associated with a significant decrease in total BaP intake. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons might, along with other risk factors, contribute to the high risk of ESCC in Golestan. Copyright © 2008, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Reliability and validity of opiate use self-report in a population at high risk for esophageal cancer in Golestan, Iran

Objective: To assess the reliability and validity of self-reported opium use in a rural Iranian population at high risk for esophageal cancer in preparation for a large cohort study. Method: 1,057 subjects ages 33 to 84 years were recruited from Gonbad city and three surrounding villages in Golestan province of Iran and completed a questionnaire and provided biological samples. The history and duration of using opium, smoking tobacco, chewing nass, and drinking alcohol were measured by questionnaire in the entire cohort. A subgroup of 130 people was reinterviewed after 2 months to assess reliability. Validity of the opium question was assessed by comparing the questionnaire responses with the presence of codeine and morphine in the urine of 150 selected subjects. Results: Self-reported opiate use is reliable and valid in this population. The reliability of ever opium use and duration of opium use had κ′s of 0.96 and 0.74, respectively. The validity of self-reported opium use was also high. Using urine codeine or morphine as the gold standard for use of opium, self-report had a sensitivity of 0.93 and a specificity of 0.89. Conclusions: The self-reported use of opium can provide a reliable and valid measurement in this population and will be useful for studying associations between opium use and occurrence of esophageal cancer and other diseases

Association of tooth loss and oral hygiene with risk of gastric adenocarcinoma

Poor oral health and tooth loss have been proposed as possible risk factors for some chronic diseases, including gastric cancer. However, a small number of studies have tested these associations. We conducted a case-control study in Golestan Province, Iran, that enrolled 309 cases diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma (118 noncardia, 161 cardia, and 30 mixed-locations) and 613 sex, age, and neighborhood matched controls. Data on oral health were obtained through physical examination and questionnaire including tooth loss, the number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth, and frequency of tooth brushing. ORs and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were obtained using conditional logistic regression models adjusted for potential confounders. Standard one degree-of-freedom linear trend test and a multiple degree-of-freedom global test of the effect of adding oral hygiene variables to the model were also calculated. Our results showed apparent associations between tooth loss and decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT) score with risk of gastric cancer, overall and at each anatomic subsite. However, these associations were not monotonic and were strongly confounded by age. The results also showed that subjects who brushed their teeth less than daily were at significantly higher risk for gastric cardia adenocarcinoma ORs (95% CI) of 5.6 (1.6-19.3). We found evidence for an association between oral health and gastric cancer, but the nonmonotonic association, the relatively strong effect of confounder adjustment, and inconsistent results across studies must temper the strength of any conclusions. © 2013 AACR