The mediterranean dietary pattern and breast cancer risk in Greek-Cypriot women: a case-control study

Background: Diet has long been suspected to impact on breast cancer risk. In this study we evaluated whether the degree of adherence to a Mediterranean diet pattern modifies breast cancer risk amongst Greek-Cypriot women. Methods: Subjects included 935 cases and 817 controls, all participating in the MASTOS case-control study in Cyprus. The study was approved by the Cyprus National Bioethics Committee. Information on dietary intakes was collected using an interviewer administered 32-item Food Frequency Questionnaire. Information on demographic, anthropometric, lifestyle, and other confounding factors was also collected. Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet pattern was assessed using two a-priory defined diet scores. In addition, dietary patterns specific to our population were derived using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Logistic regression models were used to assess the association between the dietary patters and breast cancer risk. Results: There was no association with breast cancer risk for either score, however, higher consumptions of vegetables, fish and olive oil, were independently associated with decreased risk. In addition, the PCA derived component which included vegetables, fruit, fish and legumes was shown to significantly reduce risk of breast cancer (ORs across quartiles of increasing levels of consumption: 0.89 95%CI: 0.65-1.22, 0.64 95%CI: 0.47-0.88, 0.67 95%CI: 0.49-0.92, P trend < 0.0001), even after adjustment for relevant confounders. Conclusions: Our results suggest that adherence to a diet pattern rich in vegetables, fish, legumes and olive oil may favorably influence the risk of breast cancer. This study is the first investigation of dietary effects on breast cancer risk in Cyprus, a country whose population has traditionally adhered to the Mediterranean diet

Anaerobiosis revisited: growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae under extremely low oxygen availability

The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae plays an important role in biotechnological applications, ranging from fuel ethanol to recombinant protein production. It is also a model organism for studies on cell physiology and genetic regulation. Its ability to grow under anaerobic conditions is of interest in many industrial applications. Unlike industrial bioreactors with their low surface area relative to volume, ensuring a complete anaerobic atmosphere during microbial cultivations in the laboratory is rather difficult. Tiny amounts of O2 that enter the system can vastly influence product yields and microbial physiology. A common procedure in the laboratory is to sparge the culture vessel with ultrapure N2 gas; together with the use of butyl rubber stoppers and norprene tubing, O2 diffusion into the system can be strongly minimized. With insights from some studies conducted in our laboratory, we explore the question ‘how anaerobic is anaerobiosis?’. We briefly discuss the role of O2 in non-respiratory pathways in S. cerevisiae and provide a systematic survey of the attempts made thus far to cultivate yeast under anaerobic conditions. We conclude that very few data exist on the physiology of S. cerevisiae under anaerobiosis in the absence of the anaerobic growth factors ergosterol and unsaturated fatty acids. Anaerobicity should be treated as a relative condition since complete anaerobiosis is hardly achievable in the laboratory. Ideally, researchers should provide all the details of their anaerobic set-up, to ensure reproducibility of results among different laboratories. A correction to this article is available online at http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/131930/ https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-018-9036-

Estresse oxidativo: conceito, implicações e fatores modulatórios Oxidative stress: concept, implications and modulating factors

O estresse oxidativo decorre de um desequilíbrio entre a geração de compostos oxidantes e a atuação dos sistemas de defesa antioxidante. A geração de radicais livres e/ou espécies reativas não radicais é resultante do metabolismo de oxigênio. A mitocôndria, por meio da cadeia transportadora de elétrons, é a principal fonte geradora. O sistema de defesa antioxidante tem a função de inibir e/ou reduzir os danos causados pela ação deletéria dos radicais livres e/ou espécies reativas não radicais. Esse sistema, usualmente, é dividido em enzimático (superóxido dismutase, catalase e glutationa peroxidase) e não-enzimático. No último caso, é constituído por grande variedade de substâncias antioxidantes, que podem ter origem endógena ou dietética. Objetivou-se revisar os principais mecanismos de geração de radicais livres, bem como a ação dos agentes mais relevantes do sistema de defesa antioxidante, ressaltando suas implicações sobre os marcadores do estresse oxidativo. Também serão abordados os principais fatores exógenos moduladores do estresse oxidativo.<br>There is evidence that oxidative stress, defined as a persistent imbalance between the production of highly oxidative compounds and antioxidant defenses, leads to tissue damage. Oxygen metabolism generates free radicals and/or non-radical reactive oxygen species. The mitochondria, through the electron transport chain, are the main generator of these species. The antioxidant defense system has the function of inhibiting and/or reducing the damage caused by the deleterious free radicals and/or non-radical reactive oxygen species. This system is divided into enzymatic (superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase), and nonenzymatic. The nonenzymatic system consists of a variety of antioxidant substances, which may be endogenous or dietary. This study proposed to review the main mechanisms of reactive oxygen species generation and the role of the most relevant agents of the antioxidant defense system on the biomarkers of oxidative stress. The main exogenous factors that modulate oxidative stress will also be discussed

Significant decrease of adenocarcinoma in situ not reflected in cervical adenocarcinoma incidence in the Netherlands 1989-2003.

Contains fulltext : 71028.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)Over the period 1989-2003, the incidence of cervical adenocarcinoma (n=1615) was stable whereas that of cervical adenocarcinoma in situ (n=1884) significantly decreased (P=0.008), mainly caused by adenocarcinoma in situ lesions with a concurrent squamous dysplasia