Association of body mass index and height with risk of prostate cancer among middle-aged Japanese men

In a population-based prospective study of 49 850 Japanese men, body mass index and height were not significantly associated with risk of prostate cancer (311 cases), although small positive effects could not be ruled out in advanced cases (91 cases)

Dietary isoflavone and the risk of colorectal adenoma: a case–control study in Japan

We conducted a case–control study in a Japanese population to investigate the association between dietary isoflavone intake and the risk of colorectal adenoma. Participants who underwent magnifying colonoscopy with dye spreading as part of a cancer screening programme responded to a self-administered questionnaire, which included lifestyle information and intake of 145 food items, before the colonoscopy. A total of 721 case and 697 control subjects were enrolled. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using unconditional logistic regression models. We found a significant inverse association between dietary isoflavone intake and the risk of colorectal adenoma in men and women combined. However, the inverse association was not linear; rather, all quartiles above the first showed a similar decrease in risk, with multivariable-adjusted ORs and 95% CIs compared with the lowest quartile of 0.77 (0.57–1.04), 0.76 (0.56–1.02) and 0.70 (0.51–0.96) in the second, third and highest quartiles, respectively (P for trend=0.03). Of interest, the observed association was more prominent in women than in men. The observed ceiling effect associated with higher isoflavone intake suggests that a lower intake of dietary isoflavone might be associated with an increased risk of colorectal adenoma in Japanese populations

Plasma vitamin D and risk of colorectal cancer: the Japan Public Health Center-Based Prospective Study

We investigated the association between plasma 25(OH)D and the subsequent colorectal cancer incidence risk by a nested case–control study in The Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study, covering 375 newly diagnosed cases of colorectal cancer from 38 373 study subjects during a 11.5-year follow-up after blood collection. Two controls were matched per case on sex, age, study area, date of blood draw, and fasting time. In a conditional logistic regression model with matched pairs adjusted for smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index, physical exercise, vitamin supplement use, and family history of colorectal cancer, plasma 25(OH)D was not significantly associated with colorectal cancer in men or in women. However, the lowest category of plasma 25(OH)D was associated with an elevated risk of rectal cancer in both men (odds ratio (OR), 4.6; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.0–20) and women (OR, 2.7, 95% CI, 0.94–7.6), compared with the combined category of the other quartiles. Our results suggest that a low level of plasma 25(OH)D may increase the risk of rectal cancer

Altered Energy Homeostasis and Resistance to Diet-Induced Obesity in KRAP-Deficient Mice

Obesity and related metabolic disorders have become leading causes of adult morbidity and mortality. KRAP (Ki-ras-induced actin-interacting protein) is a cytoskeleton-associated protein and a ubiquitous protein among tissues, originally identified as a cancer-related molecule, however, its physiological roles remain unknown. Here we demonstrate that KRAP-deficient (KRAP−/−) mice show enhanced metabolic rate, decreased adiposity, improved glucose tolerance, hypoinsulinemia and hypoleptinemia. KRAP−/− mice are also protected against high-fat diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance despite of hyperphagia. Notably, glucose uptake in the brown adipose tissue (BAT) in KRAP−/− mice is enhanced in an insulin-independent manner, suggesting that BAT is involved in altered energy homeostasis in KRAP−/− mice, although UCP (Uncoupling protein) expressions are not altered. Of interest is the down-regulation of fatty acid metabolism-related molecules, including acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC)-1, ACC-2 and fatty acid synthase in the liver of KRAP−/− mice, which could in part account for the metabolic phenotype in KRAP−/− mice. Thus, KRAP is a novel regulator in whole-body energy homeostasis and may be a therapeutic target in obesity and related diseases

Associations of a PTPN11 G/A polymorphism at intron 3 with Helicobactor pylori seropositivity, gastric atrophy and gastric cancer in Japanese

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Previous studies have revealed the significance of <it>Helicobacter pylori </it>(<it>H. pylori</it>) infection as a risk factor of gastric cancer. Cytotoxin-associated gene A (<it>cagA</it>) positivity has been demonstrated to determine the clinical outcome of <it>H. pylori </it>infection in the presence of SHP-2 (src homology 2 domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase-2). This study aimed to examine the formerly reported association of G/A <it>PTPN11 (protein-tyrosine phosphatase, nonreceptor-type 11) </it>polymorphism (rs2301756) with gastric atrophy, as well as the association with gastric cancer in a Japanese population using a large sample size.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Study subjects were 583 histologically diagnosed patients with gastric cancer (429 males and 154 females) and age- and sex-frequency-matched 1,636 non-cancer outpatients (1,203 males and 433 females), who visited Aichi Cancer Center Hospital between 2001–2005. Serum anti-<it>H. pylori </it>IgG antibody and pepsinogens were measured to evaluate <it>H. pylori </it>infection and gastric atrophy, respectively. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by a logistic model.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Among <it>H. pylori </it>seropositive non-cancer outpatients, the age- and sex-adjusted OR of gastric atrophy was 0.82 (95% CI 0.62–1.10, <it>P </it>= 0.194) for <it>G/A</it>, 0.84 (95% CI 0.39–1.81, <it>P </it>= 0.650) for <it>A/A</it>, and 0.83 (95% CI 0.62–1.09, <it>P </it>= 0.182) for <it>G/A</it>+<it>A/A</it>, relative to <it>G/G </it>genotype, and that of severe gastric atrophy was 0.70 (95% CI 0.47–1.04, <it>P </it>= 0.079), 0.56 (95% CI 0.17–1.91, <it>P </it>= 0.356), and 0.68 (95% CI 0.46–1.01, <it>P </it>= 0.057), respectively. Among <it>H. pylori </it>infected subjects (<it>H. pylori </it>seropositive subjects and seronegative subjects with gastric atrophy), the adjusted OR of severe gastric atrophy was further reduced; 0.62 (95% CI 0.42–0.90, <it>P </it>= 0.012) for <it>G/A</it>+<it>A/A</it>. The distribution of the genotype in patients with gastric cancer was not significantly different from that for <it>H. pylori </it>infected subjects without gastric atrophy.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our study results revealed that those with the <it>A/A </it>genotype of <it>PTPN11 </it>rs2301756 polymorphism are at lower risk of severe gastric atrophy, but are not associated with a decreased risk of gastric cancer, which partially supported our previous finding that the polymorphism in the <it>PTPN11 </it>gene encoding SHP-2 was associated with the gastric atrophy risk in <it>H. pylori </it>infected Japanese. The biological roles of this <it>PTPN11 </it>polymorphism require further investigation.</p