Prostate cancer and glutathione S-transferase deletions

GSTM1 and GSTT1 gene polymorphisms have been studied in many populations to evaluate their association with prostate cancer risk with contrasting results. The current study was aimed to find out the association of GSTM1 and GSTT1 gene polymorphisms with prostate cancer in Pakistani men. This case control study included pathologically confirmed prostate cancer patients and age matched male controls. Epidemiological data was collected by a standard questionnaire and presence or absence of GSTM1 and GSTT1 gene was observed by multiplex PCR using CYP1A1 as housekeeping gene. Prostate cancer was more prevalent in age of >60 years and most of the patients were at stage IV (70 %) and have undergone surgery. Family history of cancer, smoking, metastasis and surgery were found to be significant (P0.05) with prostate cancer risk. No significant association was found when comparing GSTM1 (OR=0.78) and GSTT1 (OR=0.89) gene deletions with prostate cancer risk. Smoking and TNM staging were also not associated with deletion of GSTM1 and GSTT1 genes. Comparison of dual null deletion of both genes with prostate cancer also showed nonsignificant associations. Deletion of GSTM1 gene at stage IV prostate cancer patients was significantly higher compared with other stages of cancer while no significance was shown by GSTT1 gene deletion. GSTM1, GSTT1 and deletion of both GSTM1 and GSTT1 genes do not contribute towards increased risk of prostate cancer in Pakistani population

Estimating disparities in breast cancer screening programs towards mortality, case fatality, and DALYs across BRICS-plus

Background: Numerous studies over the past four decades have revealed that breast cancer screening (BCS) significantly reduces breast cancer (BC) mortality. However, in BRICS-plus countries, the association between BCS and BC case fatality and disability are unknown. This study examines the association of different BCS approaches with age-standardized mortality, case-fatality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) rates, as well as with other biological and sociodemographic risk variables, across BRICS-plus from a national and economic perspective. Methods: In this ecological study applying mixed-effect multilevel regression models, a country-specific dataset was analyzed by combining data from the Global Burden of Disease study 2019 on female age-standardized BC mortality, incidence, and DALYs rates with information on national/regional BCS availability (against no such program or only a pilot program) and BCS type (only self-breast examination (SBE) and/or clinical breast examination (CBE) [SBE/CBE] versus SBE/CBE with mammographic screening availability [MM and/or SBE/CBE] versus SBE/CBE/mammographic with digital mammography and/or ultrasound (US) [DMM/US and/or previous tests] in BRICS-plus countries. Results: Compared to self/clinical breast examinations (SBE/CBE) across BRICS-plus, more complex BCS program availability was the most significant predictor of decreased mortality [MM and/or SBE/CBE: − 2.64, p &lt; 0.001; DMM/US and/or previous tests: − 1.40, p &lt; 0.001]. In the BRICS-plus, CVD presence, high BMI, second-hand smoke, and active smoking all contributed to an increase in BC mortality and DALY rate. High-income and middle-income regions in BRICS-plus had significantly lower age-standardized BC mortality, case-fatality, and DALYs rates than low-income regions when nationwide BC screening programs were implemented. Conclusions: The availability of mammography (digital or traditional) and BCS is associated with breast cancer burden in BRICS-plus countries, with regional variations. In light of high-quality evidence from previous causal studies, these findings further support the preventive role of mammography screening for BCS at the national level. Intervening on BCS related risk factors may further reduce the disease burden associated with BC.</p

Establishing Reference Intervals for HBA1C in all three Trimesters of Pregnancy; A Cross-Sectional Study on Healthy Pregnant Women of Quetta, Baluchistan

Objective: To establish the reference intervals in healthy pregnant females of Quetta, Baluchistan, for Glycosylated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) in all three trimesters of pregnancy. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Pathology Department Combined Military Hospital, Quetta Pakistan, from Jun 2018 to Jun 2019. Methodology: Blood samples of healthy pregnant females were drawn for Glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c). Fasting plasma glucose and haemoglobin were also measured to rule out hyperglycemia and anaemia. Samples for Glycated haemoglobin(HbA1c) were analyzed by Turbidimetric Immuno-inhibition (TINIA) method. For all the trimesters, 5th and 95th percentiles were taken as reference intervals for Glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and compared for each trimester. Results: A total of 388 samples were taken, of which 136(35.05%) females were from the first trimester, 128(32.98%) and 124(31.97%) from the second and third trimesters, respectively. The mean age of the study population was 25.1±3.7 years in the first trimester, 26.7±4.5 years in the second-trimester while and the third trimester it was 26.8±4.8 years. In the first, second,and third trimesters, the reference intervals for Glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) were 3.8-5.2%, 4.1-5.4%, and 4.2-5.7%,respectively. Conclusion: For the exact diagnosis of hyperglycemia in pregnancy, each laboratory should establish its reference intervals of Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) for each trimester as it varies from trimester to trimester

Genotypes of GSTM1 and GSTT1: Useful determinants for clinical outcome of bladder cancer in Pakistani population

Background: Incidence of bladder cancer has increased rapidly worldwide in the past few years. Environmental as well as genetic factors are involved in the etiology of bladder cancer. Glutathione S transferase mu 1 (GSTM1) and glutathione S transferase theta 1 (GSTT1) genes are two xenobiotic metabolizing genes in phase II of detoxification process. Aim: The current study was aimed to find out the association of different environmental factors and GSTM1 and GSTT1 gene polymorphisms with susceptibility to bladder cancer in Pakistani population. Method: Bladder cancer cases (236) and control blood samples (270) were screened using phenol chloroform method of DNA extraction followed by multiplex PCR. Results: With respect to age; bladder cancer was more prevalent in age >60 years and low grade tumors were more frequent than high grade tumors. Smokers had a significantly higher incidence rate of cancer; also family history of cancer was found to be strongly associated (P < 0.05) with bladder cancer. Commonly reported symptoms by the patients of bladder cancer were hematuria, lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and flank pain. A larger number of patients had undergone surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Similarly GSTM1 (OR 2.24; CI 1.5–3.2; P = 0.0001) and GSTT1 (OR 2.9; CI 1.4–6.1; P = 0.002) gene deletion showed a highly significant association with bladder cancer. Simultaneous deletions of both GSTM1 and GSTT1 genes also showed highly significant association (OR 5.3; CI 2.1–13.1; P = 0.0001) with cancer risk. No association was found when both of the two genes deletion was compared with bladder cancer among smokers. Conclusion: This study suggests that GSTM1 and GSTT1 gene polymorphisms may be associated with increased susceptibility toward bladder cancer in Pakistani population

Anticarcinogenecity of microbiota and probiotics in breast cancer

Breast cancer is one of the most important causes of cancer related morbidity and mortality in the world. Along with genetic, environmental factors also play a multifaceted role in the development of disease. Breast contains several bacterial species performing specialized functions. Probiotics, as functional food, play pivotal role against breast cancer development in vivo and in vitro. Current review summarized all the available data related to diet, probiotics, and their association with breast cancer risk along with underlying mechanisms. Presently, it was believed that many of the commercially available probiotic products were safe to use and had some beneficial health effects for the host. Probiotics had a potential to act against breast cancer progression evidenced by many animal model and cell-based experiments. Some probiotics strains may be useful as an adjuvant therapy for breast cancer prevention or treatment, by modulating immune response or breast microbial community. However, large-scale clinical trials and intense research are mandatory to explore probiotics-related metabolic and molecular mechanisms in breast cancer

A Hierarchical Age–Period–Cohort Analysis of Breast Cancer Mortality and Disability Adjusted Life Years (1990–2015) Attributable to Modified Risk Factors among Chinese Women

Limited studies quantified the age, period, and cohort effects attributable to different risk factors on mortality rates (MRs) and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) due to breast cancer among Chinese women. We used data from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) in 2017. Mixed-effect and hierarchical age&ndash;period&ndash;cohort (HAPC) models were used to assess explicit and implicit fluctuations in MRs and DALYs attributable to different breast cancer associated risk factors. As the only risk factor, high body mass index (HBMI) showed continuously increasing trends in MRs and DALYs across ages, periods, and cohorts. Age, recent periods (2010&ndash;2015), and risk factor HBMI showed significant positive effect on MRs and DALYs (p &lt; 0.05). Moreover, we reported significant interaction effects of older age and period in recent years in addition to the interplay of older age and risk factor HBMI on MRs and DALYs. Increased age and obesity contribute to substantially raised breast cancer MRs and DALYs in China and around the globe. These discoveries shed light on protective health policies and provision of healthy lifestyle for improving the subsequent breast cancer morbidity and mortality for China, as well as other related Asian regions that are presently facing the same public health challenges