Nutrient-wide association study of 92 foods and nutrients and breast cancer risk

Background:&nbsp;Several dietary factors have been reported to be associated with risk of breast cancer, but to date, unequivocal evidence only exists for alcohol consumption. We sought to systematically assess the association between intake of 92 foods and nutrients and breast cancer risk using a nutrient-wide association study. Methods:&nbsp;Using data from 272,098 women participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study, we assessed dietary intake of 92 foods and nutrients estimated by dietary questionnaires. Cox regression was used to quantify the association between each food/nutrient and risk of breast cancer. A false discovery rate (FDR) of 0.05 was used to select the set of foods and nutrients to be replicated in the independent Netherlands Cohort Study (NLCS). Results:&nbsp;Six foods and nutrients were identified as associated with risk of breast cancer in the EPIC study (10,979 cases). Higher intake of alcohol overall was associated with a higher risk of breast cancer (hazard ratio (HR) for a 1 SD increment in intake&thinsp;=&thinsp;1.05, 95% CI 1.03&ndash;1.07), as was beer/cider intake and wine intake (HRs per 1 SD increment&thinsp;=&thinsp;1.05, 95% CI 1.03&ndash;1.06 and 1.04, 95% CI 1.02&ndash;1.06, respectively), whereas higher intakes of fibre, apple/pear, and carbohydrates were associated with a lower risk of breast cancer (HRs per 1 SD increment&thinsp;=&thinsp;0.96, 95% CI 0.94&ndash;0.98; 0.96, 95% CI 0.94&ndash;0.99; and 0.96, 95% CI 0.95&ndash;0.98, respectively). When evaluated in the NLCS (2368 cases), estimates for each of these foods and nutrients were similar in magnitude and direction, with the exception of beer/cider intake, which was not associated with risk in the NLCS. Conclusions:&nbsp;Our findings confirm a positive association of alcohol consumption and suggest an inverse association of dietary fibre and possibly fruit intake with breast cancer risk.</p

Blood pressure and risk of cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition.

Several studies have reported associations of hypertension with cancer, but not all results were conclusive. We examined the association of systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure with the development of incident cancer at all anatomical sites in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Hazard ratios (HRs) (95% confidence intervals) were estimated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models, stratified by EPIC-participating center and age at recruitment, and adjusted for sex, education, smoking, body mass index, physical activity, diabetes and dietary (in women also reproductive) factors. The study included 307,318 men and women, with an average follow-up of 13.7 (standard deviation 4.4) years and 39,298 incident cancers. We confirmed the expected positive association with renal cell carcinoma: HR = 1.12 (1.08-1.17) per 10 mm Hg higher SBP and HR = 1.23 (1.14-1.32) for DBP. We additionally found positive associations for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC): HR = 1.16 (1.07-1.26) (SBP), HR = 1.31 (1.13-1.51) (DBP), weaker for head and neck cancers: HR = 1.08 (1.04-1.12) (SBP), HR = 1.09 (1.01-1.17) (DBP) and, similarly, for skin SCC, colon cancer, postmenopausal breast cancer and uterine adenocarcinoma (AC), but not for esophageal AC, lung SCC, lung AC or uterine endometroid cancer. We observed weak inverse associations of SBP with cervical SCC: HR = 0.91 (0.82-1.00) and lymphomas: HR = 0.97 (0.93-1.00). There were no consistent associations with cancers in other locations. Our results are largely compatible with published studies and support weak associations of blood pressure with cancers in specific locations and morphologies

DHLAS: A web-based information system for statistical genetic analysis of HLA population data

DHLAS (database HLA system) is a user-friendly, web-based information system for the analysis of human leukocyte antigens (HLA) data from population studies. DHLAS has been developed using JAVA and the R system, it runs on a Java Virtual Machine and its user-interface is web-based powered by the servlet engine TOMCAT. It utilizes STRUTS, a Model-View-Controller framework and uses several GNU packages to perform several of its tasks. The database engine it relies upon for fast access is MySQL, but others can be used a well. The system estimates metrics, performs statistical testing and produces graphs required for HLA population studies: (i) Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (calculated using both asymptotic and exact tests), (ii) genetics distances (Euclidian or Nei), (iii) phylogenetic trees using the unweighted pair group method with averages and neigbor-joining method, (iv) linkage disequilibrium (pairwise and overall, including variance estimations), (v) haplotype frequencies (estimate using the expectation-maximization algorithm) and (vi) discriminant analysis. The main merit of DHLAS is the incorporation of a database, thus, the data can be stored and manipulated along with integrated genetic data analysis procedures. In addition, it has an open architecture allowing the inclusion of other functions and procedures. © 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

Body composition in adult patients with thalassemia major

Objective. To assess body composition in adult male and female patients with thalassemia major by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and to compare the findings with a group of healthy age-matched controls. Methods. Our study group included sixty-two patients (27 males, mean age 36 years, and 35 females, mean age 36.4 years) and fifteen age-matched healthy controls. All patients had an established diagnosis of thalassemia major and followed a regular blood transfusion scheme since childhood and chelation treatment. Fat, lean, and bone mineral density (BMD) were assessed with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Ferritin levels and body mass index of all patients and controls were also recorded. Student t-test and Wilcoxon test were performed and statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results. BMD and whole body lean mass are lower in both male and female adult patients compared with controls (p<0.01 in both groups), whereas whole body fat mass was found to have no statistically significant difference compared to controls. Regional trunk fat around the abdomen was found to be lower in male patients compared to controls (p=0.02). Conclusion. Severe bone loss and diminished lean mass are expected in adult male and female patients with thalassemia major. Fat changes seem to affect mainly male patients. © 2016 Marianna Vlychou et al

Methodological issues using household budget survey expenditure data for individual food availability estimation: Irish experience in the DAFNE pan-European project

Objective: Irish participation in the EU-supported DAta Food NEtworking (DAFNE) project required compliance with the overall aims and objectives. The Irish Household Budget Survey (HBS) expenditure data had to be transformed into a format compatible with the collaborative effort, by converting them into quantities of foodstuffs available per person per day. Setting: The Irish 1987 HBS expenditure data on all commodities for 7705 households in the Republic of Ireland, collected using a 14-day diary kept by all members of the household aged 15 years and over. Design: Following identification of 188 food items in the HBS dataset, retail prices per unit weight were sought for each food. Adjustment of prices, collected from a number of different sources, was made to those of 1987 using the Consumer Price Index. Simple models were used to estimate household food availability through application of the adjusted retail prices per unit weight to the expenditure data. The household level data were converted to food availability per person per day. An internal validation of quantities estimated using the retail prices was made using the 12 foodstuffs for which the Irish HBS collects expenses and quantities. Results: The comparison of quantities published by the Irish Central Statistics Office for 12 foodstuffs in the Irish 1987 Household Budget Survey with the quantities estimated using equivalent expenditure data and corresponding retail prices showed agreement, with less than a 10% margin of error for 10 of the foods. Conclusion: In spite some difficulty in converting HBS food expenditure data into food availability per person per day, the DAFNE approach is potentially useful for Irish nutrition surveillance purposes and for facilitating comparisons of the Irish HBS food data with those of other European countries. © 2001 CABI Publishing

Early musculoskeletal MRI findings in a cohort of patients with psoriasis in central Greece

Purpose: The purpose of the presence cohort study is to investigate the extent of early articular involvement of peripheral skeleton determined by MRI in patients with psoriasis. Materials and methods: Seventy five (75) eligible patients with psoriasis and nail involvement were as-sessed according to NAPSI, PASI score and underwent a 3 Tesla MRI study of either hand or foot, depending on the most affected area. Results: Based on our findings, bone oedema was found in 41% of our patients (31 patients), cysts were found in 9% corresponding to seven patients. Both bone ra-diological findings were recorded to 7% corresponding to five patients. In soft tissue imaging findings we included mostly the sausage digit and six patients were recorded with this abnormal finding. In the last radio-logical finding category concerned the joints, erosions were recorded in 26 patients (35%), synovitis in 49 (65%), enthesitis in 44 patients (59%), tendonitis in 36 patients corresponding to 48% of total patients and all the above simultaneously in 15 patients corresponding to 20% of all patients. All patients with positive inflam-matory findings were suffering from nail psoriasis and were associated with a high NAPSI score. A statistically significant correlation was found between group 4 with NAPSI score 120-160 and overall imaging findings of either hand (p – 0.03) or foot (p=0.04). Conclusion: MRI is a useful tool with an important diagnostic role in the detection of early psoriatic arthritis (PsA) of the peripheral skeleton, in a selected group of patients with extensive cutaneous involvement and nail psoriasis. Collaboration between radiologists and dermatologists could prevent the development of psoriasis into PsA and irreversible joint disease. © 2022, Zita Medical Managent. All rights reserved