Association of prebiotic fiber intake with colorectal cancer risk: the PrebiotiCa study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the association between the intake of specific fibers with prebiotic activity, namely inulin-type fructans (ITFs), fructooligosaccharides (FOSs) and galactooligosaccharides (GOSs), and colorectal cancer risk. METHODS: Within the PrebiotiCa study, we used data from a multicentric case-control study conducted in Italy and including 1953 incident, histologically confirmed, colorectal cancer patients and 4154 hospital controls. The amount of six prebiotic molecules [ITFs, nystose (FOS), kestose (FOS), 1F-ß-fructofuranosylnystose (FOS), raffinose (GOS) and stachyose (GOS)] in a variety of foods was quantified via laboratory analyses. Subjects' prebiotic fiber intake was estimated by multiplying food frequency questionnaire intake by the prebiotic content of each food item. The odds ratios (OR) of colorectal cancer for quintiles of intakes were derived from logistic regression models including terms for major confounders and total energy intake. RESULTS: GOSs intake was inversely associated with colorectal cancer risk. The OR for the highest versus the lowest quintile of intake were 0.73 (95% confidence interval, CI 0.58-0.92) for raffinose and 0.64 (95% CI 0.53-0.77) for stachyose, with significant inverse trends across quintiles. No association was found with total ITFs and FOSs. The association with stachyose was stronger for colon (continuous OR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.66-0.83) than rectal cancer (OR = 0.89, 95% CI 0.79-1.02). CONCLUSION: Colorectal cancer risk was inversely associated with the intake of dietary GOSs, but not ITFs and FOSs.

Garlic consumption in relation to colorectal cancer risk and to alterations of blood bacterial DNA.

PURPOSE: Garlic consumption has been inversely associated to intestinal adenoma (IA) and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk, although evidence is not consistent. Gut microbiota has been implied in CRC pathogenesis and is also influenced by garlic consumption. We analyzed whether dietary garlic influence CRC risk and bacterial DNA in blood. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study in Italy involving 100 incident CRC cases, 100 IA and 100 healthy controls matched by center, sex and age. We used a validated food frequency questionnaire to assess dietary habits and garlic consumption. Blood bacterial DNA profile was estimated using qPCR and16S rRNA gene profiling. We derived odds ratios (ORs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of IA and CRC according to garlic consumption from multiple conditional logistic regression. We used Mann-Whitney and chi-square tests to evaluate taxa differences in abundance and prevalence. RESULTS: The OR of CRC for medium/high versus low/null garlic consumption was 0.27 (95% CI = 0.11-0.66). Differences in garlic consumption were found for selected blood bacterial taxa. Medium/high garlic consumption was associated to an increase of Corynebacteriales order, Nocardiaceae family and Rhodococcus genus, and to a decrease of Family XI and Finegoldia genus. CONCLUSIONS: The study adds data on the protective effect of dietary garlic on CRC risk. Moreover, it supports evidence of a translocation of bacterial material to bloodstream and corroborates the hypothesis of a diet-microbiota axis as a mechanism behind the role of garlic in CRC prevention.

Dietary intake of branched-chain amino acids and pancreatic cancer risk in a case-control study from Italy.

Circulating branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), a subgroup of the nine essential amino acids, have been associated to pancreatic cancer risk. The aim of this study is to estimate the relation between BCAA intake from diet and pancreatic cancer risk.We analysed data from a multicentric Italian case-control study, including 326 pancreatic cancer cases and 652 controls, matched to cases by study centre, sex and age. A validated food-frequency questionnaire was used to collect the participants' usual diet before cancer diagnosis (or hospital admission for controls) and to compute dietary intakes of various nutrients, including BCAAs. Odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding confidence intervals (CIs) were computed through logistic regression models conditioned on the matching variables and adjusted for major confounding factors, including total energy intake.We found a positive association between the BCAA intake and pancreatic cancer risk (OR for the third quartile=1.88, 95% CI=1.08-3.26; OR for the fourth quartile =2.17, 95% CI=1.17-4.06), with a significant trend in risk. The association persisted after excluding subjects with diabetes and family history of pancreatic cancer, and across strata of selected covariates.These data support and quantify the association between dietary BCAAs and pancreatic cancer, previously suggested by studies on circulating BCAAs.

Diabetes risk reduction diet and the risk of pancreatic cancer.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of a diabetes risk reduction diet (DRRD) on pancreatic cancer risk. METHODS: We used data from a hospital-based case-control study conducted in Italy between 1991 and 2008; the study included 326 incident pancreatic cancer cases and 652 controls matched by age, gender and study center. Subjects' usual diet was collected through a valid and reproducible food frequency questionnaire. A DRRD score was derived from 8 dietary components: cereal fiber, total fruit, coffee, polyunsaturated to saturated fats ratio and nuts (higher score for higher intake), and dietary glycemic index, red/processed meat and sugar-sweetened beverages/fruit juices (higher score for lower intake). The score ranged 8-37, with higher values indicating greater DRRD adherence. Odds ratios (ORs) of pancreatic cancer according to the DRRD score were estimated using multiple conditional logistic regression models. RESULTS: After allowance for confounding factors, the DRRD score was inversely related to pancreatic cancer risk, with ORs of 0.55 (95% confidence interval, CI 0.38-0.80) for the highest versus the lowest score tertile (p for trend across tertiles = 0.002) and 0.84 (95% CI 0.75-0.95) for a 3-point score increment. The exclusion of diabetic subjects and additional adjustment for vegetable intake did not change the results. Inverse associations were observed in subgroups defined by age, gender, education, body mass index, smoking and total energy intake. CONCLUSION: Study findings suggest a protective role of high adherence to a DRRD on pancreatic cancer risk.

Hybrid retrieval of crop traits from multi-temporal PRISMA hyperspectral imagery.

The recently launched and upcoming hyperspectral satellite missions, featuring contiguous visible-to-shortwave infrared spectral information, are opening unprecedented opportunities for the retrieval of a broad set of vegetation traits with enhanced accuracy through novel retrieval schemes. In this framework, we exploited hyperspectral data cubes collected by the new-generation PRecursore IperSpettrale della Missione Applicativa (PRISMA) satellite of the Italian Space Agency to develop and test a hybrid retrieval workflow for crop trait mapping. Crop traits were mapped over an agricultural area in north-east Italy (Jolanda di Savoia, FE) using PRISMA images collected during the 2020 and 2021 vegetative seasons. Leaf chlorophyll content, leaf nitrogen content, leaf water content and the corresponding canopy level traits scaled through leaf area index were estimated using a hybrid retrieval scheme based on PROSAIL-PRO radiative transfer simulations coupled with a Gaussian processes regression algorithm. Active learning algorithms were used to optimise the initial set of simulated data by extracting only the most informative samples. The accuracy of the proposed retrieval scheme was evaluated against a broad ground dataset collected in 2020 in correspondence of three PRISMA overpasses. The results obtained were positive for all the investigated variables. At the leaf level, the highest accuracy was obtained for leaf nitrogen content (LNC: r2=0.87, nRMSE=7.5%), while slightly worse results were achieved for leaf chlorophyll content (LCC: r2=0.67, nRMSE=11.7%) and leaf water content (LWC: r2=0.63, nRMSE=17.1%). At the canopy level, a significantly higher accuracy was observed for nitrogen content (CNC: r2=0.92, nRMSE=5.5%) and chlorophyll content (CCC: r2=0.82, nRMSE=10.2%), whereas comparable results were obtained for water content (CWC: r2=0.61, nRMSE=16%). The developed models were additionally tested against an independent dataset collected in 2021 to evaluate their robustness and exportability. The results obtained (i. e., LCC: r2=0.62, nRMSE=27.9%; LNC: r2=0.35, nRMSE=28.4%; LWC: r2=0.74, nRMSE=20.4%; LAI: r2=0.84, nRMSE=14.5%; CCC: r2=0.79, nRMSE=18.5%; CNC: r2=0.62, nRMSE=23.7%; CWC: r2=0.92, nRMSE=16.6%) evidence the transferability of the hybrid approach optimised through active learning for most of the investigated traits. The developed models were then used to map the spatial and temporal variability of the crop traits from the PRISMA images. The high accuracy and consistency of the results demonstrates the potential of spaceborne imaging spectroscopy for crop monitoring, paving the path towards routine retrievals of multiple crop traits over large areas that could drive more effective and sustainable agricultural practices worldwide.

Facing Muscular Dystrophy During Covid-19 Pandemic: The Role of Support Associations and Spirituality.

Several researches in scientific literature analyze the theme of Muscular Dystrophy (MD), As well as many others focus on the theme of the Covid-19 pandemic; however, there is a rather limited number of studies that analyse how the pandemic has affected the life of people suffering from MD, especially during the time of the first lockdown in the spring of 2020. The present study has applied a qualitative research design with the aim to investigate how patients with MD have lived the social restrictions imposed for the contagion containment and whether the assistance of associations for their support has contributed to make the participants feel closer or more distant from the spiritual dimension. The analysis involved 12 participants, and they were presented with a semi-structured interview. The data obtained from the interviews have been analysed through a thematic analysis from which 4 thematic areas have emerged: (1) the impact of the pandemic on an emotional level; (2) the illness management and the role of family; (3) the role of the associations; (4) aspects related to spirituality. The crucial role that the closeness of family and the activities promoted remotely by the associations for patients' support has emerged, since they have allowed the participants to feel united by something beyond, to discover new aspects of themselves, to give more value to Life and to move closer to their spiritual dimension.

Larval nutrition impacts survival to adulthood, body size and the allometric scaling of metabolic rate in adult honeybees.

Resting metabolic rate (RMR) is a fundamental physiological measure linked to numerous aspects of organismal function, including lifespan. Although dietary restriction in insects during larval growth/development affects adult RMR, the impact of the nutritional composition of larval diets (i.e. diet quality) on adult RMR has not been studied. Using in vitro rearing to control larval diet quality, we determined the effect of dietary protein and carbohydrate on honeybee survival to adulthood, time to eclosion, body mass/size and adult RMR. High carbohydrate larval diets increased survival to adulthood and time to eclosion compared with both low carbohydrate and high protein diets. Upon emergence, bees reared on the high protein diet were smaller and lighter than those reared on other diets, whilst those raised on the high carbohydrate diet varied more in body mass. Newly emerged adult bees reared on the high carbohydrate diet showed a significantly steeper increase in allometric scaling of RMR compared with those reared on other diets. This suggests that the nutritional composition of larval diets influences survival to adulthood, time to eclosion and the allometric scaling of RMR. Given that agricultural intensification and increasing urbanisation have led to a decrease in both forage availability and dietary diversity for bees, our results are critical to improving understanding of the impacts of poor developmental nutrition on bee growth/development and physiology.

Dietary intake of branched-chain amino acids and colorectal cancer risk.

An adequate intake of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) is required for protein synthesis and metabolic functions, including insulin metabolism. Emerging studies found positive associations between BCAA and the risk of various diseases sharing aetiological aspects with colorectal cancer (CRC), including type 2 diabetes, obesity and pancreatic cancer. We investigated the relation between dietary BCAA and CRC using data from a multicentric Italian case-control study, including 1953 cases of CRC (of these, 442 of sigmoid colon) and 4154 hospital controls with acute, non-neoplastic diseases. A validated FFQ was used to estimate the participants' usual diet and to assess dietary intakes of various nutrients, including energy, BCAA and Ca. OR and corresponding CI were computed by multiple logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex and other confounding factors, including total energy intake. BCAA intake was inversely related to CRC risk (OR for the highest v. the lowest quintile 0·73; 95 % CI 0·55, 0·97), but the association was attenuated after adjustment for Ca intake (OR 0·90; 95 % CI 0·65, 1·25). An inverse association with sigmoid colon cancer risk also remained after adjustment for other dietary factors, including Ca intake (OR 0·49; 95 % CI 0·27, 0·87). This study provides supporting evidence that higher levels of dietary BCAA intake are not associated with an increase of CRC risk, but confirms that they may be related to a reduced risk of sigmoid colon cancer.

Spotting aged dyes on paper with SERS.

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a highly sensitive technique for the non- or minimally invasive identification of molecules at very low concentrations. In this work, SERS is exploited using naked laser-ablated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for the detection of dyes on artificially aged paper inked with a ballpoint pen. Although several studies on inks with SERS are present in the literature, most of them report on the investigations on freshly prepared products, and less information is present on the detection of aged dyes and inks using SERS. Ballpoint inks are commonly used in daily activities, but have also been employed by several contemporary artists. These inks are very sensitive to light, and they discolor rapidly, making their detection demanding. In the present work, the SERS spectra of a ballpoint pen ink on two types of paper were analyzed after light-induced ageing, and the importance of the dye-AuNP interaction is discussed. The results show that the interpretation of the SERS spectra of the aged samples, such as those of interest in the Cultural Heritage field, is a tricky and delicate operation and that the diffusion of the dyes to the hot spot regions of the plasmonic nanoparticles plays a pivotal role in the detection of degraded ink components. Therefore, appropriate evaluation of the factors affecting the molecule-plasmonic nanoparticle interactions and of the history of the artwork to be analyzed is fundamental to avoiding the misinterpretation of the spectra and, consequently, of the original composition of the analyzed artwork.

Flavonoids and bladder cancer risk.

PURPOSE: Flavonoids have drawn attention because of their antioxidant capacity and anti-carcinogenic effect in various types of cancer. A limited number of studies has investigated their potential effect on the risk of bladder cancer, with inconsistent results. METHODS: We analyzed data from an Italian case-control study including 690 incident bladder cancer cases and 665 controls admitted to the same network of hospitals for acute, non-neoplastic, non tobacco-related diseases. Subjects were interviewed using a reproducible and validated food-frequency questionnaire. We applied data on food and beverage composition to estimate the intake of isoflavones, anthocyanidins, flavan-3-ols, flavanones, flavones and flavonols. We estimated odds ratios (ORs) through multiple logistic regression models, including terms for potential confounding factors, including tobacco smoking and total energy intake. RESULTS: We found an inverse association between isoflavones (OR for the highest compared to the lowest quintile of intake = 0.56, 95% CI 0.37-0.84) and flavones (OR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.44-0.95) and bladder cancer. Non-significant inverse association was found for flavan-3-ols (OR = 0.70), flavonols (OR = 0.85) and total flavonoids (OR = 0.76). The results were consistent for non-muscle-invasive and muscle-invasive bladder cancers. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate an inverse association between isoflavones and flavones with respect to bladder cancer risk.

A cumulative meta-analysis of endoscopic papillary balloon dilation versus endoscopic sphincterotomy for removal of common bile duct stones.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic papillary balloon dilation (EPBD) was introduced to overcome the risk of adverse events associated with endoscopic sphincterotomy in the removal of common bile duct (CBD) stones. We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing efficacy and safety of EPBD vs. endoscopic sphincterotomy, focusing on stone size, balloon diameter, and balloon dilation time. METHODS: A multiple database search was performed, including MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Library, from their inception date until October 2017. RCTs comparing the efficacy and safety of EPBD vs. endoscopic sphincterotomy in the removal of CBD stones were included. Cumulative meta-analyses over time, and subgroup analyses according to stone size, and balloon diameter and dilation time were carried out. RESULTS: 25 RCTs met the inclusion criteria. Despite the cumulative meta-analysis showing a trend over time in favor of endoscopic sphincterotomy in studies published up to 2004, the conventional meta-analysis revealed that EPBD was equally efficacious compared with endoscopic sphincterotomy in stone removal at first attempt (odds ratio [OR] 0.95, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.65 - 1.38). Endoscopic sphincterotomy was superior to EPBD in terms of overall stone clearance (OR 0.65, 95 %CI 0.43 - 0.99) in studies published since 2002, but no differences emerged in studies using large ( ≥ 10 mm) balloons (OR 1.37, 95 %CI 0.72 - 2.62). No statistically significant difference in pancreatitis occurrence emerged between EPBD and endoscopic sphincterotomy (OR 1.35, 95 %CI 0.90 - 2.03). Pancreatitis was more common with EPBD than with endoscopic sphincterotomy in studies using balloons < 10 mm (OR 1.78, 95 %CI 1.07 - 2.97), whereas no difference emerged in studies using large balloons (OR 0.84, 95 %CI 0.46 - 1.53). EPBD had lower rates of bleeding and cholecystitis. CONCLUSIONS: Our latest data confirm that EPBD is currently inferior to endoscopic sphincterotomy in terms of overall stone clearance. However, EPBD using large balloons (≥ 10 mm) was as effective as endoscopic sphincterotomy, both in stone clearance and the need for endoscopic mechanical lithotripsy, without carrying an increased risk of pancreatitis.

Proanthocyanidins and the risk of prostate cancer in Italy.

Proanthocyanidins are polymers of monomeric unit flavan-3-ols with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and free radical scavenging activities. We investigated the association between proanthocyanidin intake and prostate cancer risk through data that were collected between 1991 and 2002 in an Italian case-control study, including a total of 1,294 incident, histologically confirmed cases of prostate cancer and 1,451 controls admitted to hospital for acute, non-neoplastic, and non-hormone-related diseases. We estimated odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using multiple logistic regression models, and computed energy-adjusted proanthocyanidin intakes using the residual method. The ORs for the highest versus the lowest tertile were 0.80 (95% CI 0.83-1.00) for energy-adjusted monomers and dimers combined, 0.72 (95% CI 0.59-0.87) for polymers with ≥ 3 mers, and 0.72 (95% CI 0.59-0.88) for total proanthocyanidins. The inverse relation was stronger among cases with a Gleason score ≥ 7, with the ORs of 0.56 (95% CI 0.40-0.78) for monomers and dimers, 0.62 (95% CI 0.40-0.78) for polymers with ≥ 3 mers, and 0.57 (95% CI 0.42-0.77) for total proanthocyanidins. These risk estimates were consistent across strata of age, education, body mass index, and family history of prostate cancer. Our data indicate an inverse association between proanthocyanidins and prostate cancer risk.

Covered vs. uncovered self-expandable metal stents for malignant distal biliary strictures: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) are used for palliation of distal malignant biliary strictures, but the role of covered SEMS is less clear. We performed an up-to-date meta-analysis to compare the performance of covered and uncovered SEMS in patients with unresectable distal malignant biliary strictures. METHODS: A computerized medical search was performed using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library between 2000 and December 2016 to identify all randomized trials that compared covered with uncovered SEMS in patients with distal malignant biliary strictures. Primary outcomes were stent failure and patient mortality; secondary outcomes were stent dysfunction and adverse events. Pooled estimates were computed using the random effects model. RESULTS: Overall, 11 RCTs involving 1272 patients were included. The primary outcomes of stent failure and patient mortality did not differ significantly between covered and uncovered SEMS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.68, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.40 - 1.17; HR 0.89, 95 %CI 0.76 - 1.05, respectively). However, stent migration and sludge formation were much more common with covered SEMS (odds ratio [OR] 5.11, 95 %CI 1.84 - 14.17; OR 2.46, 95 %CI 1.37 - 4.43). The use of covered SEMS was associated with a lower rate of tumor ingrowth (OR 0.21, 95 %CI 0.09 - 0.50) but a higher rate of tumor overgrowth (OR 2.00, 95 %CI 1.15 - 3.48) compared with uncovered stents. The rates of procedure-related adverse events were similar in both groups. CONCLUSION: There was a risk reduction of about 32 % for both stent failure and patient mortality with covered SEMS but this difference was not significant. Migration and sludge rates were higher with covered SEMS, whereas tumor ingrowth was more likely with uncovered SEMS. The data show no added benefit of covered SEMS; further stent evolution is desirable.

Management and Survival of Pleural Mesothelioma: A Record Linkage Study.

BACKGROUND: Pleural mesothelioma (PM) is a rare, highly lethal tumor. A definite consensus on its management has yet to be established. OBJECTIVES: To assess management, overall survival (OS), and their predictors in a cohort of patients from Lombardy, the largest Italian region (about 10 million inhabitants). METHODS: Through a record linkage between Lombardy health care administrative databases, we identified patients diagnosed with PM in 2006-2011 without history of cancer, evaluating their management. OS from PM diagnosis was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Predictors of OS and of treatment were assessed using Cox regression models with time-dependent covariates when appropriate. RESULTS: Out of 1,326 patients, 754 (56.9%) received treatment for PM: 205 (15.5%) underwent surgery, and 696 (52.5%) used chemotherapy. Surgery was spread across several hospitals, and most patients diagnosed in nonspecialized centers (70%) underwent surgery in the same centers. Age at diagnosis was a strong inverse determinant of surgery. Determinants of receiving chemotherapy were younger age, a more recent first diagnosis, and first diagnosis in a specialized center. OS was 45.4% at 1 year, 24.8% at 2 years, and 9.6% at 5 years (median 11 months). OS decreased with age, and was higher for those who underwent surgery, but not for those treated with chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Management of PM varied widely in clinical practice, and significant predictors of treatment were younger age and recent diagnosis, though a high proportion of patients were not treated. Patients were treated in various hospitals, indicating the importance of concentrating serious rare neoplasms in Comprehensive Cancer Centers (as recognized by the Italian Health Ministry).

Sleep does not facilitate insight in older adults.

Sleep has been shown to foster the process of insight generation in young adults during problem solving activities. Aging is characterized by substantial changes in sleep architecture altering memory consolidation. Whether sleep might promote the occurrence of insight in older adults as well has not yet been tested experimentally. To address this issue, we tested healthy young and old volunteers on an insight problem solving task, involving both explicit and implicit features, before and after a night of sleep or a comparable wakefulness period. Data showed that insight emerged significantly less frequently after a night of sleep in older adults compared to young. Moreover, there was no difference in the magnitude of insight occurrence following sleep and daytime -consolidation in aged participants. We further found that acquisition of implicit knowledge in the task before sleep potentiated the gain of insight in young participants, but this effect was not observed in aged participants. Overall, present findings demonstrate that a period of sleep does not significantly promote insight in problem solving in older adults.

Muscle MRI of classic infantile pompe patients: Fatty substitution and edema-like changes.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate the muscle MRI pattern of 9 patients (median age: 6.5 ± 2.74 years) affected by classic infantile-onset Pompe disease who were treated with enzyme replacement therapy. METHODS: We performed and qualitatively scored T1-weighted (T1-w) sequences of the facial, shoulder girdle, paravertebral, and lower limb muscles and short-tau inversion recovery (STIR) sequences of the lower limbs using the Mercuri and Morrow scales, respectively. RESULTS: On T1-w images, mild (grade 1) or moderate (grade 2) involvement was found in the tongue in 6 of 6 patients and in the adductor magnus muscle in 6 of 9. STIR hyperintensity was detected in all areas examined and was categorized as limited to mild in 5 of 8 patients. CONCLUSIONS: On T1-w sequences, mild/moderate adipose substitution in the adductor magnus and tongue muscles was documented. STIR edema-like alterations of thigh and calf muscles are novel findings. Correlations with biopsy findings and clinical parameters are needed to fully understand these findings. Muscle Nerve 55: 841-848, 2017.

Dietary Inflammatory Index and Renal Cell Carcinoma Risk in an Italian Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: The relation between diet-related inflammation and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has not been investigated. METHODS: In this study, we explored the association between the dietary inflammatory index (DII) and RCC in an Italian case-control study conducted between 1992 and 2004. Cases were 767 patients with incident, histologically confirmed RCC. Controls were 1534 subjects admitted to the same hospitals as cases for various acute, nonneoplastic conditions. The DII was computed based on dietary intake assessed using a reproducible and valid 78-item food frequency questionnaire. Odds ratios (ORs) were estimated through logistic regression models conditioned on age, sex, and center, and adjusted for recognized confounding factors, including total energy intake. RESULTS: Subjects in the highest quartile of DII scores (i.e., with the most proinflammatory diets) had a higher risk of RCC compared to subjects in the lowest quartile [OR 1.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02, 1.97; p-trend = 0.04)]. Apparently stronger associations were observed among females (OR 1.68, 95% CI 0.93, 3.03), subjects aged <60 yr (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.05, 2.98), body mass index ≥25 kg/m2 (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.07, 2.51), and ever smokers (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.08, 2.57), in the absence of significant heterogeneity. CONCLUSION: A proinflammatory diet is associated with increased RCC risk.

Dietary total antioxidant capacity and pancreatic cancer risk: an Italian case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality. Diet may be associated with pancreatic cancer, but it is unknown whether specific dietary components contribute to its risk. The potential differential role of dietary antioxidants warrants further investigation. METHODS: We analysed data from a case-control study of 326 pancreatic cancer cases and 652 controls conducted between 1991 and 2008 in Northern Italy. Subjects' usual diet was assessed through a validated and reproducible food frequency questionnaire. Using this information and an Italian food composition database, we calculated three indices of dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC): Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), total radical-trapping antioxidant parameter (TRAP) and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). We estimated the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for pancreatic cancer using multiple logistic regression models conditioned on study centre, sex and age, and adjusted for major known pancreatic cancer risk factors. RESULTS: Significant inverse associations were found for the highest tertile of TAC compared with the lowest tertile for both TEAC and FRAP. The ORs were 0.61 (95% CI 0.39-0.94, P-value for trend 0.03) and 0.63 (95% CI 0.41-0.99, P-value for trend 0.05), respectively. Total radical-trapping antioxidant parameter was inversely, but not significantly, associated with pancreatic cancer risk, with an OR of 0.78 (95% CI 0.49-1.24, P-value for trend 0.27). CONCLUSIONS: Diet high in TAC, as measured by TEAC and FRAP, is inversely associated with pancreatic cancer risk.

Dietary inflammatory index and ovarian cancer risk in a large Italian case-control study.

BACKGROUND: While inflammation has been shown to play an important etiologic role in ovarian carcinogenesis, little is known about the association between inflammatory properties of diet and ovarian cancer risk. METHODS: We explored the association between the dietary inflammatory index (DII) and ovarian cancer risk in a multicentric Italian case-control study conducted between 1992 and 1999. Cases were 1,031 women with incident, histologically confirmed ovarian cancer from four areas in Italy. Controls were 2,411 women admitted to the same network of hospitals as the cases for acute, non-malignant and non-gynecological conditions, unrelated to hormonal or digestive-tract diseases or committed to long-term modifications of diet. DII scores were computed based on 31 nutrients and food items assessed using a reproducible and validated 78-item food frequency questionnaire. Odds ratios (ORs) were estimated through logistic regression models adjusting for age, total energy intake and other recognized confounding factors. RESULTS: Subjects in the highest quartile of DII scores (i.e., with the most pro-inflammatory diets) had a higher risk of ovarian cancer compared to subjects in the lowest quartile (i.e., with an anti-inflammatory diet) (ORQuartile4vs1 1.47, 95% confidence interval, CI, 1.07, 2.01; p trend = 0.009). When analyses were carried out using continuous DII, a significant positive association with ovarian cancer was observed: the OR for one-unit increment in DII score (corresponding to approximately 8 % of its range in the current study, +6.0 to -6.20) was 1.08 (95% CI 1.02, 1.14). CONCLUSION: A pro-inflammatory diet as indicated by higher DII scores is associated with increased ovarian cancer risk.