Serum periostin is associated with body mass index and allergic rhinitis in healthy and asthmatic subjects.

BACKGROUND: Many studies have attempted to clarify the factors associated with serum periostin levels in asthmatic patients. However, these results were based on studies of subjects mainly characterized by high eosinophil counts, which may present as an obstacle for clarification in the identification of other factors associated with serum periostin levels. The aim of this study was to determine the factors associated with serum periostin levels in healthy subjects. We also assessed some factors in asthmatic subjects to confirm their extrapolation for management of asthma. METHODS: Serum periostin levels were measured in 230 healthy subjects. Clinical factors of interest included body mass index (BMI) and allergic rhinitis (AR). Additionally, we confirmed whether these factors were associated with serum periostin in 206 asthmatic subjects. We further evaluated several obesity-related parameters, such as abdominal fat distribution and adipocytokine levels. RESULTS: Smoking status, blood eosinophil count, total immunoglobulin E, and the presence of AR were associated with serum periostin in healthy subjects. There was a negative association between BMI and serum periostin in both healthy and asthmatic subjects, while there was a tendency of a positive association with AR in asthmatic subjects. There were no differential associations observed for subcutaneous and abdominal fat in relation to serum periostin in asthmatic subjects. Serum periostin was significantly associated with serum levels of adiponectin, but not with leptin. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provided clarity as to the factors associated with serum periostin levels, which could be helpful in the interpretation of serum periostin levels in clinical practice.

Preoperative mechanical bowel preparation using conventional versus hyperosmolar polyethylene glycol-electrolyte lavage solution before laparoscopic resection for colorectal cancer (TLUMP test): a phase III, multicenter randomized controlled non-inferiority trial.

BACKGROUND: A hyperosmolar ascorbic acid-enriched polyethylene glycol-electrolyte (ASC-PEG) lavage solution ensures excellent bowel preparation before colonoscopy; however, no study has demonstrated the efficacy of this lavage solution before surgery. This study aimed to establish the non-inferiority of ASC-PEG to the standard polyethylene glycol-electrolyte solution (PEG-ELS) in patients undergoing laparoscopic resection for colorectal cancer. METHODS: This was a prospective, single-blind, multicenter, randomized, controlled, non-inferiority clinical trial. Overall, 188 patients scheduled for laparoscopic colorectal resection for single colorectal adenocarcinomas were randomly assigned to undergo preparation with different PEG solutions between August 2017 and April 2020 at four hospitals in Japan. Participants received ASC-PEG (Group A) or PEG-ELS (Group B) preoperatively. The primary endpoint was the ratio of successful bowel preparations using the modified Aronchick scale, defined as "excellent" or "good." RESULTS: After exclusion, 86 and 87 patients in Groups A and B, respectively, completed the study, and their data were analyzed. ASC-PEG was not inferior to PEG-ELS in terms of effective bowel preparation prior to laparoscopic colorectal resection (0.93 vs. 0.92; 95% confidence interval, - 0.078 to 0.099, p = 0.007). The total volume of cleansing solution intake was lower in Group A than in Group B (1757.0 vs. 1970.1 mL). Two and three severe postoperative adverse events occurred in Groups A and B, respectively. Patient tolerance of the two solutions was almost equal. CONCLUSIONS: ASC-PEG is effective for preoperative bowel preparation in patients undergoing laparoscopic resection for colorectal cancer and is non-inferior to PEG-ELS.

The Val158Met polymorphism of the catechol-O-methyltransferase gene is associated with the PSA-progression-free survival in prostate cancer patients treated with estramustine phosphate.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study is to find out the good responders for estramustine phosphate (EMP) therapy in patients with prostate cancer. We have focused on the metabolism of EMP and studied the association between a functional single-nucleotide polymorphism in the catechol-O-methyltransferase gene (Val158Met of COMT) and PSA-progression-free survival in Japanese patients with prostate cancer treated by EMP. METHODS: Seventy-two Japanese patients with previously untreated prostate cancer who were found to be eligible for low-dose EMP therapy were enrolled in the study. Genotyping of the Val158Met polymorphism of COMT was conducted by both the polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism method and TaqMan assay. RESULTS: Patients with the Val/Val genotype of COMT had a significantly higher PSA-progression-free rate as compared to those with the Val/Met or Met/Met genotype (p=0.027). The adjusted hazard ratio of biochemical PSA failure for the Val158Met genotype of COMT was 2.164 (95% CI, 1.111 to 5.525). CONCLUSIONS: The Val158Met polymorphism of COMT is associated with the PSA-progression-free rate of EMP-treated patients in prostate cancer.