A baseline epidemiological study of the co-infection of enteric protozoans with human immunodeficiency virus among men who have sex with men from Northeast China.

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and enteric parasite co-infection not only aggravates the clinical symptoms of parasites but also accelerates acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) progression. However, co-infection research on men who have sex with men (MSM), the predominant high-risk population of HIV/AIDS in China, is still limited. In this study, we investigated the epidemiology of enteric parasites, risk factors, and associations with clinical significance in an MSM HIV/AIDS population in Heilongjiang Province, northeast China. METHODS: We recruited 308 MSMs HIV/AIDS patients and 199 HIV-negative individuals in two designated AIDS hospitals in Heilongjiang between April 2016 and July 2017. Fresh stool samples were collected. DNA extraction, molecular identification, and genotyping of Cryptosporidium species, Entamoeba histolytica, Cyclospora cayetanensis, Enterocytozoon bieneusi, and Blastocystis hominis were performed. Fourteen diarrhea-related pathogens were examined to exclude the influence of other bacterial pathogens on diarrhea incidence. RESULTS: 31.5% of MSM HIV/AIDS participants were infected with at least one parasite species, a significantly higher proportion than that found in the HIV-negative individuals (2.5%). E. bieneusi presented the highest prevalence, followed by B. hominis, E. histolytica, Cryptosporidium spp., and C. cayetanensis. Warm seasons were the risk factor for parasitic infections in this population [odds ratio (OR) = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.47-4.57]. In addition, these individuals showed a higher proportion (35.8%) of present diarrhea (PD) compared with men who have sex with women (MSW) with HIV/AIDS (16.7%). The infection proportions of both Cryptosporidium spp. and E. histolytica were significantly higher in the PD. E. bieneusi infection was more prevalent in the historic diarrhea (HD) group. CD4+ T cell counts in the MSM patients with the above three parasites were significantly lower. New species and genotypes were found, and MSM patients had a wider range of species or genotypes. CONCLUSIONS: Enteric parasitic infection was prevalent in the MSM HIV/AIDS population, especially in patients with present diarrhea during warm seasons. E. histolytica and B. hominis should also be considered high-risk parasites for opportunistic infections in AIDS patients in addition to Cryptosporidium spp.

Association Between Dietary Iron Intake and Serum Ferritin and Severe Headache or Migraine.

Background: Dietary iron intake and serum ferritin in relation to severe headache or migraine remain largely unknown. Therefore, we investigated the associations between dietary iron intake and serum ferritin with severe headache or migraine among American adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 7,880 adults (≥20 years) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) of America from 1999 to 2004. We performed multivariable logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression to assess the association of dietary iron and serum ferritin with severe headache or migraine. Results: Most women aged 20-50 years consumed less dietary iron than their recommended dietary allowances. Dietary iron intake was inversely associated with severe headache or migraine in women aged 20-50 years. For women over 50 years, serum ferritin was negatively associated with severe headache or migraine. For men, there was no significant relationship between dietary iron and serum ferritin, and severe headache or migraine. Conclusions: Dietary iron intake has different effects on migraine in women of different ages, and this different effect may be due to age-related menstrual changes. Women aged 20-50 years should have a higher awareness of RDA and increase their dietary iron intake if needed, which may play an important role in preventing severe headache or migraine. Higher serum ferritin levels in women aged 50 and above may have a protective effect against migraine.

Dietary Intake of Calcium and Magnesium in Relation to Severe Headache or Migraine.

Background: Migraine is a common neurological disorder and is affected by nutrients. Calcium and magnesium are essential minerals that play an important role in nerve function. So we investigated the association between dietary calcium and magnesium and migraine. Methods: We extracted 10,798 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) of America in 1999 to 2004. We classified patients who reported having severe headache or migraine as having possible migraine. Multivariable logistic regression and restricted cubic spline regression were conducted to determine the association between dietary calcium and magnesium and migraine. Results: We found that the adjusted ORs of the association between dietary calcium and magnesium and migraine for comparing the highest quintile intake with the lowest quintile intake were 0.77 (95% CI: 0.63-0.93, P = 0.008) and 0.69 (95% CI: 0.55-0.86, P = 0.001), respectively. For women, the adjusted ORs of dietary calcium and magnesium were 0.72 (95% CI: 0.56-0.93, P = 0.009) and 0.62 (95% CI: 0.47-0.83, P = 0.001), respectively. For men, the adjusted OR was 0.71 (95% CI: 0.52-0.97, P = 0.028) comparing the highest and the lowest quintile of calcium intake, but there was no statistically significant association between dietary magnesium intake and migraine. Joint analyses showed that the OR in the high-calcium and high-magnesium group was 0.74 (95% CI: 0.60-0.92, P = 0.006) compared with the low-calcium and low-magnesium group in women. Conclusions: High dietary intake of calcium and magnesium, independently or in combination, were inversely associated with migraine in women. For men, high dietary calcium was negatively related to migraine, but magnesium was not associated with migraine.

Methylation Status of Transcriptional Modulatory Genes Associated with Colorectal Cancer in Northeast China.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Methylation status plays a causal role in carcinogenesis in targeted tissues. However, the relationship between the DNA methylation status of multiple genes in blood leukocytes and colorectal cancer (CRC) susceptibility as well as interactions between dietary factors and CRC risks are unclear. METHODS: We performed a case-control study with 466 CRC patients and 507 cancer-free controls to investigate the association among the methylation status of individual genes, multiple CpG site methylation (MCSM), multiple CpG site heterogeneous methylation and CRC susceptibility. Peripheral blood DNA methylation levels were detected by performing methylation-sensitive high-resolution melting. RESULTS: Total heterogeneous methylation of CA10 and WT1 conferred a significantly higher risk of CRC (adjusted odds ratio [ORadjusted], 5.445; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.075 to 9.643; ORadjusted, 1.831; 95% CI, 1.100 to 3.047; respectively). Subjects with high-level MCSM (MCSM-H) status demonstrated a higher risk of CRC (ORadjusted, 4.318; 95% CI, 1.529 to 12.197). Additionally, interactions between the high-level intake of fruit and CRH, WT1, and MCSM on CRC were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The gene methylation status of blood leukocytes may be associated with CRC risk. MCSM-H of blood leukocytes was associated with CRC, especially in younger people. Some dietary factors may affect hypermethylation status and influence susceptibility to CRC.

Chromobox homolog 2 protein: A novel biomarker for predicting prognosis and Taxol sensitivity in patients with breast cancer.

Polycomb group (PcG) complexes modify histones to silence tumor suppressor genes, which exhibit an important function in tumorigenesis and progression. The chromobox (Cbx) protein family is a critical component of PcG-mediated repression. Cbx2, a member of the Cbx protein family, is hypothesized to exhibit a vital role in breast cancer. In the present study, immunohistochemical analysis using tissue microarrays was performed to determine the levels of Cbx2 protein expression in breast cancer. The association between Cbx2 expression and the clinical features and prognosis of 455 breast cancer patients was analyzed. In addition, the efficacy of Taxol was evaluated by comparing the survival of patients with high or low Cbx2 expression. The results revealed that Cbx2 expression was higher in cancer tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. Furthermore, high Cbx2 expression was significantly associated with large tumor size, lymph node metastasis, high TNM stage and positive human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2) status. Patients with high Cbx2 expression also exhibited a shorter mean overall survival (OS) time (74.37 months) compared with patients with low Cbx2 expression (77.37 months). Univariate analysis indicated that high Cbx2 expression increased the risk of mortality by 1.826-fold compared with low Cbx2 expression [hazard ratio (HR), 1.826; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.069-3.116; P=0.027]. Among patients with high Cbx2 expression, the mean OS time of individuals treated with Taxol (71.01 months) was lower compared with patients that had not received Taxol treatment (78.43 months; log-rank test statistic, 13.03; P<0.001). However, no significant difference in OS time was identified in the low expression group. The results of the current study revealed that Cbx2 may present a novel biomarker for predicting the prognosis of breast cancer patients. Cbx2 may also represent a potential target for treatment due to its important function in Taxol treatment responses.

Serum Helicobacter pylori KatA and AhpC antibodies as novel biomarkers for gastric cancer.

AIM: To investigate catalase (KatA) and alkyl hydroperoxide reductase (AhpC) antibodies of Helicobacter pylori as biomarkers for gastric cancer (GC). METHODS: This study included 232 cases and 264 controls. Recombinant KatA and AhpC proteins were constructed and the levels of antibodies were tested by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Logistic regression was applied to analyze the relationships between KatA, AhpC and GC. The χ(2) trend test was used to evaluate the dose-response relationships between serum KatA and AhpC antibody levels and GC. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the screening accuracy of KatA and AhpC as biomarkers. Combined analysis was used to observe screening accuracy of predictors for GC. RESULTS: In all subjects, the association between KatA and AhpC and GC risk was significant (P < 0.001) with odds ratio (OR) = 12.84 (95%CI: 7.79-21.15) and OR = 2.4 (95%CI: 1.55-3.73), respectively. KatA and AhpC antibody levels were strongly related to GC risk with a dose-dependent effect (P for trend < 0.001). The area under the ROC (AUC) for KatA was 0.806, providing a sensitivity of 66.81% and specificity of 86.36%; and the AUC for AhpC was 0.615, with a sensitivity of 75.65% and specificity of 45.49%. The AUC was 0.906 for KatA and flagella protein A (FlaA) combined analysis. CONCLUSION: Serum KatA and AhpC antibodies are associated with GC risk and KatA may serve as a biomarker for GC. KatA/FlaA combined analysis improved screening accuracy.

Validation of the Chinese Version of ID-Migraine in Medical Students and Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis Concerning Its Diagnostic Accuracy.

AIMS: To validate the Chinese version of Migraine Screener (ID-Migraine) in medical students in mainland China and to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of ID-Migraine by means of a systematic review with meta-analysis. METHODS: A total of 555 medical university students participated in the clinical study. Of these, 190 volunteered to take part in a face-to-face consultation and 365 in a telephone interview to diagnose the presence of migraine according to the criteria of the International Classification of Headache Disorders. The correctness of the diagnosis made clinically and by telephone was assessed by Cohen's kappa statistics. Twenty-two studies were included in the meta-analysis. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated for the clinical study and the meta-analysis. RESULTS: The overall sensitivity and specificity of the Chinese version of ID-Migraine was 84.0% (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 75.0%-90.0%) and 64.0% (95% CI: 59.0%-68.0%), respectively. The Cohen's kappa value of the diagnosis obtained by the face-to-face consultation and the telephone interview was 0.85 (95% CI: 0.69-1.00). A total of 8,682 participants from the 22 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio were 81.0% (95% CI: 80.0%-82.0%), 68.0% (95% CI: 66.0%-69.0%) and 17.03 (95% CI: 9.94-29.18), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The accurate recognition of migraine by the medical students suggests that the Chinese ID-Migraine version is a valid screening tool. In addition the meta-analysis confirmed the high diagnostic accuracy of this screening tool.

The potential of plasma miRNAs for diagnosis and risk estimation of colorectal cancer.

Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) were recognized to be potential non-invasive biomarkers for colorectal cancer (CRC) detection and prediction. Meanwhile, the association of the expression of plasma miRNAs with the risk of CRC patients has rarely been analyzed. Therefore, we conducted this study to evaluate the value of plasma miRNAs for CRC diagnosis and risk estimation. Fasting blood samples from 100 CRC patients and 79 cancer-free controls were collected. Plasma miR-106a, miR-20a, miR-27b, miR-92a and miR-29a levels were detected by RT-qPCR. Sensitivity and specificity were employed to evaluate the diagnostic value of miRNAs for CRC. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were employed to analyze the association between miRNAs expression and CRC risk. As results, miR-106a and miR-20a were elevated in the patients with CRC. The sensitivity of miR-106a was 74.00% and the specificity was 44.40%, while the cutoff value was 2.03. As for miR-20a, the sensitivity was 46.00% and specificity was 73.42% when employed 2.44 as cutoff value. High expression of plasma miR-106a increased CRC risk by 1.80 -fold. Plasma miR-106a and miR-20a may as noninvasive biomarkers for detecting the CRC. High expression of miR-106a associated with CRC risk.

Breastfeeding and ovarian cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 40 epidemiological studies.

The present systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess any association between breastfeeding and the risk of ovarian cancer. A systematic search of published studies was performed in PUBMED and EMBASE and by reviewing reference lists from retrieved articles through March 2013. Data extraction was conducted independently by two authors. Pooled relative risk ratios were calculated using random-effect models. Totals of 5 cohort studies and 35 case-control studies including 17,139 women with ovarian cancer showed a 30% reduced risk of ovarian cancer when comparing the women who had breastfed with those who had never breastfed (pooled RR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.64-0.76; p = 0.00), with significant heterogeneity in the studies (p = 0.00; I2 = 76.29%). A significant decreasd in risk of epithelial ovarian cancer was also observed (pooled RR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.61-0.76). When the participants were restricted to only parous women, there was a slightly attenuated but still significant risk reduction of ovarian cancer (pooled RR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.69-0.83). For total breastfeeding duration, the pooled RRs in the < 6 months, 6-12 months and > 12 months of breastfeeding subgroups were 0.85 (95% CI: 0.77-0.93), 0.73 (95% CI: 0.65-0.82) and 0.64 (95%CI: 0.56-0.73), respectively. Meta-regression of total breastfeeding duration indicated an increasing linear trend of risk reduction of ovarian cancer with the increasing total breastfeeding duration (p = 0.00). Breastfeeding was inversely associated with the risk of ovarian cancer, especially long-term breastfeeding duration that demonstrated a stronger protective effect.

TFAP2E hypermethylation was associated with survival advantage in patients with colorectal cancer.

PURPOSE: Hypermethylation of TFAP2E (AP-2E) is associated with the chemotherapy-resistant in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), but its implications on prognosis directly remain unknown. This study was aimed to investigate the role of AP-2E methylation status and other clinicopathologic parameters as predictors of prognosis. METHODS: We detected the methylation status of AP-2E in tumor and adjacent non-tumor tissues from 311 sporadic CRC patients by methylation-sensitive high-resolution melting analysis. Log-rank tests and multivariate Cox analyses were performed to evaluate the role of AP-2E methylation status and other clinicopathologic parameters as predictors of prognosis. RESULTS: Hypermethylation of AP-2E was detected in 61 % (190/311) tumor tissues. It occurred more frequently in tumors in earlier stages (I/II; P = 0.02), lower levels of tumor invasion (T1-T3; P = 0.04), fewer lymph nodes involved (N0; P < 0.01), and higher histologic grades (G1/G2; P < 0.01). The overall 5-year survival rates in hypermethylation and hypomethylation group were 76.91 and 47.17 % (P < 0.0001), respectively. AP-2E hypermethylation was significantly associated with a favorable clinical outcome with a hazard ratio of 0.486 (95 % CI 0.342-0.692, P < 0.0001) after controlling for age, gender, tumor location, histologic type, TNM staging, and histologic grade. CONCLUSIONS: AP-2E was frequently hypermethylated in tumors from patients with CRC. Aberrant hypermethylation of AP-2E occurred more frequently in tumors with earlier stages, lower levels of tumor invasion, fewer lymph nodes involved, and higher histologic grades. AP-2E hypermethylation might be an independent predictor of survival advantage in patients with CRC.

Association of catalase genotype with oxidative stress in the predication of colorectal cancer: modification by epidemiological factors.

OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to assess the interaction between common variations in catalase (CAT) polymorphic gene and environmental factors for antioxidant defense enzyme in modulating individual susceptibility to colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: A case-control study with 880 colorectal cancer cases and 848 controls was conducted to investigate whether variations in the catalase (CAT) gene, one of the genes involved in scavenging oxidative stress, influenced susceptibility to CRC. RESULTS: The interaction between life style and genotypes as well as with their effects on colorectal cancer was deduced from the present study. Significant difference (P = 0.01) was identified in the distribution of CAT genotype between the colorectal cancer cases and the controls. The CRC cases had significantly lower mean activity than the controls (P < 0.01). Correlation analyses revealed statistically significant correlations between CAT activity and CAT genotype (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The risk of CRC was associated with smoking, low vegetable consumption, high pork and poultry consumptions, and low or high BMI. This is the first study reporting an association of polymorphism CAT-21A > T with colorectal cancer. Low CAT activity was associated with an increased risk of CRC; however, no evidence was found to support an association between CAT-21A > T polymorphism and CRC risk.

[A comparative study on the prevalence of osteoarthritis in middle and old-aged people from the urban and the rural area in Heilongjiang province].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of osteoarthritis in inhabitants aged 40 years old and above from urban and rural areas in Heilongjiang province. METHODS: Through multistage stratified cluster random sampling methods, residents aged 40 years and above were selected. All subjects were given a standardized questionnaire and were conducted a radiographic examination on hands, knees, neck spine and lumbar spine after informed consent. All statistics were performed by SPSS13.0. RESULTS: A total of 1196 residents were surveyed, which including 573 males and 623 female subjects. The prevalence of osteoarthritis in cervical spine, lumbar spine, knee and hand for men were 26.00%, 31.20%, 11.87%, 15.53%, respectively and that were 34.80%, 30.20%, 20.06%, 27.93% for women respectively. The prevalence of osteoarthritis increased with aging both in men and women. Prevalence in 60 - 70 age group achieved the peak. The prevalence rates became relatively low among those over the 70 years old than expected. The most common sites of osteoarthritis were knees and hands (16.10%), followed by cervical and lumbar spine (12.40%). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of osteoarthritis was generally high in middle and old-aged people in Heilongjiang province.

Meta-analysis of MSH6 gene mutation frequency in colorectal and endometrial cancers.

Studies on mutations and mutation frequencies of the MSH6 gene, which mainly focus on new types of mutations in small samples, have been published ever since the first report of MSH6 mutation in two atypical hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer patients. However, the results remain inconsistent. Therefore, a systematic review was conducted and a meta-analysis was undertaken to determine the frequency of MSH6 mutation in colorectal and endometrial cancers. From 27 studies, 180 cases with MSH6 mutation in a total of 3196 cases were detected. In colorectal and endometrial cancers the MSH6 mutation frequency is 7.2 and 9.6%, respectively. MSH6 mutation frequency was 10.4% in hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer patients, 7.1% in atypical hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer patients, and 5.9% in sporadic patients. The frequency of MSH6 mutation in high microsatellite instability (MSI-H) was 11.6% and in low microsatellite instability (MSI-L) cases was (13.3%), which were higher than in microsatellite stability (MSS) cases (1.7%). The mean age of the earliest onset of colorectal and endometrial cancers in MSH6 mutation carriers was 51.2 and 56.5 yr, respectively. Data suggest that the frequency of MSH6 mutation is higher in hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer patients than in atypical hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer and sporadic patients. MSH6 mutation frequency was also higher in endometrial than colorectal cancers. The mean age of earliest onset of endometrial cancer (56.5 yr) is older than for colorectal cancer (51.2 yr) in carriers of MSH6 mutation. Our results provide evidence for clinical genetic testing and counseling.

Nipple aspirate fluid collection, related factors and relationship between carcinoembryonic antigen in nipple aspirate fluid and breast diseases in women in Harbin, PRC.

This study aimed to examine the factors related to the ability to obtain nipple aspirate fluids in Chinese women and to evaluate the diagnostic value of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in nipple aspiration fluids. Cross-sectional and case-control studies were used to examine the factors associated with the ability to obtain nipple aspiration fluids. A matched case-control study was used to explore the association of CEA level in nipple aspiration fluids with breast disease. CEA level was log10-transformed to normalize the distribution. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were adopted to analyze the variables in relation to obtaining fluid and the association of its CEA levels and breast diseases. Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the value of CEA levels for the detection of breast disease. The nipple aspiration fluid collection rate was 34.24% (201 of 587). Multivariate logistic regression analysis results showed the following to be significantly associated with a greater ability to obtain nipple aspiration fluids: earlier age at menarche [odds ratio (OR), 2.61; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.15-5.91], lactating>12 months (OR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.44-3.60), wet-type ear wax (OR, 3.80; 95% CI, 2.39-6.02), and fatty diet (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.02-2.39). CEA levels in nipple aspiration fluids of cancerous breasts were significantly higher than those from breasts with benign disease and healthy controls (ORadj, 5.39; P<0.01). However, the sensitivity of CEAs was 35.42% and the specificity was 85.42% whereas the CEA cutoff value was 307.61 ng/mL. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.65. The nipple aspiration fluid collection rate in Chinese native women is lower compared to non-Asian-descendant women. CEA level does not seem to be a useful diagnostic tool for early cancer detection; it can only be used in conjugation with other methods.

Association between NSAIDs use and breast cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The association between non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) use and breast cancer has remained controversial. Therefore, an overall quantitative estimate of the association needs to be studied. A systematic review and meta-analysis was executed to explore the pooled estimate for relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) using random or fixed effects models based on heterogeneity analysis. Overall 26 studies with 528,705 participants were included. The RR of NSAIDs use and the incidence of breast cancer was 0.94 (95% CI: 0.88-1.00) with random effects model. A slight reduction of breast cancer by taking aspirin and ibuprofen was both observed with pooled RR of 0.91 (95% CI: 0.83-0.98) and 0.81 (95% CI: 0.67-0.97), respectively. Our results indicate that NSAIDs use is associated with a slight decrease for the development of breast cancer with a marginally statistical significant difference. The associations are slightly more obvious in aspirin and ibuprofen use.

Evaluation of oxidative stress in colorectal cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the oxidative stress in patients with colorectal cancer and to investigate the relationship between oxidative stress and colorectal cancer. METHODS: Seventy-six subjects were divided into two groups (36 colorectal cancer patients as the study group and 40 normal healthy individuals as the control group). Their protein oxidation, DNA damage, lipid peroxidation and antioxidants, vitamin C, vitamin E, glutathione (GSH), and antioxidative enzymes in serum were detected. RESULTS: The levels of protein carbonyl and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) were significantly higher in the study group than in the control group (P<0.01). Serum 8-OHdG was significantly increased in the study group compared to the control group (P<0.01). However, the mean serum level of MDA and conjugated diene was lower in the study group than in the control group (P<0.01). The activity of antioxidative enzymes was significantly decreased in the study group compared to the control group (P<0.01). Serum vitamins C and E concentrations were significantly reduced in the study group compared to the control group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Colorectal cancer is associated with oxidative stress, and assessment of oxidative stress and given antioxidants is important for the treatment and prevention of colorectal cancer.

Meta-analysis of different test indicators: Helicobacter pylori infection and the risk of colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Recent studies have demonstrated the relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and the risk of colorectal carcinoma. However, the results of these studies remain controversial as the studies were relatively small in size and partially differed in designs, and so we reviewed the published studies and carried out a meta-analysis to further explore this relationship. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed an extensive systematic review to find all the published case-control studies up to Jan. 2007 using electronic searching, hand searching, and reference lists of retrieved articles. Odds ratio (OR) was employed to evaluate the relationship of H. pylori infection and risk of colorectal cancer. Summary estimates were obtained using random effect models according to the result of a statistical test for heterogeneity across the studies. The presence of possible publication bias was assessed using different statistical approaches. RESULTS: Thirteen studies were included, and summary OR 1.49 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.17-1.91) was estimated for the association between H. pylori infection and colorectal cancer. Summary OR 1.56 (95% CI 1.14-2.14) was estimated for the association between immunoglobulin G antibody and colorectal cancer risk. By trimming and filling, the number of inputted studies was zero, and summary OR was still 1.49 (95% CI 1.17-1.91). The graphical funnel plot appeared asymmetrical, but there was no statistical evidence of publication bias. The method of fail-safe suggested that the effect of publication bias was small. CONCLUSION: Current evidence, though limited, suggests that there is a possible increase in risk of colorectal cancer because of H. pylori infection.

DNA repair gene XPD polymorphisms and cancer risk: a meta-analysis based on 56 case-control studies.

Genetic variations in the XPD gene may increase cancer susceptibility by affecting the capacity for DNA repair. Several studies have investigated this possibility; however, the conclusions remain controversial. Therefore, we did a systematic review and executed a meta-analysis to explore the association. From 56 studies, a total of 61 comparisons included 25,932 cases and 27,733 controls concerning the Lys 751Gln polymorphism; 35 comparisons included 16,781 cases and 18,879 controls in the case of Asp 312 Asn were reviewed. In this analysis, small associations of the XPD Lys 751 Gln polymorphism with cancer risk for esophageal cancer [for Lys/Gln versus Lys/Lys: odds ratio (OR), 1.34; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.10-1.64; for Gln/Gln versus Lys/Lys: OR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.16-2.25] and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (for Gln/Gln versus Lys/Lys: OR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.21-2.75) are revealed. Overall, individuals with the Gln/Gln genotype have a small cancer risk compared with Lys/Lys genotype for the reviewed cancer in total (OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.03-1.16). Subtle but significant cancer risk was observed for the XPD Asp 312 Asn polymorphism in bladder cancer (for Asp/Asn versus Asp/Asp: OR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.06-1.46). No significant associations were found for other cancers separately and all the reviewed cancer in total assessed for the Asp 312 Asn polymorphism. Our study suggests that XPD is a candidate gene for cancer susceptibility regardless of environmental factors.

[The prevalence of primary angle-closure glaucoma and its causes in rural area of Shuangyang district in Changchun, Jilin province].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) and its causes in a rural area in Changchun, China. METHODS: From the rural area of Qijiaxiang, Shuangyang district of Changchun, 1139 individuals aged 40 years and above were randomly selected for the study from September 2004 to February 2005 using Zhao Jialiang's standard. All subjects in this study underwent a preliminary screening examination including visual acuity, the peripheral depth of anterior chamber, slit lamp, tonometry and fundus. The suspects of PACG were asked to repeat the following examinations: tonometry, gonioscopy, fundus, and visual field assessment. RESULTS: 1139 of 1528 subjects were invited to participate in the study (response rate 74.5%). In those age 40 years and above, the prevalence of PACG was 1.5% in men, 3.5% in women, and 2.5% in general population, respectively. The prevalence was increased with age. The anterior chamber was significantly (P<0.01) narrower in the female group than in the male group when the peripheral depth of anterior chamber was compared. The prevalence of PACG was significantly (P<0.02) higher in subjects with positive family history than with negative family history. CONCLUSIONS: In the rural area in Shuangyang district of Changchun, the prevalence of PACG is higher than other regions surveyed in China. Sex, age, family history and the peripheral depth of anterior chamber are significant risk factors in PACG.

[Awareness on SARS and public health emergencies among general publics].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the awareness on sever acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and public health emergencies among general publics. METHODS: A cluster sampling method was implemented in Harbin and Jiagedaqi district of Daxinanling of Heilongjiang province. Research subjects were divided into three groups as city, township and rural areas and were given questionnaires to fill in. Data was analyzed with Epi-data and SPSS. RESULTS: 2003 available questionnaires were collected. The general publics well understood the knowledge on public health emergencies and the SARS with the whole recognition rate more than 60 percent. During the epidemics, people in city, town and countryside were calm (71.7%). The rates of attitude towards the government were significantly different among the subjects living with the city, town or rural areas. The city group expressed the highest favor to the government and media, 71.8% of them gave the credit on the control of SARS to the effective method taken by the government and 65.0% of them showed that they had enough confidence on the governmental ability of dealing with crises while the countryside group trusted the hospitals and relative specialists the most. CONCLUSION: It is essential for the government to interact and communicate with the publics through media, medical and related institutions when confronting with the public health emergencies. Publicity on health knowledge and coping system on emergency should play key roles in the development of an effective public health system while the government should lead the battle.