RESUMEN
Background Diabetes mellitus and cancer are two associated chronic diseases. Despite being a widely researched topic, the underlying mechanisms of this association remain unclear. One of the poorly explored topics regarding diabetes and cancer is the relation between the age of cancer onset and diabetes mellitus status; therefore, this research exposes the difference in the age of cancer diagnosis in both groups. Methods We conducted a retrospective study by reviewing the clinical files on a secondary care hospital's database. Files from first-time consultations of patients over 18 diagnosed using a histopathological report were included. The present study aimed to determine whether there is a difference in age at the onset of cancer in diabetic and non-diabetic individuals. Moreover, we calculated the average BMI at the onset for both populations. Results Our study included 8,741 patients; 1,551 (17.8%) were diabetic, and 7,190 (82.2%) were non-diabetic. From 28 types of cancer, 27 showed a difference in the age at the onset of cancer when diabetic and non-diabetic subjects were compared. This difference is significant as it suggests a potential link between diabetes and cancer, which could have implications for early detection and prevention strategies. Out of the 27 types, 17 showed statistical significance with p-values ranging from 0.048 to <0.0001 considering a 95% CI. Among those, the most significant types of cancer were breast, cervical, lung, ovarian, rectal, thyroid, and sarcoma, reporting p-values <0.0001. The mean age at onset of cancer in diabetic and non-diabetic populations was 62.7 years (SD ± 3.9) and 55.3 years (SD ± 7.9), respectively, showing a difference of 7.4 years in both groups. The BMI was statistically significant in patients with breast (p = 0.006), endometrial (p = 0.007), head and neck (p=0.014), and thyroid (p = 0.022) cancer types. Conclusion The data offer a critical view of the relationship between cancer and diabetes. Since virtually no one has produced a similar report, there is a broad field for researching the causal factors implicated in the pathway of diabetic and non-diabetic individuals who develop cancer. Research regarding metformin, diabetic neuropathy, and other possible causes must be addressed to determine whether they are involved in this process.
RESUMEN
Gene coding for ATP-gated receptor ion channels (P2X1-7) has been associated with the developmental process in various tissues; among these ion channel subtypes, P2X6 acts as a physiological regulator of P2X4 receptor functions when the two receptors form heteroreceptors. The P2X4 receptor is involved in pain sensation, the inflammatory process, and body homeostasis by means of Mg(2+) absorption through the intestine. The small intestine is responsible for the absorption and digestion of nutrients; throughout its development, several gene expressions are induced that are related to nutrients received, metabolism, and other intestine functions. Previous work has shown a differential P2X4 and P2X6 protein distribution in the small intestine of newborn and adult rats; however, it is not well-known at what age the change in the relationship between the gene and protein expression occurs and whether or not these receptors are colocalized. In this work, we evaluate P2X4 and P2X6 gene expression patterns by qPCR from embryonic (E18, P0, P7, P17, P30) to adult age in rat gut, as well as P2X6/P2X4 colocalization using qRT-PCR and confocal immunofluorescence in proximal and distal small intestine sections. The results showed that P2X6 and P2X4 gene expression levels of both receptors decreased at the embryonic-perinatal transition, whereas from ages P17 to P30 (suckling-weaning transition) both receptors increased their gene expression levels. Furthermore, P2X4 and P2X6 proteins were expressed in a different way during rat small intestine development, showing a higher colocalization coefficient at age P30 in both intestine regions. Those results suggest that purinergic receptors may play a role in intestinal maturation, which is associated with age and intestinal region.