The Potential Diagnostic and Prognostic Value of Circulating MicroRNAs in the Assessment of Patients With Prostate Cancer: Rational and Progress.

Prostate cancer (P.C.) is one of the most frequent diagnosed cancers among men and the first leading cause of death with an annual incidence of 1.4 million worldwide. Prostate-specific antigen is being used for screening/diagnosis of prostate disease, although it is associated with several limitations. Thus, identification of novel biomarkers is warranted for diagnosis of patients at earlier stages. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are recently being emerged as potential biomarkers. It has been shown that these small molecules can be circulated in body fluids and prognosticate the risk of developing P.C. Several miRNAs, including MiR-20a, MiR-21, miR-375, miR-378, and miR-141, have been proposed to be expressed in prostate cancer. This review summarizes the current knowledge about possible molecular mechanisms and potential application of tissue specific and circulating microRNAs as diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic targets in prostate cancer.

A Western dietary pattern is associated with elevated level of high sensitive C-reactive protein among adolescent girls.

BACKGROUND: Serum high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), is an indicator of low-grade inflammation, and is associated with several non-communicable diseases. The effects of diet on inflammation have not been extensively investigated, particularly among adolescents. We aimed to examine the association between major dietary patterns and elevated serum level of hs-CRP among Iranian adolescent girls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 670 adolescent girls were recruited from several schools in different areas of Mashhad and Sabzevar cities, Iran. The dietary intakes of study participants were collected using a 147-item food frequency questionnaire. To identify major dietary patterns based on the 40 food groups, we used principal component analysis. Serum concentration of hs-CRP was measured using commercial kits and the BT-3000 auto-analyser. To investigate the association between dietary patterns and elevated serum level of hs-CRP, we used logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Three specific dietary patterns were identified: (i) healthy, (ii) traditional and (iii) western dietary patterns. A significant association was found between more adherence to Western dietary pattern and elevated serum level of hs-CRP (OR: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.02-2.42, P-trend = .03); these association remained significant after adjustment for potential confounders. However, there was no significant relationship between healthy and traditional dietary patterns and elevated serum level of hs-CRP. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that there is a significant positive association between more adherence to Western dietary pattern and higher serum levels of hs-CRP among Iranian adolescent girls. Further studies, particularly longitudinal intervention studies may be required to clarify these relationships.

Effects of Radio Frequency and Ultrasound Cavitation Therapy on Serum C-reactive Protein and Pro-oxidant-Antioxidant Levels.

BACKGROUND: A combination of radio-frequency (RF) and ultrasound cavitation (UC) has been reported to reduce indices of obesity. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of a combination of these techniques on anthropometric indices, pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB), and serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This randomized clinical trial was performed on 50 healthy women between January 2014 and June 2014 in Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad, Iran. Participants were randomized to one of two groups, both of which received a low-calorie diet containing 500-kcal energy deficit per day. The trial group included twenty-five subjects who were assigned to the combined treatment of RF and ultrasound cavitation program of abdomen and flank areas. There were twenty-five control subjects who received the low calorie diet alone. Biochemical markers, including serum hs-CRP and PAB values, and anthropometric indices were measured in the intervention group and healthy controls. RESULTS: For both the intervention and control groups, waist circumference was reduced significantly by 3.76 ± 1.69 and 2.40 ± 1.04, respectively (P < 0.05). In addition, abdominal circumference was reduced by 9.5 ± 2.66 and 3.12 ± 1.88, in these groups, respectively (P < 0.001). Decrement of PAB level in the intervention group, and its increment in the control group, were not significant (P > 0.05). In addition, reductions of hs-CRP and PAB between the two studied groups during five weeks of study were not significant (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Although there were significant reductions in anthropometric indices following treatment with RF and UC, the effects on serum PAB or hs-CRP were no significantly different, compared to the control group. Further studies are needed to confirm the beneficial effect for the use of these techniques.