Dose-response association between smoking and atopic eczema: results from a large cross-sectional study in adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Tobacco smoking and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) are known risk factors for asthma, but their association with atopic eczema is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of smoking and exposure to ETS with prevalence of atopic eczema in a national sample of 13- to 14-year-olds in Israel. METHODS: Cross-sectional study within the framework of the International Study on Asthma and Allergies in Childhood. RESULTS: Complete data were available for 10,298 schoolchildren. Atopic eczema as well as asthma and allergic rhinitis were significantly more prevalent in smokers than nonsmokers. Multiple regression analysis revealed a dose-response association between smoking and atopic eczema compared to not smoking: occasional smokers, odds ratio (OR) = 1.6 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.2-2.3); daily smokers, OR = 2.2 (95% CI = 1.4-3.6). Exposure to ETS at home was significantly associated with asthma (OR = 1.25; 95% CI = 1.1-1.5) but not atopic eczema. CONCLUSIONS: The dose-response association between active smoking and atopic eczema in adolescents is a novel observation which deserves further consideration.

High detection rate of significant prostate tumours in anterior zones using transperineal ultrasound-guided template saturation biopsy.

UNLABELLED: Study Type - Diagnostic (exploratory cohort) Level of Evidence 2b. What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Men with persistent suspicion for prostate cancer after previous negative standard transrectal biopsy series are offered saturation biopsy either transrectally or transperineally to increase cancer detection rate. A high-risk group of men with at least two previous negative transrectal biopsies underwent transperineal template-guided saturation biopsy. Prostate cancer was detected in 26%, predominantly in the anterior zones. PSA velocity or doubling time were the most powerful factors to predict cancer. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the detection rate and the regional location of prostate cancer in men undergoing transperineal template-guided saturation biopsy (TTSB). PATIENTS AND METHODS: In all, 92 consecutive men with at least two previous negative transrectal biopsy series who underwent a multiple-core prostate TTSB at our centre were included in the study. • Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to address the relationship between parameters before TTSB and prostate cancer-detection rate. • Covariates consisted of age at biopsy, free and total prostate-specific antigen (PSA), prostate volume, digital rectal examination findings, histological findings on previous biopsy, PSA velocity (PSAV), PSA-doubling time (PSADT) and the number of previous negative biopsy sets. RESULTS: Prostate cancer was diagnosed in 26% of the men. • A median of 30 cores was taken by TTSB. • Adenocarcinoma in >2 cores was detected in 58.5% and Gleason score ≥7 was detected in 46% of the diagnosed men. • Most of the tumours (83.3%) were found in the anterior zones of the gland, with a significantly higher number of positive cores vs the posterior zones (mean 4.9 vs 1.5, P= 0.015). • PSADT and PSAV were the only independent predictors of prostate cancer detection at multivariate analyses with odds ratios of 0.71 (P= 0.014) and 1.58 (P= 0.025), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: TTSB has a high prostate cancer-detection rate, especially in the anterior zones. • Men after at least two previous negative transrectal biopsy series and persistent suspicion of prostate cancer, as evidenced by rapid PSA dynamics, should be offered TTSB.

Validation and comparison of the two Kattan nomograms in patients with prostate cancer treated with (125) iodine brachytherapy.

UNLABELLED: Study Type - Prognostic (cohort) Level of Evidence 2b What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Nomograms are based on large patient population. Their applicability should be externally validated. Among 747 brachytherapy patients we evaluated two Kattan nonograms and conclude that they have limited value to predict PSA-free survival. OBJECTIVE: To validate and compare the preoperative and postoperative Kattan prediction nonograms for prostate cancer recurrence after brachytherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients (n= 747) treated with (125) I-brachytherapy were evaluated. Both nomograms were used to calculate the prediction of 5-year biochemical-freedom from failure (BFFF) based on clinical stage, Gleason score, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, receipt of androgen deprivation therapy and the post-implant dosimetry variable D90 (values of the minimal dose received by 90% of the prostate volume). The predicted values using the Kattan nomograms and the observed values were compared. Predictive accuracy was determined using the concordance index. RESULTS: The 5-year BFFF probability was 94% (95% confidence interval [CI], 92-96%) for the modified American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) definition and 97% (95% CI, 95-98%) for the Phoenix definition using Kaplan-Meier analysis. The predicted values of BFFF using both Kattan nomograms were lower than the observed rates in our cohort. The concordance index values were 0.51 and 0.52 for preoperative and postoperative nomograms, respectively. Concordance correlation coefficient between the two nomograms was 0.15. CONCLUSIONS: In our population, the 5-year BFFF outcomes rates were superior to nomogram predictions. Neither nomogram predicted outcomes after (125) I-brachytherapy in this non-US cohort. The postoperative nomogram was also a poor predictor, although it included D90 dosimetry values, as a variable of treatment quality. Strict inclusion criteria, perhaps more favourable than the ones on which the Kattan nomograms were based, could be the explanation for these discrepancies.

Association of food allergy with asthma severity and atopic diseases in Jewish and Arab adolescents.

AIM: To investigate the prevalence of reported food allergy and its association with atopic diseases and asthma severity among Jewish and Arab adolescents. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The self-report questionnaire of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) was administered to adolescents aged 13-14 years from randomly selected junior high schools in Israel. Questions regarding food allergy were added. RESULTS: A total of 11 171 questionnaires were available for analysis. Food allergy was reported by 3.6% of participants: 1.9% milk, 0.6% egg, 0.6% peanut and 0.4% sesame. On multivariate analysis, food allergy was strongly associated with current asthma (OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.8-3.3), atopic eczema (OR, 3.2; 95% CI, 2.4-4.3) and allergic rhinitis (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.8-3.1). Arabs were significantly more allergic to peanut (OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.5-4.1), egg (OR, 3.5; 95% CI, 2.1-5.9) and sesame (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.2-4.5) than Jews, and less allergic to milk (OR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.4-0.9). Asthmatic subjects with food allergy had significantly more parameters of severe asthma than those without food allergy (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of allergy to specific foods differs between Jews and Arabs. Asthmatic adolescents with food allergy report more severe asthma than those without food allergy.

The influence of epidural anesthesia on the hearing system after normal labor.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the influence of epidural anesthesia on the hearing system in women undergoing normal labor. DESIGN: We examined two groups of patients: women with epidural anesthesia underwent four tests of distortion product otoacoustic emissions(DPOAEs): on admission, and fifteen minutes, one hour, and three hours after the last epidural bolus of local anesthetic. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) tests were performed on admission, and one hour, and three hours after the last epidural bolus. Women who gave birth without epidural anesthesia underwent DPOAEs tests on admission, during a uterine contraction, during active delivery, and three hours after labor. ABR tests were performed on admission, during a uterine contraction, and three hours after labor. STUDY SAMPLE: twenty patients participated in the study. Twelve gave birth with epidural anesthesia and eight without anesthesia. RESULTS: No significant changes in DPOAEs and ABR recordings were found between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Epidural anesthesia does not impair the sensory or the neural elements of the hearing system and therefore does not influence hearing.

Bread type intake is associated with lifestyle and diet quality transition among Bedouin Arab adults.

The traditionally semi-nomadic Bedouin Arabs in Israel are undergoing urbanisation with concurrent lifestyle changes, including a shift to using unfortified white-flour bread instead of wholewheat bread as the main dietary staple. We explored associations between the transition from wholewheat to white-flour bread and (1) lifestyle factors, (2) overall diet quality, and (3) health status. We conducted a nutrition survey among 451 Bedouin adults, using a modified 24 h recall questionnaire. Bread intake accounted for 32.7 % of the total energy intake. Those consuming predominantly white bread (PWB) (n 327) were more likely to be urban (OR 2.79; 95 % CI 1.70, 4.58), eating store-bought rather than homemade bread (OR 8.18; 95 % CI 4.34, 15.41) and currently dieting (OR 4.67; 95 % CI 1.28, 17.11) than those consuming predominantly wholewheat bread (PWWB) (n 124). PWB consumption was associated with a lower intake of dietary fibre (23.3 (se 0.6) v. 41.8 (se 1.0) g/d; P < or = 0.001), a higher intake of saturated fats (26.9 v. 24.6 % of total fat; P = 0.013) and lower intakes of Fe (11.0 (se 0.3) v. 16.7 (se 0.4) mg/d), Mg (262.2 (se 5.9) v. 490.3 (se 9.8) mg/d), vitamin E (6.5 (se 0.2) v. 8.6 (se 0.3) mg/d) and most B vitamins than PWWB consumption (P < 0.001 for all), after adjusting for total energy intake. Among those aged > or = 40 years, PWB consumption was associated with a 9.85-fold risk (95 % CI 2.64, 36.71; P = 0.001) of having one or more chronic conditions, as compared with PWWB consumption, after controlling for other risk factors. White bread intake was associated with a less traditional lifestyle and poorer diet quality, and may constitute a useful marker for at-risk subgroups to target for nutritional interventions.

Nutritional risk and health care use before and after an acute hospitalization among the elderly.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to assess the nutritional status and health care use of community-dwelling elderly before hospitalization and determine risk factors for longer hospitalizations during 3 mo of follow-up. METHODS: During a 1-y period, we recruited patients 65 y and older admitted to an internal medicine ward at Soroka Medical Center (Beer-Sheva, Israel). Data were obtained regarding health and nutritional status and demographic and social characteristics. We assessed the utilization of health care services during a follow-up period of 3 mo. RESULTS: Seventy-nine of 204 patients (38.7%) were at nutritional risk. Patients at nutritional risk were older (P < 0.001) and less educated (P = 0.03) than the well-nourished group. Nutritional risk was associated with more diagnosed diseases, days of hospital stay, and physician visits before admission. Participants hospitalized for more than 6 d were significantly less educated, with lower cognitive, functional, Mini Nutritional Assessment, and Nutritional Risk Index scores and a significantly higher depressive symptoms score. Functional status and sum of nutritional problems were significant predictors of length of hospitalization in the following 3 mo. CONCLUSION: Nutritional risk is a source of concern for health care providers and services, because it significantly increases risk of hospital admission and length of stay. It is important to increase the awareness of primary care providers to the impact of nutrition on health care use and provide appropriate tools to screen and treat nutritional problems.

High SEPT9_i1 protein expression is associated with high-grade prostate cancers.

Septins are a family of GTP-binding cytoskeleton proteins expressed in many solid tumors. Septin 9 (SEPT9) in particular was found overexpressed in diverse carcinomas. Herein, we studied the expression of SEPT9 isoform 1 protein (SEPT9_i1) in human prostate cancer specimens. We utilized immunohistochemical staining to study the expression of SEPT9_i1 protein. Staining level was analyzed in association with clinical characteristics and the pathological Gleason grade and score. Fifty human prostate cancer specimens (42 primary tumors and 8 metastatic lesions) were stained by SEPT9_i1 antibody and analyzed. SEPT9_i1 protein was expressed in prostate cancer cells but absent in normal epithelial cells. The intensity of staining was correlated proportionally to pretreatment prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood levels and Gleason score (P < 0.05). SEPT9_i1 was highly expressed in all metastatic lesions. A significant assocation between SEPT9_i1 expression and high Gleason score on multivariate linear regression analysis was found. We conclude that SEPT9_i1 is expressed in high-grade prostate tumors suggesting it has a significant role in prostate tumorigenesis and that it could serve as a molecular marker for prostate tumor progression.

Comparison between preoperative and real-time intraoperative planning ¹²5I permanent prostate brachytherapy: long-term clinical biochemical outcome.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the long-term clinical outcome through biochemical no evidence of disease (bNED) rates among men with low to intermediate risk prostate cancer treated with two different brachytherapy implant techniques: preoperative planning (PP) and real-time planning (IoP). METHODS: From June 1998 to July 2011, 1176 men with median age of 67 years and median follow-up of 47 months underwent transperineal ultrasound-guided prostate ¹²5I-brachytherapy using either PP (132) or IoP (1044) for clinical T1c-T2b prostate adenocarcinoma Gleason <8 and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) <20 ng/ml. Men with Gleason 7 received combination of brachytherapy, external beam radiation and 6-month androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Biological effective dose (BED) was calculated using computerized tomography (CT)-based dosimetry 1-month postimplant. Failure was determined according to the Phoenix definition. RESULTS: The 5- and 7-year actuarial bNED rate was 95% and 90% respectively. The 7-year actuarial bNED was 67% for the PP group and 95% for the IoP group (P < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analyses identified implant technique or BED, ADT and PSA as independent prognostic factors for biochemical failure. CONCLUSIONS: Following our previous published results addressing the limited and disappointing outcomes of PP method when compared to IoP based on CT dosimetry and PSA kinetics, we now confirm the long-term clinical, bNED rates clear cut superiority of IoP implant methodology.

Depressive symptoms are associated with food insufficiency and nutritional deficiencies in poor community-dwelling elderly people.

UNLABELLED: Depression is associated with nutritional deterioration in older persons and is highly prevalent among people of low socioeconomic status (LSES). OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms and food insufficiency, and to examine the relationship between dietary intake, food insufficiency and depression, in LSES community dwelling elderly. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Lod, a town in the central Israel. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling welfare recipients aged 60 to 92. MEASUREMENTS: Depression was assessed by 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-short version), using a score ≥ 10 as the cut off point for clinically important depressive symptoms. Dietary intake was evaluated using a 24-hour dietary recall. Food insufficiency was defined by participants reporting that they did not have enough food to eat " sometimes " or " often " . RESULTS: This study reports on 112 persons aged 60 years and above (27.1% men). The prevalence of depression in this population was 47%; 25% of the study sample was classified as " food insufficient " . Macronutrients intake was similar for depressed and non-depressed persons, except for polyunsaturated fats which was lower among the depressed group (7.9 ± 4.9 vs.11.0 ± 7.5 g/day in the non-depressed, p=0.03). Vitamins and minerals intake was lower than recommended for both groups; vitamin E intake was associated with depression. In regression models controlling for confounding variables, an increase of 1 mg in vitamin E intake and 1 gram in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) intake was associated with lower risk for depression (OR=0.73, p=0.008 and OR=0.86, p=0.007 respectively) Participants who reported food insufficiency were 10 times more likely to be depressed compared with those who reported sufficient food. CONCLUSIONS: Given the evaluated adverse association between depressive symptoms and food insufficiency, more efforts are needed to guarantee adequate food intake, particularly foods rich in vitamin E and PUFA, in poor elderly people. Further studies are needed to clarify the temporal relationship between the emotional and nutritional domains in this vulnerable population.