Background and purpose
The aim was to investigate whether female reproductive factors are associated with dementia.
Methods
In all, 4 696 633 post‐menopausal women without dementia were identified ...using the Korean National Health Insurance System database. Data on reproductive factors were collected using a self‐administered questionnaire. Dementia was determined using dementia diagnosis codes and anti‐dementia drug prescription. Cox proportional hazards regression was conducted to assess the hazard ratio (HR) for dementia according to reproductive factors.
Results
During a median follow‐up of 5.74 years, there were 212 227 new cases of all‐cause dementia (4.5%), 162 901 cases of Alzheimer’s disease (3.5%) and 24 029 cases of vascular dementia (0.5%). The HR of dementia was 1.15 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03–1.16 for menarcheal age ≥17 years compared with menarcheal age 13–14 years, 0.79 (0.77–0.81) for menopausal age ≥55 years compared with menopausal age <40 years, and 0.81 (0.79–0.82) for fertility duration ≥40 years compared with fertility duration <30 years. Whilst being of parity one (HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.85–0.94) and breastfeeding <6 months (HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.88–0.95) was associated with lower risk of dementia, being of parity two or more (HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.99–1.05) and breastfeeding ≥12 months (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.01–1.07) was associated with a higher risk of dementia than women without parity or breastfeeding history. Use of hormone replacement therapy and oral contraceptives independently reduced the dementia risk by 15% and 10%, respectively.
Conclusions
Female reproductive factors are independent risk factors for dementia incidence, with higher risk associated with shorter lifetime endogenous estrogen exposure.
Novel polymer grafted metal-organic framework (MOF) nanoparticles were synthesized. The formed core/shell nanoparticles exhibit outstanding water dispersity and pH sensitivity, and show their ...catalytic effect for the reduction reaction of 4-nitrophenol (NP) to 4-aminophenol (AP) when loaded with Pd(0) catalyst.
Artemisia princeps (family Asteraceae) is a natural product broadly used as an antioxidative, hepatoprotective, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory agent in East Asia. In the present study, ...eupatilin, the main constituent of Artemisia princeps, was investigated as an antihyperlipidemic agent. Eupatilin inhibited 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl (HMG)-CoA reductase (HCR), an enzyme that is a therapeutic target for hyperlipidemia, in an ex vivo assay using rat liver. In addition, oral administration of eupatilin significantly lowered the serum levels of total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) in corn oil-induced and Triton WR-1339-induced hyperlipidemic mice. These results suggest that eupatilin can alleviate hyperlipidemia by inhibiting HCR.
Nisin, a bacteriocin and commonly used food preservative, may serve as a novel potential therapeutic for treating head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), as it induces preferential apoptosis, ...cell cycle arrest, and reduces cell proliferation in HNSCC cells, compared with primary keratinocytes. Nisin also reduces HNSCC tumorigenesis in vivo. Mechanistically, nisin exerts these effects on HNSCC, in part, through CHAC1, a proapoptotic cation transport regulator, and through a concomitant CHAC1‐independent influx of extracellular calcium. In addition, although CHAC1 is known as an apoptotic mediator, its effects on cancer cell apoptosis have not been examined. Our studies are the first to report CHAC1's new role in promoting cancer cell apoptosis under nisin treatment. These data support the concept that nisin decreases HNSCC tumorigenesis in vitro and in vivo by inducing increased cell apoptosis and decreased cell proliferation; effects that are mediated by activation of CHAC1, increased calcium influxes, and induction of cell cycle arrest. These findings support the use of nisin as a potentially novel therapeutic for HNSCC, and as nisin is safe for human consumption and currently used in food preservation, its translation into a clinical setting may be facilitated.
Nisin decreases HNSCC tumorigenesis in vitro and in vivo by inducing increased cell apoptosis and decreased cell proliferation; effects that are mediated by activation of CHAC1, increased calcium influxes, and induction of cell cycle arrest. These findings support the use of nisin as a potentially novel therapeutic for HNSCC, and as nisin is safe for human consumption and currently used in food preservation, its translation into a clinical setting may be facilitated.
Gingerol (
Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Zingiberaceae) is one of the most frequently and heavily consumed dietary condiments throughout the world. The oleoresin from rhizomes of ginger contains ...6-gingerol (1-4′-hydroxy-3′-methoxyphenyl-5-hydroxy-3-decanone) and its homologs which are pungent ingredients that have been found to possess many interesting pharmacological and physiological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antihepatotoxic and cardiotonic effects. However, the effects of 6-gingerol on metastatic processes in breast cancer cells are not currently well known. Therefore, in this study, we examined the effects of 6-gingerol on adhesion, invasion, motility, activity and the amount of MMP-2 or -9 in the MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cell line. We cultured MDA-MB-231 cells in the presence of various concentrations of 6-gingerol (0, 2.5, 5 and 10 μM). 6-Gingerol had no effect on cell adhesion up to 5 μM, but resulted in a 16% reduction at 10 μM. Treatment of MDA-MB-231 cells with increasing concentrations of 6-gingerol led to a concentration-dependent decrease in cell migration and motility. The activities of MMP-2 or MMP-9 in MDA-MB-231 cells were decreased by treatment with 6-gingerol and occurred in a dose-dependent manner. The amount of MMP-2 protein was decreased in a dose-dependent manner, although there was no change in the MMP-9 protein levels following treatment with 6-gingerol. MMP-2 and MMP-9 mRNA expression were decreased by 6-gingerol treatment. In conclusion, we have shown that 6-gingerol inhibits cell adhesion, invasion, motility and activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cell lines.
Summary
Background To improve understanding of aspirin hypersensitivity, this study focused on adenosine as a noncyclooxygenase target molecule of aspirin. Adenosine may affect the release of ...histamine from cutaneous mast cells through a mechanism mediated by the adenosine A3 receptor.
Objectives To investigate the genetic contribution of adenosine A3 receptor gene (ADORA3) polymorphisms in the pathogenesis of aspirin‐induced urticaria (AIU) in a case–control association study in a Korean population.
Methods A case–control association study was performed in 385 patients with AIU and 213 normal controls from a Korean population. The functional variability of genetic polymorphisms in the ADORA3 gene was analysed in in vitro studies that included a luciferase reporter assay and an electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), and ex vivo studies that included real‐time polymerase chain reaction for mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and a histamine release assay.
Results A significant association of ADORA3 promoter polymorphism at −1050G/T was found with the phenotype of AIU. Patients with AIU showed higher frequency of the haplotype, ht1 (T−1050C−564), compared with normal healthy controls. Moreover, ht1 (TC) was found to be a high‐transcript haplotype by the luciferase activity assay, and a −564C allele‐specific DNA binding protein was found by EMSA. Increased basophil histamine release was noted in subjects who had the high‐transcript haplotype, ht1 (TC).
Conclusion These results suggest that the high‐transcript haplotype, ht1 (TC), of the ADORA3 gene may contribute to the development of cutaneous hyper‐reactivity to aspirin, leading to the clinical presentation of AIU.
We studied the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES), represented by household income, and the prevalence of anemia and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) among adolescent girls in Korea.
The ...samples were based on the data from a four-year (2008-2011) collection for the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1312 girls, age 10-18 years). The survey included demographic, anthropometric, biochemical and nutritional parameters. A multiple regression analysis after adjusting for age, body mass index (BMI), red blood cell count, white blood cell count and red meat intake was performed. Anemia was defined as hemoglobin level lower than 11.5 g/dl for ages 10-11 years and 12.0 g/dl for ages 12-14 years. Iron deficiency was defined as serum ferritin level below 15 μg/l.
The prevalences of anemia and IDA in Korean girls were 5.3 and 4.2%, respectively. Girls with anemia were older, taller, weighed more, had higher BMI, had higher portion of menarche experience and consumed less red meat than girls without anemia. Girls with higher income had lower anemia prevalence and consumed more iron and vitamins. Logistic regression analysis showed a decreasing trend in anemia prevalence as household income increased. Correlation analysis demonstrated that there is a relationship between household income and serum hemoglobin and ferritin levels (P=0.003 and P=0.026, respectively).
Higher SES leads to lower prevalence of anemia and IDA in Korean adolescent girls. This may be due to the fact that higher SES individuals consume more iron and vitamin C.
Background:Clinical joint count assessment is important for detecting synovitis but its reliability is controversialObjectives:This study assessed the correlation between bone scintigraphy and ...positron emission tomography (PET)-derived parameters in 28 joints with disease activity and compared the reliability of joint counts between bone scintigraphy and clinical assessment in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods:We enrolled 86 patients with active RA who underwent bone scintigraphy, fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT and disease activity evaluation at the same time. This two-step study involved a development (n=67) and validation (n=19) group. Bone scintigraphy-derived joint assessment were compared with PET/CT derived and clinical joint assessment. Subsequently, we developed a disease activity score (DAS) using bone scintigraphy-positive joints and validated it in an independent group.Results:The number of bone scintigraphy-positive joints in 28 joints was significantly correlated with the swollen (SJC)/ tender (TJC) joint counts and PET/CT derived joint counts. Intra- and inter-observer reliabilities of bone scintigraphy for the affected joint counts were excellent. Inter-observer reliability between nuclear medicine physicians and rheumatologists was good for SJC/TJC and PET/CT derived joint counts in 28 joints except shoulders. After multivariate analyses including erythrocyte sediment rate (ESR) and patients global assessment (PGA) in addition to bone scintigraphy-derived parameters, bone scintigraphy/DAS was derived as 0.056 × number of bone scintigraphy-positive joints in 28 joints + 0.012 × ESR + 0.030 × PGA. A significant correlation between bone scintigraphy/DAS and DAS28-ESR was confirmed in the validation group (p<0.001).Conclusion:Bone scintigraphy-derived joint assessment significantly correlated with PET/CT derived joint counts. Bone scintigraphy could serve as a sensitive and reliable method for evaluating disease activity in RA patients.References:Lee SJ, Jeong JH, Lee CH et al. Development and Validation of an 18 F-Fluorodeoxyglucose-Positron Emission Tomography With Computed Tomography-Based Tool for the Evaluation of Joint Counts and Disease Activity in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2019 Aug;71(8):1232-1240. doi: 10.1002/art.40860. Epub 2019 Jun 17.Disclosure of Interests:None declared
Syndecan-1 (SDC-1), a transmembrane heparin sulphate proteoglycan predominantly expressed on epithelial cells, also exists in a soluble form through ectodomain shedding. SDC-1 expression and shedding ...may be modulated in the inflammatory milieu of primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS). We investigated SDC-1 expression in minor salivary glands (MSGs) and analysed the association between salivary or plasma levels of SDC-1 and clinical parameters in SS.
We measured salivary and plasma SDC-1 levels via an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and assessed the salivary flow rates (SFRs) in 70 patients with SS and 35 healthy subjects. Disease activity indices, serological markers, salivary gland scintigraphy, and MSG biopsy were evaluated in patients with SS.
SDC-1 expression was upregulated on ductal epithelial cells in inflamed salivary glands. Salivary SDC-1 levels in patients significantly exceeded those in healthy subjects median (interquartile range) 49.0 (20.7-79.1) vs 3.7 (1.7-6.3) ng/mL, p < 0.001 and inversely correlated with SFRs (r = −0.358, p = 0.032) and ejection fractions of the parotid (r = −0.363, p = 0.027) and submandibular (r = −0.485, p = 0.002) glands in salivary gland scintigraphy. Plasma SDC-1 levels were significantly correlated with the EULAR Sjögren's Syndrome Disease Activity Index (r = 0.507, p < 0.001) and EULAR Sjögren's Syndrome Patient Reported Index (r = 0.267, p = 0.033). Focus scores were correlated with salivary SDC-1 levels (r = 0.551, p = 0.004).
Salivary and plasma SDC-1 levels may constitute potential biomarkers for salivary gland function and disease activity, respectively, in SS.
A decreased level of serum adiponectin is associated with obesity and an increased risk of breast cancer among postmenopausal women. Yet, the interplay between genetic variants associated with ...adiponectin phenotype, obesity, and breast cancer risk is unclear in African American (AA) women.
We examined 32 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) previously identified in genome-wide association and replication studies of serum adiponectin levels using data from 7,991 AA postmenopausal women in the Women's Health Initiative SNP Health Association Resource.
Stratifying by obesity status, we identified 18 adiponectin-related SNPs that were associated with breast cancer risk. Among women with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m
, the minor TT genotype of
rs10447248 had an elevated breast cancer risk. Interaction was observed between obesity and the CT genotype of
rs6773957 on the additive scale for breast cancer risk (relative excess risk due to interaction, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.32-0.92). The joint effect of BMI ≥ 30 kg/m
and the TC genotype of
rs11168618 was larger than the sum of the independent effects on breast cancer risk.
We demonstrated that obesity plays a significant role as an effect modifier in an increased effect of the SNPs on breast cancer risk using one of the most extensive data on postmenopausal AA women.
The results suggest the potential use of adiponectin genetic variants as obesity-associated biomarkers for informing AA women who are at greater risk for breast cancer and also for promoting behavioral interventions, such as weight control, to those with risk genotypes.
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