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Background: Crohn's disease (CD) is a progressive inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract associated with malnutrition, high levels of inflammation and calcium and magnesium deficiencies. However, the relationships between these symptoms are poorly defined. Method: Seventy‐six adult CD patients who had not yet started treatment and 83 healthy volunteers were recruited. The dietary intakes, serum calcium and magnesium levels, nutritional indicators and biochemical markers of disease activity were measured. Results: Most participants had inadequate magnesium and calcium intake. The serum magnesium and calcium levels, as well as nutritional and inflammatory indicators, differed significantly between CD patients and controls, especially in the active phase. Serum levels of magnesium and calcium correlated with both nutritional status and inflammation. The cut‐off values for CD development were 0.835 mmol/L (magnesium) and 2.315 mmol/L (calcium), whereas those for the active phase were 0.785 and 2.28 mmol/L, respectively. Conclusion: Adequate intake of magnesium and calcium may both improve the nutritional status of CD patients and reduce inflammation, benefiting disease relief. As both magnesium and calcium reflect CD status, they may be useful markers for CD diagnosis and disease activity. Highlights: CD patients suffer sustained calcium and magnesium deficiencies in both remission and active phase.The intake of dietary calcium and magnesium in Chinese CD patients is seriously inadequate.Serum magnesium and calcium levels can be used as biomarkers for the assessment of CD and its activity.Serum magnesium and calcium levels can act as a bridge between the nutritional and inflammatory conditions in CD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Large social networks have been associated with better overall survival, though not consistently with breast cancer (BC)-specific outcomes. This study evaluated associations of postdiagnosis social networks and BC outcomes in a large cohort.Methods: Women from the After Breast Cancer Pooling Project (n = 9267) provided data on social networks within approximately 2 years of their diagnosis. A social network index was derived from information about the presence of a spouse/partner, religious ties, community ties, friendship ties, and numbers of living first-degree relatives. Cox models were used to evaluate associations, and a meta-analysis was used to determine whether effect estimates differed by cohort. Stratification by demographic, social, tumor, and treatment factors was performed.Results: There were 1448 recurrences and 1521 deaths (990 due to BC). Associations were similar in 3 of 4 cohorts. After covariate adjustments, socially isolated women (small networks) had higher risks of recurrence (hazard ratio [HR], 1.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-1.77), BC-specific mortality (HR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.33-2.03), and total mortality (HR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.43-1.99) than socially integrated women; associations were stronger in those with stage I/II cancer. In the fourth cohort, there were no significant associations with BC-specific outcomes. A lack of a spouse/partner (P = .02) and community ties (P = .04) predicted higher BC-specific mortality in older white women but not in other women. However, a lack of relatives (P = .02) and friendship ties (P = .01) predicted higher BC-specific mortality in nonwhite women only.Conclusions: In a large pooled cohort, larger social networks were associated with better BC-specific and overall survival. Clinicians should assess social network information as a marker of prognosis because critical supports may differ with sociodemographic factors. Cancer 2017;123:1228-1237. © 2016 American Cancer Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Soy food intake may have protective effects against the risk for breast cancer, including estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear.Methods: To evaluate the association of soy intake with the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) and genes in the tumor tissue of patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC; ie, breast cancer lacking expression of ER, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2), the expression of 800 miRNAs and 302 genes were measured with NanoString nCounter assays in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor tissue from 272 TNBC patients. Soy intake during the 1-year period before the cancer diagnosis was assessed with a validated food-frequency questionnaire. The association of soy intake with the expression of miRNAs and genes was evaluated via linear regression analysis with adjustments for patient age and TNM stage.Results: A total of 14 miRNAs and 24 genes were significantly associated with soy food intake (P < .05): Thirteen of the 14 miRNAs (92.9%) and 9 of the 24 genes (37.5%), including tumor suppressors miR-29a-3p and IGF1R, showed overexpression for those women with high soy intake, whereas the remaining miRNAs and genes, including oncogenes KRAS and FGFR4, showed underexpression. Furthermore, cell growth-related genes showed a predominantly underexpression pattern according to a comparison of tumor samples from women with high soy food intake and samples from women with lower soy food intake.Conclusions: This study suggests that long-term prediagnosis soy intake may lead to increased expression of tumor suppressors and decreased expression of oncogenes, especially cell growth-related genes, in breast tumor tissues. Cancer 2016;122:2544-51. © 2016 American Cancer Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Data regarding hypertension in elderly adults with chronic kidney disease ( CKD) remains limited. This study aimed to assess the epidemiological characteristics of hypertension in elderly adults with CKD using data from a nationwide survey. Design A nationwide, multicenter, cross-sectional study with a large sample. Setting The Survey of Prevalence, Awareness, and Treatment Rates in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients with Hypertension in China ( PATRIOTIC). Participants Participants in PATRIOTIC (aged ≥60; n = 2,414). Measurements Trained physicians measured blood pressure ( BP) using a standard protocol with a mercury sphygmomanometer at the time of admission. Results The prevalence, awareness, and treatment of hypertension in elderly adults with CKD were 82.0%, 90.7%, and 87.3%, respectively. The control of hypertension at BP less than 140/90 mmHg was 29.6% and at BP less than 130/80 mmHg it was 12.1%. No significant differences were noted in the prevalence, awareness, treatment, or control of hypertension in individuals with CKD divided into the age groups of 60 to 69, 70 to 79, and 80 and older ( P > .05). With increasing age, the proportion of isolated systolic hypertension in elderly adults with CKD with uncontrolled hypertension increased ( P = .02). Obesity ( P = .01), CKD Stages 4 and 5 ( P < .001), and concomitant diabetes mellitus ( P = .002) were significantly associated with uncontrolled hypertension in elderly adults with CKD, using the goal of BP less than 140/90 mmHg. Conclusion The prevalence of hypertension in elderly adults in China with CKD is high, and its control is poor. Most elderly adults with CKD with uncontrolled hypertension have systolic hypertension. Obesity, CKD Stages 4 and 5, and diabetes mellitus were adversely associated with greater uncontrolled hypertension in elderly adults with CKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]