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Cervical and prostate cancer account for 7.1 and 7.3 deaths per 100,000 people globally in 2022. These rates increased significantly to 17.6 and 17.3 in Africa, respectively, making them the second and third leading cause of cancer deaths in Africa, only surpassed by breast cancer. The human papillomavirus is the prime risk factor for cervical cancer infection. On the other hand, prostate cancer risks include ageing, genetics, race, geography, and family history. However, these factors alone cannot account for the high mortality rate in Africa, which is more than twice the global mortality rate for the two cancers. We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science to select relevant articles using keywords related to microorganisms involved in cervical and prostate cancer and the impact of poor healthcare systems on the mortality rates of these two cancers in Africa by carrying out a detailed synopsis of the studies on microbial agents involved and the contributory factors to the deteriorating healthcare system in Africa. It became apparent that the developed countries come first in terms of the prevalence of cervical and prostate cancer. However, more people per capita in Africa die from these cancers as compared to other continents. Also, microbial infections (bacterial or viral), especially sexually transmitted infections, cause inflammation, which triggers the pathogenesis and progression of these cancers among the African population; this has been linked to the region's deficient health infrastructure, making it difficult for people with microbial infections to access healthcare and hence making infection control and prevention challenging. Taken together, untreated microbial infections, primarily sexually transmitted infections due to the deficient healthcare systems in Africa, are responsible for the high mortality rate of cervical and prostate cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Lianhua Qingwen capsule is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula having antiviral and anti‐inflammatory activities. During capsule production, a large amount of byproducts will be yielded and disposed of as waste by burying. Resourceful utilization of these kinds of TCM byproducts as feed additives through stage‐based co‐fermentation using enzyme and probiotics could reduce environmental stress and resource shortage. The in vitro characterization and the supplementary effects of fermented TCM byproducts (FTCM) for weaned piglets (initial body weight: 7.23 ± 0.33 kg; dose: basal diet + 300 mg kg−1 FTCM) were investigated. RESULTS: Higher reducing sugar content, total flavonoid content, flavonoid compounds (e.g. tectoridin, tricetin, flavone, apigenin, naringenin) and total antioxidant activity were determined in the FTCM compared to spontaneously fermented and unfermented materials. Supplementation of the FTCM to piglets did not significantly affect the feed intake, body weight gain and feed/gain ratio, but significantly decreased a proinflammatory cytokine, IL‐8, and increased intestinal total antioxidant activity (TAC) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Moreover, FTCM supplementation increased α‐diversity of the colonic microbiota accompanied with increased abundance of Prevotella genus and Treponema berlinense species. Correlation analysis indicates that T. berlinense is responsible for the decreased IL‐8 level and enhanced intestinal TAC and SOD activities which might be mediated by a homoserine lactone molecule (3‐oxo‐C14). CONCLUSION: Overall, the stepwise co‐fermentation enriched bioactive compounds within the TCM byproducts and their dietary supplementation did not generate any side effect on growth performance but displayed beneficial effects on enrichment of potential probiotic T. berlinense and relevant functions. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body composition has recently been attracting people's attention, not only from a cosmetic standpoint but also from the perspective of health and longevity. The body is classified into three components: fat, bone, and lean soft tissue, and it is common to see an increase in body fat and a decrease in total body muscle mass with aging. Aging-related loss of muscle mass and muscle function is referred to as primary sarcopenia, while sarcopenia caused by disease-specific conditions is referred to as secondary sarcopenia. On the other hand, the liver-muscle axis has been attracting attention in recent years, and it has become clear that the liver and the skeletal muscles interact with each other. In particular, patients with cirrhosis are prone to secondary sarcopenia due to protein-energy malnutrition, which is a characteristic pathophysiology of the disease, suggesting the importance of the organ–organ network. In this review, we would like to outline the latest findings in this field, with a focus on body composition in liver diseases such as liver cirrhosis, fatty liver disease, alcoholic liver disease, and hepatocellular carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) is widely recognized as a screening tool for nutrition. We retrospectively examined the impact of PNI in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD, n = 319, median age = 71 years, 153 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients) as an observational study. Factors associated with PNI < 40 were also examined. The PNI correlated well with the albumin–bilirubin (ALBI) score and ALBI grade. The 1-year cumulative overall survival rates in patients with PNI ≥ 40 (n = 225) and PNI < 40 (n = 94) were 93.2% and 65.5%, respectively (p < 0.0001). In patients with (p < 0.0001) and without (p < 0.0001) HCC, similar tendencies were found. In the multivariate analysis, hemoglobin (p = 0.00178), the presence of HCC (p = 0.0426), and ALBI score (p < 0.0001) were independent factors linked to PNI < 40. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis based on survival for the PNI yielded an area under the ROC curve of 0.79, with sensitivity of 0.80, specificity of 0.70, and an optimal cutoff point of 42.35. In conclusion, PNI can be a predictor of nutritional status in CLD patients. A PNI of <40 can be useful in predicting the prognosis of patients with CLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The delta neutrophil index (DNI), a prognostic and diagnostic marker for sepsis, is based on the leukocyte count. Platelet activation, similar to leukocyte activation, plays a crucial role in host defense against pathogens and may serve as a predictor of sepsis outcome. However, the combined evaluation of mean platelet component (MPC) and DNI has rarely been used to assess sepsis. Methods: To assess the prognostic and diagnostic validity of the simultaneous evaluation of DNI and MPC in cases of human febrile sepsis, we conducted measurements of cellular indices, including DNI and MPC, as well as molecular biomarkers, including procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP). This study was carried out in patients admitted to the emergency department with suspected sepsis. Results: Using a cutoff value of 2.65%, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of the DNI in sepsis were found to be 69%, 73.9%, 77.9%, and 64.1%, respectively. Furthermore, significant differences in DNI and MPC levels were observed between the sepsis and non-sepsis groups (6.7 ± 7.8% versus 2.1 ± 2.2% (p = 0.000) and 26.0 ± 1.9 g/dL versus 26.8 ± 1.4 g/dL (p = 0.002), respectively). Notably, there was a negative correlation between DNI and MPC, with the strength of the correlation varying based on the cause of sepsis. By setting the cutoff value of the DNI to 6.2%, its sensitivity, specificity, and NPV improved to 100%, 80.3%, and 100%, respectively, although the PPV remained at 10.6%. Conclusions: In our study, the DNI demonstrates superior effectiveness compared with other molecular biomarkers, such as CRP and procalcitonin, in distinguishing septic febrile patients from non-septic febrile patients. Additionally, a negative correlation exists between MPC and DNI, making MPC a valuable marker for differentiating the etiology of sepsis. These findings hold significant clinical implications, as DNI/MPC evaluation is a cost-effective and readily applicable approach in various impending sepsis scenarios. Notably, this study represents the first examination of the prognostic and diagnostic validity of employing the simultaneous evaluation of DNI and MPC in human cases of febrile sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]