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Early detection has the potential to reduce cancer mortality, but an effective screening test must demonstrate asymptomatic cancer detection years before conventional diagnosis in a longitudinal study. In the Taizhou Longitudinal Study (TZL), 123,115 healthy subjects provided plasma samples for long-term storage and were then monitored for cancer occurrence. Here we report the preliminary results of PanSeer, a noninvasive blood test based on circulating tumor DNA methylation, on TZL plasma samples from 605 asymptomatic individuals, 191 of whom were later diagnosed with stomach, esophageal, colorectal, lung or liver cancer within four years of blood draw. We also assay plasma samples from an additional 223 cancer patients, plus 200 primary tumor and normal tissues. We show that PanSeer detects five common types of cancer in 88% (95% CI: 80–93%) of post-diagnosis patients with a specificity of 96% (95% CI: 93–98%), We also demonstrate that PanSeer detects cancer in 95% (95% CI: 89–98%) of asymptomatic individuals who were later diagnosed, though future longitudinal studies are required to confirm this result. These results demonstrate that cancer can be non-invasively detected up to four years before current standard of care., Patients whose disease is diagnosed in its early stages have better outcomes. In this study, the authors develop a non invasive blood test based on circulating tumor DNA methylation that can potentially detect cancer occurrence even in asymptomatic patients.

Objective To examine the test-retest reliabilities and relative validities of the Chinese version of short International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-S-C), the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ-C), and the Total Energy Expenditure Questionnaire (TEEQ-C) in a population-based prospective study, the Taizhou Longitudinal Study (TZLS). Study design A longitudinal comparative study. Methods A total of 205 participants (male: 38.54%) aged 30–70 years completed three questionnaires twice (day one and day nine) and physical activity log (PA-log) over seven consecutive days. The test-retest reliabilities were evaluated using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) and the relative validities were estimated by comparing the data from physical activity questionnaires (PAQs) and PA-log. Results Good reliabilities were observed between the repeated PAQs. The ICCs ranged from 0.51 to 0.80 for IPAQ-C, 0.67 to 0.85 for GPAQ-C, and 0.74 to 0.94 for TEEQ-C, respectively. Energy expenditure of most PA domains estimated by the three PAQs correlated moderately with the results recorded by PA-log except the walking domain of IPAQ-S-C. The partial correlation coefficients between the PAQs and PA-log ranged from 0.44 to 0.58 for IPAQ-S-C, 0.26 to 0.52 for GPAQ-C, and 0.41 to 0.72 for TEEQ-C, respectively. Bland-Altman plots showed acceptable agreement between the three PAQs and PA-log. Conclusion The three PAQs, especially TEEQ-C, were relatively reliable and valid for assessment of physical activity and could be used in TZLS.

Background The ataxia telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) gene has a key role in DNA repair including activation and stabilization of p53, which implicates the importance of ATM polymorphisms in the development of cancer. This study aims to investigate the association of two ATM single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with lung cancer, as well as their potential interaction with p53 gene and other known risk factors of lung cancer. Methods A population-based case–control study was conducted in Taiyuan city, China with 399 cases and 466 controls matched on the distribution of age and sex of cases. The two ATM gene SNPs, ATMrs227060 and ATMrs228589 as well as p53 gene SNP, p53rs1042522 were genotyped using Sequenom platform. Unconditional logistic regression models were used to estimate crude and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Adjusted models controlled for age, sex, and smoking status. Results The study showed that TT genotype of ATMrs227060 (aOR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.06–2.35) and AA genotype of ATMrs228589 were significantly associated with lung cancer (aOR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.08–2.08) in a recessive model. Additionally, carrying variant genotypes of ATMrs227060 (TT), ATMrs228589 (AA), and p53rs1042522 (CC) concomitantly was associated with much higher risk (aOR = 3.68, 95% CI: 1.43–9.45) of lung cancer than carrying variant genotypes of any one of the above three SNPs. We also found multiplicative and additive interaction between tea drinking and ATMrs227060 in association with lung cancer. Conclusion This study indicates that ATM gene variants might be associated with development of lung cancer in Chinese population. These results need to be validated in larger and different population samples.

Objective : Green tea has been found to possess anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and anti-carcinogenic properties. The present study examines the association between green tea drinking and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its interactions with other risk or protective factors and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of inflammation and oxidative stress related genes. Methods : A population-based case-control study with 204 primary HCC cases and 415 healthy controls was conducted in Taixing, China. Epidemiological data were collected using a standard questionnaire. SNPs of genes of the inflammation and metabolic pathways were genotyped at the UCLA Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory. Logistic regression was performed to estimate adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Results : Longer duration and larger quantities of green tea consumption were inversely associated with primary HCC. Individuals who drank green tea longer than 30 years were at lowest risk (adjusted OR=0.44, 95% CI: 0.19–0.96) compared with non-drinkers. A strong interaction was observed between green tea drinking and alcohol consumption (adjusted OR for interaction=3.40, 95% CI: 1.26–9.16). Green tea drinking was also observed to have a potential effect modification on HBV/HCV infection, smoking and polymorphisms of inflammation related cytokines, especially for IL-10 . Conclusion : Green tea consumption may protect against development of primary HCC. Potential effect modifications of green tea on associations between primary HCC and alcohol drinking, HBV/HCV infection, and inflammation-related SNPs were suggested.

Tobacco smoke and its metabolites are carcinogens that increase tissue oxidative stress and induce target tissue inflammation. We hypothesized that genetic variation of inflammatory pathway genes plays a role in tobacco-related carcinogenesis and is modified by tobacco smoking. We evaluated the association of 12 single nucleotide polymorphisms of 8 inflammation-related genes with tobacco-related cancers (lung, oropharynx, larynx, esophagus, stomach, liver, bladder, and kidney) using 3 case-control studies from: Los Angeles (population-based; 611 lung and 553 upper aero-digestive tract cancer cases and 1,040 controls), Taixing, China (population-based; 218 esophagus, 206 stomach, 204 liver cancer cases, and 415 controls), and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (hospital-based; 227 bladder cancer cases and 211 controls). After adjusting for age, education, ethnicity, gender, and tobacco smoking, IL10 rs1800871 was inversely associated with oropharyngeal cancer (CT+TT vs. CC adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.69, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.50-0.95), and was positively associated with lung cancer among never smokers (TT vs. CT+CC aOR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.3-5.1) and inversely with oropharyngeal cancer among ever smokers (CT+TT vs. CC aOR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.41-0.95). Among all pooled never smokers (588 cases and 816 controls), TNF rs1799964 was inversely associated with smoking-related cancer (CC vs. CT+TT aOR: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.17-0.77). Bayesian correction for multiple comparisons suggests that chance is unlikely to explain our findings (although epigenetic mechanisms may be in effect), which support our hypotheses, suggesting that IL10 rs1800871 is a susceptibility marker for oropharyngeal and lung cancers, and that TNF rs1799964 is associated with smoking-related cancers among never smokers.

Crop yield and water use efficiency (WUE) in a wheat-maize double cropping system are influenced by short and uneven rainfalls in the North China Plain (NCP). A 2-year experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of irrigation on soil water balance, crop yield and WUE to improve irrigation use efficiency in the cropping system. Soil water depletion (ΔSWS) by crop generally decreased with the increase of irrigation and rainfall, while ΔSWS for the whole rotation was relatively stable among these irrigation treatments. High irrigations in wheat season increased initial soil moisture and ΔSWS for subsequent maize especially in the drought season. Initial soil water influenced mainly by the irrigation and rainfall in the previous crop season, is essential to high yield in such cropping systems. Grain yield decreased prior to evapotranspiration (ET) when ET reached about 300 mm for wheat, while maize showed various WUEs with similar seasonal ET. For whole rotation, WUE declined when ET exceeded about 650 mm. These results indicate great potential for improving irrigation use efficiency in such wheat-maize cropping system in the NCP. Based on the present results, reasonable irrigation schedules according to different annual rainfall conditions are presented for such a cropping system.

Management practices can have a major impact on the successful production of winter cereals. A field experiment was conducted with winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) to compare the effects of two row spacing planting patterns (row width set at 30 cm, 30; or row widths set at a narrow row of 20 cm and a wide row of 40 cm, 20 + 40) and four irrigation schedules (no irrigation, T0; irrigation given at stem elongation stage, T1; at stem elongation and heading stage, T2; at stem elongation, heading and milk stage, T3) on yield, water use efficiency (WUE), evapotranspiration (ET) and soil water content (SWC) for the 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 seasons at Taian, Shandong Province, China. Mean soil daily evaporation (Es) was greater in the wide row than the narrow row, and resulted in decreased SWC in the wide row. For the same irrigation treatment, no significant differences in changes of SWC and yield were found between the row-spacing planting patterns in either season. Differences in ET were found in 2005 with ET from the T0 treatment being much lower than the irrigated treatments for both planting patterns. During the cropping season in 2005, WUE of the T3 treatment was lower than from the T1 and T0 treatments at the same planting patterns. The WUE of the 20 + 40 planting pattern was lower than that of the 30 planting pattern with the same irrigation schedule, perhaps due to elevated levels of evaporation from the soil beneath the canopy and decreased yields for the 20 + 40 planting pattern. Therefore, based on WUE, the effect of the 30 planting pattern was better than that of the 20 + 40. Key words: Planting pattern, soil water content, evapotranspiration, water use efficiency, grain yield, Triticum aestivum

Stomach cancer is a serious public health problem in China. 5,10-Methylenetetralydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) may be involved in both DNA methylation and DNA synthesis. Folate deficiency is associated with cancer risk that may be modulated by a genetic variation in the MTHFR gene in folate metabolism. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the association between polymorphisms of the MTHFR gene and the risk of stomach cancer. This study also explored the modification effects of fruit and vegetable intake (one of the main constituents is folate) on the risk of this disease. A population-based case-control study was conducted in Taixing, China, consisting of 206 newly diagnosed cases with primary stomach cancer and 415 healthy population controls. Polymorphisms of MTHFR C677T and A1298C were assayed by polymerase chain reaction-restricted fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) techniques. The data were analysed using the logistic regression model. No obvious association between the MTHFR A1298C polymorphism and the risk of stomach cancer was observed in this study. The frequencies of 677 C/C, C/T, and T/T were 34.5, 50.9, and 14.6%, respectively, in controls. The frequency of the MTHFR 677 wild homozygotic genotype was 25.8% in cases, which was lower than that in controls (34.5%). The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for the MTHFR 677 any T genotype was 2.05 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.26-3.34) when compared with the C/C genotype. In the low fruit and vegetable intake group an increasing trend was observed with the T allele exposure, p = 0.0056. The adjusted ORs were 1.68 (95% CI = 0.86-3.29) for the C/T genotype and 3.58 (95% CI = 1.46-8.75) for the T/T genotype, respectively. The MTHFR 677 any T genotype was associated with an increased risk of primary stomach cancer among the Chinese population. Folate deficiency might modify the MTHFR gene polymorphism and influence the risk of stomach cancer.

Background: Evidence of anticancer properties of garlic for different cancer sites has been reported previously in in vitro and in vivo experimental studies but there is limited epidemiologic evidence on the association between garlic and lung cancer. Methods: We examined the association between raw garlic consumption and lung cancer in a case–control study conducted between 2005 and 2007 in Taiyuan, China. Epidemiologic data was collected by face-to-face interviews from 399 incident lung cancer cases and 466 healthy controls. We used unconditional logistic regression models to estimate crude and adjusted ORs (aOR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI). Adjusted models controlled for age, sex, average annual household income 10 years ago, smoking, and indoor air pollution. Results: Compared with no intake, raw garlic intake was associated with lower risk of development of lung cancer with a dose–response pattern (aOR for Conclusions: The results of the current study suggest that raw garlic consumption is associated with reduced risk of lung cancer in a Chinese population. Impact: This study contributes to the limited research in human population on the association between garlic and lung cancer and advocates further investigation into the use of garlic in chemoprevention of lung cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 25(4); 624–33. ©2016 AACR.

Evidence is accumulating regarding a role of micronutrients in folate metabolism in cancer risk. We investigated the associations of plasma folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine with upper gastrointestinal (GI) cancers in a population-based case-control study in Taixing City, China. With informed consent, we recruited cases with cancers of esophagus (n = 218), stomach (n = 206), and liver (n = 204), and one common healthy control group (n = 405). A standardized epidemiologic questionnaire was used in face-to-face interviews, and blood samples were collected during interviews. We observed an inverse association between plasma folate levels and liver cancer. The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) was 0.46 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.24–0.88] comparing individuals in the highest quartile to those in the lowest. We found a positive association between plasma vitamin B12 levels and all three cancers. The aORs for those in the highest quartile were 2.80 (95% CI = 1.51–5.18) for esophageal cancer, 2.17 (1.21–3.89) for stomach cancer, and 9.97 (4.82–20.60) for liver cancer, comparing to those in the lowest quartile. We further observed interaction between plasma folate and vitamin B12 on these cancers. Our data indicated associations between plasma folate and vitamin B12 with upper GI cancers in Chinese population. Further research is warranted considering the debate over the necessity of food fortification.

P53 codon 72 polymorphisms have been reported to be associated with cancers of the lung, esophagus and cervix. However, there have been no reports on the interaction of select risk factors and p53 codon 72 polymorphisms in gastric cancer susceptibility. 155 gastric cancer cases and 134 cancer-free controls were enrolled at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) from November 1992 to November 1994. The crude odds ratio (OR1) associated with the (Pro/Pro) polymorphism and the risk of gastric cancer was 1.27 (0.70–2.33). Adjusting for age, sex, race and education (OR2) and further adjusting for BMI, calories, sodium, smoking, vitamin C, fiber, alcohol, fat, and H. pylori status (OR3) did not yield significant results. Significant joint effects were associated with high fat consumption (OR1 = 2.61 (95% CI:1.13–6.06); OR2 = 2.85 (95% CI:1.14–7.15) for total cancers and for proximal tumors (OR1 = 2.56 (95%CI:1.00–6.54)). The low vitamin C intake/high-risk polymorphism group (Pro/Pro) had an OR1 of 4.82 (95% CI: 1.72–13.45) and the OR2 was 6.19 (95% CI: 2.08–18.40) for distal tumors. The point estimates were increased for interaction odds ratios but not statistically significant (OR1 = 4.25 (95% CI: 0.66–27.50); OR2 = 4.73 (95% CI: 0.67–33.43); OR3 = 5.55 (95% CI: 0.66–46.47)). Further studies specifically looking at proximal and distal tumors are required to confirm any potential interaction between the p53 codon 72 polymorphisms an environmental risk, in particular low dietary vitamin C and high fat consumption.

Cyanobacterial toxins, microcystins, have a potent tumor-promoting activity. We investigated the level of microcystins in drinking water collected from 1992 to 1994 in Haimen City, China, where people who drink pond ditch water usually incurred a high incidence rate of hepatocellular carcinoma compared with those who drink well water. High-performance liquid chromatography, liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS), and protein phosphatase inhibition assay (pp assay) were used to identify and quantify the microcystins. Microcystin LR and [D-Asp3]microcystin LR were detected in 2 of 50 samples at a concentration less than 100 ng/L by LC/MS in 1992. Although no microcystins were found by the chemical method in 1993, 6 of 7 samples except for 3 tap water samples showed an approximate amount of 100 ng/L by using the pp assay in 1994. The obtained results supported the epidemiological results reported by Yu.

BACKGROUND To the authors' knowledge, few studies have been conducted to date regarding dietary selenium and the potential gene-nutrient interactions with single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in different pathways on the risk of esophageal cancer. METHODS The authors investigated the role of dietary selenium intake and its interplay with SNPs of the ALDH2 (glutamic acid [Glu] 487 lysine [Lys]) and the X-ray repair cross-complementing 1 (XRCC1) (arginine [Arg] 399 glutamine [Gln]) genes on the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in a population-based, case-control study in China. In total, 218 patients with ESCC and 415 healthy population control participants were interviewed. Dietary selenium intake was estimated from a food frequency questionnaire with 97 food items. ALDH2 and XRCC1 polymorphisms were detected with a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. RESULTS The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for the highest quintile of dietary selenium intake, compared with the lowest quintile of intake, was 0.48 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.25-0.89), with a strong dose-response relation (P for trend

Objective: To understand the association between the SARS outbreak and the environmental temperature, and to provide a scientific basis for prevention and control measures against it. Methods: The daily numbers of the probable SARS patients and the daily meteorological factors during the SARS outbreak period in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Beijing, and Taiyuan were used in the data analysis. Ecological analysis was conducted to explore the association between the daily numbers of probable SARS patients and the environmental temperature and its variations. Results: There was a significant correlation between the SARS cases and the environmental temperature seven days before the onset and the seven day time lag corresponds well with the known incubation period for SARS. The optimum environmental temperature associated with the SARS cases was between 16°C to 28°C, which may encourage virus growth. A sharp rise or decrease in the environmental temperature related to the cold spell led to an increase of the SARS cases because of the possible influence of the weather on the human immune system. This study provided some evidence that there is a higher possibility for SARS to reoccur in spring than that in autumn and winter. Conclusion: Current knowledge based on case studies of the SARS outbreak in the four cities suggested that the SARS outbreaks were significantly associated with the temperature and its variations. However, because the fallacy and the uncontrolled confounding effects might have biased the results, the possibility of other meteorological factors having an affect on the SARS outbreaks deserves further investigation.

The purpose of our study was to examine the roles of green tea drinking, other risk and protective factors, and polymorphism of susceptibility genes such as GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTP1, and p53 codon 72 and their possible joint effects on the risk of stomach cancer. A population-based case-control study was conducted in Taixing, China, including 206 newly diagnosed cases with stomach cancer and 415 healthy control subjects. Epidemiological data were collected by in-person interviews using a standard questionnaire. Polymorphisms of susceptibility genes were assayed by PCR-RFLP techniques. A multigenetic index was created by summing up the number of risk genotypes. The data were analyzed using the logistic regression model. A reverse association between green tea drinking and risk of stomach cancer was observed with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 0.59 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.34–1.01). Dose-response relationship was shown (p-trend < 0.05). A higher score on the multigenetic index was associated with increased risk of stomach cancer with an adjusted OR of 2.21 (95% CI = 1.02–4.79) for those with at least 3 risk genotypes compared to those with

Genetic variation at 8q24 is associated with prostate, bladder, breast, colorectal, thyroid, lung, ovarian, UADT, liver and stomach cancers. However, a role for variation at 8q24 in familial clustering of upper gastrointestinal cancers has not been studied. In order to explore potential inherited susceptibility, we analyzed epidemiologic data from a population-based case-control study of upper gastrointestinal cancers from Taixing, China. The study population includes 204 liver, 206 stomach, and 218 esophageal cancer cases and 415 controls. Associations between 8q24 rs1447295, rs16901979, rs6983267 and these cancers were stratified by family history of cancer. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were adjusted for potential confounders: age, sex, education, tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, and BMI at interview. We also adjusted for hepatitis B and aflatoxin (liver cancer) and Helicobacter pylori (stomach cancer). In a dominant model, among those with a family history of cancer, rs1447295 was positively associated with liver cancer (OR(adj) 2.80; 95% CI 1.15-6.80). Heterogeneity was observed (P(heterogeneity) = 0.029) with rs6983267 and liver cancer, with positive association in the dominant model among those with a family history of cancer and positive association in the recessive model among those without a family history of cancer. When considered in a genetic risk score model, each additional 8q24 risk genotype increased the odds of liver cancer by two-fold among those with a family history of cancer (OR(adj) 2.00; 95% CI 1.15-3.47). These findings suggest that inherited susceptibility to liver cancer may exist in the Taixing population and that variation at 8q24 might be a genetic component of that inherited susceptibility.

Objectives: In a population-based case–control study in Yangzhong, China, we investigated the relationship between genetic polymorphisms of GSTP1 and susceptibility to gastric cancer and its premalignant lesion, chronic gastritis. The possible gene–gene interactions between GSTP1 polymorphisms and GSTM1, GSTT1 genes were explored. Methods: Epidemiologic data were collected by standard questionnaire from 133 gastric cancer cases, 166 chronic gastritis cases, and 433 cancer-free population controls. Blood samples for Helicobacter pylori and molecular marker assays were collected from 84 gastric cancer cases, 146 chronic gastritis, and 429 population controls. GSTP1 polymorphisms were determined by the PCR-RFLP method and H. pylori infection was measured by the ELISA method. Associations between certain GSTP1 genotypes and both gastric cancer and chronic gastritis were assessed by odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) derived from logistic regression. Results: The distributions of three GSTP1 genotypes, Ile/Ile, Ile/Val, and Val/Val, were similar in gastric cancer cases, chronic gastritis, and controls. After adjusting for age, gender, education, body mass index, pack-year of smoking, alcohol drinking, H. pylori infection, salt and fruit intakes, the adjusted ORs of Val/Val were 1.3 (95% CI: 0.1–11.2) for gastric cancer and 0.9 (95% CI: 0.2–4.8) for chronic gastritis. Combining the Val alleles (Val/Val and Ile/Val) into one group, no association was observed between GSTP1 and both gastric cancer and chronic gastritis. In addition, the allelism at the GSTP1 locus did not increase gastric cancer and chronic gastritis risks associated with the GSTM1 or GSTT1 genotypes. Conclusion: Our data suggest that the GSTP1 genotype seems not to be associated with the risk of gastric cancer and chronic gastritis in a high-risk Chinese population.

a Heart Center, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Capital University of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100020, China b Department of Cardiology, Tangshan Gongren Hospital, Hebei Medical University, Tangshan, 063000, Hebei province, China c Department of Neurology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital University of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100020, China d State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and MOE Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China e Institute of epidemiology, School of public health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China f CMC Institute of Health Sciences, Taizhou 225300, Jiangsu Province, China

Background A pathway-based genotyping analysis suggested rs2078486 was a novel TP53 SNP, but very few studies replicate this association. TP53 rs1042522 is the most commonly studied SNP, but very few studies examined its potential interaction with environmental factors in relation to lung cancer risk. This study aims to examine associations between two TP53 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs2078486, rs1042522), their potential interaction with environmental factors and risk of lung cancer. Methods A case–control study was conducted in Taiyuan, China. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Multiplicative and additive interactions between TP53 SNPs and lifestyle factors were evaluated. Results Variant TP53 rs2078486 SNP was significantly associated with elevated lung cancer risk among smokers (OR: 1.70, 95% CI: 1.08 - 2.67) and individuals with high indoor air pollution exposure (OR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.00-2.30). Significant or borderline significant multiplicative and additive interactions were found between TP53 rs2078486 polymorphism with smoking and indoor air pollution exposure. The variant genotype of TP53 SNP rs1042522 significantly increased lung cancer risk in the total population (OR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.11-2.21), but there was no evidence of heterogeneity among individuals with different lifestyle factors. Conclusions This study confirmed that TP53 rs2078486 SNP is potentially a novel TP53 SNP that may affect lung cancer risk. Our study also suggested potential synergetic effects of TP53 rs2078486 SNP with smoking and indoor air pollution exposure on lung cancer risk.

The objective of this study was to elucidate whether microcystin-LR (MC-LR), a hepatotoxic blue-green algal toxin in drinking water, is carcinogenic or possesses the ability to modulate aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-induced hepatocarcinogenicity. In a medium-term liver bioassay, male Fischer 344 rats were given a single i.p. injection of diethylnitrosamine (DEN, 200 mg/kg) followed by an i.p. injection of MC-LR for 6 weeks after 2 weeks of DEN treatment. To study the synergism between AFB1 and MC-LR, DEN-treated rats were given an i.p. injection of AFB1 (0.5 mg/kg) dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) followed by MC-LR at 2 weeks after the treatment. In a separate experiment, the rats were first given AFB1 (0.5 mg/kg) and 2 weeks later an i.p. injection of 1 or 10 microg/kg of MC-LR twice a week for 6 weeks. Most rats were subjected to a two-thirds partial hepatectomy (PH) at week 3 and were killed under anesthesia at week 8. Liver sections were analyzed for glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P) expression, and subjected to histopathological examination for phenotypic alteration of hepatocellular foci. In rats that did not receive DEN, MC-LR did not cause a significant increase in the numbers of GST-P-positive foci, whereas AFB1 induced a slight increase in GST-P-positive foci development. In rats given DEN, MC-LR enhanced the expression of GST-P-positive foci, as did AFB1 but no synergism was observed. Histopathological analysis revealed that the area of eosinophilic foci, a biomarker for preneoplastic liver lesion, markedly increased because of MC-LR. In rats given AFB1 as an initiator, treatment with MC-LR resulted in a synergistic increase in the development of GST-P-positive foci. These results suggest that the hepatocarcinogenicities of MC-LR and AFB1 can be predicted in experimental animals with a medium-term bioassay. Furthermore, tumor promoting activity of MC-LR was demonstrated in rats treated with AFB1.

To investigate indoor particulate matter (PM) level and various indoor air pollution exposure, and to examine their relationships with risk of lung cancer in an urban Chinese population, with a focus on non-smoking women.We conducted a case-control study in Taiyuan, China, consisting of 399 lung cancer cases and 466 controls, of which 164 cases and 218 controls were female non-smokers. Indoor PM concentrations, including PM(1), PM(2.5), PM(7), PM(10), and TSP, were measured using a particle mass monitor. Unconditional logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals after adjusting for age, education, annual income, and smoking.Among non-smoking women, lung cancer was strongly associated with multiple sources of indoor air pollution 10 years ago, including heavy exposure to environmental tobacco smoke at work (aOR = 3.65), high frequency of cooking (aOR = 3.30), and solid fuel usage for cooking (aOR = 4.08) and heating (aOR(coal stove) = 2.00). Housing characteristics related to poor ventilation, including single-story, less window area, no separate kitchen, no ventilator, and rarely having windows open, are associated with lung cancer. Indoor medium PM(2.5) concentration was 68 μg/m(3), and PM(10) was 230 μg/m(3). PM levels in winter are strongly correlated with solid fuel usage for cooking, heating, and ventilators. PM(1) levels in cases are more than 3 times higher than that in controls. Every 10 μg/m(3) increase in PM(1) is associated with 45 % increased risk of lung cancer.Indoor air pollution plays an important role in the development of lung cancer among non-smoking Chinese women.

The effect of drinking Chinese green tea on the risk of stomach cancer was evaluated in a population-based case-control study conducted in Shanghai, China, from October 1991 to December 1993. Eligible cases were incident cases of primary stomach cancer diagnosed during the study period among residents of Hongkou district and Nanhui county aged under 80 years. Controls were selected from the same street or commune where the case resided and were matched to the cases on age (within three years) and gender. A total of 711 cases and 711 matched controls, more than 90 percent of the eligible subjects, completed the interview. Information was obtained on the types of tea used, age when habitual tea drinking started, frequency of new batches of tea leaves used per day, number of cups brewed from each batch, total duration of drinking for each batch, strength and temperature of the tea consumed. Statistical analysis was based on modelling through conditional logistic regression. After adjusting for age, gender, place of residence, education, birthplace, alcohol consumption, and cigarette smoking, the odds ratio (OR) comparing drinkers of green tea with nondrinkers was 0.71 (95 percent confidence interval = 0.54-0.93). The adjusted OR decreased with increasing number of new batches of the green tea consumed each day (P value trend = 0.006). With the largest series of stomach cancer cases to date, this study found green-tea consumption associated with lower risk of stomach cancer. Among drinkers of green tea, the risk of stomach cancer did not depend on the age when habitual green-tea drinking started. Green tea may disrupt gastric carcinogenesis at both the intermediate and the late stages.

The relationship between Trichomonas vaginalis infection and cervical cancer was investigated prospectively in a cohort of 16,797 women aged 25 years or more who were followed from 1974 to 1985 within the framework of a cervical screening program in Jingan, China. Personal interviews were conducted by trained interviewers when the women first entered the screening program. At initial screening, 421 (2.51%) women had a positive cytologic diagnosis of T. vaginalis infection. Ninety-nine incident cases of pathologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma were identified from the cohort, with a total of 140,018 person-years of observation. T. vaginalis infection was found to contribute to the risk of cervical cancer, as determined by crude estimates and after adjustment for potential confounding effects. In a multiple proportional hazards model, the relative risk for cervical cancer was 3.3 (95% confidence interval: 1.5 to 7.4) among women with T. vaginalis infection. Furthermore, in the multivariate analysis, increased risk of cervical cancer was associated with the following factors: number of extramarital sexual partners of both the subjects and their spouses, cigarette smoking, and irregular menstruation. Having a large number of negative Pap smears was associated with lower risk. This study suggests that there might be an association between T. vaginalis infection and the risk of cervical cancer, but only 4 to 5% of cervical cancer in Chinese women may be attributable to T. vaginalis infection.

The striking difference in the geographical distribution of liver cancer in ducks raised the question of whether duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV), like mammalian hepadnaviruses, could be an oncogenic agent. Hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) have been found only in domestic ducks in Qidong, China, where hepatitis B virus infection and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) are both risk factors and where a high frequency of human HCCs has been reported. To date, the study of liver pathology occurring in Chinese ducks has been hampered by the small number of samples available. We describe here a series of 59 Chinese brown duck livers that were collected in Qidong more than 20 years ago and formalin fixed. Thirty-six HCCs, which ranged from well-differentiated trabecular to highly anaplastic type, were identified in relatively young ducks (average age, 3.3 years). Several unique features not previously reported, such as tumor giant cells, tumor necrosis, tumor thrombi in blood vessels, and inactive cirrhosis, were observed. Bile ductule proliferation, known to be a prominent feature of AFB1 exposure in ducks, was present in 86% of livers. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and two primer pairs, located within conserved portions of the DHBV S and C genes, we demonstrated the presence of DHBV DNA in 23 of 34 HCCs analyzed (68%). The spectrum of liver pathology that we report in brown ducks from Qidong was never observed in Pekin ducks of the same age chronically infected with DHBV and followed under controlled conditions outside China, suggesting that causative factors other than virus infection may be involved in duck liver carcinogenesis observed in this area. However, because DHBV DNA was present in most HCCs, and given the lower sensitivity of PCR in formalin-fixed tissue, we cannot rule out the importance of DHBV infection in the liver disease of ducks from this study. The specific role of Chinese DHBV isolates and brown duck breed in liver pathology and oncogenesis observed in Qidong ducks should be further investigated in controlled experimental transmission studies with long-term follow-up in the absence of external carcinogens.

Constituents of tobacco smoke can cause DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), leading to tumorigenesis. The NBS1 gene product is a vital component in DSB detection and repair, thus genetic variations may influence cancer development. We examined the associations between NBS1 polymorphisms and haplotypes and newly incident smoking-related cancers in three case-control studies (Los Angeles: 611 lung and 601 upper aero-digestive tract (UADT) cancer cases and 1040 controls; Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: 227 bladder cancer cases and 211 controls and Taixing, China: 218 esophagus, 206 stomach, 204 liver cancer cases and 415 controls). rs1061302 was associated with cancers of the lung [adjusted odds ratio (OR(adj)) = 1.6, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2, 2.4], larynx (OR(adj) = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.32, 0.97) and liver (OR(adj) = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.0, 2.9). Additionally, positive associations were found for rs709816 with bladder cancer (OR(adj) = 4.2, 95% CI: 1.4, 12) and rs1063054 with lung cancer (OR(adj) = 1.6, 95% CI: 1.0, 2.3). Some associations in lung and stomach cancers varied with smoking status. CAC haplotype was positively associated with smoking-related cancers: lung (OR(adj) = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1, 2.9) and UADT (OR(adj) = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.1, 3.7), specifically, oropharynx (OR(adj) = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.0, 4.2) and larynx (OR(adj) = 4.8, 95% CI: 1.7, 14). Bayesian false-discovery probabilities were calculated to assess Type I error. It appears that NBS1 polymorphisms and haplotypes may be associated with smoking-related cancers and that these associations may differ by smoking status. Our findings also suggest that single-nucleotide polymorphisms located in the binding region of the MRE-RAD50-NBS1 complex or microRNA targeted pathways may influence tumor development. These hypotheses should be further examined in functional studies.

The incidence of stomach cancer is high in certain parts of the world, particularly in China. Chronic Helicobacter pylori infection is the main risk factor, yet the vast majority of infected individuals remain unaffected with cancer, suggesting an important role of other risk factors. We conducted a population-based case-control study including 196 incident stomach cancer cases and 397 matched controls to test the hypothesis that adverse single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotypes and haplotypes within genes of the DNA repair and immune regulatory pathways are associated with increased stomach cancer risk. Genomic DNA isolated from blood samples was used for genotyping, and results were obtained for 57 putatively functional SNPs in 28 genes. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were obtained from adjusted logistic regression models. For PTGS2, a gene involved in the inflammatory response, associations with stomach cancer risk were observed for TC genotype carriers of rs5279 (OR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.08-0.73), CT genotype carriers of the 3′-untranslated region SNP rs689470 (OR, 7.49; 95% CI, 1.21-46.20), and CTTC haplotype carriers of rs5277, rs5278, rs5279, and rs689470 (OR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.18-0.95). For ERCC5, a gene involved in nucleotide excision repair, TC genotype carriers of rs1047768 (OR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.41-1.03), GC genotype carriers of the nonsynonymous SNP rs2227869 (OR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.13-0.67), and CCG haplotype carriers of rs1047768, rs17655, and rs2227869 (OR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.20-1.04) were associated with reduced stomach cancer risk. In conclusion, PTGS2 and ERCC5 were associated with stomach cancer risk in a Chinese population. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(8):2304–9)

Background Rapid economic growth in China in the past decades has been accompanied by dramatic changes in lifestyle and environmental exposures. The burdens of non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer, have also increased substantially. Methods/design We initiated a large prospective cohort–the Taizhou Longitudinal Study–in Taizhou (a medium-size city in China) to explore the environmental and genetic risk factors for common non-communicable diseases. The sample size of the cohort will be at least 100,000 adults aged 30–80 years drawn from the general residents of the districts of Hailin, Gaogang, and Taixing (sample frame, 1.8 million) of Taizhou. A three-stage stratified sampling method will be applied. Baseline investigations include interviewer-administered questionnaire, anthropometric measurements, and collection of buccal mucosal cells and blood specimens. DNA will be extracted for genetic studies and serum samples will be used for biochemical examinations. A follow-up survey will be conducted every three years to obtain information on disease occurrence and information on selected lifestyle exposures. Study participants will be followed-up indefinitely by using a chronic disease register system for morbidity and cause-specific mortality. Information on non-fatal events will be obtained for certain major categories of disease (e.g., cancer, stroke, myocardial infarction) through established registry systems. Discussion The Taizhou Longitudinal Study will provide a good basis for exploring the roles of many important environmental factors (especially those concomitant with the economic transformation in China) for common chronic diseases, solely or via interaction with genetic factors.

In a hospital based case control study, we investigated the association of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A) gene, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2B (CDKN2B) gene, and two genetic variants (rs10757274 and rs2383206) on chromosome region 9p21 with ischemic stroke in Chinese Hans. Two polymorphisms in the CDKN2A gene (rs3088440 and rs3731245) and two polymorphisms in the CDKN2B gene (rs3217992 and rs1063192) were selected by using a strategy of tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (tSNP). We observed significant association of rs2383206 with ischemic stroke. Subjects with the GG/GA genotype of rs2383206 had a 1.51-fold (95%CI 1.11–2.05, p = 0.009) increased risk of stroke, compared with those with the AA genotype. In addition, the GG/GA genotypes of rs2383206 and rs3731245 was associated with an increased risk of large vessel subtype and small vessel subtype of ischemic stroke, respectively, with ORs of 2.09 (95%CI 1.30–3.37, p = 0.002) and 1.63 (95%CI 1.06–2.51, p = 0.026), respectively. In gene–environmental interaction analysis, elevation of ischemic stroke risk was observed among AG + GG genotype carriers who consume alcohol, smoke cigarette, and have hypertension, with adjusted combined ORs of 2.86(1.51–5.41), 4.30(2.38–7.77), and 13.97(7.78–25.07), respectively, compared with low-risk individuals for rs2383206 (GG carriers who did not consume alcohol, smoke cigarette, and without hypertension). We provide evidence that genetic variants on chromosome region 9p21 may implicated in the prevalence of ischemic stroke in Chinese.

article i nfo Common pathogenic mechanisms may be involved in the prevalence of ischemic stroke and coronary heart disease. Recently, genome-wide association (GWA) studies identified a chromosome region (9p21) that confers the risk of coronary heart disease. In a hospital-based case-control study conducted in Chinese Hans, we tested the hypothesis that the methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) gene on chromosome region 9p21 is involved in the aetiology of ischemic stroke using a tagging single nucleotide polymorphism (tSNP) strategy. We observed significant association of rs10118757 in the MTAP gene with ischemic stroke. The G allele of rs10118757 was associated with an increased risk of stroke, with a per-allele OR of 1.31(95% CI,1.04- 1.65, p=0.025). The association remains after controlling for confounding factors including age, gender, body mass index, smoking, alcohol drinking, hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidaemia (OR=1.38, 95 CI, 1.02-1.88, p=0.039). In addition, the GA+GG genotype of rs10118757 was associated with the increased risk of an undetermined subtype of ischemic stroke (OR=2.14, 95 CI, 1.35-3.38, p=0.001). Further, we also observed the combined effects of rs10118757 with alcohol drinking and hypertension, which increased the risk of ischemic stroke. Our observations support the hypothesis that the MTAP gene may be involved in the prevalence of ischemic stroke in Chinese Hans.

Background Longevity is a multifactorial trait with a genetic contribution, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymorphisms were found to be involved in the phenomenon of longevity. Methodology/Principal Findings To explore the effects of mtDNA haplogroups on the prevalence of extreme longevity (EL), a population based case-control study was conducted in Rugao – a prefecture city in Jiangsu, China. Case subjects include 463 individuals aged ≥95 yr (EL group). Control subjects include 926 individuals aged 60–69 years (elderly group) and 463 individuals aged 40–49 years (middle-aged group) randomly recruited from Rugao. We observed significant reduction of M9 haplogroups in longevity subjects (0.2%) when compared with both elderly subjects (2.2%) and middle-aged subjects (1.7%). Linear-by-linear association test revealed a significant decreasing trend of N9 frequency from middle-aged subjects (8.6%), elderly subjects (7.2%) and longevity subjects (4.8%) (p = 0.018). In subsequent analysis stratified by gender, linear-by-linear association test revealed a significant increasing trend of D4 frequency from middle-aged subjects (15.8%), elderly subjects (16.4%) and longevity subjects (21.7%) in females (p = 0.025). Conversely, a significant decreasing trend of B4a frequency was observed from middle-aged subjects (4.2%), elderly subjects (3.8%) and longevity subjects (1.7%) in females (p = 0.045). Conclusions Our observations support the association of mitochondrial DNA haplogroups with exceptional longevity in a Chinese population.

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), which is expressed in the liver, may be involved in both DNA methylation and DNA synthesis. It is also indicated as a potential risk factor of liver cancer in patients with chronic liver disease. To date, no study has been conducted on MTHFR and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using a population-based design. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of polymorphisms of the MTHFR gene on the risk of primary liver cancer and their possible effect modifications on various environmental risk factors.A population-based case-control study was conducted in Taixing, China. MTHFR C677T and A1298C were assayed by PCR-RFLP techniques.The frequency of MTHFR 677 C/C wild homozygotes genotype was 25.8% in cases, which was lower than that in controls (34.5%). The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for the MTHFR 677 C/T and T/T genotype were 1.66(95% CI: 1.06-2.61), 1.21(95% CI: 0.65-2.28) respectively when compared with the MTHFR 677 C/C genotype. Subjects carrying any T genotype have the increased risk of 1.55(95% CI: 1.01-2.40) for development of primary hepatocellular carcinoma. A high degree of linkage disequilibrium was observed between the C677T and A1298C polymorphisms, with the D' of 0.887 and p0.01. The MTHFR 677 any T genotype was suggested to have potentially more than multiplicative interactions with raw water drinking with p-value for adjusted interaction of 0.03.We observed that the MTHFR 677 C/T genotype was associated with an increased risk of primary liver cancer in a Chinese population. The polymorphism of MTHFR 677 might modify the effects of raw water drinking on the risk of primary hepatocellular carcinoma.

In public health, the generation, management, and transfer of knowledge all need major improvement. Problems in generating knowledge include an imbalance in research funding, publication bias, unnecessary studies, adherence to fashion, and undue interest in novel and immediate issues. Impaired generation of knowledge, combined with a dated and inadequate process for managing knowledge and an inefficient system for transferring knowledge, mean a distorted body of evidence available for decisionmaking in public health. This article hopes to stimulate discussion by proposing a Global Registry of Anticipated Public Health Studies. This prospective, comprehensive system for tracking research in public health could help enhance collaboration and improve efficiency. Practical problems must be discussed before such a vision can be further developed.

Few studies have been conducted in low-selenium areas of China to assess the relationships between dietary intake of selenium and zinc and the risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus (SCCE). We studied dietary mineral and trace element intake and risk of SCCE in a population- based, case-control study in Taixing, China, in 2000. A total of 218 SCCE patients and 415 population healthy controls were interviewed using a standard dietary and health questionnaire. The median and quartiles were calculated to represent the average level and distribution of selected dietary minerals and trace elements estimated by the Chinese Standard Tables of Food Composition. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) comparing the highest with the lowest quartiles were 0.30 (95% confidence intervals, CIs = 0.13-0.67) for selenium intake and 0.28 (95% CI = 0.11-0.70) for zinc intake with obvious dose-dependent patterns (P values for trend = 0.01). The adjusted OR for the combined effect of selenium and zinc intake was 0.53 (95% CI = 0.29-0.96) after controlling for potential confounding factors, including age, gender, educational level, body mass index, and total energy intake. Our results suggested that the potential joint effect of zinc and selenium might contribute to SCCE risk. Increased dietary intake of selenium and zinc may decrease the risk of SCCE in a low-selenium area of China.

To assess the combinative role of aflatoxin B1(AFB1), cyanobacterial toxins (cyanotoxins), and hepatitis B virus (HBV) x gene in hepatotumorigenicity.One-week-old animals carrying HBV x gene and their wild-type littermates were intraperitoneally (ip) injected with either single-dose AFB1 [6 mg/kg body weight (bw)], repeated-dose cyanotoxins (microcystin-LR or nodularin, 10 microg/kg bw once a week for 15 wk), DMSO (vehicle control) alone, or AFB1 followed by cyanotoxins a week later, and were sacrificed at 24 and 52 wk post-treatment.AFB1 induced liver tumors in 13 of 29 (44.8%) transgenic mice at 52 wk post-treatment, significantly more frequent than in wild-type mice (13.3%). This significant difference was not shown in the 24-wk study. Compared with AFB1 exposure alone, MC-LR and nodularin yielded approximately 3-fold and 6-fold increases in the incidence of AFB(1)-induced liver tumors in wild-type animals at 24 wk, respectively. HBV x gene did not further elevate the risk associated with co-exposure to AFB1 and cyanotoxins. With the exception of an MC-LR-dosed wild-type mouse, no liver tumor was observed in mice treated with cyanotoxins alone at 24 wk. Neither DMSO-treated transgenic mice nor their wild-type littermates had pathologic alterations relevant to hepatotumorigenesis in even up to 52 wk.HBV x gene and nodularin promote the development of AFB(1)-induced liver tumors. Co-exposure to AFB1 and MC-LR tends to elevate the risk of liver tumors at 24 wk relative to exposure to one of them. The combinative effect of AFB1, cyanotoxins and HBVx on hepatotumorigenesis is weak at 24 wk.

To the authors' knowledge, few studies have been conducted to date regarding dietary selenium and the potential gene-nutrient interactions with single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in different pathways on the risk of esophageal cancer.The authors investigated the role of dietary selenium intake and its interplay with SNPs of the ALDH2 (glutamic acid [Glu] 487 lysine [Lys]) and the X-ray repair cross-complementing 1 (XRCC1) (arginine [Arg] 399 glutamine [Gln]) genes on the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in a population-based, case-control study in China. In total, 218 patients with ESCC and 415 healthy population control participants were interviewed. Dietary selenium intake was estimated from a food frequency questionnaire with 97 food items. ALDH2 and XRCC1 polymorphisms were detected with a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay.The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for the highest quintile of dietary selenium intake, compared with the lowest quintile of intake, was 0.48 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.25-0.89), with a strong dose-response relation (P for trend,.01). The ALDH2 Lys and XRCC1 Gln variant alleles were associated with an increased risk of ESCC with adjusted ORs of 1.91 (95% CI, 0.96-3.80) and 1.67 (95% CI, 1.08-2.59), respectively. An elevation of the risk for ESCC was pronounced most among carriers of ALDH2 Lys/Lys and XRCC1 399Gln/Gln or Gln/Arg who consumed a low level of dietary selenium (adjusted OR, 4.16; 95% CI, 1.14-15.12).To the authors' knowledge, this is the first in-depth study to suggest that genetic susceptibility may modify the association between selenium intake and the risk of ESCC. The findings indicated that individuals with low dietary selenium intake and ALDH2 Lys/Lys and XRCC1 399Gln/Gln or Gln/Arg genotypes were associated with an increased ESCC risk, especially in the presence of exposure to tobacco and alcohol carcinogens.

Few studies have assessed potential effect modifications by polymorphisms of susceptibility genes on the association between selenium intake and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We studied the joint effects of dietary selenium and the GSTP1 and p53 polymorphisms on ESCC risk in a population-based case-control study with 218 ESCC cases and 415 controls in Taixing City, China. Dietary selenium intake was estimated from a food frequency questionnaire with 97 food items. GSTP1 and p53 polymorphisms were detected by RFLP-PCR assays. Logistic regression analyses were done to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Reduced ESCC risk was observed among individuals in the highest quartile of dietary selenium intake (adjusted OR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.13-0.70) with a dose-dependent gradient (Ptrend = 0.01). The p53 Pro/Pro genotype was associated with increased risk of ESCC compared with the Arg/Arg genotype (adjusted OR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.19-3.42). When combined with selenium consumption, an obvious increased risk was observed among individuals with the p53 Pro/Pro or GSTP1 Ile/Ile genotype with adjusted ORs of 3.19 (95% CI, 1.74-5.84) and 1.90 (95% CI, 1.03-3.51), respectively. Among smokers and alcohol drinkers, elevation of ESCC risk was more prominent among p53 Pro/Pro individuals who consumed a low level of dietary selenium (adjusted OR, 3.59; 95% CI, 1.49-8.66 for smokers and 6.19; 95% CI, 1.83-20.9 for drinkers). Our study suggests that the effect of dietary selenium on the risk of ESCC may be modulated by tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, and p53 Pro/Pro and GSTP1 Ile/Ile genotypes. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15(2):294–300)

Although the incidence of stomach cancer has been declining, it remains the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Potential protective effects of allium vegetables against cancer have been reported by a few epidemiologic studies in Chinese populations, but the sample sizes of these studies were relatively small. We examined the associations between allium vegetable consumption and stomach cancer in a large population-based case-control study in Shanghai (750 cases and 750 age- and gender-matched controls) and Qingdao (128 cases and 128 age- and gender-matched controls). Epidemiological data were collected by a standard questionnaire, and odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using conditional logistic regression in SAS. After adjusting for matching variables, education, body mass index, pack-years of smoking, alcohol drinking, salt intake, and fruit and vegetable intake, inverse relationships with dose response pattern were observed between frequency of onion intake and stomach cancer in Qingdao (P for trend=0.02) and Shanghai (P for trend=0.04) populations. In Shanghai, negative dose-response relationships were observed between monthly intake of onions (P=0.03), monthly intake of garlic stalks (P=0.04) and distal cancer (but not with cardia cancer). Negative association was also noted between intake of garlic stalks (often vs. never) and risk of stomach cancer in Qingdao (OR=0.30; 95% CI: 0.12–0.77). Our results confirm the protective effect of allium vegetables (especially garlic and onions) against stomach cancer.

Using molecular epidemiology methods to investigate relationship between genotypes and drug-resistance of neisseria (N.) gonorrhoeae in Shanghai area.A random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprint method at the molecular level was used to differentiate the strains which were isolated from the outpatients of sexually transmitted disease clinics. The sensitivity to antibiotic of the 78 N. gonorrhoeae strains on 9 different antibiotics was tested and the relationship between different genotypes and phenotypes was studied.Selected RAPD primer could give out a group of amplification polymerase chain reaction bands with some main segments common to all the N. gonorrhoeae strains tested and some segments were different among the N. gonorrhoeae strains. All the 78 N. gonorrhoeae strains could be classified as three different groups (I, II and III). The strains could also be distinguished as four types (A, B, C and D) according to drug-resistance status. Using correspondence analysis method, the relationship between the three genotypes and four resistance types could be identified.RAPD fingerprint seemed a useful genotyping method and could be used for molecular epidemiological studies.

To study the relationship between ambient air pollution and daily mortality of SARS in Beijing.The approach of time-series Poisson regression was used to assess the relationship between daily SARS mortality, ambient air pollution, and other factors from April 25 to May 31, 2003 in Beijing.An increase of each 10 microg/m3 over a 5-day moving average of PM10, SO2 and NO2 corresponded to 1.06 (1.00-1.12), 0.74 (0.48-1.13) and 1.22 (1.01-1.48) relative risks (RRs) of daily SARS mortality, respectively. The relative risks (RRs) values depended largely on the selection of lag days.The daily mortality of SARS might be associated with certain air pollutants in Beijing.

To set up random amplified polymorphic DNAs (RAPD) method in genotyping Neisseria gonorrhoeae on DNA level, and to explore its use to trace the source of infection.Four different pretreatments were used to extract the Neisseria gonorrhoeae genomic DNA with its advantages and disadvantages compared. Arbitrary sequence was then used to amplify the genomic DNA of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and RAPD fingerprint maps was applied to distinct the Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains. Finally, RAPD fingerprint of Neisseria gonorrhoeae strain between patient and his/her sexual partner was compared.Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide method was classical in extracting genomic DNA, and could get integrated genomic DNA and good fingerprint maps, since main segments were common to all the Neisseria gonorrhoeae but some were different among strains so that the fingerprint of different Neisseria gonorrhoeae were distinctive. However, fingerprint maps of Neisseria gonorrhoeae collected from sex partners were quite similar.Based on genomic levels, effective fingerprint maps could be identified and to classify the Neisseria gonorrhoeae into different genotypes. RAPD fingerprint maps could be used to trace the source of infection.

To explore the relationship between methyl-tetra-hydrofolic acid (MTHFR) 677 gene polymorphism and the risk of stomach cancer.A population based case-control study was conducted and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method was used to detect its genotypes.Among cases with stomach cancer, the frequency of C/C, C/T, T/T genotype were 25.8%, 54.6%, 19.6%, compared with controls as 34.5%, 50.9%, 14.6% respectively. Using C/C genotype as reference, the OR of C/T or T/T genotype was 1.52 (95% CI: 1.04 - 2.23). 53.3% C and 46.7% T allele were distributed in stomach cancer cases, while 60.0% C and 40.0% T in controls. The OR for T allele in relation to C allele was 1.31 (1.02 - 1.69) when C allele was used as reference. In addition, the present study showed that MTHFR677 AnyT genotype might interact with smoking, moldy food intake, wheat porridge intake, eating salty food and Hp CagA infection to increase the risk of stomach cancer. No interaction was observed between MTHFR677 AnyT genotype and alcohol drinking or green tea intake.MTHFR677 AnyT genotype, might increase the risk of stomach cancer development and the genotype might also interact with other environmental risk factors to increase the risk of stomach cancer.

Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has claimed 349 lives with 5,327 probable cases reported in mainland China since November 2002. SARS case fatality has varied across geographical areas, which might be partially explained by air pollution level. Methods Publicly accessible data on SARS morbidity and mortality were utilized in the data analysis. Air pollution was evaluated by air pollution index (API) derived from the concentrations of particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and ground-level ozone. Ecologic analysis was conducted to explore the association and correlation between air pollution and SARS case fatality via model fitting. Partially ecologic studies were performed to assess the effects of long-term and short-term exposures on the risk of dying from SARS. Results Ecologic analysis conducted among 5 regions with 100 or more SARS cases showed that case fatality rate increased with the increment of API (case fatality = - 0.063 + 0.001 * API). Partially ecologic study based on short-term exposure demonstrated that SARS patients from regions with moderate APIs had an 84% increased risk of dying from SARS compared to those from regions with low APIs (RR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.41–2.40). Similarly, SARS patients from regions with high APIs were twice as likely to die from SARS compared to those from regions with low APIs. (RR = 2.18, 95% CI: 1.31–3.65). Partially ecologic analysis based on long-term exposure to ambient air pollution showed the similar association. Conclusion Our studies demonstrated a positive association between air pollution and SARS case fatality in Chinese population by utilizing publicly accessible data on SARS statistics and air pollution indices. Although ecologic fallacy and uncontrolled confounding effect might have biased the results, the possibility of a detrimental effect of air pollution on the prognosis of SARS patients deserves further investigation.