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Background: Pain in older adults is an increasing concern in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with literature suggesting an association with past traumatic events (TEs) in high-income settings. We aim to investigate this relationship in a population-representative sample of older adults with high burden of TEs in a rural South African community. Methods: The Health and Aging in Africa: A longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH Community in South Africa (HAALSI) study collected data pain intensity, using the Brief Pain Inventory, and TEs with a 16-item questionnaire, from 2411 participants aged 40–79 in 2014–15. We used logistic regression models to test the association between TE exposure and self-reported pain status. Results: TE experience was near-universal (99.1% experience of at least one), while 9.0% of participants reported current pain, of which 86.6% was moderate/severe. In multivariable regression, increased odds of moderate/severe pain was associated with more TEs of any kind (OR 1.08; 95%CI 1.02–1.15 per additional TE) and with past exposure to disasters, accidents and illnesses (men and women), violence in the community (women only) and social/family environment problems (men only)–but not with childhood or war-related TEs. Conclusions: TEs were associated with pain even within a rural resource-limited setting where trauma experiences were extremely common. However, associations varied by TE type and sex. Interventions to prevent pain in older adults need to be targeted to block specific mechanisms that vary within even at-risk populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Interleukin-32 (IL-32) is a recently discovered proinflammatory cytokine involved in inflammatory diseases. We investigated the expression of IL-32 and its regulation mechanism in the inflammatory response of patients with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. Design and Methods: IL-32 mRNA and protein expression in gastric tissues was detected by quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. The regulation of IL-32 in human gastric epithelia cell line AGS was investigated by different cytokine stimulation and different H. pylori strain infection. Results: Gastric IL-32 mRNA and protein expression were elevated in patients with H. pylori infection and positively correlated with gastritis. In H. pylori-infected patients, the mRNA level of IL-32 was also correlated with that of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and TNF-α. In vitro IL-1β and TNF-α could upregulate IL-32 mRNA and protein level in AGS cells, which was dependent on NF-κB signal pathway. The regulation of IL-32 expression in response to H. pylori-infection could be weakened by using neutralizing antibodies to block IL-1β and TNF-α. Moreover, H. pylori-infected AGS cells also induced IL-32 mRNA and protein expression, which was dependent on CagA. Conclusions: IL-32 level is elevated in patients with H. pylori infection and its expression is regulated by proinflammatory stimuli, suggesting that IL-32 may play a role in the pathogenesis of H. pylori-related gastritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]