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Background: It is clear that genetic variations in the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene affect body mass index and the risk of obesity. Given the mounting evidence showing a positive association between obesity and pancreatic cancer, this study aimed to investigate the relation between variants in the FTO gene, obesity and pancreatic cancer risk.Methods: We conducted a hospital-based case-control study in Japan to investigate whether genetic variations in the FTO gene were associated with pancreatic cancer risk. We genotyped rs9939609 in the FTO gene of 360 cases and 400 control subjects. An unconditional logistic model was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the association between rs9939609 and pancreatic cancer risk.Results: The minor allele frequency of rs9939609 was 0.18 among control subjects. BMI was not associated with pancreatic cancer risk. Compared with individuals with the common homozygous TT genotype, those with the heterozygous TA genotype and the minor homozygous AA genotype had a 48% (OR=1.48; 95%CI: 1.07-2.04), and 66% increased risk (OR=1.66; 95%CI: 0.70-3.90), respectively, of pancreatic cancer after adjustment for sex, age, body mass index, cigarette smoking and history of diabetes. The per-allele OR was 1.41 (95%CI: 1.07-1.85). There were no significant interactions between TA/AA genotypes and body mass index.Conclusions: Our findings indicate that rs9939609 in the FTO gene is associated with pancreatic cancer risk in Japanese subjects, possibly through a mechanism that is independent of obesity. Further investigation and replication of our results is required in other independent samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/purpose: We developed software to calculate the pixels of interest in the area between the hepatic and heart curves (ABC) of Tc-galactosyl human serum albumin (GSA) scintigraphy. The aim of this study was to examine the accuracy of the ABC to evaluate liver function before hepatectomy. Methods: Between January 2005 and December 2010, 205 consecutive patients who underwent initial hepatectomy were enrolled in this study. The ABC was calculated using original computer software. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was calculated for evaluation of Child-Pugh score grade B (Child B), pathological chronic hepatitis (CH), and liver cirrhosis (LC). Results: The AUC of any indicator for Child B was more than 0.900 except bilirubin. The AUC of ABC for CH and LC (AUC 0.734 each) was comparable to those of HH15 (clearance index; AUC 0.704 and 0.700, respectively) and LHL15 (receptor index; AUC 0.703 and 0.706, respectively) in multiple receiver operating characteristic comparison. Conclusions: We have developed a novel liver function indicator, the ABC, to count radioactivity in sequence. The ABC reflects liver function according to pathological deterioration of the liver. Although the ABC gave no significant advantage compared to HH15 and LHL15, it improved the AUC evaluation by 0.028-0.034. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents several studies on the care burden and depression among family caregivers before and after the launch of a new public long-term care insurance system (LTCIS) in Japan. Findings from the studies suggested the removal of barriers for the caregivers and the frail elderly in order to use the social services under LTCIS and also educating the general public on the use of social services without any hesitation.

Objective: The incidence of kidney cancer is high in Western Europe, and Northern Europe and North America, while it is low in Asia. Although the incidence of kidney cancer in Japan is lower than the rates in the other industrialized countries, there is no doubt that it is increasing. In this paper, we would like to introduce the result of the studies, which evaluate the risk factors for kidney cancer in the Japanese population. Methods: Relevant studies were identified in the PubMed database using a combination of "Japan", "kidney cancer", "risk", "case-control" and "cohort", and in the ICHUSHI database (Japanese database) using a combination of "kidney cancer", and "risk factor". Results: Seven studies were identified in the database and one cohort study (Hirayama Cohort study) was selected from their references. These studies found a positive association with kidney cancer risk for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, kidney diseases, dialysis, cancer, obesity, fondness for fatty food, milk, black tea, driving experience, a positive family history of cancer, and the vitamin D receptor AA genotype at the Apa I. On the other hand, a negative association with the kidney cancer risk is found for an intake of starchy roots (i.e., taro, sweet potato and potato), and an educational level. Conclusion: There are twelve possible risk factors for kidney cancer and two possible preventive factors. In Japan, however, drinking black tea and milk may be a surrogate for westernized dietary habits while eating starchy roots may be a surrogate for traditional Japanese dietary habits. Additional studies may be needed to evaluate the risk factors for kidney cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents research on the relationship between the frequency of watching television (TV) of men and public health issues, such as AIDS, antenatal care (ANC), and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), which concern both men and women in Bangladesh. It found that increased TV watching was associated with positive attitudes toward ANC, safe delivery, and women's autonomy, but not with increased knowledge of STDs.

This community-based prospective study examined the effects of viral infections and lifestyle habits on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk in Japan. A baseline survey was conducted for 981 males and 2,078 females in June 1992 and evaluated hepatitis B surface antigen, second-generation hepatitis C virus antibody, and history of cigarette smoking and habitual alcohol consumption. By March 1997, 14 males and 8 females had been newly diagnosed with HCC. After controlling for gender and age by using the Cox model, the authors found that positivity for hepatitis B surface antigen (hazard ratio = 7.28, 95% confidence interval: 1.62, 32.61; p < 0.01) and positivity for high-titer hepatitis C virus antibody (hazard ratio = 40.38, 95% confidence interval: 11.71, 139.21; p < 0.001) were significantly associated with HCC risk, although a history of smoking or alcohol consumption was not significantly related to risk. There was a significant interaction on an additive scale for the risk of HCC development between high-titer hepatitis C virus antibody status and a history of smoking (p < 0.05) in spite of no significant interaction on a multiplicative scale. Although preventing the transmission of hepatitis viruses is most important for reducing the risk of HCC, intervention regarding lifestyle habits such as cigarette smoking should not go unheeded. Am J Epidemiol 2000;151:131–9. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Although the incidence of kidney cancer in Japan is lower than the rates in the other developed countries, there is no doubt that in Japan the incidence rate of kidney cancer has increased recently. Methods: We evaluated the risk factors of kidney cancer using the database of the Japan Collaborative Cohort (JACC) study in 62,869 subjects (25,348 men and 37,521 women). Cox-proportional hazards model was used to determine age-and-sex adjusted relative risk. Results: During the follow-up of 7.6 years, we identified 40 incident cases of kidney cancer (renal cell carcinoma). Hypertension and kidney disease were revealed as significant risk factors for kidney cancer. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure showed a positive relation to the development of kidney cancer risk. Conclusion: The present study suggests that hypertension and kidney disease may be associated with an increased risk for the development of kidney cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the methylation levels of long interspersed nucleotide elements (LINE-1) and three cancer-related genes in gastric mucosae from patients with or without enlarged-fold (EF+) gastritis.The levels of methylation in LINE-1, CDH13, and PGP9.5 were evaluated with bisulfite pyrosequencing. It was found that LINE-1 hypomethylation were lesser in patients with EF+ gastritis and is closely associated with the hypomethylation of CpG island.

We examined associations between nutritional and other lifestyle factors and the prevalence of prostate cancer in a case-control study of Japanese men. Two hundred patients and 200 age-matched controls (+/-5 y) were selected from 3 geographic areas of Japan. BMI, physical activity, occupation, family history of prostate cancer, and medical history were not associated with prostate cancer risk. Isoflavones and their aglycones (genistein and daidzein) were significantly associated with decreased risk. The odds ratio for the highest category (> or = 89.9 mg/d) compared with the lowest category (<30.5 mg/d) of isoflavone intake was 0.42 (95% CI = 0.24-0.72) and the linear trend was significant (P < 0.01). PUFA, (n-6) fatty acids, and magnesium were significantly associated with decreased risk but not after adjustment for isoflavone intake. Isoflavone intake was correlated with the intake of PUFA (r = 0.68, P < 0.001), (n-6) fatty acids (r = 0.69, P < 0.001), and magnesium (r = 0.56, P < 0.001), because soy products contain high levels of these nutrients. On the other hand, isoflavone significantly decreased the risk of prostate cancer regardless of adjustment by PUFA, (n-6) fatty acids or magnesium. In conclusion, our findings indicate that isoflavones might be an effective dietary protective factor against prostate cancer in Japanese men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is reported as being a risk factor associated with kidney cancer in Western countries. The incidence of both kidney cancer and DM is lower in Japan than the other developed countries, albeit on the rise. Methods: We evaluated the risk factors for kidney cancer mortality using the database of the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer Risk (JACC) study. The analytic cohort included 46 462 males and 64 326 females aged 40–79 years old. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine age- and sex-adjusted relative risk and its 95% confidence intervals. Results: DM showed an increased, age- and sex-adjusted hazard ratio for kidney cancer mortality, but it failed to achieve statistical significance after controlling for other factors. Conclusion: The present study showed that DM increased the risk of kidney cancer death among the Japanese population. However, further studies may be needed to confirm the findings in the present study because DM failed to remain as a significant risk factor after controlling for other factors because of the small number of kidney cancer deaths in the present study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of domestic violence by husbands against wives (DVHW) and its correlates using the data of ever married men from a national survey. Methods: This subset of ever married men (equal to 2823 if weighted and 3165 if unweighted) was extracted from 4297 men (including single) aged 14–54 years, who were interviewed during the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) in 2004. The BDHS 2004 applied a pre-tested structured questionnaire for men to collect much information including socio-demographic, life-style, violence (physical and sexual) against wives and reasons for violence. SPSS version 10 was used to perform all of the analyses. Results: The prevalence of physical, sexual and overall DVHW was 68%, 27% and 72%, respectively within the year preceding the survey. Slapping/twisting (61%) and pushing/shaking/throwing something (40%) were the most common forms of physical DVHW. Age, place of residence, education, religion and number of children showed significant associations (by odds ratio) with at least one form of violence using multiple logistic regression analysis. Both cross-tabs analysis and logistic regression analysis (adjusted for age, place of residence, education, religion and number of children) indicated a significantly higher prevalence and higher odds ratio of DVHW among those husbands who: did not watch television everyday, had experience of pre-marital and post-marital sex, smoked cigarettes/bidi, chewed tobacco and took illicit drugs. The estimates of the lifestyle variables sharply attenuated when all of the variables were included in the same model, although the significance levels were changed for only some of them. Conclusion: The high prevalence of DVHW deserves immediate attention and intervention in Bangladesh. For effective intervention, the significant correlates of DVHW, especially the lifestyle-related factors, must be taken into consideration to reduce the prevalence and consequences of DVHW in Bangladesh. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Japan Collaborative Cohort (JACC) Study was established in 1988–1990 and consisted of 46,465 men and 64,327 women observed until the end of 2003. A self-administered food frequency questionnaire was used as a baseline survey, and associations of dietary habits with the risk of ovarian cancer death were evaluated, taking into consideration age, menstrual and reproductive, anthropometric, and lifestyle factors. During the observation period, 77 women died of ovarian cancer. Hazard ratios for dietary factors were calculated by Cox's proportional hazards model. Being adjusted only for age, high intakes of dried or salted fish and Chinese cabbage were positively associated with the risk of ovarian cancer death, and the risk increased dose-dependently. In contrast, intake of soybean curd (tofu) was inversely associated with the risk. After being adjusted for age and potential confounding factors, the results regarding the intakes of dried or salted fish and Chinese cabbage did not change. However, the significance relating to the intake of soybean curd (tofu) was attenuated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epigenetic gene inactivation plays a key role in the development of various types of cancer. Using methylated CpG island amplification coupled with representational difference analysis to identify genes inactivated by DNA methylation in gastric cancer, we identified seven DNA fragments corresponding to the 5′ CpG islands of the affected genes. One of the clones recovered was identical to the 5′ flanking region of DFNA5, a gene previously shown to be associated with deafness and induced by DNA damage. Further analysis revealed that DFNA5 is expressed in normal tissues but is downregulated in gastric cancer cell lines due to methylation of the region around its transcription start site. Treating gastric cancer cells that lacked DFNA5 expression with a methyltransferase inhibitor, 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine, restored the gene's expression. Methylation of DFNA5 was detected in 50% of primary gastric tumors, and was correlated with positivity for Epstein–Barr virus and the absence of metastasis. Moreover, introduction of exogenous DFNA5 into silenced cells suppressed colony formation. Taken together, these data suggest that the silencing of DFNA5 occurs frequently in gastric cancer and may play a key role in development and progression of the disease. ( Cancer Sci 2007; 98: 88–95) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To determine the prevalence of prostatitis-like symptoms in Japanese men living in one town. Methods: A cross-sectional and population-based study was performed in a town that had 6385 men aged from 20 to 79 years. We sent two questionnaires, the validated Japanese version of the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index and the International Prostate Symptom Score (I-PSS) with questions about individual medical information, to 1424 randomly selected community-indwelling men. Subjects were defined as having prostatitis-like symptoms if they complained of perineal and/or ejaculatory pain or discomfort and their total pain score was four or greater. Results: A total of 512 men (36%) responded completely to the questionnaires. Of the 512 responders, 25 men (4.9%) were identified as having prostatitis-like symptoms. Prevalence of symptoms was the same in men aged younger than 50 years (5.0%) as those 50 years and older (4.8%). The I-PSS score was 10.8 in men with prostatitis-like symptoms, which was higher than in those without symptoms. Conclusions: Prevalence of prostatitis-like symptoms was 4.9% in randomly selected men. International comparison of prevalence of the symptoms may contribute to further understanding of chronic prostatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims This study examined the association of tobacco consumption (smoking and chewing) with illicit drug use among Bangladesh males. Design Cross-sectional survey data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2004 were used. Setting Bangladesh. Participants A total of 4297 males aged 15–54 years. Measurements Age, education, religion, marital status, place of residence; tobacco consumption such as cigarette and bidi smoking, chewing sada, pata, tobacco leaves, gul, betel quid with zarda; taking illicit drugs such as ganja, charas, heroin, pethedine, phensidyl; having sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Findings Overall prevalence of tobacco consumption was 59%. Bidi smoking (29.6%), cigarette smoking (27.8%) and chewing betel quid with tobacco/zarda (17.5%) were predominant. Overall prevalence of illicit drug use was 4%. Ganja was the main drug (3%), followed by phensidyl (0.8%), heroin (0.3%) and charas (0.3%). Age, education, place of residence, marital status, having STDs, premarital and extra-marital sex were associated significantly with tobacco smoking. Almost all variables were also associated significantly with illicit drug use. Smoking cigarettes and bidi and eating tobacco leaves/shada pata/gul showed significantly positive associations with illicit drug use when adjusted for other variables. Conclusions Tobacco consumption is common and associated positively with the illicit drug use among males in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article cites a study which examines the occurrences of unwanted pregnancies in Bangladesh. The study is based on the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey in 1999-2000. The women participated in this survey were divided into several age groups to determine which group has the highest percentage of unplanned pregnancy. Factors influencing the occurrence of unwanted and mistimed pregnancies in the country include age, being unmarried, economic status, and maternal education. It is inferred that the fertility rate in Bangladesh would fall from 3.3 to 2.2 children per woman if all unwanted births are avoided.

This study assessed the gender specific association of the use of medicine and alcohol to enhance sleep (UMAES) with many factors. Data from a cross-sectional survey that was conducted among Japanese people aged between 20 and 79 years was used. People in this survey were selected randomly from the resident registry of Sapporo city during July and August 2000. Each subject was requested to complete a self-administered mailed questionnaire that included questions on sociodemographics, perceived health status, stress, eating habits, daily sleeping hours, and smoking including UMAES. The response rate was 47.1%. This study analyzed a total of 4252 participants (men = 1814, women = 2438) who provided complete information. The prevalence of UMAES was found to be 17.0% among men and 11.9% among women. For both genders, logistic regression analysis – adjusted for age, occupation and body mass index – indicated that UMAES was significantly associated with perceived poor health, highly irregular eating habits, short daily sleeping hours, severe stress, everyday smoking, smoking 30+ cigarettes daily, and beginning smoking at a younger age (<15 years). All these variables maintained independent significant associations with UMAES, even with multivariate logistic regression analysis. Based on these findings, it may be concluded that the prevalence of UMAES is fairly common among the Japanese adult and elderly. UMAES may also be considered as an indicator of many negative health behaviors. However, further studies are recommended to validate the present findings and to find some strategies for reducing the negative consequences of UMAES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the present study, the associations of dietary habits with the risk of urothelial cancer death were evaluated taking into consideration sex, age, and smoking habits. The Japan Collaborative Cohort Study was established in 1988-1990 and consisted of 47,997 men and 66,520 women observed until the end of 1999. A self-administered food-frequency questionnaire was used as a baseline survey. Hazard ratios for dietary factors were calculated by Cox's proportional hazards model. During the observation period, 63 men and 25 women died of urothelial cancer. Increasing age, male gender, and history of smoking were all significantly associated with increased risk of urothelial cancer death. A high intake of milk and fruits other than oranges reduced the risk significantly and dose dependently, in particular among subjects with smoking history. However, consumption of butter and yogurt had no associations with the risk. Intakes of cabbage, lettuce, green leafy vegetables, carrots, squash, tomatoes, and oranges were not significantly associated with the risk. It was suggested that urothelial cancer death could be potentially preventable by smoking cessation and regular intake of milk and fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pulse wave velocity (PWV) and ankle brachial index (ABI) are a useful method to estimate atherosclerosis in adults, while a history of Kawasaki disease (KD) may be a risk factor for later atherosclerosis of systemic arteries. PWV and ABI in patients with a history of KD have not been reported. Method: In total, 90 patients ranging in age from 4 to 25 years who had a history of KD previously, any time from 1 month to 19 years ago, were studied. As a control group, 119 patients with other trivial cardiovascular diseases such as a small ventricular, an atrial septal defect or mild arrhythmias, were also evaluated. A high value of PWV was determined as ≥120% of normal predicted value of PWV, while a low value of ABI was determined as ≤0.9. Age, sex, height, weight, body mass index, blood pressure, ABI and PWV by t-test, and univariate and multivariate analyses of a logistic-regression model, were analyzed. Results: When a cut-off point was set as per cent of normal predicted PWV (%N PWV) ≥ 120%, and ABI ≤ 0.9, patients with a history of KD had a higher PWV than the control group, while there was no significant difference in the ABI between the two groups. There was no significant difference in the PWV or the ABI between the KD patients with or without coronary aneurysms. Conclusion: Patients with a history of KD may have increased aortic stiffness for their age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between symptoms and endoscopic findings in reflux esophagitis. Subjects, 8031 persons without medication for gastrointestinal disease, were briefly asked about the presence of heartburn, dysphagia, odynophagia, and acid regurgitation by associated medical staff before endoscopy for assessment of esophagitis utilizing the Los Angeles Classification. Endoscopically, 1199 (14.9%) were classified as positive reflux esophagitis, and 2223 (27.7%) had heartburn, 1522 (19.0%) had dysphagia, 493 (6.1%) had odynophagia, and 1466 (18.3%) had acid regurgitation. Multivariate analysis indicated that the symptom most related to esophagitis was heartburn (odds ratio: 2.46), although approximately 40% of subjects with grade C or D did not complain of heartburn. Regarding the other symptoms, less than 30% subjects with severe esophagitis complained of the symptoms and the odds ratio was approximately 1. These results indicate that endoscopic esophagitis was not equivalent to any reflux symptoms from which subjects suffered in their daily lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a 14-year follow-up study to analyze the hazard ratio (HR) of mortality regarding lifestyle-related factors in Saga Prefecture, Japan. The subjects included 2,170 people, who were randomly selected from men and women aged from 40 to 69 years old, and who also completed the standardized questionnaire on lifestyle in 1983. Information about death and corresponding data were obtained either by mail and/or through the city offices in 1997. We found that a lower body weight, a lower physical fitness level, not consuming a balanced diet, and cigarette smoking to be significantly elevated risks for all-causes of death in males after adjustment by age and health status. In addition, these results did not change even after excluding subjects for early death. The HR of the female subjects who quit smoking was significantly high, although it changed to insignificant after excluding subjects for early death. These results suggested that being underweight might be an index of a positive risk of death, while maintaining a higher physical fitness level, being careful to consume a more balanced diet, and non smoking all appear to be indexes of a negative risk of death. In addition, these results might also be considered good evidence for improving poor health habits in health promotion activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this cross-sectional study, the relationships of the physiological levels of estradiol (E2) and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S) to the lipid and lipoprotein profiles were investigated in 212 apparently healthy men aged from 18 to 59 years old. These subjects were divided into tertiles according to the levels of E2 and DHEA-S, respectively. We performed one-way analysis of variance and analysis of co-variance controlling for age, body mass index, percent body fat, waist to hip ratio, maximal oxygen uptake, alcohol and cigarette consumptions as confounding factors. A lower E2 level was associated with higher concentrations of total cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol. A lower DHEA-S level was associated with a lower concentration of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) and a higher ratio of TC / HDLC. These correlations remained significant after adjusting for the above confounding factors. Neither free testosterone nor sex hormone-binding globulin was associated with the lipids and lipoproteins. These results suggest that higher levels of E2 and DHEA-S, at least in physiological concentrations, are related to the favorable lipid and lipoprotein levels in men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a case-control study to evaluate the contribution of some risk factors to the development of scleroderma. Fifty-seven patients with scleroderma (seven males and 50 females) were interviewed with a structured questionnaire at Saga Medical School Hospital from 1993 to 1995. Fifty-seven controls, who were individually sex and age matched with each case, were also interviewed with the same questionnaire during the same period. Eight individuals of parents or siblings of the scleroderma patients had Raynaud’s phenomenon, as compared to none of the controls ( P<0.01). Four siblings of the cases had been affected by autoimmune connective tissue diseases, as compared to none of the controls ( P<0.05). The percentage of the cases who had experience in the work exposed to hand-arm stress or vibration was larger than that of the controls ( P<0.05). These findings may reflect familial or environmental factors operating in the development of scleroderma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Muscular dystrophies (MDs) are inherited disorders characterized by progressive muscle weakness. Previously, we have shown that resveratrol (3,5,4′-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene), an antioxidant and an activator of the protein deacetylase SIRT1, decreases muscular and cardiac oxidative damage and improves pathophysiological conditions in animal MD models. To determine whether resveratrol provides therapeutic benefits to patients with MDs, an open-label, single-arm, phase IIa trial of resveratrol was conducted in 11 patients with Duchenne, Becker or Fukuyama MD. The daily dose of resveratrol was 500 mg/day, which was increased every 8 weeks to 1000 and then 1500 mg/day. Primary outcomes were motor function, evaluated by a motor function measure (MFM) scale, muscular strength, monitored with quantitative muscle testing (QMT), and serum creatine kinase (CK) levels. Adverse effects and tolerability were evaluated as secondary outcomes. Despite the advanced medical conditions of the patients, the mean MFM scores increased significantly from 34.6 to 38.4 after 24 weeks of medication. A twofold increase was found in the mean QMT scores of scapula elevation and shoulder abduction. Mean CK levels decreased considerably by 34%. Diarrhoea and abdominal pain was noted in six and three patients, respectively. Resveratrol may provide some benefit to MD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]