Interaction between dietary potassium intake and TNF-α rs1800629 genetic polymorphism in gastric cancer risk: a case-control study conducted in Korea

The predictive role of the total potassium intake and odds of breast cancer: a case-control study

BACKGROUNDS

Dietary potassium can play an important role in decreasing inflammatory factors as a protective factor for cancers. In this case-control study, we aimed to assess the possible association between dietary potassium intake and the risk of breast cancer (BC) among Iranian adult women.

METHODS

The present case-control study was conducted at Shohada and Imam Hossain hospitals, in Tehran. The study included 134 newly diagnosed cases of BC and 267 controls. A validated semi-quantitative 168-item food frequency questionnaire was used to compute the potassium intake. Logistic regression, adjusted for potential confounders, was used to estimate odds ratios(ORs) and 95% confidence intervals(CI) of BC according to tertiles of potassium intake.

RESULTS

The mean(M) ± standard deviation(SD) of age and body mass index (BMI) were 47.9 ± 10.3 years and 29.4 ± 5.5 kg/m2, respectively. Also, the M ± SD of potassium intake for the control and case groups was 1616 ± 293 and 1542 ± 338 (mg/1000 Kcal), respectively. In the multivariable-adjusted model for potential confounders, the higher total potassium intake was associated with decreased odds of BC (OR: 0.35, 95%CI: 0.19-0.62, P for trend < 0.001). Moreover, an inverse relationship was observed between potassium from plant sources (OR: 0.39, 95%CI: 0.22-0.69, P for trend = 0.001) and fruit and vegetable sources (OR: 0.49, 95%CI: 0.28-0.87, P for trend = 0.016) and odds of BC.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggested that diet rich in potassium may have a predictive role to reduce the odds of BC.

The role of metal ions in the occurrence, progression, drug resistance, and biological characteristics of gastric cancer

Metal ions exert pivotal functions within the human body, encompassing essential roles in upholding cell structure, gene expression regulation, and catalytic enzyme activity. Additionally, they significantly influence various pathways implicated in divergent mechanisms of cell death. Among the prevailing malignant tumors of the digestive tract worldwide, gastric cancer stands prominent, exhibiting persistent high mortality rates. A compelling body of evidence reveals conspicuous ion irregularities in tumor tissues, encompassing gastric cancer. Notably, metal ions have been observed to elicit distinct contributions to the progression, drug resistance, and biological attributes of gastric cancer. This review consolidates pertinent literature on the involvement of metal ions in the etiology and advancement of gastric cancer. Particular attention is directed towards metal ions, namely, Na, K, Mg, Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Mn, elucidating their roles in the initiation and progression of gastric cancer, cellular demise processes, drug resistance phenomena, and therapeutic approaches.

Exploring the association between inflammatory biomarkers and gastric cancer development: A two-sample mendelian randomization analysis

This study aimed to elucidate the potential causative links between inflammatory biomarkers and gastric cancer risk via a two-sample Mendelian randomization approach. Leveraging genome-wide association study (GWAS) data, we conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis. Instrumental variable selection for inflammatory markers - namely, tissue factor, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, E-selectin, interleukin 6 receptor, and fatty acid-binding protein 4 - was informed by SNP data from the IEU database. Strongly associated SNPs served as instrumental variables. We applied a suite of statistical methods, including Inverse Variance Weighted (IVW), Weighted Median Estimator (WME), MR-Egger, and mode-based estimates, to compute the odds ratios (ORs) that articulate the impact of these markers on gastric cancer susceptibility. The IVW method revealed that the interleukin 6 receptor was inversely correlated with gastric cancer progression (OR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.74-0.99, P = .03), whereas fatty acid-binding protein 4 was found to elevate the risk (OR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.05-1.39, P = .03). Instrumental variables comprised 5, 4, 7, 2, and 3 SNPs respectively. Convergent findings from WME, MR-Egger, and mode-based analyses corroborated these associations. Sensitivity checks, including heterogeneity, horizontal pleiotropy assessments, and leave-one-out diagnostics, affirmed the robustness and reliability of our instruments across diverse gastric malignancy tissues without substantial bias. Our research suggests that the interleukin 6 receptor potentially mitigates, while fatty acid-binding protein 4 may contribute to the pathogenesis of gastric cancer (GC). Unraveling the intricate biological interplay between inflammation and oncogenesis offers valuable insights for preemptive strategies and therapeutic interventions in gastric malignancy management.