Effect of dietary consumption on the survival of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a prospective cohort study

Oral microbiome in human health and diseases

The oral cavity contains the second-largest microbiota in the human body. The cavity's anatomically and physiologically diverse niches facilitate a wide range of symbiotic bacteria living at distinct oral sites. Consequently, the oral microbiota exhibits site specificity, with diverse species, compositions, and structures influenced by specific aspects of their placement. Variations in oral microbiota structure caused by changes in these influencing factors can impact overall health and lead to the development of diseases-not only in the oral cavity but also in organs distal to the mouth-such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory disease. Conversely, diseases can exacerbate the imbalance of the oral microbiota, creating a vicious cycle. Understanding the heterogeneity of both the oral microbiome and individual humans is important for investigating the causal links between the oral microbiome and diseases. Additionally, understanding the intricacies of the oral microbiome's composition and regulatory factors will help identify the potential causes of related diseases and develop interventions to prevent and treat illnesses in this domain. Therefore, turning to the extant research in this field, we systematically review the relationship between oral microbiome dynamics and human diseases.

Long-term outcomes of smoker and drinker with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma after oesophagectomy: a large-scale propensity score matching analysis

BACKGROUND

Oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) poses a considerable health burden, particularly in regions such as East Asia. This study aims to investigate the long-term outcomes of OSCC patients who are smokers and drinkers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this retrospective analysis, data from Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Institute Esophageal Cancer Case Management Database between January 2010 and December 2017 were examined. Patients were categorised into different groups based on their smoking and alcohol consumption history: None, Smoker, Non-Smoker, Smoke-Only, Drinker, Non-Drinker, Drinker-Only, and Both. Survival outcomes were compared between the groups using Kaplan-Meier analysis and propensity score matching (PSM). The primary outcome was overall survival (OS), measured from surgery to death or last follow-up in April 2022.

RESULTS

The OS median was 45.4 months for all patients after oesophagectomy. Smokers had a significantly lower median OS of 36.6 months compared with Non-Smokers with 66.2 months (p<0.001). Similarly, Drinkers had a lower median OS of 34.4 months compared with Non-Drinkers with 52.0 months (p<0.001). PSM analysis confirmed the significant differences in OS between Smokers and Non-Smokers (p=0.002) and between Drinkers and Non-Drinkers (p=0.002). Subgroup analyses showed no significant differences in OS between Group Another and Group Both, Group Smoker-Only and Group Drinker-Only, and Group Drinker-Only and Group Both. (figure 4) CONCLUSION: Smoking and drinking were associated with significantly reduced OS in patients. However, no significant differences were found between the subgroups of patients who only smoked, only drank, or engaged in both habits.

Difference in Gastrointestinal Cancer Risk and Mortality by Dietary Pattern Analysis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

CONTEXT

Several studies have demonstrated that dietary patterns identified by a posteriori and hybrid methods are associated with gastrointestinal (GI) cancer risk and mortality. These studies applied different methods for analyzing dietary data and reported inconsistent findings.

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review and meta-analysis were aimed to determine the association between dietary patterns, derived using principal component analysis (PCA) and reduced rank regression (RRR), and GI cancer risk and GI cancer-caused mortality.

DATA SOURCE

Articles published up to June 2023 in English were eligible for inclusion. The Medline, SCOPUS, Cochrane Library, CINHAL, PsycINFO, ProQuest, and Web of Sciences databases were used to identify prospective studies. The Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocol 2020 was used to report results.

DATA EXTRACTION

A total of 28 studies were eligible for inclusion. Varied approaches to deriving dietary patterns were used, including PCA (n = 22), RRR (n = 2), combined PCA and RRR (n = 1), cluster analysis (CA; n = 2) and combined PCA and CA (n = 1).

DATA ANALYSIS

Two dietary patterns, "healthy" and "unhealthy," were derived using PCA and RRR. The healthy dietary pattern was characterized by a higher intake of fruits, whole grains, legumes, vegetables, milk, and other dairy products, whereas the unhealthy dietary pattern was characterized by a higher intake of red and processed meat, alcohol, and both refined and sugar-sweetened beverages. The findings indicated that the PCA-derived healthy dietary pattern was associated with an 8% reduced risk (relative risk [RR], 0.92; 95% CI, 0.87-0.98), and the unhealthy dietary pattern was associated with a 14% increased risk (RR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.07-1.22) of GI cancers. Similarly, the RRR-derived healthy dietary pattern (RR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.61-1.12) may be associated with reduced risk of GI cancers. In contrast, the RRR-derived unhealthy dietary pattern (RR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.57-1.52) had no association with a reduced risk of GI cancers. Similarly, evidence suggested that PCA-derived healthy dietary patterns may reduce the risk of death from GI cancers, whereas PCA-derived unhealthy dietary patterns may increase the risk.

CONCLUSION

Findings from prospective studies on the association of PCA-derived dietary patterns and the risk of GI cancers support the evidence of healthy and unhealthy dietary patterns as either protective or risk-increasing factors for GI cancers and for survivorship, respectively. The findings also suggest that the RRR-derived healthy dietary pattern reduces the risk of GI cancers (albeit with low precision), but no association was found for the RRR-derived unhealthy dietary pattern. Prospective studies are required to further clarify disparities in the association between PCA- and RRR-derived dietary patterns and the risk of GI cancers. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO registration no. CRD42022321644.

Mechanism of intestinal microbiota disturbance promoting the occurrence and development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma--based on microbiomics and metabolomics

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a high-risk malignant tumor that has been reported in China. Some studies indicate that gut microbiota disorders can affect the occurrence and development of ESCC, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to explore the possible underlying mechanisms using microbiomics and metabolomics. Fifty ESCC patients and fifty healthy controls were selected as the study subjects according to sex and age, and fecal samples were collected. 16S rDNA sequencing and LC‒MS were used for microbiomics and nontargeted metabolomics analyses. We found significant differences in the composition of the gut microbiota and metabolites between the ESCC patients and control individuals (P < 0.05). ESCC patients exhibited increased abundances of Fusobacteriaceae and Lactobacillus, increased levels of GibberellinA34 and decreased levels of 12-hydroxydodecanoic acid; these metabolites could be diagnostic and predictive markers of ESCC. An increase in the abundance of Enterobacteriaceae and Lactobacillus significantly reduced the content of L-aspartate and pantothenic acid, which may be involved in the occurrence and development of ESCC by downregulating the expression of proteins in the pantothenate and coenzyme A biosynthesis pathways. An imbalance in the intestinal flora may decrease the number of eosinophils in peripheral blood, resulting in the activation of an inflammatory response and immune dysfunction, leading to ESCC deterioration. We hypothesize that this imbalance in the gut microbiota can cause an imbalance in intestinal metabolites, which can activate carcinogenic metabolic pathways, affect inflammation and immune function, and play a role in the occurrence and development of ESCC.

Low expression of PINK1 and PARK2 predicts poor prognosis in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The Parkinson's disease (PD) gene family expression is strongly linked to tumor development and progression; PINK1 and PARK2 are essential members of the PD gene family. However, the relationship between PINK1 and PARK2 and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unknown. This research aims to clarify the prognostic value of PINK1 and PARK2 in ESCC.

METHODS

PINK1 and PARK2 protein levels in 232 ESCC specimens, and 125 matched adjacent normal tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry. The relationship between PINK1 and PARK2 protein expression and clinicopathological features were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to estimate the prognostic value of the PINK1 and PARK2 proteins in patients. Cox univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess the risk factors affecting the OS for patients with ESCC.

RESULTS

PINK1 and PARK2 had low expression in ESCC. Patients with low PINK1 had worse differentiation and advanced T and TNM stages. Lower PARK2 expression was linked to lymph node metastases and an advanced TNM stage. Furthermore, reduced PINK1 and PARK2 levels were associated with a poor prognosis for ESCC. Cox univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that PINK1, PARK2, and tumor size were closely associated with the prognosis of patients with ESCC, and PARK2 was an independent risk factor for patients with ESCC. Finally, the PINK1 and PARK2 proteins were closely related and shared the same signal pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

PINK1 and PARK2 could work as tumor suppressors in ESCC and are likely to become new treatment targets for ESCC.