The tangled web of dyslipidemia and cancer: Is there any association?

Random Forest Analysis of Out-of-Pocket Health Expenditures Associated with Cardiometabolic Diseases, Lifestyle, Lipid Profile, and Genetic Information in São Paulo, Brazil

Background/Objectives: There is a lack of empirical studies of out-of-pocket health expenditures associated with dyslipidemias, which are major cardiovascular risk factors, especially in underrepresented admixed populations. The study investigates associations of health costs with lipid traits, GWAS-derived genetic risk scores (GRSs), and other cardiometabolic risk factors. Methods: Data from the observational cross-sectional 2015 ISA-Nutrition comprised lifestyle, environmental factors, socioeconomic and demographic variables, and biochemical and genetic markers related to the occurrence of cardiometabolic diseases. GWAS-derived genetic risk scores were estimated from SNPs previously associated with lipid traits. There was phenotypic and genetic information available for 490 independent individuals, which was used as inputs for random forests and logistic regression to explain private quantitative and categorical health costs. Results: There were significant correlations between GRSs and their respective lipid phenotypes. The main relevant variables across techniques and outcome variables comprised income per capita, principal components of ancestry, diet quality, global physical activity, inflammatory and lipid markers, and LDL-c GRS and non-HDL-c GRS. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of quartile-based categorical health expenditure without GRSs was 0.76. GRSs were not significant for this categorical outcome. Conclusions: We present an original contribution to the investigation of determinants of private health expenditures in a highly admixed population, providing insights on associations between genetic and socioeconomic dimensions of health in Brazil. Ancestry information was also among the main factors contributing to health expenses, providing a novel view of the role of genetic ancestry on cardiometabolic risk factors and its potential impact on health costs.

Ganoderma pfeifferi Bres. and Ganoderma resinaceum Boud. as Potential Therapeutic Agents: A Comparative Study on Antiproliferative and Lipid-Lowering Properties

Medicinal mushrooms, especially Ganoderma species, hold immense promise for the production of a wide range of bioactive compounds with various effects. The biochemical potential of indigenous fungal strains, specific to a region, could play a critical role in the continuous search for novel strains with superior activities on a global scale. This research focused on the ethanolic (EtOH) and hot-water (H2O) extracts of fruiting bodies of two wild-growing Ganoderma species: G. pfeifferi and G. resinaceum, with the aim of assessing their nutritional (total carbohydrate content-TCC) and mineral composition in relation to bioactive properties: antioxidant, antiproliferative and lipid-lowering. Atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) revealed that G. pfeifferi is a promising source of minerals that are essential for numerous physiological functions in the human body like bone health and muscle and nerve function, with Ca (4.55 ± 0.41 mg/g d.w.) and Mg (1.33 ± 0.09 mg/g d.w.) being the most abundant macroelement present. Zn, Mn, and Cr were particularly notable, with concentrations ranging from 21.49 to 41.70 mg/kg d.w. The EtOH extract of G. pfeifferi demonstrated significantly elevated levels of TCC, essential macromolecules for energy and structural functions in the body, with higher quantities of all three standard carbohydrates detected in this type of extract. Similar to the revealed composition, the same species, G. pfeifferi, stood out as the most prominent antioxidant agent, with the H2O extract being stronger than EtOH in the ABTS assay (86.85 ± 0.67 mg TE/g d.w.), while the EtOH extract displayed the highest anti-OH• scavenging ability (IC50 = 0.18 ± 0.05 μg/mL) as well as the most notable reducing potential among all. The highest antiproliferative effect against the breast cancer cell line (MCF-7), were demonstrated by the H2O extracts from G. resinaceum with the most pronounced activity after 24 h (IC50 = 4.88 ± 0.50 μg/mL), which surpasses that of the standard compound, ellagic acid (IC50 = 33.94 ± 3.69 μg/mL). Administration of both Ganoderma extracts mitigated diabetic lipid disturbances and exhibited potential renal and hepatic protection in vivo on white Wistar rats by the preservation of kidney function parameters in G. resinaceum H2O pre-treatment (urea: 6.27 ± 0.64 mmol/L, creatinine: 50.00 ± 6.45 mmol/L) and the reduction in ALT levels (17.83 ± 3.25 U/L) compared to diabetic control groups treated with saline (urea: 46.98 ± 6.01 mmol/L, creatinine: 289.25 ± 73.87 mmol/L, and ALT: 60.17 ± 9.64 U/L). These results suggest that pre-treatment with G. resinaceum H2O extracts may have potential antidiabetic properties. In summary, detected microelements are vital for maintaining overall health, supporting metabolic processes, and protecting against various chronic diseases. Further research and dietary assessments could help determine the full potential and applications of the two underexplored Ganoderma species native to Serbia in nutrition and health supplements.

Associations between "Cancer Risk", "Inflammation" and "Metabolic Syndrome": A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Individuals with metabolic syndrome exhibit simultaneously pro-thrombotic and pro-inflammatory conditions which more probably can lead to cardiovascular diseases progression, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and some types of cancer. The present scoping review is aimed at highlighting the association between cancer risk, inflammation, and metabolic syndrome.

METHODS

A search strategy was performed, mixing keywords and MeSH terms, such as "Cancer Risk", "Inflammation", "Metabolic Syndrome", "Oncogenesis", and "Oxidative Stress", and matching them through Boolean operators. A total of 20 manuscripts were screened for the present study. Among the selected papers, we identified some associations with breast cancer, colorectal cancer, esophageal adenocarcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and cancer in general.

CONCLUSIONS

Cancer and its related progression may also depend also on a latent chronic inflammatory condition associated with other concomitant conditions, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and obesity. Therefore, prevention may potentially help individuals to protect themselves from cancer.

Metabolic Syndrome and Survival Outcomes in Endometrial Cancer

Menopause, through attributable estrogen level decline and the corresponding increase in circulating androgens, significantly elevates a woman's risk for cardiometabolic diseases, including metabolic syndrome (MetS), type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Metabolic syndrome itself is a cluster of interconnected risk factors, and among them, central obesity is a well-established factor for the development of endometrial cancer (EC), the most common gynecologic malignancy. This research investigates the impact of metabolic syndrome on survival rates among patients with endometrial cancer. The goal is to assess whether having metabolic syndrome or its individual components influences disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival, and recurrence rates. Understanding this link is crucial for determining risk levels and could help tailor treatment approaches for better long-term outcomes in endometrial cancer care.

Triglyceride-inflammation score established on account of random survival forest for predicting survival in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a retrospective study

Objective

This study aimed to establish an effective prognostic model based on triglyceride and inflammatory markers, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), to predict overall survival (OS) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Additionally, we aimed to explore the interaction and mediation between these biomarkers in their association with OS.

Methods

A retrospective review was conducted on 259 NPC patients who had blood lipid markers, including triglyceride and total cholesterol, as well as parameters of peripheral blood cells measured before treatment. These patients were followed up for over 5 years, and randomly divided into a training set (n=155) and a validation set (n=104). The triglyceride-inflammation (TI) score was developed using the random survival forest (RSF) algorithm. Subsequently, a nomogram was created. The performance of the prognostic model was measured by the concordance index (C-index), time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA). The interaction and mediation between the biomarkers were further analyzed. Bioinformatics analysis based on the GEO dataset was used to investigate the association between triglyceride metabolism and immune cell infiltration.

Results

The C-index of the TI score was 0.806 in the training set, 0.759 in the validation set, and 0.808 in the entire set. The area under the curve of time-dependent ROC of TI score in predicting survival at 1, 3, and 5 years were 0.741, 0.847, and 0.871 respectively in the training set, and 0.811, 0.837, and 0.758 in the validation set, then 0.771, 0.848, and 0.862 in the entire set, suggesting that TI score had excellent performance in predicting OS in NPC patients. Patients with stage T1-T2 or M0 had significantly lower TI scores, NLR, and PLR, and higher LMR compared to those with stage T3-T3 or M1, respectively. The nomogram, which integrated age, sex, clinical stage, and TI score, demonstrated good clinical usefulness and predictive ability, as evaluated by the DCA. Significant interactions were found between triglyceride and NLR and platelet, but triglyceride did not exhibit any medicating effects in the inflammatory markers. Additionally, NPC tissues with active triglyceride synthesis exhibited high immune cell infiltration.

Conclusion

The TI score based on RSF represents a potential prognostic factor for NPC patients, offering convenience and economic advantages. The interaction between triglyceride and NLR may be attributed to the effect of triglyceride metabolism on immune response.

Therapeutic potential of lipin inhibitors for the treatment of cancer

Lipins are phosphatidic acid phosphatases (PAP) that catalyze the conversion of phosphatidic acid (PA) to diacylglycerol (DAG). Three lipin isoforms have been identified: lipin-1, -2 and -3. In addition to their PAP activity, lipin-1 and -2 act as transcriptional coactivators and corepressors. Lipins have been intensely studied for their role in regulation of lipid metabolism and adipogenesis; however, lipins are hypothesized to mediate several pathologies, such as those involving metabolic diseases, neuropathy and even cognitive impairment. Recently, an emerging role for lipins have been proposed in cancer. The study of lipins in cancer has been hampered by lack of inhibitors that have selectivity for lipins, that differentiate between lipin family members, or that are suitable for in vivo studies. Such inhibitors have the potential to be extremely useful as both molecular tools and therapeutics. This review describes the expression and function of lipins in various tissues and their roles in several diseases, but with an emphasis on their possible role in cancer. The mechanisms by which lipins mediate cancer cell growth are discussed and the potential usefulness of selective lipin inhibitors is hypothesized. Finally, recent studies reporting the crystallization of lipin-1 are discussed to facilitate rational design of novel lipin inhibitors.

The role of coenzyme Q10 as a preventive and therapeutic agent for the treatment of cancers

Currently, several options are available for the prevention and treatment of cancers; however, many limitations remain with these approaches. Recently, antioxidants have become important preventive and therapeutic alternatives with few adverse events and minimum cost. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a naturally occurring component that performs an anticancer function by reducing oxidative stress. CoQ10 supplementation as an adjuvant therapy offers more progress in the elimination and development of cancers. This review aimed to critically assess and summarize the implication of CoQ10 in cancers, highlighting possible mechanisms, and future directions of research for the standardization of the current regimen for cancer prevention and treatment.

Life-long consumption of high level of fruits and vegetables reduces tumor incidence and extends median lifespan in mice

Objective

Epidemiological studies suggest that consumption of fruits and vegetables (FV) is negatively associated with the incidence of certain cancers and mortality. However, a causal relationship has not been demonstrated. Thus, we investigated the effect of life-long consumption of high level of FV on median lifespan, key biological functions, and pathologies in mice fed low-fat (LF) or high-fat (HF) diets and the underlying mechanisms.

Methods

Using a 2 × 2 factorial design, 5 weeks-old male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to one of four groups (n = 60/group): LF (LF-C, 10% kcal fat), HF (HF-C, 45% kcal fat) or each supplemented with 15% (w/w) of a unique FV mixture (LF + FV and HF + FV, respectively). Mice were euthanized when one group reached 50% mortality. Body weight and composition, tumor incidence, and death were monitored. Blood levels of lipids and pro-inflammatory cytokines were assessed.

Results

After 21 months of feeding, HF-C group reached 50% mortality, at which time mice in all groups were terminated. HF-C had higher mortality (50.0%) compared to the LF-C group (18.3%, p = 0.0008). Notably, HF-FV had lower mortality (23.3%) compared to HF-C group (p = 0.008); there was no significant difference in mortality between HF-FV and LF-C groups. Tumors were found in all groups, and were predominantly present in the liver, followed by those of lung, intestine, and seminal vesicle. Tumor incidence in the HF-C group (73.3%) was higher than that in LF-C group (30.0%, p < 0.0001). HF + FV group had 23.3% lower tumor incidence compared to the HF-C group (p = 0.014). No significant difference in tumor incidence between the LF-C and LF + FV groups was observed. Long-term FV supplementation reduced systemic inflammation and blood lipids.

Conclusion

We provide the first causal evidence that life-long intake of a diet, containing a high level and large variety of FV, decreases tumor incidence and extends median lifespan in mice fed a western-style high-fat diet. These effects of FV are at least in part due to reduced blood levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and improved dyslipidemia.

Regulation of cholesterol metabolism: New players for an old physiological process

Identified more than two centuries ago, cholesterol plays a pivotal role in human physiology. Since cholesterol metabolism is a physiologically significant process, it is not surprising that its alterations are associated with several pathologies. The discovery of new molecular targets or compounds able to modulate this sophisticated metabolism has been capturing the attention of research groups worldwide since many years. Endogenous and exogenous compounds are known to regulate cellular cholesterol synthesis and uptake, or reduce cholesterol absorption at the intestinal level, thereby regulating cholesterol homeostasis. However, there is a great need of new modulators and diverse new pathways have been uncovered. Here, after illustrating cholesterol metabolism and its well-known regulators, some new players of this important physiological process are also described.

Atherosclerosis, Diabetes Mellitus, and Cancer: Common Epidemiology, Shared Mechanisms, and Future Management

The involvement of cardiovascular disease in cancer onset and development represents a contemporary interest in basic science. It has been recognized, from the most recent research, that metabolic syndrome-related conditions, ranging from atherosclerosis to diabetes, elicit many pathways regulating lipid metabolism and lipid signaling that are also linked to the same framework of multiple potential mechanisms for inducing cancer. Otherwise, dyslipidemia and endothelial cell dysfunction in atherosclerosis may present common or even interdependent changes, similar to oncogenic molecules elevated in many forms of cancer. However, whether endothelial cell dysfunction in atherosclerotic disease provides signals that promote the pre-clinical onset and proliferation of malignant cells is an issue that requires further understanding, even though more questions are presented with every answer. Here, we highlight the molecular mechanisms that point to a causal link between lipid metabolism and glucose homeostasis in metabolic syndrome-related atherosclerotic disease with the development of cancer. The knowledge of these breakthrough mechanisms may pave the way for the application of new therapeutic targets and for implementing interventions in clinical practice.