Comprehensive analysis of the role of ubiquitin-specific peptidases in colorectal cancer: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most frequent and the second most fatal cancer. The search for more effective drugs to treat this disease is ongoing. A better understanding of the mechanisms of CRC development and progression may reveal new therapeutic strategies. Ubiquitin-specific peptidases (USPs), the largest group of the deubiquitinase protein family, have long been implicated in various cancers. There have been numerous studies on the role of USPs in CRC; however, a comprehensive view of this role is lacking.

AIM

To provide a systematic review of the studies investigating the roles and functions of USPs in CRC.

METHODS

We systematically queried the MEDLINE (via PubMed), Scopus, and Web of Science databases.

RESULTS

Our study highlights the pivotal role of various USPs in several processes implicated in CRC: Regulation of the cell cycle, apoptosis, cancer stemness, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, metastasis, DNA repair, and drug resistance. The findings of this study suggest that USPs have great potential as drug targets and noninvasive biomarkers in CRC. The dysregulation of USPs in CRC contributes to drug resistance through multiple mechanisms.

CONCLUSION

Targeting specific USPs involved in drug resistance pathways could provide a novel therapeutic strategy for overcoming resistance to current treatment regimens in CRC.

Association of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease with the different types of dietary carbohydrates: a cross-sectional study

Background

Many factors like sedentary lifestyle, metabolic syndrome, and obesity are involved in the increased prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Dietary consumption of carbohydrates may has a role in the risk of NAFLD. This study aimed to investigate the association of NAFLD with the different types of dietary carbohydrates.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was carried out on 4200 participants including 660 patients with NAFLD and 3540 helathy individuals without NAFLD ages 35 to 70 in sabzevar, Iran. Data on socio-deomgraphic status, anthropomrtric measurments, blood tests, and dietary intake of different types of dietary carbohydrates was collected.

Results

The patients with NAFLD had a significantly higher dietary intake of glucose (29.38 ± 18.29 vs. 27.42 ± 15.96 g/d, P = 0.01) and fructose (33.99 ± 20.19 vs. 31.95 ± 18.34 g/d, P = 0.01) compared to the healthy people. A positive association was observed between NAFLD with the total intake of carbohydrates after adjustment for age, sex, and BMI (OR: 1.001, CI 95%: 1-1.002, P = 0.04) The association remained significant after further adjustments for for education level, marital status, physical activity, smoking, and drinking alcohol (Model 2) and after additional adjustments for calorie intake (Model 3).

Conclusions

This study showed a positive association between total dietary carbohydrate and NAFLD. In particular, the amount of dietary of carbohydrates (regardless of the type of carbohydrate) may worsen NAFLD. Further longitudinal studies are warranted.

REPCAN: Guideline for REporting Population-based CANcer Registry Data

Background: The objective of this study was to develop a guideline on how to report result of a population-based cancer registry. Methods: The guideline's development involved a core working committee and a scientific committee comprising experts from diverse domains. The process comprised three steps: 1) a comprehensive review of existing tools and guidelines and the development of the initial draft of the guideline based on a review of literature, 2) refinement items through several rounds of focus group discussion among the core group, and development initial draft, and 3) Evaluation of the initial draft by scientific committee members. Items in the guideline were organized to accommodate reports of population-based cancer registries as a scientific manuscript. Results: The core committee developed 47 items distributed in the major heading of a scientific manuscript presented as a checklist. The evaluation of the scientific committee led to a consensus on the majority of the items included in the checklist. Among 10 committee members, 7 provided unreserved approval, validating each item's necessity, applicability, and comprehensibility in the checklist. Feedback from the remaining 3 members was carefully analyzed and integrated to enhance the guideline's robustness. Incorporating feedback, a first final draft was presented in a meeting of scientific and core working committee members. Collaborative discussion ensured clarity of expression for each items and a final checklist was developed. Conclusion: The guideline abbreviated as REPCAN offers a standardized framework for reporting population-based cancer registry, fostering transparency, comparability, and comprehensive data presentation. The guideline encourages flexibility while promoting comprehensive and robust reporting practices.

Risk of second primary cancer among breast cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives

The aim of this study was to estimate the extra risk of second primary cancer among breast cancer patients.

Methods and materials

This is a systematic review. A comprehensive search of literature was performed in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane library, and Scopus. The search included all published studies up to October 2022. This systematic review included studies published in the English language that reported the risk of second primary non-breast cancer [i.e., standardized incidence ratio (SIR)] among breast cancer patients older than 15 years. After evaluating the methodological quality of the selected studies, SIRs were pooled with consideration of heterogeneity among studies. The estimates were pooled by age and time since the diagnosis of primary breast cancer for both sexes (male and female). Age was categorized based on before 50 years and after 50 years, and time was categorized as duration of less than and more than 10 years, respectively.

Results

From 2,484 articles, 30 articles were eligible for inclusion in the systematic review and meta-analysis. The studies varied in terms of population, number of cases, study design, setting, and year of implementation of the research. The estimated SIR for men and women was 1.28 (95% CI: 1.18, 1.38) and 1.27 (95% CI: 1.15, 1.39), respectively. Women diagnosed with breast cancer before menopause [SIR: 1.52 (95% CI: 1.34, 1.71) vs. 1.21 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.34)] as well as women after 10 years since their breast cancer diagnosis [1.33 (95% CI: 1.22, 1.431) vs. 1.24 (95% CI: 1.10, 1.37)] were at a higher risk of developing second primary cancer. Among men, while there were no differences in risk based on age, with the increase of time, the risk of second primary cancer was reduced [SIR: 1.22 (95% CI: 1.12, 1.33) vs. 1.00 (95% CI: 0.79, 1.22)].

Conclusion

There is an extra risk of second primary cancer among breast cancer patients. The extra risk should be considered for further screening and preventive measures among this population.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=336062, identifier (CRD42022336062).

Survival of gastric cancer patients in Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Aim

This study aimed to estimate the survival rates among Iranian gastric cancer patients and to evaluate if the survival has improved during the last three decades.

Background

Gastric cancer is one of the most common cancers in Iran with high mortality.

Methods

A systematic review and meta-analysis of all published studies addressing gastric cancer survival in Iran was performed. International databases of Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Iranian databases were included in the study. The study included databases from their inception till February 2022. Due to the inherent heterogeneity, we used a random effect model to pool the survivals in three categories of one, three, and five-year survivals.

Results

Thirty-three studies with total cases of 17,207 were included in the study. The overall (pooled) one, three, and five-year survivals were estimated as 58.9% (95% CI: 0.52, 0.66), 29.9% (95% CI: 0.25, 0.35), and 18.2% (95% CI: 0.15, 0.23), respectively. Results of subgroup analysis for the calendar years of study showed that the one, three, and five-year survival rates increased during the last three decades but the results were not statistically significant. There was the disparity in survival based on geographic distribution.

Conclusion

The results of our study which has pooled many studies for a long period of time clearly indicate that the survival rates of gastric cancer patients have improved. As the improvement of survival may be due to many factors, more studies is needed to understand the dynamic behind this improvement.

Associations between the dietary inflammatory index with obesity and body fat in male adolescents

BACKGROUND

Obesity and body composition may be affected by the pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory components of diets. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between the dietary inflammatory index (DII) and body fat percentage (BF%) in male adolescents.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was carried out on 535 adolescent boys in Tehran, Iran. Bio-impedance analyzer (BIA) scale was used to measure body mass index (BMI) and body composition. A validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to measure DII.

RESULTS

Participants with higher BF% (≥ 19.2%) had higher BMI (P < 0.001), DII, and intake of saturated fatty acids (SFAs), compared with the participants with lower BF%. Participants with a lower DII had significantly higher intakes of fibers (P < 0.001) and lower intakes of fats, SFAs, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), oleic acid and linoleic acid (P < 0.05) compared with the participants with higher DII (P < 0.01). High BF% was positively associated to DII (OR = 1.6, CI 95%: 1.1-2.3, P = 0.019). Adjustments for age, BMI, physical activity, mothers' marital status and educational level and the number of siblings did not change the results.

CONCLUSIONS

Following a diet with a low inflammatory index score was associated to lower BF% in male adolescents. Thus, a diet rich in anti-inflammatory factors may effectively improve body composition and prevent obesity in adolescents. Further comprehensive studies are necessary to verify these findings and to identify the underlying mechanisms.

The association among calorie, macronutrient, and micronutrient intake with colorectal cancer: A case-control study

The risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) can be influenced by dietary components. This study aims to investigate the association between dietary intake and CRC in Iranian adults. This hospital‐based case–control study was performed on 160 patients with CRC and 320 healthy people. General and pathological data were collected through face‐to‐face interviews. A validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to assess the intake of calories, macronutrients, and micronutrients. The case group had a significantly higher intake of calories, carbohydrates, vitamin A, vitamin K, fluoride, and molybdenum and a lower intake of vitamin E, vitamin B1, beta carotene, biotin, folate, magnesium, selenium, manganese, and fiber (all p < .001). CRC was positively associated with the intake of carbohydrate (OR: 1.01, CI% 1.03–1.01, p = .001), and vitamin A (OR: 1.009, CI 95% 1.006–1.01, p = .001) and negatively associated with intake of fiber (OR: 0.67, CI 95% 0.59–0.76, p = .001), beta carotene (OR: 0.99, CI 95% 0.99–0.99, p = .001), vitamin E (OR: 0.27, CI 95% 0.15–0.47, p = .001), folate (OR: 0.98 CI 95% 0.97–0.98, p = .001), and biotin (OR: 0.83, CI 95% 0.77–0.90, p = .001). The associations remained significant after adjusting for age and sex. Further adjustments for physical activity, alcohol consumption, and smoking did not change the results. The results identified that the risk of colorectal cancer can be influenced by dietary intake. Further longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings and to identify the underlying mechanisms of the effects of dietary components on the risk of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal Cancer Mortality in Kazakhstan: Spatio-Temporal Epidemiological Assessment

OBJECTIVE

The aim is to study the trends in colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality in Kazakhstan.

METHODS

The retrospective study was done using descriptive and analytical methods of oncoepidemiology. The extensive, crude and age-specific mortality rates are determined according to the generally accepted methodology used in sanitary statistics.

RESULTS

CRC mortality in Kazakhstan is considered to be increasing. Therefore, this study (for the period 2009-2018) was undertaken to retrospectively evaluate data across the country available from the central registration bureau. Age standardized data for mortality was generated and compared across age groups. It was determined that during the studied period 15,200 died of this pathology. During the studied years an average age of the dead made 69.8 years (95%CI=69.5-70.0). The average annual standardized mortality rate was 10.2 per 100,000, and in dynamics tended to decrease. Peak of mortality was noted in aged 60-84 years. Trends in age-related mortality rates had a pronounced tendency to increase in 30-34 years (T=+11.7%, R2=0.7980) and to decrease in 75-79 years (T=-16.4%, R2=0.8881). In many regions, there is a decrease in the number of deaths. During the compilation of cartograms, mortality rates were determined on the basis of standardized indicators: low - up to 8.9, average - from 8.9 to 11.5, high - above 11.5 per 100,000 for the entire population. In addition, all calculations were made taking into account age-sex differences.

CONCLUSION

Trends in mortality from CRC in recent years have decreased from 11.2 to 7.7 per 100,000 of the total population, while the trend is stable (T=-3.6%, R2=0.8745). The study of regional mortality has theoretical and practical significance: monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of early detection and treatment of detected pathology. Health authorities should take into account the results obtained when organizing anti-cancer measures.

Development of a Critical Appraisal Tool (AIMRDA) for the Peer-Review of Studies Assessing the Anticancer Activity of Natural Products: A Step towards Reproducibility

The journal of APJCP (Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention) focuses to gather relevant and up-to-date novel information’s related to cancer sciences. The research methodologies and approaches adopted by the researcher are prone to variation which may be desirable in the context of novel scientific findings however, the reproducibility for these studies needs to be unified and assured. The reproducibility issues are highly concerned when preclinical studies are reported in cancer, for natural products in particular. The natural products and medicinal plants are prone to a wide variation in terms of phytochemistry and phyto-pharmacology, ultimately affecting the end results for cancer studies. Hence the need for specific guidelines to adopt a best-practice in cancer research are utmost essential. The current AIMRDA guidelines aims to develop a consensus-based tool in order to enhance the quality and assure the reproducibility of studies reporting natural products in cancer prevention. A core working committee of the experts developed an initial draft for the guidelines where more focus was kept for the inclusion of specific items not covered in previous published tools. The initial draft was peer-reviewed, experts-views provided, and improved by a scientific committee comprising of field research experts, editorial experts of different journals, and academics working in different organization worldwide. The feedback from continuous online meetings, mail communications, and webinars resulted a final draft in the shape of a checklist tool, covering the best practices related to the field of natural products research in cancer prevention and treatment. It is mandatory for the authors to read and follow the AIMRDA tool, and be aware of the good-practices to be followed in cancer research prior to any submission to APJCP. Though the tool is developed based on experts in the field, it needs to be further updated and validated in practice via implementation in the field.

The association between FTO rs9939609 polymorphism and serum lipid profile in adult women

BACKGROUND

FTO gene is considered to play an important role in many metabolic diseases. Evidence from studies indicated the possible association between the FTO rs9939609 polymorphisms with serum lipid profile. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association of FTO rs9939609 polymorphism with lipid profile in Iranian women.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was carried out on 380 adult women. Information about age, height, weight, BMI, physical activity, and dietary intake were collected. The serum levels of Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), High Density Lipoprotein (HDL), Triglyceride (TG), and total cholesterol were measured. The FTO gene was genotyped for rs9939609 polymorphism. The participants were divided into two groups of TT and AT/AA considering dominant model of FTO rs9939609 polymorphism.

RESULTS

General characteristics of the participants with different FTO genotypes were not significantly different. The lower levels of HDL were observed in AT/AA genotypes compared to the TT wild type genotype of FTO rs9939609 polymorphism (P = 0.004). Adjustments of age, BMI, and physical activity did not change the results.

CONCLUSIONS

However, the significant association between FTO genotype and the HDL level was disappeared after further adjustments for dietary intake. Further studies are warranted to identify the underlying mechanisms of the possible association between FTO gene and serum lipid profile.

The Association of Fat-Mass-and Obesity-Associated Gene Polymorphism (rs9939609) With Colorectal Cancer: A Case-Control Study

Background and Aim

The association between the rs9939609 polymorphism of fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO) and risk of colorectal cancer is controversial. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between FTO rs9939609 polymorphism and colorectal cancer (CRC) in Iranian people.

Methods

A case-control study was conducted on 125 patients with CRC and 250 healthy subjects in Tehran, Iran. Demographic data and blood samples were collected from all participants. Genotyping of rs9939609 polymorphism was performed by the tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (T-ARMS-PCR) method.

Results

The occurrence of AA genotype of FTO rs9939609 polymorphism in the colorectal cancer patients was significantly higher compared to that of healthy subjects (16.4 vs. 2.9%, respectively, P=0.02). The association between the frequency of risk allele of the FTO polymorphism and CRC (B=1.67, P=0.042) remained significant after adjustment for age. Further adjustment for gender (model 2) and marital status (model 3) did not change this result (B=1.67, P= 0.042 and B=1.67, P=0.043, respectively). The results remained significant after additional adjustment for ethnicity (B=1.57, P= 0.047).

Conclusion

We found a positive association between the A allele of the rs9939609 polymorphism and CRC. Future studies are required to identify the underlying mechanisms.

Preparing for the Next Pandemic: An Asian National Cancer Centers Alliance (ANCCA) Initiative

The COVID-pandemic has shown significant impact on cancer care from early detection, management plan to clinical outcomes of cancer patients. The Asian National Cancer Centres Alliance (ANCCA) has put together the 9 “Ps” as guidelines for cancer programs to better prepare for the next pandemic. The 9 “Ps” are Priority, Protocols and Processes, Patients, People, Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs), Pharmaceuticals, Places, Preparedness, and Politics.

The Potential Role of Extracellular Vesicles in COVID-19 Treatment: Opportunity and Challenge

SARS-CoV-2 infection has become an urgent public health concern worldwide, severely affecting our society and economy due to the long incubation time and high prevalence. People spare no effort on the rapid development of vaccine and treatment all over the world. Amongst the numerous ways of tackling this pandemic, some approaches using extracellular vesicles (EVs) are emerging. In this review, we summarize current prevalence and pathogenesis of COVID-19, involving the combination of SARS-CoV-2 and virus receptor ACE2, endothelial dysfunction and micro thrombosis, together with cytokine storm. We also discuss the ongoing EVs-based strategies for the treatment of COVID-19, including mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-EVs, drug-EVs, vaccine-EVs, platelet-EVs, and others. This manuscript provides the foundation for the development of targeted drugs and vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Histopathologic Characteristics of Invasive and Non-invasive Ductal Tumors have Relationship with Different Phenotypes of ER / PR Receptors in Breast Cancer Patients

Objective: Contradictory reports have been published regarding the expression levels of the hormone receptors of estrogen and progesterone (ER / PR) and theirclinical importance in diagnosis of breast cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between pathological features of invasive and non-invasive ductal tumors by different ER / PR phenotypes. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 74 specimens of breast cancer referred to Isfahan Hospitals for diagnosis between 2015 - 2018. After fixation of the specimens in formalin, tissue passage, cross section and H / E staining, the specimens were divided into two groups: non- invasive and Invasive ductal Carcinoma. After removing of mask, expression of different ER / PR phenotypes was performed using primary monoclonal antibody and immunohistochemically methods. Results: From 74 malignant specimens, 61 (82.4%) were in the category of invasive ductal tumors and 13 cases (17.6%) were in the category of non-invasive ductal tumors. Out of 73 patients with positive ER or PR phenotype 47 samples (63.5%) had ER + / PR +phenotypes, 6 samples had (8.1%) ER+ / PR –phenotype, 20 samples (27%) had ER- / PR + phenotype and only one sample (1.4%) had the ER- / PR- phenotype and was in the category of invasive ductal tumors. There was not detected ER- / PR- phenotype expression in non-invasive ductal tumor. Further analysis showed that there were not significant difference between ER / PR phenotype and tumor stage (p =0.36) or with tumor Grade (P=0.38), high age of menopause or post menopause (P> 0.05). Conclusion: Our data shows that expression of ER- / PR- phenotype only was detected in invasive ductal tumor. It is thought that the tumor type maybe affects the expression of different types of ER / PR hormone receptor phenotypes in breast cancer patients.

Effect of glutamine supplementation on inflammatory markers in critically ill patients supported with enteral or parenteral feeding

BACKGROUND

Glutamine plays an important role in acute catabolic conditions in critically ill patients. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the effect of glutamine supplementation on inflammatory markers in critically ill patients supported with enteral feeding (EN) or parenteral feeding (PN).

METHODS

PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase were explored to identify the studies investigating the effect of glutamine on serum inflammatory markers in intensive care unit patients. All randomized clinical trials that assessed the effect of glutamine supplementation on "inflammatory markers" in EN or PN were included in the study. Because a small number of studies were included, SE was adjusted for overall effect size by using the Knapp-Hartung method.

RESULTS

In this study, 2728 eligible studies were initially included, and 10 eligible case-control studies were finally enrolled for further investigations. There was a statistical reduction between preintervention and postintervention CRP levels (standardized mean difference [SMD] = -0.38 mg/L; 95% CI, -0.72 to -0.03). No significant association was found between L-glutamine supplementation in the EN/PN and interleukin 6 (IL-6) (SMD = -0.58 pg/ml; 95% CI, -2.15 to 0.99) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) (SMD = 2.69 pg/ml; 95% CI, -9.66 to 15.03) compared with the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified that glutamine supplementation might have an important effect on CRP in acute conditions and no significant effect on IL-6 and TNF-α in acute conditions.

Index of Nutritional Quality (INQ) and the Risk of Obesity in Male Adolescents: a Case-Control Study

Dietary factors may play a key role in the etiology of obesity. The Index of Nutritional Quality (INQ) provides a comprehensive overview of the nutrients content of the diet. This study aimed to investigate the association between INQ and obesity in male adolescents. We hypothesize that receiving a high-quality diet reduces the risk of overweight or obese. This study was carried out on 214 obese/overweight as the case group and 321 normal-weight male adolescents as the control group. Dietary intakes of the participants were collected using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The FFQ-derived dietary data were used to calculate the INQ scores. After adjustments for age and height, an inverse association was found between obesity and INQ of iron, vitamin B6, and magnesium, and a positive association was found between obesity and INQ of zinc (all P < 0.05). After further adjustments for nutritional knowledge and calorie intake, an inverse association was observed between obesity and INQ of vitamin C, iron, vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, selenium, and magnesium (all P < 0.05). The positive association of obesity and INQ of zinc remained significant after adjustments. A higher intake of vitamin C, iron, vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, selenium, and magnesium and a lower intake of zinc may be protective against adolescent obesity. More longitudinal studies are required to investigate the relationship between these nutrients and obesity.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Cancer Care in the Post Pandemic World: Five Major Lessons Learnt from Challenges and Countermeasures of Major Asian Cancer Centres

Objective:

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected healthcare services around Asia. The Asian National Cancer Centres Alliance and the Asia-Pacific Organisation for Cancer Prevention collaborated to assess the mid- and long- term impact of COVID-19 to cancer care in Asia.

Methods:

The two entities organised a combined symposium and post-meeting interactions among representatives of major cancer centres from seventeen Asian countries to outlining major challenges and countermeasures.

Results:

Participating stakeholders distilled five big questions. 1) “Will there be an explosion of late-stage cancers after the pandemic?” To address and recover from perceived delayed prevention, screening, treatment and care challenges, collaboration of key stakeholders in the region and alignment in cancer care management, policy intervention and cancer registry initiatives would be of essential value. 2) “Operations and Finance” The pandemic has resulted in significant material and financial casualties. Flagged acute challenges (shortages of supplies, imposition of lockdown) as well as longer-standing reduction of financial revenue, manpower, international collaboration, and training should also be addressed. 3) “Will telemedicine and technological innovations revolutionize cancer care?” Deploying and implementing telemedicine such as teleconsultation and virtual tumour boards were considered invaluable. These innovations could become a new regular practice, leading to expansion of tele-collaboration through collaboration of institutions in the region. 4) “Will virtual conferences continue after the pandemic?” Virtual conferences during the pandemic have opened new doors for knowledge sharing, especially for representatives of low- and middle-income countries in the region, while saving time and costs of travel. 5) “How do we prepare for the next pandemic or international emergency?” Roadmaps for action to improve access to appropriate patient care and research were identified and scrutinised.

Conclusion:

Through addressing these five big questions, focused collaboration among members and with international organisations such as City Cancer Challenge will allow enhanced preparedness for future international emergencies.

Review on the Oncology Practice in the Midst of COVID-19 Crisis: The Challenges and Solutions

As of late 2019, the outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) –that started in China– has rapidly afflicted all over the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged health-care facilities to provide optimal care. In this context, cancer care requires special attention because of its peculiar status by including patients who are commonly immunocompromised and treatments that are often highly toxic. In this review article, we have classified the main impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on oncology practices –followed by their solutions– into ten categories, including impacts on (1) health care providers, (2) medical equipment, (3) access to medications, (4) treatment approaches, (5) patients’ referral, (6) patients’ accommodation, (7) patients’ psychological health, (8) cancer research, (9) tumor board meetings, and (10) economic income of cancer centers. The effective identification and management of all these challenges will improve the standards of cancer care over the viral pandemic and can be a practical paradigm for possible future crises.

Association between FTO gene polymorphisms and breast cancer: the role of estrogen

Introduction: The fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene may be associated with breast cancer risk. This study aimed to systematically investigate the association between FTO gene polymorphisms and breast cancer and the possible role of estrogen in this association.Areas covered: We performed an extensive search of electronic databases such as PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Cochran for published original studies on the association of FTO gene polymorphisms with breast cancer risk. Keywords such as breast cancer and/or FTO gene and/or polymorphism were used in order to identify the related articles. We excluded studies unrelated to the FTO genotype and the outcome of breast cancer.Expert opinion: FTO gene may have a significant association with the risk of breast cancer. The association between FTO gene polymorphisms and breast cancer was influenced by the status of estrogen receptors. Estrogen may promote breast cancer cell proliferation through up-regulation of FTO gene expression and activation of the PI3 K/Akt signaling pathway in estrogen receptor positive patients. Further studies are warranted to identify the underlying mechanisms and signaling pathways involved in the interactions between FTO gene, estrogen, and the risk of breast cancer.

An Overview of Oncology Researches in Iran: A Scientometric Approach (1974 - February 2019)

BACKGROUND

With the growing rate of tumors, cancer has become one of the most important health concerns in Iran. The urgency with which Iranian researchers and health professionals address this challenge leads to a load of scientific materials.

METHODS

To reveal gaps in produced knowledge and suggest future research directions, applying well-validated scientometric tools, we assessed the trends of Iranian published scientific articles and citations in the field of oncology. The inclusion criteria consisted of all oncology-related articles that were data-based, and peer-reviewed; with at least an abstract published in English; and authored by at least one researcher affiliated with Iranian institutions.

RESULTS

Amongst 5063525 oncology research records indexed in at least one of PubMed, Scopus, or Web of Science Core Collection (WoS) from the start to February 2019, Iranian researches accounted for about 24867 (0.49%). Published articles on all cancers by Iranian researchers had a sharp continuously ascending trend, with the same pattern for citations received. Some important topics such as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies have been missing and some such as diagnostic and pharmaceutical innovations have been less investigated. The most collaborative country was the United States, while no close collaboration was observed with China that was introduced as the most productive country in the field of oncology over the past decades.

CONCLUSION

Despite the progressive trend in most oncology fields, some significant practical topics are still missing. Systematic reviews of produced theoretical innovations and translating them to functional knowledge can be of importance to fulfill the mentioned gaps.

Cancer Care Delivery Challenges Amidst Coronavirus Disease - 19 (COVID-19) Outbreak: Specific Precautions for Cancer Patients and Cancer Care Providers to Prevent Spread

Coronavirus outbreak has affected thousands of people in at least 186 countries which has affected the cancer care delivery system apart from affecting the overall health system. Cancer patients are more susceptible to coronavirus infection than individuals without cancer as they are in an immunosuppressive state because of the malignancy and anticancer treatment. Oncologists should be more attentive to detect coronavirus infection early, as any type of advanced cancer is at much higher risk for unfavorable outcomes. Oncology communities must ensure that cancer patients should spend more time at home and less time out in the community. Oncologists and other health care professionals involved in cancer care have a critical opportunity to communicate to their patients to pass on right information regarding practice modifications in view of COVID-19 outbreaks. Countries must isolate, test, treat and trace to control the coronavirus pandemic. There is a paucity of information on novel coronavirus infection and its impact on cancer patients and cancer care providers. To date, there is no scientific guideline regarding management of cancer patients in a background of coronavirus outbreak.

A pro-inflammatory diet increases the likelihood of obesity and overweight in adolescent boys: a case-control study

BACKGROUND

Obesity and Overweight at an early age can contribute with many chronic diseases such as cancers, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Diet-related inflammation is one of the most important underlying mechanisms that may has a key role in obesity and overweight. This paper aimed to compare the dietary inflammatory index (DII^®) in normal weight and overweight adolescent boys.

METHODS

A total of 535 adolescent boys (214 cases were overweight and obese and 321 controls with normal weight) participated in this study from two schools in Tehran, Iran. The student's weight and body composition were measured using a Bio-Impedance Analyzer (BIA) scale. A validated semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was used to assess dietary inflammatory index.

RESULTS

Results obtained from modeling DII^® as a continuous variable identified a positive association between DII^® and obesity (OR = 1.08, CI 1.01-1.16). After multivariable adjustment, subjects with DII^® > 0.02 had at 1.5 times higher odds of obesity and overweight compared to subjects with DII^® ≤ 0.02 (OR = 1.52; CI 1.04-2.22).

CONCLUSION

Our study indicated the importance of dietary-induced inflammation in the obesity and overweight during adolescence. Therefore, advising adolescent to consume diet with lower DII^® with more fruits and vegetables, rich sources of fiber, flavonoids, zinc, magnesium and selenium and avoiding the consumption of saturated fatty acids (SFA), trans-fatty acids, and cholesterol may support a healthy weight.

Cancer and Opium Addiction

Drug abuse remains a serious health and social threat in the world. According to the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) 1n 2010, an estimated 16.5 million people use opium or its derivatives illicitly (1). Meanwhile, Iran has the first rank in the prevalence of opium consumption (2), and Opium is the most commonly abused drug in Iran (8). Opium is the air-dried extract obtained from the seed capsules of the opium poppy, which is used for recreational or medical purposes in different parts of the world (3).  Approximately 8 to 14 percent of opium is made up of morphine, which is processed chemically to produce heroin and other synthetic opioids for medicinal use and also for drug abuse (4).

Meta-analysis of Studies Investigating Association between FTO Gene Polymorphisms and Breast Cancer

Back Objectives: The aim of this study is to pool the result of studies on the association between FTO gene polymorphisms and breast cancer (BC).Material and Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Science Direct, Scopus, web of science, and Cochran to identify studies investigating the associations between the rs1477196 and rs9939609 polymorphisms and BC risk. We pooled adjusted odds ratios (ORs) as overall. ORs were estimated using a random effects model. Results: In total, 16 articles were included in the final analysis. Considering the dominant model of inheritance, there was an inverse association between the rs1477196 polymorphism and BC (OR 0.76 [0.64- 0.91]). There was not observable heterogeneity (I2: 0.0%, P=.867), but with a small study effect (b=1.19, P=.03) in this analysis. Moreover, there was not any association between the rs9939609 polymorphism and BC (OR 0.98 [0.79- 1.2]). There was not observable heterogeneity (I2: 23.1%, P=.27) and small study effect (b=-3.817, P=.303) in this analysis. Conclusions: The carriers of rs1477196 polymorphism of FTO are at lower risk for BC. Carriers of Rs9939609 polymorphism had no association with Breast cancer risk.

Interactions between macro-nutrients' intake, FTO and IRX3 gene expression, and FTO genotype in obese and overweight male adolescents

This study is the first to identify the effects of FTO genotype on the interactions between the level of macro-nutrients intake and the expression level of fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) and homeobox transcription factor iriquois-3 (IRX3) genes This longitudinal study was carried out on 84 overweight and obese adolescent boys in Tehran, Iran. The rs9930506 SNP in FTO was genotyped at baseline and the level of FTO and IRX3 expression in PBMCs and macro-nutrients' intake were assessed at baseline and after 18 weeks of the intervention. The results identified that the higher carbohydrates intake significantly up-regulated the FTO gene (P = 0.001) and down-regulated the IRX3 gene (P = 0.01). Protein intake up-regulated the FTO gene (P = 0.001). In carriers of GG genotype of FTO gene, the amount of dietary carbohydrate had a positive association with FTO gene expression (p = 0.001, and p = 0.04, respectively). In AA/AG carriers, dietary protein was positively associated with FTO gene expression (p = 0.001) and dietary carbohydrate was negatively associated with IRX3 gene expression (P = 0.04). Therefore, dietary carbohydrateseems to be associated with FTO and IRX3 genes expression. These associations are influenced by FTO genotype.

Up-regulation of FTO gene expression was associated with increase in skeletal muscle mass in overweight male adolescents

INTRODUCTION

The modifying effect of FTO gene expression level on change in body mass index and body composition has not been studied before. This study aimed to investigate the association between change in the expression level of the FTO gene and changes in anthropometric measurements in obese and overweight adolescent boys.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Eighty-four boys aged 12 to 16 years participated in this longitudinal study. A Bio Impedance Analyzer (BIA) was used to estimate percentage of body fat (%BF) and percentage of skeletal muscle (%SM). The FTO gene expression level in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was assessed using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). All measurements were performed at baseline and after 18 weeks.

RESULTS

After 18 weeks, mean weight was reduced by 2.39 kg, body mass index by 0.09 kg/m², %BF by 0.82% and %SM increased by 0.44%. Moreover, the level of FTO gene expression increased 0.42-fold higher than baseline. The change in expression level of the FTO gene was positively associated with change in %SM (β = 0.31, p = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

FTO gene expression change was associated with change in %SM in male adolescents. Future studies are required to assess the interactions between FTO gene expression in different tissues and body composition.

Changes in FTO and IRX3 gene expression in obese and overweight male adolescents undergoing an intensive lifestyle intervention and the role of FTO genotype in this interaction

Background

Lifestyle intervention may have a critical effect on the association between genetics and obesity. This study aimed to investigate changes in FTO and IRX3 gene expression in obese and overweight male adolescents undergoing a lifestyle intervention and the role of FTO genotype in this interaction.

Methods

This study was a field trial of 62 adolescents from boys’ high schools in Tehran, Iran. Two schools were randomly allocated as the intervention (n = 30) and control (n = 32) schools. The rs9930506 SNP in FTO was genotyped at baseline and the level of FTO and IRX3 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Anthropometric measurements were assessed at baseline and after 18 weeks of intensive lifestyle intervention.

Results

Our results showed that IRX3 expression in the intervention group was significantly up-regulated compared to baseline (P = 0.007) and compared to the control group (P = 0.011).The intervention group had significantly up-regulated transcripts of IRX3 only in rs9930506 risk allele carriers of the intervention group compared to risk allele carriers of the control group (P = 0.017). Moreover, our data showed that the FTO expression was up-regulated in AA genotype carriers and down-regulated in AG/GG genotype carriers (P = 0.017).

Conclusion

Lifestyle modification may exert its effects on obesity through changes in the expression level of the FTO and IRX3 genes. However, FTO genotype plays a role in the extent of the effect of lifestyle changes on gene expression. Further studies are crucial to have a better understanding of the interaction between lifestyle, genetics and anthropometric measurements.

Trial registration This paper reports a comprehensive intervention study (Interactions of Genetics, Lifestyle and Anthropometrics study or IGLA study), which is retrospectively registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials as IRCT2016020925699N2. Date registered: April 24, 2016. (https://www.irct.ir/searchresult.php?id=25699&number=2)

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12967-019-1921-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Dietary Carbohydrate Promotes Cell Survival in Cancer Via the Up-Regulation of Fat Mass and Obesity-Associated Gene Expression Level

Cancer cells are mainly dependent on glycolysis for their growth and survival. Dietary carbohydrates play a critical role in the growth and proliferation of cancer and a low-carbohydrate diet may help slow down the growth of tumours. However, the exact mechanisms behind this effect are unclear. This review study aimed to investigate the effect of fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene in the association between dietary carbohydrates and cancer. This study was carried out using keywords such as polymorphism and/or cancer and/or dietary carbohydrate and/or FTO gene. PubMed and Science Direct databases were used to collect all related articles published from 1990 to 2018. Recent studies showed that the level of FTO gene expression in cancer cells is dramatically increased and may play a role in the growth of these cells through the regulation of the cellular metabolic pathways, including the phosphoinositide 3-kinases/protein kinaseB (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway. Dietary carbohydrate may influence the FTO gene expression by eliminating the inhibitory effect of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) on the FTO gene expression. This review summarised what has been recently discovered about the effects of dietary carbohydrate on cancer cells and tried to determine the mediating role of the FTO gene in these effects.

Association of Delta-6-Desaturase Expression with Aggressiveness of Cancer, Diabetes Mellitus, and Multiple Sclerosis: A Narrative Review

Background: The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/ protein kinase B /mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/ mTOR) signaling regulates multiple cellular processes and organizes cell proliferation, survival, and differentiation with the available nutrients, in particular, fatty acids. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are cytotoxic to cancer cells and play a critical role in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and diabetes mellitus (DM). PUFAs are produced in the body by desaturases and elongases from dietary essential fatty acids (EFAs), primarily involving delta-6-desaturase (D6D). D6D is a rate-limiting enzyme for maintaining many aspects of lipid homeostasis and normal health. D6D is important to recognize the mechanisms that regulate the expression of this enzyme in humans. A lower level of D6D was seen in breast tumors compared to normal tissues. Interestingly, the elevated serum level of D6D was seen in MS and DM, which explains the critical role of D6D in inflammatory diseases. Methods: We searched databases of PubMed, Web of Science (WOS), Google Scholar, Scopus and related studies by predefined eligibility criteria. We assessed their quality and extracted data. Results: Regarding the mTOR signaling pathway, there is remarkable contributions of many inflammatory diseases to attention to common metabolic pathways are depicted. Of course, we need to have the insights into each disorder and their pathological process. The first step in balancing the intake of EFAs is to prevent the disruption of metabolism and expression of the D6D enzyme. Conclusions: The ω6 and ω3 pathways are two major pathways in the biosynthesis of PUFAs. In both of these, D6D is a vital bifunctional enzyme desaturating linoleic acid or alpha-linolenic acid. Therefore, if ω6 and ω3 EFAs are given together in a ratio of 2: 1, the D6D expression will be down-regulated and normalized.

The Role of FTO Genotype in the Association Between FTO Gene Expression and Anthropometric Measures in Obese and Overweight Adolescent Boys

The role of FTO genotype in the effect of FTO gene expression level on change in body mass index and body composition has not been studied. This study aimed to investigate the role of FTO genotype in the association between change in the expression level of the FTO gene with changes in anthropometric measurements in obese and overweight adolescent boys. Eighty-four boys aged 12 to 16 years participated in this longitudinal study. A bioimpedance analyzer (BIA) was used to estimate percentage of body fat (%body fat) and percentage of skeletal muscle (%skeletal muscle). The FTO gene expression level in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was assessed using quantitative Real Time PCR (qPCR). The DNA samples were genotyped for the FTO gene polymorphisms by DNA sequencing. All measurements were performed at baseline and after intervention. A significant association was observed between the level of gene expression and %skeletal muscle. The gene expression fold change was significantly associated with change in %skeletal muscle in AA or AG genotype carriers (β = 0.34, p = .02). No significant association was detected between the change in FTO gene expression with change in anthropometric indices in GG genotype carriers. In conclusion, the association between FTO gene expression and body composition can be influenced by FTO genotype. Future studies are required to assess the interactions between FTO genotype, FTO gene expression in different tissues, and body composition.

Dominant and Recessive Genetic Models of LSP1 Gene rs3817198 Polymorphism and Breast Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Study

Objective: The aim of this meta-analysis was to discover the effect of dominant and recessive genetic models of LSP1 gene rs3817198 polymorphism on breast cancer risk. Material and Method: We performed this meta-analysis according to PRISMA protocol. Three databases, including PubMed/Medline, Web of sciences, and EMBASE were searched. In this meta-analysis, we included all studies that evaluated the association between LSP1 gene rs3817198 and breast cancer risk. ORs and their reported 95% confidence interval (CI) for dominant and recessive inheritance models were extracted from final retrieved studies. ORs were pooled using both fixed and the random-effect models. Egger’s test and contour-enhanced funnel plot were used to evaluate publication bias and small study effect. Twelve publications were eligible for final analysis after observing our defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: Totally, this meta-analysis composed of 15,530 cases and 20,258 controls. This study revealed a significant association between LSP1 gene rs3817198 polymorphism and breast cancer in the dominant genetic model (OR=1.07 [1.01-1.14]). Inversely, no association was found in the recessive genetic model (OR=1.10 [0.93-1.32]). Subgroup analysis displayed a significant association in population-based studies and European & American and African population only in the dominant genetic model. Begg’s funnel plot and Egger’s test revealed no publication bias. Conclusion: According to our findings, it seems that LSP1 gene rs3817198 polymorphism is associated with breast cancer risk and this risk is more prominent in Caucasians.

The cost effectiveness of rotavirus vaccination in Iran

Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe diarrhea leading to hospitalization or disease-specific death among young children. Effective vaccines have recently been approved and successful vaccination program implemented. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost effectiveness of mass rotavirus vaccination program in Iran. We developed a Markov model that reflects key features of rotavirus natural history. Parameters of the model were assessed by field study or developed through literature search and published data. We applied the model to the 2009 Iranian birth cohort and evaluated the cost-effectiveness of including the rotavirus vaccine (Rotarix®) into Iranian expanded immunization program (EPI). With an estimated hospitalization rate of 0.05 and outpatient rate of 0.23 cases per person-year, vaccinating cohort of 1231735 infants in Iran with 2 doses of (Rotarix®), would prevent 32092 hospitalizations, 158750 outpatient visits, and 1591 deaths during 5 y of follow-up. Under base-case assumption of $10 cost per course of vaccine, the vaccination would incur an extra cost of $1,019,192 from health care perspective and would avert 54680 DALYs. From societal perspective, there would be $15,192,568 saving for the society with the same averted DALYs. The incremental cost effectiveness ratio showed a cost of $19 US dollars per averted DALY from health care perspective and a saving of $278 US dollars for each averted DALY from societal perspective. Introducing rotavirus vaccine into EPI program would be highly cost-effective public health intervention in Iran.

Air Pollution and Breast Cancer in Iranian Women Living in Tehran Metropolis

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the possible association between air pollution and breast cancer in women living in polluted urban areaMethods: A frequency (five years age group) matching case-control study was conducted among women living Tehran Metropolis. Ambient carbon dioxide (CO2) as an indicator of exposure to air pollution and particulate matter 10 (PM10) as a carcinogen were used as exposure. Concentrations of the two indicators for the residential address of cases and control for the last five years were obtained from office of Tehran Air Quality Control Bureau (TAQB). All subjects were interviewed by phone and information about other risk factors (hormonal, behavioral anthropometric, and socio-economics) were obtained. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to estimate the odds ratios adjusted for confounding variables. CO2 entered into in the model as a continuous variable and PM10 was categorized as PM10 ≤ 1 VS 1 < PM10.Results: A total of 300 cases and 270 controls participated in the study. The mean age for cases and controls were 51.93 and 51.45 years, respectively. The distribution of air pollution throughout the study area indicated a large variation from a minimum of zero (no detectable) to a value of 16165.2612 µg/m3 for CO2. This figures were 0.03441 to 8.3242 µg/m3 for PM10. In average cases tend to live in areas with higher pollution indicators than controls PM10 was (PM10 < 1 µg/m3 = 107), (1 < PM10 <2 µg/m3 = 83) and (PM10 > 2 µg/m3 = 97) for cases and (PM10 < 1 µg/m3 = 108), (1 < PM10 < 2 µg/m3 = 87) and (PM10 > 2 µg/m3 = 105) for controls. Also CO2 index was a significant different with control groups as mean was (3943.87±3.50 µg/m3) for controls and (3199.84±2.72 µg/m3) for cases (P-value= 0.03). logCO2 as general indicator of exposure to air pollution was not observed association with breast cancer (OR = 1.218 and CI 95% 1.000 to 1.000). subjects in the case and control groups had no signific nt difference in terms of the level of PM10 index (OR = 1.047 and CI 95% 1.005 to 7.278). Conclusion: According to the results of this study, risk of breast cancer increases in women with exposure to air pollution, which denotes air pollution as a potential risk factor of breast cancer.

hOGG1 gene polymorphism and breast cancer risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis study

To address the effect of hGGO1 (rs1052133) gene polymorphism on the risk of breast cancer, a meta-analysis was performed. We pooled adjusted odds ratios (OR) as overall and three subgroups (menopausal status, ethnicity, and study setting). In overall analysis, we found a significant association when the model of inheritance was homozygote (pooled OR 1.14; 95% CI 1.01, 1.29). Subgroup analysis showed significant association for homozygote genetic models among postmenopause women (OR 1.23; 95% CI 1.01, 1.49) and Asian population (OR 1.17; 95% CI 1.01, 1.35). This study suggested that the carrier of Ser326Cys polymorphism of hOGG1, Cys/Cys vs Ser/Ser, are at higher risk for breast cancer, independent of other hormonal and environmental risk factors.

Iranian clinical trials: An analysis of registered trials in International Clinical Trial Registry Platform (ICTRP)

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated and analyzed Iranian clinical trials registered in the ICTRP portal by the end of 2015. The goal was to determine which diseases are currently being studied and whether these are diseases that carry the greatest burden of disease according to regional and WHO statistics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Information on clinical trials carried out in Iran was downloaded from the portal of the International Clinical Trials Registry website. By the end of 2015, 10,341 studies were registered from Iran. After removing duplicate and observational studies, 10,211 studies remained for analysis. The 2016 edition of the International Classification of Diseases was used to classify the diseases.

RESULTS

The frequency of studies was found to be mental and behavioral disorders (10.44%), diseases of the genitourinary system (10.2%), and endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases (10.01%). Gastrointestinal and dermatologic diseases made up more than 12% of studies, but bear only 0.84% of the burden of disease in Iran.

CONCLUSION

The results showed that, despite an increase in registration of clinical trials in Iran, most studies registered were conducted on diseases, which form only a small percentage of the total disease burden of the country.

Relationship of Social Determinants of Health with the Three-year Survival Rate of Breast Cancer

Background: Social determinants of health are among the key factors affecting the pathogenesis of diseases. Considering the increasingly high prevalence of breast cancer and the association of social determinants of health with its occurrence, related morbidity and mortality and survival rate, this study sought to assess the relationship of three-year survival rate of breast cancer with social determinants of health. Materials and Methods: This cohort study was conducted on males and females presenting to the Cancer Research Center of Shohada-E-Tajrish Hospital from 2006 to 2010 with definite diagnosis of breast cancer. Data were collected via phone interviews. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression was fitted using SPSS (version 18) and PH assumption was tested by STATA (version 11) software. Results: The study was performed on 797 breast cancer patients, aged 25-93 years with mean age of 54.66 (SD=11.86) years. After 3 years from diagnosing cancer 700 (87.8%) patients were alive and 97 (12.2%) patients were dead. Using log rank test, there was relationship between 3-year survivals with age, education, childhood residence, sibling, treatment type, and district were significant (p<0.05). Using Cox PH regression, 3-year survival was related to age, level of education, municipal district of residence and childhood condition (p<0.05). Conclusion: Social determinants of health such as childhood condition, city region residency, level of education and age affect the three-year survival rate of breast cancer. Future studies must focus on the effect of childhood social class on the survival rates of cancers, which have been paid less attention to.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS), an Informative Start for Challenging Process of Etiologic Investigation of Diseases and Public Health Policy Making

Background: The public health has been always concerned of the immediate environment of human as causal factors for different diseases and health outcomes. Epidemiology, as one of the fundamental basis of public health, is concerned of how diseases are distributed in terms of geographical, chronological, and human population characteristics and employees the descriptive nature of such spread to draw conclusion on the etiology of health or disease utcome for further policy making on prevention of disease or promotion of health.Methods: In this paper, we present the importance of GIS technology in epidemiology from both descriptive and etiologic standpoints and elaborate how this technology can stand in the forefront of disease and health outcome measures in the coming decades. The paper will address the history of geo-related health and disease issues. The mapping tool as a traditionally strong resource in the public health will be explored. The advances in Information Technology and one of its best utilized offshoot, GIS, in Health and disease will be discussed. How the huge repository of generated or ever generating geo-related data and information is utilized to address etiology of diseases or to help public health authorities in making informed policy making decisions are explored.Results: The utilization of GIS technology in diseases with intermittent host such as malaria, yellow fever, or other parasitic diseases has already been well established. The GIS technology and its utilization in chronic and degenerative diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and aging are under development and new frontiers are discovering. The limitation of GIS technology in addressing host environment interaction in micro-environment (at the molecular biology and tissue pathogenicity level) and gene–environment interaction (at the individual level) will further be discussed.Conclusion: We then distress on the efficient use of GIS both in the etiologic investigation of diseases and health events as well as the utilization of the GIS technology as a administrative tool in the help of public health authorities and policy makers in strategic management of health of a community or emergency management of man-made or technological disasters (e.g., wars) or naturally occurring disasters (e.g., earthquake and floods).

The Inauguration of Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Care

On behalf of the Asian Pacific Organization for Cancer Prevention (APOCP) and its subsidiary (the West Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention- WAOCP), it is a great honor to present the inaugural issue of Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Care (APJCC, ISSN ).APJCC is branching out from Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention to become the journal of choice for the large community researchers in the Asian and Pacific region who work on the care cancer patients. Its goal is to become leading online forum to disseminate the work of Asia and Pacific Regions’ cancer clinicians to the global audience.APJCC inherits its inception from the backbone of 17 years of successful publication of the Asian Pacific Cancer Prevention (APJCP) and considers itself as a sister publication of the APJCP.

LSP1 Gene rs3817198 Polymorphism and Breast Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Study

In this meta-analysis, we tried to clear the relationship between breast cancer risk and LSP1 gene rs3817198T>C polymorphism. This meta-analysis was conducted according to PRISMA protocol. We searched PubMed/Medline, Web of sciences and EMBASE. All literature investigating the association of LSP1 gene rs3817198T>C and breast cancer risk were considered to include in the meta-analysis. We pooled ORs using both fixed and random-effect models. Egger’s test and funnel plot were used to evaluate Publication bias and small study effect. After evaluation and screening of citations, 14 publications were eligible for final analysis after applying of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Overall, 30,204 cases and 35,282 controls included in this meta-analysis. There was the significant association between LSP1 gene rs3817198T>C polymorphism and breast cancer only in homozygote genetic model (OR=1.14 [1.05-1.24]) and no association was found in heterozygotes (OR=1.03 [0.98-1.07]). The association was significant for popula ion-based studies and European & American & African population in both homozygote and heterozygote genetic model. There was no evidence of bias of literature and no small study effect. In conclusion, it seems that LSP1 gene rs3817198 polymorphism play its role in breast cancer incidence and other SNPs and environment are such triggers. Nevertheless, we recommend genome-wide association studies to evaluate the effect of SNPs in combination, not as single SNPs.

Burden Assessment of Thyroid cancer in Iran from 1990 to 2010: Lessons Obtained from Global Burden of Disease Report 2010

BACKGROUND

Thyroid tumors are generally regarded as rare malignancies. Nowadays, however, their global incidence is growing continuously partially due to western life style and utilization of more sensitive methods of early detection. It is approximately three times more prevalent in females than in males. Most cases of thyroid cancer are asymptomatic nodules or just have local cervical symptoms or adenopathy in early stages.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The Global Burden of Diseases report 2010 study (released 3/2013) profited from 100 collaborators worldwide and used a vast network of data on health outcomes, vital registries, and population surveys. It shared many of the Global Burden of Diseases 1990 principal databases such as all available data on injuries, diseases, risk factors, as well as comparable metrics, and used different scientific approved methods to estimate important health status data like: death rate, life expectancy, healthy adjusted life expectancy, disability-adjusted life years (DALY), years of living lost due to premature death and years of life with disabilities.

RESULTS

DALY as thyroid cancer burden per 100,000 Iranian populations had increased by about 14% during 1990 to 2010 in all ages; from 6.1 (95% UI 4.2-9.74) years in 1990 to 6.95 (95% UI 5.06-9.18) years in 2010 in both sex. The 2010 peak age-group was estimated at 45-49 years in males and 40-45 years in females.

Substitution Analysis in Nutrition Sciences: A Tutorial

Evaluating the effects of nutrients in our diet needs to enter more than one nutrient item (or food groups) in a single statistical unit. Accordingly, not only we consider the effects of a nutrient in health-related subjects, but also we find out the consequences of replacing and deleting nutrients. In nutritional epidemiology, substitutional analysis is used to evaluate the effects of various nutrients on a specific outcome. In the substitutional analysis, when some nutrients or foods are included in a single statistical model, investigation of the effects of several nutrients on the specific outcome is more achievable. The objective of this paper was to provide a detailed examination of the key aspects of substitutional analysis in nutritional sciences.

Mobile Phone Use and Brain Tumor: An Age-Period-Cohort Analysis of Brain Tumor Rates in the Nordic Population

Background: The association of the mobile phone use and risk of brain tumor remains controversial among radiation epidemiologists. Methods: We hypothesized if an association between brain tumor and mobile phone use exists, this association will be manifested as a cohort effect (as a proxy of association between mobile phone use and brain tumor) in the incidence rates of brain tumor during the period of 1990 to 2009. We used age-period-cohort methodology (generalized log-linear model) and compared the distribution of cohort effects in the observed rates of brain tumor from 1990 to 2009 to the cohort effects from rates driven based on epidemiological study results that reported a positive association between brain tumor and mobile phone use in the Nordic population. Three latency period of 1-4 years with odds ratio (OR) of 1.2, latency period of 5-9 years with OR of 1.3, and latency period of more than 10 years with OR of 2.7 were used to estimate expected rates. Results: The distribution of cohort effects between observed and expected rates were more similar among the males compared with females. A shorter latency was more con¬sistent to observed rates. Conclusion: Our study supports a possible a weak association between mobile phone use and brain tumor; further fueling the controversies in association.

The Inauguration of Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Biology

On behalf of the Asian Pacific Organization for Cancer Prevention (APOCP) and its subsidiary (the West Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention- WAOCP), it is a great honor to present the inaugural issue of Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Biology (APJCB, ISSN ). APJCB is branching out from Asian pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention to become the journal of choice for the large community researchers in the Asian and Pacific region who work on the biology of cancer. Its goal is to become leading online forum to disseminate the work of Asia and Pacific Regions’s cancer scientists to the global audience. APJCB inherits its inception from the backbone of 17 years of successful publication of the Asian Pacific Cancer Prevention (APJCP) and considers itself as a sister publication of the APJCP.

XRCC1 and OGG1 Gene Polymorphisms and Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review of Literature

Context:

Known polymorphisms of DNA repair genes can be associated with the risk of many types of cancer. There is no consensus regarding association between XRCC1 and OGG1 with breast cancer (BC).

Objectives:

The aim of this study is to collect relevant published studies systematically.

Data Sources:

Sixty-two publications were identified through searching PubMed, PubMed Central, ISI web of knowledge, and reference list of related articles.

Study Selection:

We performed a systematic review according MOOSE guideline criteria. All longitudinal cohort and case-control studies investigating association of any type and grade of breast cancer with XRCC1 and OGG1 gene and their polymorphisms were eligible for initial inclusion.

Data Extraction:

Two authors screened titles and abstracts and extracted all needed information from eligible studies. Four research methodological components causing bias for the association between gene polymorphisms and breast cancer risk, including source of controls sampling, population ethnicity, sample size of studies and menopausal status of cases and controls was used for assessment of quality of studies

Results:

A total of 14,793 breast cancer cases and 15,409 controls were included in assessment of XRCC1 Arg194Trp. Four studies showed significant association and one study showed protective effect of XRCC1 Arg194Trp and BC. A total of 7,716 cases and 7,370 controls were included for XRCC1 Arg280His. Only one study showed significant association of XRCC1 Arg280His and breast cancer (OR = 1.82 (1.06 - 3.15). A total of 27,167 cases and 31,998 controls were included to estimate association between XRCC1 Arg399Gln polymorphism and breast cancer. Seven studies showed significant association and one showed protective effect of XRCC1 Arg399Gln and BC. A total of 9,417 cases and 11,087 controls were included for OGG1 Ser326Cys. Among studies focused on OGG1 Ser326Cys, none showed significant association with breast cancer.

Conclusions:

Systematic search of major databases identify many studies addressing the relationship between BC and susceptible alleles in the base excision repair genes and the fact that there are many variations in the magnitude of association depending on inheritance model and the population of the study.